#feedyourmission with Ashley from @easy_lc_living
Good Morning Keto fam!
We are excited to announce our very first #feedyourmission profile! Today we are introducing Ashley: a mom, keto community builder, and relentless advocate for self-help and of course, self-care.
Read below for a deeper dive into Ashley's personal journey towards what has ultimately led her to become a "heavy hitter" in the keto world.
Q: How long have you been on a keto diet?
A: Over 4 years. I started on 4/1/14.
Q: What first sparked your interest in Keto, and how long did it take you to fully make the diet switch?
A: I heard about Atkins/low carb diet but I didn’t know much about it. I wanted to do something different since Weight Watchers no longer worked for me. So I went to the Atkins website, read everything on there and started the very next day (a Tuesday!). I never left the induction phase of 20g of carbs. I actually found the word “keto” “ketosis” through Pinterest and Instagram, so I googled it and that’s how I found actual keto, which wasn’t much different than what I was doing.
Q: How has switching to Keto made you feel: Physically? Mentally?
A: I feel so much better, I am no longer pre-diabetic, I don’t get constant muscle cramps, my thyroid levels are leveled, I’m not constantly bloated, I no longer have non alcoholic fatty liver. The list goes on! The main mental progress I have gotten from keto is I’m not constantly thinking about food, and having to eat every few hours to avoid hypoglycemia. I’ve also been able to make this a lifestyle change, not just a quick lose weight type of diet, I even stayed keto through my last pregnancy.
Q: How do you push through the plateaus?
A: In the beginning when I’d hit a plateau, I’d reevaluate what I was eating, cut any processed keto “junk” and cut dairy down to 1-2 servings a day. I currently am in a stall and have been for about 2 years. So I guess you can say I’m maintaining even tho I have about 20lbs to lose. My stall is actually due to high cortisol, so I’m trying to work on managing stress and sleep more.
Q: Tips for staying on diet while traveling: do you avoid restaurants? Do you bring your own snacks everywhere you go? Other useful tips?
A: I like to stay keto while I’m traveling, I do bring my own snacks. I always have options for myself, even though I tend to find I never eat the snacks I bring. If I go to a restaurant I order keto friendly options. Like steak and veggies (loaded broccoli is awesome!) or a burger with no bun or even a simple salad works!
Q: What made you decide to build your own keto community?
A: To be honest the main reason I started my instagram was to be able to post my low carb foods and show people eating healthy can be delicious. I made it separate from my personal Instagram and Facebook so people could choose to follow if this is what they were interested in.
Q: Tips for Keto moms: Snacks you love? A family crowd-pleaser recipe?
Thanks for reading, folks! You can find more on Ashley here. And of course, questions are always appreciated!
Cass Cleave
Mission Meats