I love the word “journey.” So, since my attitude when it comes to major lifestyle changes is generally terrible, I decided to refer to this one with a word I like. Maybe if I make myself tell the world – and by world, I mean probably 2 readers – it will help keep me accountable. And if I’m lucky, even get me back in the habit of writing again.
My family and I, under the coercion, errr, I mean, the leadership of my husband, is undertaking a new Keto lifestyle. Now, you have to understand, I am excessively skeptical of anything trendy and this is the BIG TREND right now. I was not happy about the idea of trying yet another thing, when nothing else has stuck. Having done a good bit of research though, I can see the idea behind this one, how it could be effective in not just losing weight, but also reclaiming health. So, I jumped in the boat.
(I’ll admit, I almost quit after the first grocery shopping trip. It is utter insanity that it costs so much to eat healthily. And people wonder why there’s an obesity epidemic and rampant heart disease in the world?!)
I’ve been overweight all my life. I was probably overweight at birth, but the doctor was too polite to say so. I was the one who heard, “You would be so pretty if you would lose some weight,” more times than I would like. Oh and, “You have such a pretty face.” My favorite one ever though, and I mean that because it makes me laugh now, was when someone described me as being, “young, only in her 20’s but she looks older because she’s overweight.” Well crap! I was laboring under the assumption that keeping some fat on you kept those wrinkles plumped out and helped you look younger!
I also have a large build (thanks, Dad.) which would once have probably been referred to as “athletic.” That, however, was when I was young and proportionate. As you get older and gravity bears down on you harder, your proportions change. DRASTICALLY. (If there are any young ladies reading this thinking that can’t be true, get back to me when you go bra shopping in your mid 30’s. Trust me.)
Now, there are apparently as many different variations of Keto as there are sizes in my closet. What we have decided to do, after much reading and information gathering, is to use the high fat/mid protein/low carb method. And it goes against everything I’ve believed all my chubby life. Anytime I’ve looked at changing my diet, it’s been all about low-fat, low-fat, low-fat. And portion control. But mostly just low-fat. This is a tough adjustment to make. But the idea, as I understand it, is that if your body doesn’t have sugar and carbs readily available to burn, it will burn fat, and it will burn it more efficiently – a slow burn, if you will, rather than the quick flash of carb fuel.
So, today was D-Day. The day we changed our whole diet in an attempt to change our whole outlook, and in time, we hope, our lives. And, I have to say, for a day 1, it wasn’t terrible. Here are a few thoughts to sum up the first day:
For breakfast, I had our version of Bulletproof coffee, the idea of which freaked me out to begin with. Greasy coffee? Ummmmm, why?! I am a self-confessed coffee addict. I love the stuff any time, and all the time. I usually drink it with just a little cream, no sugar. I took that idea into my trial cup of this variation yesterday, and it was….tolerable. It wasn’t terrible. But I didn’t look forward to having it again, and normally when I get halfway through a cup of coffee, I’m already anticipating my next cup. Since this recipe is supposed to be filling enough to keep you satisfied for a few hours, I decided to try it for my actual breakfast – 12 ounces coffee, 2 tablespoons REAL butter, 1 tablespoon coconut oil, a splash of heavy cream, plus a teaspoon of Stevia sweetener and a sprinkle of cinnamon, (my hubby’s idea) all into the blender and gave it a good mix. It was pretty good! The little extra flavor from the Stevia and the cinnamon seemed to counteract the “greasy” feel. It was 3 and a half hours before I began to feel hungry, which is pretty unusual for me unless I eat a BIG breakfast. Ok, that’s a win, I can do that for breakfast.
One thing I noticed though, after lunch I got crazy tired. I was yawning every 30 seconds and just felt like I could fall over. I felt not just sleepy, but my body felt sluggish too. I drank a cup of coffee trying to get through the work day, and felt better for a while, then that same sleepy, sluggishness hit me again about 3:00. My family will tell you that I love naps, and regularly carve out time for them on the weekends. (Sometimes on weekdays too, if I can get away with it!) But it’s rare that I feel this kind of tired. I’m not sure how to explain it accurately, I just know it was different. I took the opportunity to lie down for an hour and felt better. Now it’s 8:30 and the sluggish feeling is coming back again. This admitted night owl who hates going to bed before at least 11, is thinking about how good sleep sounds. I’m hoping this will be a temporary effect. I imagine it’s because my body is used to having those carb rushes and I haven’t had that today. Normally it isn’t something I even think about –
To put it into perspective, I am keeping my carbs at 23 grams or less per day. I looked at a store bought Rice Krispies treat square, the small one. It has 17 grams of carbs for ONE. Today, I have had 16.5 grams, so I’m guessing my body is asking, “What in the name of all that is holy are you doing to me, woman?”
With that in mind, I believe I’ll listen to her and go to bed. I mean, after all, if I’m not up, I’m not tempted to snack, right?
Here’s to day 1 under my belt. (which will hopefully be smaller soon!)
Her High and Mightyness 