Trying the Keto Diet with Konscious Keto

What is Keto?

Macronutrients are the essential nutrients that we should have daily. The keto diet takes those macros and proportions differently than some diets you typically have seen. Keto as a “diet” is high fat, moderate protein, and low carbohydrates. This change in proportion has proven to burn fat more effectively, add energy, improve health and increase performance.

What are the Benefits?

For many who begin the keto diet or any diet is usually for weight loss. On the keto diet however, there have been many other benefits associated with the low carb protocol.  

People who have been on keto often experience:

• Reduced Appetite
• Belly Fat Loss
• Lowers Cholesterol  and increases your good HDL
• Reduces Blood Sugar and Insulin Levels
• Beneficial as therapy for specific brain disorders noted in Epilepsy, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s 
• Weight Loss

What Keto is Not!

Keto is not just meat, butter and cheese! It’s also NOT diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). It is a lifestyle numerous people have tried, some succeeding over five years while eating a high fat, moderate protein, low carb diet. That is precisely why I decided to work with Konscious Keto because I wanted to share a healthy and sustainable way to do keto. As with any diet or lifestyle change, you have to like it to make the difference, or you will go back to old habits. The research is overwhelming on the benefits of keto, and you will find those who don’t agree. There are always pros and cons, so I would do my research and use a plan like Konscious Keto that encourages food to help you reach your goals.

My Plan to Start Keto

For the next 21 days, I will be doing the Slim21 Keto Challenge. It makes the keto diet simple, manageable and adaptable. Offering recipes, ebooks, videos, guides, shopping lists, and support to help me through my 21-day journey. My plan is to share my meals and experience on my Instagram stories every day! I will give my Keto Recap too. I am not doing keto to lose weight, although I am sure I will, I am using keto to end my sugar dependency, help me with the anxiety that has been bad for the last four months and give me the energy that I need to get through my busy days. That is just a few, but there are seven more reasons I am going on the keto Diet.

Eating my Own Words

I am about to begin something that I decided a few years ago I would never do again. Another reason, I need to stop saying never. I usually have eaten my words. I am not a fan of diets. They are temporary fixes that get you results but can’t be sustained as a long time eating guideline. I have tried my share of diets. Ranging from Zone, Atkins, South Beach, Whole 30, and Paleo. Beginning to realize that I have demonized diets just a little bit but in some cases, they have helped me.

Whole 30 was the last diet that I tried. It was challenging, and it took me ten restarts (not exaggerating) to follow the strict guidelines for 30 days. After Whole 30 I was amazed at how good I felt. It helped to subside my digestive issues, and I felt pretty awesome. It was also when I realized that I could live without my stomach ache triggers: wheat, dairy & sugar. I did Whole 30 September 2016 and since then have been limiting or eliminating wheat, dairy & sugar. Typically, I eat high protein, high fiber & moderate fats and low carb.

Currently, I eat intuitively. I don’t weigh my food or eat by macros. I honestly don’t have time to figure it out or track it. Monitoring my diet so meticulously sets off other triggers like my food fixation, so I have found intuitive eating better for me. I have gotten comfortable with the way I eat and have been able to have a pretty healthy balance.

Trying the “New” Keto Diet

Then the rise of this “new” diet keto. At least that’s what I thought until further research. Keto immediately interested me because it wasn’t too different from how I currently eat except my macros weren’t the same. I have been flirting with Keto. Read a few books, checked out credible sources, medical journal studies and even tried it myself.

Two effects that interest me about keto is:

1) the energy and brain clarity is fantastic.

2) No cravings = no food fixation for me.

3) Improves mood and hopefully my anxiety.

Keto Will be a Smooth Transition for Me

Keto is also not very different from how I currently eat or ideally want to eat. The only difference is there is a lot of dairy in keto, and I am dairy free. Keto is also a controversial diet, usually countered by people who know very little or get their facts from social media. Medical journals are both supporting keto and refuting it but ultimately check with your doctor, a nutritionist or a certified medical professional before trying something new.

The Keto Diet is not Ketoacidosis

Many people hear ketosis, and they associate it with the pathological diabetic ketosis instead of the metabolic condition named “physiological ketosis” by Hans Krebs.

It’s also not to be confused with ketoacidosis.

• Ketosis during a ketogenic diet is when glucose levels in the blood are at a 65-80 mg/dL.
• With insulin levels at 6.6-9.4 uU/L which are still within the normal range of 6-23 uU/L.
• A normal glucose blood level range being 80-120 mg/dL
• Ketoacidosis at >300 mg./dL and insulin is ~0.

As you can see from the numbers equating ketoacidosis to ketosis is a hasty generalization that needs to be researched before making those statements. So for the record, being on the keto diet is not the equivalent of diabetic ketoacidosis and not even close to being within the same range. We should question new things but we should also do our own research.

Everyone Needs Support so Get it!

Also, get support, help or guidance. When it comes to health everyone is different. Keto might work for me but not for others. Doesn’t make it bad, just makes it not for you.

According to a study done at NIH, “Regarding obesity interventions, diet is one of the more controversial issues and many different types have been advocated for weight loss, but there is little scientific evidence to recommend one diet over another. As a matter of fact, there are still no definitive data on what dietary protocols are most effective in both the short and long term [6], or even what is the correct nutritional approach in general [7].The most commonly accepted dietary strategy is based on relatively high levels of carbohydrates and low fat content, but according to some studies these low fat diets yield only modest weight losses and suffer from low long-term compliance issues [8]. In fact, adherence of obese individuals to high carbohydrate/low-fat nutrition is often a problem because the majority have been shown to have dietary preferences for foods with a rich fat content [9,10]. Another problem is that, in general, obese individuals prefer highly processed foods containing simple sugars rather than complex/raw carbohydrates; thus a low fat diet could actually encourage the consumption of sugars and refined carbohydrates that can worsen weight problems and also facilitate dyslipidemia, especially in insulin resistance individuals [11]. As a consequence of the debatable efficacy of these types of diet, there has been increased interest in recent years in very low carbohydrate ketogenic diets (VLCKDs) or simply ketogenic diets (KDs).”

Basically, we associate weight loss diets with what has always worked. The effectiveness of a diet is determined by the person. No right or wrong way, just what works. Our needs are different so it makes sense our diets are different too.

There are so Many Reasons that I have been Considering Keto but Here are my Top 7!

1. Plateaus Suck

I have been in a plateau for 5 months and it’s starting to get on my nerves. I have gotten to a point on my healthy lifestyle journey, here it’s a routine. Workouts, food, recovery which is great because now it’s second nature. Despite my progressions in weight, I have been maintaining the same body composition for 5 months. I would love to see some change.

When in a plateau you have to change one or two things. Your workouts, your food, or both. I have already changed my workouts so I am going to change my food. Honestly, it’s not that different than I eat now. My macronutrients (protein, fat, carbs) proportions are different. So, I am counting on  the transition to be easy.

2. Tired of the Same Thing

Once I found a way of eating that agrees with my food sensitivities I fell into a rut. I basically eat the same thing in a different variation. I figured with trying a new diet comes new recipes and a refreshing menu. It gets boring eating the same thing. I am ready for something different and introductions to new meal ideas.

3. I Found a Way to Do “Healthy” Keto

From my research, there have been medically classified healthy people that have been on the keto diet for decades. I don’t plan to buy bacon and cheese for my main meal. First! I still plan on doing keto dairy free. Second, I don’t eat pork, never have, so I don’t plan on adding processed meats to my food list. I was contacted by Konscious Keto to try their Slim21 challenge. After checking them out, I was excited to see all the vegetables in their program.

4. Carbs Make Me Tired

As it stands now, I eat sweet potatoes, butternut squash and brown rice on occasion. Why? Carbs make me sleepy. It’s been as of late but I realized over the holidays when I eat too many carbs my head gets foggy and I can and have easily taken a 3-hour nap and I am not exaggerating. I hate that feeling. Like I said before I don’t macro count or measure my carbs but I eat about one meal with carbs usually sweet potato, squash or brown rice. I do eat a lot of dried fruit and I rarely eat fresh fruit (just not a fan) so I do get some in that way. It’s going to be interesting going back to counting and measuring. It always makes you more aware of your portion size.

5. Helps with my Food Fixation

I think about food all day every day from one meal to the next. I have shared my food fixation before and am learning coping skills. Meal plans help me to not think about what’s next. Knowing that for the next 21 days there is a menu I just have to follow will give me peace. When I was prepping for my figure competition that was one of the best parts for me by having a guideline to follow. I am excited that Konscious Keto  has a meal plan, recipes, and a dessert cookbook.

6. Not a Drastic Change to How I Eat

The difference from when I started other diets are my food choices had to change. With the Konscious Keto food list, it won’t be a major change and I am looking at it as an opportunity to find new things to eat. I remember when I was a Drive-thru junkie and making the transition to “clean eating” was hard. I don’t think this will be as challenging for me.

7. Keto is Simple

With Konscious Keto there are just 5 rules to follow. They keep it simple breaking it down week by week. Eddie B (who I was surprised was interested) and I watched the short videos together. Downloading the shopping list and going to give the Slim21 Challenge by Konscious Keto a try.

I’ll share with you my experience. My goal is to completely eliminate sugar from my diet. Although, I have been worse, I still have a sugar addiction. That is why I am starting my Konscious Keto Challenge the day after my Sugar Detox & Devotion ends. I truly want to live a no sugar lifestyle.

Another goal is I want to start seeing muscle gains again, energy and mental clarity. I am very happy with my current body fat. Keto works different on everyone and I am not looking to lose weight. I am looking for something new and I think trying the Konscious Keto Slim21 Challenge will be a change of pace.

I have a discount code for anyone who wants to try this challenge too!  Get 10% off with coupon code “DE10”

What do you know of keto? Have you researched keto? Have you tried keto? What did you think?

My blog is in partnership with Konscious Keto.  I make a commission off the affiliates links, but that does not affect my opinion. I chose these brands because I believe in the product and what they stand for. My Full Disclosure Policy