When I first learnt about the ketogenic diet, it seemed too good to be true. How could one eat luxury foods like butter, cheese, steak and seafood, and not only lose weight, but enjoy enhanced energy levels, lower cravings, and lose inches around your waist? These claims made me very curious about this almost magical diet that promised seemingly impossible results.
I started my research and looked at other weight loss programs. I noticed that all the good flat tummy diet options had a component of keto in it. This served to intrigue me further and I focused all my attention on learning about the ketogenic way of life. Keto diet rules are pretty straightforward; of your total daily allowance of calories, you can consume no more than 10 % of your limit from carbs, around 20 % calories from protein, and up to 70 % from healthy fats. If you follow this eating regimen, it causes your liver to produce ketones, which are the by-products of the body utilizing fat to create energy, allowing your body to enter ketosis. This high-fat, moderate protein and low-carb diet forces your body to burn fat for fuel rather than glucose derived from carbohydrates.
Since I love meat and cheese, this sounded like the ideal diet for me, so I decided to give it go. When my mother found out, she was concerned the excess fat was not going to be healthy. Other critics claimed that the keto flu would be my downfall. Some even tried to dissuade me by sharing stories where people going on keto were so hungry and irritable that they couldn't even last a week. However, despite all these naysayers trying to convince me otherwise, I was determined to make my body enter the fairy-tale-like state that is ketosis. So I planned to try it out for one month. These are the highs and lows of my experience.
1. I felt a marked energy boost.
While social media had warned me of the debilitating effects of the keto flu, I did not notice it much at all. After the initial exhaustion and fatigue, I felt the first day, I felt that my energy levels skyrocketed. I felt productive and more clear-headed.
2. I felt that my stomach was flatter
While I was on keto, I experienced far less bloating. As my bloating subsided, I could see that my stomach looked and felt flattered.
3. Bulletproof Coffee is overrated!
I had heard the hype surrounding bulletproof coffee and the claims of its almost magical effects. While it was supposed to supercharge my brain and improve mental clarity, I did not get that feeling at all! Coffee with butter in it left a rather bad taste in my mouth. Maybe it was a bad recipe, but I am not a fan.
4. My Cravings were curbed for the first time!
This was a side effect of going keto that surprised me as I had not expected it to happen. My appetite decreased dramatically. I did not get the urge to eat outside mealtimes and snacking came down to Zero.
5. I learnt that Meal prep is vital.
Failure to prep is prepping to fail. I learnt that to maintain ketosis you have to cut out the risk of making wrong food decisions when you get hungry simply because suitable meal options aren't available. Cheating on keto will put you in the doghouse i.e. kick you out of ketosis.
Final Verdict:
For me, the diet was not very sustainable as by the end of the first week, despite having lost 5 pounds, I was ready to cry at the thought of bread, chocolates, and cinnamon buns. Moving forward, while I will be sticking to a low carb diet, I may not be doing it so meticulously. I will probably cut carbs completely so that my bloating issues stay away, but I will be allowing myself some cheat meals or items to keep the carb blues away.
