People are always looking for the easiest way to lose weight. These people are like everyone else (me included); work smarter, not harder. For me, Whole30, Paleo, and Keto have been the “Working smarter” way to lose weight. I found it to be far easier than any other method I’ve tried in the past (I’ve tried many!) and led me to the greatest success with the least amount of pain. Pain to me were things like always being hungry, having headaches and low levels of energy, and feeling like I was tempted at every morsel of food I laid eyes upon.

What I learned after my first week of Whole30 is that even when it didn’t feel easy, it was worth it. Weight was dropping, inches were melting, and I felt better all while eating foods that were delicious and kept me feeling full. Most importantly, I didn’t suffer the whole time. Sure, the first week was tough, but once I got used to the low-carb life, it got easier. I didn’t say it got easy; just easier.

Then, the craziest thing happened. After the first Whole30 was in the books, so to speak, we transitioned to Paleo, and it did become easy. I can’t say enough good things about how amazing the foods were (and how amazing my wife is for having made such delicious, filling, and most importantly, healthy food. I felt like I was cheating my way through weight loss as I watched my weight drop around 10 lbs per month.

Not everyone has the same experience I had, and that’s because our bodies are all different. Insulin dependence and how insulin resistant you are has a lot to do with this. Fortunately for me, my body was not insulin resistant, and I was able to get into ketosis a few times rather easily, and my body responded very well. Now that I’ve gone keto again, after being Paleo for nearly two and a half years, using exogenous ketones, I was able to get back into ketosis within a week, and I’ve been dropping weight like I was back in the early days of my first LCHF experience. I’m on-track for 10 lbs lost this month (at a minimum).

With that said, it’s not easy tracking macros, eating more fat, and balancing it all. I’ve had to re-learn food rules, as Paleo is similar to Keto, but Keto is far more science-based and utilizes food measurements by weight. I have to keep reminding myself of the Art Williams quote: It’s not easy; it’s worth it.

The main takeaway here is something I’ve repeated on this blog for the past two years: YOU are worth it. Your spouse is worth it. Your kids are worth it. Your friends are worth it. Your feeling more energetic is worth it. Your being more physically able to do day-to-day things is worth it. Your overall health is worth it. It’s not always easy, but it’s worth it.