Changes – Keto 2018

I really wasn’t sure what to title this post, mostly because it is so different from other posts I have made. Please bear with me and while I will talk about some clothing issues, they are not the type you are used to. So here goes… our family has been loosing weight like crazy! (no this isn’t one of those stupid infomercials so don’t expect popups, flashing ads or other stupid stuff – this is just another blog post with a bit of a twist). I am talking about a resolution that didn’t wait until New Years – Keto 2018.

Big Changes!

In August of 2018 our family (Terry, Alexa and I) decided to ban together and try to become healthier. To be more specific, we decided to try KETO.

Now before anyone gets upset about the health implications, the first thing we did was consult our family doctor. Many of you may not know this but Terry had a triple bypass about 6 years ago, so we were concerned. Interestingly enough, our doctor was all in and said that she thought it would be a great thing for us to do together.

How did we do it?

As many of you know, I have tried so hard to loose weight and because of a variety of factors – gender, age, stress.. whatever, it was always hard for me.

When our son and daughter in law mentioned the Keto Diet, it was interesting but we were also skeptical. This is when we decided to consult Terry’s physician. She was so for it that the decision was made.

In order to be successful, we knew that big changes were in order. On August 1, 2018, these were some of the changes we made:

1. Eat all meals at the table – no more grazing
2. Switched to salad plates (this has become fun as I collect different styles of these in sets of 4)
3. We figured out our macros (how much fat, protein, and carbs we could have each day)
4. I create specific dinner meals with macros recorded on each *see image below
5. We keep our carbs below 20 (actually most days below 10)
6. Alexa and I do the intermittent fasting which means we eat dinner and then not again until 11 AM. Yep, no real breakfast. At 11 AM I eat 2 hard boiled eggs.
7. I make extra meals and put them in containers for lunches etc.

Below is a few images of what our meals look like as well as a link to the program that we follow. This program is something I compiled from various sources. It is what works for us. Note the list of good foods with their values – this is how we eat when not having the prepared meals.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

The Results?

Here is the exciting part – Drum roll please?????

• Alexa – 75 lbs and going strong
• Terry – 60 lbs and at goal
• Robyn – 50 lbs and moving slow but steadily 

In total, if we were a quartet, we would now be a trio! Total loss of 185 lbs!

There is more to it than this. As many of you may know, Terry had a triple bypass about 6 years ago and was put on the normal regime of medications. Since losing the weight, the meds have been cut back by 2/3!!!

First Negative

What are the negatives? (besides for no bread or goodies and such?) Well for one – CONSTIPATION!!! Luckily there is an easy and fun way to combat this. By adding one or two Fat Bombs each evening, the problem is gone. Also, they are a well-deserved treat that doesn’t kill the diet. The recipe I use is below:

Other Negatives

Another negative, well sort of – is that I HAVE NOTHING TO WEAR!!! In fact, I am in the process of making new fair-wear. None of my gowns fit. I actually have some good deals on sizes 18-20 gowns if anyone is interested. On a positive note, Queen Selesti will be wearing leather pants and her battle gear much more often this season!

Yet another negative is cramps. Both Alexa and I suffer from leg cramps off and on. This can be alleviated in a variety of ways, the easiest is to drink more water. Bananas are a big no no, so leave that off the table.

Overall

Overall, we are raving about this experience and while Terry has no more to lose, he is still refraining from eating like the old “him”. Yep, no pie, donuts or other sweets on a regular basis. These are the exception now, none of us want to head back down old roads.

Our energy levels are higher than ever and for you ladies out there that understand these things – the first time I walked into a Cato Fashions store and turned RIGHT… I was the happiest girl in the world.

I will also be posting a follow-up to this post with some more specific details on meal choices that we have discovered, ways to add some sweet into our daily lives and variations (specific products) we use for our BOMS and meals.

Feel free to contact me if you have questions about our journey – each is different, but change is good!

Robyn Gotch