I had a little time on the holiday, so I thought I’d follow up on my http://www.simplemamame.com/blog/the-keto-vegan-experiment/.
It has been over 6 weeks since its conclusion, and I am pleased to say that I have not gained back a single pound. This clearly speaks to the efficacy and sustainability of the lifestyle. I am equally pleased to note that my workouts returned to form immediately as well.
The important caveat on these statements though is that I did not return entirely to normal. In fact, I adopted and incorporated Keto foods and practices into my standard routine. I am very pleased with the result, enough so that I would recommend it to anyone actively seeking an optimally healthy lifestyle. I’m no expert, but it has definitely been working for me. That said, it still takes a great deal of will power and self-restraint to execute.
Raw fruits and vegetables are the way to go. I am now firmly against excluding fruit or carrots and other sweeter vegetables. An active person’s body is more than up to the task of staying ahead of these healthy carbs. I can eat incredible quantities guilt and consequence free. It is in fact nearly the opposite: the more raw plants – particularly green vegetables – I eat, the better I tend to feel and operate. It is certainly bland and boring, so I have been practicing various recipes to make these things palate-pleasing: http://www.simplemamame.com/recipes/spicy-apple-mango-salsa/ http://www.simplemamame.com/recipes/simple-guac/ http://www.simplemamame.com/recipes/sushi-hummus/
I gave up crackers, chips and bread. I could no longer justify these foods that are largely devoid of health benefits when it became clear that they were major contributors to my weight gain. It may not work for everyone, but I’m loving carrots as a universal dip-scoop and extra almonds, cashews and pistachios for crunch and salt. I also dropped the rice and beans. I one-to-one replaced them with riced cauliflower and baked veggies. I really haven’t missed it.
So it’s almost sounding like I’m still on Keto. The biggest take-away here though is how I fixed my exercise and energy levels: welcome back breakfast. I have concentrated the majority of my daily carb intake into the meal that fuels me for the rest of the day. I eat the carbs before I work out, so that I can use them to power my work outs. Every morning I have a huge bowl of oats, chia seeds and as much fresh fruit as I can pack into it. I can’t understate how much of a difference this makes for me. I didn’t have a true appreciation for what I could accomplish when properly fueled until it was taken away.