So we are just about through the holiday season.

Chanukah is finished. It was a meaningful time spent with family & friends. Fabulous food, Chanukah songs and games and of course those beautiful lights. Christmas was also a lot of fun with the family and an absurd amount of gifts stuffed under the tree. Still, it was the time spent with family watching classic Christmas movies and eating seasonal treats that made it wonderful.

All we’ve got left is New Year’s Eve! Again this will be spent with family. We have a stack of board games we want to play ‘one last time’ before we pass them along, so it may be quiet or it may be exciting; either way, it’ll be a family New Year’s celebration.

I’ve given myself permission to enjoy the season of gluttony this year and so, since Chanukah, I’ve been eating potatoes, cakes, pastries, cookies and anything that is on the menu. Oddly enough, what I’m craving is a salad and a steak. I’m really looking forward to getting back on Keto.

Some of the most profound changes I’ve noticed since I’ve been off Keto are poor concentration; specifically, a loss of vocabulary (I find myself getting frustrated and angry when I can’t find the right words) lethargy, moodiness, apathy, creaking and cracking of my bones and joints, sciatica, and just a sense of not feeling great. I don’t feel sick per se, but I don’t feel fabulous either, so I’m really looking forward to getting back on Keto so that I can get my energy and, more importantly, my concentration back .

Seeing as this is not my first time heading into Ketosis there are many things that I have learned personally and many things that I have gleaned from a ton of reading and countless hours of YouTube. Here are the 5 main things that I’m going to do for sure this time.

Taking Control of My Experience

Being prepared is the key to success in any aspect of life. This time around I am going to be prepared to deal with the Keto flu. Some of the symtoms include muscle aches and pains, dizziness, irritability, and fatigue.

First, I’m going to make sure I keep up my electrolytes with chicken broth, sea salt, potassium salt, and magnesium. Second, I’m also going to exercise more to up my mood. It will be moderate but consistent and something that I enjoy; so for me it’s Aquafit. Now that my shoulder has mostly healed, I should be able to manage that. Third, I’m going to make sure I’m drinking plenty of water and focusing on reaching my fat intake. Finally, the biggest thing is that I’m not going to lie around in bed and allow myself to have a pity party. I’m not actually sick I’m just in a period of readjustment. Readjusting not only my body’s fuel source, but my attitude, and mood.

Making a Meal Plan

The adage, of “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”. The older and wiser I get the more I see this to be true. I didn’t make meal planning a priority in the past so I didn’t do it consistently but the times that I did have a meal plan in place there was so much freedom, no obsessing over food when I was getting hungry. It helped structure my day too: did I need to take something out of the freezer or did I need to run to the store? Did it need to be started early in the day, such as a crockpot meal, or was it all a last-minute sauté?

Getting my Rest

Speaking of planning and schedules, I have been staying up later and staying in bed longer so my days feel kind of lopsided. Here’s another adage that holds true “Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise”. Not only is there a ton of research to support this adage, but I’ve also experienced it.

When I was on Keto previously, my quality of sleep tended to be better and I didn’t need as much sleep. I kept my bedtime consistent but I found that I would wake up early, around 5 in the morning, and that was actually a great time to get up because I had the house to myself, it was quiet, and I had the energy to get things done. So I could start a load of laundry or get things ready for the crockpot or edit an article.

Intermittent Fasting

I became quite consistent with my intermittent fasting before because I just didn’t feel hungry a lot. What made a big difference was that I would have my “Mama’s Morning Mocha”, which you can find right here, and that would really keep me satisfied until 1 or 2 in the afternoon. I would then have something small to eat because I knew dinner would be at 6 pm. I’m not planning on challenging how long I can fast for but I am going to embrace it.

Zero Carbing

I’m also going to be looking at zero carb days. I’ve been doing a lot of reading about it quite recently and I think it’s something worth trying. I’ve always loved vegetables so I don’t know how I’m going to manage without them. Honestly, I don’t know how I’m going to manage without seeing a plate full of food. Let’s face it, there’s only so much meat I can eat in one sitting. It is something worth looking into and I will keep you posted as to how that goes. It will be interesting to see how little I can eat or how little I need to feel full. Part of me is wondering what I’m going to do with myself.

My Renewed Focus

These are the five broad areas that I’m going to focus on in January: 1) making sure that I’m prepared to deal with the Keto flu if it happens, 2) making sure that I am meal planning consistently, 3) getting my schedule back on track, 4) embracing intermittent fasting and learning more about it, 5) doing more research on and adding zero carb days to my plan.

What will you be focusing on in the new year? Let me know in the comments below.

May you have a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2019!