Two Weeks on the Keto Diet: My Experience

I’ve tried more than my share of diets in the past, but none of those past experiences can compare to the keto diet. Two weeks ago, I began the keto diet. This lifestyle attempts to get you in ketosis, where you’ll burn stored fat for energy rather than carbohydrates or glucose.

I followed the keto plan religiously and began the low-carb, moderate protein and high-fat way of eating, and initially I felt like I had been hit like a truck! These were not the results I had been hoping for and I had a moment of regret. I felt like a had a cold, I experienced a lingering headache and I just felt tired all the time. But once I got past it after a few days, it was like a switch was flipped inside of me. What I know know to be keto flu symptoms disappeared, and I felt better than I had in years – decades even.

I have always struggled with joint pain, especially in my ankle and knee, and that aching feeling went away seemingly overnight. I no longer felt stiff in the mornings, and I felt like my gym visits were easier to get through. My concentration increased, and I no longer feel that slump in the mid-afternoon, when I would normally feel like taking a nap or eating a snack.

Obviously, these changes can be attributed to my new lifestyle – the low-carb, high-fat choices I’m making with all my meals. But to help me get there, I also relied on Keto-OS. Made by Pruvit, Keto-OS is a supplement that contains exogenous ketones.

When you avoid carbs for a while, your body has to begin looking for alternative sources of energy. Burning fat as a source of energy can result in ketones. Taking Keto-OS by Pruvit speeds up the process by providing the body with a readily available source of exogenous ketones.

Keto-OS is packed with medium-chain triglycerides, or MCTS, as well as mineral salts. MCTS are what you’ll find naturally in coconut oil, and mineral salts are a great source of electrolytes. Both of these are crucial components to getting in keto and then staying there. Best of all, Keto-OS comes in two varieties: Charged, with caffeine, and a caffeine-free version as an alternative. I’ve been so pleased with the results, that I can’t wait to share it with friends and have them experience the benefits of the keto lifestyle!*

*If you’re interested in reading more about this fabulous product, please visit http://vanessak.pruvitnow.com or send me an email at vanessa.karnowski@gmail.com

Turkey Trot 12k in Vegas

Thanksgiving is a day to celebrate what we have and to be thankful for the countless opportunities in life. Before digging into the feast with my family, I had the chance to be thankful for my health, my strength and my fitness at the Las Vegas Turkey Trot. The 12k Turkey Trot marked a significant personal milestone for me as it was my furthest distance to date. Best of all, I had fun and the support of my family and friends, all while working harder than ever to achieve my goals.

Qualifying Times for Disneyland’s Half Marathon

My overall running goal is to complete a half marathon next May. Running a full 13.1 miles is no easy task, but it is an accomplishment I’m willing to work hard for. In order to be in the right starting corral for the race, I need to have a qualifying time that represents my speed and ability. The qualifying event I selected was the Las Vegas Turkey Trot, which stretches for 12 kilometers on the Historic Railroad Trail. I achieved my goal of running the entire distance and submitting my official pace in order to participate in the half marathon. Knowing that I’m one step closer to getting there is an exciting thought and one step closer to being able to check another item off my bucket list!

A New PR

For a runner, there are two particularly exciting moments in racing. One is getting a PR for time. The other is getting a PRD, or personal distance record, which means you have run further than you have ever run before. Prior to the Turkey Trot, I had to date run five and a half miles during one run outside. I’m so proud to report that I finished this 12k on Thanksgiving Day, just under seven and a half miles, while running it in its entirety. This just renews my confidence than in a few short months, I’ll be ready to tackle 13.1 miles on my quest to complete a half marathon.

The Ultimate Finish

Running through the scenic Hoover Dam landscape starting at 8:00am was amazing (the getting up in order to be there by then may not have been), and running further than ever before was a confidence boost.

The Las Vegas Turkey Trot 12k will definitely go down in history as a goal crushing experience and it served as my preparation for my ultimate goal: to complete in the Disney Tinkerbell half marathon in May.

The best part of that race, however, was crossing the finish line. Since there were no spectators on the course, I had to wait until the very end to see the people I love most in the world: my husband, my best friend and my 16-month-old son.

Get Your Fitness On!

Now that I’m all adjusted to my brand new normal, I am really focused on two of my major passions: fitness and nutrition. With my full time job that keeps me very busy and my new larger family, I admit I sometimes find it hard to make time for workouts and prepping enough healthy meals. However, I’m determined to get back into my old clothes. This is the next step in my fitness journey – lose the baby weight.

During pregnancy, I gained about 70 pounds (!!!), so now it’s about shedding the extra weight. Though occasionally long work hours and lack of sleep tempt me to skip, I try to work out at least three times a week if not more. I’m proud to say I have been pretty good about this when I wasn’t healing my knee injury these past three weeks. I took some time off to heal (doctor’s orders) and stepped back in the gym today!

I am following a weight lifting program for my workouts called SimplyShredded. I was also going to kickboxing classes at I Love Kickboxing – this is my favorite! Unfortunately, that just happens to be when I injured my knee and my doctor recommended only light resistance on a stationary bike for workouts. Let’s just say I have a tendency not to listen to my doctor’s orders so these past few weeks have been hard to swallow. Kickboxing is just way too fun to miss out on!

I am also paying attention to my nutrition. I am well aware of how important a good nutrition plan is to my weight loss. I try to be careful with my gluten intake as I am gluten sensitive, but sometimes I am not as good about it as I should be. All the delicious food has gluten! A compromise I have found to deal with my cravings are Quest Nutrition sour crean and onion chips. They are gluten free, high in protein (21g), and low in carbs (5g). They cure my cravings for chips and still leave give me the protein that my body needs.

I have recently discovered IIFYM. IIFYM stands for “if it fits your macros”. This basically means that I track my protein, carbs, and fat. I had to train myself to forget all the crazy stuff I thought I knew about weight loss and dieting. The overall idea with IIFYM is that if I eat less calories than my body requires (while getting the right amount of protein, carbs, and fat that my body requires to function) I will lose weight at a steady rate. There are no off-limit foods, there are no requirements that I eat small meals throughout the day or that I absolutely cannot miss breakfast. All I have to do is stay within my daily macros and I will lose weight! The first week alone, I lost 4 lbs. I’d say that’s progress.

Overall, I am really excited about the start of my journey. I can’t wait to have that glow of health and well-being! Even though my time is limited and I’m not perfect about following all of my rules all the time, I am still making progress through diet and exercise, and that’s what matters. To new moms everywhere and those starting on their own fitness journeys, we can do this!

“Number one, like yourself. Number two, you have to eat healthy. And number three, you’ve got to squeeze your buns. That’s my formula.”- Richard Simmons