My Keto journey started last month when I had heard just enough about it. The results had been so astonishing that I had to do it myself to believe it. It’s amazing how such simple solution to losing weight was always out there and we just learned about it. Ok, I confess, I am not a sugar lover and this cutting carbs thing has not been a hassle at all. Also I have always been under weight and have never had to go through the stress people feel when they are trying to lose. But things changed drastically after having a baby. I gained almost 20 lbs which I have been trying to lose for a couple of years now. Also my husband is 150 lbs over his ideal weight. Hence my interest in ketosis began when I just couldn’t see his health deteriorating because of his weight.

I did my homework which obviously included a lot of googling. I started following like a million Facebook and Instagram groups. And this is how it all began.

Get your partner on board

This was the most important and the most difficult task for me. I feel the diet will be more successful if people around you support it whole heartedly and keep pushing you back up if you get exhausted. You also need more than one perspective about how to approach it, creative ways to cook and help you get back on track if you get distracted.

I used to ask my husband if he wants to do it. He used to say yes to me but never actually started it till one day he himself said that ok I think I am ready now. Let’s start tomorrow. I had been educating him about Keto diet for a while now and I think he was ready to try it himself. From then on it became so easy for the both of us.

Calculate your macros

There are plenty of macros calculators. I just googled and used the first one that came up. Macros is basically a short form for macronutrients which you need to follow religiously in order for any diet to be successful. I also used the app fitness pal to record my progress. It helped considerably and motivated me to exercise and keep on track.

Research

I joined 4 facebook groups, followed keto related instagram pages, browsed pinterest and even interviewed people who already were on ketosis and had inspired me to take on this journey. I made pros and cons.The greatest difficulties people faced were keto flu and sugar withdrawal. For keto flu I made sure we followed our macros and were getting enough fats. Pink salt water intake is also important for that. (One tsp pink salt in one liter of water) I was not worried about sugar withdrawal because we had already stopped having desserts and sugar. But there are a lot of keto desserts on the web if you are craving it. There is a keto substitute for literally everything! I got myself fully prepared and jumped in.

Make a list and do grocery

After a lot of research I started with a list of 5 things each for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks and did grocery accordingly. After the start you can always plan the menu weekly. I do it every Sunday.

Breakfast

1. Egg muffins
2. Keto pancakes
3. Fried eggs, sausages and avocado
4. Boiled eggs, cheese and salami
5. Egg salad

Lunch

1. Shawarma without rice or tortillas
2. Chapli kebabs
3. Palak Paneer
4. Shrimp salad
5. Tuna salad
6. Lettuce wrap

Dinner

1. Chicken steaks with white sauce
2. Fajitas/ tacos using cheese or egg as base
3. Burgers: Chapli kebabs with cloud bread and keto slaw
4. Pizza with meat and cauliflower base
5. Fried fish with vegetables
6. Chicken Tikka

Snacks

1. Havarti cheese or any cheese of choice
2. Cloud bread
3. Boiled eggs
4. Guacamole
5. Peanut butter

Initial grocery list

1. A lot of eggs
2. Cream cheese
3. Whipping cream
4. Sour cream
5. Shredded cheese mozzarella provolone and cheddar
6. Havarti cheese for snacks
7. Meats: sausages, ground meat, chicken breast fillets, fish fillets, shrimps
8. Flours: Coconut and almond flour
9. Coconut oil
10. Olive oil
11. Butter
12. Coconut milk or almond milk (optional)
13. Xanthum gum
14. Nutritional yeast (you can add a pinch of this in whatever you make)
15. Whey protein
16. Pink and black salt
17. Apple cider vinegar
18. Vegetables: avocado, mushrooms, zuchini, zuchini spirals. Cauliflower (didn’t like it at all), lettuce for wraps, chopped cabbage for keto coleslaw
19. Erythritol sweetener or stevia
20. Cream of tartar
21. Walden farm calorie free syrup, mayonnaise, dijon mustard (make sure it has zero sugar)
22. Vitamins!

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Start rolling!

And then we were all ready. My menu for each day was pre-planned and I had everything in the fridge and pantry to follow it without any bumps. We kept recording our progress on fitness pal.

Hold your breath for the results

My husband lost 20 lbs in the first two weeks! Its been a steady loss of 2 lbs per week since then which in my opinion is healthy and easy to maintain. For me the main change was I felt more energetic and healthy. Even my two year old loves whatever we eat and has been eating well!