- I lost 40 pounds in a year on the
keto diet , but then I $4. - To quit without gaining all of the weight back, I used "maintenance
keto ."
When I started the keto
By the end of the 12 months, I'd lost 40 pounds. Following the keto diet was easier than I expected, I ate foods I loved, and I always felt satiated.
$4 was my initial goal, but after a year, I began to not recognize my body and lose my curves. My dilemma was that $4, how would I $4?
So once my body was at a point where I felt healthy and strong, I consulted with nutritional experts to begin my version of "maintenance keto," a transition out of following a strict $4 when you gradually increase your carbohydrate count and decrease fat consumption.
Some choose to stay on keto-friendly
Although it worked for me, it's important to note the $4 and can $4. These are the steps I took with my network of experts while listening to my body. It's important to consult with your doctor before drastically changing your diet.
I used 6 months of maintenance to transition out of the diet and ensure I could healthily maintain weight
I think because I was following clean keto — a version of the diet that focuses on supplying your macro fat count with mostly monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats like fish, avocado, and seeds — $4.
Instead of living by convenient macro numbers that would drive up my fat intake, I listened to my body and balanced healthy fats with carbs from vegetable produce to help make up my daily food intake.
In my first few months of keto maintenance, I began increasing my carbohydrate count.
On strict keto, my carbohydrate count was at 20 to 30 grams a day (mostly from green vegetables). For the first month of maintenance keto, I increased my carbohydrate intake to 45 to 50 grams daily while decreasing my fat intake to make up the difference. I kept my protein intake and menu of food items the same.
I focused on eating more green vegetables while minimizing extra healthy fat additions to my meals. I still cooked with oils and ate fatty pieces of meat, but cut out fat bombs or extra avocado and nuts.
For months two through four, I stuck with roughly 50 to 60 grams of carbohydrates a day. I also ventured into fruits and vegetables with heavier carbohydrate counts, like squash and carrots.
On months five and six of maintenance, I stepped back from counting macros and began opening up my diet to more foods, including a little bit of dairy. I began following more of a paleo diet, which consists of meats, nuts, seeds, healthy oils, and produce (including most fruits and vegetables).
On month six, I began having foods I ate before keto and saw how they interacted with my body.
For example, the first bite of a traditional milk-chocolate bar with cane sugar after a year and a half of no sugar tasted grossly sweet. I couldn't believe I ate sugar for so long without seeing how incredibly sweet it was. My favorite food was always potatoes, but when I ate one after 18 months it initially tasted bland and my heart was broken.
Month six was taking $4, paleo, and my new preferences or aversions to food and making them my own. I also learned about what made me feel energized after eating or what made me feel bloated or tired.
Overall, maintenance keto worked for me and my lifestyle
By going $4, and six on maintenance keto, I lost 40 pounds and felt at peace and in love with the way I felt (body image aside).
During months five and six, I gained a few pounds. But for the two years that followed, my weight generally stayed in the same 5-pound range. As someone who could fluctuate 5 pounds a day consistently, I couldn't believe it.
My body, at that point, was exactly where it wanted to be.