My Keto Diet Update! (2 week weigh in)

Hey friends!

I hope you are having a great day today!  I am VERY EXCITED to give you an update on my Keto Diet!

I started a 28 day accelerated plan two week ago on March 5th.  This plan is pricey and very strict, so I don’t know if I would recommend it for everyone, but it has definitely helped me.  

In a regular Keto Diet, you want to try and keep your net carbs below 20 each day.  On the accelerated plan, most of my days are below 10 grams of net carbs, sometimes as low as 4!  So that can definitely be difficult at times.

You find Net Carbs by looking at the total carbs and subtracting the fiber.

total carbs – fiber = net carbs

 

The Keto diet consists of  high fat and protein, and low carbs.  

Most of what you can eat on the Keto diet is….

  • Proteins – beef, lamb, poultry, pork, fish and seafood, eggs, tofu (if you are vegetarian).
  • Above-ground vegetables – spinach, rocket, kale, broccoli, mushrooms, celery, cabbage.
  • Fats – coconut oil, olive oil, flaxseed oil, oil-based salad dressings, macadamia oil.
  • High-fat dairy – cheese, high-fat cream, butter.
  • Nuts and seeds – macadamias, walnuts, sunflower seeds, almonds, flax seeds, nut butters.
  • Certain fruits – avocados, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, lemons, limes.
  • Sweeteners – stevia, erythritol, monk fruit, and other low-carb sweeteners.
  • Drinks – almond milk, coffee, tea, water, sparkling mineral water.
  • Herbs and spices – salt, pepper, coriander, rosemary, basil, garlic powder.

source

 

In the accelerated plan that I am on, I have cut out cheeses too. I eat a lot of fats and proteins, and very little carbs.

source

 

And it is working!! 

As of today, I weighed myself, and I have lost 10 POUNDS!  Woohoo!!

I’ve noticed the biggest different around my waist, which feels wonderful, but y’all, I am not really motivated by the number on the scale.  I am more motivated by HOW I FEEL.  

Here are the main benefits to this diet (for me)…

  1.  More ENERGY!
  2. MENTAL CLARITY!  (This is HUGE to me!  I cannot tell you how much better I feel NOT to be living my life in a “carb fog.”  I am able to focus better, and I feel like I am getting twice the work done than before keto!)
  3. LESS HUNGRY!  Yep.  I eat less, but rarely feel hungry during the day.  I love that!
  4. LESS CARB CRAVINGS!  So this is HUGE for me!  I have lived almost every day of my life craving sweets, especially large cokes from McDonalds!   I used to crave chocolate and breads and basically anything sweet.  Not anymore.  I just don’t crave them.  Cy is shocked!  haha!

So I have 2 more weeks on this plan, and I don’t expect to lose another 10 pounds, but I love the way I feel, and I am going to stick to it!

(side note:  I have not exercised at all these past two weeks, and I probably won’t until I am done with the 28 day program.  Exercising on the very low amount of carbs that I am taking in can be very difficult.  But as my body continues to get used to burning fat for fuel and energy, I am going to start bringing back in the exercising/running.)

You can still do Keto without doing the accelerated plan that I am doing.  Once the next two weeks are over, I am probably going to up my daily net carb allowance to 20 and use the following books to get some delicious recipes from!

 

 

 

 

But this keto lifestyle is something I definitely want to stick to.  

As a side note, if you have been following me for a while, you know that I have been on this “wellness journey” for a couple of years.  And then in January, I kicked it in gear and got serious about losing weight because I was at my heaviest weight ever, more than when I was pregnant with my boys!

In February of last year, I started the FASTer Way to Fat Loss, and it was the best decision I ever made!  It is what truly got me going, and I started learning about the importance of putting the right foods in my body, intermittent fasting, and carb cycling.   It also got me exercising again!

If you want to see the very embarrassing before/after pictures of my 6 week results, click HERE.

I continued doing the FW2FL program and added in some Keto in November, and in December I reached my lowest weight to date.  Click HERE for those before/after photos.  

Since January of 2017, I have lost a total of 30 pounds!  That’s a small child, y’all!  haha!

I almost can’t believe that I was 30 pounds more than I am now.  But one thing I can remember well is how TERRIBLE I felt.  I wouldn’t wish it on anyone! At times, I seriously thought I was going to die early because of how bad I felt. I was sluggish, unmotivated, and unable to keep up with my kids.  That’s why I had to change!  I feel like a completely different person now, and I am going to continue to feel better as I take care of myself through the foods that I eat and the products I use. (Essential oils have been a game changer for me too, but that is a topic for a whole other post! haha!)

Anyway, if you want to try the FASTer Way to Fat Loss program, the next round of their 6 week program begins March 26th.  (I think the next round is almost full and sign up time is almost over, so you may need to sign up quickly.)  SIGN UP HERE.

I know you will be glad you did, and you will feel so much better about yourself for summer.  {wink.}  

Let me know if you give Keto or FW2FL a try, so I can cheer you on!  And I will be sure to share another Keto post at the end of my 28 days!

Love you guys!

oxoxo, Traci

 

*There are affiliate links in this post.

23 Comments

  1. You are adorable . So glad you’ve been able to drop lbs. I’m my heaviest now and just started kicking into gear . It’s. So. Hard. May I ask why you switched from faster to keto??

  2. So glad this worked for you, Traci! You look amazing, but I thought you did before. I understand it’s how YOU feel that is important. I did Keto almost a year ago and lost a lot of weight. I loved eating that way, but in the end it just wasn’t right for me. My energy came and went and I began having night sweats. I realized that I needed something different for my body. And I love seeing many keto success stories, so I know it is a lifestyle that can really work. Yay for you! Keep at it!

  3. So I tried low carb high fat for the month of February and only lost 4 lbs. But I had blood work done coincidentally at the end of the month and my cholesterol was the highest it’s ever been. I guess I did something wrong. Are you doing FWTWL and Keto? Congratulations, it’s a great feeling when you feel so much better.

  4. Traci,
    I am so proud of you. You look great!!
    I too have been eating better and trying to follow the same type diet but not quite as strict as you are.
    I love my desserts, but I feel so much better off sugar. Its amazing how the bloating goes down and
    how much my energy I have. I also walk a mile with my furry baby, Abby, everyday, except when the weather is just
    too bad.
    Good luck on your next two weeks!
    Donna

  5. I have talked to friends who went on the Keto plan to find out how it worked for them and they all said don’t do it. After being on it for a period of time their cholesterol went through the roof because of the high fat foods they ate. You look great Honey, bt what does your physician say about the Keto plan? Is this a healthy way to lose weight? I know it works to help you lose weight but would like to get a physicians perspective on it. Could you share that with those of us who are cautious?

  6. You look great. I have to watch cholesterol. This does not seem like the diet I need to be on. Any info on that would be appreciated. Most foods I was told to stay away from are your basics. Please watch your cholesterol as you do this. xo

  7. I’m halfway though my first round of FWTFL. I am loving it. Loving the energy. I’ve never worked out, and am shocked that I’m loving it 😉. Intermittent fasting is now my jam!! Cheering you on, friend!!

  8. Great job, Tracy! I love how I feel on low carb … all the way back to Atkins original diet (1970s?)! I did figure out over the first couple of weeks the weight that came off was mostly water weight then the fat stores started being used. My energy increased and I found myself feeling consistently emotionally stable.

    It is interesting to note the comments about cholesterol going through the roof. I am regularly tested because of high cholesterol and high triglycerides. As long as I maintain a low carb diet ALL levels are in the excellent range. Once my doctor saw the results, her views did a 180 about low carb. There are a small percentage of people due to metabolism/medication that will not see the decrease in cholesterol. Keto is a bit less strict than Atkins, but breaking a sugar habit is so worth it!

    1. My doctor said that increased cholesterol could very well be a thyroid issue. FT3 and FT4 (not TSH) need to be optimized and then levels come right back in range. Happened to my nephew and now his cholesterol levels are perfect!

  9. You’ve given me great motivation to get back on my keto plan! I lost thirty pounds last year for my son’s wedding. I wanted to lose fifty, well, that didn’t happen, but I was happy with the thirty I’d lost. Now fifteen crept back on since Christmas. I live on steroids and keto was the ONLY program where I could lose weight at all. Counting calories didn’t work. I was eating 800 calories and still not losing! I have a great doctor who people from all over the US come to see. She strongly suggests incorporating digestive enzymes, especially when you’re doing keto. You want to get as much nutrition as possible out of your food instead of pooping out all of the nutrition. I’m getting back on board and I gonna use you Tracie to hold me to it!!!! Congratulations! I am sure you’ll keep it up!!!

  10. Keep up the hard work. You look great beautiful inside and out. You’re a real motivation to me and so many others.

  11. You look great Tracy and I’m glad you feel great too! I did keto from January 24 – March 9 and absolutely loved it. It was the only diet I have ever been on that I was not starving and had to actually make myself eat! The problem arose when my face broke out with huge, red, oily looking boil/pimples. I immediately stopped the high fat but am still doing low carb. My face has cleared up in the last 12 days but I am back to starving and not losing weight. I am going to try Keto again in a few weeks to see if that is what caused the breakout.

    Good luck on your keto journey!

  12. You look great Traci and I’m glad you feel great too! I did keto from January 24 – March 9 and absolutely loved it. It was the only diet I have ever been on that I was not starving and had to actually make myself eat! The problem arose when my face broke out with huge, red, oily looking boil/pimples. I immediately stopped the high fat but am still doing low carb. My face has cleared up in the last 12 days but I am back to starving and not losing weight. I am going to try Keto again in a few weeks to see if that is what caused the breakout.

    Good luck on your keto journey!

  13. Congratulations, Traci….you’re looking great! I have been doing keto for 1.5 years, am over 60, don’t exercise and have lost 65 lbs. I do strict keto and keep my carbs well below 20 total….i try to keep my carbs below 5, total per day, but blow that when i decide to enjoy some red wine. When people first start on keto, their cholesterol will shoot up, for about 6 months, but it peaks and then the body does a flip flop and the cholesterol count will go down to a very good level…..it is what pushes people off the “way of eating”….i don’t like to call it a diet. I also watched a bunch of youtube videos, from Dr. Eric Westman that are very helpful and great information. Plus, youtube, “go keto with casey”

  14. Congratulations! You look great! I’m glad you found a way that you love and is working for you. I’ve tried to lower my carbs and increase my protein, but don’t follow the Keto diet. I’ve felt it makes a difference. I can’t do a high fat diet as i need to watch my cholestrol. I eat the Meditterrean Diet minus red meat, dairy, and gluten. My goal is to increase my work outs to at least 30 minutes six days a week.
    It’s a lot of working taking care of yourself, isn’t it, but the rewards are so worth it! Keep it up. That beautiful smile says it all!

  15. Traci I think you are beautiful inside and out, and if this plan is working for you then whoo-hoo, I’m so happy for you! We all have only one body and we need to love it.
    I love the idea of this, and to be honest I already eat this way for the most part. My issue with keto is – I’m a no dairy person. I already don’t eat bread, cake, etc. because of gluten and sugar, and my other carbs – potatoes and the like, are very limited – like maybe once a week. Between no dairy, no gluten and no sugar, which all contribute to internal inflammation I have been able to control a life-long skin issue on the bottom of my feet that has been almost debilitating at times. I started this about a year ago, after I had been sent to Vanderbilt Dermatology in Nashville and there they wanted to start me on a chemo cocktail to “see if it would work”. I came home and decided that nope, “that poison” was not the answer, and began a lot of research in to other options. I would like to lose 15-20 pounds, and I wonder if it’s possible to follow a keto plan without dairy?

  16. I did the keto diet for 2 months and then had blood work done and my cholestrol jump to 321! It had never been over 200 before. Not the diet for me. The one thing I did like about it though was the lack of cravings and hardly ever hungry. Good luck to you, but hopefully you keep a check on your blood work.

    Kathy

  17. You look amazing! I lost 50 lbs in the last 4 yrs and it is a crazy ride. I started with clean eating. I’ve gained 10 back over the last year. I have been researching keto and fwtfl to change things up, lose the 10 I gained and the last 20 to reach my goal. Thanks for all the info!
    For everyone worried about their cholesterol, try the book The Great Cholesterol Myth by Bowden and Sinatra. It’s eye opening!

  18. Wow!!! You look great and have done a great job in your weight lose and getting healthy. You should be proud of yourself and I’m so glad you feel good. I’ve recently been tested for many food allergies, so now learning all what I can and can’t eat or cook with and its been a challenge but hoping in the long run, I’ll feel better and my migraines will decrease or better yet go away. I’ve lived way too many years with them. Thanks for being real with us all. PS Was Jonathan on American Idol? I thought I saw a glimpse of him.

  19. Traci,
    It is good to see all the lovely projects that you and your husband have completed, all I can say is wow, lovely!
    Watching your daughter was just delightful, I definitely know how wonderful a new mattress would be, I have been saving my money,, by time I can buy one, I will know which one would be best!
    Traci, I have been on Keto since November, no complicated or expensive program, but boy do I feel great and my cholesterol has done the opposite of one of your postings, everything looks better than ever!
    The more research that I do, the more I believe in the science, and there is a great deal of science to back up the claims! It does take some getting used to but oh my, no joint pain anywhere and my brain is wanting to do calculus, just for fun!
    May the Lord richly bless you and yours,
    Denise

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *