My Path To Healthier living…
Author: Michelle Dickey Mother, Wife, Friend, Nerdy-Geek & Music Lover
I wish I could say, “Oh, I started my KETO journey on such & such date.” and show you a picture of what I used to look like before, but I really can’t. All I can give you is a rough estimate of March or April 2018 and the promise that I am NEVER looking back! I refuse to go back to living a heavy, restrictive, pain filled and emotionally dissatisfying lifestyle.
Things You Need To Know:
One: I am by no means an expert on any of this. It is not my intention to provide you with any medical facts, information or advice, seek a medical professional for that. No seriously, do it first, even though I didn’t.
Two: Just because I chose to do things this way and it worked for me doesn’t mean that it will 100% work you. This is in no way shape or form a promise or guarantee of results for you.
Each body is different and each one responds and requires different things. Mine happened to respond quite nicely to KETO.
Allow me to share with you this amazing journey and some of the objections, comments, and obstacles I’ve gotten over the past 9 months. I’ll share the hopes and challenges too. As I said, I’m not here to try and persuade you to do this. I’m not offering you any advice whatsoever. I am just sharing my story. So let’s get started.
My journey started sometime in March of 2018. But in reality, it started long before that. I spent a lot of time in the past few years unhappy with my weight. That goes way back to after my first daughter was born. I had never been small, but I had never been “big” or unhealthy. Well, that all changed after that. I didn’t exercise, I wasn’t very active. I went from a very active lifestyle to an almost sedentary one. Granted I was only 21-22 at the time and my body adjusted, going from a size 7 to a 9 wasn’t so bad, but as I grew older and had my other two daughters I got heavier and heavier. By the time I was 42 I weighed upward of 234 lbs. That may or may not seem like a lot to you, but on this frame, one that was designed to carry less than 160 lbs probably closer to 145 or 150, that is a whole hell of a lot of excess weight.
That excess weight really does just weight you down. Not only physically but also emotionally. Now I didn’t expect to have the trim lean body that I did when I graduated high school all of my life, not without having to work hard for it, but I sure as hell didn’t expect the one I had allowed myself to end up with. I was unhealthy, overweight and sluggish. Granted, I do have Hypothyroidism — the thyroid doesn’t function well– and that did not help, but the foods I was eating, the exercise I wasn’t getting, it all led to a severe weight gain and depression. Not going back there again.
I was tired of being overweight, had been tired of it for a very long time, but let’s be honest here, I’m kinda on the lazy side of things. I could have worked out and I would have been able to burn the fat away. I had a brief stint there where I walked to and from work every day and I lost so much weight that I looked like I did when I was a teenager. I was in my 30s. So I know cardio works and everyone says that it’s good for you, But I’m lazy. I didn’t want to do that. I didn’t want to sacrifice my mornings or my evening to work out, and I would have to. — I still need to do this, Just put it in the schedule and do it. Even if it is just walking 30 minutes a day. —
No, I knew I needed to lose the weight. I was very unhappy with myself. I needed a change that was easy, maybe not the fastest, but a solution that didn’t require me to give up my time at the computer, time with my guitar, time with my family, tv shows or video games, none of that. These are my vises and they loop into how I take care of myself. So, I am honestly not willing to sacrifice those if I don’t have to.
Now, my husband, he’s a very smart guy. I would follow him anywhere and listen to his advice on most anything. Thank God he listens to me, even when I am not talking. After a lot of research — that is just what scientists do — he decided that a KETO Diet was something he needed to try. He tried it and lost a lot of weight rather quickly. This man, he knows me better than anyone. He knew I was unhappy with my weight, he knew I didn’t want to get up early in the morning or stay up too much later than I already do, so he suggested that I go on this diet too.
He said it’s just for 8 weeks, but the first week is going to be hell. You’ll ache and be tired and sore, and you’ll want to eat everything in sight including your shoes. I said okay, it has worked for you. What do I do?
I went into it thinking that I was going to do this diet for a couple of months and a little weight and likely just put it all back on and then some when the 8 weeks were over.
And so, I started my Keto journey with the idea that I would lose a little weight and feel a little better for a little while.
Our-OK-Family 