Keto and Maintenance
Last month we talked about being kind to yourself. Making the daily choice to fuel your body with food that nurtures it, and moving your body to maintain strength and flexibility is a way to practise self-love. Some people believe that going on a diet is the furthest thing from self-love. I completely disagree because sometimes people need healthy boundaries around food. When you hear the word diet you may assume that it’s a restrictive way of eating, only used in the short term. However the word is also interchangeable for the food that we consume on a daily basis. We all have a diet. When you follow a diet consistently for six months to a year, it becomes a lifestyle. Over time, you learn and grow. What used to be a struggle to understand becomes second nature and easy.
Keto can be followed for a few months or the rest of your life. I recently had a friend ask me what she should do now that she had hit her goal weight by following keto. She didn’t want to lose any additional weight and was hoping to add back in food that she had missed. My advice to her was simple. If you are looking to maintain your weight with no additional weight loss, you can continue following a ketogenic diet with an increased number of calories. There is also the option to switch things up and try something completely different. Note that when switching off a ketogenic diet you will notice a fairly immediate water weight gain due to the increased consumption of carbohydrates. Keto can be used as a tool to lower your weight and does not have to be followed long term.
I personally enjoyed the food that I was eating on the ketogenic diet so I have continued to follow it even though I am no longer trying to lose weight. While I do not have high carbohydrate “cheat meals” (I’m sorry, I hate to call them cheat meals like they are bad), there is the option for me to start following a cyclical keto approach which involves following the ketogenic diet most days, allowing a day or meal higher in carbohydrates.
Please feel free to connect with me on Instagram: @ketoincanada, YouTube: ketoincanada,
Facebook: IAmKetoinCanada or my website, where I offer a beginner’s guide and group support:
Joanna Wilcox is Canadian Health and Fitness Influencer from Woodstock, Ontario.