Ketogenic Living – Week 1 A Success!

Last week I shared with you that I was getting ready to start a ketogenic diet – which is a low carb/high fat diet.  For those that aren’t familiar, your body can either burn carbohydrate or fat for energy.  It takes the body a little while to adapt and burn fat for energy – around 2 to 3 weeks.  This is known as nutritional ketosis.  I have read different things about the amount of carbohydrates required to achieve this.  Some studies say no more than 30 grams, while others say up to 50 grams of carbohydrates per day.  I am trying to stay around 20-30 grams of net carbs per day (carbs minus fiber or sugar alcohols).

So this is not a “no” carbohydrate way to eat.  You can still allow plenty of vegetables and some fruits. As a matter of fact I'm eating veggies with at least 2 of 3 meals, which is probably better than normal for me.  I  know a lot of people think this is just “Atkins” and at its core I suppose it is.  I just think Atkins promotes a lot more artificial sugars and crap eating.  The Atkins bars and snacks are full of GMO ingredients, fillers and artificial sweeteners.  I like to think of this as a “clean”/”Paleoish” version of low carb.

I really am not considering this a “diet”, while I am happy that weight loss is a natural result; that is not my only incentive.  I am really, really interested to see how my body performs in fat burning mode. And I am really trying to break my sugar addiction.  I've only been getting on average around 3 to 5 grams of sugar a day which are almost all naturally occurring in the foods I'm eating.  As I said last week, I'm not sure I will stay with this long term, but I am hopeful that many of the things I am doing will stick with me long term.  I am definitely learning that I don't need nearly as much carbohydrate as I thought I did, and of course none of us really "need" sugar.  I'm not saying I'll never eat a piece of cake again.  I'm sure I will, but I want those things to truly be occasional treats and not weekly or daily.

So, how has week 1 gone?

Well, like I said I'm not 100% in this for the weight loss, but I did lose 7.5 pounds in week 1!!  And for someone who has been struggling to lose weight well that is AMAZING!  And no I'm not starving.  I am averaging around 1800-2000 calories a day.  Normally if I "diet" I eat around 1400-1500 calories even when I'm working out a lot.  I am always starving and the weight loss is minimal.  So, I'm eating more, feeling fuller and losing weight.  It's pretty nice - and my fat content is high - around 100-150 grams a day.  Which is totally unheard of.  I literally eat coconut oil, olive oil or Irish butter with every meal. 

Now, from what I've read you lose more water weight on a low carb diet the first few weeks then other eating changes because when you eat carbohydrates your body stores water, but when you eliminate them it lets that water go.  So, I know the majority of my weight loss this week is water, and that's ok.  It's just nice to see the number on the scale change.  Also, do to the water loss you are encouraged to increase your sodium intake the first couple of weeks so you don't feel really bad.  Which I did.

I actually felt great last week.  I expected to feel tired and run down, irritable, etc.  But I felt great.  My energy levels were high and my mental focus was GREAT!  I normally feel groggy and tired in the late afternoon and I had none of that last week.  I was also able to get through all of my workouts without any major issues.  I had 3 hard bikes last week of at least an hour.  On Saturday I biked for just over an hour, ran for 15 minutes, and then swam for 45.  I got through it.  On Sunday I had an 8 mile run which I did at a decent pace for me of about 11:30.  I will say that while I feel like I have plenty of energy for the workouts, my muscles do feel fatigued.  This was expected.  I am basically carb depleted but my body isn't processing fat for fuel well yet.  But, even though I felt fatigued I was able to mentally push through so that is good.

My favorite thing I've discovered is "Bullet Proof" Coffee.....AMAZING!!!  You basically take fresh brewed coffee, add in Irish butter and coconut oil and blend it in a blender.  It makes it smooth and delicious.  I  mean delicious!!  I thought it would be gross, I will admit, but no it's wonderful.  I am using a little bit of whole cream in mine and a packet of stevia as well.  I want to wean myself off the cream, but whole cream has no sugar, so it has fat, so it's not too bad.  I just don't know that I need all of it.  Technically if you look up "bullet proof" coffee, it's a specific brand of coffee that is mold/toxin free.  I actually ordered some but haven't started using it yet. 

That's probably enough for now.  If you have any questions for me feel free to e-mail me at weatherlymh01@yahoo.com.  I'd be glad to answer anything.  I love experimenting and so far I'm really enjoying this experiment.

I won't lie though - today is the first day I've felt a little energy depleted.  I know this won't be an easy journey or process.  I am curious to see how I do for my half marathon this weekend.  I'm a little nervous about that one.  Time will tell!