So if you’ve been following me on Instagram (@1feyinwa) you’d know that I tried the keto diet back in July for just over 2 months. I was so into it, so much so that I started a whole separate Instagram page for it (it’s still up @theafroketo). At the time I had gained just under 7kg of “love weight” on top of the 5kg I’d gained slowly over 2/3 years from mindless eating, making poor decisions and generally not looking after myself. I didn’t recognise or feel comfortable in my body and I knew I needed to do something drastic, fool-proof with clear cut rules that would give me results QUICK! Keto was (and is still is) all the rage at the time so I decided to try it.
what is keto?
Keto a.k.a the ketogenic diet is a (very) low carb, moderate protein and high fat diet. By restricting your diet to around 20g of net carbs a day you change your body’s energy source from carbohydrates (or glucose) to fat (or ketones). So you burn more fat quicker and lose weight very drastically on this diet.
weight loss + side effects
I had amazing results on this diet. I lost just over 8kg in the 2 months I was on it and for the most part I found it very easy to stick to. Mainly because I was very determined to lose the weight but also because I completely immersed myself in the keto community. I followed all the keto accounts on Instagram and Youtube. I was constantly researching keto so much that it was all I ever talked about and I very soon became keto-obsessed. I spent my mornings peeing on keto strips. I stopped going out because it just isn’t fun having to think about what you can (and mostly can’t) eat. I convinced myself that the side effects I was experiencing even after I got over the keto flu such as stomach cramps, bloating, constipation etc were all normal and in fact worth it because I was losing weight, and experiencing positive side effects too like lighter periods and better sleep quality. I thought I’d stay on this diet until I reached my goals which at the rate I was going would take no time at all, but of course it didn’t work out that way.
why i stopped keto?
Anyone that’s been on any type of diet knows how frustrating plateaus can be. I had never stuck to anything as consistently as I did with keto and yet I found my weight loss stalling and some weeks I’d even GAIN weight and that was confusing and very discouraging for me because I didn’t cheat on this diet once. As my weight loss rate decreased with each week and I found “the solution” to further restrict carbs and calories (even though I STARTED this diet eating around 1300 calories a day). Every week I’d cut carbs and calories until I found myself eating under 1000 calories a day! My common sense kicked in and I very quickly knew this wasn’t healthy or how I wanted to lose weight.
For me the ketogenic lifestyle meant forcing myself to eat foods I didn’t actually enjoy (like chia seed puddings and bacon) and cutting out the food I loved (like sweet potatoes, fruit, oatmeal etc). Since I’m lactose intolerant, I couldn’t try most of the “fun” keto recipes and that also was hard because who wants to eat the same food they don’t like every single day? Not to mention the bloating and constipation that just wouldn’t go away no matter what I tried. When I found myself preparing for a trip to Italy (my first time ever being there) and obsessing about all the things I could and couldn’t eat on keto instead of looking forward to my trip I knew I had to stop keto.
transitioning off keto
So I knew keto wasn’t right for me, but I also didn’t want to stop cold turkey. For one, that’s tough on your digestive system and secondly, I didn’t want to gain all the weight I had lost either. So I came up with a plan to slowly introduce carbs back into my diet; I’d start by re-introducing fruit for 2 weeks, then I’d have one carb meal a day for 2 weeks, then introduce more carbs after that. I’d only eat simple, whole foods, no alcohol, no sweets – sorted.
Then I went to a gorgeous wedding in London and decided I was so tired of thinking about food in this way. I had all the champagne and cake I wanted and I have no regrets. Now would I recommend doing that? Absolutely not. My stomach was wrecked for about 2 weeks but at least I wasn’t constipated anymore! Things eventually normalised and I was able to go to Italy shortly after that and eat whatever I wanted. I mean did you really go to Italy if you don’t try pasta, pizza and gelato?!
did I gain all the weight back?
I knew that when I transitioned off keto and started eating carbs again I’d gain the water weight back and there was nothing I could do to stop that. I lost 2kg in the first few days of keto so I knew I’d gain at least that amount of weight back. I also went on holiday to Italy for 5 days and spent 5 weeks after that just focusing on eating whole foods at least 80% of the time, being more active and going to the gym twice a week. It was important for me to come out of my restrictive mind frame and just allow my body to heal so I intentionally didn’t focus on weighing myself until I had been off keto for 2 months. When I stepped on the scale I had gained exactly 2kg – essentially what I assume to be my water weight back and I’m very pleased with that!
closing thoughts
Overall I think keto is an extremely effective diet for weight loss (assuming weight loss is your goal as that was mine) but it’s NOT the only way to lose weight. Since I’ve got back on my weight loss kick I’ve been focusing on eating whole foods, intermittent fasting and tracking calories using the Lifesum App (full review coming soon). I’m eating way more (volume and variety) than I ever did on keto, I have more energy, I’m not afraid of socialising AND I’ve consistently lost weight every single week. While keto forced me to kick some very bad habits that I’d picked up and make healthier choices, I found it very restrictive and it didn’t suit my lifestyle personally.
Have you tried the keto diet? Share your experiences with me below!
Thanks for reading!
Ifeyinwa x
Hmm…very interesting read. I think for your frame. The 1300 calories was too little to support your system. I’m not Keto-dieting but I’ve for the last 5 years or so, lived on a low-carb diet with a bit of IF when I can (exceptions being when I’m preggars). I also don’t do dairy because i’m sensitive to them. My regular diets consists of different kinds of pepper soups, different kinds of vegetable soups like the afang, edikaikong and okra, lots of cucumbers, coconuts, avacadoes, different types of salads and stir fries, barbecued fish, chicken and boiled/fried/baked/poached eggs. I didn’t give up my peanuts and I had the occasional glass of wine. For someone with 3kids at 5ft 11, I weigh 77kg and its still going down. Whatever way you choose to loose the weight, just be comfortable. Do it for yourself, for your health and even if you have to avoid some food, just know that good tasty delicious food will never disappear. Talking to a dietician can help you find out what foods caused the bloating and stomach cramps. Food is not the enemy, the choices and the bad habits might be. You don’t put on weight by eating one bad meal. You also don’t loose weight by eating one good meal. Adjust the habits, stay active and watch your body transform. Whatever weight you are, love yourself and enjoy it. Life’s too short.
Very true! Thanks for the advice!