WHAT'S ALL THE FUSS OVER KETO?

https://www.ruled.me/keto-bacon-and-eggs/

Here are a few fun facts about me: I hate to exercise. I have a sweet tooth. I just turned 50.

Back in my younger days (read 48 and under), if I wanted to lose a bit of weight due to over-indulging, I'd simply watch what I ate for a few weeks and my weight would go back down. But once I neared 50, that strategy no longer worked. A few weeks ago I tried on a pair of shorts that had always been big on me and they were...gasp, tight. 

Holy crap, how'd that happen?! At first I was in denial. "But I don't eat that much." And, "I limit my carbs." As well as, "I eat my vegetables." But the truth was: Not enough exercise, too much sugar and processed foods, and now I have the freaking metabolism of a 50 year old.

What to do, what to do?

Everywhere I look, the word "keto" pops out at me. Miraculous, fat-melting keto. So I went on Pinterest because that's my latest crack cocaine, and lo and behold, there are a million keto pins. I'll admit keto is funky because the recipes all have ingredients like bacon and butter and cheese. And while it takes a bit of effort to wrap my head around eating those foods way more than I'd choose, the catch of keto is NO CARBS. Like NONE. Well, a minuscule amount, something like under 20 grams. 

The problem with this strictness is I love all fruit. Especially summer fruit. And not being able to eat a juicy ripe peach or plum seems a bit tortuous. 

Anyway, it's been 2 weeks since I've modified my diet to include keto choices. The first few days were hell because all I saw on TV were commercials for gooey, chocolate-laden desserts. And my sugar craving was so intense I broke down and gorged on raisins (only one of the most concentrated sugar fruits around). But then gradually I switched to extra dark chocolate which is allowed, and the cravings subsided to the point where when I dished out ice-cream for my son I didn't lick the spoon! That's HUGE progress for me.

So, in a nutshell, while I'm not counting ratios and grams of this and that to achieve ketosis (the fat-burning stage), I feel like I have gotten my sugar and carb cravings under control by simply eating more fat and making more conscious food choices. I'll still eat fruit, and god knows I ain't cutting out my wine, but so far I've learned to replace spaghetti with spiraled zucchini, and salty chips with baked pepperoni and not feel like I want to rage in frustration and deprivation.

We'll see how the next two weeks goes. I'll keep you all posted on my progress. Until then...



Tiffany N. York believes Heaven will be a place where no weight is ever gained, blood sugar never rises, and the clouds are all made of full-fat whipped cream. Visit her website at tiffanynyorkauthor.com