Hey get it…Skinny? HA!
Okay, I’ve had a lot of friends and coworkers asking what I’m doing. So I figured I’d do a blog post, and put it all in one place for ya’ll. I’m in NO WAY an expert on this, and I’m still learning myself…but here’s what I’ve been doing, and I’ve had good results so far.
Results- 20ish lbs in under 2 months. Down 2 sizes. Off all diabetic medication, blood pressure medication removed and lowered (was on a mix with hctz, the hctz has been removed). Thicker hair, nicer skin, more energy. When you get sick, you don’t get as sick as usual.
Diet Name- Keto, Ketogenic, or Atkins, though Keto and Atkins are different.
What it means- Ketosis is when the body burns fat for energy. On this diet, our body stops using carbs for energy, and turns to our fat stores.
Basics- Remain under 20 carbs per day during the first two weeks of the diet. Cut all as much processed food as you can. Eat as much organic as you can (although my wallet can’t handle it). Eat no grain. Eat no sugar. Eat no fruit.
After the first two weeks, some people can raise their carb intake to 50. Some people can add in berries and other fruit.
Pretty much read every damn label, and google everything you eat… “How many carbs does a …….. have?”
If something has over 3 carbs per serving, I try to avoid it.
You eat fat, lots of delicious fat. I honestly don’t keep track of mine, but it’s suppose to make up a large portion of your diet. You need to stick to natural fats, like butter, bacon, avocado, olive oil, coconut oil (which honestly I can’t stand anymore).
People will talk about Net Carbs vs. Carbs. During the first two weeks “induction” I stayed under 20 grams. Now, I weigh what makes up the carbs and make a choice from there….Net Carbs are…. Carbs – Fiber – Sugar Alcohol (NOT SUGAR, Sugar alcohol, which is usually just found in sugar free products). Now, when looking at a nutrition label, under CARBS will Be FIber, Sugar, and then Sugar Alcohol if it’s in there…. If a product is made up of mostly fiber, I’ll think about eating it, because the Net carbs would be low….but if it’s made up of sugar, I avoid it. Sugar Alcohols are a grey area for me. I try and stay away from them, because they can cause you to stall…they can also cause you to poop. A lot.
So, what have I been eating?
Eggs, Bacon, Mayo, Pork Rinds, Steak, Chicken, Pork, Sausage, Cheese, Almond Milk, Coffee, Tea, Salads, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Chives, Tomato, Avocado, Heavy Cream, Sugar Free Jello, Cream Cheese, Summer Sausage, flavored waters, sour cream….I made pancakes the other night with protein powder…I eat a lot of pickles.
There are SO many recipes out there, honestly this way of eating is very easy. Yes, it’s a pain to give up sugar and wheat…but honestly you won’t miss them. If you get desperate, and you don’t have a wheat sensitivity like I do, you can order things like Carb Quick, which will let you make low carb goodies like bread, pancakes, muffins, etc.
When I first started, I had what they call Bullet Proof Coffee every morning to help keep me full…these days I’m in the phase where I just don’t want to eat anything…which sucks…so I haven’t been making it, but I digress… It’s coffee, heavy cream, 1tbs butter, and sweetener (I use equal). I use to put coconut oil in it, but I can’t stand the taste anymore of it. I would also add protein powder in the beginning, and throw it in the blender to make a frothy coffee smoothie.
A lot of this is about meal prep. Have a plan, it makes things more simple. If you don’t plan ahead, you can still eat out if you need to. Fast food is easy, just get rid of the bun, side salad, and get either water or unsweet tea then use sweetener. Like today, I went to Arby’s for lunch. I had a Ruben, got rid of the bread and put the meat cheese and sauerkraut atop my side salad.
So, what’s the catch? Because you KNOW this diet works, you’ve seen me every day (assuming you’re a friend reading this…if not, I promise someday very soon I’ll post some pics). So, it’s too good to be true, right? Only a little…there are some cons…Here they are.
It’s expensive in our area. I’m not going to lie, my bill for 2 people a week to eat has gone from about 80 to 150. My fiance decided to join me on this diet because I was pretty much just cooking it nightly, so he had a choice to join or diet otherwise. It’s a lot of meat, and a lot of veggies, and a LOT of cheese. Cheese isn’t cheap. If I were back north, I’d shop at places like Aldi’s or Save a Lot. They’re just not around here, so it’s hard. I shop sales (like Publix for bacon, they have buy one get one sales), or I go to Wal-Mart early Sunday morning when they mark the meat down.
You’re going to feel like serious shit the first two weeks doing this. Some people go through it faster. I was so sick from the diabetes when I went through induction, I didn’t really notice any difference from the “Keto Flu” to what I was going through. You will feel lethargic, and cranky, and like shit, you may get headaches too and muscle pain. Once you’re through induction, you’ll feel a million years better. I promise, it’s worth it.
You need to drink a lot of water to keep the ketones flushed…which working in a place like Express Scripts isn’t the easiest thing to do.
You do need to eat, even when you don’t want to. And you have to get your fat in. On weeks I slack and don’t (like this week for example) you may gain a little, or not lose at all. We have to eat the fat to keep our bodies from eating our muscle…so eat the damn fat to burn the fat. (Google fat bombs)
You may poop a lot. All the fat keeps your intestines nice and lubed up, so be prepared for that.
You may not poop a lot…and this SUUUUUUUUCKS. Constipation is a struggle on this diet, and I’ve had it myself (TMI, sorry trying to be real). If I don’t take my magnesium supplement daily, I’ll get back upped, and then I have to spend the night with Miralax…and that sucks ass. It takes a week to get myself back to normal again and my stomach hurts the entire time.
Leg cramps suck. You’ll get them. Some people fight them with pickle juice, others with supplements.
Odds are you’re going to have to start taking a daily vitamin if you’re not already. I take a women’s multi, magnesium, and Vitamin D (unrelated to the diet).
Your hormones are going to get fucked up, even if you’re on the pill. I had my period twice this month. and I’m on the pill! So be prepared for that. When your body burns fat, it releases stored hormones in that fat, and it’s going to happen, and there’s not much you can do about it except deal with it, and know it’ll even it’s self out in a few months…fun fact, your fertility can go up too during this diet. Don’t worry, your birth control is still working, so don’t panic.
So that’s pretty much been my life for the last two months. It really is easy, don’y be scared by having to cook, or try new things. There’s so many fantastic recipes out there, all you have to do is search for them.
Do some more research about it, you’ve got the name and the basic info now. Make a choice for yourself, and I’m happy to help. It’s not for everyone, and sadly doesn’t work FOR everyone. If you’ve any sort of health condition that’s made worse by inflammation though, this is worth a try. It’s worth a try for hormonal conditions too (Hello like most of my friends have PCOS too.). Do the research, see if it’s right for you. Talk to your MD if you feel the need to.
Nadeau Caron 