All over the Internet, you will find people with hundreds of views on High Protein-low carb diet is it really worth it? Throughout this passage, you must read along about my challenges of what I ate and what I went through in this ketogenic diet for a month and the success achieved after its completion.
When you go for or plan for a diet, you will have different patterns to follow, which includes Robert Atkin’s diet, which is according to the type of food taste I have. It is very difficult to continue for a complete month. Paleo, which is nearly impossible to follow these days. So I left all these things in the back to focus on something futuristic and applicable in today’s world.
I started dieting a month before a family wedding, and of course, everybody wants to look best in the wedding outfits. I planned to go by a 10-pound weight loss plan. Since HPLC (High Protein Low Carb) can only go by 2-pounds per 10 days or if we go by calculation, it is 6 pounds in a month.
Before I began to diet, it took me weeks to find the best possible diet plan for myself being a foodie; it was the most difficult thing to part ways from delicious food items. From creating Plans for the diet to following Diet inspirational Instagram accounts, everything was in my book to go for the plan. Throughout my journey, I realized afterward that it was the best part possible.
I also followed an online keto calculator to set initial goals to reduce fats, carbs, and other heavy micro enzymes. By following the suggestions, it says to go for only 200 grams of fat each day, it was the most difficult thing to do as I can’t have a cup of coffee in the morning without cream being the love effect in it, but the focus was to reduce fats and carbs in the diet, so I had to go through it as well.
I asked one of my friends to accompany me on this huge task. She agreed upon it as you would need someone with you to keep knocking you or stopping you from going towards the unwanted things, which you have banned for yourself for the weight loss Journey.
Table of Contents
Hardest Things to Pass:
Eating Just 20 Grams of Carbs/Day:
Following a KETO diet, you must keep this in your mind that you must eat under or 20 grams of carbs only a day as KETO is an HFLC (High-Fat Low Carb) plan. By having this in my mind that it should always be my plan to achieve goals, I must divide my carb distribution in my meals so it may not hit me that hard if I overeat something. I took 3 Grams of carb in Breakfasts, 2 in lunch, 5 for snacks, and 10 at the dinner.
With this plan in effect, I know if I go for 20, I will land something between 30 Grams per day of carbs initially, and slowly, it will be under 20 once I get used to such eating habits. I know if I keep hitting myself and working out, it will turn out good for us.
By going through this plan, it helps in overcoming the instantaneous cravings and hunger that I often used to feel, which was one of the major reasons behind my gained weight. I pushed my snacks and cheated meals to once a week, which ultimately helped me in following the diet.
Same Food Everyday:
Well, it was difficult for someone just like me who is not habitual accustomed to eating cheese, bacon steak (Mostly chicken). I have been eating plant-grown foods throughout my life, and it is very difficult to eat pork made food daily. It was a complete perception shifting phase for me. KETO diet offers food with a very low-calorie intake as carbs, in general, are the source of carbon in our body, and the human body does require an optimum amount of carb intake so it may not overproduce the necessary food nutrients for the body.
Counting Up Keto Flu:
You will find this word spread all along with the internet. Keto Flu is a symptom caused when the body goes in Ketosis (from being in the Carb cycle for energy requirements normally). It may cause you fogginess in mind, Fatigue, and dizziness. I was lucky enough to go away with it when I had a cookie on an event, which made me skip the flu in a day, and I was super lucky when I never get hurt by its repercussions.
Successful KETO Experience:
Beating the Weight Loss:
When I started dieting for marriage, I set a target of 10 pounds, and due to an extreme low-carb diet, I reached the landmark in three weeks of time, and it went on to keep dropping at 15 pounds just two days before the wedding. IT was such a joy for me, especially when you are the bride’s mate. You got to be on the front with her throughout the time.
It is a common symptom when you are dieting on a low carb scale because when you start it, the body quickly drops the weight. After all, it is dropping the water weight of your body, in the wedding week I ate a bit of a carb which adds an additional 4 pounds to my total weight so I took care of it by seemingly controlling on what I have been eating and what I should not eat.
Energy Deficiencies:
Well, it is a fact while going through the low-carb diet, you may feel energy deficiency as it going to hit you hard when you start working out. But it is not an everyday slum because once you get used to the routine. The body will cover up the deficiency, and you will feel more energetic.
Creativity in Cooking:
if you are considering dining out in a restaurant or any pf the eateries to eat something while being on a keto diet, then it is a completely impossible plan. Just drop it because it’s very hard to control your ketones while eating out. This thinking let me to an extraordinary discovery that I came on to me in recognizing another great feature in my personality that is being good in the kitchen.
I went on to cook different dishes with almost new recipes every time, obviously being on a keto diet. It always cuts your menu to some extent, so you may only cook something that is below the carb level, but it is ok because it helps me in introducing good recipes all along. Just write the recipes down and follow some good diet-tracking applications. You can also figure out if a recipe can work for you, although it looks like another burden, but trust me. It will work.
Escape from My Sugar Addiction:
It is a fact that you cannot eat sugar in a KETO diet, which means a complete escape form cakes, cookies, and other sweet dishes that you often take in order to quench your taste buds’ thirst. There are other replacements to what we call sugar-addictives, but it doesn’t suit me at all.
When you made up your mind to leave sugar then trust me, you have to leave it just to make sure that something you started as the deciding factor of what you stand for, should not remain unachieved or unattained. Although from being the point I started to diet, it never seems that I will be able to continue it till the end because it was not that easy.
The most difficult part is when you see people eating those things around you, which almost love the most. It is up to you to go through inside and make it a habit for not letting it the good things you started.
Although just to accommodate the sugar level in a KETO diet, you can take a banana or any other fruit which should not be that much sweet, and with its intake, you will feel a bit comforted. Once you are done with your diet and start eating normally, you will soon realize that the things once took easily as for craving are too sweeter or more for you to finish because your body will not feel accustomed to that thing in general.
During the diet, you have completely changed the way you led your life in the past. It will change your lifestyle, the way you eat and consume things and the way you react while seeing people eating delicious things L but it really worth it seriously, because once you have a balance in life for each and every aspect, then these things don’t really matter, a balanced way of leading life is always good than being unstable and reckless in approach towards anything.
Food You can eat with ease while being on KETO:
1. Oatmeal: If you are going for a low-carb diet, then Oatmeal is the way to do it. Oatmeals contain the essential ingredients to go for weight loss. They have beta-glucose, which helps in resisting hunger for the next hours, and it helps in the smooth digestion of food.
It is way better than normal slime cereal, which is not only flavored, but just to have a good cover of flavors in it, added sugar makes it but more heavy to digest, and by consumption, I will be equivalent as a heavy meal.
2. Eggs: Eggs are the most vital ingredients of your diet. They do contain cholesterol, but it will not give you heart attack that for sure, one large plate of eggs just cost you 73 calories. That great to start your day with. They don’t only have proteins but also some very essential constituents, which include Vitamin D, Lutein, and choline.
Eggs in the morning can help in good protein intake, although the people with a protein-synthesizing deficiency should consider eating eggs in the morning after doctor’s advice because it may disturb their digestion process and will result in cold and cough.
3. Meat/Beef: Beef is a safe game, complete protein, and no carbs what so ever, along with protein. It also has vitamins and minerals, but it also has 0 fiber. You may see the beef eaters are so strong and tough from both inside and outside, but you must not overeat it, and your diet must contain food full of fruits and vegetables so it may add some fiber to eat.
Chicken is considered as the best source of protein, but beef is the raw source of protein with its ingredients helpful in the effective growth of body parts.
4. Shrimps: Shrimps are the protein-rich element. They add a great deal of protein in your body if it is included in your diet. If you are looking to drop weight, then shrimps can prove to be the most effective diet food, three ounces of shrimps can only cost you 20 grams, and with its consumption, there are no hazards of getting caught up with any type of allergies.
While cooking shrimps, just make sure they are properly boiled or cooked, so there may be no unnecessary carbs lying cooked on the shelf, which feels a bit unpleasant to watch.
5. Peanut Butter: Peanuts belongs to the nut family, being so rich in cholesterol like almonds, peanuts can have 7 grams of carbs per serving. Peanut butter per spoon will cost you not more than 30 calories as it is the most synthesized form of nut butter.
Other options from nut family-like cashew nut butter, almond nut butter are also a good choice when looking for a better sugar replacement while on a diet.
My Take on the 30-Day KETONIC Diet:
You cannot stay on a diet for your whole life; it is something you do temporarily. The body has its needs, and it will show up on you, or sometimes it backfires heavily on you if you don’t keep up to the track.
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle can be the way forward, but keeping yourself addictive to diet can cause some serious problems to your health like I ate nearly 250 loaves of bacon in one month, I hate the way it tastes, but I had to go for it because it is one of the basic demands of keto diet and obviously I cannot rely on bacon throughout my life which is the reality.
The best possible solutions to be on track while having the dietary sensation in your mind are:
Maintain a healthy lifestyle. You must keep an eye on what you are eating and what is the time to eat. If you are a normal person like me, who has 9 to 5 jobs, have a family to take care of with different things to tackle, then it is very difficult to keep the things on track. It is difficult but not impossible, try to keep up with the routine and should always take care of your daily intakes as it will surely help you in the long run.
Try to avoid unnecessary intakes, Cravings are natural they can happen any time of the day. Mostly it hits you when you are sitting on your couch watching movies, series, and other stuff for entertainment. When it hits you, just keep this thing in your mind that the minute’s pleasure can cost a mile run to balance the count it gives you. It’s good to enjoy food with family. I will strongly recommend to have it but do it in a proportion that you must work out to burn the intake you just had.
Be regular to the gym, by gyming. It doesn’t really mean to go and break the dumbbells and lift 150 lbs. On the very first day. Everything has its time to settle, and with time, it will suit you. There is no way that you keep on working out, and it will result in nothing, Gymnasts all around the world eat a lot, but their diet includes essentials elements and specially prepared food items which help in better development of their muscles and bones. Being a good CrossFit athlete will help you in leading a well-balanced life.
Lastly, I want to say that the KETO diet is benefitted me the right way possible, but it doesn’t mean it will suit you. People with high blood sugar problems should not consider it without the consideration of your doctor. Although if you find yourself free from any kind of allergies and fatigues, you go for the ketone diet, and it is promising that it will benefit you in the best way possible.
It is not a mandatory thing to be on a diet regimen for the rest of your entire life, you keep on visiting the dietary track once a year, it will be all good for you.