Reviewing a Keto Diet

The keto diet was first introduced as an alternative to fasting which is a bit ironic now since almost everyone has heard of the infamous keto diet. I did my own trial run with a keto diet from November of 2023 to December of 2023 and decided to discuss my findings with this particular diet. 

       

     First and foremost, I would rate my experience as a 6.5/10. A keto diet exists primarily to cut out high-carb foods. It is important to note that foods deemed low calorie can still be high carb! In other words, there is a lot of thought that goes into this diet. 

The first (and hardest) step was to find alternatives for the foods a keto diet does not permit. For example, bananas had to go because they are high in carbs BUT the switch was made to berries only. Sweet potatoes, a favorite of mine, also had to go and were replaced with cauliflower. 

    After the first week, I found a lot of the food I was preparing for myself became repetitive. I felt I was eating a lot of eggs and meat. Eating started to become boring and I did not look forward to cooking meals as I once had. 

    

    Around the two-week mark, I noticed how fatigued my body had been feeling. Upon some research, I found this was because my system was shifting from relying on carbs for energy to only (or mostly) ketones. I admit I underestimated this as I didn't realize the overall magnitude of completely altering my diet. This period of fatigue lasted for 7-10 days which may not sound very long but was very difficult to push through and cope with. 

    

    Overall, my keto diet lasted for about a month. In that month, I found that the benefits of the diet did not outweigh the losses in my particular case. I did lose weight, but I wasn't able to enjoy the foods I loved anymore. I consumed less sugar, but I felt I was depriving myself of those sweets I should be enjoying. 

To anyone starting a keto diet, do a trial run! Find out if it works for you or if it's something you want to commit to long-term. Personally, I don't foresee myself returning to a keto diet in the future but am happy I tested this type of diet!