The Keto Way - My First Blog

You'll have to bear with me. I've never blogged before. To be honest, I'm not even sure this will work. As I lay on the sofa, typing away on my phone, I feel kinda foolish. I mean nobody is actually reading this right now, are they? In fact, I'm not sure anyone ever will. But a few months ago, I made some life decisions. If these decisions or any of my journey can help someone, then this can only be a good thing.

How it began.......

Bear with me for a little bit here, I will get to the point, but a little context will help. 

I suppose my struggles first became apparent in my late twenties. I've always been fortunate that most things in life come to me quite easily. Sure, I'm not overly sporty, nor do I have a Masters in Biochemistry, but I've always been able to 'pick things up' quite easily. As a result, I lacked a little application in my twenties. After all, it seemed I could get through most things easily. Sure, I bought a house, started a family, got a few promotions at work, but I basically drunk my way through most of it. I went from 170lbst to 300lb and built some seriously bad habits. I also tried to change a few things but couldn't find anything that worked. I lost about 6st and then put it all back on again. I'd do okay at a gym for a month, them spend the rest of the year watching my bank account being emptied for facilities I never used.

It wasn't just physical either. My mental health was suffering. My motivations were low and my energy levels even lower. I was sleepwalking through life, and the more it went on, the harder the habit became to break. I was getting away with it, but that couldn't last. It had to catch up with me in every way.....and it did. 

We went to Disneyworld on a family holiday. The space in the aircraft seat was really tight. The seatbelt only just clipping closed. I queued for rides only to be told I couldn't get on them. In the USA!!! A country with one of the largest obesity problems in the world!!!! I was in a place that catered for big guys and I was getting turned away. My family shared stories of the Harry Potter rides. I could only wonder how good they were. This would later become my first Instagram post as @ketokingkarl. 

Next came lockdown and I  could feel myself slipping into a beer and takeaway haze all over again. Thing had to change or I'd be 400lb by the age of 40.

Along came Keto.

When you've tried everything, you've heard of most things. I'd even flirted briefly with Keto. But I never really understood it. 20g of carbs? How does that work? High fat diet, surely that's bad news? I did lots of research and things didn't actually seem that simple. Maybe fats weren't the enemy. The more I read, the more aware I was of the huge volume of refined sugars in pretty much everything we eat. The fact that what we know as a balanced diet, is founded on research funded by the big food brands. Who was it that decided breakfast was the most important meal of the day? Kelloggs it turns out. Who decides what a 'balanced diet' looks like? The big food manufacturers.

Fast forward a few months and things have changed for me. I spent lockdown building a garden building to work and socialise in. Sone achievement for a white collar worker with no experience. I re-organised my garage, improved my sleep, lost 42lbs (so far) and I've never felt sharper. Over the coming weeks, I plan to blog about why I chose Keto, the science. How it works, the method, and finally how its changed my physical and mental capability. Watch this space.......