Even though Tanisha's weight fluctuated throughout her whole childhood, it wasn't until college that she truly started to pack on the pounds. After she graduated she tried every diet under the sun to lose the 100 pounds (45 kg) that she had gained, but without any success.
"I was a total carb addict, and I used to eat candy daily. Even when I was dieting it was very carb heavy." When she was diagnosed with gestational diabetes, she made a resolution to make a change. "I realized that I would become pre-diabetic soon, and it became the kick in the butt that I needed."
Her first reaction was to look into weight-loss surgery, but her insurance wouldn't cover it. Perhaps it was fate, because soon afterwards she met up with a friend who had lost a lot of weight with keto. Tanisha became interested because it sounded so different from everything else that she had tried.
In May 2018, Tanisha went low carb, and then in July she went full-on keto.
The first week of keto did not go as expected. "I did no research and lived off pulled pork with barbecue sauce, and bacon." She gained weight and felt ill.
After reading many articles about common pitfalls and how to do the diet properly, she made sure to read labels and track her carb intake. In about eight months she lost 80 lbs (36 kg). Her weight loss slowed down when she stopped tracking, and as a consequence she stresses the importance of keeping an eye on what you're eating.
A typical day of eating
Tanisha eats three meals on most days, and she doesn't fast. Some of the foods which she typically consumes are:
- Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with cheese and avocado
- Lunch: Kale and Italian sausage
- Dinner: Shrimp and riced cauliflower with butter
- Snacks (occasionally): Almonds or pepperoni
- Dessert: Berries and sugar-free whipped cream
Before Tanisha started eating keto she exercised a lot, but it didn't help her lose any weight. For that reason, she doesn't think exercise is essential. When she just started keto she stopped exercising entirely so that she could focus on creating better eating habits without feeling overwhelmed.
Tanisha's top tips for people new to keto
Tanisha offers three pieces of advice for anyone who is just starting out.
If you want to learn more about Tanisha, you can follow her on Instagram or visit her website.
Comment
Thanks for sharing your story, Tanisha. I love your tips that you learned from your journey. Managing expectations, being patent and taking it easy on ourselves are all valuable lessons. Keep up the great work!
Best,
/ Dr. Bret Scher, MD
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