Second Month Update: Keto Low Carb Love

So much has happened since I last posted, I figured that I owed you all an update! I have officially been adhering to a low-carb Keto lifestyle for two months now. Woah, how time flies! & I have been having fun :)

This diet may not be for everyone, but I sure think it's working for me! I have lost a total of 7 pounds in 7 weeks, and that is advanced weight loss for me. I use my Garmin scale to measure body fat. Currently, the scale tells me I have lost a total of 1% body fat, but I plan to get a Dexa scan in May to check the accuracy of my results. I have also lost an inch off of my waist. That was from some hard hard work!

Ketogains is the best group I have found on Facebook. Between Ketogains and Pinterest, I can follow this way of eating fairly easily. I have found that this program has benefited me in multiple ways...

1) Losing body fat after a year-long weight loss plateau
2) Increased energy for daily performance
3) Mental clarity and focus
4) Chronic constipation relieved

That last one is one of the most important! I've been searching for a cure to my constipation for years.

Anyways. I just wanted to sing the praises of Keto because I feel relieved. I feel like I found what I've been searching for. If you are part of the low-carb for life crew, share your experiences!

(These results are due to following the suggested macro counts from the Ketogains calculator, counting all of my calories consumed with MyFitnessPal, working out 3-5x week, and pure dedication. Anything you want hard enough, you will work for. Results do not come easily. They must be earned!)

( It's Working! ) I'm Loving The Keto-Life

Ketogenic Diet & Body Fat Percentages

Alright, guys! I'm 100% on board. After only 1 week of this new way of eating I have lost 3.2lbs and 0.8% body fat. I know what you're saying... "Woah slow your horses there cowgirl, that's not a lot." Well, for me it is. I have battled with seeing the same numbers on my scale for a year. So, to see them immediately start to move in encouraging for me. Below is a graph from my Garmin Connect home page, that connects to my Garmin Smart Scale. It measures my weight, body fat, BMI, and multiple other useful metrics.

Ketogenic Body Fat Percentage Tracking

Before I started this Ketogenic diet I was not on a high-carb high-fat Standard American Diet. I've always watched what I ate and kept a close rein on my calories. Therefore, the transition for my body was not as difficult. Some people go through some severe side-effects but I was lucky enough not to! 

My goal for the future: I would like to lose body fat while maintaining my muscle mass. Once I get down to a comfortable body fat percentage, I will focus primarily on building muscle. I have tried once within the last year to build muscle. I stuck to the previous program for 5 weeks. That program required me to be in the gym up to 3 hours almost every day. It was not sustainable. And for that much time, I wasn't seeing the results I wanted. This time I will stick to these guidelines: My weight routine will be done outside of a gym, either at home or at my local park. I will only spend up to 1 hr per weight session. 

I will have a booty like Beyonce. Just give me some, and some fat to eat :) 

The Good & Bad of Consistency

Keto & Running: My solution to a year-long plateau.

Summary: last posted workout was nice, I have been at a year-long weight loss plateau. I am trying a new way of eating. I am going to start running. Going to be positive that I will see results with this new routine!

Woah! Okay, I took too long to post again. That is the bad type of consistency. But, I feel assured that my (non-existent) readers will forgive me as I get used to this new routine.

Last time we spoke I was aiming to follow an at-home workout guide that was 1 week long. You could also put it on repeat and get multiple uses out of it. My review: I enjoyed it. It did get my heart rate up and really didn't take long at all. Most days it took somewhere between 17-20 minutes. That's not too bad considering 0 minutes would be better.

So for the last year, my weight has held steady. That sounds good, right? It is since I didn't' gain weight. But, it's not so good when your real goal is to LOSE weight. That's the worst kind of consistency. I had met my plateau. I have counted my calories and I have not. I have worked out 2 hours a day and I have not worked out. Nothing seems to get me through to that next level of fitness.

Experiment #1000: Keto & Running. After much research and talking with my husband (he's a fitness fanatic) I have decided to follow this way of eating. I'm highly intrigued and 2 days in. I know that running does really well for my body. The one time I was at my lowest weight I was running 3 miles a day.

Okay. So here it goes! I have to give it a few months before I say it doesn't work (here is where consistency is key!).