My journey with Keto

As you have noticed, I have posted some recipes that I have tried for my ketogenic diet.  Let me just share a little bit about this journey.

How I got into it?

At the peak of my pregnancy weight, I was 59kg.  I have put on about 9kg only throughout the pregnancy.  I was so proud of it, thinking it would be easy to lose them once I have delivered.

After confinement, I was 53kg.  I was so pleased that I managed to lose so much within a month.  Must be because of the urut, the baby's weight and I wasn't eating much because same confinement food day after day.

Soon after, I found myself struggling to increase my breast milk.  I tried every milk booster that I can find.  Some said cheese will increase, so I ate lots of cheese.  Some said drinking milk tea will increase, so I drank lots of it.  So I tried all the fatty, creamy, sugary food and drink, just to see which one is my milk booster.  I ate ice cream, I ate durian, I ate all that is there.  But my milk doesn't increase.  

Then I found that if I eat rice, and I am pretty much a rice tong and love my rice very much, my milk does increase.  As long as I eat rice and not cut them, my milk is stable, not much but stable.

So when people said breastfeeding will lose weight, it wasn't happening to me.  I was putting a lot of weight.  People started commenting that I am fat, put on so much and I wasn't able to put on my pre-pregnancy clothes anymore and ended up wearing my pregnancy clothes instead.

Although I was aware that I was putting on weight, there was no way I would want to cut or put myself on a diet because I was still breastfeeding and it was such a joy to breastfeed that I wasn't ready to stop just because I was getting fatter.  For the sake of my daughter, I was willing to sacrifice my beauty.

But 2017 was such a tough year.  When I came back from our China trip in October, I decided to stop pumping and just let her latch at night only.  I was getting a little demotivated from pumping for 20 minutes and only producing 1 oz because my girl has started fresh milk when she turned 1.  On top of the fall which added more aches and pains to my heavy self, I found that my health was going downwards.  I was feeling very tired and fatigue.  I was feeling pain on my feet as my weight increased.  I guess my tiny Size 4 feet can't take the heavy weight anymore.  I was worried that I might be having some serious disease because I fell sick so often.  

My weight went up to 56kg and it wasn't reducing, only increasing.

When in December, my friend who lost 32kg within 6 months, decided to start her own keto program for those who were interested, I jumped in immediately, without asking question.  

Why I got into it?

As I felt my health was spiraling downwards, I thought of my girl.  She is only 1 (at that time).  She is young and have a full future in front of her.  I don't want to be a burden to her.  I have to look after myself.  I have to support her the best I can.  I can't just bring her to the world and then neglect her.  So I decided to start taking care of my health properly.

I did a health screen and found a little high on uric acid and high cholesterol.  But otherwise, I was healthy.

So at the same time I started Keto, I also went to see a chiropractor for my back aches and pains.

What I got myself into?

The first week of the Keto diet, I had the Keto flu and it was a little unpleasant but bearable.

Then I started experimenting with cooking different food.  What I found was that in order to be fully keto, it's mainly to follow a Western style kinda diet.  

Let me list down the Don't and the No-Nos which is a little tough for Asians.

1. Rice

2. Mee Hoon / Rice Noodle

3. Pasta

4. Pizza

5. Bread / Buns

6. Milk tea

7. Milo

8. Fruit juices

9. Fruits

10. Dairy, i.e milk

11. Desserts i.e cakes, kuihs, etc, etc

So being a Malaysian, all the favourite Malaysian food was a no-no.

1. Nasi Lemak

2. Kuih-muih

3. Yong Tau Fu

4. Asam Laksa

5. Curry Laksa

6. Roti Canai

7. Curry Dal

8. Chapati

9. Rendang

10. Fried chicken or any fried food

The list goes on.

Initially, I didn't know that once you start keto, you have to keep doing it or else your weight will go back to normal.  I thought of just losing the few kg and when I reached my ideal weight, then I can stop and go back to eating those forbidden food again.  But keto diet doesn't work this way.

So what do I eat on a daily basis?

1. Eggs - can be fried, can be steamed, can be hard-boiled, can be soft-boiled, any style.

2. Chicken breast, salted chicken (Ipoh one is the best), chicken in the soup

3. Spare ribs, bacon

4. Cantonese soup - my mom always make a pot, so it's easy.  Can be lotus root soup, ABC soup, water cress soup.  Just drink the soup and not eat the potatoes and stuff inside.

5. Lots and lots of vegetables - Broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, kai lan, carrots, cucumber, etc, etc.

And I drank only water.  No juices.  No fizzy drinks.  No milk.  No milo.  No tea too because I am not really a fan of tea but tea is ok provided no sugar is added.

So with the 4 main ingredients, I started to diversify my cooking and tried and tested some keto that is delicious and some failed.

What's the outcome?

And I have lost 3kg within 1 month.  I could have lost more, but on some days I have cheated, like I ate a leftover banana that my daughter can't finish and something like that.  

I felt happier because I felt lighter now.  No more aches and pains (probably thanks to the chiropractor).  My complexion is better.  I woke up without feeling lethargic.  I slept well.  I think the benefits were amazing.

I am still continuing, but not strictly.  And since CNY is near, I ate a cookie here and there.  But important thing which I realised is that we have to eat in moderation.  Don't over eat.  The reason why we ate so much of sugar because processed food has lots of them in there.  Especially if you buy off the shelf.  

Am I a discipline person?

Honestly speaking, I am not.  I am quite lazy at times and don't follow the schedule I have set.  Then how did I follow this strict diet and kept to it?  Because I was determined that if one wants to do something, one can do it.  If only if that person is willing to change.  I stopped giving myself excuses.  I stopped giving myself reasons.  I just do it.

Which brings me to the topic of I don't understand how people can feel aches and pains and discomfort but not willing to change those for the better.  Although the method is shared but lots of reasons and excuses and the pessimistic, NO, I CAN'T DO IT BECAUSE....

I was getting a little tired listening to people like that.  Here's some of the conversation:

Person A has some disease : I want to lose weight but I am not going to cut down fruits.  I love my fruits.

Person B who not sleeping well : I want to lost weight but I can't because I can't cook at home and no one to cook for me.  I prefer to eat out.  I am also a workaholic.  I go to work early and leave work late.

These are the ones I have met.  I kept telling them that without sugar, it has done me a lot of health benefits.  And I am not lying.  But they are too conditioned in their own way and can't change their lifestyle.

Did you know that a lot of diseases can't be treated by doctors?  They can prescribe medicine to suppress the symptoms.  But they can't cure you.  GERD, diabetes, insomnia, autoimmune diseases, just to name a few.  The only cure is a change of lifestyle.  I am not a doctor, but my friends who had these problems told me.

Conclusion:

I am going to continue until I reached my ideal weight, then I might relax a bit.  But since cutting sugar, I don't have the desire to go back to eating rice or nasi lemak or my favourite Asam Laksa.  I found that my cooking has improved and I made better chicken curry than anyone else at home.  I ate a cake here and there, to taste them when I make them for the kids.  I ate a snack here and there, in moderation.  The moment I stopped sugar, the cravings stopped.  I haven't drank any sugary drinks, no milo, no milk tea, no fizzy drinks, no juices at all and I am happy with just plain water.