#3 Kyla Kecman - Shed 44 lbs in 3 months.

 1. Tell us about yourself before you found Keto.

I was a mom of 4 kids ages 10 and under, married to a chiropractor, thought I was doing things right (gluten free, dairy free, corn free, eating according to our blood types)...but at my heaviest weight and climbing.

2.  How did you find this new lifestyle?

One friend posted on her personal FB timeline saying that since lots of people had been asking her, she wanted to publicly post on FB to tell people about what she had done to lose weight. She simply said, "I'm eating a very low carb, high fat Ketogenic diet. If you want to know more here are a few FB groups that you might like to join." I joined them, and set back and watched the threads for a while. The people who posted there before and after photos along with testimonies of how they had been taken off of so many medications by their doctors really inspired me. I took a few weeks of really diving in and researching this way of eating before I decided to start.3A. What were your favorite things?

Finally getting to have cheese again without feeling guilty! Also, I was so happy to discover bulletproof coffee because I felt like coffee creamer had always been my one vice that there wasn't a good substitution for. I ditched that chemical filled creamer as soon as I discovered bpc though.3B. Biggest successes?

  I had one pair of shorts that were 4 sizes too small. They were my favorite expensive brand, and I found them on a great sale about 2 years ago after I had started working out. I bought them without hesitation thinking they would be my "goal shorts" since they were the size that I used to be ... a LONG time ago. As the weight started coming off because of keto, I started trying on those shorts every few weeks just to gauge my weight loss success. The first photo is horrible since I couldn't even get the shorts up to my thighs. But then, as weight fell off, I got them over my rear. Then one day, I got them buttoned even though I had to suck in to make it happen. Then, a few weeks later, they fit great! Now, they are even a bit too big! When I started this keto journey, I never would have imagined that I would be back to what I weighed in high school. I'm a 37 year old mom of four, and I look and feel better than I have in at least 15 years! I even wore a bikini this summer for the first time since becoming a mom 11 years ago.

4. Did you hit any tough spots?

The toughest thing for me to deal with was negativity from people who don't know anything about this way of eating and don't care enough to take the time to learn about it. They just want to voice their opinions, but don't care or want to take the time to listen or learn about the science begging this way of eating.5. How did you get past them?

I took that as a personal challenge to educate people every time they presented me with innacurate information. To do this, I had to read and research a lot in order to gain enough understanding to be able to educate others. I used to be a middle school English teacher, so I guess I still have a passion for education. I don't seek out debates with people, but if they are truly interested and willing to discuss, I certainly do love to share what I know.6. What’s next in your health journey?

I've been at my goal weight for months, but I'm continuing to tweak my diet in order to see improvements in my health. I'll always eat this way. It's so satisfying, and easy once you get past the learning curve in the beginning. My next big step is to help others through their keto journey as a keto coach. My husband, who is a chiropractor, has already sent a ton of his patients to me for informal keto coaching, and I think it's time we officially offered keto coaching as a service through his clinic. Ya know, I was blessed to be a stay at home mom when I discovered keto. I had the time to do the research and plan keto dinners. Not everyone has that much time on their hands. I want to fill the gap for those who know they are ready to start keto, but just don't know where to turn or how to get started. I believe that with my experience, my knowledge, my passion, and my dedication, I will be able to help other people succeed in their own journey to weight loss and improved health.7. What bit of advice would you tell someone who is just starting out? (I added this question.)

Seek out the answers to the questions you have about this way of eating and your health in general. Don't rely on what your friends, society, or the media tell you. Ditch the dogma of what you think you know from years of people, food companies, & even money backed healthcare institutes telling you what's healthy. Think about the money and motives behind the information that is presented to you before you take it at face value. Keto is simple. It's choosing to eat from ingredients instead of packages. And also, if you don't start out 100% keto in the first week, it's okay. As long as you are making continuous efforts to lower your carb intake, you will get there. Be patient with yourself but continue to push forward. Sometimes slow and steady wins the race. The bottom line is that you don't give up on yourself. And always remember that every bite of food you consume is a result of a decision you make. You are not a slave to food. The further you get into ketosis, this will become more obvious as food will no longer be a driving factor for your everyday life. It will be there to sustain you, but not control you through cravings and insulin highs and lows.   Recipe:   I can't say that I really have any favorite recipes because I never cook the same meal the same way twice. I tend to just use what I have in the house to improvise. Over the summer though, my stepdad gave me a lot of huge zucchini from his garden. I really loved using sliced zucchini as a replacement for lasagna noodles or tortillas in enchiladas. I also cubed and sauteed the zucchini, and combined it with low carb marinara sauce and ground sausage or link sausage. I added things like chopped up pepperoni, sauteed mushrooms, bell peppers, and pepperoncinis. Before keto, I wasn't much of a cook. I relied on cans and packages, but never really had an attraction to cooking or discovering new recipes. But since I started the keto way of eating, I am intrigued by recipes and seeking out new low-carb foods and combinations. One thing that I have discovered is that I love cabbage! I had never even bought a cabbage before this way of eating, and i assumed that I wouldn't like it. Since going keto, I have used chopped sauteed cabbage as a replacement for noodles in beef stroganoff. I've also put it with that same marinara and ground sausage mixture that I mentioned when I didn't have a zucchini on hand. The next things I want to try with cabbage are "egg roll in a bowl" and chicken or shrimp alfredo. And the best part about it is that one head of cabbage is only like $0.40 but I can use it in the base of a recipe to feed my family of 6 for at least two meals!