Turning her body into fat-burning machine

Reporter Rexine Hawes speaks with a young woman who switched to a Ketogenic lifestyle, for our Food for Thought series.

Two years ago when Waikato woman Shannon Anderson looked in the mirror, she didn’t like what she saw.

But more than just her image, she didn’t like the person she had become and wanted to set a better example for her daughter, who was five years old at the time.

‘‘I didn’t want her growing up hearing me complain about myself, saying I couldn’t wear certain clothes because I was fat.

‘‘They don’t need to hear us say that as their role models - they need to grow up and be confident and if she is hearing me put myself down - what will she grow up and do?’’

And the day her school-age children could wrap their arms right around her body, was the day she knew Keto had not only helped her drop dress sizes, but had also given her back her self worth.

Shannon started the Keto diet at the beginning of 2016. Within 12 months she had shed 40kgs.

The Ketogenic diet is a high-fat, adequate-protein, low-carbohydrate diet that uses body fat as an energy source.

Insulin (the fat storing hormone) levels drop greatly which turns the body into a fat-burning machine.

She had seen the weight loss results the lifestyle change had given her cousin and she wanted that for herself.

‘‘It intrigued me as to how it worked - I didn’t understand how she was having bacon and eggs for breakfast and losing weight.’’

So she gathered up recipes If have an allergy or illness that limits your food options, or enjoy a Paleo or Keto lifestyle, wewant to hear from you. Email rexine.hawes @fairfaxmedia.co.nz to be part of our monthly Food for Thought series. and joined a few online support groups and set to change her eating habits.

It was a slow process - which in the beginning produced very little change - at least according to the scales.

‘‘I said I would give it a month. I didn’t see any results and I was starting to give up.

‘‘My husband told me to keep going - he was loving the food too and could see a change in me.

‘‘One day, I put on a pair of shorts and they fell down. The scales still hadn’t moved at all but I was losing centimetres not kgs.

‘‘After that the scales started moving downwards.’’

It took getting pregnant last year for Shannon to realise the change was not only external.

Her iron levels were low with her first two pregnancies but they were strong with the third.

She was also hardly ill and had good energy levels.

The onset of morning sickness meant Keto went on hiatus. Shannon needed the carbs to get through the pregnancy and life with a newborn.

Now her daughter is five months old, Shannon is ready to bring Keto back.

Shannon’s efforts have already inspired others. Her grandmother has started Keto and is also seeing results.

But she said Keto is a commitment. If you want to achieve results, you have to stick to it. It can take a while to get your head around it.

And the results are worth it.

‘‘I am myself.’’ really proud of