Why I Keto
Hey all! I am quite excited for this post. Today I will be telling you all about the Ketogenic diet what it is, why I started, how long I’ve been into it and why it is perfect for me. Although I would really like to start by saying I’m not a huge fan of the word diet. Because this word has almost become a red flag. Oh no this person is on a diet, I wonder how long that lasts. It makes it seem like a fad, a temporary solution, but this is more of a lifestyle. Yes some people use it as a quick solution for fast weight loss but funny story once you stop you gain it back. In many cases though not everyone does. Lifestyle not temporary solution. Alright rant over moving on.
What is the Ketogenic diet (lifestyle)? Well I think the best way to describe it is as a macro based diet. Macros or macronutrients: Fat, Carbohydrates and Protein. With the keto diet you are focused on your macros, and keeping them in the ideal range to put your body into ketosis. Ketosis is when instead of using glucose for energy your liver is breaking down fat cells into fatty acids and ketones, which the body can then use for energy. This is very efficient because the ketones do not effect the blood glucose level so insulin, the hormone that not only regulates blood sugar levels but can also tell the body to store fat, levels are kept low. When blood glucose and insulin levels are kept low there isn’t a rolling hunger that you go through. If you eat something high in carbs or processed sugars it spikes your blood glucose so insulin comes in and get rid of the access glucose, then you feel hungry (or hAngry) all over again. With ketones you stay more level. What could be better then that? Consistent energy and burning fat stores, yes please! The generic ideal macro levels are roughly 70% Fat, 25% protein and 5% Carbs.
If you are aiming for weight/fat loss you generally want to stay at or below 20 grams of carbs of day. This is a very good way to keep blood glucose low and to encourage your body to be in ketosis. When you aim to maintain the amounts are slightly different. There are many calculators out there to find the ideal macro percentages for individuals.
Moving on to why I started. I had been trying to lose weight for two years, or after I gave birth to my second son. Nothing seemed to work, I ate “healthy”, I cut calories, I exercised I kept in motion. But unfortunately I remained at the same weight. On a trip to see my doctor I talked to him about my troubles and how discouraged and upset I was about them. He suggested Keto. It’s the lifestyle he chooses so he was very passionate about it. At first I was unsure. How could so much fat be ok? How can making these small changes make such a big difference? So of course I went home and I did some research, I saw many keto success stories and before and after photos so I thought why not? I’ve tried many other things maybe this will work. I then did some more research made some lists, decided on a rough meal plan and found an app to track my macros. At first it was a bit hard I couldn’t seem to get enough fat in and I was always going over calories and eating too much protein. So more research. I found Keto coffee, or bulletproof coffee or butter coffee whatever you want to call it. Now my morning coffee just about solved my low fat problem, and made my mornings better. Also I started actually using my kitchen scale and weighing my portions. I’m still learning and still trying different things but its gotten a lot easier. I’ve also decided that I will remain keto it’s not a temporary solution but MY chosen lifestyle.
I’ve been Keto for over a month now and it’s the best I’ve felt in a long time. My head feels clear, my hunger is under control. I don’t feel randomly hungry which has been great because then I’m not snacking here and there. This has helped bring my calorie count down a lot. True I do have to still pay close attention to what I eat and make adjustments here and there. I still have many things to try and ways to find to improve or have foods that I want in a way that doesn’t throw off my body. It’s quite exciting for me to think about. I’m still early on in my journey to a better me, but the important parts is that I’m on the journey. When I started I was 170 pounds, as of my last weigh in I am 156. I still have 16 pounds to go to reach my goal but it really has become much more than the number. I have a lot of shaping and work to do but I am excited to finally be moving forward. After two years I am finally seeing results from my efforts.
So far I am all about keto. I am bonkers for the coffee, I like it several different ways. I really like the foods I’ve been eating. To be honest some of the things are things that I should not eat as much of and I’m slowly working on replacing things. Sausage for instance. It is super tasty and easy but it has too much fat and is too processed there are many better options. Also sometimes cheese is just too tasty. I’ve cut back on that quite a bit though. There are many things that would make Keto seem like it would be hard to maintain, such as the counting carbs and no processed sugars. Really thought, once you get rolling you don’t really miss those things. Which being out the other side is pretty great. I don’t feel like I want to eat pizza and bread by the loaf or anything like that. I don’t constantly feel like I want sweets. Its wonderful when someone offers you something and you can genuinely say no, without feeling like you’re punishing yourself.
All of this together is why keto is perfect for me I love the food and how I feel and of course the progress I’ve been seeing. Nothing makes people happier than getting results for their efforts. Yes many of us want instant results unfortunately that’s not how most of life works especially when trying to lose weight and change your body or lifestyle. But there is something that will work for everybody and its true that Keto is not the end all be all for everyone, nor am I trying to say it is. All I know is that it works for me, and it’s something that I am excited for and passionate about.
I would love to know your thoughts! Have you tried keto? Have you heard about it but have questions? If you have tried Keto I’d love to know your favorite recipe or dish. Also I hope that you will click follow and keep up to date on all things crazy.
What is the Ketogenic diet (lifestyle)? Well I think the best way to describe it is as a macro based diet. Macros or macronutrients: Fat, Carbohydrates and Protein. With the keto diet you are focused on your macros, and keeping them in the ideal range to put your body into ketosis. Ketosis is when instead of using glucose for energy your liver is breaking down fat cells into fatty acids and ketones, which the body can then use for energy. This is very efficient because the ketones do not effect the blood glucose level so insulin, the hormone that not only regulates blood sugar levels but can also tell the body to store fat, levels are kept low. When blood glucose and insulin levels are kept low there isn’t a rolling hunger that you go through. If you eat something high in carbs or processed sugars it spikes your blood glucose so insulin comes in and get rid of the access glucose, then you feel hungry (or hAngry) all over again. With ketones you stay more level. What could be better then that? Consistent energy and burning fat stores, yes please! The generic ideal macro levels are roughly 70% Fat, 25% protein and 5% Carbs.
Moving on to why I started. I had been trying to lose weight for two years, or after I gave birth to my second son. Nothing seemed to work, I ate “healthy”, I cut calories, I exercised I kept in motion. But unfortunately I remained at the same weight. On a trip to see my doctor I talked to him about my troubles and how discouraged and upset I was about them. He suggested Keto. It’s the lifestyle he chooses so he was very passionate about it. At first I was unsure. How could so much fat be ok? How can making these small changes make such a big difference? So of course I went home and I did some research, I saw many keto success stories and before and after photos so I thought why not? I’ve tried many other things maybe this will work. I then did some more research made some lists, decided on a rough meal plan and found an app to track my macros. At first it was a bit hard I couldn’t seem to get enough fat in and I was always going over calories and eating too much protein. So more research. I found Keto coffee, or bulletproof coffee or butter coffee whatever you want to call it. Now my morning coffee just about solved my low fat problem, and made my mornings better. Also I started actually using my kitchen scale and weighing my portions. I’m still learning and still trying different things but its gotten a lot easier. I’ve also decided that I will remain keto it’s not a temporary solution but MY chosen lifestyle.
I’ve been Keto for over a month now and it’s the best I’ve felt in a long time. My head feels clear, my hunger is under control. I don’t feel randomly hungry which has been great because then I’m not snacking here and there. This has helped bring my calorie count down a lot. True I do have to still pay close attention to what I eat and make adjustments here and there. I still have many things to try and ways to find to improve or have foods that I want in a way that doesn’t throw off my body. It’s quite exciting for me to think about. I’m still early on in my journey to a better me, but the important parts is that I’m on the journey. When I started I was 170 pounds, as of my last weigh in I am 156. I still have 16 pounds to go to reach my goal but it really has become much more than the number. I have a lot of shaping and work to do but I am excited to finally be moving forward. After two years I am finally seeing results from my efforts.
So far I am all about keto. I am bonkers for the coffee, I like it several different ways. I really like the foods I’ve been eating. To be honest some of the things are things that I should not eat as much of and I’m slowly working on replacing things. Sausage for instance. It is super tasty and easy but it has too much fat and is too processed there are many better options. Also sometimes cheese is just too tasty. I’ve cut back on that quite a bit though. There are many things that would make Keto seem like it would be hard to maintain, such as the counting carbs and no processed sugars. Really thought, once you get rolling you don’t really miss those things. Which being out the other side is pretty great. I don’t feel like I want to eat pizza and bread by the loaf or anything like that. I don’t constantly feel like I want sweets. Its wonderful when someone offers you something and you can genuinely say no, without feeling like you’re punishing yourself.
All of this together is why keto is perfect for me I love the food and how I feel and of course the progress I’ve been seeing. Nothing makes people happier than getting results for their efforts. Yes many of us want instant results unfortunately that’s not how most of life works especially when trying to lose weight and change your body or lifestyle. But there is something that will work for everybody and its true that Keto is not the end all be all for everyone, nor am I trying to say it is. All I know is that it works for me, and it’s something that I am excited for and passionate about.
I would love to know your thoughts! Have you tried keto? Have you heard about it but have questions? If you have tried Keto I’d love to know your favorite recipe or dish. Also I hope that you will click follow and keep up to date on all things crazy.
I am so intrigued by keto! I know I have a sugar addiction and would love to break it and am so drawn to this lifestyle change. Plus, you had me at sausage and cheese. Are there a lot of quick recipes or are they mostly time consuming? I’m worried I’ll get discouraged by making two different dinners everyday.
ReplyDeleteThere is a ton of super quick recipes! A big goal of keto is to try and consume minimally processed foods so a lot of the meals I stick to are actually really quick to make. And meal prepping is the biggest lifesaver!
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