My Keto Journey-Week 2 (the good the bad and the ugly)
If you missed my post last week, I’m officially on a keto diet and I am blogging about my keto journey. This is really strange territory for me so I like to share the highs and lows, in an off the cuff manner, so you can kinda see what keto really feels like, from a ‘normal-ish’ person.
Here’s how last week went down. My Experience With Keto-An Off the Cuff Look at My First Week. There are some bad words in that post so if you can’t handle strong language please don’t read it. Or maybe you shouldn’t read this either. Sorry.
(this article contains affiliate links so if you make a purchase I make a small commission-affiliate disclosure)
My Keto Journey-After Week One
So I survived the first week totally unscathed and not starving. Ok well, maybe the last part is a bit of a lie. I found I was hungry. A lot.
I tried to read and follow what some of the keto gurus were saying but it got so overwhelming and confusing for me.
“Eat this, no don’t eat too much of that, are you snacking again biotch, put that back in the fridge”…oy.
I’ll be honest, I was a bit of a mess but I am determined to stick with this for as long as I possibly can (notice I didn’t say forever?). It takes a certain amount of willpower to make it through the keto diet, especially for people like me who survive on Nutella, bread, pasta and cookies (among many other ‘really bad for you’ foods).
So it took me the first full week to figure out what, when, and how much to eat. I’ve been blessed with a crazy high metabolism which also means I just shovel food in my mouth every two hours and never get fat. But I can’t do that anymore.
Previously, most snacks were made up of really sh**ty foods.
Now, I’m trying to find healthier snack options but also not stuff my face every two hours. One keto guru says “no snacking!!” my friend says “listen to your body and eat when you’re hungry”. I like that advice better.
Week 2 of my keto journey
So I realize I need to try to change stuff up as far as when to eat, what to eat, and how much to eat. Being hungry sucked a lot. I’m still watching lots of Dr. Berg videos but also found a couple more keto gurus I kinda like too.
In my last keto blog journey, I mentioned Thomas DeLauer and though I really enjoyed his video on how to begin your keto journey, I found that other videos of his I tried watching he just talks way too fast for my brain to comprehend. But don’t discount him because of that. He shares really valuable info too!!
RuledMe is also a pretty decent channel and these guys here because they have some super yummy recipes (hello chocolate mousse???) –Eat Keto-Low Carb Recipes.
So I’ve spent more time researching what I can eat and what kind of yummy snacks to make. After week 1, I was back at the grocery store but with different things on the list so I could make some treats. I also added in a few different food items like olives and pickles that have truly saved me (and my hunger spurts).
I made peanut butter cookies and I’m honestly surprised I didn’t eat the whole fucking pan in one day. For real. I was literally dying for a sweet yummy treat and this was a good one. Here’s the recipe I used. Super duper easy and friggin yummy. I promise.
But before you dive into that recipe I gotta tell you, although they asked for half a cup of sugar I felt all my teeth cringe and fall out reading that. Ugh. So much sugar!! I bought little Stevia packets and only used 5 and the cookies were perfect for me.
I’m also not so sure I love Stevia. I will look into trying other sweeteners. Definitely do some research before you buy a sweetener. They aren’t all equal (oh bad pun!).
Keto flu now gone!
So I did get a flu last week, keto flu that is. My nose just ran and ran and ran. Ick. It really was just more annoying than anything. I also got a little light headed and felt weak at some points but I think that was also just me and my body trying to adjust to this new menu.
They say the keto flu lasts anywhere from 3 days up to 14. I got off easy on that one. It hung around for about 3 days and then I was almost back to ‘normal’.
What to eat at a restaurant when you’re on keto
The true test for me last week was going out to dinner with friends. That was a tough one. A couple of weeks ago we all agreed we should go out for some juicy burgers and fries. Well that was before Iva went keto. Bad bad timing.
So we did go out to a great restaurant and all my friends ordered burgers and fries. I wasn’t jealous at all (ya right). The burgers looked so fucking yummmmmmy…. ‘drool’. But I ordered the salmon and veggies and it was really delicious.
The really weird thing about that is honestly, it just felt so good knowing I was feeding my body with super good sh*t and not greasy, carb-loaded (drool) bad for you burgers and fries (oh double drool on the fries).
It’s not that hard to eat out when you are on a keto diet. Meat and veggies. You can’t go wrong. Stay away from pasta, pizza, and bread. You know, all the good shit. Ya, you can’t have any of it. :p
Keto diet and exercise
So I am def still exercising 5 times a week for 30 minutes. At the beginning I found this hard to do as I was weak and feeling hungry first thing in the morning but maybe my body is getting used to this? I’m not really sure but going into week 2 and sticking to my exercise routine, I felt really good!
I’ve been following Body Project on YouTube and they have amazing workout routines. You can check them out here and see if they are right for you too!
I did have to cut the cardio back a teeny bit because I was getting winded too soon but I’m still keeping up with the strength training which is the part I love anyway. I use resistance bands and I love them.
I’m not only using the keto diet to lose a teeny bit of weight but also just to be healthier overall so for me, exercise is very important as well. Also, if you remember last week I mentioned I just quit smoking too! So I’m pretty proud of myself for sticking to that AND the keto diet!
Yay me!!!!
Adjusting meals and snacks on keto
So because I spent most of last week hungry, and then later learned that I don’t have to live like this, I made a few adjustments to my meal plans. My saving grace here is that I really only need to lose about 5 lbs. I’m in this for other things, like optimal health!
After I realized I could in fact have snacks (without going crazy) I started having a few here and there but only if I felt hungry. The worst window for snacking for me is night time. Before keto I would eat a big bowl of cereal or a peanut butter and jam (or Nutella) sandwich right before bed. Oh ya it was bad. Some nights I would eat chips or a bag of extra extra buttery popcorn.
So clearly I had a night time eating problem (clearly). Now I know I can most certainly still have night time snacks (if I absolutely have to) and they will be either a handful of pork rinds, a couple of pieces of cheese, some olives or pickles or a few nuts (pecans/walnuts/almonds).
And I’ll only do that if I’m honestly feeling hungry, not just bored.
My meals are much bigger now. Breakfast has always been bacon and eggs every morning but now I’ll add an avocado to that and some cheese. I’ve even gotten creative and made a 3 egg, spinach and cheese omelette (not something I would normally ever do) and that fills the belly nicely too.
Am I missing vitamins and nutrients on keto?
I wasn’t so sure about this so I always just make sure to get in a healthy mix of meat, veggies, good fat, protein and fruit. I’m also drinking around 1 liter of water a day (some days less).
I’ve been reading lots of things about supplements and vitamin deficiencies and it’s mostly just confusing for me. Because I’m still relatively new to keto I’m gonna have to be hyper aware of my body’s messages.
I did, however, go out on a limb and order a container of collagen and bone broth because I read so many good things about it. I’m not getting any younger so I’m certain the boost in collagen will surely help me. Again, I did research and settled on the product mentioned above.
We’ll see how it goes. I’m always optimistic though.
I’m going to see how I feel over the next few weeks and adjust vitamins accordingly.
How week 2 of my keto journey is going
You know, I gotta be super honest here, it’s really going pretty good. It’s too soon to notice any results but I realize I’m not as bloated as I used to be. I also noticed I burp a lot which is weird. Many people mention when you start keto you may have trouble going to the bathroom (dude seriously we gotta talk about this sh*t..haha) but I don’t have any problems at all.
One thing I was super leery about that I did read was some people experience hair loss. Now the hairstylist in me freaked the hell out when I read that. My hair starts falling out we are effin done. Period. Boom. Over.
But that hasn’t happened yet, again maybe too soon to tell, and I think the collagen and bone broth product I ordered may very well help prevent that anyway!
Wrapping up my keto journey I’ll admit it’s been trying but I’m doing ok. I have actually kinda surprised myself on this one but I promised myself to give it 100% for at least a month and see how I feel after. I may want to continue, I may not. It’s anyone’s guess.
Hope you’re enjoying my keto blog journey. Stay tuned for week 3 :p Have you tried keto or currently on keto? How’s it going for you? Share your experience below!! I’d love to hear it.
mad love
xo iva xo
