7 Year Keto Anniversary: 7 Takeaways From 7 Years Following Keto (#1)

With seven years of following a keto under my belt, I’m excited to share my seven takeaways from this journey. These years have truly flown by, underscoring the cliché that life goes by in the blink of an eye. Time will pass regardless, but how we choose to spend it makes all the difference. Over these last seven years I have seen the weight come off, my body get stronger, my energy levels improve,and over all I have just felt my best. I want to live my life to the fullest, so for me that means keto.Which brings me to the first of the 7 Takeaways From 7 Years Following Keto:

It has to be a lifestyle change NOT a diet.

Even before I had kids, I got to a point where my metabolism slowed down after college and the way I ate wasn’t doing me any favors. I put on weight and became less active. I would go through periods of time where I would say, “I need to lose x amount of lbs”. Usually it was right before/during summer or a season change and I couldn’t fit into any of the clothes from the year before… Well I tried a bunch of different things to lose the weight. I did calorie restriction, Weight Watchers, high protein, various meal plans, exercise plans, heck even keto- and nothing worked. I was looking at these methods as a quick fix, something to get me to my goal. The problem was, I wasn’t serious about making a change. I thought short term I could follow xyz, but I wasn’t going to stick with it. I would be making exceptions and justifications in my mind for going off plan the first week! I would start off with saying, “I had been so good I deserve xyz” or “You aren’t going to actually lose the weight by Summer anyways you might as well eat whatever and be happy”. As soon as I had a little “cheat” I would tell myself that I might as well have whatever now because I ruined the day, and I would start again in the morning. Well morning would come and maybe I would start back on track or maybe I would say, “might as well have a donut since my week is already off. I will start back up on Monday”. Next thing you know, I am pushing it off until the start of the next month, season, or year.. It didn’t work.

Then after my second baby I decided enough was enough. I was sick of gaining weight, I was sick of start and failing diets, and I was sick of just feeling like crap. What I had been doing was NOT working. A diet wouldn’t work. I needed a lifestyle change. I needed to change how I ate for good. This worked because it took away the pressure of being perfect. I didn’t have that excuse that I “ruined” the day so I might as well say screw it and have whatever. Now, if I fell off track, I would just say, “Well that sucks. I am just going to get right back to my normal right now”. I wasn’t ruining anything if that was my norm. Sometimes that “mess up” would last all day or maybe even the weekend” but I went right back to my norm and eventually I started feeling so much better. I started seeing progress. And I wasn’t as tempted by foods that didn’t support my goals as much. By removing that pressure of a diet and making a lifestyle change that just became my normal way of eating it allowed me to give myself grace and find my way in my own time. I realized that I was CHOOSING to not eat chips/fries/sugar/crappy foods because I had a goal I wanted to reach and I felt better eating a different way.

A before and after/during keto of me. The end of June 2017 (left) and July 1st 2024 (right). I wanted to not only lose the weight, but maintain that loss. I didn’t want to have to do this constant yo-yo ever again.

Does that mean I CAN’T have those foods? No. It is always MY CHOICE. I am CHOOSING to no have them right now because they don’t make me feel my best and they don’t support my goals. But if I do indulge occasionally, it doesn’t undo all my hard work. Consistency is key. What we do most of the time is what helps us reach and maintain our goals, not the occasional treat. Once I got into a rhythm of tracking my foods, eating to my macros, and choosing whole foods that fueled my body and made me feel great, I started to enjoy the way that I felt and seeing my progress. So much so that the occasional “cheat” became fewer and far between. I found new foods that I loved that satisfied cravings. I created new recipes that gave me variety and didn’t skimp on flavor or that “wow factor”. Over the 7 years, my mindset shifted. I wasn’t focused on what I wasn’t having or what I “gave” up. I was focusing on what I achieved and what I enjoyed- what made me feel my best so I could live MY best life.

This is what has worked for me. As with many things in life, there is no one size fits all. Some people thrive on a high-carb diet, while others, like me, don’t. It’s important to find a lifestyle that you enjoy and can sustain. Don’t try to fit into someone else’s plan if it doesn’t work for you. Find what you enjoy that you can sustain. Don’t be afraid to try new things and give it time to see if it works for you though. With keto, I always recommend giving it an honest 6 weeks if you are going to try it. Actually track your macros and choose whole foods. 6 weeks is JUST 42 days, you can do anything for just 42 days. What seems impossible on day 1 may just seem not only possible, but enjoyable and sustainable on day 42. I have so many delicious recipes and resources here for free on my website and also IG and Facebook. But if you want some extra accountability, custom macros, meal plans, and a support group, think about joining one of my 6 week challenges!

Over the next six days, I’ll share more takeaways until we reach all seven. I hope you find them helpful and inspiring!