Hey everyone! Saw the link to this post on Twitter and thought I’d join in.
Here’s my before, during, and after photos:
I started keto in March 2017 solely to control my epilepsy. I’ve been epileptic since I was 12 years old, and despite decades of anti seizure meds which did nothing to control my seizures but came with a whole host of lovely side effects (paresthesia, aphagia, facial paralysis, skin blisters, and mental fog, among others) and my neurologist insisting I needed brain surgery, I decided to be my own health advocate and take matters into my own hands. I’ve had three different neurologists over the last 20 years and none of them endorsed nor even encouraged keto as a therapy for me, since for adults they’d found a “low adherence rate”. Because of this, they prefer to not mention it which doesn’t even give us a chance to try it out for ourselves, which I found to be frustrating as hell. So I did some research via Johns Hopkins University and The Charlie Foundation, bought a food scale, started with a two-day water fast then dove in. It was challenging at first, but after a couple of weeks it became routine and I didn’t have any carbohydrate cravings whatsoever.
For me, one of the side effects of keto is more energy and stamina for exercise. I’ve always loved hiking and being outside, so in tandem with weightlifting (deadlifts, squats and bench), I found I loved getting stronger and healthier. I also noticed the weight loss made exercise much more enjoyable. My office is a mile from my home, so I leave early to get a nice long walk in before work (I live in downtown Seattle so the waterfront and the Elliott Bay Trail make a lovely gym) as well as longer trail hikes on the weekends with friends.
I found I loved with the hiking and long distance walking so much, it became somewhat of an addiction. I started thinking again about the Pacific Crest Trail, which I used to hike sections of a couple times per month before I moved downtown and fantasized about hiking when I was in my 30’s (I’m 42 now). It’s a 2,600-mile hike from Mexico to Canada, and much of it goes through Washington State. Most thru-hikers average 20 miles per day, so I began adding several 20-mile long treks during my week. My current record is 42. I’m amazed at my endurance now as compared to when I was younger and not on keto. It’s truly become a game changer.
Because this controls my seizures 100%, I consider this a lifestyle change for me. I have no desire to go back on medication, and having been keto for 13 months now it’s become my new normal. My neurologist is even on board, and sent me to a ketogenic nutritionist to help me with my meal plans (medical keto has a higher fat and lower protein percentage than the keto strategy used for non-medical purposes) and run regular blood panels. Because of my epilepsy I have metabolic panels regularly, and my blood glucose, which was 6.3 before keto, now holds steady around 3.8 - 3.9.
I’m happy to say that I have now been seizure free for a year and down 127lbs. I’m currently in maintenance (which was a challenge due to my activity levels - heavy whipping cream lattes help with the calories and fat) and have been medication-free since August. Keto is, literally, my medicine.
Thanks for reading!
, hypertension, constant hunger, improved dental health, etc, etc.
That is the way to do it.