#feedyourmission with Jessica from @dailyketosis!
Good Morning Keto fam!
Next up on #feedyourmission, Jessica!
Q: How long have you been on a keto diet?
A: I have been eating keto consistently since January 2016, so about two and a half years.
Q: What first sparked your interest in Keto, and how long did it take you to fully make the diet switch?
A: I have had a lifelong struggle with my weight. I remember thinking I was fat when I was eight years old and so began my life long journey with actually being overweight and trying every diet I could. I actually lost a large amount of weight when I was 20ish, so much so that I had to have an abdominoplasty only to gain it all back in the following years. As an adult and after gaining so much weight post tummy tuck and newly married and having trouble maintaining a pregnancy, I was desperate to find something to help with PCOS symptoms and Infertility, and it was December 2015 I googled “PCOS and infertility diets” and first saw the words “ketogenic diet.” It made so much sense to me that I dove in head first and haven’t looked back! My PCOS symptoms have been reduced to almost nothing with the biggest change was I was able to stop taking 1500 mg of metformin a day because I was control my glucose and insulin levels with the keto diet which was huge for me.
Q: How has switching to Keto made you feel: Physically? Mentally?
A: Most days I feel really awesome. I have so much more energy and just feel right… does that make sense? I work out a ton and just feel really positive about the future within the keto diet and outside of the keto diet. And honestly now, it’s not even a diet for me, it's just “how I eat". It is relatively easy for me to eat within the confines of the keto diet and because I like how I feel—my body and mind are rewarded because I am fueling it correctly for my needs, it’s just another decision I make daily to make good decisions for my life.
Q: How do you push through the plateaus? Any mental tools you use to stay positive?
A: Because of my age (I’m 42) and PCOS, I really have a hard time losing weight rapidly. It has taken me two and a half years to lose 70 pounds and I have been back and forth lately with ten pounds, losing and gaining, while eating correctly for my needs. It’s just the nature of the game. I have learned that changing my insides has really helped most in changing my outsides. I have learned the past two and half years that while keto has helped me learn how I ultimately need to fuel my body, my mental feelings of love and self worth have really been what's kept me knowing I can work through any plateaus and just stay positive because to me health is the ultimate goal, not a size.
Q: How did you overcome the hurdles (mental, etc.) of sharing your personal journey? Tips for those interested?
A: I’m a pretty open book with life, so that’s never been hard for me. Possibly I share too much, but it’s just who I am. I really feel like I have been called to help a whole community of people that are searching for help in changing their body with keto. And if they happen to stumble up on my instagram page, I want to give them keto advise but also building tools to discover their self worth. Because I really think ultimately it’s more about how you can learn to love yourself through the process is what really focuses you and drives you through any lifestyle change.
Q: How beneficial has it been for you and your journey to surround yourself with a keto-focused community?
A: SO important. I would not be where I am today, had I not had an entire community of friends and cheerleaders cheering me on while I cheer them on too. It really is a wonderful all inclusive space. I still have a long way to go but make good decisions daily for my body and my goals and am so excited about life.
Thanks for reading, folks! You can find more on Jessica and her recipes here. And of course, questions are always appreciated!
Cass Cleave
Mission Meats
