My Experience with the Keto Diet after 3 Years Living the Keto Lifestyle

I have been on the ketogenic diet in April of 2019. Below is information about my experience and its results.

Before I started on the keto diet, I was previously eating only low carbohydrates.

And I wasn't strict about the amount of sugar I would eat, but I was restricting all starches and making sure to diversify my diet.

I came to the conclusion that I feel unwell when eating too much carbohydrates. This was pushing me to eat more fats and proteins.

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After hearing about the keto diet, I began to think about what my health would be like when I tried it for a while.

Here are some of my observations during my first period:

For the first few days, I didn't feel any problem at all. Many say the adjustment period will be very difficult but I've been restricting carbohydrates in my diet for a long time, so my body was ready for this change.

Your body loses a lot of weight in the beginning. Most of the weight lost is water, because carbohydrates make you retain more fluid and make you look more weight.

Eating the keto foods is simple and easy. I didn't care what foods taste good, foods rich in healthy fats are many and varied.

During the first week on the keto diet, you may feel very tired and have poor concentration. This is because your brain is going through a difficult period of obtaining energy due to a lack of carbohydrates, but it is a short period.

I did not lose my physical strength. And I was able to maintain my ability to exercise. But at the same time, I couldn't do more intense workouts because I hadn't adapted yet.

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To alleviate the negative side effects of adapting to the ketogenic diet, I became consuming more calories, drank more fluids to increase moisture in my body, and made sure I got more sodium.

The best thing I noticed is that the quality of my sleep has improved dramatically. When I was in ketosis, I was able to sleep for long periods of time, for up to 6-8 hours, without waking up. In the morning, I was feeling fresh and strong.

My experience with the keto diet after 3 years

After years of following the ketogenic diet, I can tell it was the best nutrition and health decision I've made in my life.

Now I have enough energy throughout the day, I feel empowered to work anytime or anywhere. I don't think most of the time when you feel tired and lethargic it is a result of following a ketogenic diet, but it is a result of other factors. Because keto gives me more ideal energy.

My health has improved. I have never had any medical problem, nor do I remember the last time I had hypoglycemia or felt faint due to low blood sugar.

I am no longer hungry at all. Instead, I feel full quickly and continuously because my body has access to energy from the fats whenever it wants and I rarely eat an extra meal a day.

I noticed an increase in focus and productivity. That's why this extra energy became an opportunity to do other productive and creative things.

My performance is much better and I am no longer tired. Contrary to popular belief, I have managed to build muscle mass and improve every aspect of my life. My stamina is improving little by little and I feel stronger and more mobile.

Even now, despite 3 years of following the ketogenic diet, I haven't gotten all the benefits of this diet, because every day I discover new things, the feeling that I have energy all the time and the delicious foods I eat make it an ideal diet.

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Why Do People Lose Weight When They Go On A Keto Diet?

Do you know why people lose weight on keto?

It seems like you can just eat whatever you want that isn't a carb, and you lose weight.

In this article, I'll go over the science behind the keto diet, why it helps people lose weight, how to do it, and solutions to the most common keto problems.

What Is The Keto Diet?

The keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet that can help you lose weight while also increasing your energy levels.

When you eat a lot of carbohydrates, your body produces glucose, which is then used for energy.

But, when you cut down on carbs and thus lower your insulin, your body has to find another source of energy, and it turns to fat.

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This is known as ketosis, and it can help you lose weight, improve mental focus, and even cure diabetes.

Why Was the Keto Diet Created in the First Place?

The keto diet was created to treat epilepsy in children.

It was found that the diet could help to reduce the number of seizures that children with epilepsy experienced.

The keto diet has also been found to be helpful for other conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and cancer.

However, once it was discovered that it was beneficial in weight loss and the treatment of type 2 diabetes, many people began to use the diet to lose weight.

Why Do People Lose Weight on Keto?

There is much debate about how keto works, but the most widely accepted theory is that it helps to train your body to burn fat for energy rather than carbs. When you don't eat carbs, your insulin levels drop and your body enters ketosis to obtain energy from its own fat stores. This can help you burn fat throughout the day and lose weight.

Furthermore, because most "pleasurable" foods, such as desserts, pizza, and so on, are high in carbs, eliminating them from your diet will cause you to have less desire to eat.

This is especially beneficial if, like me, you gained weight by eating whenever you were bored.

What Are the Benefits of the Keto Diet?

The keto diet is one of the most effective diets for weight loss.

According to one study, people who followed a ketogenic diet lost 2.2 times more weight than those who followed a low-fat diet.

This is because keto reduces insulin rather than just calorie restriction, allowing your body to use ketones instead of carbs for energy.

As a result, your body does not feel as deprived because it has its own energy ready.

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Mental Clarity

When you follow a ketogenic diet, your body produces ketones, a type of energy that your brain can use. This can result in increased mental clarity, concentration, and focus.

In fact, the keto diet is frequently used to treat people with Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia for this reason.

Reduced Inflammation

Because carbs are insulinogenic and thus inflammatory, eliminating them from your diet will likely result in much less inflammation.

In one study, people who did a keto diet for six weeks had a reduction in C-reactive protein, which is a marker of inflammation.

In another study, people with arthritis had lowered their symptoms after starting a ketogenic diet.

Personally, when I go off of keto for a short period of time, my acne and allergies worsen, both of which are signs of inflammation.

Improved Energy

You'll likely feel more energetic if you do keto for long enough for your body to adjust to using fats as the primary fuel source. This is because, on keto, your body can use its own fat for fuel throughout the whole day instead of relying on carbs for quick spikes of energy.

When I stick to keto, I find that I wake up more easily in the morning and have more energy throughout the day.

Stabilized Blood Sugars

Many people with type 2 diabetes can stabilize their blood sugars and even get off of insulin shots by following a keto diet.

People in one study had lower fasting blood glucose levels after beginning a ketogenic diet.

In another study of people with type 2 diabetes, those who followed a keto diet for 6 months improved their glycemic control and their HA1c.

This is because, on keto, your body is adjusted to using fat.

So it doesn't panic when it doesn't get any carbs.

Instead, it just uses ketones for energy and keeps on moving as usual.

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Cure Diabetes

A ketogenic diet can also be used to treat type 2 diabetes. This is because it helps your body to become insulin sensitive again.

A ketogenic diet can help to control and even cure type 2 diabetes. This is because it helps your body to become insulin sensitive again.

In 2008, researchers conducted a 24-week study in order to understand the effects of a low-carbohydrate diet on people who suffer from type 2 diabetes and obesity.

The ketogenic diet group outperformed the low-glycemic diet group in terms of glycemic control and medication reduction.

Another study from 2013 found that a ketogenic diet can lead to bigger improvements in blood sugar control, weight loss, A1c, and discontinued insulin requirements than any other diet.

Over the course of 32 weeks, a 2017 study found that keto performed better than a conventional, low-fat diet in terms of weight loss and A1c control.

Treat Mental Conditions

The keto diet can also be used to treat mental illnesses such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and autism.

In one study, they found that the keto diet helped to improve the symptoms of Alzheimer's.

Another study discovered that the keto diet may help with Parkinson's symptoms.

A third study discovered that a low-carb diet can be an effective treatment for people on the autism spectrum.

Treat Cancer

The keto diet can be helpful in treating cancer. The study found that people who followed a ketogenic diet had a lower risk of developing cancer. This is due to the fact that cancer cells thrive on glucose but cannot survive on ketones.

So, when you eliminate carbs and lower your insulin, you can help to reverse cancer by depriving it of its main fuel source.

How to Start the Keto Diet?

To start the keto diet, simply limit your carbohydrate intake to less than 30 grammes per day.

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You should also ensure that you eat plenty of healthy fats, such as avocados, olive oil, and nuts.

You can also consume moderate amounts of protein from sources such as chicken, fish, and tofu.

However, don't eat too much protein because protein, like carbohydrates, raises insulin and may cause you to exit ketosis.

To make sure that you're getting all the nutrients that you need, you should also eat plenty of vegetables.

I recommend that you consume 8 cups of vegetables or low-carb fruits per day to ensure that your body receives all of the nutrients it requires.

If you are unable to consume 8 cups of vegetables per day, try to consume as much as you can.

How Many Carbohydrates Can You Eat on a Keto Diet?

A keto diet allows you to consume up to 50 grammes of carbohydrates per day. To minimise the side effects of the keto flu and optimise weight loss, stick to 20-30 grammes of carbs per day.

What Foods Can You Eat on Keto?

On the keto diet, you can eat any type of meat, poultry, or fish.

Eggs, non-starchy vegetables, and healthy fats such as olive oil, coconut oil, and avocado are also acceptable.

You should limit your consumption of starchy vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, and sugar.

Solutions to Common Ketogenic Diet Issues

The following are the most common keto problems and their solutions.

The Keto Flu

The keto flu is a common side effect of the keto diet that can cause fatigue, headaches, and nausea.

The keto flu can occur for one of two reasons.

The first reason for the keto flu is that you have recently begun keto and your body is still dependent on carbs for energy, even though you are not receiving any carbs.

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To solve this, just keep doing keto and wait for around 6 weeks so all of the cells in your body can get adjusted to using fats for fuel instead of carbs.

However, if you've waited 6 weeks and are still experiencing the keto flu, you may have an electrolyte deficiency.

This happens because carbs hold water, and when you don't eat carbs, you body expels more water by urinating more often.

This can result in an electrolyte deficiency.

To solve this, I recommend taking half a teaspoon of pink Himalayan sea salt per day with a shot of water so you can get enough electrolytes.

Other supplements, such as bone broth and magnesium, can also help you avoid the keto flu.

How to Eat Your Favorite Keto Foods

There are many keto-friendly alternatives to your favourite foods available nowadays.

For example, if you want to eat some low-carb pizza, you can simply search for low-carb pizzas in the grocery store.

Or, if you're cooking a dessert yourself, just replace the sugar in them with a sugar-free alternative, like stevia or monk fruit, and replace the normal flour in them with a low-carb flour alternative, like almond flour or coconut flour.

You'll find that almost every food has a low-carb alternative if you get creative and search the internet for keto-friendly alternatives to your favourite foods!

Getting Back Into Ketosis After Eating Carbs

All you have to do to get back into ketosis after eating carbs is consume less than 30 grammes of carbs per day for at least two days.

You'll be back in ketosis in two days!

Keep in mind that the faster you want to be in ketosis, the more severe the symptoms of the keto flu will be, so I recommend starting slowly and gradually.

Conclusion

The keto diet can be an excellent way to improve your health by assisting you in losing weight, improving blood sugar control, and even treating mental illnesses.

If you want to follow the keto diet, make sure you consume less than 30 grammes of carbohydrates per day.

You should also consume a variety of healthy fats, moderate amounts of protein, and vegetables.

I hope this helped.

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Surprising Results from the Keto Diet

Photo by Shubham Dhage on Unsplash

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They Don’t Tell You Everything in the Handbook!

I expected to lose weight when I started the keto diet almost three years ago. I spent a month researching it thoroughly before attempting it, so I assumed I knew everything there was to know about it. However, there are always things beyond scientific facts that frequently fail to make their way into scientific research. You know, the little surprises that come with the expected outcomes. Here are a few examples of those things.

• I lost a lot of weight fast.

I knew I was supposed to lose weight, but after trying and failing for years with conventional dieting, I was still a bit shocked when the pounds started coming off. Before keto, even 5/2 fasting (not eating two days a week) hadn’t caused me to lose any weight. On keto, I lost 55 pounds in about six months until I was skinny again, going from 246 to 191. I was losing ten pounds every month! While that might not be as fast as we’d all like, it’s still pretty fast. In half a year, I’d lost so much weight that I had to buy a bunch of new pants (luckily, I had kept some of my old ones that I just couldn’t part with).

• I wasn’t hungry while losing weight.

In fact, I have never been less hungry in my life. One of the things we all dread about trying to lose weight is the hunger that accompanies eating less. If you’ve tried regular calorie-restriction diets, you know what I mean. But with keto, I experienced the exact opposite! I was eating about half of the calories I normally ate, but I was never hungry. I actually had to make myself eat sometimes to make sure I was getting enough protein. There’s a whole explanation involving insulin, fat cells, and satiety hormones, but I’m not going to go into the scientific details. I’m just commenting on surprising experiences in this article. Suffice it to say, this is the only diet I’ve ever come across where not only is hunger not a problem; it’s nonexistent.

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• I only eat twice a day.

Prior to going keto, I ate four times a day (sometimes more). I was always hungry every four hours or so. And I got hangry sometimes too! I don’t anymore. My experience of hunger completely changed after going on keto. I started eating only twice a day, breakfast around 10 am and then dinner around 6 pm. This wasn’t something I’d necessarily planned on doing, but I just didn’t feel that need to eat all the time. Even now, after losing my excess weight, I still only eat twice a day (I’m still on keto). I still eat plenty of calories (2500–3000/day), but I can have a big breakfast and go eight hours until a big dinner, then go 15 hours until breakfast the next day.

• I have energy all the time.

Here’s what I mean by this. Prior to keto, I woke up hungry. The first thing I did in the morning was eat. After going keto, I don’t wake up hungry anymore. Not only that, but I can have a cup of coffee and then lift weights before having breakfast. I don’t need a meal to fuel my workout. Even skinny people have sufficient stored fat to make it through a workout. I was pretty shocked by this! I could work out just as hard as before but without having eaten for fourteen hours. I couldn’t even think straight before eating breakfast until keto, let alone lift weights.

• I don’t really miss carbs.

The gist of the keto diet is to replace calories from carbohydrates in your diet with calories from fats. But I loved cinnamon rolls, macaroni and cheese (homemade, not that boxed stuff), biscuits and gravy, and I even made my own wheat bread. How was I going to get along without them? Easily enough, it turned out. While I can’t eat everything I like, I do like everything I eat. Instead of toast with my eggs, I’ll have bacon or sausage. Rather than a potato with my steak, I’ll have a 1/2 pound of broccoli. It’s been almost three years since I went keto, and I get along just fine without all those foods I’d eaten before. Now that I’ve lost all of my excess weight, I will go out to eat once a week and have whatever I want. Hell, I had a giant piece of chocolate cake last week! But then I went right back to strict keto and didn’t blink.

(I’ll tell you one thing I don’t miss at all: that big old spare tire I was dragging around.)

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• I pee a lot.

I only bring this up because it’s probably about twice as much as previously, so you’ll notice it. This one I’ll explain so nobody gets freaked out and thinks something is broken. When you go keto, your body excretes sodium at a faster rate. The scientific term is natriuresis. Your body accomplishes this by urinating more frequently. In fact, this is the cause of the so-called keto flu. I drink a cup of water with a 1/4 tsp of salt when I get up in the morning and before dinner to make sure I have enough sodium to keep my nervous system up and running smoothly. Don’t worry about the extra salt; it won’t be with you for long!

• My bald spot filled in.

It’s true! I had that whole male pattern baldness thing starting, and I was on my way to looking like Friar Tuck with that bald spot forming on the top of my head. I cut my own hair at home with clippers, and I use a handheld mirror to see what I’m doing in the back. I had been cutting my hair shorter and shorter over time to make the bald spot less noticeable. So I was flabbergasted when after a couple of haircuts I noticed that the spot was becoming less noticeable all on its own! It’s still a little thinner than the rest of my hair, but I’m now able to let my hair grow a little longer in the winter without worrying about a glaring bald spot.

So, these are some of the things you don’t necessarily hear much about keto but can expect should you give it a go. Luckily, these surprises are mostly of a pleasant variety (other than the increased bathroom visits). In the nearly three years I’ve been on the keto diet, I haven’t had any reason to regret making the change. I lost weight, stopped feeling hungry all the time, have plenty of energy, and even got some of my hair back!

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8 Game-Changing Benefits of the Keto Diet

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At first, keto is hard. Then, you will love it.

From micro-dosing chemical compounds to establishing solid rituals, I’ve tried a plethora of weird hacks to enhance my productivity and cognitive performance.

7 month ago, along this journey of optimization, I stumbled on a book titled: Grain Brain: The Surprising Truth about Wheat, Carbs, and Sugar — Your Brain’s Silent Killers.

The promise of this book was just captivating: No more mental fog, increased energy, laser focus, better sleep, you name it. Basically whatever you need in your toolbox for massive productivity.

Fast-forward to 7 months later, the keto diet ranks as my top productivity hack and keto is now a part of my identity.

Having the productivity lenses on, here are 9 marvelous benefits of the keto diet you can count on.

First, a brief look at the ketogenic diet

What is the ketogenic diet

No diet will remove all the fat from your body because the brain is entirely fat. Without a brain, you might look good, but all you could do is run for public office. — George Bernard Shaw

We live in a carbohydrate-loving society. When you eat carbs, your body converts them into glucose (read Sugar). Then your pancreas secretes insulin which drives the glucose into your cells for energy consumption. The same insulin, converts, and stores the unburnt glucose into fat.

This story utterly changes in the keto diet.

In keto, you significantly limit your carbohydrate consumption to constitute merely 5% of your daily calorie intake.

The majority of your daily calorie (75%) comes from healthy fats (olive oil, coconut oil, butter, animal fat, etc.) and the remaining 20% will come from protein.

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Ketones are like rocket fuel for the brain. Photo Credit: TheDigitalArtist AT PixaBay

After several days — when your body consumes the last remnants of glycogens (carbohydrates stores) — your liver starts breaking down fats into ketones to provide fuel for your cells. This process is called ketosis.

When in ketosis, instead of glucose, your body uses the ketones as its energy source.

And here’s what I love about it.

The fuel that these ketones provide is like the rocket fuel and it brings you a whole different experience. Now let’s look at some of the benefits of this rocket fuel and the keto diet.

8 Game-Changing Benefits of the Keto Diet

Keto diet is like the holy grail of health. It is used to reverse type II diabetes, fight cancer, etc. And more recently, the keto diet is considered as a powerful option in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, ALS, and even autism.

Fortunately, I just had to use the keto diet for productivity purposes. And here are the benefits.

1. Far, Far more Energy

This one excites me the most. When I am not in keto, I have to take a couple of naps during the day to stay sharp. Having lunch is like having sleeping pills and at the end of the day, I often feel lethargic (I have 12+ hours workdays).

When in keto, however, I feel like my body is running on nuclear power. I no longer require naps during the day, lunch doesn’t function as a sleeping pill, and when I arrive home, I can still continue working.

2. Laser Focus and Mental Clarity

The mental clarity that I experience feels like observing the world through a full HD screen. The effect of the keto diet on mental performance is so prominent that even navy SEALS are using it to be even more effective.

There are two reasons that the keto diet shine when it comes to focus and energy.

The first reason is that in keto you remove a myriad of toxins that you may have in an ordinary diet. For instance, many grains (like wheat) contain gluten which has significant amounts of glutamate. Glutamate is an excitotoxin. Namely, it overexcites and kills or damages brain cells the results of which include brain fog.

The second reason involves the production of ketone bodies. When in ketosis, the liver produces beta-hydroxybutyrate (beta-HBA), which in the words of Dr. Perlmutter “is the most important fat for brain energy utilization.” (this is the rocket fuel I mentioned earlier.)

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3. No More Ups and Downs

The problem with regular diets is the ebb and flow of your energy level. You drink a sip of coke and your blood gets filled with glucose and your energy touches the roof; and then, of course, it crashes down and you crave more sweets.

I used to experience these annoying ups and downs every day. I would realize my lack of energy through two signs: either I would crave food, or more prominently, I would mentally be bored.

When your body runs on ketones, however, you will enjoy a steady flow of energy throughout the day.

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The reason is that in keto when your body runs out of the fuel (e.g. the fat you provided by having breakfast) it will tap into your stores of body fat and converts them into keto. This is unlike the regular diet where you have to provide your body with food to help it restore your energy.

4. Rapid Weight Loss

Even though it was not among my goals at all, I lost 15 kilos (33lbs) in the first four months.

I must note that part of the initial rapid weight loss is due to losing body water. And second, I do regular intermittent fasting in keto which helps you boost your way into ketosis and burn fat on a rapid rate (more on this later.)

It is perfectly fine to do keto just to lose weight — as many people do — the efficacy of keto in weight loss is just fascinating.

5. No More Cravings

Eating carbohydrates makes you hungry. If you don’t eat carbohydrates, there is no hunger.” ― Jimmy Moore

Before keto, craving for lunch used to be a huge buzz killer for me. Hunger and craving for food would emit noise on my focus. Even though I enjoyed the lunch, it would eat away almost 2 hours during which I could be productive.

So, every day, I would torment myself for losing productivity either due to not having lunch or due to having lunch. Not to mention the lethargy that would hit me after the eating (often happens when you have a carbs-heavy meal which I had.)

But when in keto, and your body is fat-adapted, you will barely feel hunger or cravings.

Even if I choose to have lunch, a keto meal just provide me with more energy and focus. I would not trade the lightness that comes after a keto meal with a burger with extra cheese.

6. Better Sleep — Much Better Sleep

I’ve tried many weird techniques — from polyphasic sleep to Dr.Seth Robert’s elephant tranquilizer cocktail — to reduce my body’s need for sleep. So far, the most stable result I’ve had, without feeling suicidal after a while, has been with the keto diet.

I used to take 8–8:30 hours of sleep each night with a couple of naps during the day. (Too much, I know. It agonized me for a long time). But now, I’m up and running after 7 hours of sleep.

Better yet, I no longer need naps during the day.

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7. Keto is A Willpower Game-changer

Willpower and discipline have been another obsession of mine. I’ve got to admit, when I read about the keto diet and its effect on metabolism, it put everything I knew about willpower under a huge question mark.

Perhaps you’ve heard that willpower is like a muscle that is worn out when you use it. It’s true. For the willpower to work, studies suggest, you need brain fuel which is primarily glucose.

And what is so mind-boggling?

In keto, your brain fuel does not come from glucose any longer!

Your brain uses ketones which I said earlier are like rocket fuel.

One way I profoundly feel this increased willpower is through monitoring my working hours. In a normal diet, around 5–6 PM I used to lose the mood for working. When I lose the mood, I know my willpower is depleted.

When on keto, however, I easily work past 9:00 PM without feeling any resistance or boredom.

I know, sounds too good to be true, but fortunately, it is.

8. Keto Effects Cascades Throughout Your Life

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In one of the chapters of his classic book Power of Habits, Charles Duhigg talks about keystone habits:

Keystone habits are “small changes or habits that people introduce into their routines that unintentionally carry over into other aspects of their lives.” — Charles Duhigg

Embarking on keto was pushing the first domino to a better life for me. I rebooted my meditation habit, and after a couple of months, I started doing daily workouts.

So, keto can be the first step of massive changes in your lifestyle.

Final Thoughts

Keto is not a diet. I believe it’s a lifestyle. A lifestyle that optimizes your health, focus, and energy.

Whether you aspire to trim your body, reverse diabetes, or boost your productivity and cognition, keto could work for you. You just have to give it a try (at least two months.)

If you make it to the end of the second month, I believe you won’t go back to your previous eating habits. The benefits are just too enormous to ignore.

And to make it to the end of the second month, you must have a strong why. Keto went sharply against all my eating habits. But, my passion for productivity paved the way.

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