Jennifer Banz - Live Life Keto

This book is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to serve as a substitute for professional medical advice. The author and publisher specifically disclaim any and all liability arising directly or indirectly from the use of any information contained in this book. A health care professional should be consulted regarding your specific medical situation. Any product mentioned in this book does not imply endorsement of that product by the author or publisher.

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Live Life Keto copyright 2022 by Jennifer Banz

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First E-Book Edition: 2022

Library of Congress Control Number: 2022013469

ISBN 9781637741528

eISBN 9781637741535

Editing by Claire Schulz

Copyediting by Michael Fedison

Proofreading by James Fraleigh and Rebecca Maines

Indexing by WordCo

Text design and composition by Aaron Edmiston

Cover design by Sarah Avinger

Cover photography by Jennifer Banz

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To my amazing husband, Matt, and the two most amazing kids in the world, Hayden and Audrey: you are my everything. A lot has changed for the better in our life over the past five years, but none of it would be worth anything without you three by my side.

W hat if I told you that a diet could help you not only lose weight but have more energy, fewer hunger pangs, and fewer cravings? What if I told you it could help you maintain your goal weight and improve your health for years?

Well, if youre here, you might not be that surprised! By now, youve probably heard of keto. The low-carb keto way of life has increased immensely in popularity over the past few years and there is no question that it works very well. Not only does it help with weight loss, but it also helps improve conditions like diabetes, epilepsy, metabolic syndrome, polycystic ovarian syndrome, migraineseven some cancers. In fact, doctors are increasingly prescribing the keto diet to their patients to help alleviate their symptoms.

The problem? Many people struggle to stick to it. Everyone loves the benefits, but when a diet feels hard to follow, its too easy to give up. I knowIve been there! Thats why Im writing this cookbook. Not only does it have over one hundred recipes that are easy, fast, and exceptionally delicious, but it also provides a practical resource to help you change your mindset so you can live keto for life.

My Journey to Living Life Keto

I grew up in the South in the 80s and 90s in a typical household. I was a big girl from the beginning, and I thought my weight was out of my controlobesity was in my genes, after all. At the age of four, I was bigger than my friends, and by the time I was in middle school, I was being bullied for my weight. (Im not saying this so you feel bad for me. Heck, everyone got bullied for something. But if that was you, too, know that I feel your pain!) I liked to eat when I was bored, and I loved fast food, chocolate, and ice cream.

I went off and on diets from high school into college, but I could never stick to any one for longer than a week or two. I stayed in the zone of about 100 pounds overweight for most of my early twenties. I played the victim hardalways wondering why I couldnt be skinny like my friends.

I married my husband when I was twenty-eight. He was in the Air Force and got stationed in Germany, so we moved overseas immediately. I had our first child a year later, and my whole outlook on health changed. Now I was taking care of this little person that I loved so much and I didnt want him to suffer with his weight like I did.

Right around this time, the Paleo diet was becoming more popular, and I hoped that eating that way would put my son on a different path than the one Id walked. He ate avocados and homemade baby food. His first birthday cake was a low-sugar carrot cake that I made from scratch. Secretly, I was hoping switching myself to Paleo would help me lose some weight, too. I would spend hours scrolling through message boards looking for Paleo weight loss success stories and research. If it wasnt Paleo, I wouldnt be eating it.

This is me with my husband, my son, and my daughter, right before I discovered my five fail-stops to living keto for life.

I thought the Paleo diet was a magic way to eat that would help my body fat just melt off. I was led to believe that the chemicals in processed food were keeping me fat. Well, unfortunately, I was wrong! You need to eat fewer calories than your body burns to lose weight. Period. I kept slowly gaining weight, eventually hitting 260 pounds.

When my son was two, I decided to have lap-band surgery. This is an inflatable band that is placed around the top portion of the stomach to decrease food consumption. Once again, I thought I had found the magic bullet that was going to help me finally lose weight. I did lose 30 pounds (most was lost during the pre-op liquid diet, and the rest right after surgery). And then I plateaued. My band would be tight in the morning, but by evening time I could eat pretty much whatever I wanted. So, I could still eat enough to keep my weight the same.

With the lap-band, I did have trouble eating certain foods such as breads and pastas. I once again found myself researching how to make the band work for me by reading blogs and message boards. Thats how I came across a low-carb approach to eating. My favorite foods were ones filled with sugar and carbs, so I thought if I eliminated those foods, maybe I could lose some weight. And finally, I was on the right track.

My second baby had just turned one, and we had moved back to the States, so over the course of seven months, I went low carb. I always had trouble controlling my intake of sugar- and carb-filled foodsI couldnt eat just a few bites of ice cream and be satisfied. (Lets be honest, its much easier to eat a big bowl of ice cream than it is to eat an equal-sized bowl of baked chicken!) It was easier if I abstained from those carby foods altogether. My first good, hard try at keto, in 2014 and 2015, was a success. I felt so much better and lost 50 pounds! Still, from time to time I struggled with the temptation to eat sugary and high-carb foods. (Were all human, right?)