Remember that 2018 was the time for me to try different things? Well a ketogenic diet was one of the things on my list. So why did I try it? And is the keto diet right for you?
All the rage in building a better body is reducing body fat. I mean what good is it to build a whole lot of muscle if you have a layer of fat covering it?
We try all kinds of things to get rid of that last bit of stubborn fat. But those final layers of body fat are always the most difficult to shed and can take a monumental effort to finally get rid of it for good.
So enter the ketogenic diet, I figured why not try a diet that by its very nature is made to burn fat as energy. The keto diet basically turns fat into ketones which are then burned as energy.
It is a low carb, high fat diet where macros are basically about 70% fats and the rest protein with minimal carbs per day, about 50 grams.
How I approached the Keto Diet…
A lot of people ease into the diet by gently increasing fats while decreasing carbs. For me I jumped right in, as several experts say this is the best approach.
My diet consisted mainly of high fatty meats, avocados, nuts, butter, and cheeses. Bacon became my friend again, butter was used to cook almost all my meals and healthy fats were consumed in earnest.
Breakfast consisted of bacon or sausage and whole eggs.
Snacks were cheese slices, peanut butter spoons, nuts, or avocado slices.
Lunch was pork stir fry with lots of oil. And finally dinner was a ribeye steak with butter, avocado, and cottage cheese.
There were a couple of recipes that I tried, one was a pizza dough made of almond flour and cheese, and the other was a bandanna bread made with almond flour. Both were delicious and still used in my current eating regiment.
Basically I tried to eat at least 70% in fats, and the rest in protein with minimal carbs. It worked out well.
How I felt on the ketogenic diet…
They say that when you start the keto diet you may experience fatigue, headaches, constipation, and brain fogginess. And in the beginning I experienced all of those, but they went away in short order.
On this diet I did have severe constipation but it did subside after about 2 weeks. The brain fogginess and forgetfulness went away in about a week. And everything else lessened in about a week.
Overall I had more energy than other diets, reduced cravings for sweet things, and became more focused.
It was amazing how well I felt except for a few things that bothered me.
First I had more break outs in my skin which I had not had for a while.
Second I had some pain in my right side where my gall bladder is which I did not have on a low fat diet.
Third and finally, I just wasn’t as regular as I was before so I felt like there was excess pressure in my colon all the time.
What I liked and did not like on the ketogenic diet…
These were my likes on the ketogenic diet:
- Seemed to have enough energy to power through workouts.
- I was never really hungry.
- My cravings were severely reduced.
- There was never a feeling of excess bloating.
- There were some delicious recipes some I still use.
- Could use all the salt, butter, and seasonings I liked.
These were my dislikes on the ketogenic diet:
- Pain in the left side of my stomach (colon) and the right side (gall bladder).
- I would have breakouts in my skin.
- It was harder to pre-prepare my food for the week. I had to cook more.
- I did not lose any weight, even though I was in mild ketosis.
- It felt like more of a diet then a long term eating plan.
- Couldn’t really have a cheat meal where I could indulge in some favorites like ice cream.
In the end on the ketogenic diet…
I gave it the old college try… and in the end it was not quite right for me. I felt like I could not stay on it long term, I did not like the pains in the side (they worried me), and I was not progressing like I did with my normal eating plan.
In the end I am glad I tried the keto diet, it felt like it would work for those who can handle higher levels of fat. For me, my body does better on a lower fat way of eating. It always has responded better.
I can see the appeal of the diet, I am sure if I gave it longer I may have gotten rid of some of the issues I had. But to do it long term (for a lifestyle) just did not seem right for me.
So if you think the ketogenic diet may be right for you, then discuss it with your doctor, do your own research and give it a try it just may be the final piece of that fat burning puzzle.