My name is Cindy Escobar and Im 33. I was born and raised in Los Angeles and Im a shift supervisor at Starbucks. After I discovered keto, I lost 72 pounds faster than I ever thought was possiblehere's how.
I tried so many diets over the years but didnt seem to have the motivation to stick to any of them. With the fad diets I'd try, I would lose a couple of pounds at a time, but in the end nothing worked long term for me.
My weight gain affected every aspect of my life. I would never leave my house, and I couldnt look at myself in the mirror because I hated the way that I looked.
In August 2018, I asked a coworker about the ketogenic diet, as he was following it and making noticeable progress with his weight loss. He gave me a brief rundown of what keto involved and referred me to the popular keto guide website Ruled.Me. I remember going home that day and doing a *lot* research on Pinterest, Google, YouTube, and various Instagram accounts.
My new lifestyle consisted of eating 20 net carbs a day and going sugar-free. I also strictly followed the keto diet for the first five months, which meant I tracked everything I ateand I saw immediate results.
In the first month alone, I lost 16 pounds. Seeing that little bit of immediate weight loss gave me the motivation to push myself even further. I started off slow so that I could listen to my body and understand what my limits were with this new diet. I wanted my plan to be sustainable and healthy.
I also started to incorporate intermittent fasting with the keto diet. The ketogenic diet can be a different experience for everyone, so I knew I had to take my time to learn how my body would react.
I started with an hour of cardio three to four times a week, which soon turned into five times a week. Working out soon became my me time. It was an outlet for me to let go of any stress I was having. Currently, I run six miles a day, five times a week, and I've also recently started incorporating weight lifting into that schedule.
Did I struggle? Absolutely. But I stayed consistentmeaning even when I got a little off track, I got right back onand my results show that.
I also encourage anyone on a weight-loss journey to do their own research, start off slow, and see what works for you. Everyone's journey is different and what worked for me may not be the best fit for you (physically or mentally). In the beginning, its about figuring out what works for you and your body and adjusting if necessary.
But the biggest advice I can give is don't compare yourself to others. Even up to this day, I still struggle with that. Everyone is on their own journey and timeline, so comparing yourself to someone else will only set you back emotionally.
I also wish I could go back and tell myself that I should love myself no matter what. I struggled so much with what people thought about me. Its still a process for me to learn to love myself to the fullest but I am slowly getting there.
The keto diet has changed my life forever. I had zero confidence when I started this journey. It wasnt only about losing weight, but also about learning to love myself againand I'm getting there.
What also made this journey so satisfying is knowing that I started off with little to no knowledge of keto and working out, or how it would all end up for me. A year later? I have learned so much more about the ketogenic diet (and am still learning!). I'm also a runner. It feels amazing to watch my skill set and knowledge grow.
I have maintained my goal weight and have been feeling better than I have ever felt. And bonus: Ive also made great friends along the way that have been the best support group with this new lifestyle.
