My keto journey went seriously sideways last fall after my housemate and dear friend was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer. Our lives changed so much in the blink of an eye, and I felt like I was barely managing to keep it together as we tried to get used to life without Sue. There were financial changes, emotional changes, and lifestyle changes that had to get woven into a new life plan, and getting my food back on track was the least of my worries as we navigated the grieving process.
If I’d gone into that challenging situation with my keto feet underneath me, things likely would have gone differently. The fact is though that I decided to prioritize other aspects of my life above sticking to a keto meal plan, and I was completely willing to accept the consequences of that choice. I knew there’d be weight gain. I knew I’d struggle with meal planning and habitual meal prep. And lastly, I knew there’d be some health struggles.
So here I am on January 7, 2019, and I’m ready to get my poop in a group! I’m in a place where I’m not setting myself up for failure, and I’m ready to take back the ground that I’ve lost. There are a lot of strategies I can use to support that plan, but the biggest one is NOPE — no off-plan eating.
I coined the term NOPE sometime last year when I needed to remind myself every day to stay on track. I posted it on social media, I wrote it in my diary, and I shared it with my friends who were supporting me. It’s such a simple concept to grasp; it isn’t necessarily an easy concept to implement though, especially when NOPE isn’t yet a habit. I’m up to the challenge though. I’ve done it before and I can do it again. I’m worth it. My family is worth it. What I do matters!
- High weight: 290.2lb in May 2017
- Current weight: 253.4lb on 1/7/19
- First Goal: 233.6lb to get under my lowest weight since recommitting to keto in September of 2017
Of course, I’ll keep everyone posted!