Anyone else feel like summer is coming quicker and quicker every year? No–just me? Not that I mind–its some of my favorite times of the year–but it can also leave us feeling like we should of been paying better attention in the colder months to all of the things we didn’t pay attention to 😀

Often it leaves us feeling like we should of started our journey sooner or stuck to it when I started many months ago–but one thing I want to you to know is –start now with what you have. Many of us feel like we gave up to soon or waiting to long to start sticking to a plan that really works. If you have followed along with me and UCANKETO for any amount of time you know that it is my ultimate goal to meet you where you are. That means that I want to encourage you to start where you can. If I say get movement, that doesn’t mean that you must walk 10000 steps everyday. What it does mean is get moving. Walk to the mail box. Walk to the end of your driveway. Park farther from the entrance at Wal-Mart. Any of those things will help you get to moving and that will help you get to the next level in your success.

Same can be said of our eating mindset. We have to start before we can stick to it. Find small changes that you can make to create a routine of eating healthier. Transitioning to the keto lifestyle isn’t as hard as you may think. Start by making swaps so that you don’t feel deprived. Don’t miss out on a family barbeque because you can’t eat potato salad. Think about what you can eat–all of the meats, salad and many summer fruits are ok too. If you are uncertain that a side will be available that you will feel comfortable eating–either take something that you can eat and to share or eat before you go. Keto can help you gain control of your health and wellness but your mindset must come first.

Join us in UCANKETO all summer long for valuable insights not only on keto and how to slay the dragon in our minds but also lots of money saving tips, tricks, meal plans, workouts and how to get more movements as well as all of the benefits you can see by being a part of a group setting. We can’t wait to share so many deals and recipes with you guys. So much going on! Let’s have some fun together!

Let’s Hack Our Body!

Get into ketosis for real this time.

Measuring progress is so stressful for many of us when doing keto, or any kind of workout or nutrition plan. Often not knowing where you are on your journey or how you are doing, can really mean that you aren’t on the journey at all. Hidden sugars and carbs can creep in and kick you out of ketosis, so you have to keep up with it day to day. This is where we can help! Learning to calculate your macros, knowing how many macros you can have and setting goals for yourself is super important and you don’t have to do it alone! We have a tool box full of all the good stuff to help you!

Eat Clean. Leave the junk in the junkyard.

It isn’t always easy. Finding ways to stay focused on healthy eating is sometimes downright hard. But if you want to succeed, it is essential. Hidden sugars, processed foods and food labels can really trip you up! Watch for negative impact on your journey in drinks, sauces and food labeled keto. Ignore the noise of the labels and just try to stay clean with real food and allow yourself time to learn the way of eating. Be careful of bars that claim to be all the things. Typically they are full of sweeteners like maltitol and that can send your blood sugar thru the roof. Sweeteners can and will affect your blood sugar. Be mindful of which ones affect you and try to stick to Erythritol, Xylitol and Stevia. They have very little and maybe next to zero affect on your blood sugar levels.

Introduce intermittent fasting.

I know you have heard us talk about fasting in the group. With keto it really seems to work well–but you need to do it correctly! Fasting during the day will help boost ketosis and have a HUGE impact on your weight loss. Be mindful of sneaking calories when your fasting that you might add to coffee or tea because they really add up fast. Most people make the mistake of trying to fast to long to soon. Do not jump into trying to do a long fast on the first day. Start with something reasonable like a 8 to 10 hour fast and increase it as you go, day by day. There are apps out there that can help you get started. Many newbies start with a morning fast. This is made easier because you have slept thru the biggest part of your fast. Beginners can sometimes do morning fasts for longer amounts of time because of that reason–helping them to get maybe a 14 hour fast in their first week. It is even ok not to fast every day. Choose the schedule that works for you life. That is the only way you will stick to it.

Breaking your fast matters.

Listen up. This one is important. When your fast time is up–be super mindful of what you put into your mouth. All food is not the same. Your best bet is to break your fast with some light protein and some MCT oil. This gives you some fat and good healthy protein for your body to work on. Eat that and let is work for about 45 minutes to an hour. This gives you time to gather or cook a healthy, high fat meal. Depending on your fasting time, you may can get a few hours worth of food into your body before you fast again. Be mindful of your macros even when your fasting!

Yes, Calories Count.

I shake my head when I hear people try to tell others that calories don’t matter on keto. OF COURSE THEY MATTER. A calorie deficit is an important part of weight loss and should be considered throughout this journey. Fact is the SAD {standard American diet} is why people are overweight and suffering from many diseases. This is in part due to the fact that the SAD diet not only is made up of unhealthy foods but the portion sizes are increasingly large. Many times the portion sizes could feed at least 2 people if not more. Consuming less food in smaller portions may be hard at first but you will start to feel less bloated and be satisfied with better tasting foods in smaller quantities. Starting out it may feel like you are deprived, but if it were easy, everyone would do it! You have got this–plug in to the community and ask for support. Remember to stay as close to your macros as possible –but also don’t beat yourself up if you go over a tiny bit.

Sleep, rest and less stress is KEY!

Please please please take into account your sleeping habits. Do not underestimate the way lack of sleep and stress can have on your body. Fat loss will come to a stand still if you are not getting enough sleep and rest. It will also stay tacked on if you are under intense levels of stress due to extra cortisol in the body. Commit to your sleep. Make it a priority. Take a nap if you need one. Walk around the block in the sunshine if your job is taking a toll. YOU are the goal here.. so put yourself first.

Movement, Workouts and Doing it Well.

In UCANKETO we stress movement. Everyone is not going to be at the same workout level so we really want to focus on intentional movement. That means getting your heart rate up, focusing on your breathing, sweating and doing it intentionally. Burning calories will accelerate weight loss. Again if it were easy, everyone would do it–so push yourself. Start out walking. When you feel better walking, up the game and maybe jog a little. Find a workout class or morning yoga to do. Near a aquatic center–take a swimming class. Be sure to find a way to build some muscle as well. That doesn’t have to be lifting weights 3 days a week. Plant your flower beds. Ho your garden. Anything requires you to use muscles that you usually don’t. Increasing our metabolic rate will increase the rate we burn fat. Getting your heart rate up will increase your metabolic rate. Commit to getting intentional movement at least 3-5 times a week. Doing this well will not only make you feel better but it will push your ketosis limits and help you shed that weight faster!

Now don’t forget to get into UCANKETO for all the stuff that we have coming for this summer! We are here to help you in your everyday life. We want to see you live the life you deserve!

Today is the first day of the rest of our lives. xoxo, Amy