How I Lost 40 Pounds on the Keto Diet

Like many people, I gained a lot of weight during 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. I had already gained weight prior to the pandemic due to a hormone imbalance so I really couldn’t afford to gain any more, but I did! When the end of 2020 rolled around, I was determined to get back into shape so I decided to try the Keto Diet. For those of you who don’t know, the Keto Diet is a low-carb diet that emphasizes proteins and vegetables. I am happy to say that the Keto Diet worked for me and I have been able to lose approximately 40 pounds in 2021. I had to admit that it was wonderful to enter the Christmas holidays this year looking and feeling much better than I have in years! I also saved several of my designer clothes from a decade ago and they now fit…and many of them are still in style since they were classic pieces that I bought.

For those of you who have a New Year’s resolution to lose weight this year, I thought I would share my tips to lose weight on the Keto Diet. If you are not familiar with this eating regime, you may want to learn more about the history of the Keto Diet. First, I will highlight the foods I ate (and am still eating) on the Keto Diet:

Foods I Eat on the Keto Diet

• Fruit (apples, oranges, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, cherries) – I eat only one serving of fruit a day so either one orange or one apple or when berries are in season, I will have about 1/2 cup of berries. I eat this fruit first thing in the morning. I also drink a glass or two of 100% fruit juice each day. I also add 1/3 of a tomato and 1/3 of an avocado to my salad so in effect, I have three servings of fruit each day.
• Broccoli – I eat about 1 cup of raw broccoli every morning after I have my fruit. Broccoli is a superfood that is rich in nutrients such as Vitamin K, calcium, magnesium, zinc, phosphorus, beta-carotene which the body converts into Vitamin A and Vitamin C. It is also a good source of dietary fibre.
• Other vegetables – Although I eat broccoli every day, I rotate my other vegetables for lunch and dinner and will have salad greens, zucchini, Brussels sprouts, Bok choy, Swiss chard, kale, squash, carrots or green beans.
• Eggs – I eat two brown, free-range eggs a day.
• Yogourt – I eat either 2% or 3% plain yogourt each day. I have about a 1/2 cup, which is about the size of a small container of yogourt.
• Fish, chicken, beef – I will eat either chicken, beef or fish for dinner. I don’t have a huge portion – probably only about 4-5 ounces of meat. I also eat shrimp.
• Cheese – I didn’t eat cheese when I started Keto, but now that I don’t really want to lose any more weight, I have added cheese to my diet. I don’t eat it every day, but I do eat it about 2-3 times a week. It was great to be able to enjoy cheese on charcuterie boards at family Christmas get-togethers this year!
• Oil – I use Extra Virgin Olive Oil if I am frying eggs or sautéing vegetables. I don’t tend to eat butter.
• Carbs – I do tend to get my carbs from vegetables, but I will eat quinoa and brown rice, although not every day and only about 1/3 of a cup. I have the occasional piece of pizza, but I find I can eat only one slice now; otherwise, I feel sluggish after eating so many carbs.
• Take-out food: I enjoy take-out food occasionally and will eat fried chicken (I love Dave’s Hot Chicken), Chicken Shawarma, Chinese food and the odd slice of pizza.

My Tips to Lose Weight on the Keto Diet

1. Sleep – Make sure you are getting enough sleep. In my case, that means 9 1/2 to 10 hours a night. Yes, I know that probably sounds like a lot to you, but I find if I sleep enough, I don’t crave as much food during the day and I just feel calmer and more balanced.
2. Find your joy – Focus on people, activities or things that bring you joy and eliminate those that don’t. This will be easier to do as you lose weight as you will feel better about yourself, have more energy and will be able to use that energy to enjoy life more.
3. Don’t hold grudges – I sometimes wonder if I had difficulty losing weight before because I was holding on to grudges about past experiences? I have learned that it’s really important to focus on what is currently happening in your life, be grateful for it, and not focus on what happened to you several years ago. Letting go of grudges may be one of the secrets to shedding unwanted pounds since many of us subconsciously keep weight on in order to protect ourselves physically and emotionally from life’s challenges. I know I did this.

Let me know in the comments section if you have also had success on the Keto diet.