So you may have noticed I talk about keto on most of the recipes I post. If you follow me on social media you noticed I also sing the praises of it’s results. If you seen me in person then you may have noticed I have lost quite a bit of weight. This past December, the 4th anniversary of me giving up meat I decided I wanted to try something new. I hadn’t lost any weight since the first 45 pounds I lost in the first 90 days of being vegan. I had been doing detoxes seasonally which helped me lose a little here and there but, when I returned to my regular meal plan I would gain a few pounds back instantly. Foods I relied heavy on in my vegan journey like beans and grains had failed me. I never knew they were loaded with carbs because all I was paying attention to was the protein.
The first week starting keto was the hardest. I kicked it off with a 24 hour water fast to prepare me for also starting an intermittent fasting schedule. My first day’s calories totaled to 1400 and I was beyond stuffed. I never had a high fat diet and it was hard to finish my meals so I cut down to 1200 calories a day. I learned to listen to my body and intuition over the years which has paid off. I was also drinking more water than I ever have in life the first week. I would wake up in the middle of the night feeling like I had not had water in years. I didn’t realize that my body was adjusting and I was actually losing a lot of water and electrolytes because I was running to the bathroom as often as I was chugging bottles of water.
Day four I started feeling weird. My days started with me having a lot of energy but, by the afternoon I was fading and feeling nauseous. Day five it got so bad I had no appetite and just wanted to rest. I had been struck by the dreaded keto flu. It sounds very dramatic and it’s avoidable, really it’s not the worst compared to the real flu. Day six I was still fatigued and had minimal appetite. I just felt weird overall, it’s hard to explain. I was also breathing weird, sort of short for breath. Finally I found the cure in some heavily salted soup broth. I was taking a calcium/magnesium supplement but, it was a new adjustment that sodium is an electrolyte too and I needed to replace what I was losing.
Every blue moon during my second month I would feel slight keto flu symptoms. Every once in a while I felt fatigued, had weird sleep patterns and headaches but, these symptoms were slight and bearable. I really shocked my body cutting my pizza addiction and curbing my sweet tooth. I actually didn’t even crave sweets anymore. I did miss breads and some snack foods but, I was so satisfied from my meals I didn’t feel a need for them anymore.
I finally felt better week two. I was sleeping deeply through the night and I guess the fasting had me having some crazy, vivid dreams. Also in the mornings my hands were a bit shaky but, my energy was steady. Every once in a while I did experience headaches. I really went all in starting keto and intermittent fasting at the same time. The results blew my mind. In the first month and for the first time since I was 18, I was under 200 lbs and my measurements were close to a hourglass shape. In one month I lost 15 lbs and 7 inches so fast I thought I might have gone too far. This is when I learned the majority of what I lost was just water weight.
So here I am now, three and a half months into eating a plant-based, keto diet. I lost a lot of weight very quickly without exercise. My starting weight was 212 and today I’m 187 lbs. You also lose a lot of inches off your body consistently on this lifestyle. Some weeks the scale barely moved but, I lost an inch or more. My starting measurements were 46-37-43 and today I’m at 41.5-32-41. It’s crazy how much water weight your body holds when you are on a heavy carbohydrate meal plan. It also crazy how my habits changed. I became more aware of old addictive patterns I had with my relationship with certain foods. Even with a cheat meal or snack here and there I have maintained my weight loss. I also added in exercise recently which helps burn off any carbs I treat myself to but, overall necessary for good health.
I did take dramatic before pictures and I also keep a journal with my measurements and notes of how I’m feeling. I can’t wait to show my final after picture now that I’m in the gym and working towards losing a few more pounds and toning other areas. I don’t think I will stay on keto forever but, I do want to see if there are any more benefits in going a couple more months. Outside of weight loss I haven’t had any waves of depression which is great during the winter months that usually trigger it and I also haven’t had any pain in my body which I usually get from working long days on my feet. I hope to inspired others with my journey and prove that keto can be plant-based and is not just for meat and cheese lovers. Stay tuned.. I’m sure I will have more praises as I keep pushing forward on this journey.
