After nine months of ketogenic eating (high fat, low carb), the loss of 35 pounds, many strength and fitness gains and exceptionally clear thinking, I’ve decided to switch things up. It is scary, this trying something new. Especially because it involves eating carbs (which is a disordered eating rabbit hole for me).
To give you an idea, I’ve been eating up to 40 carbs a day. This is the equivalent of about two bowls of Cheerios. My new set of macros (daily nutrient goals) recommend 150-180 carbs per day (still a low carb diet). Keto allowed me to uncover a host of allergens in my eating. These include most grains, legumes and sugar. Are you with me so far?
Because what I want to say is it’s really hard to eat all the carbs when you are allergic to most of the carbs. Ha! I’m on Day 2 and this is already a fun adventure. But why, when keto was working for me, did I decide to change things?
Look, I’m not going to start eating the grains or corn or soy or sugar again. Those are no friends of mine. But I can tolerate small amounts of white rice or gluten free oats. And I miss foods like sweet potatoes and apples. Mostly, I miss diversity in vegetables. Now I can eat them all while still working to attain my physical health goals.
What scares me most is the possibility that my brain might call it quits. ADHD was my drive for ditching carbs. I think the lack of focus has more to do with specific foods than carbs. I’m giving this new way of eating a month. Time will tell.
Plus this shift came with professional support. Katie Brown at Kind Fitness Co. is my nutrition coach on this journey. I like her because she’s relatable, considerate and realistic. She’s someone I can tell I have an eating disorder and who I can trust to not shame or push me in any unsafe way regarding food. However, she will hold me accountable for eating, and I need that.
I’ll go ahead and link because her business is having a Spring sale on calculating macros right now. Maybe you need the feedback. $25 makes getting started affordable. Visit her site here: http://www.kindfitnessco.com.
Now to hold myself accountable- this next week is about me bringing down my fat intake while increasing protein and carbs. I want to get strong. I want to have energy. I want, as I did this morning, to keep discovering new muscles. Mostly, I wanto feel good and be healthy without feeling like I’m punishing myself.