7 Awesome Things That Happened to Me When I Started Keto

A Brief Explanation of the Ketogenic Diet:

The ketogenic diet, often referred to as “Keto,” is an extremely low carb, high fat way of eating meant to specifically throw your body into a metabolic state called Ketosis. When in ketosis, the human body no longer uses sugar and carbs (which turn into sugar), to supply energy. Your body turns to both the fat you consume and the fat stored in your body to create energy. Your body will also use your liver to turn your fat into ketones, which provide you with more energy and aid in fat burning.

The ketogenic diet was first invented in the 1920s as a way to treat epilepsy in children and adults that medication didn’t work for. As medication progressed, the way of eating became less used, but it is still a viable resource for people who suffer from epilepsy, as well as metabolic syndrome, diabetes, PCOS, mental health issues, and many other health issues.

About Me:

I’m a young woman in my 20s who’s always struggled with my diet and weight. Over the last six months, I’ve really been trying to improve myself and be the best and healthies version of myself that I can be.

I’d heard of the Ketogenic diet in the past, but never gave it much attention, or wanted to try it when I’d had it recommended to me. More recently, as I was doing some personal research during my weight loss journey, I started to come across the keto way of eating more and more. I was already eating a fairly low carb diet, and results from my research looked positive, so I decided to give it a shot.

I’ve been on keto for a month, and I don’t think I’ll ever look back!

1. The obvious – I started losing weight.

Keto doesn’t automatically equal weight loss. Actually, it can be just as easy to gain weight on keto as it is to gain weight with any other way of eating. You still have to watch what you’re eating and at least sort of pay attention to how many calories you’re consuming.

When I first started Keto, I got the “whoosh” (and yes that’s a technical term) that many ketoers talk about. The whoosh is a quick drop in weight after your body goes into ketosis. It doesn’t happen for everyone, but it does happen for many. Essentially, it’s just the absence of bloating and losing some water weight. For me, it was a 12 pound loss in the first ten days, and then I gained a few pounds back before losing at a more moderate pace.

2. I had loads more energy!

It took a while. The first week was a bit difficult as my body went through a bit of a carb withdrawal and got used to functioning by using fat for energy instead of sugar. Once I was fat adapted, though, I had a lot more energy, and was able to function better on less sleep!

For me, this was a really big bonus for me. I often struggle with my depression, one of the biggest symptoms for me being exhaustion and lack of motivation. Being on keto really helped with this!

3. Strangely enough, I got less acne even though I was eating more fat!

I’ve passed puberty. I’m not the pimple ridden awkward teen I used to be, but I still get break outs now and then, just like most people do. Those pimples often tend to correlate with my fat intake. If I’m eating a lot of extra fat in my diet (especially more oils), I get more pimples. It’s simple math, right? Eat more fat = get more pimples.

Except, when I’m on keto, fat makes up at least 65 percent of my diet most days. Yes I try to stay with the healthier fats like avocados, coconut oil, nuts, and dairy, but I still consume a lot of fat from olive and avocado oils, butter, fattier cuts of meat (ALL THE BACON!), and yet, my skin consistently stays clearer than it has since I got my first pimple at 10 (and yes, I still blame my sex ed. teacher for that. Don’t ask.)

Before starting Keto, I knew I’d be consuming a lot more fat, and thought more acne would be a part of that. It really was a pleasant surprise when the opposite turned out to be true.

4. I got some crazy lucid dreams on a regular basis.

I’m not one to typically dream. (Yes, I know everyone dreams. I just mean I rarely ever remember my dreams—like twice a year rare.) Since starting keto, at least half of my nights are filled with very lucid dreams that feel real while asleep, and sometimes, I think they’re events that have actually happened.

Some of them are fine and typical dreams. Some of them are creepy as hell. For example, one night almost every single one of my teeth fell out. It was probably one of the scariest things to happen to me. And the dreams aren’t just happening to me. After talking with some Keto friends, I’ve learned they’re pretty normal. One friend dreamed she’d had sex with her boss, and many others have dreamed about eating donuts and cupcakes in their sleep to the point where they actually feel guilty when waking up. Obviously it’s not the healthiest reaction but still kind of funny.

5. I gained some much needed self confidence.

Even before I started really noticeably losing weight from keto, I was already starting to feel better about myself and having more confidence. As someone who often struggles with anxiety and was bullied a lot as a young child, I’m usually full of self-doubt. Once on keto, though, I don’t know, I just felt better. I was becoming the women I’ve always wanted to be, I’m feeling great in my skin and body, and I’m just holding onto my goals and keeping my momentum going and it’s improving almost every aspect of my life.

6. I kicked my sweet tooth to the curb!

One tooth I don’t mind losing that I actually lost with keto was my sweet tooth. The thing with keto is that you’re limited on how many carbs you can consume in a day, and sugar is nothing but carbs. So while I may have put a tablespoon of sugar in my morning coffee before (yes, I know just how bad for me that is, but I had a serious addiction to the stuff), most days I don’t use any sugar in my morning coffee and if I do, it’s about the equivalent of ¼ of a teaspoon.

Not only am I putting less sugar on things I used to sweeten, I’m craving it less. Even better is that when I do have sugar, it just doesn’t taste the same. It doesn’t taste nearly as good, and I’m really okay with that.

Now, I personally don’t struggle with high blood sugar and insulin resistance like a lot of people do (though I was probably heading in that direction). There are a lot of people who do struggle with these medical issues and the keto way of eating has really helped them.

(Please note, I’m not a medical professional. You should consult your doctor before making an extreme change like this.)

7. I get the munchies way less!

At first on Keto, I was starving all the time, and majorly craving the carbs. I had to go through a bit of withdrawal, just like with any other drug (and carbs and sugar should definitely be considered an addictive drug!) However, once I was fat adapted (my body was accustomed to using fat instead of sugar for energy) I became full and satiated faster, and it lasted for longer. The more time I spent in ketosis, the less my body craved snacks throughout the day, and the less I consumed overall. It was great!