Before We Found the Keto Diet We Were Fat
When we decided to become digital nomads and travel full time we knew we didn’t want to be chubby – and we were.
In order to live light we had to get light.
Diet and Exercise
We started by counting calories and getting back to the gym and running.
Using the classic diet and exercise approach appeals to our logical nature.
And jogging was something we could do just about anywhere in the world! We were dedicated and got in shape pretty quickly, losing 5 to 7 pounds.
But then we both just get so BORED running.
And we felt horrible starving ourselves.
We knew that the classic calories in/calories out was not a long-term solution.
Besides, every time we took that approach before we would lose weight then get bored with exercise and feel deprived from starving ourselves of calories and end up putting the weight right back on.
We knew there had to be a better long-term solution for full time travel.
Discovering the Keto Diet
So Lisa did her deep-dive research and reading thing.
After a week or so of reading and research she determined that best approach for our lifestyle would be to adopt something between a ‘dirty keto diet’ and a South Beach diet.
Basically high fat, low carb, low sugar.
Matt was, to put it politely, skeptical.
No bread? No crispy french fries? Lots of olive oil and avocado?
Seemed like the keto diet was a great way to be miserable AND get fat.
Besides, logic dictates that weight is a net calories game: more calories burned than consumed and you lose weight. There’s no such thing as a magic diet! Right!?
Yes and no!
Trying the Keto Diet
We decided to give the keto diet a go.
To our surprise, we found that not only did the weight melt away, our relationship with food completely changed.
Calories in/calories out definitely matters – that’s basic math.
BUT!
When a human eats sugar or empty carbs then the body burns that first and burns it fast and hot leaving the byproduct of stored fat. But then the human body gets conditioned to burning carbs fast and hot so it craves more sugar and carbs to burn hot.
That’s why you can’t just eat one potato chip! Your body screams: “Let’s keep this fire burning hot! More fuel! More potato chips!!!!”
We learned first hand that when you teach your body to burn fat instead of sugar you don’t end up with stored fat.
And more critically, burning fat instead of sugar and carbs breaks the body’s addiction to more sugar and empty carbs!
Your body learns to burn fat low and slow. So you don’t constantly crave more fuel.
When we taught our bodies to burn fat instead of sugar and carbs we were less hungry and less inclined to snack. So we eat fewer calories but don’t get hungry!
We don’t even miss sweets, bread or even those crispy french fries. In fact, the thought of sugar and carb packed food actually makes us a little nauseous.
Our Version of the Keto Diet
There are endless variations on the keto diet: strict keto diet, dirty keto diet, paleo keto diet, etc.
We are NOT strict keto people we don’t pee on ketostix to see if we are in ketosis.
We don’t obsess about 20 gross carbs vs. 20 net carbs per day. Our attitude is that no one ever got fat eating green vegetables so we don’t worry about carbs that come from those. We eat green vegetables – a LOT.
We just stick to simply prepared proteins and good fats like avocado and olive oil. You can read more about how and what we order at restaurants around the world here.
Our Keto Diet Results
At this point we haven’t had a piece of bread since June 2018 and are each down around 30 pounds.
Before Keto 
After Keto
Lisa politely declined to do before and after photos.
But she is wearing a bikini again for the first time since her early 20s.
And she is ROCKING IT!
And far more importantly, we lost all that weight without killing ourselves in the gym or starving ourselves.
In fact, we eat until we are full. Every day!
We just eat the right things like good fats, protein and vegetables. And avoid sugar and processed carbs.
One thing that really helps us are our favorite keto snacks from Genius Gourmet! They have lots of great keto snacks including amazing keto snack chips that travel very well!
Needless to say, we are total converts from skeptics to apostles of low sugar, low carb, high fat diet.
We are so grateful that we can stay at a healthy weight without even trying that hard anymore!
The keto diet rocks. Even while traveling full time!
