Keto Kraze Daze Ahead

Starting a little before January 2017, I decided to return to a low carb, high fat way of eating.  I was very successful with this about four years back(2012), of course I was also training for a half marathon and running quite a bit.  At the time I ended the keto kraze way of eating, I was 170 pounds.  I had not been that weight since my early 20's when I met and married my wonderful husband, Mark.  I was able to fit into my wedding gown and all my aerobics clothes! I was going into a size 10 pants and wearing medium in tops.  Overall, I was feeling great, light, and free and so excited to be that weight again.  But as so often happens, the training after I ran the half marathon, life just seemed to return to a more "normal" feeling of living every day.  Before I knew it, the weight was creeping back on and I was about to start experiencing the joys of premenopausal effects in my body.  Well, let's just summarize that in the past four years, I have enjoyed walking, cycling, hiking, and running both long and short distances.  Weight training hasn't happened that much but I have tried to keep some ab work going here and there.  I haven't really been on any particular way of eating.  My body has been going through enough with all the hormonal/metabolism changes.  This last 4 months, I have been detoxing in many areas.  De-plasticzing the home and going back to glass/wood, ridding the home of chemicals, i.e.: mostly all cleaning products, and incorporating the use of essential oils.  I have also completely stopped using all my skin care products that were filled with chemicals that mask as "fake estrogen" in my body making it harder to normalize hormonally.  This has been quite a journey, I had so much plastic piled up on my deck when I had gone through every part of the home, simply amazed by how it had infiltrated my life in so many areas.  The first thing I noticed after this process was how "clean" the air in the home became. I had no idea how those chemicals from products sitting in plastic and plastic in general "leak" into your air and we breathe them without even smelling them anymore.  I am still amazed by this and have become even more sensitive to "smells" in general then I have ever been and I have one of those noses that knows, if you know what I mean.
The wonderful thing is that when I was looking for replacement products, especially my pots and pans as most of them were all teflon coated (very dangerous) I was able to go to our local thrift store and find everything I needed including some other products that I did not have and always wanted.  God is so Good! So, as I researched more and learned of all the ways we need to detox our lives, I was excited to undertake all the "new" of what can be in my life.  I am loving the results that I feel in my body, face, skin, hair, joints, and overall health in general!  I am continue to learn and improve in areas that I can as God shows me and my body tells me, it is such a blessing.
I have also been blessed with being able to have a massage/cupping once a month during this time that has helped to draw out toxins and impurities and, Lord willing, plan on continuing this through out my life.  My skin care regime is very simple, Braggs olive oil on my face/body and coconut oil based lotion.  Organic soaps made with readable ingredients, essential oils, and epsom salt/Braggs apple cider vinegar baths, love those!  I have been researching into sunscreens for the spring/summer time, but have found that zinc will most likely be in the product.  Now, about my physical weight....in the last four years my weight has gradually been creeping up and sliding down between 170-178, but with this last bout of menopause symptoms, I went up to 185 it seemed rather quickly and then in the last four months(through holidays) have landed at 191 being my highest recording.  I am feeling great though, hormonally feel the best I have ever felt since starting menopause, but needed to do something cause the weight in my middle was not looking too good(see picture below).  I started thinking about the keto way of eating/living and thought maybe I should give that another try, which leads me to now.  I am about a week into it and my last recording of weight was 186.  I believe my body is in ketosis, as I remember this feel from the last time and I have been keeping my carbs at 20 25 grams of carbohydrates and that is always key for me to start producing ketones so I can start burning my fat for fuel.  I am also using the rule to eat when hungry which seems to be a rule that all of us should practice as just a normal way of looking at food, as fuel nothing else.  I am feeling good and am taking a fitness class on Monday and Wednesdays, the rest of the days taking walks outside, nothing major, just listening to my body with how far I should go.  2017 is now upon us, and a new leg of life's journey is unfolding it's path before us and I am happy that my husband and I get to take these next steps together.  Lord willing, to be continued! Happy trails to you on your life journey!
Because of Jesus,
Purple Butterfly
The below picture was taken late September 2016 and one of the most unbecoming photos that shocked me into the reality that I was going to have to do something differently or I would be headed into the 200's before I knew it.