If you've been following Jamie's Keto journey – you may want to check out her most recent Keto Diet results now that she's at the 3 month mark!

Keto Diet Results – 3 Months In

Jamie here!  I realized the other day that I haven’t done a Keto update in a good while (just checked, not since the 3 week mark!) so I thought it’d be a good idea to do one today.

Because, you guys, today was special.

Today I hit a milestone that I’ve been waiting and working for….

I've lost 30 lbs!

But before we have a party about that awesome news …can I take you back with me for just a moment to January?

I’d been doing the Keto diet for 2-3 weeks and was losing weight pretty quickly – about 10 lbs at that point! (This often happens your first couple weeks of Keto. Just know that a lot of that is water weight – but still exciting!)

So like I said, I was hopping on the scale every morning, excited to see if another half pound was gone. This particular day I pulled the scale out, stepped on it and….. (Do you ever do that thing where you step on the scale and one corner of it is sitting on the edge of the bath rug, or a ball of lint, or a speck of dust – and it gives you a completely wonky reading? Usually I hop off, move it, hop back on and it fixes itself, but this day it gave the same crazy reading three times.) This day it said I had lost 20 lbs overnight.

TWENTY POUNDS??!

Y'all I REALLY really wanted it to be true. My brain just decided to throw logic out the window for a minute and go with it. So I hollered to my husband to come look and I said – there’s no way right? He (with his stupid logic) agreed that there was no way.

He moved it to another part of the floor and I stepped back on – only to discover what I already knew, I was definitely not 20 lbs lighter…

But you know what?  That number stuck in my head.

The 10 lbs I’d lost in the first couple weeks added to the 20 lbs my magic-eight-ball-scale lied to me about – became this 30lb goal that would make me feel like I’d DONE SOMETHING BIG.

Fast forward to today – today I stepped on that scale and YOU GUYS – that scale told me I have lost 30 lbs! It showed me the number that I saw back in January but this time it was REAL. (I did move the scale to 5 different places around the bathroom just to make sure. Because, lint.) 😉

I went straight to the kitchen and made myself a piece of Keto cake and I put Reddi Whip all over that bad boy. (And guess what – it was only 2 carbs!  Recipe to come…)

And then I texted my mom and my best friend (who are both doing Keto with me) – and next I texted my college kid who I AM SURE wants this weight loss play by play between classes (right?)

And then I figured I should tell you guys too – so here we are!

🥓🥓🥓If you need help starting Keto our friend Jen does this great easy-start course here.  She's been helping people Keto for years!  And if Keto is a little too strict/crazy for you – Laurie swears by Faster Weight To Fat Loss and has lost over 80 lbs and maintained on that program.🥓🥓🥓

My Keto Diet Results at the 3-Month Mark:

• I was buying size 16 jeans in January, having just outgrown my size 14's. I started Keto on January 9 and I just bought a size 10 jeans!! Seriously, I never thought I'd see a 10 again. (I mean, they are stretchy, but still – a 10!!)
• My heartburn went away, which is a weird side effect and tells me maybe I have an intolerance to gluten or something? I used to eat 3-5 Tums a day, and I've only had 2 in 3 months!
• My nails grew really long and my skin got a little glowier. But that's from the daily Collagen and Biotin I started taking on Keto, so maybe that doesn't count. I've never ever had long nails, because I was a biter and then as I got older they just were always really flimsy and papery. So this is weirdly exciting for me!
• I am not hungry all the time. This is kind of huge actually. Eating high fat foods keeps me full for a long time, so I eat less often. I don't think about food constantly and I'm pretty satisfied with my coffee for most of the morning into afternoon. (If this sounds like a big fat crazy lie to you, trust me I understand. I can't believe it myself!)

P.S. My mom's warts went away. 😂  Now I know this isn't exactly one of MY keto diet results, and it is maybe totally crazy, but she thinks that it has to do with keto and I just thought it was maybe worth mentioning. Also, I gained a new wart on my hand so I'd like to talk to whoever's in charge of handing out/taking back warts.

Keto Diet Review:

To summarize this VERY long and rambling update – I’ve been on Keto EXACTLY 3 months tomorrow and have lost 30 lbs.  I haven't exercised like I planned – although I've gone walking and hiking a few times a month.  But I feel better than I used to and SO MUCH LESS SLUGGISH.   I'm more focused and energetic (most days) and less hungry.

I’m hopeful and excited to see how the next 3 months go. (I gave myself 6 months to do Keto before I try to transition into a low carb lifestyle that isn’t so strict.)

The longer I'm on Keto the more I think about what I’ll do when it is transition time. Because obviously one day I would like to eat like a normal person (at least some of the time).

Laurie has been telling me more about the Faster Way to Fat Loss she uses, and it sounds like a program I'd be able to stick with on a long term basis. She does Keto only a couple days a week and incorporates intermittent fasting and other carb cycling strategies. It all sounds great and I know at least three ladies in real life who have lost a ton using it. (Laurie lost 82 lbs!)

If you’re looking into starting Keto, I am not an expert, so definitely watch some Dr. Berg videos and do your research so you know if this would be a good fit for you. (Maybe check in with your doctor to be on the safe side).

More About Getting Started With Keto:

Expert or not – if you want to find out more, I've shared my journey in these posts!

•  What it was like those first couple of weeks 😊
• How it all changed around week 3  😯
• and What happened when I had a massive cheat day around week 8  😒
• Also this Almond Flour Coffee Mug Bread saves me weekly ☕
• I also love saving money on Keto-friendly foods by following this Keto Shopping List for Aldi 🛒🛒

Please comment if you have any questions or would to hear more about a particular aspect of Keto dieting. I would also encourage you to get yourself a good support group for meal ideas and questions. (I especially love this supportive fb group – it’s been very helpful to me throughout these 3 months!)

And finally guys – if you decide to go keto, just make sure you have some Lily’s chocolate on hand for when the cravings kick in. Otherwise you might be forced to pick up a bag of sugar-free gummy bears asugar-free gummy bears and eat them all at the movies in one sitting. And friends, that is whole other story for another day. (Spoiler alert – go look at the reviews on these gummy bears go look at the reviews on these gummy bears)

Have a great week!

So you cheated! And now you need to figure out how to get back in Ketosis?  Here's what I learned after my Fat Tuesday Carb Feast… 

How To Get Back In Ketosis

Jamie here!  Yesterday was Mardi Gras (aka Fat Tuesday) and I was soooo determined to stay on track.  At 7 weeks into Keto and 22 lbs down, I didn't want to mess up my progress.  But then I made a red velvet cake (for the kids!) and I bought Fat Tuesday junk food (for the kids!) … and then while I was hanging out with the family and making pizza rolls I came to a decision.  I AM GOING TO EAT SOME YUMMY STUFF TODAY.

So, for supper I baked myself a Totino's Pepperoni pizza and I LOVED EVERY BITE.  (My husband thinks I'm crazy but I can't help it, I love these things!)

Then I figured, in for a penny, in for a pound!  So I enjoyed a double helping of chips and salsa.

And later while cutting the cake and looking for the Baby Jesus, I just figured… might as well have an enormous slice!

In bed last night I added it up – and my Fat Tuesday feast was around 160 carbs.

ONE HUNDRED. AND SIXTY.  CARBS.  😱😱

So what the heck do I do to get back on track after a cheat day?

4 Tips To Restart Ketosis

(Check out my friend Jennifer's new COOKBOOK KETO FRIENDLY RECIPES HERE if you're looking for Keto cooking and ideas!) 

Don't Give Up!

First things first – don't beat yourself up about it!

Even though we're trying to get healthier or lose weight (or both) that doesn't mean we can't enjoy life.  Eating the things you really love once in awhile can make you not feel too deprived.  That's a solid psychological benefit if you ask me, and could help you stay strong and Keto-On for the long term!

Okay, but now that we've hugged it out – what are we going to do with ourselves?  How can I get BACK into Ketosis?

Use Fasting To Get Back Into Ketosis Quickly

Loads of articles I've read recommend intermittent fasting as one surefire way to get into ketosis more quickly. (Here's a good one and also here) There's a lot of info out there about intermittent fasting, but I'll let you do your homework about it.  If you're a first time faster, you may want to start with a 12-hour fast.

Examples of a 12-Hour fast:

• Stop eating at 8pm and don't have ANY CALORIES AT ALL (even cream in your coffee!) until 8 am.
• Finish eating at Midnight (Hello – night owl here!) and don't have any calories until Noon the next day.

This gives your body a chance to use up the carbs you just ate, as well as fat stores you already have.  If you have extremely awesome willpower, lots of folks recommend a 16:8 fast.  That means they fast for 16 hours, and only eat their meals during an 8 hour window.

Examples of a 16:8 Fast:

• Eat an early supper – end at 6pm.  Have Black coffee/Tea for breakfast (adding Stevia sweetener is fine!) and start eating at 10am
• Have a late supper – end at 8pm.  Have Black coffee/tea for breakfast and eat lunch at 12pm.

So – not impossible right?

Hiking up and down hills with my bestie Tessie – despite the cold!

Exercise Those Evil Carbs Away!

So let's say you just ate 160 carbs (ahem) and completely topped off your body's glycogen stores.  Exercising is one great way to use them up before your body turns them into fat.  Grab your bestie and go do some running (or if you're as out of shape as me, maybe some slow, labored jogging…)  But not just once – do it a few times in the first few days after your cheat.

If you already go to the gym regularly – ramp up your routine a bit after you've gone off track.

Strictly Limit Carbs to Restart Ketosis

Get back to limiting carbs to 15-20 per day!  It's time to be a little more strict on yourself than normal.  If you're not sure what your carb limit is (it varies by weight/height/etc…) – I recommend getting the Carb Manager app.  It's a little hard to get used to at first, but was extremely helpful for me to know where my boundaries were when I started.

Also – maybe it's time to try out some new recipes so you don't feel so stuck in a rut that you crave cheat foods.  My friend Kasey has a whole lot of amazingly good and easy Keto recipes here!  She does a meal plan every week and runs a FB group that I'm a part of.

How Long Does It Take To Get Back Into Ketosis?

Experts say that you could get back into Ketosis within as little as 12 hours (assuming you're a young, trim, athletic male who's been doing Keto awhile and who's body is already fat adapted.)  🙄

Now for the rest of us – it could take 2-7 days.  I am crossing my fingers for 2, and I'll update this post when I have an answer!

I'm using Ketone Test Strips to test myself, paired with the knowledge that I always get really dry mouth when I'm in Ketosis.  These aren't always the most accurate ways to tell if you're in ketosis.  You can use a blood monitor like this one to be really sure.

What's Your Experience?

I'm still so new to this – and I would love to hear from any of you who regularly have an off-track day and have been able to get back into ketosis relatively quickly.  How long do you fast?  How much do you exercise, if any?  How long does it normally take you?

LAURIE'S SUCCESS STRATEGY:

If you could use lots of structure and help along your journey – this is the weight loss program that was super successful for Laurie!  She lost 82 lbs and recommends this program above all others she's tried!  It incorporates Keto 2 days a week – as well as principles of intermittent fasting – but it's not as strict as regular Keto overall 🙂

More Keto Posts:

• Jamie Goes Keto (Why? How?)
• Keto Week 3 (Pros & Cons So Far….)
• Keto Shopping List finds at Aldi