I have had so many of you ask if I was still eating Keto, why I stopped, why I was eating more carbs now, & what my plan is going forward that I felt like it’d be easier to address all of your questions in a blog post.
I hope this is helpful! For those of you who are new to this conversation, read HERE to find out why I started following a ketogenic way of eating in the first place, and HERE to read a little bit more about the journey as I went through it.
So a few things.
- I am not a believer in fad diets. I have mentioned this about a million times. I believe in moderation. I believe in a healthy lifestyle. So, when I found out I was having insulin resistance problems, and my doctor suggested I work with a dietician to follow a ketogenic diet I was highly skeptical. However, after a LOT of research it actually made some solid sense to me, so I dove in. I was in this for a lifestyle change. I was in this to improve my health.
- I learned a LOT while following this way of eating. I learned a lot about how my body reacted toward certain foods, about insulin levels in the body, and about what is IN a lot of food.
- I did have success following a ketogenic diet. Part of the reason I went to the doctor in the first place was to figure out why I was putting on excess body fat for no reason at all.
- I enjoyed a different food palate. It was kind of fun to explore a new way of eating. I was eating cheese? What?
- I believe in the ketogenic lifestyle. I still have clients that are following this way of eating, and having amazing success. It works…ESPECIALLY for those who have PCOS, excess body fat, insulin resistance issues, are pre diabetic, etc.
- Following a keto way of eating is an ALL in situation. If you want this to work for you, you have to be all in. In order to keep your insulin levels down, & ketones up, you can’t cheat all the time. It just doesn’t work that way.
So…all of this being said…why did I stop eating this way? Well, let me tell you…
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I haven’t tried a ketogenic diet, but I recently did the Whole30 plan and was so disappointed when I didn’t have the same results other people seemed to experience. I felt so foggy and like my brain was running slow from weeks 2-4. Did your body feel different during your keto-streak, even though you didn’t get the overall results you wanted?
I actually felt really good while I was eating keto. It is fairly typical for people to feel sluggish during the first 1-2 weeks of eating keto, just as your body is detoxing from the carbohydrates. However, then your body begins to adapt to utilizing fat as fuel. I am not sure if you were feeling that due to the same thing, and you might have overcome that had you continued it? One major thing i’ve learned is that I feel like the body responds well to having one macro as a primary source of fuel. So – with keto it’s fat. If you are just eating low carb and not getting enough fat or protein as your main source of energy…the body will feel crappy. Does that make sense?
This is a great post and I can also relate to this. I’d gained 5-10 pounds for no reason, and the more I worked out/restricted, the worse it got. I would especially notice my legs and arms holding onto water. Over the past year, I’ve changed my workouts and eating habits, being easier on my body and adding more calories/healthy fats, and my body is slowly letting go of the extra weight. If my body feels extra sore, I will go for a walk and relax. And, by the way, I think you look fantastic!
Thank you Robin! You are so kind! It is crazy how our bodies are so temperamental sometimes… right? BUT, I’m so glad you’re feeling like your body is responding. That is exactly how it should be!!! 🙂 Thanks for your kind comment! xoxoxo
I’m going through the exact same things! 1200 cal for years and highly active. After a traumatic injury that stopped me from running i totally hit an energetic wall. Even though I remained super active, my body holds on to every bit of calories. I’m working to up my calories but when I go above 1400-1500 I gain 1lbs a week. I’m trying to let my body find a safe new set point but man, so frustrating. I feel like I’ve lost touch with my inner athlete
And there is nothing more frustrating than that!! ugh. I hope that you get it figured out girl!!
Curious what your macros were. Most people think a ketogenic diet is a “high” fat diet when in fact ketosis has zero to do with fat intake. I also see you were “chasing ketones and not results”, a popular phrase in the keto world. Another possible reason. Also after a long time being fat adapted you will not show high ketone readings and this is a good thing. I am doing this for ages and I hardly get over 0.6 even after a 24hr fast. That is NOT a bad thing…its a good thing. Also…I see too many people eating way too much fat on keto (I have been keto since the mid 1990’s) and once they drop the fat intake and up protein they start losing fat again. remember ONLY carb restriction matters NOT fat intake unless you are epileptic. So I am curious if you could tell me what your macros were? Any good luck with whatever diet you choose as the BEST diet is the one you can follow 🙂
Sorry i forgot to add. You may have done well with a cyclical ketogenic diet with weekly or bi-weekly carb days and that is what I do and with this method you never stall and no issues with t4-t3 conversion, metabolic slowdown, no leptin issues or other hormonal problems that you maybe had experienced?
You have been doing it since 1990? Wow, that is amazing. My carb intake was below 20 grams per day. I always focused on that, & from there worked my meals around low carb veggies & protein. I wouldn’t have been as worried about my ketones if I would have been losing body fat, but in checking that weekly as well it wasn’t budging. I implemented carb cycling, tried increasing my protein for periods of time, & also had all of my hormone levels checked. For the most part (aside from the cyclical carb + protein implementation) I usually aimed for 5% carbs, 20-25% protein, & the rest fat.
I was wondering where you stand on coconut oil and MCTs. I remember them being a significant part of plans you referenced earlier, but it seems the nutrition research is starting to demonstrate little benefit -> some adverse effects from high levels of consumption of any saturated fats, even those from plants. Would love to hear your thoughts!
Also yes, this is my real name, not a spammer 🙂
I think that they are a great fat source. I know some recent articles have come out claiming that they are not a good source of fat, BUT I think that people who would say that are likely to be eating excess fat+sugar+overall caloric intake which is the actual problem. You could honestly find articles/studies that argue both ways, which makes finding a true answer hard. However, from all the research i’ve done I think it’s great!
Have you read anything from The Metabolic Effect? They wrote “Lose Weight Here” and a couple of other books – its life changing and they explain a ton about hormones, dieting, etc. that I did not know and explain why eating strictly/exercising regularly can actually be detrimental to weight loss. I can’t recommend it enough.
Sounds awesome! I will have to check it out!! Thanks Shannon! xoxoxo
Do you have any recs for a great nutritionist in SLC? I struggle with several of the things you listed and am wondering if it might be beneficial for me to try a ketogenic diet.
I don’t, but I work with clients long distance if you are interested!