Three Foods I Ditched to Prevent Sagging Skin from Weight Loss

Shortly after having my baby, I decided to start losing weight. One morning I woke up, looked in the mirror, cried for a while, and then told myself to pull it together.

Before, I used to be careless about what I ate. I used to eat a whole box of mac and cheese, two packs of instant noodles, four slices of peanut butter, and jam sandwiches.

Then I was 5'6 and weighed 135 pounds looking to get down to 100 and see how I felt before increasing my limits.

I was a mess and changed my diet to oatmeal, whole grain bread, fruits, veggies, and I started running.

When my weight hit 98kg, I was happy, so I started eating normally again for about eight months, and, of course, the weight piled on.

I developed this horrible habit of making butter cookies and eating when I was bored, or if my mom bought bread, I would eat the crust. I did this almost every day.

Finally, when I hit 150kg, I knew I had to do something drastic about my body. I did not like where my life was going, and I was sick of being depressed all the time, so I decided to change everything.

That was a wake-up call at the time, and I worked to get my weight down before eventually stagnating in the 120kg and stopping tracking.

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Adopting keto diet

So I started keto and stuck to eating meat, fish, nuts, and low-glycemic foods.

I swapped hamburgers and fries for fish and veggies and picked up weight-lifting and breathing exercises.

I completely cut out any sweet treats and takeaways. I had no alcohol and consistently stuck to my keto diet plan.

The new routine made a world of difference. I weighed myself every Monday. I had a graph that tracked my weight once a month.

I remember getting to 65kg on the scale and was shocked at how fast I got there.

The Keto diet is one that limits carbs and has many potential health benefits. Dr Mehmet Yildiz explained the behavioral and mental health benefits of the keto diet on our brain.

Not only does keto help with weight loss, it also improves our cognitive functions.

When you eat fewer carbohydrates, your body burns fat for fuel. This can put your body into a metabolic state called ketosis.

The ketogenic diet limits carbohydrates to 20 or 50 grams or less of net carbs per day, or 5 to 10 percent of calories.

Unlike a calorie-controlled diet, once you get into ketosis, it's important to stay keto for at least a week to see and feel the benefits.

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Foods to avoid when trying to tighten skin after weight loss

While I was happy to have lost up to 55 pounds one keto, I did not like the sagging skin around my stomach.

I wasn't comfortable with the loose skin, so I focused more on exercises, doing tight heavy-duty binders or girdles to hold that skin tight to the abdominal wall. A big part of getting rid of loose skin is building muscle.

I realized certain protein foods I was eating had high cholesterol, so I also changed my diet plan and added more lean protein, which made me less hungry and fuller.

Getting started on a Keto diet can seem daunting for beginners, but if the goal is to lose weight without leaving flabby skin on your belly, start by making sure you rid yourself of any temptation.

Then stock up your cupboard, fridge, and freezer with keto-friendly foods and avoid recipes that include these foods.

Red meat

When it comes to achieving ketosis (a state where your body burns through its stores of glucose and turns to burn fat instead), it's important not to consume too much protein.

In particular, processed meat and red meat are consistently associated with a higher risk of heart diseases and weight gain.

While processed meats like sausage and bacon are technically permitted on the keto diet, I had to cut them off my diet plan because of their high sodium content.

Fatty fish

Animal proteins like fish and shellfish are very ketogenic. Salmon, sardines, mackerel, and other fatty fish are very high in omega-3 fats, which have been linked to lower insulin levels and increased insulin sensitivity in overweight and obese people.

However, the amount of carbohydrates in shellfish varies by species. While shrimp and crabs do not contain carbohydrates, oysters and calamari do.

You can still eat these foods on the keto diet, but it's important to track these carbs to stay within your range carefully.

Saturated fat

I used to love desserts a lot. Cakes and bread pudding was my favorite. Even while dieting, I continued to eat these two foods sparingly.

However, I had to cut off food containing high in calories, fat, and sugar completely when I started working on tightening loose skin.

Many people think they just need to eat a lot of fat and avoid carbs, but it's easy to overeat unhealthy fats on the ketogenic diet.

Replace butter, margarine, mayonnaise, or dairy fat with olive oil to lower your risk of cardiovascular disease and improve skin elasticity.

In summary

Most prepared meals and snacks, as well as fruits and vegetables, contain carbohydrates.

Carb-free foods like chicken, fish, and eggs can get very boring very quickly.

Some people easily abandon ketogenic diets due to the lack of food variety and the complex process of counting calories.

So, choose the ketogenic diet that suits your needs, stick to it, and follow a few guidelines to get the best results.

Each month, compare your portion sizes to your current weight and stick to your calorie guideline in either direction.

Over time, your knowledge and confidence will grow, helping you create the perfect plan for yourself.

This article was published here.