Keto: One Year Later

In January of 2017 I started on a ketogenic lifestyle journey. One year later I reflect on my experience

If I’m being honest when my wife proposed the ketogenic “diet” to me last January, the only reason I agreed was because bacon was on the list of allowed foods.

If you browse through Instagram profiles of men on keto you’ll see a plethora of bacon, steak, cheese and ground beef recipes. So heck yeah. Sign me up for that right???

The ketogenic diet is basically a low carb high fat diet, which will place your body into ketosis. Ketosis is the process where your body is breaking down fat particles to use for fuel rather than using readily available carbohydrates. That is a very basic and unscientific explanation, but Dr Joseph Mercola has a great explanation here.

I started out keeping my daily carb intake to around 20g of Net carbs. The macro ratios I maintained were as follows:

• 5% – Carbohydrates
• 30% – Protein
• 60% – Fat

One of the hardest mindsets to get over has been that fat is bad for you. Now those guys that are eating copious amounts of bacon and calling it keto are probably not doing much for their heart health, so you do need to pay attention to what kind of fats you’re consuming.

I get most of my fat content from eggs, avocados, coconut oil, butter and cream. These fats fill me up and make me feel satiated. Don’t get me wrong, I do like my bacon though.

Fast forward 6 months and I was able to drop 45 lbs and was down to 15% body fat. Not only had I dropped weight, but my energy levels were steady and I was sleeping much better.

If there was anything that was a struggle it was making sure that I ate enough during the day. I find that I’m not overly hungry and can simply forget to eat sometimes.

Previously, if I went more than a couple of hours without food my blood sugars would drop and I’d be a cranky mess. Now I don’t feel like a slave to food anymore.

One thing I found early on is that unless you’re prepared ahead of time, you’re gonna go way off the rails. This isn’t unique to a Ketogenic lifestyle though, so it’s always a good idea to meal prep.

When you’re desperate for a quick snack it’s very easy to reach for something that’s pre packaged and full of carbs.

I love eggs, so they have always been a quick go to for me. Boil a bunch up and have them in the fridge to throw in a salad, or mixed up with some mayo and green onions for egg salad.

I completely stopped eating Keto over the holidays and was shocked to get on the scales on January 1st and discover that I had gained half my weight back.

This month has been hard getting back on track, and I can promise you the weight has not fallen off as I put it back on.

For me the Keto lifestyle will most likely be a life long way of eating, but it is not for everyone. If you have special dietary needs, you should seek out a medical opinion first.

Listen to your body and do what works for you.

Dropping weight and getting healthier is not only about food. Moving your body will accelerate any kind of weight loss. Regular exercise will also help you sleep better, improve your cardiovascular health and let’s face it, you’ll look much better too!

I love talking about this way of eating(and oils), so ask any questions you want and I’ll be glad to chat.

You can comment below, reach out through Facebook or email.