Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that one day I would be penning down a page on my experiences with food. Or that I would even try a Diet like a keto! So first of all please note that I am by no means a health expert or professional dietitian, and what I am going to say or write is an honest confession of my personal experiences with a particular diet. Thus, this page is all about my thoughts and my own opinions.

Dieting was one of the topics that did not fit in my life at all. Here I was in my mid-thirties and have been a foodie throughout my teens and in my twenties. I was careless or carefree about my nutrition and health goals. When it came to eating, my tastebuds had the final say.

Deep down, I knew I was eating the wrong kind of food a lot of the time, but perhaps I did not care much about my looks or weight. I didn’t have to. I was this carefree guy who loved to have good times and good food.

It was a close friend of mine from childhood, now a reputed dietitian, who introduced me to the 14-day Keto Challenge by Planketogenic. While I had heard about low-carb diets, and several of my friends had already tried one, I never considered giving it a go myself. But, my friend gave me a good look and told me it was time to get serious about my life and health. He suggested that I follow the keto diet for just two weeks and see the results.

I knew it must have been hard for him to convince me, and it was even harder for me to convince myself to go on a diet that I had no faith in. For me, all those diets were simply a waste of time and gave no real results.

Nevertheless, here I was, and somehow, my friend persuaded me to go for a 14-day keto challenge. Perhaps I was keen to see if the keto diet really worked or if it was just one of those crazes that everyone tries and then quickly gives upon.

Starting the 14-Day Keto Challenge

What really helped me get started was guidance from my friend and motivation from my family. My dietitian friend briefed me about the keto diet, the carbohydrate limits to follow each day, and the benefits. We decided I should try to keep my daily net carbs under 50 grams, which is pretty standard for keto.

My dietician friend gave me a meal plan for 14 days. I was concerned as the keto diet seemed very restrictive compared to what I was used to eating. But it was also a chance to cook some new recipes, with more types of vegetables.

On the first day, my weight was almost 195 pounds, and my goal was to reduce my weight by about 10 pounds by the end of 2 weeks and bring it down to 185. Was that possible? I was told that my body would benefit from improved metabolic health.

My wife told me to go ahead as it was a matter of just 14 days!

My First Week on Keto

Surviving on just 50 grams of net carbs a day was indeed hard for a foodie like me. But my family was strict with me and I followed the diet chart given by my friend religiously. Having a plan for each meal definitely made things easier, as all the decisions had already been made. All I had to do was follow the instructions.

On my first day of keto, I had a vegetable omelet for breakfast and a peanut butter smoothie for my morning snacks. Lunch was low-carb protein lasagna made with thinly sliced chicken breasts. Diener was egg cobb salad with loads of vegetables and some bacon. I must admit it wasn’t so bad, and I really loved the lasagna (everything is better with cheese!).

I was happy when I was eating, but in between meals it was hard not to think about sneaking a croissant or a donut or something sweet and carb-heavy. My friend had told me to drink water if I was tempted, and truth is, it did help. I think maybe it was just a distraction, but he said that a lot of the time we think we’re hungry, we’re actually thirsty.

On days 2 and 3, I was feeling a bit frustrated and almost angry with myself for listening to my friend and agreeing to try the 14-day keto challenge. Here I was dealing with cravings and hunger pangs, as I was not able to mindlessly snack through the day as I would have usually done.

On day 3 I was in a horrible mood, and I felt fatigued and low energy the whole day. I didn’t feel like working and was a bit worried as I had never experienced those symptoms.

I called my friend, who told me not to worry as it was just the “keto flu” and was only temporary. He told me that I would definitely feel better the next day. So, somehow, I dragged through the day and was indeed feeling a lot better by evening.

Week 2 of My Ketogenic Diet

By the second week of keto I was feeling energized and clear-headed. I must be honest here, I did wish that I could forget about the plan and just order a pizza or cook up some spaghetti, but something inside me begged me to hold on and see the changes in my body.

So, I took inspiration from others and continued my journey. I discussed things with my other friends who had tried the keto diet and was encouraged by what they had to say. I started following some keto accounts on social media and felt inspired by all the different recipes out there, plus all the success stories. With a good seven days over, I just couldn’t wait for 21 March.

I must say I learned a lot about different foods, their caloric values, and how to stick to the diet plan during those days. I read some online articles on keto and had discussions with my dietician friend. I tried to keep my mind busy by cooking keto meals at home and impressed my wife with my new culinary skills. It was as if I was rediscovering myself, my strengths, and my weaknesses. I was surprised that I was able to live without all those sugary snacks that I was so used to. Today, I consider myself a fairly good cook who can dish out some great keto recipes within minutes!

My Results After 14 Days of Low-Carb Eating

Finally, the two weeks were over, and so was my keto challenge.

I must admit that I did feel good from inside and outside, but it was the weighing scale that

would hold the objective truth. So, I stepped on the scale gingerly and was afraid to look at the numbers.

I just could not believe it! The scale showed 186 pounds, which meant I had lost a good 9 pounds from my body. Even though I didn’t quite achieve the 10-pound goal, I was ecstatic. For the first time in my life, I was able to lose some weight!

My wife was proud of me and seeing her reaction, I was inspired to continue the challenge for another two weeks and shed some more weight off my body. It was simply an amazing experience!

It seems to me that the hardest part is at the beginning, especially with the keto flu. So once you get on the other side of that, I’m thinking, why stop now?

What I Learned: My Advice for the 14-Day Keto Challenge

Here are some of the things I’ve learned so far during my low-carb experience:

• It’s easier if you make a meal plan. The more detailed, the better. This way, you’re not making food decisions when you’re hungry or craving sugar and carbs.
• Drink water. This helped me break my snacking habit. When I found myself opening the fridge, I would take out a bottle of cold water and pour that into a glass instead of making a snack.
• Get a cheap kitchen scale. This makes it easier to measure everything in grams, instead of worrying about cups, tablespoons, ounces, etc.
• Find other low-carb dieters to follow on social media or blogs. You would not believe all the ketogenic recipes that people come up with! Not only do they give you ideas for meals to make at home, but just seeing them inspires you and gives your food brain healthier things to crave and daydream about.
• Share with friends and family. It makes a big difference to feel supported.

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