Being a homeschool mom can be grueling. You have to find time for yourself, because there will always be a million things that will need your attention. I fell into the trap of not taking time for myself, and paid the price. It doesn't help when you are older and have a lazy, wreckless metabolism either. So, this year, I dedicated myself to taking care of me.
On January 2nd, I started Keto. Why, you ask, would I torture myself to a life of few carbs? Well, when all else fails, you go for the other path. I've tried the usual low-fat, lower calorie way of eating, and guess what, it didn't work. They say when women get older and are reaching ripeness that things get more difficult. Things like staying in shape and constantly gaining weight no matter what you do make life unpleasant. Seemed to be the case with me and I wasn't happy about it. Who would be, right? So, I decided to try something new to see if I could reverse the damage. It was and is a different way of thinking about eating. What Keto does is takes the fats you consume and have naturally in your body and converts it to energy. How it does this is by greatly reducing the carbs, the sugars, in your diet and increasing your intake of fats. Your body wants to go to the sugars first, which will curb the fats being burned. If you can't burn fats, you can't lose weight. Even though I had more than enough fat to be burned, my body wasn't ever seeming to get around to them, because of the carbs, which my body wasn't processing efficiently enough. Now, I keep my carb intake very low. I have cut out most breads, pasta, grains, beans, fruit, some high sugar vegetables, and increased intake of good fats, like extra virgin olive oil, butter, dairy, avocado, coconut oil. How can this be good for you, you ask? Well, I am not a scientist but it seems to be working. Of course, it is a bit more complex than just eating more fat. You have to have enough protein as well, but not an overabundance. You also need to stay hydrated, which means drinking plenty of water. When I first started keto, I found that I was incredibly thirsty. I drank so much that my husband asked if I was maybe drinking too much water. I said, "Is that possible?" Perhaps, but I was only giving my body what it was telling me it needed. Now, I am drinking a bit less but it is the main thing I drink every day, as it always should be for everyone. Our bodies are 60% water, after all. I find this interesting, as the Earth is roughly 70 % water as well. It appears that to be healthy, we need be be mostly comprised of water! What else do I eat? I usually have some form of protein, a meat, fish, or eggs and couple it with veggies, mainly greens or cruciferous vegetables, like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, etc. I also have reignited my love for cucumbers. They have been a go-to food for me. I also add in cheese at meals or for snacks. What would life be without cheese in it? I hope to never find out! I average 2 meals a day but occasionally I just eat dinner. I am usually not as hungry if I balance my food choices properly.
With this change in diet, I also reignited my exercise regimen. I restarted the program Body By You that I tried last year in the fall, but stopped because of a nagging knee issue. I am happy to say that I am still doing it, and reaching the end of possible exercises. This program gives you 5 groups of exercises, of which you start with the most difficult one you are able to do for about 8 reps without failing. Each day will include 4 of these exercises and you follow the number of reps and sets for whatever cycle and week you happen to be in, working every major muscle group with each day's routine. If you are doing it consistently, you should continue to be able to move up to the more difficult exercises. Out of the 25 exercises, I am at at least 19 in all groups. I want to move on to other exercises, routines, but I thought I'd do this to see how far I could go. The one exercise group has pull ups as #25. I am a little below that with assisted pull ups, but I have done some unassisted. I am not ready to do all my sets with no help yet though! Being a Marine, I wouldn't want to quit though, right? So, I continue. I am feeling stronger and looking better, so says the hubby. I am able to do push ups easily once again and I used to really hate them. Now I do them for fun. Fun? Yes, that's right. I said fun. I like to use our push up bars to get an even deeper exercise. I also usually combine this workout with time on the elliptical. I will normally do at least 20 minutes. I am looking forward to better weather so I can take my workouts outside. I may even take up running again, something I used to absolutely love.
You may wonder what kind of results I've had with all of this. I guess if they weren't very good, I wouldn't even bother to tell you, huh? I hesitate because to say what I have accomplished is to also say how much I wanted and needed to lose. How far the mighty had fallen! No, I was never mighty and I always have had a slower metabolism, but after 40, and especially after having my youngest child at 42, things went south more and more each year. Depressing! I finally said, "Enough is enough!" and started this journey. Next year, people, I will be hitting the dreaded 5-0, and my goal is to be 50 and fabulous. I am on my way. I know some of you may be saying I am already fabulous. Thank you! But I mean in mind AND body. I have lost, drum roll.....just under 25 lbs. I am floored and thrilled by this, but in some ways depressed by it. I should not have waited for so long to change my life. I am feeling better, feeling stronger, and happier with things in general. I have rediscovered my love of exercise. I am motivated by my results to this to keep it up indefinitely. I am often asked how I can not cheat or be tempted, because I have not cheated even once since starting. I guess I am focused on my goal. Thinking long term. I want to be the best me I can be and be around for as long as I can for my husband and my kids. Plus I want to enjoy life more and cheating may give me temporary joy, but knowing I'm impeding progress will lessen that joy. Once I get to my goal, I may slacken the reins a little and occasionally enjoy some things I have been denying myself, but I am not sure I will ever go back to that old way of eating. That is what many people mistakenly do when they lose weight. They gain it back! Keto is definitely different and can seem difficult, but I think it is worth it.
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