Starting Keto!
Replies
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brendabryden wrote: »I have been researching the Ketos diet and thinking about giving it a try, but don't know where to begin as far as what to eat. I normally eat a lot of fruit during the day and I understand I should stop that. So now I am trying to figure out what to replace it with. My normal routine is to start with a fruit smoothie every morning, mid morning fruit snack, big lettuce/tuna salad for lunch and apple and cheese stick for afternoon snack. Then meat, fruit and veggies for my evening meal.
I do not have a lot of time to cook special meals and have gotten very confused reading all the info.
Any suggestions are appreciated. Thanks.
You might want to start with low carb (less than 100-150 g of carbs a day). Start with cutting sugars and added sugars, and refined carbs like baked goods and noodles. Grains are all carb heavy so limit oats, corn and rice too. See how that goes. If you want to go lower carb, limit starchy root vegetables and then start with sugary fruit like dried fruit or tropical fruit (raisins, bananas, mangos, grapes).
It is true that ketogenic diets do not include much fruit, perhaps some berries, a small orange or half an apple, but fruits are not bad for you unless you have health issues where limiting sugars and carbs is beneficial (like insulin resistance or other health issues).2 -
I've been Keto since September 23rd!! Lost 25 pounds so far (most of that within the first month)!!! It's amazing!!!
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Hey! Sooo I’m starting keto. Day 1, today. I’ve literally stalked Pinterest for ideas and it’s definitely something I want to adhere to. My goal is to stick to it until Christmas and re-evaluate at that time. Is it for me? Is it sustainable? Anyone else doing keto? Anyone starting? Jut wanted to start the conversation and meet fellow keto-people!
@newmommyk best of success. It has been awesome for my general health since Oct 2014 in my case when I was 63 and very sick. Consider giving it at least 90 days because my first 3-12 months was kind of strange but I was old and very poor health.
Three years later I no longer treat it like a religion but eat Keto 99% of the time but do not sweat if I do go over 50 grams of carbs a day time to time. I find the blood keto levels are not really something to be concerned about for health improvements. I did it for pain management that kicked in after the first 30 days of getting off of sugar and all grains and still manages my pain well. While I did not do it to lose weight I am down 40 pounds over the past three years. The big surprise was my sweets cravings started to fade after a few weeks and were mostly gone by day 90 so eating until I hurt several times a week ended. For some reason on LCHF I get filled up and would gag to take another bite but not so with sweets when I was still eating them.
Yes the first two weeks of no sugar and no grains in any form was hellish in my case. Again my objective was pain manage for my long term Ankylosing Spondylitis but the other positive side effects continue to stack up in my favor. It took me 40 years to get so messed up health wise so I know keto is going to take a while in my case to do what it can to help stop and/or reverse past damage.
Keto is not magic but if your body reacts poorly to a high carb life style as mine did then it can be worth a shot. If one is on Rx meds for any reason I strongly suggest involving one's healthcare professionals. One simple example would be a type 2 diabetic. Slashing carbs may naturally lead to better blood sugar control so diabetic meds WILL need to be monitored to keep from driving glucose levels dangerously low as one example.
Keep in mind for some of us any reduction in carbs can be helpful. The fact I started thinking about longevity helped me look at the big health picture which involves how I think, eat and move and in that order.
PS. It was day 45 before I lost the first pound on the scales but had already lost some of my fat face and one inch at the waist. I do not concern myself with calories but try to keep my daily carbs at around 50 most days but never really lower because I eat a lot of whole foods like nuts, etc that contain carbs. In hindsight cutting out sugar and all forms of all grains cut out most of the processed foods that I was living on which may be key to my continued lab and other health markers improvements.
Also remember there is more than one way to do KETO. The best way is a way that works for YOU, not me or someone else.
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heather4life4 wrote: »I am looking to gather information about keto. Where do you guys learn about these things, such as health benefits, cooking and meals. Is this family friendly? i am in love with sugar and carbs
So i am very nervous about these changes . I would appreciate any help to help me decide if this is the right journey for me.
I'm all about honesty - the first week is a huge booger. You are ridding yourself of the cravings and the withdrawal is real but after that the energy you gain is amazing. My skin looks so much better!
Before starting I just researched the hell out of KETO. My biggest piece of advice - start basic or it will seem so overwhelming. If you want you can add me. I fell out of Ketosis over the holiday but I log my meals daily.
I could be family friendly. My son is 17 and he eats whatever I fix but he's still a bottomless pit so he snacks on other items. I don't give him the high fat items I eat (cream cheese, butter, heavy cream) but the salads and protein - he eats all my entrees/sides I make for dinner. To me, it's all about balance with him.2 -
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I'm very curious in trying it! Any one have some good tips for someone who is just starting out and has never done it?! Or good websites that might help? I'll have to make some adjustments since I can't eat nuts or avocado so my fats might take a bit of work...0
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FireflyKae wrote: »I'm very curious in trying it! Any one have some good tips for someone who is just starting out and has never done it?! Or good websites that might help? I'll have to make some adjustments since I can't eat nuts or avocado so my fats might take a bit of work...
Having a concrete reason to try keto I think was key in my case. Three years in it is still managing my pain well and so much more. Now at age 66 I do not see myself eating any other way but I no longer worship it like a religion. I just do it because it is the best WOE I have found in my 66 years to manage my junk food cravings and resolve so many health issues.1 -
I have been doing keto since October 30th and initially lost 17 lbs. I have stalled a bit and gone up, although my clothing fits better. I'm not giving up. I feel so much better with this lifestyle and although I do struggle with my protein and fat numbers, I'm able to stay very close or at 20g of carbs a day. I am presently doing 18:6 fasting and it's been rough. Day 2 of 18:6 and I may go back to eating at my regular time because I'm presently feeling pretty crummy on the 6 hour eating schedule.3
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Ok Peeps... This Keto thing has sparked my interest. Just had my yearly physical, and besides knowing I'm overweight, I need to cut back on the carbs. I'm a carb guy. I love my meat and potatoes. So I want to learn. Any good places to check this Keto thing out?1
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Ok Peeps... This Keto thing has sparked my interest. Just had my yearly physical, and besides knowing I'm overweight, I need to cut back on the carbs. I'm a carb guy. I love my meat and potatoes. So I want to learn. Any good places to check this Keto thing out?
I started by looking up basic keto menus - then when I was like hey, I can do this - I researched the diet itself. After that I did a major pantry overhaul and joined a couple FB groups and dove right in!1 -
It looks like there are many people interested in trying the Keto thing. Could some of you that are already on it give us some pointers on things you ate when you first got started to help replace things like fruit and bad carbs?
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brendabryden wrote: »It looks like there are many people interested in trying the Keto thing. Could some of you that are already on it give us some pointers on things you ate when you first got started to help replace things like fruit and bad carbs?
I am not a good example because I was old and I knew my time was getting short. I left added sugar and anything that contained any form of any grain on a hunch it might help manage my pain. I got heavy into coconut oil for brain health. That combo without knowing it put me being Low Carb High Fat. That was Oct 2014 as I have already mentioned above. It worked so I am still doing it. I had tried for two months to taper off of sugar and grains but failed totally so that is why I left them cold turkey in the end.
Because this new Way Of Eating quickly cut out my carb cravings I am sure has been key to my recovering health. Keep in mind one just needs to find the WOE that works for him or her. It can be different from what form of keto that works for another. Three years later the light bulbs are still coming on so the learning part never ends I expect. I did get over the FEAR of doing Keto wrong when I realized there were many versions of keto. Most have little need to leave sugar and grains cold turkey I expect but it did work for me. When I over do carbs it may be like eating a ton of grapes one day but never cake and ice cream.
Key to KETO in my view is to get started. Not sure if anyone will do KETO if they see it as an "option" because there were funky times that first year.
Best of success.0 -
I'm starting Keto on Monday. I'm on a limited budget and I'm trying to eat all the rest of the bad food in my house before I go shopping for groceries next week. I'm open to all tips and tricks. 1
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ZiggySquish wrote: »I just started Keto too, today will be my third day. I feel like I finally found a diet plan that feels perfect for me! I naturally crave high fat foods and salt, I never worry about my sodium intake because I balance it pretty good with potassium and I have really really low blood pressure anyway. I have heard amazing things about being in ketosis, my only question is.... how long can you stay in Ketosis? Is it something you should just try to stay in, or should you plan on having carb days for some other reason than to just eat something you are craving...?
What are your plans for meals? I read that intermittent fasting is a great addition to this diet, and because of my work it is also something that is more convenient for me, I've tried it before and it made me feel a lot better also.
I'm glad to see so many people starting around the same time as me, I'll have to follow this thread and see what happens
Yay!!! Its nice to see so many of us here! We can all help each other out learning this way of eating! From what I have read, you can stay in Ketosis indefinitely. As for meal, I have hounded Pinterest. I have seen a lot of people mention Intermittent Fasting as well, with this way of eating. I haven't done enough research into that one yet, but I will once I am more comfortable in my daily meals and how/what I'm eating.
What foods do you eat with higher potassium? I just happened to notice my potassium intake is pretty low, since I've been logging.
I have done Keto before and you have supplement your potassium and magnesium. I take supplemental pills.1 -
Ok Peeps... This Keto thing has sparked my interest. Just had my yearly physical, and besides knowing I'm overweight, I need to cut back on the carbs. I'm a carb guy. I love my meat and potatoes. So I want to learn. Any good places to check this Keto thing out?
Eat the meat, just not breaded meat. Skip the potatoes, though. Some make a mashed potato type recipe from cauliflower.1 -
heather4life4 wrote: »I am looking to gather information about keto. Where do you guys learn about these things, such as health benefits, cooking and meals. Is this family friendly? i am in love with sugar and carbs So i am very nervous about these changes . I would appreciate any help to help me decide if this is the right journey for me.
I use Pinterest as my go to! You can tweak any meal to fit your needs and still satisfy your family. I have a 2yr old and 5yr old and they love pasta! So last night we did spaghetti and meatballs and I just had the meatballs! It’s all about finding what works for you, without stressing.
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GaleHawkins wrote: »Hey! Sooo I’m starting keto. Day 1, today. I’ve literally stalked Pinterest for ideas and it’s definitely something I want to adhere to. My goal is to stick to it until Christmas and re-evaluate at that time. Is it for me? Is it sustainable? Anyone else doing keto? Anyone starting? Jut wanted to start the conversation and meet fellow keto-people!
@newmommyk best of success. It has been awesome for my general health since Oct 2014 in my case when I was 63 and very sick. Consider giving it at least 90 days because my first 3-12 months was kind of strange but I was old and very poor health.
Three years later I no longer treat it like a religion but eat Keto 99% of the time but do not sweat if I do go over 50 grams of carbs a day time to time. I find the blood keto levels are not really something to be concerned about for health improvements. I did it for pain management that kicked in after the first 30 days of getting off of sugar and all grains and still manages my pain well. While I did not do it to lose weight I am down 40 pounds over the past three years. The big surprise was my sweets cravings started to fade after a few weeks and were mostly gone by day 90 so eating until I hurt several times a week ended. For some reason on LCHF I get filled up and would gag to take another bite but not so with sweets when I was still eating them.
Yes the first two weeks of no sugar and no grains in any form was hellish in my case. Again my objective was pain manage for my long term Ankylosing Spondylitis but the other positive side effects continue to stack up in my favor. It took me 40 years to get so messed up health wise so I know keto is going to take a while in my case to do what it can to help stop and/or reverse past damage.
Keto is not magic but if your body reacts poorly to a high carb life style as mine did then it can be worth a shot. If one is on Rx meds for any reason I strongly suggest involving one's healthcare professionals. One simple example would be a type 2 diabetic. Slashing carbs may naturally lead to better blood sugar control so diabetic meds WILL need to be monitored to keep from driving glucose levels dangerously low as one example.
Keep in mind for some of us any reduction in carbs can be helpful. The fact I started thinking about longevity helped me look at the big health picture which involves how I think, eat and move and in that order.
PS. It was day 45 before I lost the first pound on the scales but had already lost some of my fat face and one inch at the waist. I do not concern myself with calories but try to keep my daily carbs at around 50 most days but never really lower because I eat a lot of whole foods like nuts, etc that contain carbs. In hindsight cutting out sugar and all forms of all grains cut out most of the processed foods that I was living on which may be key to my continued lab and other health markers improvements.
Also remember there is more than one way to do KETO. The best way is a way that works for YOU, not me or someone else.
Thank you for that!! Congrats on all you have accomplished! I’m so glad to hear it has helped with a myriad of issues for people, more than just weight loss. I hope it continues to work well for you!2 -
FireflyKae wrote: »I'm very curious in trying it! Any one have some good tips for someone who is just starting out and has never done it?! Or good websites that might help? I'll have to make some adjustments since I can't eat nuts or avocado so my fats might take a bit of work...
Pinterest!! I see lots of recipes for “fat bombs” things that are similar to treats that have a high fat count to help you get your daily totals in!
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Ok Peeps... This Keto thing has sparked my interest. Just had my yearly physical, and besides knowing I'm overweight, I need to cut back on the carbs. I'm a carb guy. I love my meat and potatoes. So I want to learn. Any good places to check this Keto thing out?
Don’t overwhelm yourself with eliminating carbs. Start slow. You still get plenty of meat, cheese, eggs and veggies. Just know their carb count. Pinterest has lots of recipes and I have found some cookbooks on Amazon that should help to!1 -
Day 5 almost done, today and yesterday I'm getting mild headaches but nothing too bad. I feel great other than that I weigh in tomorrow, I'll be excited to see if I'm down! 2
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Ok Peeps... This Keto thing has sparked my interest. Just had my yearly physical, and besides knowing I'm overweight, I need to cut back on the carbs. I'm a carb guy. I love my meat and potatoes. So I want to learn. Any good places to check this Keto thing out?
Peter Attia's blog is a good spot to start. Jimmy Moore wrote Keto Clarity which was a great introduction to keto. The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living by Phinney and Volek is a wonderful source. The Ketogenic Bible is a good new book.
For videos, Sarah Halberg has some good talks and so does Attia. The Perfect Human Diet was a good show, and I loved watching Fathead after the silliness of Super Size Me.
The Low Carber Daily MFP group also has a tonne of info.
Good luck.1 -
Checking in with everyone, how has it been going? I personally have had a few cheat days around christmas, new years, but I have stayed strong! Keto has helped me drop 20 pounds in about 3 months. It is an eating plan that really works for me and I'm glad I found it. I did get a routine checkup at the Dr. and my cholesterol is elevated, but I'm not worried because I read that being in ketosis can cause that to happen but that it isn't anything to worry about. Anyone else have updates? Progress?
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20 pounds that’s awesome. Looking for some Keto/accountability I’m one week in and could use some friends with common WOE2
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I have been doing keto for six weeks and I am down 20lbs. After only a few days of keto I had far greater energy. Everything seemed to be a struggle before, and now I look for things to do. After 3 days, I dropped my candy fetish entirely (yea it's hard to believe for me too). I am now in much less pain in my joints, which had killed my last few attempts at getting on a consistent workout schedule. I had headaches every single day. I bought Advil in 2 packs of 500 at Costco. I usually had to start the day with them. Now six weeks in, I can't recall the last time I had a headache. I took Tums and Ranitidine every day, but I have not had either of them in at least a couple of weeks. Another benefit for me is that I have a much improved mood. I handle stress better, and things just don't get to me like they used to. I believe I had mild depression, and I don't even think about it now unless I am talking about this diet. Even though I loved bread and candy, I love the keto food too. They have keto recipes for both bread and candy, but I don't want to risk stirring up cravings that no longer exist for me. If they made keto beer, I would probably think about it... I have also read several comments from folks who get too enthusiastic about keto treats and end up gaining weight so I would avoid them except for special occasions if you are able.
That is all the good, what about the bad? Yea, it hasn't been super easy. It takes a bit to wrap your head around it all. My stomach wasn't convinced for maybe three weeks plus. I still occasionally get a disgruntled stomach. I am eating stuff like kale shakes (yea nasty) which I never did before so I am not surprised my stomach is wondering what the heck happened. I had keto flu on and off for those 3 weeks. Nothing severe, nothing bad enough to miss work or keep me from doing stuff. My stomach was just unsettled and I might have had a bit of sweats. I did have some headaches and felt tired at times too. I believe all these things can be mitigated with bone broth, electrolytes and probably potassium/magnesium. Honestly I never really cared. Not having to make daily "candy runs" had me sold right from the start. When the pain started going away after only a week or so, there was no going back for me. The diet is easy, but pretty sensitive. Little mess ups can set you back quite a bit. Cheating is unfortunately quite counterproductive which is a bit daunting.
I jumped right in with intermittent fasting 2 and sometimes 1 meal. How would I start if I were to do it over again? I would have bullet proof coffee first thing and skip any other food entirely until noon. Have meal one around noon and then have dinner before 8. Absolutely no snacking, and no alcohol. They both make food cravings worse. You just have to grind through it for a few days to a week and the cravings will go away. You will be amazed if you do it strictly. If you cheat, by eating carbs, or alcohol, you get to "enjoy" the cravings again. I would stick to that for 2 months and then reassess.
The food is simple really. Nothing in a box or a can. Fresh veggies (green leafy preferably, and/or grown above ground). Have all you want. They say have a "moderate" amount of protein, but if you like to eat, then moderate=small. Three to six ounces is plenty. So it ends up being less than 5-10% carbs, 60-70% fat and 25-30% protein. Just look up keto macro calculators when you want to figure how much of what exactly to eat. It is not necessary to get started, you can do that later. Use good fats like olive oil, avacado oil, or grass fed butter because they make up the majority of your calories. Meat should be fatty. Eat the skin, eat the yoke and enjoy (seriously). BTW, my blood pressure on average is down about 12 points while eating bacon, butter and cheese, lol.
If you like to read great then lots of good books have been mentioned above in prior posts. If you like videos then have a look at dietdoctor.com which was also mentioned. That is a really great site. If you like to lift weights and do keto, go to ketogains.com. Read/watch everything you can by Dr Jason Fung. Dr Berg has about a million youtube videos on nearly every keto/health related topic you can imagine. Understanding the role of insulin and insulin resistance is critical.
The sudden random decision to try out keto is about the best thing that has happened to me in 10 years. If you think I can help you, just ask! Best of luck to you all.4 -
20 pounds that’s awesome. Looking for some Keto/accountability I’m one week in and could use some friends with common WOE
Keep it up! I added you as a friend, I don't always post stuff but I love checking out diaries and being supportive
I know that the first week of keto was the hardest adjustment period I had, but after that everything just falls into place. You are encouraged to stay on keto because it really does make your bad cravings go away! To slip off the wagon doesn't seem worth it anymore. I try really hard to stay under my calories (currently 1330 a day) but I will go over by a few hundred if I need to for macro adjustment. A few things I bought on amazon that really help-
MCT Oil by Natures Way
organic cacao powder
Ghee
tupperware for food prep
lots of herbal tea's (favorite is Tazo's Wild Sweet Orange)
I have a hard time not eating fruit right now, so the herbal tea's are a great way for me to deal with that. When I did cheat on this diet, it was almost always because I wanted to eat fruit!
I also enjoy lifting weights over grueling cardio, but try to do both regardless. I have a really active job and I am also a volunteer firefighter so strength is more my goal than losing weight, but I need to get down to a healthy weight regardless. I started my weightloss journey 15 years ago, my weight has fluctuated between 160-180lbs. Last year, back at 180, I new I needed to try something different. I was able to get down to 165 with just counting calories and excersize, but it was a standstill for about 6 months. In October I really got serious with strength training, and by the middle of November I was getting into Keto. It was rare for me to be able to get below 160, but with keto and strength training combined I dropped down to 150 by January. I have been stuck there for a few weeks but finally starting to lose again, down to 148 today
I hope you find the motivation you need to stick with it!!1 -
I have been doing keto for six weeks and I am down 20lbs. After only a few days of keto I had far greater energy. Everything seemed to be a struggle before, and now I look for things to do. After 3 days, I dropped my candy fetish entirely (yea it's hard to believe for me too). I am now in much less pain in my joints, which had killed my last few attempts at getting on a consistent workout schedule. I had headaches every single day. I bought Advil in 2 packs of 500 at Costco. I usually had to start the day with them. Now six weeks in, I can't recall the last time I had a headache. I took Tums and Ranitidine every day, but I have not had either of them in at least a couple of weeks. Another benefit for me is that I have a much improved mood. I handle stress better, and things just don't get to me like they used to. I believe I had mild depression, and I don't even think about it now unless I am talking about this diet. Even though I loved bread and candy, I love the keto food too. They have keto recipes for both bread and candy, but I don't want to risk stirring up cravings that no longer exist for me. If they made keto beer, I would probably think about it... I have also read several comments from folks who get too enthusiastic about keto treats and end up gaining weight so I would avoid them except for special occasions if you are able.
That is all the good, what about the bad? Yea, it hasn't been super easy. It takes a bit to wrap your head around it all. My stomach wasn't convinced for maybe three weeks plus. I still occasionally get a disgruntled stomach. I am eating stuff like kale shakes (yea nasty) which I never did before so I am not surprised my stomach is wondering what the heck happened. I had keto flu on and off for those 3 weeks. Nothing severe, nothing bad enough to miss work or keep me from doing stuff. My stomach was just unsettled and I might have had a bit of sweats. I did have some headaches and felt tired at times too. I believe all these things can be mitigated with bone broth, electrolytes and probably potassium/magnesium. Honestly I never really cared. Not having to make daily "candy runs" had me sold right from the start. When the pain started going away after only a week or so, there was no going back for me. The diet is easy, but pretty sensitive. Little mess ups can set you back quite a bit. Cheating is unfortunately quite counterproductive which is a bit daunting.
I jumped right in with intermittent fasting 2 and sometimes 1 meal. How would I start if I were to do it over again? I would have bullet proof coffee first thing and skip any other food entirely until noon. Have meal one around noon and then have dinner before 8. Absolutely no snacking, and no alcohol. They both make food cravings worse. You just have to grind through it for a few days to a week and the cravings will go away. You will be amazed if you do it strictly. If you cheat, by eating carbs, or alcohol, you get to "enjoy" the cravings again. I would stick to that for 2 months and then reassess.
The food is simple really. Nothing in a box or a can. Fresh veggies (green leafy preferably, and/or grown above ground). Have all you want. They say have a "moderate" amount of protein, but if you like to eat, then moderate=small. Three to six ounces is plenty. So it ends up being less than 5-10% carbs, 60-70% fat and 25-30% protein. Just look up keto macro calculators when you want to figure how much of what exactly to eat. It is not necessary to get started, you can do that later. Use good fats like olive oil, avacado oil, or grass fed butter because they make up the majority of your calories. Meat should be fatty. Eat the skin, eat the yoke and enjoy (seriously). BTW, my blood pressure on average is down about 12 points while eating bacon, butter and cheese, lol.
If you like to read great then lots of good books have been mentioned above in prior posts. If you like videos then have a look at dietdoctor.com which was also mentioned. That is a really great site. If you like to lift weights and do keto, go to ketogains.com. Read/watch everything you can by Dr Jason Fung. Dr Berg has about a million youtube videos on nearly every keto/health related topic you can imagine. Understanding the role of insulin and insulin resistance is critical.
The sudden random decision to try out keto is about the best thing that has happened to me in 10 years. If you think I can help you, just ask! Best of luck to you all.
I also do intermittent fasting! It just seems to make sense for me, I have never been able to snack through the day, it just makes me even more hungry and its really hard to keep track of when trying to log your foods. Thanks for writing all of this out, you got a lot of great info in there! My keto decision was also sudden and random, and the best thing I have found. Even my sister is on her first month of it and she had been battling a severe sugar addiction. She still has cravings for it though, but she has stuck true to the diet and has lost almost 20lbs. Keto is amazing!1
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