I was never overweight until my late teen years, when I started working in fast food. I had always been physically fit and active growing up. I hit my highest weight of 285 lbs in November 2018. I started the ketogenic lifestyle that month.
I, as with any diet, was skeptical. If all diets worked there would be no chubby people… lol. I did my research and used the Ruled.me keto calculator to get started. I continued to use this tool throughout my weight loss journey, adjusting my macros as I went along, about every 10 lbs.
I’ll be honest, I have stalled and plateaued several times even while maintaining correct eating and macros. It was very frustrating to know you’re doing everything right and your results are stalled. I will say that you have to stay strong and trust this process, and the results will come tenfold.
It took about a year to get to a healthy weight that I was comfortable with. I have in a year’s time gone from 285 to around 160, and have worked hard to maintain this weight loss along with all of the health benefits that come along with it. I continue to research and learn new things about this lifestyle every day. I love trying new recipes and really keeping things fresh and new when it comes to meals.
If there was any advice I could pass along to someone beginning this awesome lifestyle, it would be to stick to the basics for a few months. There will come a time when you can incorporate some alternatives to the things you miss. Meal prepping is a great and useful tool to stay on track. Never quit researching and learning new things. I hope that I can inspire many to try this ketogenic lifestyle. It truly has changed, if not saved, my life.
1. What tactics did you employ to help you get to your goal? What did you find helped you get to your goals best?
The tactics I used to help me get to my goal are the simple K.I.S.S. method (keep it simple stupid). I started out by watching YouTube videos, learning what macros were and how to calculate them. I also learned what foods I need to focus on for optimum success. I kept my weight loss goals small, so as to not feel overwhelmed with reaching a certain number. If it wasn’t for the support from my wife and family, this would not be achievable.
2. What is the most impactful change you’ve made to your diet and why do you feel it’s been the most important?
The most impactful thing I did was give up sugary drinks that had all the empty calories, not to mention all the sugar and non healthy ingredients. I’m sure this small change in my day to day life was very beneficial to my health and helped in achieving my weight loss goals.
3. What is the best single piece of advice you can give to someone that is just starting out?
The best single piece of advice I can give to someone that is just starting out is stay with the basic meals, drink plenty of water and stay positive. You may not think it’s working, but you have to stick with it and give your body time to adjust.
4. How do you feel your life is now that you’re at your goal?
I feel great, with plenty of energy throughout the day for many activities. Being overweight for so many years, you don’t realize what it used to be like to not be winded or tired out so quickly. It’s awesome to be able to hop out of bed every morning with no aches and pains and already feeling energized.
5. What do you consider the biggest change in your day-to-day life?
The biggest change in my every day life is I actually want to get out of bed in the morning and start my day. I look forward to what each new day brings.
6. What did you do to find support throughout your journey?
To find support for my journey I joined a couple of keto Facebook groups. My biggest support is my wife, who is on keto also. Together we lost around 230 lbs in less than a year. It’s a lot easier if you have support from inside your house to keep you accountable and help get through the hard times.
7. What do you currently do to manage your day-to-day diet?
I use the Lose It app to keep track of what I am eating. It really helps me stay on top of my macros. Meal prep is a big part of helping me stay on track also.
8. What is your favorite keto recipe from www.ruled.me that’s become a staple?
Low Carb Chocolate Brownies on the Ruled.me website is one of my top go-to recipes. Simple and delicious.
9. If there is one thing that you could do differently during your journey, what would it be and why?
If there was one thing that I would do differently during my journey, I wish I would have started keto earlier in my life, not only for weight loss but for the health benefits that come along with it.
