Health

100 Days on the Keto Diet

Growing up, I was insecure about my body. I was always a little larger than the other kids and rarely could wear trendy clothing. As I got into high school, my eating became disordered and I lost weight. Eventually, things balanced out again and all was good. Unfortunately, my freshman year of college I began to get really sick. The doctors had me on so many medications and, unfortunately, the medications combined with no so great eating habits lead to about a 70 pound weight gain.
Thankfully, I am much better now but I have struggled to get rid of all the weight. After trying so many crash diets and having my weight yo-yo, I knew I needed to make a sustainable change. It was then that I came across this video from Raw Beauty Kristi that introduced me to the keto diet.

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First picture is pre keto on 12/27/17, second photo is after 3 months on keto 5/15/18

Now before rushing to the store for butter and coconut oil, I did a lot of research. In fact, I considered it for about three months before I finally decided to take the plunge. I was done with crash dieting and wanted to make sure that this would be healthy and sustainable. I am so happy to say, since February 12, I have lost 30 pounds.

what keto

Basically, the keto diet is high fat (75%), moderate protein (20%) and low carb (5%).  It is also important that you are not eating too much, as you still have to be in a caloric deficit to loose weight. To find out the optimal nutrition information for yourself, I love this keto calculator.

macros
My Current Macros Without Exercise

Now it needs to be said, that keto carbs are net carbs. Net carbs are calculated by taking the grams of carbs in a food and subtracting the grams of fiber and sugar alcohols. So if an avocado has 12 grams of carbs and 10 grams of fiber, that means it is only 2 net carbs. Generally, you want to shoot at keeping your net carbs under 25 a day.

It should also be noted that not all fat is created equal. You want to stick to fats that are healthier and natural. As the Ruled.me site says, “try to get your fat from natural sources like meat and nuts. Supplement with saturated and monounsaturated fats like coconut oil, butter, and olive oil.” You can get a much more in depth look at the keto basics and allowed foods here.

meal plan

In a typical day on keto, I generally eat variations of the same things.

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Breakfast: Bulletproof coffee= 1 tbsp butter + 1 tbsp coconut oil

Lunch: 2 hard boiled eggs + 1 cheese stick or 1 oz of cheese

Snack: 1/4 cup of almonds

Dinner: Protein + Fat + veggies (ex. 2 brats and 1 cup cauliflower in butter or avocado bacon burger)

Dessert: Lindt 90% dark chocolate or an Atkins Endulge (1, 2, 3) or keto pie

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Here are some of my go to keto recipes that are quick, easy and delicious.

Breakfast

  • 90 Second Pancakes– melt 2 tbsp of butter, then mix in 3 tbsp of almond flour, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp sweetener, and one egg. Mix well and microwave for 90 seconds. Top with butter and low carb syrup.
  • Breakfast Burrito– melt 1 tbsp of butter and blend with two raw eggs, season and scramble the eggs. Add cheese and bacon and put in low carb tortilla 
  • Baked Avocado Egg- preheat oven to 425. Cut avocado in half and remove pit. Remove a little more avocado to make room for the egg. Season avocado with salt, pepper and place in tin foil boat on pan. Crack egg inside of avocado, top with a little cheese and place in oven to bake for 14-16 minutes.
  • Bullet Proof Coffee- add 1 tbsp of butter and 1 tbsp of coconut oil to coffee mug and top with hot, black coffee. Allow to melt, mix together and enjoy.
  • BAE Breakfast- 1-2 eggs topped with 1/4 to 1/2 an avocado, 1-2 pieces of bacon and a slice of pepper jack cheese. BAE = bacon, avocado egg

Lunch/Dinner

  • 90 Second Bread (perfect for grilled cheese!)- melt 2 tbsp of butter in a bowl and then mix in 3 tbsp of almond flour, 1/2 tsp baking powder, your choice of seasoning, and one egg. Mix well and microwave for 90 seconds. Tip out of bowl, cut in half and enjoy.
  • Quick Pizza- Take a low carb tortilla and top with sugar free marinara, cheese and pepperoni. Place on a greased pan and broil until cheese is melted.
  • White Chicken Chili
  • Fat Head Pizza Crust– put 1.5 cup shredder mozzarella and 2 tbsp cream cheese in a bowl and microwave for 30 seconds, stir and microwave another 30 seconds. Stir in 1 egg and 3/4 cup almond flour. Add you favorite seasoning. Wet hands and spread dough onto parchment paper covered pan. Poke holes all over the crust and bake at 425 for about 8 minutes. Remove, add sugar free marinara and toppings and place back into oven under broil to melt the cheese.
  • Alfredo Sauce– amazing on top of chicken or veggies
  • Avocado Mash- 1/2 avocado, 2 slices of bacon, 1 tbsp crushed salt and vinegar almonds, and a slice of pepper jack cheese
  • Chicken, Steak, Sausage, 80% lean Burger, Fish

Desserts and Snacks

  • Lindt 90% Dark Chocolate
  • Chocolate Avocado Shake– Put 1/2 cup water (or coconut milk), 1/2 avocado, 1 tbsp cocoa powder, and 1-3 tbsp of sweetener (may also add a dash of salt and vanilla) then blend together. I like to refrigerator mine for an hour or so before eating.
  • Cheese Crackers- take two slices of your favorite cheese and cut into smaller squares or triangles. Place onto a parchment paper covered pan and season (I like salt, pepper and a dash of garlic). Place in oven at 350 for 8 minutes or until dark golden brown. The darker brown, the more crispy.
  • Keto Pie Filling & Crust– I love to put the filling into silicon molds to eat alone or freeze as ice cream. The crust is also wonderful made into cookies.
  • Parmesan Crips
  • Atkins Endulge Treats (1, 2, 3)
  • Cheese Sticks, Almonds (love the salt and vinegar flavored), Hard Boiled Eggs

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Overall, I have found the keto diet fairly easy to stick to. I never feel hungry or like I am missing out. Before I go, I want to share some tips I’ve learned along the way.

Do make sure you are getting the right balance of fat and protein. Too much protein will stall weight loss.

Don’t eat too much cheese. You want to rely on non dairy protein and fats for a majority of your meals.

Do eat a little more fat and protein if you are still hungry.

Don’t go over on your carbs. I usually eat 10 net carbs a day and I am always full.

Do make sure to give yourself enough water and electrolytes (salt) to avoid keto flu.

Don’t guess on food. Always weigh it out and keep track using an app like myfitnesspal.

Do always input a new recipe into myfitnesspal with the products you have in your home before you make it. I have found a lot of food bloggers end up with different nutrition information than when I input it all in myself.

Don’t eat out too often as you never know what things are really in your food. If you do eat out, trying googling “restaurant name” + keto and see what your options are.

Do consult your doctor before starting any new diet or supplement.

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Alright guys, I sure hope you find this helpful! I know that when I first started keto, I felt kinda lost. Now, I feel fairly confident with my daily routines. I am feeling happy, healthy and full. I can’t wait to see what results I will have before I go off keto at the end of May. Don’t worry, I plan to balance my eating and would be happy to share how going off keto affected my weight.

Need more meal ideas? Check out my Keto pinterest board

You can also check out my myfitnesspal diary to see what I ate every day from 2/12/18 to 5/20/18.

Have you tried the keto diet?

xoxo