There has been a lot of attention about diets like Keto for a while now. In the fitness industry there are tons of fads that are here today and gone tomorrow. Some will lead to success and others won’t see any success with the very same diet. I have to admit, I have never been a fan of restricting what I eat. I was a fan of thinking it did not matter what I ate, it was all about activity, and I was able to outwork any diet. Well I am not ashamed to admit that I have seen the light.
While in college I competed in sports on a high level, while at the same time studying biology and chemistry. I was always looking to make the connection between the classroom and the track and the football field. I never found myself caring about what I ate. I figured all the training I was doing for performance was enough to keep me healthy and lean. Well fast forward 14 years later and a lot has changed. Not just with age but seeing my own body not respond the way it used to with workouts and a general practice of trying to eat better. Over the years I had gained quite a few pounds, 25 pounds to be exact and it seemed like nothing I did would help me get it off and keep it off. Yes, I did HITT training, I did 30 minutes on the treadmill 3-4 days a week. I did strength training. I tried everything but nothing got me to where I wanted. It is important to note that the whole time I am still eating what I want and however much of it I wanted.
I would still get results like strength gains and endurance gains but lets admit it, most of us have a picture in our head and have a goal of being able to go to the beach or pool and wear beachwear without feeling out of place. We want to feel comfortable. All that work and I was not seeing any of the results I used to.
So you may be wondering what pushed the needle to where I started to focus on nutrition instead of being so focused on activity. It was my overall health. Going to the doctor and being put on blood pressure meds. Finding out things like my testosterone levels were lower than I thought, this put me back in the state of mind of research and science to find something that worked for me. Something that I could sustain and make apart of my lifestyle.
The science geek in me knew that sugars not fats were the issues most people are dealing with when it comes to gaining unwanted weight or not being able to lose the weight they have already put on. I recognized I loved breads and pastas a little more than I should and I also came to the realization that those carbs convert into sugar especially if your not an active person and burning it off quickly. Based off of those factors I decided to reduce my sugar intake. As soon as I cut sugars the first time I noticed a bit of a change. I lost some weight and inches in my midsection. I am all about results and this made me very happy. The other part of the equation that was tough was how my body was fighting and going through sugar withdrawals. I would have thought I was trying to come off of a drug. Thats when I realized exactly what sugar is, A DRUG.
Even knowing this, I still didn’t have the willpower to stay consistent with it the first time. 6 months later I had had enough. My clothes were not fitting right and I just did not feel comfortable in my own skin. So I made the decision to try Keto. Within the first week I dropped 5 pounds. I also purposefully did not workout because I wanted to see what effect this change had on its own. 5 weeks in I have lost 10 pounds and a couple inches, all this and there were 2 weeks where I did not follow the Keto plan because of travel but my weight and inches still stayed down. This is when I became a believer. I have finally found something that works for me. It not only worked for me but it is working for my wife.
I am not where I want to be yet, but I am going to start introducing strength training and HITT training again 3 -4 days a week and track the results. I also decided to invest in my education even more and understanding the medical side of Keto, so I purchased “Keto Zone Diet” by Don Colbert, MD. This book help me understand what I believe is the right way to do Keto. How to follow a sustainable program and still have the foods I want once or twice a week.
If you want to follow me and my journey back to health and fitness make sure to follow Divine Design Fitness on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook. Any journey is easier if you can see someone else walk it before you or with you and this is what I would like to invite you to do with me. Lets walk the journey of health, fitness, faith and having the energy to live life and live it more abundantly together.
Click Below to view "6 Steps to Starting Keto" Video:
If you have specific questions about my journey feel free to visit www.divinedesignfitness.com and send me an email. I am hear to support you and motivate you towards a complete transformation and becoming the person God designed you to be. We can do it together if we Think Good, Feel Good and Look Good.
Marrin Ellis
Divine Design Fitness
