6 Ways To Have Fun While Going Keto
When you decide to commit to a diet, it can sometimes become overwhelming to think about how many things you have to stop doing. The rules of the diet you choose will determine your ultimate success. The goals you set will pave the pathway for better, healthier habits. Making a food plan to take the stress of dieting away will change your mindset.
How to have fun while going Keto sounds like an oxymoron. The challenges you face are primarily in your head. Your thoughts determine your actions, but what if your actions changed your views. Start doing things that make you feel good about changing your life.
1. BAKE KETO DESSERTS
Keto Tiramisu Fat Bombs
I mentioned before that I love to bake. I have always enjoyed making a beautiful cupcake or cake for my kid’s parties or other people. The problem with constantly having all this sugar around me is the temptation of having a BLT (a bite, a lick, or a taste). Most people think BLTs are harmless and not going to “tip the scales,” but imagine if you are indulging all the time. It adds up!
When I eliminated sugar from my diet, I quickly realized I had also eliminated sugar from my pantry stock. When the occasions rose, I did not have all the simple supplies and ingredients I once had. That’s when I started keto baking. I actively search for new fantastic keto recipes similar to the good old stuff that I once ate. My mission to find keto recipes that taste just as good became a fun habit. It has been so long since I have had a deep craving for sugar that I find myself baking for major holidays and birthdays only.
I baked three times a week, refilling the cookie jar if it ran out, or just doing something fun with the kids. Changing my diet, changed my habit. All the time I spent in the kitchen was spent outside, playing with the kids and walking the block.
2. CHOOSE ADVENTURE
This holiday season is an exceptional one. Coming off the pandemic, life feels like it is slowly getting back to normal. Businesses are open, people are paying money to go back inside the adventure parks, the malls are flooded, and the grocery stores have toilet paper and paper towels. It feels like everything is going to be alright.
We decided to take the liberty of planning vacations; going to movie theaters again. Going outside of the home has been a joy. Being on track with low-carb eating has become an easy pathway for me to continue to follow, my baking has changed, my grocery lists have changed, and my kids are on track to be healthier versions of themselves.
Gym Routines and Other Things
The routine I typically follow at the gym has been a five-day split. I target one muscle group a day in weight lifting; then, I teach all my classes, providing all the cardio I will ever need.
Does this get monotonous? Yes. But I continue to show up for myself because I know I am a better person when I can exercise in any way.
This holiday has allowed us to take advantage of the time off work; most people are off work this time of year and partaking in more activities than usual. We wanted to change up our gym routine and booked a tee time for golf on Tuesday, and on Thursday, we will do an obstacle course. It was time to change it up and have some fun!
The gym is a great place to fall into a routine. It is essential not to allow your gym routine to become an obsession. If you don’t feel like going to the gym, relieve the guilt, and do something that incorporates moving. Go hiking if you are lucky enough to live near mountains. If you are fortunate enough to live in a warm climate, go for a walk. If you are lucky enough to live by an ocean or body of water, go for a swim or rent a kayak or paddleboard.
3. TAKE A WALK, BREATHE AND BE IN NATURE
Aside from weekly gym routines, teaching fitness, and going on adventures, I leave the house and take a lap around my block (2.2 miles). Some might think, “how much time does this woman have? I don’t have time for all this stuff.”
Before, I used to think that way. I thought I didn’t have the time to go walking or the time to step away from the computer or TV to breathe and relax, but the truth is I do, and so do you.
Prioritizing small micro-moments for yourself to think, walk, and breathe, will change your life.
Whatever you think you don’t have time for, you do. This is again a habit-forming behavior. We all have downtime throughout our days. What we decide to do with that downtime can heavily impact our weight loss journey.
On these small segments of time spent walking, I usually listen to a podcast of my liking or put on some music. Sometimes, when the birds are chirping and the sun is shining, I will sing a little through my walk—just having fun, relaxing, and not being burdened by all the things to do when I get home.
4. BAKE SOME KETO BREAD AND SMEAR BUTTER ON IT
The flavor of Kerry gold butter is the best. Cooking with butter is okay to do sometimes, but not every meal! Over time we start to miss that flavor of butter.
If time allows, I will bake keto bread. I use almond flour and coconut flour, so the taste is not like a loaf of regular Wonder bread.
Following low-carb eating could make you feel like you are depriving yourself of certain things. That is precisely why I started baking a small keto loaf of bread and having a small piece of bread and butter for breakfast sometimes. The consistency of keto bread is similar to a muffin or cornbread. Keto bread is hard to toast up, so it’s best when it’s fresh from the oven. Keeping keto bread is best in the freezer, so moisture doesn’t encourage mold.
I love doing this! It’s fun, makes me feel like I can participate in the consumption of carbs. A rule I follow with my keto bread is “only eat it when it’s fresh and warm” that way; Therefore, I don’t build every meal around it.
5. CHALLENGE MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY TO PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES
It has been a long journey of different diets, fad diets, temporary drastic fluctuations in my weight, and a lot of trial and error. One consistent thing that has always been in my life is exercise and fitness.
At any weight, I have been incredibly active. Most people I know have asked me for advice about managing weight or just how to stay on track with a workout routine. I love when people ask me this because I love to hold people accountable.
Showing up to the gym is half the battle of exercise. Scheduling the workout time in your day and just driving to the gym is routine for me. But for people just starting with fitness, it does not come as second nature to have a designated time to workout in their day.
I use my apple watch app, Facebook groups, Instagram stories, and Pinterest posts for different inspirational workouts when looking for a change. I also love to set times with my friends to meet me at the gym. Sometimes I can be intimidating with my weight lifting, so I always say hi to friends and make it a social meet-up instead of gym-timidation.
Showing up to invite people to work out with me, walking with people, or just holding friends accountable to be with me in a workout class is encouraging and fun.
6. FIND FRIENDS OR ASK PEOPLE TO WALK WITH, AND THEY USUALLY JOIN!
Most people, as well as myself, are living in a community of neighborly individuals. Usually, neighborhoods will have block parties, HOA activities, kid parties, community pools, or clubhouses. This year, a personal goal has been to find bonds with other moms that don’t involve alcohol or late nights.
I met a lot of moms, and I have been able to have playdates and take some time to walk around the block. The wonderful thing about walking for exercise is, it doesn’t feel like exercise. Walking elevates the heart rate just enough to burn fat. It is a beautiful way to socialize and exercise at the same time. Overall, it’s fun and easy!
