'After My Fad Diet Attempts Failed Over And Over, I Learned About Keto From A YouTuber And Lost 55 Lbs.'

The basics: My name is Bre Butts (@breannabutts). I’m 24 years old andI live in Salt Lake City, Utah. I’m lucky enough to work full time as a weight-loss coach, and I also do social media stuff on the side. After many failed fad diet attempts, I discovered keto from a YouTuber and have lost 55 pounds.

I started struggling with my body image at a very young age. I was about 6 years old when I first started dieting and exercising. I would try to eat as little as I possibly could, but this always led to me binge eating.

I remember doing Pilates with my mom and then lying in bed every night doing sit-ups in the hopes that I would be skinny like all of the other girls. This was the start of a very long and unhealthy journey of eating disorders and body dysmorphia. Looking back now, it makes me sad to think that even as a child I struggled with these complex issues.

I struggled into my teens. When I was 19, I was in a very unhealthy relationship. We moved in together, and to make a long story short, things ended up getting worse—and I was not in a good place food-wise. We ate out and drank alcohol almost every night. I turned to food to deal with every emotion, and I realized I had binge eating disorder.

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Given that I was in an extremely dark place, I knew I had to make a change before things got worse.

In December of 2014, I packed up my things and moved back into my mom’s house. This was the start of my first (out of many) weight loss attempts.

That first attempt, I lost a lot of weight. But I had been doing an hour of cardio five days a week and only drinking meal replacement shakes. A huge no-no. As soon as I stopped doing those things, I gained all of the weight (plus some) back.

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I never thought I would be able to find a diet that I would be able to make a lifestyle until I found the keto diet.

I discovered keto through a girl I was following on YouTube who had amazing weight-loss success with it, and at that point I was willing to try anything. The keto diet really works for me because I feel full for way longer due to the high amount of fat I eat throughout the day.

One of my biggest problems with so-called diets is that I feel like I can never get full, and this is the first eating plan I actually felt satisfied on. You don’t even feel like you’re on a diet with all the yummy foods and keto-friendly meals you can eat.

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Here’s what I typically eat in a day:

• Breakfast: Bulletproof coffee! I can’t start my mornings without coffee.
• Lunch: Chicken and bacon lettuce wraps topped with ranch dressing and some cheddar cheese.
• Snacks: Pepperoni. Or, the brand Knutri just came out with keto-friendly bars and they are *so* good. I have one almost every day.
• Dinner: Chicken wings. I just bought an air fryer and, omg, if you’ve never air fried chicken wings, you must ASAP. Throw a little buffalo sauce on them with a side of ranch, and you’ll be in heaven.
• Dessert: I’m not a huge dessert person, but when I’m craving something sweet I usually have some Killer Creamery ice cream.

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My exercise routine has definitely changed throughout my journey.

When I first started I was working out about three days a week, weight lifting and doing HIIT workouts all in my mom’s basement. Now I work out five to six days a week.

I still lift weights (it’s my favorite type of exercise), but I also do cardio at least two to three days a week as well. It’s crazy how much your body can change over time. Working out is definitely a form of therapy for me.

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I’ve lost a little over 55 pounds in a year.

I want other women to know that nothing is impossible. For the majority of my life I was uncomfortable in my own skin, and my self-confidence was nonexistent. I thought that was normal. I thought that’s how I was going to spend the rest of my life.

My weight loss journey didn’t just help me physically, it helped me mentally as well. Reminder to anyone who needs to hear this: You’re a strong badass babe who can do *anything* you put your mind to.

Before I started my weight-loss journey, I wish I would’ve known that it’s okay to make mistakes.

It’s okay to have a special meal, it’s okay to skip a workout, and it’s okay to veer away from your diet. For so long I was so scared to do any of that because I was worried I would gain all the weight back.

I missed out on going out with friends and family because I didn’t want to eat or drink something that wasn’t keto-friendly. Take it from me: It’s okay to still experience life, eat yummy food, and just enjoy yourself every once in awhile. The most important thing is that you go back to your healthy routine the next day. It’s all about balance.

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