I made this cute little notebook in December of 2016. I had great intentions of sitting down each year to write down our goals, follow up throughout the year, and one day look back on all the things we accomplished together. But like many goals, it got shelved. This year, however, I was determined to actually use it!! So before the 1st of the year, we sat down and came up with our goals for 2018. I wrote mine, hubby wrote his, and then we sat and came up with the goals we wanted to accomplish together.
It was so fun to sit down and dream together! Obvi, our biggest goal is to actually have a family to have goals for. Ha! But that is not a goal that is attainable for us without other mini-goals. So, our first mini-goal in that journey was to take a drastic step in our diet and exercise routines. Enter the Ketogenic diet. We gave ourselves 3 months of commitment to adhering to the diet. And I'm happy to report that we've officially made it through month one!!
Why keto? All the research we could find shows that the keto diet is one of the most beneficial to fertility in both men and women. Several studies have shown that decreasing your carb intake helps to balance your hormone levels, which allows for better fertility. The ketogenic diet is recommended for those suffering from PCOS, those with insulin issues, and even in extreme cases of those needing to lose weight. But PLEASE don't take my word for it!! Do your own research and read articles on your own, so that you can make an informed decision. And, of course, consult your doctor if you have any health conditions before you try a new diet.
Thankfully, you don't have to give up all of the things you love! Pizza, cookies, muffins, salads, and anything you can think of! Pinterest has been my best friend! I've spent many hours on Pinterest over the past month looking for new recipes. It was super hard work. I only loved every minute of it :). Variety is the spice of life and that is absolutely true for Keto!
My favorite dinner recipes:
1. Caramelized Onion and Bacon Smothered Pork Chops- These were incredible!
2. Tilapia in Roasted Pepper Sauce- A great way to break up meat options and the sauce was delish!
3. These Kebabs and this Tzatziki- those with some cauliflower rice = yum-o! Side note- I made the tzatziki using Mexican crema, and it was a great substitution!
My favorite dessert recipes:
1. Chocolate Chip Cookies are a must in our house! If you're doing Keto, be sure to use butter and an alternative sweetener (such as Swerve). For the chocolate chips, Guittard dark chocolate chips have about the same carb/fat/protein breakdown as the alternative but tastes significantly better!
2. Chocolate pudding- duh! With guittard chocolate chips, too! It's super rich, though, and I recommend making it ahead of time so the sweetener can soak in to make it less bitter.
3. Fat bombs- most days a must! This chocolate chip cookie dough fat bomb and these blackberry fat bombs were my favorite! I made them both with almond butter instead of peanut butter and with guittard chocolate.
There are so many more recipes I am looking forward to trying! I've lost 7 pounds this month, so it's working! Here's hoping it's working in other ways, too!
Have you tried keto? Do you have any favorite recipes? Share!