The Ketogenic Diet has helped thousands of people to lose weight. But does it work for everyone?
At tryitdietsisters, we have found more and more, that there really isn’t a one answer fits all when it comes to losing weight. The Keto Diet is no exception.
I had a lot of success with going keto, and you can check out my story here (eating cheesecake, lose weight).
My mother-in-law was really impressed with my results, and wondered if she should try it. She had 4 months before a wedding she was attending, and wanted to lose 20 pounds. And really hoped keto would finally help when so many other diets have failed.
I was so excited for her to try it. It was the easiest thing in the world for me to lose weight, it just slid right off.
So I confidently assured her that she would definetly lose those 20 pounds and then some!
Well, she called me several times over the next couple of weeks, and she was meticulous about her fats, about counting carbs, and about taking electrolytes. . . . and after a month, she had lost 3 pounds.
I promised again that sometimes the body takes a little while to get into it, but that there would be a ‘whoosh’ and the weight would fall off. (that is what happened to me).
Another month passed by, and maybe 2 pounds.
4 months and she only lost 6 pounds! I was flabberghasted. Do you know that by going keto, you cut out all sugars? Normally, if people cut out sugar from their diet, but not carbs, they’d lose more than 6 pounds in 4 months. It didn’t make sense.
And It was pretty devastating to her. She kindly told me that she didn’t regret doing it, because she did stop eating food that wasn’t good for her like sugar, but she was not where she hoped to be for her son’s wedding. . . And it’s kinda my fault.
This story does have a happy ending though. She did discover a different diet, that was really similar to keto, but just different enough, that her body responded really well to it. . . But more on that diet later. Here is her Keto experience in her own words.
Name of Diet: Keto
How Long did the diet last?: 4 months
Starting weight/ending weight: 232 – 226
Starting inches of stomach/ending inches of stomach: 48 – 47
“I had heard a lot of great things about the keto diet and I was excited to try it! I liked eating good fats, and being able to eat bacon and avocado, cheese etc. was wonderful.
I was determined to make it work because I was motivated to lose weight for my son’s wedding in the early summer.
I quickly adjusted to the diet and was strict in adhering to it. I stuck to the diet and did not cheat.
My goal was to lose 30 pounds in 3 1/2 months. Was it hard? Of course it was difficult, but I was glad to be allowed to have sweetness other than sugar.
I wasn’t afraid of doing something hard-IF IT WORKED! And here in lies the problem. I was strict the whole time, I took my ketosis temperature consistently and never once did my body get into ketosis!
Throughout the whole time I lost 6 pounds total! I was very disappointed! I wanted it to work, I needed it to work. But it didn’t work at least not for me.”
Questions About Going Keto
Did you exercise while dieting? If so, how often and for how long? 5 times a week for 30 minutes.
How healthy did you feel doing the diet? At first I felt lethargic but I did well on the diet and wasn’t hungry.
I wanted to lose weight for my son’s wedding and was very motivated, I didn’t cheat, even though it was sometimes hard, I stuck to the diet the whole time!
Was it more expensive eating this way? Yes, buying the different sugar and flour substitutes and TMC oil and ketosis temperature tools etc.
Did you have to buy specialty foods? If so, which ones did you try, and did you like or dislike them? I bought some. I remember buying Keto nut granola 10 oz for $13.00!
Did you feel like you were eating bland, or disgusting food just to keep the diet? Sometimes. I didn’t adjust very well to the breads and muffins I made with coconut and almond flours.
How did your family life affect the diet? Family was supportive, they didn’t follow the diet but did try some new things I shared. They loved the cheesecake, not the breads. We made separate meals.
Was it difficult to make the diet food? Sometimes. But it was also fun to try new recipes.
Did you spend a long time preparing the food? Yes because it was all new and different.
If you didn’t plan, did it make it difficult to maintain the diet? Yes planning is essential.
Did you find yourself always thinking about food? Sometimes, especially when I had to forgo treats or desserts.
In the end, Keto just didn’t work for her. She did however find success with the bright Line Eating diet. How about you? Have you tried keto, and did how did it work, or not work, for you?
Other Keto Stories
Interested in hearing other stories?
Check out this young husband who tried the keto diet
Or check out one sister who had to do keto dairy-free
