Let’s talk about diets [booo]. I’m not good at them and they are no fun. Growing up, I was blessed with a high metabolism so I could eat whatever I wanted as long as I worked out every once in a while [yes, thank you mom and dad]. Then I turned 30, and couldn’t eat a slice of cake without feeling like I drank a bottle of tequila the next morning…
So, here I was, new metabolism, new gut, what do I do? I tried Keto. It’s so popular, and people rave about it, so it can’t be that hard, right? I would figure out what foods don’t suit my body anymore (weirdly discovered I’m allergic to shrimp now) and would lose some weight while living off of charcuterie boards… here’s how it went:
What’s allowed
Low Carb, high fat. Lot’s of meats, cheeses, veggies, and a tiny bit of bread [count me out, bread and butter are life]. When partnered with intermittent fasting, you should enter a state of ketosis. The idea is to try to burn fat for fuel instead of the glucose from carbs which is your traditional energy source.
Your meals will consist of meat, fish, eggs, cheese, nuts, and low carb veggies. Also, load up on the butter, heavy cream, and EVOO. What you can eat is appealing but what you can’t eat is tough: sugary foods, starches, fruit, beans, root veggies (like potatoes), and alcohol.
What I ate
Here is the thing, like Oprah, I love bread [see… it’s not just me]. I knew that committing to this diet for a month was doable, and there were a lot of food options that I could choose from, but I didn’t realize how many foods have carbs. Fruit, beans, potatoes, ALCOHOL?! I knew that these were carbs, but didn’t realize how reliant I was on them in my diet. I had to get creative…
Cheese tortillas, kale chips, cauliflower rice, and kombucha came in clutch. Breakfast was easy – eggs and bacon or sausage. Chicken salad for lunch. Nuts and cheese for snacks. Meats and veggies for dinner. Sounds good, right?
How I felt
Hungry. Once I cut those carbs, I really felt like I needed to eat all day long to satiate myself. Bored. I felt like I was eating the same six meals alternating every week and I was craving something new. Left out. While Keto is doable while eating out, there is something about ordering a burger and then deconstructing it to only eat the insides that just feels unsatisfying. Failure. I definitely cheated – at least once a week [be honest… 1 times what?].
Skinnier. I lost weight quickly once I started the diet, so it definitely worked. Healthier. Though it was a short period of time, I felt really good about myself for eating a ton more veggies and a lot less pasta. Energetic. Not sure if it was the hunger or the fat burning fuel – but I was up earlier and moving productively through my days.
Moving forward
I really liked the diet. While it did feel a bit more restrictive than I imagined, the tools are very easy to integrate into your daily routine. I think that I will try to eat keto during the week and keep my weekends free for desserts moving forward in order to strike a bit of a balance and give myself more freedom. Hoping this will make my indulgences more enjoyable and at the same time, curb the cravings.
Have you tried the keto diet before? What did you think?
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