My name is Alisha Khan and I’m 29 years old. I currently live in Toronto, Canada, and work as a wellness coach. After struggling with my weight and suffering from various health issues, I decided to try the low-carb, high-fat carnivore diet and started practicing yoga.

I struggled with being overweight throughout my adolescence and well into my adult life. No matter what I tried—whether it was counting calories, doing cleanses, working out with a personal trainer, or even taking weight-loss pills—I would lose a bit of weight just to gain it all back and then some.

Hypothyroidism, insulin resistance, celiac disease, and fibromyalgia added even more challenges to my weight-loss journey. I constantly felt fatigued, inflamed, and in pain with every passing day. However, no amount of caffeine, massage therapy, or painkillers made a difference.

In addition to my weight-loss problems, I also struggled with mental health issues like anxiety attacks and severe depression due to emotional and physical trauma I had experienced in my early twenties. I tried antidepressants, therapy, talking to friends and family, but again, nothing seemed to work.

Things looked up after I married the love of my life and we had our baby boy. But after I gave birth, I suffered from postpartum depression.

When I got pregnant again, we were excited. But I experienced one of the toughest days of my life on December 23, 2019, when I miscarried my 11-week-old baby. After that, I just went numb.

I gave up all hope of living in a world in which my body was not defective and actually did what it was made to do. Instead, I started accepting that this was my reality and, even though I hated my body, this was what I would have to deal with for the rest of my life.

But my turning point came in January 2020 at the age of 28.

I was at my heaviest weight of 213 pounds on my 5’6” frame. One evening, I was playing with my son and became so out of breath that I thought I was going to have a heart attack. At that point, I realized that if I wanted to be around to see my boy grow up, I needed to stop throwing myself a pity party and start prioritizing my health again.

I started revisiting the profiles of people I admired on Instagram who had successfully regained their health.

I optimistically hit up Google as well to search up ways I could do that while healing and enjoying the foods I loved, such as fatty steaks. That is when I came across Kelly Hogan’s blog, “My Zero Carb Life.” She follows the carnivore diet (a type of ketogenic diet that focuses on fueling the body with healthy animal fats and proteins). The way of eating honestly seemed too good to be true, but the more I learned about zero-carb, animal-based nutrition from the LCHF (low-carb, high-fat) community, the more I realized that this was going to be the key to my recovery.

I adore this way of eating because it allows me to eat foods that taste incredible, while helping me lose weight, keeping me satiated, and reducing pain symptoms.

It also helps me easily practice and enjoy the many benefits of intermittent fasting. I regularly fast from dinner until lunch, or even dinner the next day, which adds up to anywhere between 16 to 24 hours.

This lifestyle allows me to focus on seeing food as fuel. Its simplicity allows me to keep up with my busy schedule and make time for things that matter most, such as family, spirituality, and community. This way of eating may not be right for everyone, but it’s what works for me.

Here’s what I typically eat in a day now.

• Breakfast: Plain water, sparkling water with unflavored Redmond Real Salt Electrolyte Mix, and black coffee while I am intermittent fasting.
• Lunch: Steak bites and scrambled eggs, pot-roast soup, or sloppy joe/buffalo chicken “chaffle” sandwiches.

• Snacks: Lemon lime Redmond Real Salt electrolyte water or coffee with heavy cream, boiled eggs, tuna salad, chicken skins, smoked chicken breast with cream cheese, or all-beef sausages.
• Dinner: Taco casserole, meat pizza, chicken wings, protein lasagna, reverse-seared ribeye steak, or creamy garlic shrimp.
• Dessert: A tablespoon of Fatso peanut butter, Lily’s sugar-free chocolate, keto cupcakes from Ketolibriyum, or ANS Performance blueberry pancakes.

I tried to get 30 minutes of movement every day, whether that meant going for a brisk walk, doing body weight exercises at home, or just having a dance party with my kiddo.

When I started my wellness journey, I was recovering from a fractured toe, so high-impact cardio was difficult for me. So I found those other ways to fit in movement.

Presently, as recommended by my rheumatologist, I have switched to 30 minutes of yoga five to seven days a week to better manage my fibromyalgia symptoms. Having never tried yoga before, it was difficult for me to stay still and in sync with my body, but as I continue to incorporate this practice into my life, I am noticing a great improvement in both my mental and physical conditions.

These three changes made the biggest difference in my weight-loss results.

I have lost 35 pounds and over 60 inches.

I want other women who may be suffering from past trauma, mental health issues, chronic illnesses, or facing weight-loss challenges, to know: Your body hears everything your mind says. Stay positive. Stay kind. Your health and looks may fluctuate; your worth will not. Be kind to your mind, support one another, and share your journey with the world. You never know who you may inspire along the way.

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