Galveston, oh Galveston. This week I went to Galveston for a mini-vacation with a friend of mine. I stuck very closely to my Lazy Keto journey on Sunday-Tuesday, but Wednesday thru Saturday I had already decided I wasn’t going to track any foods. I didn’t plan to go crazy, but I decided if I wanted it, I was going to eat it. The real test would be, how invested have I become in this low-carb journey. Would I automatically gravitate toward low carb choices? Follow along as I share my lazy journey – week 3.
But first, let me recap…
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.
My week…
I thought about not even writing a post this week because these posts are supposed to be about the keto diet. But then I decided that what happened this week is reality. Not every week is going to be a successful, routine week. Sometimes we go out of town. Sometimes we binge. The trick is to get back on track when you return to your routine.
This week when I was in Galveston I didn’t think much about my keto journey. I enjoyed margaritas, chips and queso, fried fish, desserts…very vacation friendly foods, but definitely not keto friendly. I did look things up on the Carb Manager app, but mostly out of curiosity. For instance, a frozen margarita is way less carbs than a margarita on the rocks! But overll, I failed from a diet perspective.
The results of Week 3
I lost 5.4 lbs my first week and gained .4 on my second week. I was working out of town the second week and thought I was doing well, but between catering and hotels, I guess more carbs snuck in than I anticipated.
When I got home from Galveston Saturday night of this week I went right back on my lazy keto diet, but the vacation damage had already been done. I gained 2.9 lbs! I know some of that is just sodium because I also wasn’t good at drinking my water while I was vacationing. But I can’t blame it all on water weight! I ate poorly and I’m paying for it!
Next week…
As I mentioned, as soon as I got home, I went back on my lazy keto diet. I have a couple of social dinners next week, but other than that I will be eating at home and should have no problem getting back to my weight loss journey. Fingers crossed and stay tuned!
Happy tinkering,
Susan
