Keto...NOT cheato.

Keto... NOT cheato.

After a brief hiatus to finish my master's thesis, I'm back to blogging!  It can be tough finding something to write about, so I try to keep my eyes and ears open at all times for relevant topics.  Sometimes inspiration just hits like a bolt of lightening, but sometimes it's not quite as exciting... this topic is just something that I feel needs to be conveyed to people new to Keto, and to those considering the Keto way of eating, and there are A LOT of newbies with the New Year!  

Drum roll....


No cheat days allowed!  SORRY!

To be successful on Keto, you have to understand the science behind Ketosis.  Here's the quicky version: 

Eliminating virtually all sugars from your food intake teaches your body to run off of fat consumption and storage instead of glycolysis like our bodies are used to.  In glycolysis, your body first burns sugar consumption (sugar/carbs-same thing).  When you are feeding your body fat, which seems totally counter-intuitive, you're telling your body, "This is what you burn for energy".  

Where does cheating fit into this?  Well, if the whole goal is to re-program your body, then cheating is super confusing to it!  Anyone who's been on Keto and made it through the initial Keto flu to become fat-adapted knows what a difficult process those first few weeks are, retraining your body.  Cheating puts your back at square one.  My best advice: DON'T DO IT!   

With that said, newbies will make mistakes.  I know that I did!  They were never intentional, but the learning curve is high!  Ingredients can be confusing and misleading.  If you mess up, forgive yourself, don't give up, and just keep on going!  

Holidays will come, birthdays will come, other special events will come, and for many of us who have struggled with food issues these can be trying times.  Using those events as an excuse to cheat is not something that I'd recommend because it reinforces the idea that  your life revolves around food.  It doesn't.  Food is fuel.  It's really that simple.  You can make the fuel tasty, but ultimately it has to be good for you!    That's what's awesome about Keto.  You will never feel deprived of tasty food.  Never.  And when you aren't deprived, you can stay on-track, and change your relationship with food.  You won't obsess about it anymore.... you maybe don't believe me, but it's true.  You just won't feel the need to cheat.  

Be mindful of the science!  You can't flip back and forth between different ways of eating (ie Paleo, Whole 30, Keto, Atkins, etc...).  Find what works for you and stick to that.  God made each and every one of us differently, so what works for one, may not work for another.  All we can do is our best, but cheating is just that, cheating...on yourself.  Commit to loving yourself and your body more than that!