What I learned from one month of Keto
The really real story of a ketogenic dieter
I am 45 years old and pretty healthy overall — but persistently “overweight” and unhappy with my body.
It has felt like I always have to try so hard to lose weight, or even to not gain weight. I’m always worried about it but seldom getting results. Just “eating healthy most of the time” had been my lifestyle — but I was slowly gaining weight. The truth is — my diet had a lot of sugars and treats in it. I couldn’t consistently deliver a healthy diet in real life.
I’ve tried the ketogenic diet before, about two years ago, for six months — and had good results. I decided to try keto again — mostly because I had no idea what else to try.
But something is different this time. I am different this time. This time I did not committ to “TRY” keto. This time I decided to do afull 365 days of keto.
This might sound hard core, but there is still tons of room for experimentation and potential confusion. The ketogenic lifestyle has more variations and flavors than a Baskin Robbins (bad reference, I know). I am trying to find the right version FOR ME.
Here’s how it looks.
My “before” pictures — December 30, 2017:
My current results — January 31, 2018:
So, here is what is working for ME in month one — of a one year quest.
1. Have a plan. Make it specific.
I mapped out a plan in my bullet journal, with specific daily goals and targets. This gave me something to keep me accountable day by day and to not lose focus.
I took “before” pictures. I took “before” measurements. I have a plan and I want to measure it. Because I know that what I measure is what I accomplish.
2. Log all my macros (at first).
It’s amazing what I don’t know about the macro components of foods I eat all the time. So, for the first month I committed to enter ALL my food in my fitness pal every single day. And I learned what my patterns look like.
3. Use social media as my community and inspiration.
Since I’m the only person I know in real life who is going full kilt keto — it seemed obvious that I needed a community.
I created a new instagram account JUST for this project and posted all my pictures and stats. I used that account to follow a bunch of people who are also obsessed with keto. Some of the people I follow are “experts” with loads of followers. Some are relative newbies like me. This gives me a tribe to support me. I get loads of inspiration from looking back through the feeds of others and seeing their slow but steady results.
By the way — I find I don’t enjoy all the food posts. I tend to prefer personal story posts and of course — the before and after picture posts. That’s just my jam.
4. Don’t try to make “keto friendly” versions of non-keto foods like desserts and breads.
All the social media accounts with recipes for these foods seemed interesting at first — so I tried a few.
Meh. They weren’t good enough to make me feel like I was having the real thing and they kept me “feeling” like I was supposed to still try to have those things.
So I just stopped. For now (early on my journey) I am focusing on the basics: healthy fats, high quality proteins, lots of vegetables for my carbs. No need to recreate foods that used to be my downfall. And right now, I don’t miss them.
5. Eat when and if I’m hungry — always. No starvation allowed.
I’ve found that I like doing Intermittent Fasting (IF) in about a 18/6 pattern most days. It’s simple and requires no willpower on my part.
Except when it does.
Some days I just feel HUNGRY. So I eat. I eat something fatty and healthy and call it done. I will eat an avocado and an egg. I will eat some high fat low sugar yogurt. I will eat some high fat cottage cheese and some sopressetta. Then I’m fine again.
I will not push through feeling hungry if healthy food is available. Its a new rule.
6. Don’t eat when I’m not hungry.
And — even if other people are eating. Even if it is totally keto friendly food, I don’t eat when I’m not hungry.
Sometimes I need to check myself here — because with my insulin so stable, I almost never feel HUNGRY. If I’m not sure if I’m hungry — I’ll try a little bit of the healthy thing. If I feel hungry after trying it — then I eat it. If I still don’t feel hungry — I don’t.
7. Simple Pleasures Matter
I love the simple things that make me feel normal.
- Starbucks blond latte with heavy cream with I’m travelling and can’t make my own fatty coffee.
- Dry Farm Wines for low carb, additive free hangout with friends.
- A hot bath and a great book.
8. Eating keto while travelling is possible.
I travel often and I was a bit apprehensive about staying on track on the road. I have learned to READ menus and labels closely. I have learned to look things up (on my fitness pal) before I eat them.
I buy snacks at whole foods. I bring my own snacks for the plane. I have supplements and oddiments with me. I plan and I execute. It works.
9. Stop focusing on the scale. Only weigh in once a week.
Weekly weigh in is Monday morning. Sometimes I want to check the scale between weigh ins and whenver I do it makes me crazy.
This journey is not really about the scale. Yes, the scale motivates me. yes, the scale is the most concrete feedback source I have. BUT — I know that the scale is a poor measurement of my health.
So I weigh in once a week. Sometimes it is slow. Sometimes it jumps around. I keep it in perspective and carry on with my plan.
10. Focus on the long game instead of the short.
The best mantra for this journey has been to keep in mind that this is a long game. This isnt even agame really. this is a lifestyle. Lifestyles that work last forever — if I want them to keep working.
Our culture has taught me some bad habits about “dieting” and I sometimes revert to that kind of thinking.This isn’t a diet. This is a life plan. I expect to stay on this journey even after the 365 days are up. It’s not about the scale or fittinging into a certain size clothes. This is about regaining a health relationshsip with food and with myy body.
For years I have been vacillating between shame and scorn of myself and my body or sticking my head in the sand to ignore it.
I don’t want shame or ignorance anymore. I want health.
