The most popular diet of 2018 is harder than you think!

Dieting is nothing new. It seems like people will literally try anything to shed a few pounds. I’ve never been enticed by “weight-loss” diets, but I have wanted to figure out what is causing my seemingly endless heath problems. I’ve talked about what I’ve been going through in previous posts and how I decided to start the low carb diet or “lifestyle” as I like to call it. There are some things I wish I knew before starting a low carb diet. Here’s a few of the downfalls:

You can eat all the cheese and bacon you want!

Depending on who you are, this could be a total win! I thought so too until I realized how oily my skin became in the beginning. I think including these things in moderation have helped and/or investing in a really good face wash.

You go in phases of loving and hating meat.

Some days I love meat and others I DESPISE it! Having so much at once was really hard for me, but I learned how to get protein from other sources and it’s helped me a ton.

Salads get OLD.

There’s nothing I would love more than if I craved a salad. If you ever have, you’re crazy. 😉 ! I’m actually really jealous, because that never sounds good to me. If I had a salad or a bucket of fries in front of me, you know what I would choose! Finding things to mix up my salad with is one of my hardest challenges. If you have any suggestions, that would be HIGHLY appreciated.

You realize bread is your favorite food.

Some women have very intense cravings, but it’s NOTHING to how this is. Only joking! But in all seriousness, bread is my favorite food group. Specifically, garlic bread. I’ve never wanted anything more in my life and I can’t say I haven’t caved once or twice.

It totally kills your social life.

There’s nothing worse when a group of friends decide to go to lunch based off the eating habits of one person. It’s not the worst, but I know it can be an inconvenience. There’s nothing worse for me than inconveniencing people. Now, I became that person. It either makes lunches pretty lonely or all you want to eat is on your friends’ plates.

While there are some significant downfalls (at least for me), these benefits outweigh my issues with it.

You watch the pounds fall off.

In the first few weeks, I noticed my pants getting looser and looser. In total, I lost 15 pounds at my strictest time. I know I mentioned before that dieting isn’t all about losing weight and it isn’t. BUT it’s a plus if you need to get to a healthier version of yourself.

You begin to develop a better relationship with food.

I guess a better way for me to phrase this is I gain a better idea of how to balance different foods. Even though I’m missing majority of my grains and sugars on the low carb diet, I can eat as much as I want of everything else.

Hunger rarely happens.

Like I mentioned before, I can eat as much as I want of what I’m “allowed” to have. I’m rarely hungry which curbs my cravings significantly. If I miss a meal, it’s when my cravings come back in full force (aka garlic bread fills my dreams for a few hours.)

You gain more mental clarity.

The big thing about keto or the low carb diet is that you product ketones. Ketones are beneficial to brain function. I haven’t had a single migraine since I started the low carb diet and I used to have them daily. If you have a hard time with headaches and migraines, this may be your saving grace! Of course, consult your doctor if they are really severe.

Your body begins functioning properly.

As many of you may know, I’ve been sick for the past year and a half like I mentioned before. I have shooting pain up and down my abdomen and lower back. It’s awful and makes it hard for me to work, exercise and to have motivation to do just about everything. I’m not 100% yet, but I definitely think starting a low carb diet was in the right direction. I don’t know if I will do it forever, but I can see the positive effect it has on my health.

Those are the things I wish I knew before starting a low carb diet. I hope these unanswered questions can give you more insight on a low carb diet before you decide if it’s right for you. If you have started, let me know how you are doing with it and if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments below!

XOXO Kayla

From where I’ve been to where I’m hoping to go.

I want to preface this story by saying that losing weight is NOT the way to be happy. There is a difference between losing weight because of insecurity versus losing weight to become a healthier person. Consult your doctor before you start your low carb weight loss journey. Everyone is different and everyone’s body is not the same so do what works for you.

Okay…Now that we got that out of the way I wanted to share something a little more personal (and a lot more vulnerable) with you this week: my weight loss journey. It’s totally different for everyone and I’m really not far into it at all, but it is something I’ve been struggling with for some time now. I’m not very far into everything I’ve been doing, but I’ve noticed a huge difference in my life and overall health.

How It All Started

In the beginning of 2016, I started taking birth control before getting married. I didn’t do any research and just got what one of my roommates suggested. Please don’t EVER do this! Test out what is the best for you. Six months after marriage, everything hit me…I gained 35 pounds in one month. That’s obviously not healthy at all. I struggled on and off and then at Christmas time, I started to get really sick. I felt pain and cramps all over my abdomen and rib cage. After dozens of procedures and tests, doctors couldn’t figure out what was wrong and they still don’t know over a year later. I went off everything entirely and I decided to take some things into my own hands.

What I Decided to Do

My husband, Taz kept saying maybe it was something to do with our diet. We didn’t eat very well since we both work, he was in school and we don’t have tons of time to spend cooking. Taz began reading a book called, “Why You Are Fat.” Basically, carbohydrates harm the body and lead to unhealthy eating habits. I thought it was all a load of crap, but I had tried everything so what is the harm in trying a low carb diet?

Low Carb Lifestyle

I don’t like diets, I prefer calling them lifestyles because it is definitely a way of life. From researching tons of recipes on Pinterest, I became super motivated to feel better. I decided to eat small amounts of carbs for 5 out of the 7 days of the week because that is realistic for me. Since I don’t eat carbs, I can eat as much protein, (healthy) fats and fruits/veggies that I want. Then, I go to the gym about 2-3 times a week. For the past three weeks, it’s been a definite learning curve, but it totally works! I lost 9 pounds so far, but the best part is I haven’t felt any pain since starting this!!!! I know it’s not a lot of weight but this is HUGE for me and I couldn’t be happier with the results.

From saying this, I know a low carb diet isn’t for everyone, but I see a noticeable difference with trying this lifestyle. I’m just in the beginning of my weight loss journey, but I hope to document it as I go along. I plan on being very open with this so if there’s any specifics you would like to know, meals I plan or exercises I do, don’t hesitate to ask. I’m excited to bring you along for the ride!