The ketogenic or ‘keto’ diet has been steadily gaining popularity among people looking for an effective method of weight control, since it poses the potential for swift and painless weight loss while allowing the dieter to eat a lot of flavorful foods that are usually considered “naughty” and off limits in traditional weight loss approaches – bacon, meat, butter and oils, nuts, cheese and dark chocolate, for example.
Does it sound too good to be true? Perhaps. As per usual, there is a catch: the goal of eating this way is to train your body to use fat instead of sugar as a main source of fuel, and for this, you have to drastically reduce your carbohydrate intake to the very minimum (about 20 - 30 g of net carbs a day) while greatly increasing the amount of fat in your diet. That means not only saying goodbye to the obvious culprits like pasta, bread and baked goods, but also to most kinds of fruit, and even vegetables unless they are consumed in limited amounts. After a couple of weeks of keeping this low carb/high fat intake, your body becomes “fat adapted” which allows it to use your own fat as fuel in a very efficient way when subject to a caloric deficit, without affecting your energy levels.
Initially seduced by the promise of rapid weight loss, I started doing nutritional ketosis about a year and a half ago, so I think I have more than enough experience to give an overview of how it has been working for me so far (spoiler: AMAZINGLY well). However, knowing that the thought of going into such an extreme change in diet and habits is often a bit daunting and the amount of information available can feel overwhelming, I decided to write first about how I got into it in the first place.
How I got started
Once my curiosity was piqued, I decided to do some proper research on the topic before using myself as an experimental subject. Here are some of the resources that I found the most useful:
Ketosis – advantaged or misunderstood state? (Part I). This is the article that finally convinced me that this was not just a fad diet and showed me clearly how and why it works. It really clarified a lot of questions that I had about the underlying mechanisms (also, it was a good way to refresh my knowledge of basic Biochemistry).
Keto-adaptation: what it is and how to adjust. An article on the basics of keto and keto adaptation that is really informative and contains good sources for further reading.
How to try a keto diet. An excellent guide, with detailed plans and descriptions on how to get started, what mistakes to avoid, what signs to look for, etc. regarding keto. It was incredibly useful for me to get started using this 30-day plan as a guideline (even though I didn't follow her suggested all-meat plan, but other keto-approved foods).
In addition, if you are worried about the impact of going extremely low carb on your physical performance while exercising, well I got great news for you:
TL;DW: Once you are fat-adapted, you can perform as well as you did when eating carbs, and you can even get some extra benefits like significantly increased endurance, less inflammation, faster recovery times and better body recomposition. For more detailed information about the processes involved and scientific studies carried out in this framework, I highly recommend the following book – a must for those athletes considering adopting a ketogenic diet:
I decided to start the 30 day experiment. Compared to other people's experiences, my adaptation period went like a breeze, probably because I actually did my research before doing it so I could avoid most of the common mistakes. In addition, I took preventive measures to lessen the side effects of the adaptation period: drinking lots of water, increasing my intake of minerals, going a bit easier on my exercise routine during that time. I did get some headaches, felt a bit tired and had trouble sleeping a couple of times, but that was pretty much it.
Things I experienced during keto adaptation:
- Never ending thirst! But this is normal and it gets better after a couple of weeks.
- Peeing all the time (same as above).
- Funny Breath? Metallic taste in mouth. I am not sure about the breath since I can't smell it (how do people smell their own breath?), but I could detect a very distinct metallic/alcoholic taste in my mouth from day three or so. At first it was constant, but it went away after a couple of weeks; still feel it from time to time.
- Smelly sweat. Be ready to step up your personal hygiene. This was one of the major drawbacks of doing this, after a hard workout session my clothes smelled so strongly of ammonia (still happening even now that the adaptation period is over) that sometimes made me feel self-conscious. I try to always shower before I go to the gym to minimize the smell as much as possible. It definitely got better with time, but I feel a bit paranoid about it.
- Light sleep. Sometimes it was rather difficult to fall asleep at night, even if I was tired, and usually woke up with my mind racing at an early hour in the morning.
- Social Awkwardness. Be prepared for people constantly asking you why you do not eat this or that, why you never want a piece of the cake they brought to the office (not even a bite!), why you always eat the same things, why you only order black coffee, etc etc... Also, struggling to find suitable stuff to eat every time you go eating out. Also, no beer or wine unless it’s very dry and in limited amounts.
- Pins and needles, cramps. Due to electrolyte imbalance/mineral deficiency. It kept happening now and then, and I managed to make them subside by drinking beef broth in the evenings after my workouts.
Regardless, after the adaptation period – which for me lasted about two weeks – I noticed a lot of benefits (some of them, like the improved alertness, where already present during adaptation).
Noticeable benefits of keto (in my experience):
- Much more stable mood. It is really unbelievable how much it helped me lessen my depression and anxiety. For those of you struggling with it, I definitely recommend giving it a try!
- Overall good mood and feeling motivated, occasional euphoria.
- More awake and alert, improved focus (seriously, in a good week I pretty much feel like Bradley Cooper's character in Limitless).
- Energy levels remain constant, not feeling tired anymore. This was a game changer for me. I was that person who was always tired and forcing herself to do things throughout the day, and by 7 pm I was pretty much out of energy to do anything, but now I rarely feel tired or sleepy anymore, and after work I still feel energized and ready to exercise or go out.
- Absence of lethargy after meals (a.k.a "food coma"), even when eating a large meal. Usually right after lunch or dinner I can just get up and do something immediately, instead of feeling like napping on the couch.
- Hunger under control. This is one of the best perks of it. After a while, you really lose your focus on food, is like you are not so interested in it anymore. You stop craving carbs so much. Also, I noticed that my feeling of hunger is now more of a calmed "I need something to fuel my body" rather than the panicky and distracting OMG I'm ravenous EAT ALL THE THINGS! Is that a brownie??? sort of feeling it used to be. Also, I noticed I can skip meals (sometimes even fast the entire day) without it affecting my energy levels, like it used to happen before.
- Hair and skin look much better.
- Looking a lot leaner (face especially) and much less bloat.
- Improved endurance during exercise.
- At some point, I also noticed that I needed less hours of sleep (about 6h, it used to be more like 8-9 h) to feel perfectly rested and energized. Also, I woke up feeling ready to get up, with my brain clear and working, instead of struggling to come out of some stupor. However, this changed when I increased the intensity of my training.
That was part of my experience. I would especially recommend keto to those struggling with lots of cravings, mood swings, lack of energy and focus, and weight fluctuations due to water retention.
Curiously enough, even though I adopted keto with the initial aim of losing fat (which has definitely been effective for), I decided to stick to it long term because of how it makes me feel.
A keto diet is not for everyone, but I have found that for some individuals, like myself, it can really be a game changer. So if you find yourself feeling curious about how your body will react to it, I recommend giving the 30 day experiment mentioned above a try and evaluate your results in comparison to a regular diet.
Hope you found this helpful! If you have any questions, feel free to ask away in the comment section... same for suggestions or other info you would like to share, I like to always keep learning.
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Image sources: Pixabay, Amazon