February was the month of the Ketogenic Diet and here are my thoughts on the experience...
POSITIVES:
1. It's awesome! For me. My body just runs better on fats than carbs. I felt so much better, it was shocking. I couldn't believe how much energy I had throughout the day and the mental clarity and ability to focus for long periods of time was noticeably improved.
2. Even though Keto is an extremely restrictive diet, it was WAY easier for me to follow than last month doing a vegetarian diet.
3. My food cravings are completely gone!
4. I kicked a sugar addiction I didn't even know I had.
5. I went from being hungry all the time to hardly ever being hungry and just eating when I needed to.
6. I leaned out quite a bit and lost the weight I gained (and then some) from the previous vegetarian month. About 4-5 lbs.
7. Fat tastes good and keeps you full! You can eat so many delicious foods and eating out was easier and more enjoyable also.
8. I eat way less volume of food because of the higher caloric intake from fat.
9. I never felt bloated or extremely full. In fact, I always felt "empty" like during fasts. Speaking of which, I also incorporated intermittent fasting this month because my body naturally gravitated towards a 16/8 eating schedule.
10. Coffee is still the best thing ever and I don't need to sweeten it anymore. Hallelujah!
1. It's awesome! For me. My body just runs better on fats than carbs. I felt so much better, it was shocking. I couldn't believe how much energy I had throughout the day and the mental clarity and ability to focus for long periods of time was noticeably improved.
2. Even though Keto is an extremely restrictive diet, it was WAY easier for me to follow than last month doing a vegetarian diet.
3. My food cravings are completely gone!
4. I kicked a sugar addiction I didn't even know I had.
5. I went from being hungry all the time to hardly ever being hungry and just eating when I needed to.
6. I leaned out quite a bit and lost the weight I gained (and then some) from the previous vegetarian month. About 4-5 lbs.
7. Fat tastes good and keeps you full! You can eat so many delicious foods and eating out was easier and more enjoyable also.
8. I eat way less volume of food because of the higher caloric intake from fat.
9. I never felt bloated or extremely full. In fact, I always felt "empty" like during fasts. Speaking of which, I also incorporated intermittent fasting this month because my body naturally gravitated towards a 16/8 eating schedule.
10. Coffee is still the best thing ever and I don't need to sweeten it anymore. Hallelujah!
NEGATIVES:
1. Keto is NOT for everyone. In fact, it can be dangerous for some people to make the switch too quickly. If you have diabetes, high blood sugar, are pre-diabetic or taking certain medications, you'd want to consult with your doctor before ever attempting this. I would recommend a gradual shift for most people.
Every body is different, it's about finding what works for you. Some people thrive on a higher carb vegetarian diet. I didn't. Some people tolerate carbs better than others. I don't.
2. It is an extremely strict and regimented diet and you can not cheat at all, otherwise you get knocked out of ketosis.
3. You can't drink alcohol. Although I had no desire to, which was interesting.
4. I had difficulty sleeping for a few nights, not sure if it was because of my increased energy or because I caught a cold. No problems now.
5. You absolutely have to supplement on this diet because you can't get all of your vitamins and micronutrients from the little amount of carbs you can eat. Without a variety of fruits and vegetables, there's no way your'e getting all of your nutrients, so supplementing is a must! I did eat plenty of leafy greens, but supplemented to fill in the gaps with vitamin and mineral supplements.
6. Endurance athletes can thrive on Keto, but I'm not convinced it's best for high intensity exercise. I'm going to play around with carb cycling once I get back to training full time again.
1. Keto is NOT for everyone. In fact, it can be dangerous for some people to make the switch too quickly. If you have diabetes, high blood sugar, are pre-diabetic or taking certain medications, you'd want to consult with your doctor before ever attempting this. I would recommend a gradual shift for most people.
Every body is different, it's about finding what works for you. Some people thrive on a higher carb vegetarian diet. I didn't. Some people tolerate carbs better than others. I don't.
2. It is an extremely strict and regimented diet and you can not cheat at all, otherwise you get knocked out of ketosis.
3. You can't drink alcohol. Although I had no desire to, which was interesting.
4. I had difficulty sleeping for a few nights, not sure if it was because of my increased energy or because I caught a cold. No problems now.
5. You absolutely have to supplement on this diet because you can't get all of your vitamins and micronutrients from the little amount of carbs you can eat. Without a variety of fruits and vegetables, there's no way your'e getting all of your nutrients, so supplementing is a must! I did eat plenty of leafy greens, but supplemented to fill in the gaps with vitamin and mineral supplements.
6. Endurance athletes can thrive on Keto, but I'm not convinced it's best for high intensity exercise. I'm going to play around with carb cycling once I get back to training full time again.
So where do I go from here? Well, my plan was to try something different each month, but because I felt so amazing on Keto, I'm going to keep it going! I will do some carb cycling around workouts and see how that goes. I'm also curious what a "cheat day" will do, so I'm sure that's going to happen at some point.
The adventure continues!
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