Resurrection

I have decided to start blogging again (yay?).

My knee is now completely healed (definite yay), but now I weigh more than I ever have in my entire life. Getting back into running is tougher than ever before with the extra pounds. I'm the one who put the pounds on and I will take them off.

Not much to report with training. Just the ol' run/walk routine. I'm using Nike this time and training using their 5k program. I like that it incorporates time for cross training and reminds me what I have to do each day. I recommend it for sure. Never underestimate the cross training for it makes you stronger and gives your poor knees a break!

So in order to take this weight off and improve my overall health, I'm doing the keto diet (low carb, high fat diet). The website I'm using (in addition to plenty of forums and other supplementary websites) is http://www.ruled.me/30-day-ketogenic-diet-plan/. Read up if you've never heard of this.

Depression is why I gained the weight in the first place!

So why did I choose this? Why cut out all carbs? Why so drastic? Can I really keep this up?

First, my brother-in-law has been doing this and has experienced quite amazing results. He looks so good that it convinced me to give it a try. What do I have to lose, really? I've done the usual low fat diets with good carbs and blah blah blah. You name it, I've tried it. And I had some success but never for the long term.

Now I'm not stupid. I've researched my butt off with this. Made sure it is safe for myself. And it is. For me, the lifestyle change isn't that bad. Sure, I miss pasta, bread, and the like, but I get to eat LOADS of my favorite foods, especially cheese! I feel like I can keep this up for life. And yes, you will gain weight when you eat a carbohydrates. And I'm okay with that. I'm going to slip up and have a milkshake, or a cookie, or some pizza, AND THAT'S OKAY. As long as I never go above where I am now, I'm plenty okay with that. This change/lifestyle isn't for everyone, but the benefits for me personally and medically far outweigh the downside of not eating bread everyday.

So it's the end of day 2 of this change. The recipes I've found are fun to prepare and tasty. I'm not going to lie, I really really want a cookie right now. Or sugar of any kind. But I'm not physically hungry at all. That's the good part of this low carb, high fat, moderately high protein thing.

That's very accurate ^_^

The point of this all is to teach the body to use fat/ketones as a source of fuel instead of carbohydrates. And today I'm starting to feel the effects of what is known as the "keto flu."
The basic symptoms are:

• headaches
• nausea
• upset stomach
• Lack of mental clarity (brain fog)
• sleepiness
• fatigue

The symptoms I'm really feeling right is everything but the headache. Drinking plenty of water is recommended to ease the symptoms, which is probably why I don't have the headache. Trying to get your body into nutritional ketosis (not to be confused with ketoacidosis which is experienced by diabetics and can be life-threatening) is rough and I'm constantly running to the bathroom since this process acts as a diuretic. The symptoms should pass within 5-14 day with 7 days being the average (that I've read).

I'm going to be honest, right now I'm really wondering if these side effects are worth it. And this is completely normal (from what I've read) and as long as I hang tough a few more days, things will simmer down and I'll feel much better. I'm exhausted and I only worked a 4 hour retail day. The nausea is ridiculous, but peppermint tea (no sweetener of course) is a godsend right now!

My favorite meme for times like these.

If you're interested in doing this, read up and check with your doctor to make sure you're go to go. I'm not an expert by any means. Just a girl who want to be healthy and run long distances for the rest of my life. Namely my first marathon but for 2015, the goal is to run my second half marathon. If things are going good and I'm ready for the full by the end of 2015, then I'm going to go for it. For now, I'm planning the full for 2016.