Photo by Brooke Lark
Experiment: Follow keto diet for at least 1 month. No cheat days.
What is this keto business, anyway?
The purpose of the ketogenic diet (aka “keto”) is achieving ketosis, a natural metabolic state in which your body doesn’t have enough carbs to use for energy so instead burns fat. Your liver turns this fat into ketones, an acid, that it sends to your bloodstream for energy. The way to achieve this fat-burning state is via a very low-carb, high-fat diet. Note the focus is not on restricting calories, just carbohydrates.
When you eat less than 50 grams of net carbs (Total Carbs – Fiber) per day, your body depletes its typical fuel—blood sugar—and breaks down fat and protein for energy. It can take 3-14 days to reach ketosis depending on your level of carb restriction and how your body reacts. My no-cheat-day policy will ensure I reach and remain in ketosis for the duration of the month.
Ok, so why…
- This falls under the category of experiments that I’ve been thinking about but intimidated by for a while now.
- The potential bennies are ample:
- Reduced inflammation – as someone who often gets leg cramps, this is a key motivator for me
- Enhanced cognitive functioning – you can get more out of that beautiful brain of yours
- Increased energy throughout the day
- Better sleep
- Weight loss – While not a personal intention for this experiment, it has been shown to produce over 2x the weight loss vs. a low-fat, calorie-restricted diet.
- Improved endurance performance, e.g. running and cycling, by raising your muscle-to-fat ratio and the amount of oxygen your body can use when working hard
- Longevity – in part due to preventing or treating some of the conditions below
- Other conditions the diet helps to treat:
- Heart disease
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Cancer
- Metabolic syndrome
- Type 2 diabetes
- Parkinson’s disease
- Sleep disorders
- Acne
- Epilepsy
- Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Uh oh…
- Some of my favorite foods, which I normally consume on the daily—sweet potatoes, Fuji apples, popcorn—and beverages—kombucha, coconut water—are Gone Girl from this diet. Byeee!
- We’ll see, but this could be annoying to navigate at parties and dinners with friends.
- Side effects? The “keto flu”… this is not an actual sickness but a state of flu-like symptoms that occurs while your body is shifting from a carb processor to a fat processor. It can include lower energy, muscle cramps, bad breath and irritability.
- However, this can be prevented or alleviated by consuming extra electrolytes… more on this to come.
About that…
- So, is this a new, postmillennial fad? Nerp. The ketogenic diet was developed in the 1920s as a treatment for epileptics who didn’t respond to drug treatment. The treatment proved to be highly effective. The other benefits above were found later.
- My husband and a good friend of ours both started this diet as well, shortly before I did, which has been helpful in collecting and sharing info and supporting each other through the shift.
- Alcohol is ok in moderation [audible sigh of relief]. To be clear, regular beer is not ok, but that’s cool with me. (Light beer is ok at 3-4g carbs but it’s also light beer.) Thankfully, a glass or two of wine is fine, weighing in at 2-4g carbs/glass. Hard liquor is the best because it’s carb-free. Just be sure to use a low/no-carb mixer like soda water or naturally sweetened, sugar-free tonic or soda. Zevia, for example, is a tasty soda brand sweetened with plant-based stevia and comes in a variety of familiar flavors. Or enjoy it on the rocks!
I betcha…
- This is not going to be as hard as it seems for me since 1) you can still have coffee and certain types of alcohol and 2) it will mainly involve removing a few key foods and adding lots of tasty fat to my diet, like Macadamia nuts, (even more) avocado, and ghee, oh my!
- I’m thinking and hoping I can stick with this one going forward, perhaps with some cheat days built in (post experiment) to help with longer-term compliance.
DO try this at home…
- Here is a primer on how to get started, with specific recommendations on what to eat during your first week: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z15Z1-Og_pg. This video greatly simplifies what to do for the first couple weeks.
- It helps greatly if you can prepare most of your meals for the week at home in batches.
- Mexican and Mediterranean restaurants also often have great options.
- Chipotle is a godsend—in general but especially for the keto diet. You can copy this order for a delicious, filling meal with only 12g Net Carbs. It’s tastier than my normal order, with all the good stuff and no filler:
- Chipotle Salad Bowl (no dressing—it’s just not needed and adds carbs):
- Chicken
- Fajita veggies
- Fresh Tomato Salsa
- Sour Cream
- Guac
- Optional: Chipotle Tabasco sauce
- Fat 38g, Protein 38g, Carbs 22g (Fiber 10g) –> Net Carbs 12g
- Chipotle Salad Bowl (no dressing—it’s just not needed and adds carbs):
- Chipotle is a godsend—in general but especially for the keto diet. You can copy this order for a delicious, filling meal with only 12g Net Carbs. It’s tastier than my normal order, with all the good stuff and no filler:
- Find an accountability buddy. Share this info with a friend or partner you’d like to join you in test running the diet. It has been wonderful having friends and my husband doing it too. Then, you won’t be the only crazy one asking the restaurant to ditch the bun and swaddle your turkey burger in lettuce.
DON’T try this at home…
- …until checking with your doctor [obligatory disclaimer], particularly if you are diabetic, obese, or have a heart condition or high blood pressure.
Week 1-2 Notes…
- As expected, it was not hard to adjust to the new diet as eating tons of fat is fun and satiating.
- My morning coffee feels mind-blowingly decadent with ghee (clarified butter), coconut oil, and coconut cream added.
- No cravings for either carbs or sugar. This was
a big pleasant surprise. I don’t miss what I’ve cut out because what I am able
to eat is so satisfying.
- Doing this post-holidays was convenient too since many people are also experiencing a post-holidays sugar hangover and there’s an unspoken agreement to make/buy/push fewer sweets than in the celebratory months of Oct/Nov/Dec.
- I experienced some of the keto flu symptoms
during week 2. I was a bit sluggish, had some muscle cramps, and was less
interested in socializing at times—which is saying a lot since I work from home
and often crave these opportunities.
- Electrolytes in the form of Salt Stick pills and nuun tablets were quite effective in quickly lifting the physical and mental fatigue though, making me feel much better.
Week 3-4 Notes…
- I’m completely out of the woods on the short-lived “keto flu” and am feeling the sweet benefit of reduced inflammation, i.e. my legs don’t feel like they’ve spent the night being pummeled by American Gladiators like they used to.
- I got a massage this week too and it was oddly refreshing to let the masseuse know my legs weren’t too bad for once. He noticed a difference in my back too, saying it used to “feel like a marble slab” but has loosened up a bit.
- Yas, my skin and hair are looking good… thanks for noticing. I have been using a scoop of collagen in my morning coffee, which likely helps, but I think the diet is the main contributor. All that coconut oil and ghee is doing its thing, while sugar and wheat are no longer doing theirs.
- I regularly feel a cognitive lift, able to focus more clearly throughout the day.
- There are a few ways to test ketone levels. The quickest, easiest, and cheapest is via urine strips. Sexy, I know. Here are the ones I used. While less precise than blood or breath testing, they are a good indicator of whether you’ve achieved ketosis. According to my daily testing over the past month, I have – woo hoo!
- While your options are certainly limited at parties and restaurants, I’ve found that deciding between 2 potential menu options—or maybe 3-4 with slight modifications—vs. 18+ options can help in deciding faster and with reduced risk of buyer’s remorse.
Whoomp, There It is…
- Wow, in hindsight this big change I dreaded was not actually that big of a change at all. And I feel multiple benefits.
- I’m going to renew this experiment indefinitely.
- In fact, at the time of this post, I’ve already surpassed the 6-week mark with no off days.
- I may tinker with returning to Intermittent Fasting in tandem with this new diet, as the two are compatible and have some similar goals and benefits.
- I’ll also play with switching to 1-2 days of non-keto with the aim of staying in ketosis for the rest of the week. This could help with long-term sustainability and allowing for some social exceptions that don’t derail the whole plan.
- The benefits outweigh the costs too handily for me to quit this experiment in the near future.
I’ll leave you with a quote I heard that resonated with me, particularly around this experiment:
“It always impossible until it’s done.” -Nelson Mandela
Thanks for reading! Please leave me a comment with any feedback and/or what you think my next experiment should be:
- Daily Affirmations, e.g. writing out by hand a mantra 15x/day
- CrossFit 2-3x/week
- Guided Breathwork
- Daily Acts of Kindness
- Your suggestion?
(Re)Sources: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/what-is-ketosis https://www.webmd.com/diet/ss/slideshow-ketogenic-diet https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-signs-and-symptoms-of-ketosis#section4
https://www.ruled.me/how-to-know-you-are-in-ketosis/
https://perfectketo.com/guide/ultimate-start-guide-ketogenic-diet/#What_Is_the_Ketogenic_Diet