Elyse Ate "Wings and Chipotle" but Lost Over 50 Pounds in 6 Months, Thanks to the Keto Diet
For Elyse, losing weight was about so much more than "looking good in a bathing suit." She told POPSUGAR, "It's about having healthy levels of cholesterol without pumping in medication; it's about reversing diabetes; it's about waking up in the morning and putting on clothes without crying!" She has worked hard to get her health to where it is today. In just the last six months, she has lost over 50 pounds — and she did it all through diet and exercise.
"I lost [weight] using keto," Elyse said. "There are many types of keto, and I do a more whole-food approach." That means she eats a lot of lean meats and vegetables, but it's all paired with "healthy fats like avocado, coconut, nuts, seeds, and some dairy like sour cream and cheese." Some people may think of keto as a restrictive diet, but Elyse says it actually allows her to enjoy many different foods.
"It's about remembering that you are worth it, you deserve it, and you will be better because of your effort!"Elyse says she's able to enjoy "traditional wings, bunless burgers, steak, and Chipotle." Sounds pretty good to us! When she revamped her diet, Elyse had to change how many calories she was eating in a day — and when she was eating.
Elyse eats between 1,200 and 1,500 calories on any given day, and she insists, "I am never low on energy. I have energy simply from doing keto!" Because the keto diet puts the body in a state of ketosis, Elyse says her body "is constantly running off of fat for energy, which my body has plenty of." She's even able to work out five days a week — without ever feeling like she's rundown or tired. On her rest days, she'll either go for a nice walk or a relaxed hike.
Additionally, rather than breaking up a few meals throughout the day, Elyse eats two big meals each day. "My first meal is at 12 p.m. and the second is around 5 p.m.," she explained. "I don't drink anything in the morning except water. This allows me to eat two bigger meals and feel satisfied all day!" She says she wasn't able to have this kind of eating schedule before she adopted the keto lifestyle. Now that she had adjusted to the diet, she has more than enough energy to get through the day with those two big meals.
If this sounds miserable on the surface, Elyse insists it's not bad at all. "Your body is amazing and gets used to not eating breakfast quickly!" Giving your body a nice, long break to digest all your food is known to aid in weight loss, and it's worked really well for Elyse.
Diet wasn't the only thing she changed, though. Elyse started going to a gym and taking small-group HIIT classes. "It's different exercises in each station with weights, and when we rotate, we do cardio in between for about 30 seconds," she said. "It is amazing!"
"Your body is amazing and gets used to not eating breakfast quickly!"Through her weight-loss journey, Elyse admits the "biggest challenge was overcoming binge-eating disorder." She still struggles with it at times, but she says, "I know I am better off and a million times happier today than I was a year ago!" All her hard work has been paying off, and she's become much more conscious about what she's eating and much more confident in herself.
"It's about remembering that you are worth it, you deserve it, and you will be better because of your effort!" Elyse advised to women who are also trying to lose weight. "It's about being happy mentally and physically and being able to do things like go hiking or play with your kids! Health matters both mentally and physically."
We truly couldn't have said it any better ourselves.
