Studies show it takes an average of 66 days to form a new habit. That’s one reason so many diets fail. I, personally, am a big creature of habit, so those lazy habits come very easy to me. I started my lazy keto journey at the end of May 2022 and now it’s October. Some new habits have snuck in…like grocery shopping. Before lazy keto, my grocery shopping looked a little different than it does now. I now buy full fat mayo, salad dressing, heavy cream, cream cheese, and sour cream and before May I always bought either low fat or fat free of all these things. These new shopping habits are good, but only if I’m eating other lazy keto friendly food to go with it. Another habit I have is eating the same lunch almost every day. When I was on WW, I ate a turkey and cheese sandwich nearly every weekday and today I still do. Bread isn’t very keto friendly, but I buy Sara Lee Delightful bread and it’s 12 carbs for 2 slices. That’s my bread for the day.
I’m not usually a breakfast eater, so my habits fall off the rails starting at dinner, and continue all the way to bed time. Unlike lunch, I don’t have a go-to dinner. I eat alot of homemade soup so that’s often dinner but since I’m not one to cook every night, it only works if I cook ahead and eat the same thing for dinner every night. I haven’t been doing that. And the snacking is my biggest issue. There is only so much cheese cubes you can eat! Lazy keto is harder than I thought!
I haven’t gained any weight, but I haven’t really lost any either. Habits. It’s all about the habits and I’m determined to figure out new dinner and post-dinner habits.
And if you haven’t read any of the other posts in this series, here’s a recap of the topic:
What is Lazy Keto?
This version of keto is a simplified version of the traditional keto diet, also known as the strict keto diet or clean diet. From what I gather, Lazy Keto promotes healthy choices but allows the convenience of just focusing on net carbs instead of also tracking protein, fat and calories. Most but not all websites agree that the goal is to limit your net carb intake to 20-50 grams per day. And because Lazy Keto promotes healthy carbs, healthy fats, and discourages things like starchy vegetables which might better aligns with overall health. By the way, this definition of Lazy Keto is probably one of a gazillion on the internet. I did a lot of reading, and this is MY interpretation of it.
What is Dirty Keto?
In my research I found that there is also a Dirty Keto version of the keto diet. The distinction is dependent on where you do your research. Lazy and Dirty are very similar. It just sounds like the Dirty Keto diet has one goal…less than 50 carbs a day. Eat whatever you want, as long as it stays within that 20-50 grams of carbs, regardless of the potential lack of health benefits. That seems to be the main difference. If you want to eat a fast food hamburger without the bun every day, no problem on the Dirty Keto plan.
I guess the good news is that you can explore your options and find the best way to adopt the right low-carb diet that works with your weight loss journey. High fat, low fat, state of ketosis, excess ketones, whole foods, protein intake, calorie intake, lazy food choices…try what works for you. Whichever version gives you better results, do that! If you’re in poor health, you might want to ask your doctor first. I’d say some of these keto versions might be healthier than others and the lazy keto approach or dirty keto approach might not be best for you.
There’s an app for that!
I found an app called Carb Manager that was exactly what I was looking for to track my carbs. It reminded me so much of the WW app, having the same features and conveniences, like scanning groceries, tracking weight and daily tracking of foods, calories, carbs, fat, and protein.
What is the Keto Flu?
In my first week, I noticed my stomach churning a little bit. No other symptoms, just a churning stomach and some gas. Then had a bit of diarrhea. Nothing terrible, just noticeable.
One morning I woke up and felt a little draggy. Not sick, just not a lot of energy. I went online to self-diagnose like I always do, and I think I had what is referred to as Keto Flu. I wasn’t that surprised. Any time you try a new diet, it can mess with your system. There are lots of symptoms of Keto Flu and you can have many, a few or none. Things like fatigue, constipation, diarrhea, dizziness, muscle cramps, even nausea and vomiting are some of the symptoms.
Apparently, one of the reasons for the flu symptoms is your body is used to getting its energy through carbs. When you take that away, it has to find other ways to get it. That’s when the liver kicks in! That’s as far as I’m going on what I learned. I’m by no means an expert. Just sharing some online tidbits.
So after learning all this I just assumed my symptoms are normal and went on with my week. Oh, I should probably mention one more thing. I also learned that reducing your carbs can have an effect on your electrolytes and that can be part of the dragginess or light headedness. I have low blood pressure, so I sometimes take an electrolyte supplement, like this one. So when I wake up with low energy I take a packet and feel fine after that. They’re definitely not cheap, but they work. I used these supplements while my body was getting used to keto and they really helped.
Happy Tinkering,
Susan
