i understand the theories of keto but this have never worked for me.
i did keto twice in my life for energy reasons. it was both a hell.
one for a half year and second for 3 month or so.
i was constantly tired weak and got very became very depressed (low dopamine). i wanted to kill myself.
also i was losing muscle, strength, and got fat in a kcal deflect.
Also my thyroid was shutting down and got very cold. body temperature dropped hard.
after the second keto i learnt that keto is not that healthy for long term. its increase stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline.
also thyroid needs carbs to make hormones. so no wonder it was shutting down.
i remember that 10 years back people where saying that ketogenic diet was muscle sparring.
That new evidence came that was telling it was not.
So keto is very catabolic, fattening and protecting muscle wasting by eating tons of protein isn't keto anymore.
oh and before you start, yes i was taking tons of electrolytes and yes i was eating above maintenance kcal.
Being deep in ketosis solved nothing. ketosis = survival/stress mode.
i don't know why it never had worked for me, and other people experience benefits from it.
I would do it right again if it really benefited me but no
oh its also very expensive diet...
As I said previous that I worked in professional sport.
I have talked to many nutritionists, many doctors, many sports people who are fitness coaches. And of course dieticians galore, my endocrinologist, my doctors and nurses. All of them were sceptical and totally against my decision to go carb free. Which next year, other than a few hiccups, will be my tenth year doing keto.
At my fifty fifth birthday, my weight was eighteen stone. My organs were fatty, my health had depreciated so much that my surgery was concerned for my future health. A hypo saved me, another hypo got me tests and tests got me a true diagnosis.
Before my true diagnosis, I was living in a hypo hell.
I studied, I learnt, I experimented, I took great care with my food diary, tested, recorded, tested, tested and having started progressively towards keto. Stopping the so called healthy diet recommended by those above.
With a plan and a different approach from the previous decade of weight gain and I'll health and constant hypos. Enough was enough. I had to stop the hypos. All medical staff will tell you to stop a hypo. All will tell you to treat a hypo. All will tell you that it is healthy to eat foods you cannot tolerate even though you go hypo and it effects your health.
It is not easy.
It is difficult to accept, but I would rather be healthy like I am today going keto, than in my coffin, cos I would be in it now, if I hadnt. That is the truth. My endocrinologist told me, my GP told me!
Also, it is not expensive. My weekly shop which is mainly meat and vegetables, is planned not to cost. I go to a butcher, I go to a green grocer, my food is fresh, nothing that is factory made. I stay away from industrial production, I use natural oils and fats.
I can't use dairy, been lactose intolerant since young.
Compromise on your dietary intake, use intermittent fasting, use other non carby, starchy foods. For every carb there is an alternative. For every sports drink there is water. You need to drink a lot more water. You need to eat to your new found condition, there is nowt else. However long it takes, how ever much you have and you are going to need to get to somewhere in between keto and carbs. Maybe just above normal for spikes, cos there is a trigger point. It is usually between 6 & 7.5mmols or around 5 & 10% carbs per meal before the trigger happens.
After two months of keto, the weight dropped off, my health improved and my hypos had stopped.
I do understand the resistance, the scepticism. I have had it all.
But here I am, still in keto and going strong, no hypos.
I defy all that logic. I know I'm weird to do this but it does work, nine years and counting and I couldn't go back, no way!
My last point is that all that logic in health dietary requirements, have not come across reactive hypoglycaemia.
Hypoglycaemia is a condition that is defying logics.
It is non diabetic, it is to do with excess insulin. Insulin is bad, I mean over time really bad, if it is not used. High levels of circulating unused insulin or hyperinsulinimia, or even T2! Because of the spikes from carbs because you are intolerant to carbs.
I don't want to argue that your beliefs are wrong or right, I just want you to understand this condition that those who have your interests about your health at heart, haven't come across anything like this condition, but you are going to have to do something.
I want to help you understand why your body is doing this. I can answer your questions. It is alright to go against medical, dietary advice, otherwise this site wouldn't exist. It does because of the dietary advice from healthcare professionals for years on diabetes. Just have a look around, why does it work for me and so many others.
I know of a lot of sports people who have used keto for a very long time without issues.
It is all over the internet.
I hope this helps. Keep asking.
Best wishes.
