12 Week Keto Challenge

Hey Loves,

To understand my weight journey/saga I'd recommend you read My Weight Loss Surgery Story blog post. 

So the last year or so I haven't been doing anything in regards to weight loss or mindful eating. I gave up. My fatigue has been awful and the idea of cooking a meal for myself and the payback didn't seem worth it. I relied on easy meals. 

At my last doctors visit my doctor mentioned my weight and he knows how frustrated I am and how hard I've worked on losing weight (then having regained due to medication and a ruined metabolism thanks to weight loss surgery). He made a comment that when/if (I cant' remember what he used) my pre-diabetes (that I've had since birth) turns into diabetes he can offer me some different medications to help with my weight. He obviously doesnt want that to happen, neither do I. But its at the point where all hope is lost. So it triggered some concern in me and I decided to embark on mindful eating. I had looked into the Keto diet for the last year but was concerned that the meal prep and cooking would cause continual flares and that my body couldn't handle it. I felt like I was using it as an excuse even though at the time before embarking on my little challenge I was only cooking maybe once a week. 

So with the timing I decided to begin a 12 Week Keto Challenge Jan 1 (as most failed diets do lol). 

I went into it confident I could stick to it. Not really thinking about the fact that I am a spoonie and our energy levels are unpredictable.

What is Ketosis?

From Web MD

Ketosis is a normal metabolic process, something your body does to keep working. When it doesn't have enough carbohydrates from food for your cells to burn for energy, it burns fat instead. As part of this process, it makes ketones.

If you're healthy and eating a balanced diet, your body controls how much fat it burns, and you don't normally make or use ketones. But when you cut way back on your calories or carbs, your body will switch to ketosis for energy. 

So what is the Keto Diet? 

From Ruled ME

A keto diet is well known for being a low carb diet, where the body produces ketones in the liver to be used as energy. It’s referred to as many different names – ketogenic diet, low carb diet, low carb high fat (LCHF), etc. When you eat something high in carbs, your body will produce glucose and insulin.

Glucose is the easiest molecule for your body to convert and use as energy, so it will be chosen over any other energy source.

Insulin is produced to process the glucose in your bloodsteam, by taking it around the body. Since the glucose is being used as a primary energy, your fats are not needed, and are therefore stored. Typically on a normal, higher carbohydrate diet, the body will use glucose as the main form of energy.

By lowering the intake of carbs, the body is induced into a state known as ketosis. Ketosis is a natural process the body initiates to help us survive when food intake is low. During this state, we produce ketones, which are produced from the breakdown of fats in the liver.

The end goal of a properly maintained keto diet is to force your body into this metabolic state. We don’t do this through starvation of calories, but through starvation of carbohydrates. Our bodies are extremely adaptive to what you put into it – when you overload it with fats and take away carbohydrates, it will begin to burn ketones as the main energy source.

I personally thought this sounded perfect for my body. And with that I started the Keto Diet....

Day One 1/1/16

I found it interesting that cooking my meals I was using "real" butter. After a lifetime of using low-fat, lite products this seemed so so wrong. But it tasted so so right. Day One meals are below. They were delicious and filling. I thought "wow if this is what its like this is a diet like no other!".  I experienced no headaches or symptoms of "Keto flu" with a lack of carbs. 

Breakfast Day One

Lunch Day One

Dinner Day One  (Taco Bowl)

Day Two 2/1/16
I woke up, all guns blazing, ready to tackle day two. I experienced some gross yucky taste in my mouth, bad breath and a headache. I combatted that with drinking lots of sparkling mineral water with diet cordial (I cant drink flat water with my stomach). By that night my back was really angry at me. I was making all my meals sitting on my walker but I was still standing a lot. For my back, standing up in a killer. For those that don't know I have several Grade 2 slipped discs with nerve root compromisation. I am meant to have a spinal fusion but am refusing for my own reasons.

Breakfast Day 2 

Lunch Day 2 

Dinner Day 2 (Deconstructed Burgers)

Day Three 3/1/16
Day Three I woke up SORE. After some reading I found that carbohydrates contain magnesium which is vital for all bodies, but essential for someone with Fibromyalgia. I take two supplements a day (I ran out once. I know how much my body needs this from the sheer agony I was in without magnesium!). I was a little concerned about this and had an Epsom Salt bath. My sciatica from my back was severe, my hips were killing me and my numbness in my leg was a lot worse. Other then preparing meals/cooking I was at the point where I was laying flat for the rest of the day unable to do anything. In regards to my hunger I was finding I was eating less as I was always full. Something I rarely experience.

Breakfast Day 3 (couldn't eat most of it so saved it for lunch)

 Lunch Day 3

Dinner Day 3

Day Four 4/1/16 
Today is where everything got too much. I was waking up in such severe pain, I had experienced nightmares that night (sign I'm flaring) and my energy levels were non-existent. By that afternoon I had hit a brick wall and knew I was headed for a big flare.

Breakfast Day 4 

Lunch Day 4

I was SO upset with myself. Why had I thought I could prepare three meals a day if the previous week I was lucky to prepare one a week? Was this "just another failed diet"? I spoke to friends and family and reflected and decided that this type of diet is definitely what suits my body. But instead of being focused on getting into a stage of ketosis to lose weight, I would focus on whole foods, proper high fat and less carbs on a more relaxed diet. Being a spoonie you need to be flexible. It's just like when a spoonie makes plans. The day before I might be having a great day- but I wake up the day of the event and I'm so sick I can't get out of bed. My goal now is to cook at least once a day. Plan ahead with a food diary (which I was doing with Keto diet) and try and avoid carbs when I can. Maybe in the future I can commit to the Keto Diet full time, but at the moment I need to take baby steps. As a result for almost 4 full days of cooking 3 meals I am still in a severe flare and my back is still recovering. I am certain if I wasn't a spoonie I could rock this way of eating. But this is the way it is. I am sure some non-spoonies are thinking "just push past those few bad days" but it is literally impossible. When you can't physically get out of bed how are you meant to prepare a meal? I ended up having my mum come over and look after me.
I will continue to post food photos to my Instagram and will do blog posts with quick meal ideas for spoonies wanting to eat low carb. I'm still calling this a win. I fell incredibly short of a 12 week challenge- I didn't even make a week!
However, in those four days doing Keto/Low Carb, High Fat I learnt some valuable information about my body.

What I learnt:

• Full fat foods are incredibly filling
• My body doesn't like carbs such as pasta and potatoes
• High Fat, Low Carb can be easy- it just takes research and effort which sometimes isn't possible being chronically sick. 
• I can push my body. Yes there are consequences, but sometimes they are worth it. 
• Small victories are big victories for spoonies. 

Until next time,

Gentle hugs,

Bridget