Low Carb Tips

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  Thank you for visiting our website, we started this site to help others achieve what we have in the past 6 months. A little about us, we have been married for 11 years and together for 19, we have 4 children (blended family) and have raised our kids together over the past 19 years. We have been on a bunch of diets including vegan for 3 years. They all did work in one way or another, but never really achieved the goals we were looking for. Most of the diets made us feel slow and sluggish, we didn't lose much weight and felt hungry all the time. We are now at the age 40+ and it seems harder and harder to lose weight, we work out and watch what we eat but it seems like the pounds don't come off. In the past I was a certified personal trainer so we know how to work out properly or so we thought. All that changed 8 months ago we we started doing research on the Keto Diet and how it was producing HUGE results for people just like us. My wife is a great cook and she did most (ok all) the research on different recipes and what we could eat. What is keto diet? Keto 101 is basically you eat mostly healthy fats (75 percent of your daily calories), some protein (20 percent) and a very small amount of carbs (5 percent). This is the breakdown that a lot of keto beginners follow, but you may have to adjust your numbers and test your ketones to see what works for you. Now that is the definition we found when we searched it online, but its a little more detailed then that and we want to help you on your journey.  We will share recipes, products and advice to help you reach your goals. To date we have lost over 70 pounds combined and have more energy and are not hungry  we still have a few cocktails each night (yes you can drink on keto) and don't feel like we had to change or lifestyle or deprive ourselves of things we enjoy like sweets and drinks. Its not that hard and once you get going you will love the results so much you wont want to stop. Feel free to contact us and don't forget to follow us on social media @ Varbays. 

Keep it simple, especially when you are starting out. The best way to start keto for beginners is to use a simple framework for your meals:

1. Pick a protein – Chicken, beef, pork, turkey, fish, seafood, protein powder, eggs, etc.
2. Pick a (low carb) veggie – Cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini, brussels sprouts, cucumbers, bell peppers, etc.
3. Add fat. Butter, oil, lard, ghee, cheese, bacon, avocado, mayonnaise, nuts, etc. 

One of the easiest keto diet tips to implement is to get rid of foods you need to avoid. It’s much easier to stick to your goals if you’re not constantly fighting temptation. Get rid of the following in your fridge and pantry:  

• Grains including wheat, bread, pasta, rice, oats, cereal, corn, etc.
• Sugar including table sugar, candy, pastries, cakes, ice cream, chocolate, soda, juice, honey, maple syrup, etc.
• Starchy vegetables including potatoes, sweet potatoes, parsnips, etc.
• Legumes including beans, lentils, chickpeas, etc. (Peanuts are an exception in moderation.)
• High-sugar fruits including bananas, pineapple, oranges, apples, grapes, etc.
• Low-fat dairy & milk including all cow’s milk (except heavy cream is fine), low-fat cheese, etc.
• Seed & vegetable oils especially margarine, canola oil, corn oil, grapeseed oil and soybean oil
• Processed “low carb” foods depending on ingredients, so read labels for hidden sugar, starch, and artificial ingredients

If your family is not on board with low carb eating, getting rid of everything may not be possible, and that’s okay!

If others in your household want to continue eating these foods, gather everything you want to avoid and store it together, so that you can at least avoid a certain cupboard, fridge shelf, etc.

Along with getting rid of all the good stuff, fill your fridge with plenty of good stuff:

• Healthy fats like avocado oil, butter and coconut oil
• Leafy greens like lettuce, spinach and kale
• Low carb vegetables that grow above ground, like zucchini, cauliflower and asparagus
• Meat like beef and pork
• Poultry like chicken and turkey
• Seafood like fish and shellfish
• Full-fat dairy like cheese and heavy cream
• Eggs
• Low carb fruit like avocados (the fruit exception that doesn’t need to be in moderation), raspberries and coconuts

This should help you get started on your journey contact us for more help 

Well we knew that this time would come sooner than later Vacation Time. We wanted to post this blog prior to going on our vacation, you see this will be the first time we are leaving on vacation sense we started eating the keto way. We are not in denial that this will be easy, but I promise you it will be easier then when we went on vacations in that past on a diet. We have discovered that we are not as hungry eating keto and when we do break down and have a cheat meal we don't feel that great after, sure during the splurge its taste good and familiar, but we crash hard from carb burnout a few hours afterwards. So when we return in a week we will give you a full update on all the crap we ate and how we felt. We want you to know we are here for you and we are not perfect just trying to help others archive what we have in a short time. We will also post some pics of  good choices we make on vacation as well as the bad ones lol. Have fun and you all be cool to one another

PS good thing the cocktails we drink are all keto 

Varbays 

Drink plenty of water, have keto friendly snacks on hand (but watch your carbs) Make keto friendly treats like Ice Cream Balls (recipe on home page) or Keto friendly cheesecake but eat in moderation 

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