What Happens On Keto
Since becoming a custom keto coach, I have had the opportunity to meet many people struggling with weight. We all work very hard to combat the powers of work, life, kids, schedules, parties, alcohol, and holidays. All causing us psychological and physical stress. Others have shared other things that they think about throughout the day. Finance, the anticipation of an event, physical injuries, chronic diseases, family trauma, anything else besides themselves and their mental health and physical well-being. All of these distractions have robbed people of what is truly important, THEMSELVES. I will call excuses; these distractions have taken medical tolls on people, causing some to feel deprived entirely of self-worth and confidence.
As humans, we tend to prioritize outside world expectations and influences and put ourselves last. As a society, we thrive on convenience, fast internet, quick texts instead of phone calls, a LIKE on a social media post, a bag of chips from a convenience store, a bite here, there, and everywhere from a party servings nothing but chips and dip.
Convenience is not getting us what we need. Making an appearance or just showing up to work is not the same as being present in your workspace or your conversations at those parties. Our mental and physical health directly influence the interpersonal relationships that we hold dear. Gut health is directly related to brain health; taking a healthier path is not just for vanity but also for mental and spiritual clarity.
There is no clear answer and resolution for everyone; this is not a one-size-fits-all. There is hope for individuals who develop awareness around what they want the rest of their life to look like. If doing something straightforward (like bringing your groceries in from your car) is difficult, you could feel embarrassed and defeated by your body.
I had the opportunity to talk to Mark, who lost 150 lbs going keto. This is his story and how he got to where he is today.
WHO IS MARK?
My job as a fitness instructor has allowed me to watch and work out with many people from 21-year-olds to 87-year-olds, ranging in physical ability. I find the old crowd to be very motivational, they have a desire to continue to move regardless of age, and it is incredible. Some people are incredibly overweight, and they start working out with a trainer and come religiously.
Mark’s mother is one of the people I have watched in her training and spoke with numerous times. She trains hard and pushes her body to uncomfortable places to continue seeing change. She is shrinking in size right before my eyes! I find her to be an inspiration. I’m sure she has days when she does not want to come to the gym, but she shows up and does the hard work.
I mentioned my keto coaching experience and complimented her incredible weight loss in a conversation. Also, I wanted her to know that others have noticed! She shared that her son lost much weight doing keto dieting, and my ears perked up. She mentioned he has lost 150 pounds and of course, he exercises too! I knew more about him, so I learned his name and number, and we connected.
His name is Mark, and the first thing I asked him and wanted to know was who he was and what motivated him to start something like keto? Here is what he told me:
“I am a 37-year-old male, and all my life, I have been on and off diets. Back in 2009, I lost 55 lbs and ran a half marathon. I completed back-to-back full marathons for the next two years and thought I could eat anything and stay in shape because I was very active. Throughout the years, the weight started creeping and creeping, and then before I knew it, I was 320lbs and was the heaviest I have ever been. I made excuses like “I will go to the gym tomorrow” or “I’ll order a pizza today and cook tomorrow.”
I started to see my personality change and wasn’t happy with myself. I’d consider this point in my life to be the lowest because I was struggling physically and mentally. My cousins tried to get me to do Keto for weeks before, but I told them there was no way I could do that because I LOVED eating pizza, pasta, fried foods, and sweets.”
“One day, I was walking up a flight of stairs, and it was hard to breathe, and I had no energy after 1 flight. I was sweating badly. Then I remembered when my cousins told me about Keto, and I realized if I didn’t do something with my weight, I would be dead before I hit 40. Also, I realized that I had a lot to live for, and I needed to change my health because I had two little nieces and a loving family I wanted to be around for many years to come.
I decided I was going to start Keto, and I used local knowledge to help me get started and did research on my own through the internet. Lastly, I used Facebook to keep me motivated to keep going. I posted an update each week on my Facebook page and the positive support I received was AMAZING.”
Many people can relate to Mark having the lowest point of his life that finally set him over the tipping end to make the permanent change in diet and nutrition. Finding a reason to get started is only the beginning. Having a cause is key to success because on your hardest days and when you want to beat yourself up for falling off the wagon, remember why you made a change and use it to motivate you.
I asked Mark if he had seen any medical changes before and after keto. Had he seen his blood pressure, cholesterol, or hba1c numbers drop?
“Yes before I started Keto I was very borderline diabetic. My A1C was extremely high, and my doctor told me I had to do something or shortly I would be diabetic. After 1 year of being on Keto I went back to my doctor for my yearly physical my doctor’s jaw just about hit the floor. Not only was I not at risk of diabetes my A1C was on the lower half of normal. I never had issues with my blood pressure or cholesterol before or while on Keto.”
I had to get nostalgic with Mark because I wanted to know more about what made this stick for him.
Then I asked him to take me back to the initial weeks that he changed his diet, what did he feel like, the negatives and the positives?
“The first week was weird because I felt like my whole system got cleaned out; I lost 10lbs the first week. I felt like my body was getting shocked, but I felt great and thought, “this is going to be a piece of cake” That was furthest from the truth, People told me about the “keto flu,” and I was like no way I won’t get sick.
WELL….I got really sick in week two and felt like I got ran over by a truck. I’ve had thoughts of quitting keto because I felt so bad. I had no energy and felt like I had a bad case of the flu with a bad headache. I got to week three and started feeling a little better and then week four came.
Once I hit week 4 I felt like a completely different person. I could think clearer, had so much more energy, and had a clear path to success. I knew the worst was over and I’m now on the path to a successful lifestyle. I’m soooo happy I didn’t give up because KETO saved my life.”
How incredible that this man was able to go keto all by himself! He did use a Facebook group to continue to get motivation and encouragement, but he did this all alone for the most part!
I had to know, what recipes he follows to stay on track?
“I used YouTube to help me cook keto. There are so many recipes right at your fingertips when you search via youtube or any other search engine. The Keto community is a lot larger than I had ever imagined. I also joined the Facebook group keto recipes for beginners which gave me useful information. Monitored my carb intake and kept it to 25g or less per day. I stayed true to a high-fat, high protein, low-carb diet, and I had a huge success. Bacon and eggs became my friend. Stay from fruits and colorful vegetables (the greener, the better). I eat lots of meats, and when I eat fish, I try to stick with Salmon.”
About three to four weeks after starting keto, Mark began working out with a trainer twice a week. And got down to 195 lbs! He realized that he did not have a lot of muscle, so he started lifting weights and gained about 20-25 pounds of muscle. The natural progression to fitness is a common pathway for people who lose body fat.
Gaining strength is not scary; it is crucial to maintain a fat-burning metabolism, and power weighs more than fat. Some people continue on a fitness path and become bodybuilders! Your body is an incredible machine and when you treat it properly it will keep you moving and keep your brain zapping at 100 percent capacity.
I had to know if Mark felt happy overall with his mind and body currently. This is what he told me:
“While following the keto lifestyle, I feel the best I have in the longest time. I can think clearer, feel more self-confident, and have abundance. I love pushing myself to do things I haven’t been able to do in the longest time. From stair-climbing the tallest building in the world to one day doing a tough mudder I feel like the sky is the limit to where I go from here because I feel like I have been given a 2nd chance in life by living a healthy lifestyle.”
The happy tone and confident energy that I receive from reading through my interview with Mark, remind me why I do what I do. Weight loss is a journey to better mental health, physical health, and spiritual health.
Changes like these don’t happen from pure vanity. Changes like what Mark experienced are more profound than just the way he looks from the outside. If you think of your health as a tricycle, the mind is the solid front wheel and the two back wheels are the fitness and the food. Once you have the mindset, you can achieve anything.
In the words of Mark:
“Will power is everything. It was the hardest thing I have ever done (I know that’s a loaded statement but it’s true), but the most rewarding. I always tell myself “a diet is temporary, a lifestyle change is permanent”. Keto will test your willpower and self-discipline. It is all or nothing. What I mean by that is to see results you need to be all in 100%. I am a firm believer that once keto always keto. I will never go back to my old ways of eating because I have made a lifestyle change I am excited to live. Everything is achievable in life if you put one foot in front of the other and just keep on pushing forward and never look back; if you put your mind to something you can achieve it and live a long and healthy life.”
Just put one foot in front of the other.
