To Begin The Ketogenic Journey

To Prepare for our 2 week Challenge:

1. Get in the right mindset, do your homework and make sure this is the plan for you. Then, follow our Facebook Page to stay motivated, get new recipes and ideas, and share your accomplishments! 
Read these books! The Complete Ketogenic Diet For Beginners
Keto Clarity and the Keto Diet. Also, on Netflix or on Amazon Prime, watch The Magic Pill. Great movie about the benefits of eating keto.
Once you have the mindset- (we are going to take a baby step for this challenge) You are going to begin with a date in mind {May 7th-21st}, we want to make an attainable goal to cut out all carbs (including alcohol and WINE...it's two weeks people!!!),  keep track of what you are eating, and to lose 5 pounds in those two weeks.

2. Calculate your body fat- (you will need this number in step number 3  http://fitness.bizcalcs.com/Calculator.asp…

3. Calculate how many maconutrients you need to be eating daily Keto Calculator. Typically it is around 5% Carb, 25% protein and 75% Fat! 

4. Download an app to help you track carbmaster  (free) or  MyFitnessPal(1.99 a month to track macros), and track everything you eat. It will keep track of your macros for you! Once you have been keto for a while, you won't have to do this, you will be able to gauge your food without all the tracking. Edited- I am starting to track again. I hit a plateau and I think it is because things go in my mouth that I am not being mindful of- a handful of nuts here or there adds up! 

5. Journal, this is the best way to keep track of how you are feeling, what you are eating and how they are tied together. Please, the most important thing about this journal is your measurements!! Make sure you take the time Sunday to record your weight and your measurements. Also, write down your "why". Even if you don't want to share your story on our Facebook page, have your story written down for yourself. You will want to go back and read it when you are having a bad day or you need encouragement. 

6. Try to meal plan- I am not good at this, but there are tons of Pinterest sites and books with meal plans for the keto lifestyle. Make a list of foods you need when you go to the grocery store and get your house prepped for the challenge. Bacon and Butter the Ultimate Ketogenic Cookbook is a great cookbook to help with some easy meals.

7 Buy Keto Strips to track your ketosis- My favorite part, because it is like a competition for me!! Or a Ketone Blood Meter if you really want to get precise- It will show you when you are in ketosis and what you eat that knocks you out of ketosis. Blood ketone meter

8. Throw your thoughts about FAT out the window and start eating the right portion of it by adding it to your food and your coffee!! This XCT oil is what I use to add to my coffee! 

9. NOW- let's get ready, now that you are prepared. Make your plans to go to the grocery store, because you need to go ahead and throw your carbs in the trash and eliminate the ability to cheat. Mark your calendar and buy your journal!! 

Video for Day 1 Motivation

My Keto Journey and How it Began

December 2016, I decided something had to be done. I was not comfortable with my weight or how I looked. My daughter had posted this picture of me, from June, and I could not get it out of my head.

Did I REALLY look like that?? I had been saying forever that I needed/wanted to lose weight. I had tried EVERYTHING- weight watchers, shakeology, advocare, plexus, low fat, you name it, I had tried it! So as I sat in the bathtub, looking at that “monster belly” I told myself to make a plan!

My plan was, FIRST, to get my husband involved. See he does a lot of our cooking and without him in on this plan, it wasn’t going to work. I asked him to look at me and really  hear what I was saying. I was crying and telling him that he had to help me. Second, I made a date. That date was March 1st. I wanted to get myself through the holidays and our anniversary trip. Not only was I going to change my eating habits, I was going to give up wine, for as long as it took to meet my goal. My goal was 10 pounds. I was starting with baby steps. I knew I had more to lose, but I didn’t want to overwhelm myself.

I wasn’t sure how I was going to lose the weight, but I had my “WHY”, now I needed my “HOW”. That was when a friend of mine posted a video about her new diet. She shared her health issues and what the diet was doing for her. The I saw a post- a really long one, from another friend. She was doing this same diet- I started doing the research, along with reading the book “Wahl Protocol Diet” and I formulated my HOW! I found that t this diet plan was a little restricting, but the Keto diet followed the same concept. That is when I read Keto Clarity, and switched to the keto lifestyle.

I met my first goal pretty quickly, then I moved the carrot- 30 pounds is my goal- right now I am maintaining right at 27, but that is well enough. This year my goal is to get into shape. I never really exercised this past year, as I was losing the weight, so this year I will tone up this new body.

When I lost 24 pounds and finally posted the beginning pictures and the results, everyone thought I was selling a product. I wasn’t- I was just so happy with what I found and thought so many people could benefit from this lifestyle. See I don’t think of it as a diet anymore, it is a way of life. People ask me if I am going to quit now that I have lost the weight, or they say, “when you can eat normal again”. .... The answer is, no I will always chose this way of life over rice, or bread, or candy. Sure, I have some cheat meal- like when we decide to go to eat Mexican, but I limit it and is rare.

This journey is not for everyone and I will not push it on anyone, but if you are going to give it a try, please share with us. Join our Facebook group and share your recipes, share your struggles, share your thoughts, share your pictures and your accomplishments! I would have never found this way of living, had it not been for my friends who shared their story and put themselves out there for all of facebook to see!! Thank you Amanda and Diana, because of them, my life was changed!!

5 Years, Really?

It's been 5 years,
5 years since I went to my last chemo infusion,
5 years since I felt the relief that I could possibly be cancer-free,
5 years since I had the uncertainty of what my life might look like from now on.

5 Years, really? Let the celebration begin! 2-14-18

Soldiers in my Army, on my last day of chemo

Sweet Maria my chemo nurse

Only Kimmie can make chemo fun!

And Nurse Becca Coppola, the best!!

This 5 year mark is supposed to be a big deal. I have been told that with Triple Negative Breast Cancer, your odds of re-occurrence is stronger before the 5 year mark.
So, I should celebrate this anniversary! I do breathe a sigh of relief, but this life of mine has forever been changed! How, you ask?

 RELATIONSHIPS- I love more deeply....everyone! I remember all of those people that offered the support and the friendship to me during this time and I appreciate it so much. I have also forgiven all of those that have hurt me in the past. Letting go of that was important in my healing, even if they never know they hurt me or that I had something to let go. My friendships are so important to me. It is so important to express your gratitude for those that you are close to, those that mean something to you.  Tell them today!!
Family is my life!  I know that there is no guarantee of time and we must value every minute together. Make moments count and don't put off the experiences that you can take NOW!
People on the most part are good. We need more love in this world and less hate!

WORRY- I use to worry about little things, but now I measure everything to the "cancer scale". I used to get upset easily and hold grudges. But now I ask, how important is it really? Does it compare to cancer? Nothing really does- so I really don't get rattled by much. Plus, I know I can't worry about other people. They and only them, are responsible for themselves- their happiness, their unhappiness, their stress, their attitudes. I can only focus on my being, not worry about others, not worry about what happens or what is to come.

The most significant change that came with cancer, and has a lot to do with the release of my worries-
MY FAITH! I believe that God played a huge role in my cancer story, and it is a story he wanted me to share. He didn't give me cancer, but he did give me the strength to deal with the illness. He was there for me, I re-dedicated my life to him, and I give the glory to Him!

Philippians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known by God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 

MYSELF- I changed and I really hope that it shows!  I hope that everyone can see I love more deeply, that I care more about others, and that my light shines brighter because of what I have been through. I hope that when I am around people that they feel that heat from my light and they in turn can love deeper, feel God in their life and worry less.

There was a reason for that chapter of my life, I am not sure what it was yet. (Or if I will ever figure it out) But I know that THIS, this anniversary- is the beginning of a whole new book! THIS is where I shut the door on this evil cancer saga and throw open the window to a whole new beginning. Will I forget that saga? NO- It is forever etched into my being. It carved out the "new person" that I am. It bred in me the knowledge that things can change in life, with one phone call, one Dr. visit, and one minute life can be altered. So THIS NEW BOOK, will be lived out in full color, in audio with the volume turned WAY UP!! My life will shine with the knowledge of having lived and learned the cancer story. I am blessed to have a husband that is right there by my side, with all the changes, (most of the time) he can handle living in the intensity of this light of my life!

 My prayer for everyone that knows me is that you learned through MY story and you don't have to live it to learn it! My prayer for those of you that have already been through it, or are going through it, I pray that you embrace the changes that you are going through, that you have faith and find your warrior spirit to get through it;  with the help of your friends and family.

So I throw a BIG HEART into the air this Valentines Day and wish everyone a great year ahead! Today the new door on my life is opening up with a burst of light! I am ready to step through- I love you all!!