I have now surpassed my six month Keto diet anniversary (I began in August 2020). Overall, I am pleased with how I feel. Since I don’t go to a doctor, I don’t have medical results to share, only my own personal observations.
The breakfast I used to eat was something like the one pictured below. Black coffee with lots of coconut oil, and yogurt with nuts, coconut and bananas (or other fruit). I thought it was a great meal, and it’s not bad, except for the carbs in bananas.
The little bananas came from my neighbors backyard here in Florida. They are the perfect size since bananas are a no-no on Keto. (Hint hint, I don’t give up everything because I believe that variety is good.)
Since I began Keto, I also do intermittent fasting so I don’t eat until noon. Sometimes I eat a “breakfast” and other times I eat a regular meal – low carb of course.
Balancing Good Foods and Keto
Which brings me to one of the things that bothers me about Keto. I don’t want to give up fruit. So I have been eating a little, like the tiny bananas. Or I add a few blueberries or a couple strawberries to my yogurt – (Cabot Creek, full fat, plain Greek Yogurt is my favorite.) I’ve stopped drinking juice, but still eat a little fruit. If I eat more carbs than usual for breakfast I am careful the rest of the day.
I don’t count my carbs. For a few days I used a carb counter app but I just can’t spend time entering all the foods I eat to see how many carbs I’m getting. I feel like I know the basic foods to avoid, and I read labels if I’m not sure.
I’m cutting back on the Keto breads and biscuits which really have no nutritional value.
I Was Eating Too Much Cheese, Bacon and Replacement Bread
After a few weeks on Keto, I stopped losing weight. In fact, I gained a few pounds! This was depressing after having a good beginning and dropping a few pounds every week. Something was wrong.
Lots of online Keto recipes are loaded with cheese and I was eating too much of it. I’ve gone back to eating more normally and using less cheese in my dishes. I also quit eating so many Keto biscuits. Once I did these things, I stopped gaining weight. Keto replacement food can be yummy but loaded with calories!
***Eat healthy, using lots of organic vegetables, grass-fed proteins, and good oils while greatly reducing carbs is the goal. Stay away from processed foods.
Read more about the differences between a clean Keto diet and a dirty Keto diet.
Where to Find Keto Recipes Online
I bought Maria Emmerich’s Keto recipes book (Amazon affiliate link), but she also has a website with recipes. In fact, many popular food sites also list Keto dishes. Just eat sensibly and watch the sodium as many Keto foods don’t worry about sodium content.
Eating to Help My Mind and Body
My original reason for trying Keto is to help with my PKD, so I had to remind myself of this constantly. Since I don’t go to a doctor, all I have to go on is the way I feel, how I sleep, and my own blood pressure readings. I do Keto and think about what is best for my kidneys at the same time.
My mother, and now my younger sister, have had dementia. Before my mother, no one in my family had impaired mental abilities at all, especially at a fairly young age – my sister is only 63! So this is scary. I tell myself it is lifestyle and food that contributes, and I especially believe in eating correctly.
A big plus from eating this way is that my mind feels good. I do not get tired in the middle of the day, and I am sleeping very well most nights. Because I don’t bother with food for the first five to six hours of my day, I get more work done (I own an online business). I am very focused and do not miss breakfast, nor do I believe it is necessary to eat first thing in the morning.
I’ve actually come to like the fasting part of this diet. It might sound odd, but not eating all morning has been a good thing for me. I stop eating by at least 6:00 pm and that gives me 18 hours total without eating. When I get up in the morning, I make a regular cup or two of coffee then I drink watered down versions of coffee – or Dandy Blend (this is an Amazon affiliate link to a Dandelion coffee replacement drink) – until I can eat. I do get hungry, so when you hear people say “you won’t be hungry on Keto”, if you fast, you will probably get hungry.
Use that non-eating time to think about a healthy meal you will cook for your first meal of the day.
Thank you for sharing!
Hydrangeas Blue 
Since I don’t go to a doctor…thought I might be the only over 45 woman to say that. Keep up the good work. MCT oil is good for brain function. There is even a version called brain octane. You are right about Keto and fasting. I just need to buckle down and DO it.
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Doctors are necessary for many reasons, but when it comes to supporting patients with information about how to work toward healing their own bodies, they fall short, from what I’ve experienced. People tend to want a quick fix with a pill – and I think doctors know this – so they provide it. But there is lots of information out there (via reputable people on the internet) for anyone who wants to make a lifestyle change to become healthier. It is not easy to change your whole way of doing things, especially after you’ve done so many things wrong for so long! (I’m jealous of young people who are already seeing this and beginning life with this awareness.)
We can also be told things (at doctor visits) that do not give us hope. When I was diagnosed with PKD, an “inherited disease for which there is no cure” it was terribly depressing. All I could do was take BP medication – for the rest of my life! – to deal with the side effects of the disease. (BTW, I no longer take BP medication.)
We must find our own hope by trying new ways of living that will give our bodies the chance to repair and rejuvenate – a slow process. I tell myself that it took over 60 years to create this body I have, so don’t expect big changes overnight.
I just got some MCT oil 2 days ago! It’s made from coconuts, and I’ve been eating lots of coconut oil already. If you’d like more encouragement on brain health and food, read “Grain Brain” by Dr. Perlmutter.
I wish you luck with your health journey. It takes time to adjust to all this new stuff – I’m still adjusting. Remember that any little bit of good you do (for your body) adds up. And there are more people out there “doing it” than you realize.
Thanks for reading and leaving that encouraging comment!
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