I’ve been doing this Keto life for about two year now. In truth, I’ve had successes and failures and I’ve learned a ton along the way. Like most people, when I started transitioning to a Keto lifestyle, I thought I would just cut carbs and that was that. Needless to say, that’s not quite the case. While I’m a firm believer in the fact that a Keto lifestyle can be very beneficial and help with weight loss and maintenance, I’m also a believer in researching, learning and doing things the right way. Over the last two years, I’ve lost weight and gained weight. I’ve exercised at times and I haven’t at others. But the most important thing I’ve learned is that the Keto lifestyle is all about balance. It’s about tracking macros and choosing foods like Lenny & Larry’s Keto Cookie™ that fuel your body (more on that later). It’s about maximizing how your body burns fat and then finding that sweet spot where you’re eating the best way possible to keep yourself feeling energized. It’s about learning what foods work best to keep you in ketosis and finding a way to balance those foods through the day to keep your energy levels high. While I know (and admit) that everyone’s experience with the Keto lifestyle is different, I wanted to take a minute to share with all of you my best tips for starting (and maintaining) a Keto lifestyle.
Now, before I get into my tips for starting (and maintaining) a Keto Lifestyle, let me tell you that I’ve fallen off the wagon more than once. In fact, I’m in smack dab in the middle of undoing the eating choices I made over the holiday (Ok, and into January if we’re being honest). But for me personally, what has made me struggle in the past is not having the correct knowledge and correct products for success. Before I get started with sharing what’s working for me, let me say that I encourage everyone to research, learn and find an approach to the Keto lifestyle that works for you. With that being said, the biggest tips that have helped me be successful are these:
Learn About Macros and Net Carbs
One of the biggest mistakes I made when I transitioned to a Keto lifestyle was thinking that I knew it all. I thought I could just cut carbs and add in fat and away we would go. For those of you nodding along, while I believe the Keto lifestyle is easy to follow and totally attainable, I also now know that tracking my macros is about so much more than just cutting out carb-heavy foods. Now, if you’re like I was when I started the Keto Lifestyle, you may be wondering what these macros I speak of are and I’m going to tell you.
Macronutrients are molecules that our bodies use to create energy for themselves – primarily fat, protein and carbs. They are found in all foods in varying amounts, measured in grams (g) on the nutrition labels.
In my Keto lifestyle, I use the following macro percentages: 75% fat, 20% protein, 5% carbs. While this is a basic guideline, what is right for one person’s body may not be right for another persons but whatever your goals, take the time to research macros and formulate the percentages that work for keeping your body in ketosis (that fat-burning state that is the whole goal of the Keto lifestyle).
Additionally, I blindly thought all carbs were the same. For the purposes of the Keto lifestyle though, I count net carbs. That means that I look at the carbs I eat and the subtract things like fiber and some artificial sweeteners. I’ll admit that the idea of having only 5% of my daily calories be from carbs was daunting until I started this method and began incorporating fiber rich foods into my Keto lifestyle and tracking my net carbs instead of my overall carbs.
Snack on the Best Keto Cookies
While I know there is a lot more to learn about macros and net carbs, you should now have a general idea of how they work. Dig in and research more….I promise it’s worth it and is a key to successfully transitioning to the Keto lifestyle and for me, it was important to give you the basis of those two concepts in order to talk more about my snacking habits. When I transitioned to the Keto lifestyle, I made the mistake of limiting my food way too much. I thought that staying on track meant that I needed to deprive myself and that’s so not true. Let me say that again for those of you who didn’t hear me the first time….the Keto lifestyle is not about deprivation but instead is about fueling your body in the most efficient ways. In fact, the ability to snack (and snack well) while living the Keto lifestyle is part of what makes it so appealing to me. However, I’m just gonna be honest and tell you that it can be HARD to find Keto products that are delicious and it can be even harder to find plant-based Keto products. Why does plant based matter? Well, remember when I said that the Keto lifestyle is all about balance? Many people take a meat heavy approach to the Keto lifestyle but truthfully, it’s important to me to incorporate as many plant based products into my Keto lifestyle as possible. While my diet includes a mix healthy fats like avocados, almonds and olives, I love when I can find plant based keto products that make life a little sweeter.
This brings me to the second reason why I originally struggled in the Keto lifestyle. You guys, I have a sweet tooth and it’s a major sweet tooth. As you may have already surmised, sweets aren’t a huge part of the Keto lifestyle. Yes, there are recipes out there for Keto desserts and I do make them occasionally but where I always struggled was wanting something sweet after my workout or when I was sitting in the car pick up line at school. This desire for an easy sweet snack was what derailed my progress time and again until I discovered that I could snack on a Lenny & Larry’s Keto Cookie.
In case that last line didn’t grab your attention, let me just share again that we’re talking about the ability to have a KETO COOKIE that fits right in with your macros. So, how did I discover this life changing fact? Well, like I said earlier I’m always on the lookout for plant-based keto products and as part of my weekly routine, I like to peruse the store and see what new items I can find. When I was doing that a few weeks ago at Walmart, I saw Lenny and Larry’s Keto Cookies. Available in four-pack boxes in flavors like Peanut Butter (OMG!), Chocolate Chip and Coconut, I turned the box around to study the nutrition panel and check out the net carbs and how it would fit in with my macros. After seeing that each Lenny and Larry’s Keto Cookie has only 3 net carbs I was intrigued. Add to that the fact that they each boast 8 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber, are grain and gluten free and are non GMO project verified and I KNEW I had to add them to my cart.
Look for Lenny and Larry’s Keto Cookie in the supplements area of your Walmart pharmacy!
From looking at the nutrition panel, I knew that Lenny and Larry’s Keto Cookie was a convenient, macro friendly, plant based keto cookie and that in itself was enough to convince me to try them. And once I did try them? Well, let’s just say that the way I look at Keto snacking has forever been changed. Ya’ll, these Lenny and Larry’s Keto Cookies are so filling and even better, they taste fan-freaking-tastic! My personal favorite is the peanut butter variety and for me, it’s so easy to stock them in my pantry, grab them for a pre or post-workout snack, when I’m on my way out the door to get the kids or anytime that I need to fuel my afternoon and avoid an energy slump.
Since each Lenny and Larry’s Keto Cookie is individually wrapped, I can throw them in my purse, in my gym bag or even keep them in the middle console of my car. That way, when hunger hits I never have to worry about coming up with a Keto compliant snack. Instead, I can reach with confidence for my Lenny and Larry’s Keto Cookie knowing that I’m fueling my busy mom life and satisfying my sweet tooth with a snack that fits right in with my macros in the most delicious way.
In fact these big, soft and chewy Lenny and Larry’s Keto Cookies are at the top of my list every single week when I go grocery shopping because I know that they have the plant-based nutrition I need to fuel my Keto lifestyle and the taste that keeps me coming back for more. If you only do one thing to start or maintain your Keto lifestyle, consider adding these to your cart the next time you’re at Walmart!
Find a Tracker and Use It Daily
Honestly, the two tips above are the the most important nuggets of info I feel like I have on how to start and maintain a Keto lifestyle but let me pull them all together with one final tip and that is to find a Macro tracker and use it daily. I’ve always been a food journal type of girl but with the Keto lifestyle, I think it’s even more important to track what I eat, how much of it I eat and how it fits into my daily macros. There are tons of trackers out there (from free to paid) so do a little searching and find the one that works best for you. I was personally thrilled that Lenny and Larry’s Keto Cookie was already loaded into my daily tracker as a grade A Keto food and it just reinforced the fact that this plant-based cookie is a great addition to my Keto lifestyle.
So, there you have it. My best tips to start, maintain and live your best Keto life! Whether you’re just starting, have been on this Keto journey for a while or are somewhere in between, take a minute to learn (or relearn) the in’s and out’s of macors and net carbs. Look for a tracker that will help you bring it all together and be successful. And perhaps most importantly, learn like I did that you don’t have to deprive yourself when living the Keto lifestyle and can instead fuel your busy days with the best Lenny and Larry’s Keto Cookie from Walmart. But don’t stop there! Lenny and Larry’s offers a wide array of nutritious snackable sweets that ensure us Keto mamas always have a convenient source of plant-based protein on hand that’s quick, easy and downright delicious!
So what are you waiting for? Won’t you join me and re-commit to living your best Keto life? Now tell me, have you tried a Lenny and Larry’s Keto Cookie yet? What’s your favorite variety?
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