KETO DIET GUIDE

Keto Diet Basics

The objective of a keto diet is to ensure you get most of your energy from fat, then a bit from protein and minimal from carbohydrates.

That’s where you would have heard the term “eating your macros” – macros are “macronutrients”, which are either carbohydrates, protein or fat.

This is different from the term “micronutrients”, which are nutrients found on the micro level such as vitamins and minerals.

To follow a basic keto diet, you need to consume set macros. There are different recommendations, however, for entry-level ketosis. With the objective of becoming fat adapted and losing weight, it’s 70% of your diet from fat, 25% from protein and 5% from carbs. If that seems hard, confusing and daunting, hang in there and we will show you a way to make it fun and easy to follow.

How does the keto diet work?

That’s why keto dieting is so great, because once you’re in ketosis, your body will become a fat-burning machine. This is great news not just for fat loss, but long-term energy, clarity and health changes.

Being in ketosis/using fat for fuel is like having thousands of mini miners in your body, chipping away at your fat all day and all night and taking it back to the power plant to be burned to make energy.

Coming from a background of 11 years as a Personal Trainer and being the personality type who loves systems, learning this amazed me. I thought, if someone flicks the switch and chooses to be in ketosis, they no longer need to worry about their weight because their body will naturally bring them to their natural healthy range. How amazing is that? But that’s what happens when you eat the way you were intended to.

Keto diet explained

Now translate this to the everyday parent, career person, or student who wants longer, consistent energy without the slumps of fatigue due to lack of sugar. Keto dieting is a great solution.

It’s easy to see why the keto diet is the No. 1 weight-loss diet in the US, for its ability to eliminate body fat and is fast becoming the No. 1 trusted health diet solution in Australia due to its overall improvement of lifestyle, mindset and health.

The key of keto dieting, however, comes from what we call fat adaption. It’s where your body no longer searches for its energy from carbohydrates like traditional low-carb, rapid weight-loss diets but is now adapted 100% to fat as a long-term energy source.

Once you become fat adapted, your body will no longer crave carbs, have headaches, mood swings or low energy periods due to not having enough carbs, which is typically related with dieting because it now operates on a much higher level of energy from ketones – “your fat”.

Starting Keto

Step Two of being prepared – adjust your calendar

This is a point I can’t stress enough. In our culture, we are always wanting more, over-committing and demanding too much from our bodies by thinking we can do everything all at once. Don’t make this mistake when starting out on a keto plan. My advice is clear your calendar for the first 7 days. If you don’t, you will become stressed and stress builds emotions and we know what happens under stress and emotion; we look for comfort, which is most of the time, food.You might think, well I have to work late, I have all my kids sporting events on, I have friends coming over, I can’t push all that aside for dieting. Well truth be told, if you can’t push everything aside for 7 days to focus on your health, then you need to forget dieting and do either a values, priorities or personal development course and build some values first.

Step Three of being prepared – make room for sleep

As simple as it sounds, I truly believe wars could have been prevented if people just slept. I can’t even put a figure on the number of clients that have come to me for help, paid a lot of money for private consultations, and I have discovered all they need is sleep. To their amazement after a couple of big nights’ sleep and a few weeks of sleep hygiene adjustments, their stress disappears, cravings subside, emotions drop – their joy came back, and life seemed so much easier.

Aim to have a good night’s sleep; at least 8 hours, and if you can nap over the weekend during the first 7 days, do it. Just like sex, sleep starts before you hit the bed, so establish some sort of sleep hygiene plan to make going to sleep earlier easier and to give you a better quality of sleep.

For me personally, that’s what the keto diet is – it has allowed me to truly understand my relationship with food and delve deeper into its incredible healing powers. As with many of us, I am increasingly finding myself busier and busier, juggling life as a chef, television host, author, health coach, adventure seeker, and my favourite, father. The keto diet allows me to live this life to its fullest.

If it is time for you to reclaim your own health, take a closer look at the keto diet. While it may seem overwhelming at first, it really is quite simple. I have put together some personal tips and tricks to get you started on your journey to better health and longevity. I would also encourage you to read my book on keto dieting called “Easy Keto”.

Keto Diet Food

For me the key to eating well on a ketogenic diet is cutting your sugar intake, ditching processed foods and eliminating grains, and instead filling up on healthy fats and plenty of nutrient-dense vegetables.

Once we ditch the processed foods, refined oils and grains, what we have left is a beautifully clean fuel source from which our bodies can thrive. This includes quality meats such as wild-caught fish and grass-fed meat, organic non-starchy vegetables, free-range eggs and a selection of quality nuts, seeds and unprocessed fats.

I am not one to count carbs; however, it will be helpful at the start to track your macros, just until you get the hang of how much of each you should be eating and what that looks like in practice. Once you are comfortable with judging the macros in your food by sight, put away the calculator. I am not a big believer in long-term tracking, as I believe a healthy, balanced diet is a lifestyle change and something you should enjoy without getting too hung up on the numbers. I eat by choosing non-starchy vegetables, healthy fats and clean protein – the rest takes care of itself. You will be amazed at how great you feel and how quickly new habits are formed once you have the know-how and have consciously chosen to eat for your health.

Foods To Eat On Keto Diet

There is so much food to choose from when it comes to eating fresh food for keto. Preferably I choose to eat what’s called paleo keto, removing all grains, dairy and processed food – apart from these things it’s an open plater. Nuts and seeds are great keto-friendly foods due to their versatility; I just love how easy they are to grab and go as a quick snack and how they add creaminess to a smoothie or crunch to a salad. Seeds such as black sesame, hemp and pumpkin (pepitas) are easy to find in most supermarkets and pack a nutritional punch, as do other low-carb nuts such as walnuts, almonds, macadamias and Brazil nuts.

My other go-to keto food is coconut oil as it is again, so versatile. I love it so much that I have my own brand “Raw C”. Coconut oil is a great option to cook with as it can withstand high temperatures without altering the beneficial compounds. It is also fantastic for making raw keto treats such as fat bombs, or boosting healthy fats to your morning smoothie or bulletproof coffee.

Quality, homemade broth is also a staple in my household, best enjoyed any time of day! A warm mug of bone broth is a satisfying pick-me-up or a nutritious base to a keto soup or casserole. It is rich in electrolytes, calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium, and is known for its gut-healing properties as well. I strongly advocate making your own from whatever leftover bones and vegetables you have on hand. It takes just 15 minutes prep time and a little bit of patience, then you have a lovely batch of rich, flavourful broth to use over the week.

Other keto-approved foods to enjoy include:

• Unprocessed meat. Buy the best quality you can afford. I use organic, humanely-raised, pasture-fed-and-finished meats as they are the best option for both our bodies and our planet. I also eat nose-to-tail, which means not just using the steak but the organs as well as they are cheap and so nutritious. This also includes free-range poultry and wild game meats.
• Seafood. Where possible, source wild-caught seafood from unpolluted waters. Don’t be afraid to ask your fishmonger where the produce comes from. Again, adopt a nose-to-tail approach and use the leftover head and bones to make a beautiful stock to boost your next dish. Fattier fish such as salmon or mackerel are ideal options for a keto diet.
• Eggs. Again, opt for free-range, ethically sourced produce.
  Plenty of non-starchy vegetables. All vegetables have some carbs, but a good rule of thumb is to choose those you eat from above the ground as they will be non-starchy with lower carbs. This includes leafy greens, celery, cabbage, broccoli, cucumber, zucchini, asparagus, Brussels sprouts and capsicum. Root vegetables such as potatoes and carrots are much higher in carbs, so eat sparingly.
• Healthy fats. As well as unrefined coconut oil, use healthy fats such as avocado oil, macadamia oil and extra virgin olive oil. These fats are best consumed cold as they have a lower smoke point than coconut oil, meaning the health-giving compounds can be damaged when heated.

What not to eat

As mentioned I prefer paleo keto, so I remove grains, dairy and anything processed, apart from that I also remove fruit from my diet. I do eat it occasionally; however, it’s not a regular staple in my diet.

Here are some foods you need to avoid in order to keep your carb count down:

• Sugar. This includes anything with added sugar, so if you are buying anything in a packet, check the ingredients.
• All grains and grain-based food. Any wheat-based product such as bread and pasta is out, as is barley, rye, corn or rice. While not technically a grain, quinoa is also not keto-friendly due to the amount of carbohydrate. If you are craving that satisfying carb feeling, try cauliflower rice or whip up a loaf of keto bread. There are many options out there if you are open-minded and creative!
• Legumes. Although fibre-rich, beans, peas and lentils are very high in carbohydrate so do not fit a keto diet.
• Processed oils. While these are low-carb and high fat, they are not good options for your body. These oils are prone to rancidity and high in omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, which can be harmful in high doses. Processed oils include margarine and oils such as vegetable, safflower, corn, rice bran, sunflower and canola oils.
• Fruit is a tricky one, as it’s clean, quality produce and has a lot of nutrient benefits. Unfortunately, most fruit is very high in sugar (and therefore carbohydrates) so is a no-no when it comes to keto. Berries are the exception and a handful here and there can be enjoyed without disrupting ketosis – my favourites are strawberries and blueberries. I will occasionally indulge in a crisp green apple as well though. If you love fruit and don’t want to give it up, you can opt to do cyclical ketogenic dieting and eat fruit on your cycle off ketosis. You can read more about that in my book.

What to order when dining out

One of the biggest fears I hear from people who are looking to adopt a keto lifestyle is how to manage eating out. When you are at home, it is fairly easy to control what you put on your plate and when you eat it. However, heading out for dinner can be a little daunting. Don’t worry, you don’t have to sit there looking at your glass of water while your friends and family tuck into their meals!

Most restaurants have a menu available online, so you can take your time before going out to look for options that suit you. You can then request some simple swaps or omissions to ensure you stay low-carb but still have the pleasure of eating a beautiful meal with your group.

For example, an obvious swap is to forgo the side of chips and instead ask for a green salad. If you like the look of a burger or sandwich, omit the bread and see if they can serve it on lettuce instead. Omelettes are great options for keto, as is the simplicity of a well-cooked steak or piece of chicken.

If you do fall off the keto bandwagon for one night though, don’t worry. Just pick up where you left off the next day. Eating well is not only about your body but about your mind and soul. The opportunity to enjoy a meal with family and friends is worth much more to your overall well-being than your macro numbers – it is a chance to connect with each other on a meaningful level and live life to its fullest.

Personally, I follow an intuitive keto dieting style and stay in mild ketosis, allowing me to eat more freely when eating out; however, I always choose meals without grains, added sugar or starchy vegetables.

High fat foods for Keto

Here are some of my favourite choices when it comes to eating healthy fats on a keto diet:

• Coconut oil. As already mentioned, coconut oil is extremely versatile and one of my favourite keto-friendly foods for cooking and eating.
• Raw cacao butter. Deliciously rich and creamy, cacao butter is amazing added to smoothies and baked goods to boost healthy fats and keep you satisfied.
  
• Quality animal fats. Lard, tallow, chicken and duck fat provide a rich flavour to any dish – I always choose organic.
• Healthy oils. Another favourite of mine, olive oil, macadamia and avocado oil are fantastic choices to up the good fats in a green salad or drizzled over meat.
• Eggs. Naturally high in healthy fats, eggs are a staple of any keto breakfast plan and a nutritional addition to many lunch or dinner-time dishes.
• Nuts and seeds. Moderate in protein count but high in fat, grab a handful of macadamias or pecans if you are feeling a little empty. These can also be added to salads to increase the calories or used to create a keto-friendly granola.
• Organic meat and wild-caught seafood have great levels of high-quality healthy fats.

It’s a healthier eating option

As you can see, with a few simple guidelines, going keto is not as overwhelming as you might think. With a shift in focus from carb-heavy meals to lighter, more nutritious and calorie-dense options, you will feel better, look healthier and have more energy than ever before.

Eating well is not just about the food on your plate, but how you put it all together into a lifestyle that supports your mind, body and soul to function at it’s very best. As you know, I am not just a health coach or cook, but a father and an adventure seeker, so eating to support that lifestyle is important to me. Once you get the hang of what it means to live keto, choosing foods that work for you will become second nature.

Most importantly, cook with love, laughter and enjoy life!

One of the main concerns we hear about keto dieting is the amount of fat consumed. Fat is bad for us, right? Not necessarily. Eating fat doesn’t directly drive the biology to make you fat – carbs do that. However, that does not mean you have a licence to consume as many calories as you like (otherwise you will still put on weight), and obesity is the greatest health risk due to the inflammation associated with it. Instead, balancing the right amount of fat and protein in each meal will leave you naturally consuming fewer carbohydrates and more fat than you were used to. Maintaining your weight and energy levels will become effortless as your blood sugars and hormones that control energy production and weight (such as insulin) are kept in check, and your body will work as it is designed to – as a fat-burning machine!

There is also no need to worry about blood cholesterol or the adverse effects of consuming more saturated fat. A number of meta-analyses in recent years have found no significant association, in terms of study participants’ relative risk of heart disease or total mortality, between those participants who eat the most and the least saturated fat. Instead, eating lots of fat, as you would in a low-carb diet, has conversely been shown to improve blood health markers including cholesterol profiles.

Keto diet side effects

Once your body is used to a keto diet, you shouldn’t have any problems. In fact, you should be feeling better than before, with more energy, faster recovery from exercise and greater mental clarity. However, some people will experience a range of side effects in the first weeks of transitioning to a low-carb diet. These include:

• Dizziness
• Lightheadedness
• Brain fog
• Lack of energy
• Craving for sweet stuff because of sugar/carb addiction withdrawal
• Body aches

Don’t worry, this is normal and will pass. Your brain has been used to getting 100 per cent of its fuel from glucose and is now undergoing a sort of biochemical re-orchestration. It is entering a state of ketosis, which refers to the production of ketone bodies for use as fuel in the absence of glucose, which are derived from fats (and some amino acids).

These symptoms are temporary and some people don’t experience them at all. The severity of your symptoms and the likelihood of getting them at all depends on several factors: how much carbohydrate you currently eat in relation to how much you will be eating (the bigger the drop in carbs, the more likely the symptoms), and how sugar- or carb-addicted you are (the more addicted you are, the more likely you are to experience the symptoms).

To overcome these side effects, my suggestion is to plan in advance. For example, beginning your keto journey on a Thursday or Friday is a good idea if you work during the week. That way, you will experience the height of your symptoms over the weekend when you can rest and hopefully most of the symptoms will be gone by the start of the next week. The golden rule is to not succumb to those cravings, no matter what!

There are a few other tricks you can employ to help get you through the transition phase:

• Eat enough salt. As the body adjusts, sodium tends to be dumped by the body to preserve the sodium-potassium balance in the body. You may also be eating way less processed food and thus less salt as well. This can result in hypotension (low blood pressure) and cramps, dizziness and lack of energy. With extreme carb restriction this is often called ‘keto-flu’.To help prevent or alleviate these symptoms, add half a teaspoon of salt to your existing food intake or consume 1-2 cups of broth each day (stock cubes mixed in water).
• If in doubt, eat more fat. Don’t regard the adaptation phase as a weight loss phase. You may end up losing weight, but the key is to make the metabolic switch.
• MCTs may help. Medium chain triglycerides, like Lauric acid (found in coconut oil), may help in alleviating symptoms. MCTs can be used by the brain directly as a fuel source, so extra MCTs may help provide a second temporary fuel source to the brain as you adapt.
• Watch your carbs. Eating too many carbs will mean that you don’t quite deplete the brain of glucose enough for it to have to reset its fuel supply, which means you can end up in a grey zone where you rarely have enough glucose to run the system, but you haven’t depleted it enough to stimulate ketone production and use. Most people, depending on activity level, will initially need to go below about 50 g carbs a day to kickstart ketosis.

Benefits of Keto diet

When you can control your blood sugar and the hormones that control your energy levels and weight (especially insulin), your body is better equipped to work as it was designed to – to burn fat as fuel and sustain your energy all day. Carbohydrate is responsible for spiking insulin and blood glucose levels that leave you feeling lethargic, unwell and constantly hungry. Once you find your carb-tolerance level, your body will be able to send and receive the messages it needs to stay in shape, to tell you when you are full, and to energise you. The benefits are sustained weight management, greater mental clarity, more energy during the day and even improvements to inflammatory conditions and chronic pain. For the athlete, ketogenic diets are growing in promise for faster recovery and better performance. I discuss this more in my book What The Fat? Sports Performance: Leaner, Fitter, Faster on Low-Carb Healthy Fat.

Low-carb, ketogenic dieting has also been shown to have many therapeutic benefits, including case-study evidence of improvements in conditions such as drug-resistant epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease, some cancers, depression, migraines, acne, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and multiple sclerosis (MS). Ketogenic diets could be really helpful for a whole lot of things – we don’t know the full answer yet. If you have a specific health challenge, I certainly advocate doing your own reading and speaking to your health professional about the keto diet as an adjunct to your current treatment regime.

What is nutritional ketosis?

Nutritional ketosis refers to the state where your brain and most of your body runs on ketones for energy, as opposed to glucose. This is sustainable and achievable long-term and provides your body with all of the energy and nutritional requirements for optimal health and wellbeing. There are two other types of ketosis you may have heard about – fasting (or starvation) ketosis and pathological ketosis. These are very different from the type of ketosis we are aiming for and can be quite dangerous.

Fasting ketosis is a short-term, evolutionarily adapted response to cope with shortages of food – but is not sustainable. While I wholeheartedly advocate intermittent fasting as a fantastic complement to a well-managed ketogenic diet, extreme fasting can be dangerous. When you refrain from eating for a long period of time (such as several days), your glycogen stores become depleted and your body will look for alternative sources of fuel – namely fat or protein from muscle. Unfortunately, when fasting ketosis becomes severe enough, it can result in lean muscle mass loss.

Starvation or long-term fasting ketosis can also be very dangerous for people with low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) or for those who are taking blood pressure medication. People with a history of disordered eating should also be very wary of long periods of fasting, as attempting to push your body into ketosis through long-term fasting can trigger harmful relapses. To clarify, skipping a meal here and there, or intermittent fasting such as a 5:2 diet, can be a healthy way to cycle in and out of nutritional ketosis and does not create fasting ketosis.

Pathological ketosis is an entirely different state again and is induced by illness, not design. Diabetic ketoacidosis is one example, where the blood’s natural acid-base balance is disrupted to dangerous levels through extremely high blood ketone levels. In a diabetic person whose body is not able to make insulin to shut down ketone production, this can be fatal.

Nutritional ketosis differs immensely from other forms of ketosis in that it is safe and sustainable.
In just a few days, your body will have cleaned out glucose stores and learnt to use fat as its primary energy source. Over time, you will experience the full range of benefits ketosis provides while maintaining adequate nutrition to keep your body healthy – without dangerous blood sugar lows or battles with willpower!

How to get into nutritional ketosis?

Getting into nutritional ketosis requires you to restrict carb intake to less than 50 g per day, forcing your body to use glucose stores and begin producing ketone bodies. Reducing your carb intake can be as simple as swapping your burger bun for crisp lettuce or trying zoodles instead of pasta. Embarking on a keto diet is a wonderful opportunity to explore new tastes and textures with your food: would you have ever tried delicious cauliflower rice otherwise? There is one proviso to reducing your carb intake – in order to achieve healthy nutritional ketosis, you need to INCREASE your fat intake. You need to ditch the fat-phobia and embrace good fats such as coconut oil, olive oil, avocado, full-fat dairy and animal fats.

Be patient, it may take 3-4 weeks for your body to fully adapt to this mild ketogenic state, but after this time you will be operating on what I like to call ‘metabolic flexibility’ and will reap the benefits of nutritional ketosis. In a nutshell, this refers to the ability to switch in and out of nutritional ketosis depending on whether carbohydrate is available or not. A metabolically flexible individual can be a carb burner OR a fat burner. Maintaining your health goals at this point will be much easier.

If you are new to nutritional ketosis, quantifying your efforts with keto sticks or blood ketone test strips to check your ketone levels may be useful in checking where you are at. No matter what though, stick with it and don’t succumb to those cravings. Get your family on board, surround yourself with support and don’t be afraid to request exactly what you want when you are out and about. In time, those sweets won’t look so tempting!

In times of glucose depletion due to carb restriction or fasting, the body is, in fact, capable of turning fat back into fatty acids for energy. However, fatty acids are unable to pass through the blood-brain barrier, so the body has adapted a clever way to fuelling the brain – turning amino acids into ketone bodies. Acetoacetate is created first but is converted to beta-hydroxybutyrate depending on where metabolism is needed. The brain runs primarily on beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), but muscles convert BHB back to acetoacetate for metabolisation. There is a third type of ketone body – acetone. This one is a toxic by-product of the spontaneous breakdown of other ketone bodies but is safely diffused by the lungs and exhaled in a healthy person.

Although, evolutionarily speaking, ketone bodies have been our default fuel system for millennia, for some modern souls this can take a little biochemical re-orchestration. My best advice is to be patient and over time your body will only become more adept at using ketone bodies for fuel. You will be able to seamlessly cycle in and out of nutritional ketosis to maintain optimal functioning and feel much better for it.

Finding your Keto dieting style

Here is a rundown of different preferences people have when it comes to finding their keto dieting style. This is not an exhaustive list; however, I hope this will bring insight and allow you to see that the issue of not being able to stick out a diet might not be you at all but that you have selected the wrong diet for your needs.

Food preferences
Love heaps of meat or dislike red meat
Love veggies or can’t stand them
Love dairy or can’t tolerate dairy
Prefer clean food or love eating dirty

Food restrictions
Gluten intolerant
Insulin resistant
Dairy intolerant
Nut allergy
Vegan
Vegetarian

Eating/lifestyle preferences
Prefer eating small meals or love big meals
Love cooking or hate cooking
Like to be told what to eat and when
Prefer to have the flexibility to choose what and when to eat
Time poor so prefer shakes
Open to fasting or hate it
Health-focused or prefer to be convenience-focused
Need “family-friendly” foods & meals or prefer meals that cater for single use
Has to be cost-effective
Needs the ability to dine out

Take some time to reflect and choose what is important to you. Possibly even choose 2 from each section and use them to help you choose the right keto meal plan as we look through them over the next several chapters.

This style of keto mostly focuses on keeping fats up.

The diet would be good for:

• Those that love meat and dairy
• Dislike veggies
• Time poor
• Love big meals
• Prefer easy and let’s face it, dirty meals

The diet won’t be the best for:

• Those that love veggies (although you can alter this diet by adding veggies)
• Intolerant to dairy
• Obviously vegans or vegetarians
• Insulin resistant or females over 40 as dairy is a red flag

The diet would be good for;

• Those that love meat and dairy
• Dislike veggies
• Time poor
• Hate planning and would prefer to eat at will 

The diet won’t be the best for;

• Those that love veggies
• Intolerant to Dairy
• Obviously vegans or vegetarians
• Insulin resistant or females over 40 as dairy is a red flag
• Health conscious

The diet would be good for:

• Those that love veggies
• Prefer to eat clean
• Health focused
• Have allergies and intolerances

The diet won’t be the best for:

• Those who don’t like to prep food or to shop
• Don’t like veggies
• Prefer to eat lazy and dirty

Here are some examples of clean keto meals.

The standard keto diet has taken many forms as I have mentioned earlier: lazy keto, dirty keto, clean keto; however, there are even more hybrid variations emerging that focus on the core keto principles of macro management but are merging in other dieting principles such a paleo keto, meal replacements keto, vegan meal replacement keto, intolerant sensitive keto, 5:2 diet keto, vegan keto and vegetarian keto. You can look further into these by reading some of our other articles or Googling those terms; however, I wanted to finish off by covering an ever so emerging vegan and vegetarian keto diet which deserve special attention.

Here are some examples of standard keto meals.

Often vegans and vegetarians are left out of the weight loss circle either through meal replacement shakes predominantly being dairy or diet plans not catering for them, and up until now keto dieting being limited to animal products. But as we have come to see, vegan keto and vegetarian keto is possible through selecting high protein & low carb veggies; choosing non-animal based products that are high in fat such as seeds, nuts, avocado, oils; and supplementing the diet with keto shakes and MCT oil where needed.

The diet would be good for those that

• Love veggies
• Prefer to eat clean
• Are health focused
• Have allergies and intolerances
• Are vegans and vegetarians
• Are over eating too much meat. It’s a great way to change things up. I have 40% of my meals vegan or vegetarian and sometimes go vegan or vegetarian for a few days just to cleanse.

The diet won’t be the best for those that:

• Don’t like veggies
• Prefer to eat lazy and dirty
• Love eating meat every day

Here are some examples of vegan and vegetarian keto meals.

Calories

Calories have always been the key to weight loss; however, with keto dieting, they are not the main focus due to your body becoming a fat burning machine. Nevertheless, they still can play an important role in helping you speed up your weight loss results.

There are two ways to manage your calories: either burn more calories than you consume or consume less than you burn. Burning more calories than you consume focuses more on exercising, and consuming fewer calories than you burn often requires restricting the number of calories you eat.

Each macro type (protein, fat, carbs) contains different quantities of calories. As we mentioned earlier, food = energy and macros = food, so the word we use to measure how much energy comes from each macro is called calories.

And as each macro provides different types of energy, they also provide different amounts of energy.

For each gram of carbohydrates, you will get 4 calories. Likewise for each gram of protein, you will get 4 calories; however, for each gram of fat, you will get 9 calories.

Why is this important? Well in order to enhance your weight loss, it’s key to manage the number of calories you are consuming. If you consume more calories than you burn or burn less than you consume, you will hinder your weight loss ability.

So your objective is not only to eat the right type of macros but the right amount of calories also.

You can find multiple calorie calculators online that will work out your recommended calories based on your age, height, gender, activity levels and how much weight you want to lose; however, we have created a graph of recommended calories for males and females, with little activity at work, that want to lose .5kg per week.

• Sourced from http://www.8700.com.au/kj-explained/your-ideal-figure/ a NSW government site.

So let me walk you through how this plays out.

With Jane below (our virtual client), she wants to lose 15kg. She doesn’t want to exercise yet but wants to walk. She weighs 60kg, is 40 years old and is starting the keto diet.

The recommended calories for Jane are 1386 and she would need to consume 70% of those calories from fat, 25% from protein and 5% from carbs.

So based on the recommended calories and macro percentages, Jane’s daily eating goals are as follows:

Fat – calories 970/ grams 107
Protein – calories 346/ grams 86
Carbs – calories 69/ grams 17

Intermittent Fasting

With not only weight loss benefits but amazing health benefits such as reverse ageing, metabolism control, cellular re-creation, hormonal balancing, and with new health benefits being discovered all the time, intermittent fasting is the greatest tool you can add to a keto diet.

The term intermittent fasting basically means fasting in intervals or broken phases. For example, you would fast for a period of time and then hop off the fast for a period of time and repeat.

There are many ways to practise intermittent fasting, such as repeated daily fasting, which is fasting at a set time of the day, and repeated daily. Then there is repeated weekly fasting, where for a set day of the week you would fast for that whole 24-hour period, then the next day resume your standard eating for the rest of the week until it came back to that day of the week.

The most effective method of intermittent fasting for weight loss on a keto diet is repeated daily fasting, and with that said, the 16/8 hour style is the most practised, where you eat for an 8-hour window and not eat for a 16-hour window.

Stress Management

Stress plays a major role when it comes to weight loss, and I am not talking about weight loss through stress being a positive thing. Stress, if not managed, will close the door for weight loss completely.

Stress is exposing yourself to high amounts of pressure. This could be over-exercising, not eating enough, lack of nutrients, relationship breakdowns, increased workload, lack of sleep, mindset of fear, financial hardship, overexposure to negativity, no vision, absence of joy, too much uncertainty and the list goes on.

All of these can be managed individually, but when a few of them happen to us at once it becomes overbearing to our body, and as a result our body will go into self-preservation mode and to it’s best ability stop weight loss.

Let’s face it – when we start a diet we do it all at once. I am a victim of this; as soon as I start some sort of new goal, I put all in. I wake up super early to do some light exercise, cut out foods, start training during the day and implement new eating styles, but I don’t adjust the rest of my life, so by day 3-4 all the stress builds up until either an injury pops up or I get run down.

So while aiming to lose weight on a keto diet, look to minimise or eliminate these stress avenues for at least the first 7 days.

Meal Timing & frequency

Eating at specific times and frequencies can help accelerate your weight loss ability through speeding up your metabolism, providing you with consistent energy, controlling the level of carbohydrates your body is exposed to at any point of time and aiding your digestive system.

It’s recommended that you eat small meals every 2-3 hours. You can also adjust your training time to be before you eat, so you train on an empty energy source forcing your body to break down your body fat to produce ketones. This will do two things: 1) burn up the excess glucose you have in your system, maximising ketosis, and 2) maximise the fat you burn, as if your body has no glucose to burn, it will burn ketones and in essence, fat.

You can also fit this style of dieting in with intermittent fasting.

Meal Size

Eating smaller meals means that you are consuming fewer calories at one time. It also means that you are consuming fewer macros at one time, which means you are controlling the amount of carbs/sugar/glucose you are exposing your body to at one time, ensuring you maintain a high level of ketone production.

It also speeds up your metabolism, as it means you need to eat more frequently and your body will digest your meals faster and have a larger gap between digestion periods.

If none of that means anything to you, just know that eating smaller meals more frequently means you are less likely to fall to cravings due to cravings and starvation.

The way you work out your meals is to divide how many calories and macros you are allowed to consume during the day and divide them by 5-6 meals. Alternatively, you can find a weight-loss program that calculates all this for you through their meal plans.

Water

Water has been the source of survival for all of history. It’s the one essential we can’t go without. When it comes to weight loss, the essentialness of water doesn’t change – in fact, it increases.

Hydration is a key stress factor. If you are dehydrated, your body will slam on the breaks for weight loss immediately, because your body knows hydration is a “major” concern when it comes to survival and that dehydration will ultimately lead to death. As dramatic as that sounds, your body doesn’t have a dramatic filter, and only cares about one thing: your survival. So at the first sign of dehydration, your body will trigger this internal survival instinct.

It recommended to have 3.5-4.5 litres of water a day on a ketosis diet; even more when exercising or exposed to high levels of heat. If you are consuming the higher end of the recommended water intake, it’s also recommended to ensure you increase the salt in your diet to almost double.

When discussing nutrition and what ‘healthy’ food means, I like to think of it in terms of the ‘HI’ (Human Interference) factor. That way, you don’t need to get hung up on the specifics of each macro but can view food in a more relaxed, simplistic way. When putting together a meal or snack, all you need to do is ask: “Was this plant/animal recently alive in nature running around or growing somewhere?” If the answer is yes – eat it. If you answer no, leave it! When you are shopping you will find most of the fresh, low HI foods to be on the outer edges of the supermarket. Avoid stepping into the aisles of brightly-coloured packaging and clever marketing – despite the claims, they will not help you on your journey to good health. You just need to step outside the square and reset.

I can reassure you, carbohydrate in its processed form is not an essential nutrient. We can get ample carbs for our needs in foods such as fruit, vegetables and dairy products to sustain our bodies. The bonus is that these low HI foods also contain a host of other important nutrients such as fibre, vitamins and minerals, protein and fat. Starchy carbohydrates and grain-based foods provide very few micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), and minimal protein and fat. This means they are quickly converted to sugar by the body and then stored as fat, not used efficiently for energy. Consuming a high-carb diet is likely to lead to inflammation and poor health in the long run.

By including a good amount and a wide variety of vegetables, along with a variety of other foods such as dairy, meats (especially organ meats), fruit, nuts and seeds, you don’t need to be concerned at all about nutrient deficiencies on a keto diet. In fact, by swapping carb-heavy foodstuffs such as bread and pasta with even more vegetables, you are further loading up on the good stuff!

Step 1. Meal Idea

What I do when creating a meal plan is to write down all the meals I would like to eat on what days. Don’t worry if you are unsure if they are keto or not; over time you will become better at this. The main objective is to write down the meals you feel you would like to eat. Once you get to Stage 3, you will realise that they might not be keto and you can adjust them as you need.

A tip from me is, while starting out, try to only create one meal a day. It prevents it from becoming overwhelming, so either eat the same meal for lunch and dinner or supplement some meals with keto shakes.

Step 2. Knowing your macros

Calculating your macros can be done two ways: simply using a macro calculator online, or working out your macros manually through your daily calories as follows:

1. Divide your daily calories by your macro %. You need 70% fat, 25% protein and 5% carbs. The sum is: calories x .7 or calories x .25 or calories x .05. For example, if you are to have 1386 calories and 70% of those calories from fat, 25% from protein and 5% from carbs that would be 1386 x.7 = 970 calories from fat, 1386 x .25 = 346 calories from protein, and 1386 x .05 = 69 calories from carbohydrates.
2. Divide your macro calories by grams. Now you know how many calories you should have for each macro, how do you work out how many grams you should be having? Well that’s the easier part of this process; all you need to do is divide those calories by how many calories are in each gram.

Remember we mentioned that fat has 9 calories per gram, protein has 4 and carbs has 4.

So for fat it would be 970 calories/9 = 107g of fat per day

For protein it would be 346 calories/4 = 86g of protein per day

For carbs it would be 69 calories/4 = 17g of carbs per day

We can see the easy part is using a macro calculator.

Step 3. Construction

This is where you would pull out your phone to download a calorie counting app or visit a website. These services allow you to enter what type of foods you would like to eat and they tell you what macros and calories are in those foods.

Here is a list of macro and calorie counting apps I recommend. They all come in app form or have access via a website:

• Carb Manager
• MyFitnessPal
• Calorie King

From here you enter the ingredients you would like from each meal and adjust them until you get the desired macros that you have outlined earlier.

Ketogenic Diet Menu

Karla Hollings

BEFORE

• Age: 28
• Weight: 86kg
• Waist: Size 18
• Energy: low
• Mental health: below average
• Date: 18 June 2018

AFTER

• Age: 29
• Weight: 66kg
• Waist: size 10
• Kg lost: 17.8kg
• Cm lost: 4 sizes
• Energy: high
• Mental health: fantastic
• Duration: 12 Months

What changes have you experienced with your HEALTH since you started with keto?

Health-wise my sleeping patterns have definitely improved. I am no longer out of breath doing normal day things. My acne has cleared up immensely.

What changes have you experienced with your BODY since you started with keto?

My body has definitely changed. I have a lot more energy, I am stronger and have noticeable weight loss in all areas. I was never able to drop weight after countless diets and lifestyle changes until I found keto.

What changes have you experienced with your MIND since you started with keto?

Since starting keto I do have more clarity and focus. I would have bad mood swings, which have significantly dropped (partner loves this btw). I am finding I don’t feel as anxious as I used to. I have a thirst for life that I never had beforehand.

What changes have you experienced in your LIFESTYLE since you started with keto?

After being on keto for a few months, I joined the gym and go almost every day – it’s amazing. My social life has taken off as I am a lot more confident. I am no longer worried about my self-image or fearful of what people will think of me due to my size.

Cathy Tilley

BEFORE

• Age: 52
• Weight: 90kg
• Energy: sluggish
• Mental health: prone to anxiety
• Date: late Jan 2019

AFTER

• Age: 53
• Weight: 78kg
• Kg lost: 12kg
• Energy: lasting all day
• Mental health: no anxiety
• Duration: 4 months

What changes have you experienced with your HEALTH since you started with keto?

Increased stamina – I can work all day long and just get tired at bedtime, not midday. Addiction to food/sweets is gone – I have no need to look for sugars to keep me going during the day, no afternoon slump.

What changes have you experienced with your BODY since you started with keto?

Hormonal issues resolved, I sleep like a log, no bloating or puffiness. No more big fat tummy and my digestive issues are resolved, as I actually feel hungry again after no hunger for a year.

What changes have you experienced with your MIND since you started with keto?

No more foggy mind – it’s sharp and clear thinking for me now.

What changes have you experienced in your LIFESTYLE since you started with keto?

I am waking up in the morning much easier – I am quicker to engage with the day rather than it waiting for me to catch up. My self-confidence has returned – I have had to buy new clothes and wearing the clothes I want to wear and thought I could never wear.

I thought my body, life and symptoms were a normal part of being middle age and I had settled with it, but now living my best life – I can’t believe it. I feel healthy. I look 10 years younger. Skin glowing. Bags gone from under my eyes. No reservation about going out. Proud of myself!

Keto has changed my life! My husband can’t keep his hands off me!!

Jenny Hudson

BEFORE

• Age: 53
• Weight: 111kg
• Energy: average
• Mental health: covered up shame, isolation
• Date: Feb 2018

AFTER

• Age: 54
• Weight: 77.5kg
• Kg lost: 33.5kg
• Energy: high – running, dancing & jumping
• Mental health: full of life & going out
• Duration: 16 Months

What changes have you experienced with your HEALTH since you started with keto?

I was told by my doctor that I have a high level “fatty liver” and that it was at a level where I wouldn’t be able to reverse. I also had a sluggish thyroid and my sugar levels were high/borderline diabetic.

So once I started a year ago on his keto program, I consistently lost 4 kilos a month and never plateaued ever and each month would see my GP for a weigh in and check up. My thyroid is now at a healthy level, my sugar levels are back to normal range, and no longer borderline diabetic. But the best news was that I not only improved my liver, but I have completely reversed it to now a healthy functioning liver; a result that even my doctor didn’t think was possible.

What changes have you experienced with your BODY since you started with keto?

I belong to a modern active church and I am one of the vocalists. I have experienced that I have a lot more range in my vocals due to being able to breathe better, and I have so much more energy on stage being able to jump and dance and move around more whilst still being able to breathe well while singing so energy levels have increased to much higher levels.

What changes have you experienced with your MIND since you started with keto?

I am no longer ashamed of how I look or self-conscious of myself and I want to go out and be around people more. I am not married but now so ready to find hopefully my life partner, as I feel so much more confident of who I am, and I can honestly say without sounding full of myself that I really like who I am and feel good about myself. Friends have noticed I’m a happier person, full of life and always laughing and smiling, and so I think feeling healthy on the inside also is being healthy mentally and it works from the inside out.

What changes have you experienced in your LIFESTYLE since you started with keto?

I’m always out and busy now; so much so I have had to buy a diary to book in all that I want to do in life and fitting in friends and family with social life. So overall life is a healthy, joyful life now and I am still on the Lean for Life keto eating as for me it has become my eating lifestyle, not just a program for a little while to lose weight. It has become my everyday eating lifestyle and I know with it I will never look back.

Charli Ledwidge-Parcel

BEFORE

• Age: 30
• Weight: 124kg
• Waist: size 24
• Date: June 2017

AFTER

• Age: 32 (almost)
• Weight: 94kg
• Waist: size 14
• Kg lost: 30kg
• Cm lost: 5 dress sizes
• Duration: 24 months

What changes have you experienced with your HEALTH since you started with keto?

I had endometriosis which is now non-symptomatic. My periods are lighter and shorter with little to no pain! I always had severe bloating, which I never have now. My skin is completely different: it’s clear and spot free!

What changes have you experienced with your BODY since you started with keto?

Much more energy. My body has completely changed shape. I actually have a waist for the first time in my adult life. My face is not puffy at all, and I don’t look pregnant anymore!

What changes have you experienced with your MIND since you started with keto?

My relationship with food has completely changed. Before I was an emotional eater and would eat my feelings which resulted in massive binges of carb loaded, terrible food choices! Now I see food as fuel and only eat when I’m hungry (which is a LOT less often), rather than out of boredom. I feel clearer and less hazy since keto! Since my husband and I changed to a keto lifestyle, we argue hardly ever!! Definitely never imagined that as a side effect, but it’s definitely something we have both noticed!!

What changes have you experienced in your LIFESTYLE since you started with keto?

I go to the gym and do a physio programme most days. I find being proactive is something that comes much more easily now rather than procrastinating, which is something I used to do a lot!!

Niboddhri Christie

BEFORE

• Age: 43
• Weight: 75kg
• Energy: low
• Mental health: not great
• Date: 30 March 2018

AFTER

• Age: 43
• Weight: 56kg
• Kg lost: 17kg
• Energy: high
• Mental health: good
• Duration: 4 months

What changes have you experienced with your HEALTH since you started with keto?

I grew up as a national level cross-country skier and accomplished ultra-marathon runner, then lost my health, now to have it return better than it has ever been. I am stronger, lighter and healthier than I have ever been in my life.

Before starting keto I had stomach muscle issues due to pregnancy, lower-back and right hip were constantly sore. I also had digestive problems since I was a child which resulted in severe bloating. I was also hyperglycaemic and carb addicted. I would eat a large block of chocolate and then some, on a regular basis. Now all gone … including the need for chocolate.

What changes have you experienced with your BODY since you started with keto?

Even as a young athlete, I struggled to transcend the classic pear shape and was always a few kilos heavier than was ideal. Through keto my body shape completely changed. I have become lean in the hips, thighs and butt and my upper-body became very lean. I went from a size 12-14 (post-baby) to a comfortable 6-8. Whilst I don’t place value on size for size’s sake, as an athlete my new lean, light and fat-adapted body has meant I can sustain a large volume of running training again.

What changes have you experienced with your MIND since you started with keto?

Since becoming fat-adapted my mental clarity and focus have dramatically improved. I have made many changes in my life because of it – including changing jobs, going back to study at university and becoming a more creative person. My focus during training is improved and my ability to get ‘in the zone’ has dramatically increased.

I think the nutritional strategy of ketosis has a lot to offer the mental health space, but I think it’s important to acknowledge that problems don’t just melt away with the fat – you have to do some work. The work gets easier but you still have to do it.

What changes have you experienced in your LIFESTYLE since you started with keto?

This has led to the achievement of a long-coveted personal best of 101kms in a 12-hour race. I also ran 40kms in 4 hours during a training run with relative ease, and I am about to do a 24hr run. I can sustain a regular program of up to 120kms a week of running without needing long recovery periods in between runs and this has been accomplished without sustaining injuries.

I don’t have time to socialise more, but when I do, I enjoy it way more than I ever have. I have more confidence, poise and energy and my communication is more meaningful and engaged.

Jo Wilson

BEFORE

• Age: 37
• Weight: 67kg
• Waist: 98cm
• Energy: tied and sluggish
• Mental health: occasional anxiety
• Date: 25 Feb 2019

AFTER

• Age: 37
• Weight: 58kg
• Waist: 92cm
• Kg lost: 9kg
• Cm lost: 6cm
• Energy: so much more
• Mental health: peace of mind
• Duration: 4 weeks

What changes have you experienced with your HEALTH since you started with keto?

I can feel that my hormones are a lot more balanced and health is under control.

What changes have you experienced with your BODY since you started with keto?

I have lots more energy to do things. I was able to reach my original weight from 3 years ago and I have lost weight in my thighs and stomach, which usually don’t change when I lose weight.

What changes have you experienced with your MIND since you started with keto?

I feel more motivated, my mind is clearer and I am less anxious.

What changes have you experienced in your LIFESTYLE since you started with keto?

My eating habits have drastically improved and food seems not to be in control of my life anymore. I am surprised that I don’t need to eat what I thought. I have lots more energy and now am wanting to be out doing things more and my social group has changed based on associating with others who have achieved similar results.

Sam Baker

BEFORE

• Age: 47
• Weight: 105kg
• Waist: 119cm
• Energy: low energy
• Mental health: anxiety and depression
• Date: June 2018

AFTER

• Age: 47
• Weight: 75kg
• Waist: 81cm
• Kg lost: 30kg
• Cm lost: 38cm
• Energy: high
• Mental health: no anxiety or depression
• Duration: 11 months

What changes have you experienced with your HEALTH since you started with keto?

I no longer suffer with erratic hormone cycles and night sweats. Most of my pre-menopause symptoms have lessened dramatically or completely gone. I had gestational diabetes with both of my children and used to have to get tested regularly as my doctor said I will end up with diabetes. My last visit I was told I would not face diabetes as my future if I stay with keto.

What changes have you experienced with your BODY since you started with keto?

Since starting keto I have an abundance of energy and no longer want to nap. I have lost a lot of weight and the body fat came off my stomach that would never budge

What changes have you experienced with your MIND since you started with keto?

I used to live in ‘mum fog’ and couldn’t focus on ANYTHING. Learning new things was more difficult than it had ever been. I had no mental clarity or focus. I now run my own business successfully, I train every day, do podcasts and learn all the time. I have laser focus and a true thirst for knowledge, now this new me is unlocked.

What changes have you experienced in your LIFESTYLE since you started with keto?

I no longer hide in my home, obese, sad and with no drive. I have a passion and drive for my life, my family, my business and want to get out and be a part of the world. I exercise and love it. I enjoy living and no longer hide away.

Jess Morris

BEFORE

• Age: 52
• Weight: 64kg
• Energy: 2/5
• Mental health: 3/5
• Date: Feb 2019

AFTER

• Age: 52
• Weight: 56kg
• Kg lost: 8kg
• Energy: 5/5
• Mental health: 5+/5
• Duration: 6 weeks

What changes have you experienced with your HEALTH since you started with keto?

The health changes that come with moving into my 50s as a female have now been reversed – never thought it was possible.

What changes have you experienced with your BODY since you started with keto?

I was able to lose the weight I couldn’t before. I lost more than I initially thought possible and it kept coming off.

What changes have you experienced with your MIND since you started with keto?

I feel more confident in myself knowing I have achieved my goal weight and my mind is so much clearer.

What changes have you experienced in your LIFESTYLE since you started with keto?

I am feeling like I have so much more energy, and the confidence of the new me comes with a new lifestyle.

Doug Wilson

BEFORE

• Age: 37
• Weight: 80kg
• Waist: 92cm
• Energy: sluggish and tired
• Mental health: brain fog
• Date: 25 Feb 2019

AFTER

• Age: 37
• Weight: 71kg
• Waist: 87cm
• Kg lost: 9kg
• Cm lost: 5cm
• Energy: high
• Mental health: clear minded
• Duration: 4 weeks

What changes have you experienced with your HEALTH since you started with keto?

Instantly felt a million dollars – the energy and focus I needed to fulfil my physically and mentally demanding job came surprisingly quick.

What changes have you experienced with your BODY since you started with keto?

I noticed a drop of around 5kgs in 10 days, which looked and felt like more, due to the diet taking away inflammation and fluid retention. This was so encouraging and was what I needed to stay focused.

What changes have you experienced with your MIND since you started with keto?

Mental clarity was incomparable and my stress levels were extremely stable. It was like I got a new mind, not just a body. Cravings, hunger, attachment to food, brain fog and stress all went out the window.

What changes have you experienced in your LIFESTYLE since you started with keto?

I feel much more at peace now in my body, which has really impacted my body, and I feel like if I ever do blow out again with a mid-life crisis, I can come back to centre quite quickly.

David Morris

BEFORE

• Age: 59
• Weight: 107kg
• Energy: low and inconsistent
• Mental health: low
• Date: Feb 2019

AFTER

• Age: 59
• Weight: 87kg
• Kg lost: 20kg
• Cm lost: 5cm
• Energy: high and consistent
• Mental health: great
• Duration: 8 weeks

What changes have you experienced with your HEALTH since you started with keto?

Before starting keto I had onset arthritis with fingers deforming, aches all over body. I was waking up in the middle of the night and had loss of strength to open food jars, etc., due to it. Now my arthritis has gone and I have no more pain in my joints. My blood pressure is now normal and less fluctuating.

What changes have you experienced with your BODY since you started with keto?

Functionality wise, my body has completely changed – it’s like I have stepped into a new body. Plus I am now wearing nicer fitting clothes and feeling more comfortable in them.

What changes have you experienced with your MIND since you started with keto?

Functionality wise, my body has completely changed – it’s like I have stepped into a new body. Plus I am now wearing nicer fitting clothes and feeling more comfortable in them.

What changes have you experienced in your LIFESTYLE since you started with keto?

I would get breathless even walking up a slight incline. I would also feel a heavy weight on my lungs and chest when being active and sleeping. I am now able to walk vigorously up hills, despite no regular exercise, just the keto diet and my sleep is so much better.

I have also done this with my wife and our relationship has gotten so much closer. It was great beforehand; however, having something that we have done together has been great.

Simen Solheim Sund

BEFORE

• Age: 28
• Weight: 84kg
• Waist: 91cm
• Energy: Lazy and sluggish
• Mental health: brain fog
• Date: 25 Feb 2019

AFTER

• Age: 37
• Weight: 71kg
• Waist: 87cm
• Kg lost: 9kg
• Cm lost: 5cm
• Energy: high
• Mental health: clear minded
• Duration: 4 weeks

What changes have you experienced with your HEALTH since you started with keto?

I haven’t had any medical check-ups before or after, so can’t say for sure, sorry. However, if I was to gauge my health on improved feelings, I would say it’s a complete 180-degree turn on my health.

What changes have you experienced with your BODY since you started with keto?

I feel so much more energised now, I can work out for longer periods of time. I get compliments all the time, and I feel more confident. I haven’t been able to shed weight around my middle section before, regardless of how much I trained, but now I look slim and fit.

What changes have you experienced with your MIND since you started with keto?

Mental clarity was incomparable and my stress levels were extremely stable. It was like I got a new mind, not just a body. Cravings, hunger, attachment to food, brain fog and stress all went out the window.

What changes have you experienced in your LIFESTYLE since you started with keto?

The keto diet has changed my relationship with food. I now see food as nourishment to my body and use it to maximise my performance and well-being instead of it being a comfort and distraction. I used to feel like I had to take a nap when I got home from work but now I don’t. I can hang out with friends and family, play with my nephew and work out instead.

PS. I have always been a big boy. Ever since my mother passed away when I was six years old, I have turned to food for comfort and distraction. When I reached my teenage years, I also turned to alcohol and I was living a very unhealthy lifestyle. I must have peaked at around 110 kg (I am 168 cm tall). When I was around 16 years old I started to play more sports; volleyball in particular, and I was training a couple of days a week. After a couple of years, we advanced to elite level and I was training 4-5 days a week, but I was still eating unhealthy and way too much. So even though I was losing some weight, I stagnated and was unable to lose the remaining 16 kgs. After just 14 weeks on the keto diet, I finally reached my goal! 🙂

It has been life-changing for me!