First of all, I apologize for not finishing my entries for the last four days of the ketogenic diet experiment until now! I haven't blogged in a while and to be honest, once I went off the diet my life sort of fell apart (seriously!) and I didn't really have time to finish the posts.
But today is a new beginning! I discovered while being off the ketogenic diet for about a week and a half that I liked my life MUCH BETTER while on it. Yes, I did get to eat anything and everything I wanted for that short period of time, but it wasn't worth the heck I put my body through. I was miserable and tired and stopped working out and even my hormones went crazy. agh. A week and a half of poor nutrition can really mess up your life!
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Day 26-30
October 16, 2012
Perfect day. I ate a huge salad, cheese and turkey sandwich, carrots and peanut butter, and a two cheese sticks I think. I'm trying to get back into ketosis after my little cheat yesterday so i stuck to strict protein and fat today. The carrots were probably pushing it though. Oh well. Had a great workout and didn't feel super tired afterwards :) 4 days left!
October 17, 2012
I'm starting to run out of things to say. If you have questions about the diet, message me! I will be happy to answer any of your questions or even just have a discussion with you, I LOVE talking nutrition.
(these are copied from my paper journal)
October 18, 2012
Okay I need to watch myself. I keep making silly choices like eating a little bit of cake or icecream when I'm offered, and even though it doesn't knock me out of ketosis, I'm worried because I have progressively gotten more and more lenient when it comes to this diet. I understand that my self-control has improved and therefore I am able to do stuff like just eat a little bit of something and put it down, but I also need to realize that I am still human and still very capable of throwing my self-control out the window without knowing it. I'm going to try hard to keep the "small cheats" to a minimum these last three days.
October 19, 2012
Not much to report today. Although I will say I have been experimenting more with low-carb recipes. Like pizza, yum. I'm starting to feel like I should write a cookbook or something. I love using almond flour and flax seed meal (so much fiber!) instead of regular grains that are full of carbs, gluten, and so genetically modified that they aren't really even healthy for humans anymore. Okay that may be a matter of opinion but still, I've seen a lot of research that supports it. Plus I can't think of a better way to get my daily dose of fiber than through pizza made with flax meal!
October 20, 2012
Ayayayayay!!! LAST DAY OF THE EXPERIMENT! And I must say, this has been a very successful experiment. I have gained so much from following this diet over the last thirty days. Motivation, focus, self-control, confidence, will-power, happiness, energy, peace, excitement, stability, you name it, I've got it thanks to this project. Yay I am so happy that I've discovered something so amazing! Seriously this has changed my life. I finally feel like I have found not just a diet that works but a lifestyle that I am capable of living. I'm excited to eat some of my favorite cheat foods tomorrow of course but I am confident that I will continue to follow the principles I've learned from this diet for the rest of my life. I never want to go back to the way I lived before :)
Best thing about this diet:
surprisingly, not the weight loss...I would have to say one thing I have benefited most from by following this diet over the last thirty days is mood stabilization. I have never been so peaceful and happy in my entire life. None of this up and down, good times and bad, get high then crash junk. I feel like I have been functioning on a consistently exalted level :) I even think more clearly and about more significant things. My mind has officially been blown, and i give this diet SIX stars!
Perfect day. I ate a huge salad, cheese and turkey sandwich, carrots and peanut butter, and a two cheese sticks I think. I'm trying to get back into ketosis after my little cheat yesterday so i stuck to strict protein and fat today. The carrots were probably pushing it though. Oh well. Had a great workout and didn't feel super tired afterwards :) 4 days left!
October 17, 2012
I'm starting to run out of things to say. If you have questions about the diet, message me! I will be happy to answer any of your questions or even just have a discussion with you, I LOVE talking nutrition.
(these are copied from my paper journal)
October 18, 2012
Okay I need to watch myself. I keep making silly choices like eating a little bit of cake or icecream when I'm offered, and even though it doesn't knock me out of ketosis, I'm worried because I have progressively gotten more and more lenient when it comes to this diet. I understand that my self-control has improved and therefore I am able to do stuff like just eat a little bit of something and put it down, but I also need to realize that I am still human and still very capable of throwing my self-control out the window without knowing it. I'm going to try hard to keep the "small cheats" to a minimum these last three days.
October 19, 2012
Not much to report today. Although I will say I have been experimenting more with low-carb recipes. Like pizza, yum. I'm starting to feel like I should write a cookbook or something. I love using almond flour and flax seed meal (so much fiber!) instead of regular grains that are full of carbs, gluten, and so genetically modified that they aren't really even healthy for humans anymore. Okay that may be a matter of opinion but still, I've seen a lot of research that supports it. Plus I can't think of a better way to get my daily dose of fiber than through pizza made with flax meal!
October 20, 2012
Ayayayayay!!! LAST DAY OF THE EXPERIMENT! And I must say, this has been a very successful experiment. I have gained so much from following this diet over the last thirty days. Motivation, focus, self-control, confidence, will-power, happiness, energy, peace, excitement, stability, you name it, I've got it thanks to this project. Yay I am so happy that I've discovered something so amazing! Seriously this has changed my life. I finally feel like I have found not just a diet that works but a lifestyle that I am capable of living. I'm excited to eat some of my favorite cheat foods tomorrow of course but I am confident that I will continue to follow the principles I've learned from this diet for the rest of my life. I never want to go back to the way I lived before :)
Best thing about this diet:
surprisingly, not the weight loss...I would have to say one thing I have benefited most from by following this diet over the last thirty days is mood stabilization. I have never been so peaceful and happy in my entire life. None of this up and down, good times and bad, get high then crash junk. I feel like I have been functioning on a consistently exalted level :) I even think more clearly and about more significant things. My mind has officially been blown, and i give this diet SIX stars!
Day 25
October 15, 2012
OMGSH I HAVE FIVE DAYS LEFT!!! I AM AMAZING!!!
haha :) seriously tho, I haven't been this proud of myself in a loooong time. Today I decided to designate as a cheat day because I have been two weeks without one and I think I really needed it so I could push through these last five days. Anyway I didn't really even cheat all that much. I ate most of the things I normally would but then at FHE had a doughnut and some small cookies, later a few peach rings. I felt sick afterwards. I didn't even want any more. This is really starting to become a permanent lifestyle
OMGSH I HAVE FIVE DAYS LEFT!!! I AM AMAZING!!!
haha :) seriously tho, I haven't been this proud of myself in a loooong time. Today I decided to designate as a cheat day because I have been two weeks without one and I think I really needed it so I could push through these last five days. Anyway I didn't really even cheat all that much. I ate most of the things I normally would but then at FHE had a doughnut and some small cookies, later a few peach rings. I felt sick afterwards. I didn't even want any more. This is really starting to become a permanent lifestyle
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Day 24
October 14, 2012
Fast Sunday. I was actually kind of glad to fast this time. I ate a lot last night so I knew I would be fine going without food for a while today. My tummy didn't even grumble until 4pm and then I made quinoa sushi with my leftover ingredients from Friday at ate it with a friend. We had to use these little tiny nori sheets that weren't even big enough to roll, so we ended up just making tacos out of them. I fried up some bacon and we put quinoa, cream cheese, green onions, shrimp, wasabi, and bacon in our little nori taco shells. It was AMAZING. We decided to call them "shacon tacos" (suSHi-bACON tacos) haha. We are so clever. I was okay with eating the quinoa because I added up the carbs and since I had been fasting all day it wasn't even close to putting me over my daily limit. Yay for fast Sundays. And yay for quinoa sushi. I can't wait to start eating it all the time. But I never would've discovered it if I hadn't been on this diet :)
Fast Sunday. I was actually kind of glad to fast this time. I ate a lot last night so I knew I would be fine going without food for a while today. My tummy didn't even grumble until 4pm and then I made quinoa sushi with my leftover ingredients from Friday at ate it with a friend. We had to use these little tiny nori sheets that weren't even big enough to roll, so we ended up just making tacos out of them. I fried up some bacon and we put quinoa, cream cheese, green onions, shrimp, wasabi, and bacon in our little nori taco shells. It was AMAZING. We decided to call them "shacon tacos" (suSHi-bACON tacos) haha. We are so clever. I was okay with eating the quinoa because I added up the carbs and since I had been fasting all day it wasn't even close to putting me over my daily limit. Yay for fast Sundays. And yay for quinoa sushi. I can't wait to start eating it all the time. But I never would've discovered it if I hadn't been on this diet :)
Day 23
October 13, 2012
I got in an awesome workout this morning cuz I knew I was going to be able to take a break tomorrow! Yay. Well, a break from working out lol not my diet. But I'm starting to realize that the two really do go hand in hand. I went to beto's with a friend and got a taco salad and it was SO nasty. This was one time when I really wished I could have tortillas. I miss Mexican food. Anyway besides that things were pretty normal. Not much to report today.
I got in an awesome workout this morning cuz I knew I was going to be able to take a break tomorrow! Yay. Well, a break from working out lol not my diet. But I'm starting to realize that the two really do go hand in hand. I went to beto's with a friend and got a taco salad and it was SO nasty. This was one time when I really wished I could have tortillas. I miss Mexican food. Anyway besides that things were pretty normal. Not much to report today.
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Day 22
October 12, 2012
So today I ate really well all day because I knew my friend's birthday party was tonight and I wanted to be able to join in with the cake and ice cream without going too far over my daily limit. Anyway I planned to eat a lot tonight, but I ended up having way less than I planned. Usually it seems like if I plan to cheat I go ALL OUT, and stuff myself with crap because I know I won't be able to have any of that good stuff tomorrow. But I didn't do that. I had a half a piece of red velvet cake, a couple sips of punch, a couple sips of hot chocolate, and two small scoops of ice cream. I didn't even get sick afterwards! haha I am amazed by my new-found self control :) also I made quinoa sushi today with a friend. SO YUMMY. I wouldn't eat it all the time because even though quinoa has a lot of protein (it's the only grain that is a complete protein actually) it's still a grain, which means it has carbs. But I will probably start using quinoa a lot more when my official thirty days are up. I've gotten pretty good at being able to eat small amounts of carbs without falling out of ketosis, so I'm just gonna keep adding small amounts into my diet so I can get more out of my workouts, but keep burning fat :)
So today I ate really well all day because I knew my friend's birthday party was tonight and I wanted to be able to join in with the cake and ice cream without going too far over my daily limit. Anyway I planned to eat a lot tonight, but I ended up having way less than I planned. Usually it seems like if I plan to cheat I go ALL OUT, and stuff myself with crap because I know I won't be able to have any of that good stuff tomorrow. But I didn't do that. I had a half a piece of red velvet cake, a couple sips of punch, a couple sips of hot chocolate, and two small scoops of ice cream. I didn't even get sick afterwards! haha I am amazed by my new-found self control :) also I made quinoa sushi today with a friend. SO YUMMY. I wouldn't eat it all the time because even though quinoa has a lot of protein (it's the only grain that is a complete protein actually) it's still a grain, which means it has carbs. But I will probably start using quinoa a lot more when my official thirty days are up. I've gotten pretty good at being able to eat small amounts of carbs without falling out of ketosis, so I'm just gonna keep adding small amounts into my diet so I can get more out of my workouts, but keep burning fat :)
Day 21
October 11, 2012
A couple of amazing things happened today.
1. I ate a cookie
....well a fourth of one. I was at my clinical in Salt Lake and there were peanut butter cookies on a tray in the front room. No one was watching, I was all alone. And I thought, "man, if I could just have a TASTE of one of those cookies, this moment would be so much better..." but I knew myself too well to trust that once I took one bite I would be able to set the cookie down. And i couldn't eat the whole cookie - it would knock me out of ketosis. So I thought for a second and said to myself, "EMILY, you can DO this!" haha and I took a cookie, snuck into the bathroom, broke it in half, threw one half away, broke it in half again, threw another half away, and then popped the fourth that was left into my mouth. YUM! And then I went back to work :)
2. I had sub zero ice cream with a friend.
...kiddie size. I got premium with peanut butter and agave and had them mix in chunks of brownie. it was SO GOOD. and guess what? IT DIDN'T KNOCK ME OUT OF KETOSIS!!!! amazing!! seriously I knew agave was better for you than sugar but when it comes to this diet, I just figured carbs were carbs and agave pretty much has just as many as sugar. But I really wanted to be able to do something fun with my friend and I had decided this was worth it, even if it meant I had to go workout on an empty stomach the next morning. But I was pleasantly surprised tonight to find that I was still in full-blown ketosis. Yay. I think my body really is truly adapted now. I love my body :)
A couple of amazing things happened today.
1. I ate a cookie
....well a fourth of one. I was at my clinical in Salt Lake and there were peanut butter cookies on a tray in the front room. No one was watching, I was all alone. And I thought, "man, if I could just have a TASTE of one of those cookies, this moment would be so much better..." but I knew myself too well to trust that once I took one bite I would be able to set the cookie down. And i couldn't eat the whole cookie - it would knock me out of ketosis. So I thought for a second and said to myself, "EMILY, you can DO this!" haha and I took a cookie, snuck into the bathroom, broke it in half, threw one half away, broke it in half again, threw another half away, and then popped the fourth that was left into my mouth. YUM! And then I went back to work :)
2. I had sub zero ice cream with a friend.
...kiddie size. I got premium with peanut butter and agave and had them mix in chunks of brownie. it was SO GOOD. and guess what? IT DIDN'T KNOCK ME OUT OF KETOSIS!!!! amazing!! seriously I knew agave was better for you than sugar but when it comes to this diet, I just figured carbs were carbs and agave pretty much has just as many as sugar. But I really wanted to be able to do something fun with my friend and I had decided this was worth it, even if it meant I had to go workout on an empty stomach the next morning. But I was pleasantly surprised tonight to find that I was still in full-blown ketosis. Yay. I think my body really is truly adapted now. I love my body :)
Day 20
October 10, 2012
I'm 2/3 of the way done! yaaaaaaayyyyy I can't believe I made it this far! People have been asking me left and right how the diet is going and I love being able to say, "AWESOME!". Also I haven't felt sad in so long. Life is SO GOOD right now :) I have to say this because if I ever stop eating well or working out regularly again and I get depressed and can't remember what it felt like to be happy I wanna come look at this entry and say to myself "oh my gosh, no wonder". This diet has made such a huge impact on my life already. I don't think I can ever go back to the lifestyle I had before. I feel so close to self mastery right now. Seriously I have total control over my body now. It's just so great! Like, I can eat 2 or three pieces of saltwater taffy and be done! AMAZING!
I'm 2/3 of the way done! yaaaaaaayyyyy I can't believe I made it this far! People have been asking me left and right how the diet is going and I love being able to say, "AWESOME!". Also I haven't felt sad in so long. Life is SO GOOD right now :) I have to say this because if I ever stop eating well or working out regularly again and I get depressed and can't remember what it felt like to be happy I wanna come look at this entry and say to myself "oh my gosh, no wonder". This diet has made such a huge impact on my life already. I don't think I can ever go back to the lifestyle I had before. I feel so close to self mastery right now. Seriously I have total control over my body now. It's just so great! Like, I can eat 2 or three pieces of saltwater taffy and be done! AMAZING!
Day 19
October 9, 2012
Today was pretty normal. I can't think of anything really interesting to write about. OH here's something - I ate way too much cheese a like 5 tonight and felt really sick and tired afterwards. Note too self: don't watch a movie with a spoon and a bag of shredded cheese sitting next to you...
Today was pretty normal. I can't think of anything really interesting to write about. OH here's something - I ate way too much cheese a like 5 tonight and felt really sick and tired afterwards. Note too self: don't watch a movie with a spoon and a bag of shredded cheese sitting next to you...
Monday, October 8, 2012
Day 18
October 8, 2012 (11 days left!)
I'm on the downhill baby. Today I had a great workout and got on the scale and what did it read? 146. That's with clothes on and everything. The last time I took my weight was first thing in the morning a week ago and I was at 150. That's 4 pounds in a week! I imagine if I were to strip down and weigh myself tomorrow morning before eating or drinking anything I would probly be even less. But I'm not gonna do that because I don't believe in weighing myself every day, it just sets me up to be disappointed and get impatient, and those are two things I cannot afford to be right now. I'll weigh again in a week, and this time I'll do it BEFORE I've had breakfast and drank a ton of water.
Seeing results is exciting though. When I started this diet I was somewhere around 155 (that's what the doctor's scale said when I went in the day before, but I didn't actually measure it myself) which means I've at least lost ten pounds already. The first four came off within like two days and then I stayed at 151 for a while so I'm pretty sure that initial loss was just water but now it's fat that's coming off. I also have to take into consideration the muscle I've been building by lifting 6 days a week. I know I will come to a point where my weight simply won't drop anymore but instead start going back up because the amount of muscle I'm building will be more than the fat I'm even capable of losing. But I'm okay with that, I get more satisfaction anyway from having to wear a belt with all my pants to keep them from falling off. I just FEEL better, and I know I look better too. I'm so glad I chose this as my project :)
I'm on the downhill baby. Today I had a great workout and got on the scale and what did it read? 146. That's with clothes on and everything. The last time I took my weight was first thing in the morning a week ago and I was at 150. That's 4 pounds in a week! I imagine if I were to strip down and weigh myself tomorrow morning before eating or drinking anything I would probly be even less. But I'm not gonna do that because I don't believe in weighing myself every day, it just sets me up to be disappointed and get impatient, and those are two things I cannot afford to be right now. I'll weigh again in a week, and this time I'll do it BEFORE I've had breakfast and drank a ton of water.
Seeing results is exciting though. When I started this diet I was somewhere around 155 (that's what the doctor's scale said when I went in the day before, but I didn't actually measure it myself) which means I've at least lost ten pounds already. The first four came off within like two days and then I stayed at 151 for a while so I'm pretty sure that initial loss was just water but now it's fat that's coming off. I also have to take into consideration the muscle I've been building by lifting 6 days a week. I know I will come to a point where my weight simply won't drop anymore but instead start going back up because the amount of muscle I'm building will be more than the fat I'm even capable of losing. But I'm okay with that, I get more satisfaction anyway from having to wear a belt with all my pants to keep them from falling off. I just FEEL better, and I know I look better too. I'm so glad I chose this as my project :)
Day 17
October 7, 2012
I just broke my record for the longest time I've ever maintained a diet! yay. haha I know that sounds silly because 17 days is not very long, but I have not been a very strong-willed person in the past and I pretty much always would get to about day 14 or 15, cheat, and then not get back on the diet until a month later. So i'm pretty proud of myself. Actually I'm extremely proud of the fact that I was able to have that cheat day last monday and then immediately get back on the diet the next day (even though it sucked and I hated my life the next two days). I've never done that before! GO ME!!
Anyway it was a pretty regular day as far as the diet went. One thing I've noticed is that my moods have totally stabilized since I started this thing. I've honestly been in a serious back and forth state of depression since February of this year, and this is the first time that I've consistently been in a good mood for more than a few days. On Tuesday and Wednesday I wasn't feeling so hot, and I know exactly why - those were the transition days right after I ate a ton of sugar for my cheat day on Monday. Other than that I have been feeling on top of the world every single day that I've been in a considerable state of ketosis. I really haven't felt this great in a long time. I used to be happy in the mornings and then swing the other way when the evening came around, and it seemed like much of my reasoning, focus, and motivation went all haywire too. I can't even remember what that feels like anymore. I'm in a total state of clarity and I feel like I can see the world in a consistently larger perspective than I could before. It really is a great state of mind to be in. And I think this is an important discovery because I'm totally the type of person who eats for comfort - when I'm down or lonely I start chowing down the twinkies, chocolate, and ice cream, and though it may make me feel better initially I often feel much worse afterwards. I sabotage my own happiness by trying to cure it the wrong way. I would so much rather just never feel depressed in the first place, which is what I've been doing :) and even if I start to feel a little sad or down about something I have a much more optimistic mindset and way of thinking that helps me pull through it quickly and consider why I'm feeling that way instead of just wallowing in it and craving a quick fix. I really do love this diet
I just broke my record for the longest time I've ever maintained a diet! yay. haha I know that sounds silly because 17 days is not very long, but I have not been a very strong-willed person in the past and I pretty much always would get to about day 14 or 15, cheat, and then not get back on the diet until a month later. So i'm pretty proud of myself. Actually I'm extremely proud of the fact that I was able to have that cheat day last monday and then immediately get back on the diet the next day (even though it sucked and I hated my life the next two days). I've never done that before! GO ME!!
Anyway it was a pretty regular day as far as the diet went. One thing I've noticed is that my moods have totally stabilized since I started this thing. I've honestly been in a serious back and forth state of depression since February of this year, and this is the first time that I've consistently been in a good mood for more than a few days. On Tuesday and Wednesday I wasn't feeling so hot, and I know exactly why - those were the transition days right after I ate a ton of sugar for my cheat day on Monday. Other than that I have been feeling on top of the world every single day that I've been in a considerable state of ketosis. I really haven't felt this great in a long time. I used to be happy in the mornings and then swing the other way when the evening came around, and it seemed like much of my reasoning, focus, and motivation went all haywire too. I can't even remember what that feels like anymore. I'm in a total state of clarity and I feel like I can see the world in a consistently larger perspective than I could before. It really is a great state of mind to be in. And I think this is an important discovery because I'm totally the type of person who eats for comfort - when I'm down or lonely I start chowing down the twinkies, chocolate, and ice cream, and though it may make me feel better initially I often feel much worse afterwards. I sabotage my own happiness by trying to cure it the wrong way. I would so much rather just never feel depressed in the first place, which is what I've been doing :) and even if I start to feel a little sad or down about something I have a much more optimistic mindset and way of thinking that helps me pull through it quickly and consider why I'm feeling that way instead of just wallowing in it and craving a quick fix. I really do love this diet
Day 16
October 6, 2012
Today we had General Conference! Woohoo! I woke up early so I could get a quick workout in before the 9am relief society breakfast. I had debated waiting until after the first session to go lift but then decided against it because I figured it would be better to get it done with earlier in the day so I didn't have to worry about it. Lucky decision! Turned out that the BYU gym closed at 9am today for conference and didn't open back up at all. If I had waited I wouldn't have been able to lift at all today! Good thing I went :) Working out isn't technically part of my 30-day project but I'm doing it anyway because I really want to maximize my results. Not only am I trying to jumpstart a healthier lifestyle but I'm training for state pageant here, and the swimsuit competition is gonna be tough. I figured I better start now if I'm gonna be able to compete when July comes around. So far the diet hasn't interfered at all with my workouts and in fact i've had even more motivation and energy to work out since I started it (this seems kind of backwards because I'm not eating hardly any carbohydrates, but hey, I'm only telling you my experience).
Today we had General Conference! Woohoo! I woke up early so I could get a quick workout in before the 9am relief society breakfast. I had debated waiting until after the first session to go lift but then decided against it because I figured it would be better to get it done with earlier in the day so I didn't have to worry about it. Lucky decision! Turned out that the BYU gym closed at 9am today for conference and didn't open back up at all. If I had waited I wouldn't have been able to lift at all today! Good thing I went :) Working out isn't technically part of my 30-day project but I'm doing it anyway because I really want to maximize my results. Not only am I trying to jumpstart a healthier lifestyle but I'm training for state pageant here, and the swimsuit competition is gonna be tough. I figured I better start now if I'm gonna be able to compete when July comes around. So far the diet hasn't interfered at all with my workouts and in fact i've had even more motivation and energy to work out since I started it (this seems kind of backwards because I'm not eating hardly any carbohydrates, but hey, I'm only telling you my experience).
Friday, October 5, 2012
Day 15 (HALFWAY!)
I can't believe I am halfway done already! It's crazy how fast this has gone. And I'm sure the next 15 days are gonna go even faster. Today I had a hefty breakfast and then went shopping and didn't eat again until 5pm. I understand its not a good idea to do this regularly but luckily I got away with it this time. Normally I would've been starving by noon but to be honest I didn't even think about food all day and that's probably why I didn't make an effort to take a break and get some lunch. Once again, a perk to being on this diet is that the fat sustains you for a long time...
But I'm excited to be halfway done, simply because I feel so accomplished! when I first started I wasn't sure how well I was gonna do or if I'd even be able to make it 5 days let alone 30. Having this blog and sharing my experience with others has helped a lot though. I feel so much more of a duty to stick to this because everyone knows I'm doing it and people are interested in how it turns out. Not to mention the fact that its also kind of part of my grade for pdbio.
Anyway I've decided that once I'm finished with this project I am going to stay on the diet except for just a couple of things - ezekiel bread, apples, and frozen berries. I think it will be good to add just a few complex carbs back into my diet so I can start building muscle more and really making good use of my time in the gym. Plus I miss having protein berry shakes! :)
But I'm excited to be halfway done, simply because I feel so accomplished! when I first started I wasn't sure how well I was gonna do or if I'd even be able to make it 5 days let alone 30. Having this blog and sharing my experience with others has helped a lot though. I feel so much more of a duty to stick to this because everyone knows I'm doing it and people are interested in how it turns out. Not to mention the fact that its also kind of part of my grade for pdbio.
Anyway I've decided that once I'm finished with this project I am going to stay on the diet except for just a couple of things - ezekiel bread, apples, and frozen berries. I think it will be good to add just a few complex carbs back into my diet so I can start building muscle more and really making good use of my time in the gym. Plus I miss having protein berry shakes! :)
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Day 14
October 4, 2012
I had clinicals this morning so I woke up at 4am and ate a bunch of eggs with spinach, cheese, and nuts. Yum. this lasted me until about 10am when I got out my lunch (taco seasoned turkey with cheese, sour cream, and ranch on a hefty bed of lettuce) and ate about half of it with my patient - she's so cute! Anyway I finished it on the way home at 11. Still feeling tired, I tested my urine again and now I'm up to the second stage past trace amounts (I can't remember exactly what the amount is). Anyway right now I am feeling so much better, and I'm excited to test again. At least it only took me two days of misery to get into ketosis again instead of a week of it. Still, I don't plan on making that mistake again. So not worth it
I had clinicals this morning so I woke up at 4am and ate a bunch of eggs with spinach, cheese, and nuts. Yum. this lasted me until about 10am when I got out my lunch (taco seasoned turkey with cheese, sour cream, and ranch on a hefty bed of lettuce) and ate about half of it with my patient - she's so cute! Anyway I finished it on the way home at 11. Still feeling tired, I tested my urine again and now I'm up to the second stage past trace amounts (I can't remember exactly what the amount is). Anyway right now I am feeling so much better, and I'm excited to test again. At least it only took me two days of misery to get into ketosis again instead of a week of it. Still, I don't plan on making that mistake again. So not worth it
Day 13
October 3, 2012
I tested my ketosis state again this morning and found that I have only trace amounts of ketones in my blood. Boo. Anyone who's been fasting for a while would have that. I want to be back in ketosis already. This sucks and I am never doing a cheat day again! (okay that's not true, but I'm atleast going to wait another 3 weeks before I try it again - that's assuming I continue this diet after the 30 days are up, which I plan on doing). Energy levels are still dwindling and I'm having a hard time keeping the motivation I need to stay on this diet at the moment. I just want some caffeine or something.
I tested my ketosis state again this morning and found that I have only trace amounts of ketones in my blood. Boo. Anyone who's been fasting for a while would have that. I want to be back in ketosis already. This sucks and I am never doing a cheat day again! (okay that's not true, but I'm atleast going to wait another 3 weeks before I try it again - that's assuming I continue this diet after the 30 days are up, which I plan on doing). Energy levels are still dwindling and I'm having a hard time keeping the motivation I need to stay on this diet at the moment. I just want some caffeine or something.
Day 12
October 2, 2012
Well last night I gave in and decided to have a cheat day. After three wonderful days of feeling on top of the world with more energy than I've ever had in my life, I figured my body was completely adapted to the ketogenic diet and I would be fine having a carb feast as long as I got right back to the diet the next day. Welp, I was wrong. Today was miserable. Actually let me take that back. The morning was fine because my glycogen stores were totally full and I had this crazy urge to work out. Like, my body woke me up at 6:00am wanting to go lift weights (after going to bed at 2am, no way would I ever consciously force myself to do that). Seriously, I had no control, its what my body wanted. So I did. And then I ran, and then I biked, and then about two hours later I crashed. I'm pretty sure I was in a hypoglycemic state at this point. I was so tired and irritated and sad but still not hungry! I figured out pretty quick what was going on and luckily I had maintained my lack of carbohydrate cravings so I didn't resort to that to feel better. I just decided to wait it out. So here I am, dead tired and about to go to bed. Hopefully tomorrow will be better. Also I tested for ketones with a urinalysis stick and I'm totally not in ketosis anymore. I knew that anyway but for some reason wanted to scientifically support my observation. lol.
Well last night I gave in and decided to have a cheat day. After three wonderful days of feeling on top of the world with more energy than I've ever had in my life, I figured my body was completely adapted to the ketogenic diet and I would be fine having a carb feast as long as I got right back to the diet the next day. Welp, I was wrong. Today was miserable. Actually let me take that back. The morning was fine because my glycogen stores were totally full and I had this crazy urge to work out. Like, my body woke me up at 6:00am wanting to go lift weights (after going to bed at 2am, no way would I ever consciously force myself to do that). Seriously, I had no control, its what my body wanted. So I did. And then I ran, and then I biked, and then about two hours later I crashed. I'm pretty sure I was in a hypoglycemic state at this point. I was so tired and irritated and sad but still not hungry! I figured out pretty quick what was going on and luckily I had maintained my lack of carbohydrate cravings so I didn't resort to that to feel better. I just decided to wait it out. So here I am, dead tired and about to go to bed. Hopefully tomorrow will be better. Also I tested for ketones with a urinalysis stick and I'm totally not in ketosis anymore. I knew that anyway but for some reason wanted to scientifically support my observation. lol.
Monday, October 1, 2012
Day 11
So... this is what I made for breakfast this morning, and I couldn't finish it so I took the rest with me to class and ate it for lunch, along with my leftover 1/4 sandwich from yesterday, and some celery sticks with about one Tbs of peanut butter...
I call it Zeggs (zucchinni eggs)
2 large eggs
1/2 medium zucchini squash
1Tbs whipping cream
1/8c slivered almonds
1/4c shredded cheese
Whisk the eggs and cream together in a bowl with a fork until fully mixed and frothy. Grate zucchini into the egg mixture. Add the almonds. Pour into a frying pan and cook on low heat, stirring until slightly golden, then add and distribute the melted fatty goodness known as cheese throughout the zeggs. EAT.
I am continually being surprised and excited by this diet. Last night I ate a small turkey sandwich made with almond bread at 4pm, couldn't finish it, and couldn't bring myself to eat again at all the rest of the night (I even stayed up until 2am cuz I had to pick up my mom from Salt Lake). Seriously, I just wasn't hungry! And usually even when I'm not hungry I still crave carbs and sweets and will eat anyway, especially if I'm bored or sad. But I was bored all evening and kept thinking, maybe I should eat, that would pass the time...but then I just couldn't! I SIMPLY WAS NOT HUNGRY. And THAT is why I freaking LOVE this diet.
I will admit I've done diets in the past that taught me to be pretty obsessed with calorie counting, so of course when I started this one I was very paranoid about how many calories I was eating per day with all that fat intake. Because even if your metabolism is running in ketone mode you simply will not lose weight unless you eat less calories than what you burn. So anyway the last three days I decided to keep a pretty good food diary so I could make sure I was still eating a small enough amount of calories for weight loss. I figured out that my body burns about 2300 calories a day just by doing nothing, and the recommended daily caloric deficit for steady weight loss is about 500, so I decided that keeping my calories under 1800 would be a good starting goal. After three days of writing everything down and adding everything up, I found that I am consistently having a hard time eating even 1200 calories!!! (This is even with regular physical activity) The fat really does make me full, and I don't have any desire to eat any more than what my body wants, even if the food tastes really, REALLY good.
I LOVE THIS DIET!!!! :D
I call it Zeggs (zucchinni eggs)
2 large eggs
1/2 medium zucchini squash
1Tbs whipping cream
1/8c slivered almonds
1/4c shredded cheese
Whisk the eggs and cream together in a bowl with a fork until fully mixed and frothy. Grate zucchini into the egg mixture. Add the almonds. Pour into a frying pan and cook on low heat, stirring until slightly golden, then add and distribute the melted fatty goodness known as cheese throughout the zeggs. EAT.
I am continually being surprised and excited by this diet. Last night I ate a small turkey sandwich made with almond bread at 4pm, couldn't finish it, and couldn't bring myself to eat again at all the rest of the night (I even stayed up until 2am cuz I had to pick up my mom from Salt Lake). Seriously, I just wasn't hungry! And usually even when I'm not hungry I still crave carbs and sweets and will eat anyway, especially if I'm bored or sad. But I was bored all evening and kept thinking, maybe I should eat, that would pass the time...but then I just couldn't! I SIMPLY WAS NOT HUNGRY. And THAT is why I freaking LOVE this diet.
I will admit I've done diets in the past that taught me to be pretty obsessed with calorie counting, so of course when I started this one I was very paranoid about how many calories I was eating per day with all that fat intake. Because even if your metabolism is running in ketone mode you simply will not lose weight unless you eat less calories than what you burn. So anyway the last three days I decided to keep a pretty good food diary so I could make sure I was still eating a small enough amount of calories for weight loss. I figured out that my body burns about 2300 calories a day just by doing nothing, and the recommended daily caloric deficit for steady weight loss is about 500, so I decided that keeping my calories under 1800 would be a good starting goal. After three days of writing everything down and adding everything up, I found that I am consistently having a hard time eating even 1200 calories!!! (This is even with regular physical activity) The fat really does make me full, and I don't have any desire to eat any more than what my body wants, even if the food tastes really, REALLY good.
I LOVE THIS DIET!!!! :D
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Days 9-10
Sept. 29-30
Okay since day 8 was a huge post this is gonna be short and quick. My energy is through the roof, my mood is up, my focus, determination, organization, motivation, and over all happiness/outlook on life has skyrocketed. I guess I'm adapted! Anyway I have been trying new recipes today and yesterday and I've found a couple I like. My favorite as of right now is the microwaveable almond bread. Tons of calories but only 4g net carbs. AND it only takes two minutes to make! WOOT! I can finally have sandwiches!!! (VERY filling ones) I think I may be able to do this diet forever...
Okay since day 8 was a huge post this is gonna be short and quick. My energy is through the roof, my mood is up, my focus, determination, organization, motivation, and over all happiness/outlook on life has skyrocketed. I guess I'm adapted! Anyway I have been trying new recipes today and yesterday and I've found a couple I like. My favorite as of right now is the microwaveable almond bread. Tons of calories but only 4g net carbs. AND it only takes two minutes to make! WOOT! I can finally have sandwiches!!! (VERY filling ones) I think I may be able to do this diet forever...
Day 8
September 28, 2012
I just realized that I started this diet on the 21st of September, which means that day ONE was on the twenty-FIRST, day TWO on the twenty-SECOND, day THREE on the twenty-THIRD, and so on. Haha. What a convenient coincidence. Also, there are 30 days in September which means this luckily little pattern wont be thrown off by the month change. October first will be day 11. Yay! This makes things really easy to keep track of and I totally didn't plan that. :) Anyway, today I was having some SERIOUS carb cravings that I almost gave in to. I've also been noticing that my moods are way out of whack. I've been annoyed at everyone and pretty depressed the last week. At first I didn't connect it with the diet (all I connected was the dizziness and exhaustion I was experiencing). But today I did some major ketogenic diet research that enlightened me quite a bit. Let me explain:
My insane craving for carbs was what prompted the research. At about noon today I had gotten to the point where I knew the only way I would have the motivation to keep from breaking my diet today was if there was a planned cheat day coming up that I could look forward to. Considering the fact that my best friend is going to the MTC on Wednesday and I knew her going away party on Monday would be loaded with sinful sugary delights, I had almost made up my mind to plan to assign Monday as my cheat day and from then on have one every week. My reasoning was that I had heard from several nutritionists and read in diet articles/books that having a planned cheat day every week can actually do wonders for your metabolism because when you cut calories your leptin levels drop, causing your body to hold on to fat for dear life. But if you overload on calories just one day a week then this can reset your leptin levels to normal and your body will be able to continue burning calories without the dreaded plateau. The trick to this, however, is doing it ONE DAY A WEEK. This means it must be planned, and you also must get right back on the diet with NO exceptions the very next day. That is the only way to do it without experiencing the fat gain from all those extra calories.
Unfortunately on a low-carb diet this cheat-day thing is incredibly hard to implement because part of what makes it humanly possible to stay on a low-carb diet is the fact that carb cravings go away after a few days of not eating any. If you introduce the cheat day, your cravings come back full swing and you have to spend the next four or five days fighting them off, only to have another cheat day two days after your cravings are finally gone again, starting the cycle over. This means you are perpetually craving carbs! Cheat days may be great for some people (i.e. those who are simply cutting calories but not neccessarily carbs, or those who are not as weak-minded as me), but I personally have never been able to successfully implement the cheat-day into my diets in the past.
For some reason, however (probably the hypoglycemia symptoms, depression, and cravings I was experiencing) I had convinced myself that this time, THIS time, I would be strong enough to "eat my cake and not have it too". Yeah I know that was a silly backwards reference to a stupid saying. Anyway the point is that I thought I would be capable of having the cheat day and getting right back on my diet without gaining weight even though I had never been able to do it in the past (definitely the hypoglycemia talking here). Silly me.
Yeah so here I am planning my cheat day and suddenly I remembered the small amount of previous ketogenic diet research I had done before starting this project. I remembered reading a small bit about how lots of people are miserable the first week or so until their body "adapts" to the diet, with its metabolism switching over into ketone mode. This small piece of information stood out in my mind, I think because the instructions for other low-carb diets I've tried only talk about how cravings and hypoglycemia symptoms go away after the first few days (which I already knew) - I had never heard of anything related to a set period of time where the body has to physically adapt to the new diet by actually changing the mode of metabolism. This was unique to the ketogenic diet. The thought that then followed was, "uh-oh, what if I haven't given my body enough time to fully adapt to the ketogenic diet? Will having a cheat day erase the progress I've made and force my body to start all over with its adaptation?"
So I went to work on google and my quest to find the answer to this question (which is yes btw) opened up a world of knowledge.
Here's what I discovered:
(go to HOW IT WORKS at the top of the page to see what I discovered)
Anyway that pretty much sums up the all the science behind the ketogenic diet. I learned a lot today and eventually decided it was better to stick it out until my body adapted than have a cheat day and have to start all over :) its great motivation to know the science behind why a diet works because if it makes sense you're more likely to follow it!
I just realized that I started this diet on the 21st of September, which means that day ONE was on the twenty-FIRST, day TWO on the twenty-SECOND, day THREE on the twenty-THIRD, and so on. Haha. What a convenient coincidence. Also, there are 30 days in September which means this luckily little pattern wont be thrown off by the month change. October first will be day 11. Yay! This makes things really easy to keep track of and I totally didn't plan that. :) Anyway, today I was having some SERIOUS carb cravings that I almost gave in to. I've also been noticing that my moods are way out of whack. I've been annoyed at everyone and pretty depressed the last week. At first I didn't connect it with the diet (all I connected was the dizziness and exhaustion I was experiencing). But today I did some major ketogenic diet research that enlightened me quite a bit. Let me explain:
My insane craving for carbs was what prompted the research. At about noon today I had gotten to the point where I knew the only way I would have the motivation to keep from breaking my diet today was if there was a planned cheat day coming up that I could look forward to. Considering the fact that my best friend is going to the MTC on Wednesday and I knew her going away party on Monday would be loaded with sinful sugary delights, I had almost made up my mind to plan to assign Monday as my cheat day and from then on have one every week. My reasoning was that I had heard from several nutritionists and read in diet articles/books that having a planned cheat day every week can actually do wonders for your metabolism because when you cut calories your leptin levels drop, causing your body to hold on to fat for dear life. But if you overload on calories just one day a week then this can reset your leptin levels to normal and your body will be able to continue burning calories without the dreaded plateau. The trick to this, however, is doing it ONE DAY A WEEK. This means it must be planned, and you also must get right back on the diet with NO exceptions the very next day. That is the only way to do it without experiencing the fat gain from all those extra calories.
Unfortunately on a low-carb diet this cheat-day thing is incredibly hard to implement because part of what makes it humanly possible to stay on a low-carb diet is the fact that carb cravings go away after a few days of not eating any. If you introduce the cheat day, your cravings come back full swing and you have to spend the next four or five days fighting them off, only to have another cheat day two days after your cravings are finally gone again, starting the cycle over. This means you are perpetually craving carbs! Cheat days may be great for some people (i.e. those who are simply cutting calories but not neccessarily carbs, or those who are not as weak-minded as me), but I personally have never been able to successfully implement the cheat-day into my diets in the past.
For some reason, however (probably the hypoglycemia symptoms, depression, and cravings I was experiencing) I had convinced myself that this time, THIS time, I would be strong enough to "eat my cake and not have it too". Yeah I know that was a silly backwards reference to a stupid saying. Anyway the point is that I thought I would be capable of having the cheat day and getting right back on my diet without gaining weight even though I had never been able to do it in the past (definitely the hypoglycemia talking here). Silly me.
Yeah so here I am planning my cheat day and suddenly I remembered the small amount of previous ketogenic diet research I had done before starting this project. I remembered reading a small bit about how lots of people are miserable the first week or so until their body "adapts" to the diet, with its metabolism switching over into ketone mode. This small piece of information stood out in my mind, I think because the instructions for other low-carb diets I've tried only talk about how cravings and hypoglycemia symptoms go away after the first few days (which I already knew) - I had never heard of anything related to a set period of time where the body has to physically adapt to the new diet by actually changing the mode of metabolism. This was unique to the ketogenic diet. The thought that then followed was, "uh-oh, what if I haven't given my body enough time to fully adapt to the ketogenic diet? Will having a cheat day erase the progress I've made and force my body to start all over with its adaptation?"
So I went to work on google and my quest to find the answer to this question (which is yes btw) opened up a world of knowledge.
Here's what I discovered:
(go to HOW IT WORKS at the top of the page to see what I discovered)
Anyway that pretty much sums up the all the science behind the ketogenic diet. I learned a lot today and eventually decided it was better to stick it out until my body adapted than have a cheat day and have to start all over :) its great motivation to know the science behind why a diet works because if it makes sense you're more likely to follow it!
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Days 5-7
September 25, 2012
Today was pretty normal. I stuck to my diet. Didn't drink a ton of water though...I need to be better about that. I've been really tired since I started this diet. Not surprising. I kind of expected that to happen because my body is so used to having an overload of carbohydrates propelling it. I've heard that most people when starting this diet spend the first week or two a little confused and tired so I'm not to worried. I just hope my body will adjust soon!
September 26, 2012
I discovered basil pesto tilapia today!!! yay!!! I think I might actually be able to make it through the rest of this 30-day project now.
September 27, 2012
So today I decided to eat bacon. And boy am I glad I made that decision. I have been avoiding it simply because of the stigma that it has. I'm so used to associating bacon with fat people and those with heart disease. Its hard to change my way of thinking to accepting foods high in fat, esp. saturated fat. But what I have to remember is that the fat is not having the same negative effects in my body as it normally would because its not coupled with the insulin-raising effect that carbohydrates have (because i'm not eating hardly any carbohydrates). The other thing I have to remember is that the fat is what's keeping me from getting hungry and having cravings all the time. That's the nice thing about this diet. Even though I'm eating high-fat foods, I'm eating less of them because I only eat when I'm hungry and I'm hardly ever hungry because of all the fat I'm eating. That makes more sense in my head than on paper. Anyway because I don't have the carb cravings I'm probably overall still eating less fat than I normally would because I'm not eating all the nasty junk food that's high in carbs AND fat.
Today was pretty normal. I stuck to my diet. Didn't drink a ton of water though...I need to be better about that. I've been really tired since I started this diet. Not surprising. I kind of expected that to happen because my body is so used to having an overload of carbohydrates propelling it. I've heard that most people when starting this diet spend the first week or two a little confused and tired so I'm not to worried. I just hope my body will adjust soon!
September 26, 2012
I discovered basil pesto tilapia today!!! yay!!! I think I might actually be able to make it through the rest of this 30-day project now.
September 27, 2012
So today I decided to eat bacon. And boy am I glad I made that decision. I have been avoiding it simply because of the stigma that it has. I'm so used to associating bacon with fat people and those with heart disease. Its hard to change my way of thinking to accepting foods high in fat, esp. saturated fat. But what I have to remember is that the fat is not having the same negative effects in my body as it normally would because its not coupled with the insulin-raising effect that carbohydrates have (because i'm not eating hardly any carbohydrates). The other thing I have to remember is that the fat is what's keeping me from getting hungry and having cravings all the time. That's the nice thing about this diet. Even though I'm eating high-fat foods, I'm eating less of them because I only eat when I'm hungry and I'm hardly ever hungry because of all the fat I'm eating. That makes more sense in my head than on paper. Anyway because I don't have the carb cravings I'm probably overall still eating less fat than I normally would because I'm not eating all the nasty junk food that's high in carbs AND fat.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Day 2-4
September 22, 2012
Today was especially difficult. I found myself eating cheese a lot. The real challenge came when I went to a friend's house for game night. Luckily I only stayed for about an hour, if it had been much longer I probably would've given in to the chips, sugar cookies, and halloween treats. Booo. Sometimes I really think I was an idiot for picking this as my lifestyle project. But then once the food is out of sight and I'm back at home feeling good and NOT light headed I think, yeah that was totally worth it. And I feel really proud of myself. I have to keep thinking "Don't sacrifice what you want most for what you want now."
Septermber 23, 2012
Okay today was my exception. My best friend's farewell was today and afterwards she had a huge open house with TONS of food. She's from the Philippines so her mom makes REALLY GOOD food. Anyway I decided that since it will be a year and a half before I have the chance to eat her mom's food again I would go ahead and try a little of everything and enjoy the open house with my best friend. I didn't go way over board though. I just ate a lot of stuff that wasn't exactly on my diet... but I will definitely be back on track tomorrow.
September 24, 2012
Once again, today I ate a lot of cheese. I got stuck on campus with no food and I ended up having to buy a butload of cheesesticks out of the vending machine. I'm gonna try really hard not to let that happen again. Cheese is good and all, but I need to start having more variety in my diet. I went to costco this evening and bought a bunch of preseasoned fish and broccoli-stuffed chicken. I'm excited to try it all over the next week.
Today was especially difficult. I found myself eating cheese a lot. The real challenge came when I went to a friend's house for game night. Luckily I only stayed for about an hour, if it had been much longer I probably would've given in to the chips, sugar cookies, and halloween treats. Booo. Sometimes I really think I was an idiot for picking this as my lifestyle project. But then once the food is out of sight and I'm back at home feeling good and NOT light headed I think, yeah that was totally worth it. And I feel really proud of myself. I have to keep thinking "Don't sacrifice what you want most for what you want now."
Septermber 23, 2012
Okay today was my exception. My best friend's farewell was today and afterwards she had a huge open house with TONS of food. She's from the Philippines so her mom makes REALLY GOOD food. Anyway I decided that since it will be a year and a half before I have the chance to eat her mom's food again I would go ahead and try a little of everything and enjoy the open house with my best friend. I didn't go way over board though. I just ate a lot of stuff that wasn't exactly on my diet... but I will definitely be back on track tomorrow.
September 24, 2012
Once again, today I ate a lot of cheese. I got stuck on campus with no food and I ended up having to buy a butload of cheesesticks out of the vending machine. I'm gonna try really hard not to let that happen again. Cheese is good and all, but I need to start having more variety in my diet. I went to costco this evening and bought a bunch of preseasoned fish and broccoli-stuffed chicken. I'm excited to try it all over the next week.
Friday, September 21, 2012
Day 1
Today was interesting. I started off the day with some low-fat high-protein greek yogurt mixed with a little liquid stevia and vanilla to make it satisfy my sweet tooth. I then realized that I didn't really have anything else in my cupboard/fridge to eat that didn't require a good amount of preparation so I didn't eat anything for a while. It didn't help that I am still trying to get over my cold and haven't had much of an appetite anyway. So I mostly laid in bed all day and slept (the cold was really bothering me) and by the time 2:00 rolled around I figured i should probably eat something. So i grabbed a spoonful of peanut butter. Yum. About an hour later I left to drive home for the weekend and on my way out of town picked up some cashews and carrots. Keep in mind I'm not feeling well...I don't normally eat like an anorexic person, but today I simply wasn't hungry. Until I drove for about four hours and decided it was time for a taco salad (I threw out the crunchy at the bottom of course). Keeping the ketogenic diet on the road is difficult, and I realized I'm gonna have to get creative sometimes. Luckily jack in the box has awesomely delicious grilled chicken strips and most other fast food places have salads and gas stations usually have nuts or cheesesticks. Anyway I made it home without breaking my diet - I ended up eating a lot of fast food eggs and carrots though! Tomorrow will be better. My mom's house is full of healthy snacks!
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