What is Keto Diet?
Ok, so for those who don’t know what I’m talking about, the Ketogenic diet, also known as Keto for short, is a way of eating that aims to reboot your body’s metabolism by eating low carb meals.
Simply put, it is a diet full of fats and very low in carbohydrates. It’s an effective way to lose weight and improve metabolic health.
Eating very few carbs will make your body start using stored fat for energy instead of turning carbs into glucose (which is the usual source of energy consumption). This process is called “Ketosis”. You can read more about the Ketogenic diet here.
Why I chose Keto Diet?
My boyfriend has been eating Keto for years now and has worked perfectly for him. Due to his chronic disease, diabetes, he cannot have too many carbs (well if he does, his glucose levels will skyrocket, unfortunately). This makes the Ketogenic diet a good option for him to keep his glucose levels under control. So, naturally, learning about Keto and getting into it was quite easy for me.
Since we moved in together, there was no point in making two different meals every time we were eating, thus I started eating lots of free-carb meals as well.
At first, I didn’t take Keto seriously for myself. I was always indulging myself with regular chocolate, sourdough bread and other delicious things.
We were having LOTS of salads (we still are), but since I got a bit more interested in the Keto Diet, I began researching new recipes and Keto ingredients.
I was cooking and baking new Keto recipes as well as adapting my old recipes to the Keto style so my boyfriend can enjoy them as well. The wheat flour was subsidised with keto-friendly ones (almond flour, coconut flour, flaxseed flour, etc) and for the sweets cravings, I found baking with Erythritol to work best for us. Well, all in one, I was experimenting with transforming all the meals into carb-free.
After our move to Barcelona, I decided to go full-on Keto so that I lose a bit of weight and because it was less of a hassle with preparing meals. Started to eat clean, only approved Keto ingredients. The beloved regular chocolate was replaced by Keto chocolate or 100% cocoa choco. I had no bread at all (sob), no potatoes, rice, pasta, nor any fruits.
My Keto journey lasted 2 months until I decided that Keto diet is not exactly for me.
My Experience
The first days were a huge struggle. I could only think of chocolate, EVERY SINGLE MINUTE. I drank lots and lots of water to try to wash the cravings away. Also, I went for walks every time I was thinking of foods.
From the 2nd to the 7th day, people on Keto usually are experiencing Keto-Flu. I was lucky and had it only mildly. I had a headache and was a bit irritated (not sure if it was Keto-Flu or it could have been something else :)) If you are wondering what this Keto-Flu is, its symptoms include fogginess, headache, irritability, constipation, fatigue etc.
From around my second week, the benefits of the Keto diet have started to show off. You know the feeling after a meal when you get all sleepy and tired? Being on a low carb diet, you won’t have this experience anymore. I felt all energised and full of power, even after a big meal. I was ready to accomplish things and not to crash on the sofa like a potato and take a nap or be lazy all day long.
My thinking was crystal clear. I was able to process information much, much faster than before. The mind would focus on one thing without being distracted by other thoughts. Before Keto, my attention span was low. If I was starting to do one task, I was distracted either by thoughts or other things that I had to do after a couple of minutes. I was lost in my thoughts without making any progress at all. On Keto, my concentration was drastically improved.
Another benefit that I experienced with Keto Diet was that your sugary cravings are gone after some time, completely gone! I would pass by amazing looking cakes and I wouldn’t care at all.
Of course, I saw a bit of weight loss as well. I lost only 5kg. but it was the easiest weight loss ever. I didn’t miss any of my favourite foods since I could prepare everything as low carb. I would have Keto pizza, Keto cakes, Keto cookies, well, everything Keto made.
Why I quit Keto
My problem with Keto was the fatty foods. I know, I know, this diet is all about eating lots of fats! But in order to be satisfied with a meal, you would need to include either proteins or fats or even both. I was kind of grossed out by so much cheese and fatty foods. Eating proteins became a challenge for me as well since I began to be disgusted by meat.
I saw that eating lots of fats my skin would tend to have breakouts and my hair was getting more oily than usual. Although on the inside I was feeling great, my skin was suffering.
My main reason for quitting the Keto Diet was to improve my skin appearance, as well as my desire to eat more fruits as well as trying to avoid meat. The benefits of the Keto diet were amazing indeed, but it was just not exactly for me.
As long as you like cheese and proteins, this diet is for you. It is an easy diet to adapt to since there are tons of Keto recipes out there. Plus you can adapt your favourite meals as low carbs too.
If you are not sure about this diet, I suggest you try it and see how you feel and how your body reacts to it. After all, it is all about trying new things and finding what works best for you and your body.
