Keto Observations (Top 5)

A few things I have noticed and wanted to share:
I kicked off KETO on November 4th 

1. I didn't lose much weight the first week.  It actually was surprising enough to give me pause and make me doubt the path I was on. 

KETO to me was like the holy grail of lifestyles - some diet nirvana that once attained would make you look like a 6" ft tall / 120 lbs Pilates Instructor. Maybe that's more of a week 4 thing ... will report back.  

I do think KETO comes with high expectations which are often justified but they should be tempered by realistic expectations as well.  I have spent most every day of every month of every year of every decade dieting, to various extents.  I have to think my metabolism would file charges against me if it were able.  Thankfully it's not.

15 days in, I am consistently losing weight nearly every day.  The loss can range from .5 to 1.5 which is amazing.  My current run rate is about 5 lbs a week.  Know that when I built my daily macros I wanted to be at a 25% deficit - with each loss milestone I'll adjust my macros.  My goal is to realign my macros as I navigate this journey and find that perfect balance of maintaining where I'm most comfortable.

Right now, it made sense for me to be most restrictive as I'm at the start of the weight loss journey.  By the time I hit my goal weigh my macros will look very different than they do today. I don't have a ton to lose so I'm not in a rush as I'm trying to make lifelong changes.  

2. I'm also finding that Ketosis is often confused with ketoacidosis.  Several people have shared that I'm doing "tremendous harm" by being KETO which is simply not the case.

Ketoacidosis is a dangerous condition for diabetics in particular. However what makes it so incredibly dangerous is ACID not the ketones per se.  Ketones are produced by the liver and operate as a very efficient fuel for the body.  They sort of take over when there isn't enough glucose.  As I understand it, when your glucose levels become depleted / low enough your liver takes notice and converts oodles of stored fatty acids into Ketone bodies that become your primary source of fuel.  Thanks Liver!!

3. All cravings are gone now ... what I want to eat has shifted.  I think on low fat diets all I think about are the things I can't have.  It was always about beating my cravings into submission until I'd go bananas one day and eat 2 cupcakes.  Then I'd feel like shit, my stomach would hurt, I'd feel guilty, etc.  KETO has broken that cycle for me because I'm eating such rich foods, my body doesn't feel deprived.  

I'm in a FB group with some girlfriends of mine - who are all trying to lose weight and the cycle is the same for every single member: amazing week / horrible week / back on track / OMG I ate 2 bagels / sort of on track / I just ate a snickers dipped in peanut butter / off the rails / no hope left in humanity / the world is ending / **Start Over**  / amazing week / horrible week / back on track / off the rails / shame silence / **Start Over**  ....

Wildly supportive group of woman - amazing woman who are all strong and beautiful and perfect the way they are.  But we're struggling.  The thing is, it's not just me or you ... it's this cycle of trying to deprive ourselves into "healthly" which has proven to not work over and over again.

This was my life for the last 30 years.  I actually once said "Oh no, I'm full - I just ate 6 grapes".  Believe when Is say KETO is fairly life changing on so so many levels.

4.  There is such a thing as too much protein.  I think the first time I did what I thought was KETO was me just eating a shit ton of Protein and not enough fat and it didn't work.  So I abandoned it after I gained nearly 5 lbs.  What I didn't realize is, excessive protein actually converts to carbohydrates though a process called gluconeogensis ... who knew that?  Well clearly a ton of people but I wasn't one of them.  

5. I'm never hungry & I don't snack any longer.  I eat 3 meals a day with one small snack usually between Lunch & Dinner and that's all I want.   I eat less often and need smaller portions because I stay full & satisfied longer.  It's really rather remarkable on so many levels as I'm someone who loves (loved) to snack - I celebrated with snacks ... I celebrated my snacks with snacks.  I just don't have much desire to snack at all now.  I celebrate in other ways.

That's what I know / have experienced thus far.
I went to the TwentyOne Pilots concert tonight with my son and I didn't even have a stadium snack.  I just enjoyed being out with Finn having the most fun I have had in years.  What an amazing evening.  More on that ... and more on my KETO journey as it progresses!!

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