Image Source: Unsplash / Alex Munsell [1]

Since moving to New York City I have been indulging with a capital I. Blame it on the amazing restaurant scene, but I definitely noticed my jeans were getting a little tight recently. I had gone overboard with always ordering dessert, never saying no to an extra glass of wine, and constantly picking the pasta because, why not!

I didn't need a huge crash diet or weight-loss regime, just something that would help me shed the wine weight. Of course all weight loss is hard, but I'm sure many people can sympathise with that stubborn five to 10 extra pounds that seem to linger.

I kicked my workout routine into high gear, (modelFIT twice a week, Bari Bounce [2] twice a week, as well as running and SoulCycle) [3], but I knew I needed to address my diet.

I've always found it hard to stick to restrictive diets because I love food so much. I love to go out and socialise as well as cook for friends. That's why I was so intrigued by keto, because it allows you to eat some of my favourite food groups freely, like meats and fats.

I'd read a lot about other women's'(and celebrity's!) [4] successes with the keto diet, and I was curious to give it a try. In a nutshell, the keto diet focuses on protein, fat, and vegetables so that your body goes into the metabolic state of ketosis [5], where it burns stored fat for fuel. You avoid sugar and carbs [6] while on the keto diet.

Another great thing about it? Spirits like vodka and tequila are allowed in moderation, so I was thrilled my social life wouldn't necessarily suffer!

Shopping for keto was easy — I stocked up on lean protein like organic turkey slices, Greek yoghurt, and cheese (yes, you can have cheese! [7]), as well as healthy fats like nuts, avocado, nut butters, and even bacon (no, not a dream!). I planned on making some keto-approved meals like salmon and asparagus cooked in butter and steak as well as some more complicated recipes [8].

I'm the type of person who really needs something sweet after a meal. Luckily on keto you can have berries because they are low in sugar. I definitely stocked up on blueberries and raspberries so that I would have something sweet after dinner.

Image Source: Christina Najjar

There's no ideal time to start a diet, but I couldn't have picked a worse one. I had a whole week of business dinners and even a birthday dinner for a good friend. I was interested to see if I could maintain the diet even while eating out. Thank goodness I didn't have to ditch my favourite martinis (even blue cheese olives are allowed!), otherwise it would have been tough to maintain. I even got to eat a huge steak at a fabulous restaurant for my friend's birthday. One nice thing about keto is that I could get by without anyone noticing. Anyone knows that one of the toughest parts of dieting is explaining it to your friends. No one wants to be the picky eater!

Image Source: Christina Najjar

I won't lie — the first few days of keto were a bit rough. I had "keto flu" [9], which is the common way to describe the varying number of symptoms one might experience on the diet. Common symptoms include headache, nausea, and bad breath . . . yuck! I made sure to drink lots of water and go easy on my workouts during this time. I also continued to take vitamins (I love these [10] and they are fine to take while on keto!) After the first three days, though, I felt incredible. I had loads of energy and the nasty symptoms had subsided.

Image Source: Christina Najjar

As for eating out, it was surprisingly easy. I couldn't believe that things like steak were approved on the diet. When I went to Sadelles, my favourite bagel restaurant for a breakfast meeting, I just got smoked salmon and avocado with eggs, skipping the bagel. I also got a lot of seafood — octopus carpaccio and shrimp, to name a couple. All seafood is approved on the diet.

Image Source: Christina Najjar

Sure, skipping the pasta and wine wasn't easy, but I saw results so quickly with this diet it made it easier to stay on track. I lost six pounds in two weeks while eating out!

I would definitely recommend this diet to anyone who has a few extra pounds they want to shed and anyone who refuses to give up eating out! Anytime I'm OK'd to eat steak and bacon, I feel pretty happy.