Life Abundant Blog

living life abundantly in spite of PCOS

One Month of Keto

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Today marks exactly one month since I’ve started Keto and I wanted to give an update on how it’s been going, what I’ve learned, and my plan for the next month.

Weight Lost

So far I’ve lost 9.6 lbs and my clothes that were too tight are fitting so much better. I wish I had taken measurements because you often see more results in inches lost than pounds shed, but based on how my clothes fit, I’m extremely excited. In my first post about starting Keto (you can read that here) I mentioned that my goal was to not have to go up in size and to be able to wear the same shorts that fit me at Disney last October to the beach. Well, they DO FIT! And not only do they fit, but they fit comfortably. I do need at least one new pair of athletic shorts because one got a hole in the fabric (that’s what I get for being cheap – they only lasted a few months of minor wear), but I don’t have to go up a size and that was my true goal.

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Keto Meal Plan for Week #2 {Plus: How to Avoid the Keto Flu}

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Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

This post contains Amazon affiliate links, which means it doesn’t cost you anything extra, but I receive a small commission if you purchase from one of my links.

Last week was my first week of Keto and I lost 4 lbs! I’m so proud of my first week. The adjustment was surprisingly easy for me and I am so grateful. Day 2 welcomed me with a headache, which I know was a combination of being sugar-free and low carb for a full 24 hours, plus the fact that some nasty weather rolled in (when it’s going to rain, I always have a headache). However, it was incredibly easy to deal with! The dreaded “Keto Flu” wasn’t a real thing for me, and I didn’t have the digestive issues everyone warned me about.

Avoid the Keto Flu

After doing a lot of research, I knew that if I wanted to avoid the Keto Flu, I had to be very intentional on how I cared for myself. The Keto Flu is what people experience when they first cut out sugar and cut back on carbs. Basically, they are detoxing, and it’s incredibly uncomfortable. I’m talking extreme fatigue, headaches, body aches, just overall feeling like utter crap. Here’s what I did during my first week of Keto to avoid the Keto Flu!

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Aldi Shopping List for Keto

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Today, I’m sharing my Aldi shopping list for Keto, as well as the cost of each item! Please note that prices are subject to change at Aldi each week when it comes to produce and what is in season. Most other items remain pretty much the same, or fairly close. Either way, when I take the time to shop at Aldi, I save a ton of money. It isn’t nearly as convenient as my beloved Walmart Pick-up, but the cost comparison is totally different. As I mentioned in my last post, making the decision to start Keto was difficult for me mentally, simply because I am having to relearn how to eat. I think this will be good for me and I’m excited to see what happens, but just like any new eating plan, there will be a learning curve.

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My New PCOS Diet Plan and Keto Menu {Week #1}

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This post contains Amazon affiliate links, which means it doesn’t cost you anything extra, but I receive a small commission if you purchase from one of my links.

What is Keto?

Keto is an eating plan that trains your body to use fat (instead of glucose) for fuel. You use food to put your body into a state of “ketosis”, which in turn makes you burn fat, gain muscle, gain extra energy, lift you out of the “brain fog”, and your body as a whole is supposed to function so much better. It makes your brain, liver, and endocrine system function differently, so it’s highly recommended for people who suffer from epilepsy, autism, autoimmune disorders, type 2 diabetes, and even cancer. It is the top nutrition plan recommended for PCOS as well. Keto requires a certain ratio of fat/protein/carbs (customized per person), lots of water, electrolytes, and magnesium to be successful. It’s a meal plan that requires sodium (something I’m not used to) and lots of healthy fats. You can strictly use food to enter ketosis, or you can consume exogenous ketones to help get your body started much faster. Either way, you use urine test strips (or blood tests) to see if you’re in ketosis… so yes, peeing on yet another stick is going down in my house!

Why I’m Testing Keto

After my miscarriage, I did a round of 21-Day Fix and I did not have the same results I had in the past. In fact, my response to 21-Day Fix eating has changed completely and I’m so sad about that. I tried a second round after the first and still, not the same level of results. I LOVE the program and I still highly recommend it for people who need help with portion control and need to learn how to eat healthily, but something in my body has changed tremendously since the miscarriage and I haven’t figured it out yet. I even tried cutting back on a yellow container (carbs), cutting back on dairy, and I didn’t have the response I expected. Instead, I’ve gained 20 lbs since last summer and most of it is in my belly (thanks PCOS). The numbers shouldn’t matter, but my clothes also don’t fit properly, and this is not okay. I can’t even begin to explain how frustrating and discouraging it is to gain weight when you’re eating properly. I’m not pregnant, but I’ve sure looked like it, and I’ve caught the looks people have given me, wondering if I’m hiding a pregnancy secret in my abdomen. Nope, it’s just fat. I tossed in the towel last fall and just gave up for a while, but I’m ready to try again.

There is so much research that supports a low carb diet for PCOS and autoimmune disorders. I’ve heard there is some research on whether PCOS should be re-classified as an autoimmune disorder. I follow some PCOS Keto accounts on Instagram, I’ve been watching YouTube videos and reading blogs, and I feel like I have a pretty good idea of how this is supposed to work, but Lord have mercy, this whole eating plan goes against everything I know.

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PCOS on an Airplane: A True Story

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Once upon a time, I boarded a plane for a work-related trip. What happened next surprised me big time.

Earlier that day, I had experienced some light abdominal pain. I honestly texted my best friend that I thought I was ovulating, but was really confused because I was hurting in my lower back from it, and I thought I had already ovulated. I went about my morning, minding my own business, and kept my pain to myself.

Fast-forward to the plane: as we prepared to take off, I suddenly realized that I felt feverish. I texted my husband and let him know that I was afraid that I was getting sick. It seemed to come out of nowhere and I was really unhappy that I went from feeling completely fine, sipping on my Starbucks, ready to fly to this conference for work… to having body aches, the chills, and like I had the flu. I had zero “sick” symptoms, just the symptoms of a fever. And when I say it came on fast, I’m talking minutes. I was completely fine and suddenly I wasn’t.

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A Minimalist Meal Plan for a Complete 21-Day Fix

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This post contains affiliate links.

This post is a follow-up to this one: A Simple 21-Day Fix Meal Plan for the Full 21 Days, so be sure to check it out first if you’re looking for multiple 21-Day Fix meal plans with different ideas to help you succeed. I have learned that I like to keep things pretty simple with the 21-Day Fix. One of my biggest discouragements with the Fix last year was the food. I used to feel this pressure to do something exciting and different every day, but I discovered that minimalism is the real winner.

A Note About The Food

The point of me showing a full 21-Day Fix meal plan schedule is to show that I’m human. I’m organized, but I’m human. There are days that everything is planned out, like you’ll see, and then days where we go out to eat or to a gathering, and I just do my best, but also give myself some grace. I put my meals at restaurants in red along with what I ate. Sometimes if I know I will splurge a bit at dinner, I will be super strict during the day, so you’ll notice that here. Also, minus a tiny bit of feta in my salads (and that dang Chick Fil A sandwich), I cut out dairy during this round to help with my bloating, and I was very selective about my carbs most of the days. This round was following a miscarriage, so not only did I have a little bit of first trimester weight+bloat to lose, but I had nutrients to replenish after extensive bleeding. I struggled a lot this round with my hormone levels so it was crucial that I had cut out certain things to help.

Additionally, you’ll see a lot of repetition. This is to give you an idea on how to keep things simple for the full 21 days. During my 2nd week, I ate stuffed grape leaves for lunch every day. You may have something else that you love and can prep for a week to eat for lunch every day – whatever that is, tackle it and go for it!

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Why PCOS Awareness Is Important

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For PCOS Awareness Month this year I wanted to write something a little different than I have in the past. I’m sharing a bit of a personal thought process on what PCOS symptoms look like, what awareness means to me, and why it’s important.

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A Simple 21-Day Fix Meal Plan for the Full 21 Days

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This post contains affiliate links.

Happy End of January! I don’t know about you all, but January tends to be a difficult month for me. The holiday festivities are over after what seems to be two solid months of excitement, the weather is colder, the ice is upon us, and the sun doesn’t shine very often. Aside from the shock of putting away the Christmas tree and asking yourself “what did we have in that big empty space before?”, January is a time when many people are ready to start something new. It’s a new year and the perfect time to kick off a healthy lifestyle to purge all of the cookies, fudge, and butter we all just consumed. Don’t even play like you didn’t. But starting “new” can be scary. Intimidating. It can seem unreachable and difficult. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be hard and I’m here to help!

You all know I’m no stranger to the 21-Day Fix (you can keep up with the whole journey here). I’m not a coach, but I’ve done several rounds and have loved it because it’s PCOS-friendly, easy to follow, and provides a gateway to a real lifestyle change. This time last year, I started my first round, and I admit I was a little scared. All the colors to remember, the portion sizes, the workouts… I was nervous that I would fail, but also knew that I didn’t have time to fail. My only option was to thrive. And thrive I did! I want you to thrive, too. So today, I am sharing with you my entire meal plan for the last 21 days, including the honest truth of when I didn’t work out, and what happened over the weekends.

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The Countdown to Thanksgiving: My 21-Day Fix Meal Plan with Grab-and-Go Options!

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Disclaimer: This post is in no way endorsed or sponsored by Beach Body or 21-Day Fix. I am not a coach, but I can sure hook you up with a few. Also, there are some Amazon affiliate links in here, and I do receive a small commission off anything purchased. Just bein’ real.

21-Day Fix Meal Plan - Countdown to Thanksgiving

On November 1, I started a new 21-Day Fix meal plan AKA COUNTDOWN TO THANKSGIVING!

I decided that I really want to enjoy the holidays, but I can’t completely enjoy them until I do some resetting with my body. What a better time than now? I decided I could handle 3 weeks of no fall treats before the explosion of culinary glory happens during my favorite time of year. I knew a 21-Day Fix meal plan would help with that.

Yesterday started Week #3, and this will be my last aggressive 21-Day Fix meal plan for 2016. I completed 3 rounds of 21-Day Fix (this makes #4) and 2 rounds of 21-Day Fix EXTREME this year. The first 3 rounds were consecutive, and then I took a tiny break before 2 back-to-back rounds of EXTREME. 25 lbs were down for the count! After the last round of EXTREME, I continued to eat well on an 80/20 balance for a while, but somewhere in there, the scale tipped a bit, I lost motivation, and I started on a 50/50 balance. It wasn’t quite working out for me. I didn’t feel as well and started fighting off 5 lbs of bloat. Before the holidays hit and I feel completely miserable (and in an effort to NOT undo all the hard work I did this year), I figured it is time for one last round for the books. Then I’ll enjoy Thanksgiving and Christmas full-force!

I have to admit, December is off limits. I love Christmas time, and I have no shame in the baking and cooking that will happen during that month… but that’s what January is for, right? 😉 Work hard now, play later… then work hard again to kick off 2017. It’s only logical. I will still exercise in December, just not as aggressively or as consistently. I’m talking 3-4x/week instead of 6-7x/week. I think it’s fair! Like I said, I have no shame in admitting what I’m about to consume in December.

No.

Shame.

So, with all of that shamelessness said, November 1-21 is (and has been) a strict round of 21-Day Fix, and here are some of the things I’ve been eating pretty consistently:

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On Infertility and Turning 32

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So, I wrote this post in the order I thought it through, and you’re going to think I’m either (a) crazy; (b) sleep deprived; or (c) that I have serious attention issues. I went back and read it when I was all done and thought “Lawd, what is wrong with me?” Bear with me… I’m keeping it as is because let’s be real, I don’t have the time or the will to reorganize it into something that makes sense. And that’s all she wrote.

infertility-and-turning-32

Today is my 32nd birthday!

I was asked the other day how it feels to be turning 32, and it honestly doesn’t feel any different. 32 isn’t really a milestone birthday. It’s one that comes and goes, and is just kind of there.

Can I make a confession?

I don’t feel 32.

Quite often, I feel like a young girl in my 20s, hopeful for a future of babies, telling myself “you’ve got plenty of time!” When I was a 20-something, I was convinced I’d be all done popping out babies by the time I hit 30. The thought of having babies in my 30s was foreign to me and a “surely not”.

And yet here I am. I’m 32… and my family of 3 still feels like someone is missing.

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