Conscious Choices, and a Little Help From Social Media and My Family
Hi, my name is Chelsie and I have been living the Ketogenic lifestyle for over two years. I have struggled with my weight since I was a child and have yo-yo dieted my entire adulthood. I stumbled across “keto” on Instagram and started to follow some people who had also started living a ketogenic lifestyle and decided to give it a try. I am a busy mom of 4 and needed something that was sustainable and easy to stick with. All 4 of my kids are very active in sports year-round and we are on the go a lot. It took a long time to figure out how to maintain a keto lifestyle on the go, but it was worth the struggles. My oldest son who is 11, loves to cook and has started to enjoy keto baking with me! My youngest daughter who is 7, is always asking me “is that keto?” They have all taken a huge interest in how I have changed my lifestyle and are my big motivation. It has also made them more aware of what they are eating and making more conscious choices.
I have found keto to be the answer for me! I have lost over 80 pounds and kept it off now for over a year. I find that even now that the scale doesn’t move as much, my clothes are still getting looser. I no longer feel bloated, fatigued, and sometimes I don’t even feel hungry! I only tend to eat 2 meals a day with some snacks. My snacking during the day has even decreased tremendously because I am staying fuller longer with the foods that I now eat.
Although there are times that I don’t eat “on plan” I always end up going right back to a keto way of eating because it’s when I feel the best. I have learned how to make most of my favorite foods with a ketofied version!
I have found that being a part of the Keto Instagram community has played a huge part in my success. I have met some amazing people with likeminded goals and struggles. I now have friendships all over the United States with people that I would have never had the opportunity to meet if it wasn’t for the Keto Community. I love that we are able to share recipes, struggles, achievements and learn about new keto products. I have tried many keto products that are on the market and some I have loved and others not as much. There are a few staples that I always keep on hand, not just for myself but for my family. Shrewd foods are one of those staple products that I must keep on hand. My kids take them in their lunches and my husband constantly steals the last bag! Luckily Amazon has super quick shipping on them so I can always restock! It is products like these that I feel help make the Keto lifestyle more sustainable especially for busy on the go moms like me! Having go-to snack foods are so important, whether it’s for a sports game or even the movies! Instead of ordering popcorn now, I bring a bag of something savory or sweet (sometimes both) with me! Shrewd Foods pizza puffs are my absolute favorite! As a kid growing up, I loved pizza flavored crackers, and these are a great replacement for those! I have even made “Ketofied” fried ice cream using Shrewd Food Protein puffs!
You don’t have to give up the things that you love. You just need to get creative and learn new ways to enjoy them. I have done a lot of research, recipe reading, and experimenting on my own to find ways to still be able to enjoy the things I love. There are so many amazing keto cookbooks out there that are a great resource! Keto isn’t hard, it’s just some extra work until you find your groove! When you find what works for you, run with it and never look back!