A 30 Day Experiement While on The Ketogenic Diet
/ Casey DurangoMy Lovely Mate has abandoned me.
Well, abandoned is a bit strong. But he is out of the country for this entire month. The first coffee harvest on our farm in Colombia is happening and he's gone to manage it - and pick coffee! So I'm left here, just me and the chickens. And the two dogs. And loads of time on my hands.
What happens when a keto adapted person is on her own for a month? Let's find out! For more information on the ketogenic diet and links to products used in this video, see below.
As such, I've decided to enter into a bit of an experiment: what happens when I have no one with whom to eat meals, no one for whom to prepare meals and no reason to grocery shop? Wow. That reads really sad, doesn't it? No doubt, I'm going to get lonely. Oh sure, the first few days are all fun and games. I'm a bachelor. I can walk around the house belching, cursing obscenities at the dogs when I feel like it, not vacuuming... Wait. That's not really different than any other day.
But what will it be like in regards to my eating while I'm the only person around? One of the greatest challenges when one is trying to control what they eat, whether on the ketogenic diet, Weight Watchers®, vegetarian, or even the 'eat less, move more' style, is being influenced, tempted or even sabotaged by the food and other people around us. In a household where one is preparing meals for the family it's hard to not want to join in on the end product, even if trying to resist or not hungry. Same thing for an office environment. Cookies, Krispy Kreme® doughnuts, bagels by the bag. Food is everywhere.
I'm in a unique situation for the next 30 days or so. Our children are long out of the house. Husband on another continent. My work does not require me to be in an office. So it's like I wrote above, just me and the chickens around here. So it will be interesting how well I resist eating. It's been an easy answer over the years (decades, really) to deflect some responsibility for my eating habits on my situation. You know - kids, husband, office. I'll now have no such excuses or explanations.
I've written and spoken previously, as in this post, that the greatest struggle for me on the ketogenic protocol is eating only when hungry. I don't struggle with food choices available to me (see this post). Let's face it, the food is decadent. And so delish! But true hunger is an exquisitely subtle sensation. Not the 'hanger' signal from the brain created when one is eating carbs and therefore at the mercy of glucose's effect on insulin spikes and plunges. But true hunger. I intend to get to the bottom of it and to be able to describe it intelligently. I'm on a quest.
To the end, I'm going to pay very close attention to - and document - what I eat, how I feel, when I find I'm hungry, etc., - while it's me here on my own. No one to 'blame'.
I'll keep you posted.
I’ve been fortunate to have exposure to leading researchers, physicians and journalists regarding the ketogenic diet, also known as LCHF (low carb/high fat). We are all responsible for our own choices, including what we put in our mouths. I welcome questions, comments and even civil criticism. I’m still learning. So, if you have something to add, go for it. Thanks! - Casey
