I lost over 40 pounds in 3 months on the ketogenic diet. May 1, 2017 will be a year for me in this way of life. I don’t consider this to be a diet, this is my lifestyle. It is not restrictive like a diet and I am not starving like I did with so many diets before.

You will hear some tips on calculating macros to determine how much to eat. I suggest you skip the macros, it will restrict you too much, you may lose weight a little faster, but you will be hungry. The basic direction I give my clients: They want to eat a lot of fat, a moderate amount of protein, and 20 grams of carbohydrates (or less) per day. Determine the amount of protein using this calculation:

Male: 50 grams of protein for the first 5 feet of height, add 2.3 grams for each additional inch

Women: 45.5 grams of protein for the first 5 feet of height, add 2.3 grams for each additional inch.

You will see that men start out with more protein. Ladies, this is how it works for us.

Once you’ve figured out how much protein you need, the calculations are ready! After a few days of keeping an eye on the amount of protein and carbohydrates you are eating, it will become second nature to you and count for nothing. No more food diaries. Hurrah!

I know everyone wants to follow a detailed plan, but one of the things I love is how flexible the keto diet is. I can go out to eat with this lifestyle without stress.

Use this basic process: choose a high-fat meat: ribeye steak, dark chicken meat, salami, bacon, sausage, eggs. Add a green vegetable for a carb or maybe a salad with a high-fat blue cheese dressing. Then load up on the fat. Add butter to your steak, cook your chicken in coconut oil, or make a dressing with mostly olive oil and less vinegar. It’s that easy.

How simple do you think this is? You can do it. Try it for a couple of weeks. Once you see the results and get to the point where your hunger subsides, you won’t look back. I feel better than I have in years. I can’t remember the last time I took something for arthritis or a headache. My life has really changed!