On December 1st, I shall be marking the second anniversary of my Ketogenic lifestyle. I lost more than 30 pounds and several inches, and was able to maintain the loss without the usual sweet tooth cravings. Of course, nutritionists and some doctors are not in favor of a shift to a fat-based, low-carbohydrates diet. I will not argue with them about this. All I can say is that my own doctor, who has been looking after our family’s health needs since our father was alive, has given me the clearance to continue with my keto lifestyle as long as I still take my maintenance medicines for hypertension and glucose management.
When my doctor learned that I went on a keto diet, he offered to supervise it. Every three months, I had regular blood tests done to ensure that my cholesterol and sugar levels are within the normal range. He would also give me advice when I felt something was off, or when there were food items that I craved for. I would recommend that anyone planning to go on a keto diet should consult a doctor. I also recommend joining credible online chat groups and Facebook pages to better understand how this diet works. I, for one, am active in the Facebook chat groups and pages started by keto advocate John Paul Titic also known in our circles as “Tito Jhay.”
What exactly is a Ketogenic diet? Wikipedia describes it as a high-fat, adequate-protein, low-carbohydrate diet that is used primarily to treat difficult-to-control epilepsy in children. The diet forces the body to burn fats rather than carbohydrates. Sugar is a no-no for people on a ketogenic diet. I am now used to taking my morning coffee, black, without milk and sugar. I also don’t eat rice and bread (unless baked using almond flour and without sugar), and yes, no pizza!
Two years ago, my physical weight ballooned to more than 200 pounds and my dress size had more X’s than a polygamous husband. When I stood before an audience to give a lecture, I found myself catching my breath. In the vernacular, “hinihingal ako.” A flight of stairs was my concept of hell. Shopping for clothes became a painful exercise of being forced to look at my huge, flabby reflection on a full-length mirror.
Today, two years since I started my keto journey, I am in a much better shape. Of course, my obesity is still there. I am still 30 pounds or so overweight. Nevertheless, I can walk several paces longer than before without needing to pause and slowly breathe in and out. Shopping has become a source of affirmation now that I can wear a size 18 top and choose pants that does not have the safety net of a “garterized” waist.
To kick off my diet, I subscribed to a one-week home delivery keto diet plan. This was quite convenient since I could easily bring the food containers to work. Every daily diet delivery consisted of breakfast, lunch and dinner, and some snacks in between. After the week was over, I became more conscious of my food intake. I read a lot of articles on keto, and joined numerous chat groups and Facebook pages.
It was tough going for the first month. I even had a health scare when my daughter rushed me to the emergency room because of uncontrollable chills. The chills went away when the attending physician gave me some paracetamol. After that incident, I became even more conscious about my intake of water (no more softdrinks and sugar-laden juices, remember?), and adding more vegetables and protein to my diet. On my doctor’s advice, I also started taking multivitamins and making sure that I got enough sleep and rest throughout the day.
I do cheat from time to time but in extremely small doses. Avocados and berries are the only fruits allowed for someone on a ketogenic diet. From time to time, I do eat a banana for its potassium content. Do I exercise? Because of a weakness in my left knee, I can only go swimming or do some walking, though not too briskly. I noticed that my feeling of sluggishness has gone away, and I now have more energy for work and leisure.
Reducing sugar or eliminating it completely has done wonders for my health. Some people may think that going on a keto diet means feasting every day on crispy lechon kawali or having chicharon with one’s coffee. In my case, it wasn’t about eating more fatty food. It was more about relinquishing sugar’s control over my palette, and finding out that one can have a satisfying and nutritious meal without an overload of carbohydrates. My journey remains to be a long one, but for now, I am happy to be in full control of my diet, my health and, therefore, my life.
Susan V. Ople heads the Blas F. Ople Policy Center and Training Institute, a nonprofit organization that deals with labor and migration issues. She also represents the OFW sector in the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking.
1 comment
Hi.
I’m also doing keto/low carb.
I just want to ask if you can recommend a keto doctor.
thank you