My Thoughts on Keto Diet

My Thoughts on Keto Diet

Our body stores fat exponentially as we age. Looking back to our old pictures, we didn’t know how those pants fit in our body before. From a 28-inch waistline, now we’re looking for extra-large garments whenever we shop.

But you said, “This has to stop. I gotta take action to lose weight.”

Many kick-start their weight loss journey with their diet. That’s good because if weight loss is only your goal and you’re not after toning and building muscles, a tweak in nutrition can already suffice. 

Speaking of diets good for weight loss, for sure, you’ve encountered the Keto Diet. That’s what we’ll be talking about today, from the point of view of a fitness coach and from someone who has tried it for 9 months!

 

What is Keto Diet?

Ketogenic Diet is a high-fat, low-carb diet. It avoids foods high in carbohydrates, such as chocolate cakes, pasta, bread, rice, yam, potato, and banana.

As we consume carbohydrates, our blood sugar spikes dramatically, and to regulate it, our body releases a hormone called insulin. This hormone also, though, stores fat in our body. That’s the main rationale why people on a Keto diet avoid carbohydrates. They hate insulin production!

 

Why High-fat Diet? That Sounds Disgusting!

Well, Keto Advocates perceive a high-fat diet as highly satiating. That means after eating, one shall feel fuller and cravings (especially on carbs that you used to eat before) are expected to be eliminated. Remember the last time you dined in a Samgyupsal restaurant? How long did you feel full after eating there? You might have eaten a lot of pork belly, but one reason you feel full is because you consumed a highly satiating food.

 

How Does it Work?

For a Keto Diet to work, one needs to train his body to stop relying on carbohydrates/sugar as the main fuel of the body, and to use its stored fats to convert to ketones, which shall serve as the alternative fuel. 

As your body adapts to using ketones as its fuel, you should gradually decrease the dietary fat you consume from food so your body can exhaust your body fats. This is where weight loss occurs. If you consistently consume the same amount of dietary fat, your body might rely on that and will not use your body fat in producing ketones, hence, keto diet becomes futile.

 

Did It Work For Me?

I tried the Keto Diet for nine months and yes, it worked for me. From 36 inches, my waistline post-keto was 29 inches. Yes, it was super fast and aggressive. I disposed of a lot of my pants and clothes because they didn’t look good to me anymore and bought smaller ones.

In a day, I’d eat a lot of nuts, tuna, fatty pork, etc. and I’d limit my carbohydrate consumption to 20 grams a day! I restricted myself from eating rice, which is a staple food in the Philippines. I didn’t eat any fruit, bread, crops, and pasta. I wouldn’t eat chicken with lots of breading. During lunch outs with my office mates, I joined them but I had my food.

Many told me I was depriving myself, but for someone who badly wanted to lose fat, it was as if I was doing a great job. I felt good for sustaining my discipline for that 9-month period. I never cheated! But I just stopped and felt graduating from this diet upon certain realizations.

 

Better Diet Mindset

I attest Keto works. But once you attain your weight goals, you’ll seek for your next milestone and for me, that is having a healthier lifestyle. Let me share to you my post-keto diet realizations and why I didn’t practice it, and will not practice it in the future:

1. Danger in a High-fat Diet. I don’t have to explain medically why. Intuitively, we know how unhealthy a high-fat diet can be. Fatty foods options are one restriction when you’re diagnosed with hypertension or diabetes. It may also be a major risk factor for heart disease, kidney stones and fatty liver.

In fact, Keto supporters negate the risks of fatty liver by eating bowls of green leafy vegetables a day (yes, you read it right, BOWLS). Depriving yourself from eating carbohydrates, then forcing yourself to eat bowls of leaves? That’s a clear torture.
2. Losing Weight Alone is Not Fulfilling. My body drastically shrank. Yes, it looked smaller. My waistline could fit in small-sized jeans. But the problem with the weight-loss-alone approach is your shape will not improve. My arms were thin. Collar bones were extremely visible. I got chicken legs. My glutes shrank. I had a long, thin neck. I simply looked sick, and I knew I had to switch to muscle building and stop the Keto Diet.
3. There’s a Better Approach. As I educate myself with scientific literature, I learned that there’s far a better approach than these fancy diets. The key to losing weight is to consume fewer calories than what your body needs. You could be on a Keto Diet, but if you still munch 4,000 calories a day in pork chop, pork belly and nuts, you won’t see any results at all. Similarly, you can still lose weight even if you enjoy your favorite pasta as long as you don’t go beyond your caloric limit.
4. Missing Fruits and Crops. One thing I missed the most when I was implementing the Keto Diet was fruits and crops. I enjoy eating pineapple, berries, bananas and sweet potatoes. When I embarked on my Keto journey, I restricted myself from eating them. I then pondered, “Am I already deficient in nutrients and minerals that we can get from eating these foods?” Until I told myself, “Quine, berries and sweet potatoes are not really harmful to you! Enjoy munching them. You’ll be fine.
5. Better Physical Performance. It is true our body can switch fuels from sugar to ketones but as a fitness coach and someone who goes to the gym, I’d say I perform better and lift heavier weights on a diet that is not deprived of carbs. In fact, in an article published by the National Association of Sports Medicine (NASM), it was revealed that carbs are the most preferred fuel for athletes. Since carbohydrates are easily broken down into glucose, your body can easily access it. Studies also show that athletes who are carb-avoiders were outperformed by those on a high-carb diet.

Interview an athlete or someone who goes to the gym, and ask how important carbs are in their diet. Yes, I survived for nine months by depriving myself of carbohydrates. That’s because I was just an auditor who had a sedentary function. I have to admit though that sometimes I felt light-headed and cold sweat. I felt quite sluggish.

 

Conclusion

Because a diet goes in favor of our weight loss goals, we neglect its potential dangers and simply afford them just because “it’s working.” I’m not totally against the Keto Diet. But is it sustainable? How long can you be on that diet? Will you be happy with that in the next months, or years? Imagine spending the rest of your life avoiding pasta, pizza, or just a bite of chocolate. 

I still believe life is meant to be enjoyed. The best diet is the one that is sustainable, enjoyable, and balanced. We’ve heard since grade school the Go-Grow-Glow foods. Incorporate them into your diet, and you’ll be good.

For me, I’d rather carry a small amount of body fat on a healthier and more sustainable diet, than hiding in extra-small clothes, avoiding socialization and depriving myself with the food I genuinely enjoy.

Back to blog