I see you looking at me..

Archana Ambily
Aug 23, 2017 · 7 min read

I’m just a girl, looking at her reflection, willing every bulge and unnecessary curve to disappear. Sound familiar? Cliche perhaps? Yet the problem exists and it persists. How did I get here? Why has it taken so long to leave this place? Will Keto help me find my way back to what I knew and adored about myself?

I have a lot of questions and not a lot of answers, unless my 34 years of experience of life, PCOS and weight loss efforts account for anything. All I know is that I am done with this particular place and I want out. And it looks like Keto may hold the key. At least, the first key to the first real door out of my current predicament.

I feel a bit like Alice in Wonderland, free-falling down a keto rabbit hole, eating berries and cream on the way down. Welcome to my thought bubble.


Who, me?

And suddenly, just like that, I’m in my mid-thirties. Thankfully no wrinkles, but I could give you a run for your money where grey hair is concerned (Garner Olia, I love you always and for-e-ver. XOXO). Thanks to my darling Amma’s genes, I have skin that is more than passable and will hopefully stand the test of time.

The dimples that I (and a few others) secretly adored are somewhere there on my chubby little face, and I see signs of it resurfacing thanks to several weeks of being on a ketogenic diet and reintroduction of exercise into my daily life.

I’m re-discovering my jaw-line. That deserves a sentence all to itself.

However, years of PCOS and years of not getting any help with it have taken a toll on me. Linea nigra marks adorn the base of my neck and in many other places. Metabolic syndrome is also at play here. I’m more than overweight, obese some may call it (I still struggle with that horrendous term). PCOS has been a b*tch and has been running amock, uncontrolled for years. This much my GP and years of testing and testing the same things over and over again have confirmed time and time again.

Research on PCOS and metabolic syndrome has been slow — after all, no one is dying from PCOS, so what’s the rush right? Oh wait, what? Metabolic sydrome, obesity, diabetes, risk of ovarian cancer and so people are dying of these things? huh.. that’s interesting..

During my last visit to the doctor, I arrived armed with literature and my own thoughts on how the doctors could help me to manage the situation. Big mistake. The next thing I know I’m on the weighing scale, displaying my biggest secret for the whole world (or just the doc and my husband) to see.

Doc: .. 92kg! Look! You’re overweight (no sh*t). You need to lose weight (now there’s a revelation). You will see that your symptoms will improve. How old are you?

ME: 32

Doc: Well then, you need to prioritise things a bit. Have a second baby

ME: *thinking to myself whilst staring confuddled at doc* — but I didn’t say anything about wanting a second baby*

Doc:…and after that, if you are still having symptoms, then we can investigate further

ME: But but but…..(how about the excessively long periods, the unbearable pain and on and on and on the list goes..)

Doc: Lose weight first.

End scene. Storm off set. I’m a PCOS diva (in my head).

The above is an excerpt from an actual conversation. Reminiscent of many others before it. Sound familiar to all of you who are fluent in PCOS?

I bet it does.

Then came Metformin. Now to get onto Metformin was a battle itself, given that I was not diabetic. However, a referral to a forward thinking, research orientated endocrinologist at Tommies made this very easy. The finding that I was also fast approaching prediabetes (HbA1c 41mmol/mol) made the decision to trial a preventation course of action and stop the onset of diabetes more appealing.

I’m a terrible patient. I’m poorly compliant at pill popping. So a 6 month course of medication got dragged out to a year as I kept forgetting to take the damn pill twice daily.


The carrot and the donkey — 18 months later..

I’m still poorly compliant on Metformin but check this out. An ever burgeoning need to do something about my health and thorough disgust with where I was in my life led me to:

- Start Couch to 5K and the occasional Jillian Michael’s DVD workout

- Become increasingly aware of carb consumption

- I had my next blood test. Check out my HbA1C below:

HbA1C = 29mmol/mol (US 4.8%) !!! I am no longer pre-diabetic! Hip hip hooray! :)

The day I got my HbA1C result and decided to dive headfirst into a ketogenic diet — June 16th

Now what? Enter The Keto Coder

The Keto Coder is the real deal — he’s family and he is a wonderful friend. He has an amazing blog. With this friendship he rocked up one fine evening during a birthday dinner and brought back into my life, the ketogenic diet. The conversation started as many inquisitive, knowledge and experience sharing conversations do and before long we were sharing our experiences with low carb, paleo and eventually through several more discussions over the next several days, we landed squarely on the ketogenic diet (in a nutshell).

The ketogenic (or ‘keto’) diet, is one that focuses on consuming a high fat, moderate protein, low carbohydrate diet. In doing so, the body utilises fat (broken down in the liver) as the primary energy source over carbohydrates, thus also reducing the need for insulin secretion and glucose uptake. This particular website explains it well. In burning fats for fuel, weight loss is an obvious and attractive benefit but for metabolic syndrome, the control of blood sugars is an even bigger win and could be incredibly beneficial in disorders stemming from metabolic syndrome, such as diabetes and PCOS . Being an ardent believer of not reinventing the wheel, read this blog for a breakdown of the fat/protein/carbohydrate macros followed on a standard ketogenic diet.

Mr. Ketogenic Diet sat awkwardly in my life having entered with great gusto once before through another very good friend of mine, a protege of Dr. R. Lustig if you will. We had a rough time of things and ultimately due to persistent travel for work, Mr. Ketogenic Diet and I had to part ways. It was quite obviously me, not him.

However, the key concept of reducing carb consumption never left me, and with my friend’s help and guidance I gradually eliminated / reduced carbohydrates and processed foods in all forms over time. Over the next 4 years in fact.

However, having considered how much disruption PCOS was causing to all facets of my life, things were at a cliff edge, I was at a cliff edge. I had to do something. Despite bringing my HbA1C levels to a normal range, I was still experiencing soul crushing depression and exhaustion. I knew most of it was not purely emotional. I had to tackle the physical elements of it which I truly believed would alleviate most, if not all my mental angst, depression and sheer exhaustion. Many on my mum and dad’s side have died from cardiovascular complications. I have a 9 year old daughter for whom I would like a long, healthy and happy life. What more reasons do I need to make a change for the better?

I felt like I was seeing things with more clarity, intensity and urgency.

The Keto Coder and I have (and continue to) discussed endlessly the possibilities, the how-to’s and the benefits and cautions of a keto diet. What struck me most (and which hadn’t really occurred to me till now, strangely) was how the keto diet had the potential to limit insulin spikes and this, as a PCOS sufferer, felt crucial. With the added bonus that a ketogenic diet may be reparative for the body, I was sold. I welcomed Mr. Ketogenic Diet back into my wide open arms. Such relationships take time, but things have been challenging, rewarding and magical ever since.


And so…

This is my ketogenic journey back to health, youth and wellbeing. I am now 9 weeks into this journey. I am still experiencing the random swings and roundabouts of PCOS, but currently:

  • I am no longer taking Metformin (please note, this was a self imposed measure which I will discuss with my GP in due course).
  • I have lost 9kg (just under 20 lbs) over the last 3 months, since starting Couch to 5k and reintroduction of the ketogenic diet
  • I follow a standard ketogenic diet that is appropriate for my body composition.
  • I meditate regularly
  • This morning, I completed the Couch to 5k program
Yay me! This is a big deal for a novice runner like me.
  • I am much happier, thoughts clearer and generally much more positive about life.

I have an Instagram account @beyond_my_everest that I use to keep myself accountable. If any of what I have written about above rings true for you, do follow me and I’ll share as much as I can about my journey. I’m happy to take away your comments and feedback to develop my progress.

I see this as a lifestyle change, one which seems to be suiting me well.

The keto life is good to me (and damn tasty).

Next…

I am planning to take this biohack lifestyle to the next level of quantification. Primarily:

  • Ketone tracking with a ketone meter
  • Stricter adherence to keto macros split (I’ve been good, but I’m not a robot)
  • Stepping up the fitness training to incorporate strength and toning exercises.

I’m finally feeling excited about the future :)

)

Archana Ambily

Written by

I work in science. Dabbling in writing. Interested in migrant food stories from Kerala. I muse generally too. https://www.instagram.com/spicecoastkerala/

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