‘I Ate A Keto Diet And Cut Out Sugar And Alcohol To Lose 65 Pounds After My Second Baby’
My name is Nicki Rose (@rose_vibes19), and I am 33 years old. I live in Atlanta, Georgia, and I’ve been a health care professional for 13 years. I followed the keto diet and cut out sugar and alcohol for weight loss and lost over 60 pounds.
I gained a considerable amount of weight after welcoming my second child. And my weight just kept increasing from there. I tried various diet tactics that were not sustainable, from drinking only protein shakes to cutting out meat. But it just seemed as though the weight would barely come off. Or, if I lost five pounds, I would quickly regain it back, causing me to lose motivation and the drive to continue trying to lose weight.
I work in health care and am on my feet pretty much all day. I eventually starting dealing with knee, foot, and back pain due to my weight. But it wasn’t until I married my husband in 2018 and looked at our wedding photos that I was shocked at how much weight I gained.
I felt like my health was out of control, and I needed to get it in order, stat.
I told myself, for our anniversary, I wanted to look great and feel great. I wanted my kids to look at me and say, “Wow, look at mom!” I wanted to be around for my kids, and with the path I was on, I was going down a road to an early death.
I finally started making changes in September 2019.
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I began following the keto diet, and I cut out sugar and alcohol.
I chose keto because, in 2009, prior to my second child, I did a protein-focused diet and lost weight. So I did a little more research, downloaded apps, watched YouTube videos and found recipes that I felt comfortable enough to do and started my keto plan.
Being able to eat meats and foods that I enjoy has helped me stick to this way of eating and turning this into more of a lifestyle for both me and my family.
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Here’s what I eat in a day.
- Breakfast: Most days I skip breakfast, but when I do eat it I have scrambled eggs and two sausage patties with black coffee.
- Lunch: Typically a protein with a fat, such as tuna with mayo. Very light and simple.
- Snacks: Almonds, cheese crisps, strawberries.
- Dinner: Protein with a fat and veggie. For example, salmon with butter and creamed spinach.
- Dessert: I typically skip dessert, but once in a while I will enjoy sugar-free cheesecake!
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After about five months, I incorporated walking on my lunch breaks.
I would walks about one mile. I would go to the neighborhood gym on weekends, hitting the treadmill and doing dumbbell presses and battle ropes.
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Then the pandemic hit! I lost hours at work, which actually gave me more time to start outdoor workouts. I started to do four to five miles at a time, three to four times a week. I jumped rope and continued this for most of the year.
To this day, I do this routine. Now I am back to a full work schedule and still walk on lunch breaks. I also still do at-home workouts (which includes hula hooping!) And on weekends I go to the park and walk and jog. I can jog up to two miles without stopping now. I feel amazing.
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These three changes also made huge differences in my weight-loss results.
- I no longer lay around after work. After work, I would be so tired. I would cook, sit on the sofa, help kids with homework—and that was it. Now I come home, cook, check work, and find time to exercise. I turn on my Apple Fitness app on my phone and work out. I’ll find something to clean to keep burning calories. If I’m watching TV, I grab my hula hoop and just hula. Anything to keep burning calories.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CMzZhT9A7Yl/
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- I cut out fast food. I was the queen of grabbing fast food multiple times a week. Now, I keep simple foods on hand that I can quickly cook. Let’s be honest—we’re not always going to feel like cooking! So if I grab something on the go, I check to see carbs and nutrition on my carb manager to see what I can eat and how it fits into my macros for the day.
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- I went public with my journey. I typically am a private person, but that private lifestyle also kept me from taking pics and being in the forefront. I started a social media page to document my weight loss. It helped get me out of my comfort zone and be accountable! I’ve met so many great people who helped inspire me to keep going. I take more pics and feel so much more comfortable in myself, which in turn, helped me stay on track!
https://www.instagram.com/p/CMXXUnhgW1X/
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I have lost 65 pounds.
I want other women to know that your size does not define you. However, being healthy is the key to being around for yourself and your family. I am so much more energized and at a point in life where I feel like I am myself again!
I am not sluggish. I smile more. My pain is gone. We owe it to ourselves to keep working on ourselves and improving. Don’t give up on yourself. I kept fighting for my health because I’m worth the fight.
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