And why I am now an advocate
I am a sugar addict. Correction…I used to be a sugar addict. Since I went on a Keto diet, I no longer crave it. I have always been outdoorsy and physically active and did my best to eat well. But if there’s one habit I have never been able to kick till now, it’s definitely my sugar cravings. I still remember as a kid looking through every nook and cranny of the house searching for candy boxes my parents would stash. You wouldn’t believe how creative they got. And once I’ve found them, I rarely left much in my wake.
I can’t count how many times I’ve tried to say no to sugar or at least limit my intake. I probably made that resolution every single year. Who am I kidding?! I’d make it at least every other month. HA!
And I would have a pretty good go of it for a while. Sometimes it would take weeks, sometimes months, but without a doubt, I would always end up right where I started. Typically after a short sugar binge. Which made me super sick (btw, don’t do that…yuck!) and the cycle continued. I feel like that is a pretty typical experience.
Over the years I’ve sought out dozens of low carb meal plans, grocery lists, and recipes. I have read at least half a dozen books, became a regular on several dozen forums, and poured over studies. Such a geek, I know!
I have done the Whole 30 (Not a fan!), I have even done the Protein Sparing Modified Fast (PSMF) at least twice. That last one worked at least to shed weight fast. But the sugar cravings never went away.
Then, one day I was reading a blog post by someone I’ve been following for a few years and I saw her mention the Ketogenic Diet. She got her pre-baby body back within a few months and credited the keto diet with it. At this point, I was nursing a baby and going back to work. The timing wasn’t right, but I decided that once I stop breastfeeding, I will give this diet a try. So I put it in the back of my mind. During this time I kept researching the keto diet and lifestyle and its many touted benefits.
A bit over a year later I decided it was now time for a change. I wanted to become serious about a lifestyle change which included limiting my sugar intake. After all, I have never heard of a doctor or a study that encouraged sugar consumption. I armed myself with resolve, carefully planned out my meals and dove head first into this thing.
Here is how I felt on the Keto diet
Within a few days, I remember feeling very low energy which I expected. This feeling is called the ketogenic flu, which is a signal that your body is actually going through an adaptation period. More importantly, however, within a few
Some other changes I noticed
To add to this, I feel like my skin texture and overall appearance has improved; I have way more energy for my workouts and throughout the day; I no longer have the dreaded 2 o’clock energy slump. And I lost some weight in the process (Bonus points!)
I will be writing a more detailed post going into the science behind the Keto Diet later on. For now, if you are interested in learning more about how it works, I will link a few good resources I have found during my research below. I also wrote a post on my favorite easy keto snacks for when I’m on-the-go. Go ahead and read that next if you need ideas as you embark on this lifestyle change.
Have you tried this diet? Did you love it, hate it, and why? Leave a comment and let me know! As always thanks for reading! xo Marina
Links:
- The Definitive Guide to Keto by Mark’s Daily Apple I love Mark’s sometimes easy-to-follow and sometimes deep-into-the-science explanations for how ketosis works.
- Ketogenic Dieting: Frequently Asked Questions by Bodybuilding.com This is a pretty great article. I particularly enjoy going through the vast number of studies linked at the end. There’s th geek in me peeking through again!
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