Leanne Vogel - Keto For Women: A 3-Step Guide to Uncovering Boundless Energy and Your Happy Weight

First published in 2019 by Victory Belt Publishing Inc.

Copyright 2019 Leanne Vogel

All rights reserved

No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without prior written permission from the publisher.

ISBN-13: 978-1-628603-70-5

The author is not a licensed practitioner, physician, or medical professional and offers no medical diagnoses, treatments, suggestions, or counseling. The information presented herein has not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and it is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Full medical clearance from a licensed physician should be obtained before beginning or modifying any diet, exercise, or lifestyle program, and physicians should be informed of all nutritional changes.

The author claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.

Front and back cover photography and photos of author by Leanne Vogel and Becca Borge

Food photography by Tatiana Briceag

Cover and interior design by Justin-Aaron Velasco

Illustrations by Yordan Terziev, Boryana Yordanova, Charisse Reyes, Elita San Juan,
Crizalie Olimpo and Allan Santos

Printed in Canada

TC 0119

Im in the best health of my life! But before you start thinking that I sport six-pack abs, go to the gym every day because I love it, never deal with sugar cravings, and have a dream marriage, let me tell you, youve got the wrong girl.

Im a cool size 10 with thighs that touch and arms that jiggle. Id rather watch Netflix than go to the gym, I dont experience all-out chocolate cake binges anymore, and my husband and I argue over the silliest things, often. But Ive learned to take care of myself, know my limits, and respect them.

It took me a long, long time to realize that I dont have to love my bodyI just have to accept my body. I dont have to force myself to do things I dont want to do in order to feel like I am taking care of myself. And I dont have to follow a diet perfectly in order to be in the best shape of my life. In fact, by relinquishing the control I held so tightly around how my body lookedthe workouts I performed, the food I ate or didnt eatI am better able to feel my very best.

So yeah, I overeat sometimes, I still get acne, and youll never see me participate in a belly boot camp again. But where Ive said no to a lot of things, Ive said yes to a whole host of others.

Yes to dancing in a bikiniin public.

Yes to standing in front of the mirror naked and feeling great.

Yes to doing wild things that scare me, just because I can.

Yes to slumber parties, wine, and non-keto treats.

Yes to feeling free, finally.

I think its important that I tell you this up front because if youre looking for guidance from a person whos got it all together, thats not me. In fact, I dont think that person really exists. Thanks to social media, its easy to believe that some people always have it all together, but thats not the case. And when we think it is, we can have unrealistic expectations of what life should be like.

No matter how often you go to the gym, no matter how much coconut oil you pound back or how little sugar you eat, life is going to be messy.

I want you to realize that you are already perfect, right now, in this moment. I want to provide you with tools you can use to get closer to yourself, not change yourself. I want you to think for yourself, decide how you want to feel and what action will get you there, and then do that thing because you trust and respect your body.

Maybe your goal is being able to run around with your kids. Maybe you want to fit into your old jeans again, walk into a room and radiate confidence, have sex with your partner and feel good about it, or get to a body weight you feel good about. Or maybe you just want to feel bettermentally clearer, physically stronger, more energetic. I want that for you! And my own goal is to give you the tools that you can use to get there.

Growing up, I battled with an eating disorder that nearly cost me my life. Ive spent years on the path to recovery, slowly stopping the search for perfection and listening to what my body wants on a moment-to-moment basis. Ive developed shrewd and nonnegotiable techniques for being honest with myself, true to my body, and brave around food. But it didnt all happen overnight.

Everything came to the forefront when I stopped taking birth control in 2007. My period disappeared and didnt return for eight years. Its not uncommon to have a few months of amenorrhea after stopping hormonal birth control, but in my case, my subtle-but-ingrained disordered-eating tendencies kept me stuck in a pattern of food restriction (which meant not enough calories), too little fat intake, and workout addiction. Those factors prevented my period from returning for a long time.

Now, you may be thinking, Leanne, why on earth is this a bad thing? No period? Hallelujah! Bathing suits any time you want, white pants without a care in the worldno CRAMPS! But theres more to your period than you may think. A healthy menstrual cycle means stronger bones, shinier hair, better sleep quality, faster metabolism, tighter skin, stable weight, balanced hunger, less cravings, and, to top it all off, a better sex life.

So yeah, I was willing to give anything just to have a period again. Six years into not having a period, I was sitting in my doctors office while she ran through the steps I would need to take to finally get my health back. The years Id spent prioritizing body perfection over health would not be so easily reversed.

Of all the options my doctor presented, a low-carb diet was the one I found most appealing, and after much research I eventually decided that a ketogenic eating styleone thats both very low in carbs and high in fathad the most potential for me. The process of transforming my body from sugar-burning to fat-burning was simultaneously tiresome, confusing, frustrating, and a bit exhilarating. I documented the whole process, from start to finish, in my book The Keto Beginning (healthfulpursuit.com/begin).

A month into it, my body had changed in ways I had never expected. Friends, colleagues, and even random strangers started commenting on how great and skinny I looked, which only fueled my desire to see how much weight I could lose on this newfound diet. And while you may already be thinking, Yes, I want that to be me! I want to lose all this weight! I will ask you to just hold on to that thought for the time being.

I became fearful of carbohydrates, counted calories obsessively, tracked my macros, forced myself to fast even when I was hungry, and developed an insatiable appetite for diet soda. And every couple of weeks, when the cravings got so bad I couldnt handle them anymore, I binged and purged. I was right back in a disordered relationship with food. I perceived my changing body as currency for happiness and healthfulness, when in fact it was anything but.