Kelly Konrad

Hey everyone! August is now here, and the summer is going by faster than we think. Two new changes in my life have been happening: I’m in a new phase of IdealYou, and I got a job promotion! I’m pretty excited about these, and I can’t wait to share these updates with you.

First of all, the job promotion: I work at a place at the mall where children of all ages get to ride on animal scooters around the mall. I was assistant manager for a while, and just this week, I was promoted to location manager! The former location manager moved on into a new phase of life, so I got moved up. This means a lot more responsibilities, and I’m pretty nervous, yet excited!

This new phase in IdealYou is called ‘lock in’, or the ‘maintenance’ phase in my weight loss journey. It is where I’m supposed to test new foods I couldn’t eat while in the ‘lose’ phase. Last night, I ‘tested’ dark meat chicken, and it went well. Today, I’m testing almonds. Other foods I can test include avocado, peas, pumpkin, melons, mangoes, lamb, flax seeds, almond milk, etc.

Another exciting part of lock in is the ability to reintroduce oils and fats into meal prep, such as extra virgin olive oil, ghee, coconut oil, avocado oil, and grass-fed butter. During lose phase, I couldn’t use any oils or fats whatsoever, so this makes cooking a lot easier sometimes. For example, I can use a bit of oil to keep meat from sticking to the pan when I’m cooking.

This phase is easier than the lose phase in the sense I can eat more foods, and use oils and fats. Maintaining weight, however, can be as tricky as losing weight, because weight tends to fluctuate, depending on the day and time. If I gain two pounds over my set weight, I need to be careful, and somehow get that weight down again by eating lighter the next day.

This phase has been teaching me how much my life has truly changed because of this program. I’m eating so much healthier, and I have more control of my body and weight. Comparing how I was before both rounds of the program, to how I am now is a huge difference. I see a striking difference between how I was before, and how I am now! I’m extremely thankful for this program, and everything I have learned!