How Kinsie Romero Manages Fibromyalgia⁠—And Her Weight⁠—With Keto

Name: Kinsie Romero

Age: 32

Starting Weight: 281

Current Weight: 187

How long have you been following a ketogenic diet? 3 years

What is your favorite keto meal? My favorite go-to is bunless cheeseburgers and garlic roasted broccoli.

Why did you start keto?

I started keto 3 years ago a few months after the birth of my second child. At 25 I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism after finding it impossible to lose weight. I tried popular diets based on calorie counting, and the low-fat high-carb standard American diet model using tracking and moderation. I was never able to lose as much as I needed.

At 29 I started experiencing joint pain, headaches, brain fog, and anxiety. It was hard to get out of bed both mentally and physically and that’s a position a parent of small children never wants to be in.

I sought the help of my doctor and was told that I most likely had fibromyalgia. I was given little to no resources with the diagnosis, so I took matters into my own hands. I started researching my best options to get healthy and that’s when I remembered keto from a previous coworker who had success. I had nothing left to lose so I devoured any information on keto I could get, YouTube, books, podcasts, articles, I couldn’t get enough!

I started slow with dirty keto and slowly worked my way to cleaner eating. After just weeks so many of my symptoms went away and I finally started losing weight. For the first time in my life food became easy. I have struggled with my relationship with food my whole life and finally I found that keto just felt right!

Three years in and I’ve been doing it ever since. I couldn’t be happier than I am with this lifestyle.

What was the hardest part of keto and how did you overcome it?

The main difficulty I had was needing someone to lean on, I needed to ask questions, and vent when things got difficult. Through Instagram, I found a whole community of like-minded wonderful individuals. The community has been the best tool in my tool bag. I’ve made lifelong friends and admire them greatly.

The second hardest part was letting go of tortillas and ice cream. Lol. Through trial and error, I’ve found alternatives in some ice cream brands. I also found out that a little heavy whipping cream with stevia and cocoa powder can be whipped into a delicious ice cream-like dessert.

Through keto, I found out that I am gluten intolerant. That was a struggle at first but I feel so lucky to live in a community that seems to embrace the keto lifestyle. Many restaurants and stores near me offer keto options or are accommodating to any food customizing I ask for. I feel like it’s so simple to order out and make it work for me, on previous diets I would stress over every little detail if I ate out. Keto is truly easier.

Biggest changes in your day-to-day life?

EVERYTHING!

I’m currently down 93 pounds, and from the moment I wake up my life is better. My joint pain is almost non-existent. Acne is gone, and the headaches are gone. Instead of being stuck in bed or unable to get off the couch I get up and go to the gym. I weight train and walk.

Three years ago I couldn’t even get off the floor without help if I was playing with my kids. Now I have dance parties with them! I’m able to be present and spend time with my family, and take hikes with my husband.

I’ve endured digestion problems since I was a kid, my stomach problems are gone, I feel amazing! It’s like I’m alive again and I’m finally getting to meet myself for the first time. Best tip for newbies? Find someone to lean on.

A coworker, your spouse, or even online. Just find someone who gets it! Don’t give up, just start over even if you have to 101 times! You are capable of more than you give yourself credit for. And finally, eat as clean as possible.

If there is one thing that you could tell yourself when first getting started, what would it be and why?

Don’t waste time with all the fad food. In the end what matters is cutting out the majorly processed stuff. Don’t eat so much cheese. Also, I wish I would have taken more pictures and videos and not wasted time being embarrassed.

Anything you would like to add about your story? Please do!

My biggest change while doing keto has been in how I treat myself. I take time to be kinder and more forgiving to myself. I give myself as many “second chances” and “do-overs” as needed without feeling bad about it. Just know there is always tomorrow.

Follow Kinsie Romero on Instagram: @GymMadeMermaid