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The ketogenic diet and lifestyle has been a hot topic in the health and fitness world recently, with impressive before and after photos being posted online, an enormous online support community, and a hefty celebrity entourage taking on this rather strict approach to eating. A few months ago, I decided to give the ketogenic diet a try after reading and researching its mechanisms and how to carry out the lifestyle safely. If any of you missed it, I also did an update in the first few weeks of it, how I felt and what exactly keto is, watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71lR4BnKsg0&t=3s
However, following this video the next few weeks of keto became harder and harder. Why? Well, as someone who is pescatarian (I do not eat meat, only fish), it can be difficult to get in all necessary macro and micronutrients into your diet safely when you are excluding carbohydrates (keto is less than 5% carb intake). When researching ketogenic diet meal plans, recipe ideas and scrolling through endless support groups, most of the meal ideas were based around lean meats in order to attain your high fat percentages for the day. As a nutritionist, I am of course very aware of what I am eating, and completely shunning an entire macronutrient from my diet left me a little skeptical.
Getting rid of pretty much all carbohydrates from my life was easy to start, but as someone who lifts weights nearly every day and has an extremely active lifestyle, I started to see this having an effect on my training levels. By avoiding carbohydrates, my muscles felt tired, achy, and a little flat which of course makes sense. Our muscles need carbohydrates in order to produce muscle glycogen (muscle fuel), which is stored in our bodies. Along with water, glycogen can contribute to giving our muscles a nice 'full' look. This is the reason why many athletes will carb load. After a few weeks of keto I was tired, training less and not giving my sessions 100% due to lower energy levels.
Another reason which I felt was most important was how keto affected my mental health. Carbohydrates have been shown to increase serotonin release in the brain, which makes us feel happy. When we deplete our bodies of an entire food group like this suddenly, it has an affect on our mood which is first hand what I experienced. I know myself that carbohydrates are a source of enjoyment for me- whether it be a hearty baked potato or even a small treat like a few squares of chocolate, even dried fruit! Many of the foods I enjoyed were not allowed on this diet, and this left me feeling down after a few weeks.
After giving the ketogenic diet a go, I did lose some body fat percentage. However I feel like this result was due to the lower calorie intake rather than the keto aspect itself. My energy levels were lower than usual and I felt that the lifestyle was not sustainable over a long period of time. Not being able to enjoy fruits, carbohydrates or sweet treats without being extremely strict with portion control and risking going out of ketosis was not worth the results personally.
Have you tried the ketogenic diet? I would love to hear from you! Leave a comment below or get in touch by email.
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