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My weight has been quite crazy this year. I currently weigh 82 kg as of 12 May 2021 and the last time I had a similar weight like this was 9 years ago after a surgery that kept me from doing any exercise.
Well, this time around, I don’t have any good/valid excuse for not exercising and I have put on so much weight due to accumulated stress and frequent snacking. I feel super clumsy/lazy and even lack the energy/willpower to go for a simple run.
After doing some research and fuelled with a tinge of motivation, I decided to start taking action to address my weight issue. I came across Keto Actives, a dietary supplement that supports weight loss and I bought a 3-month supply which cost me $140. Since I read that the weight-loss pills work best for those who are on a Keto diet, I started to research the kind of foods I should consume or avoid.
Staying off carbs (rice, noodle, and bread) and sugars is an extremely difficult thing for me to do especially since I have a sweet tooth but I am committed to making sure that I get back on track to being healthy. To stem my craving for something sweet, I gotten Monk Fruit (Lo Han Guo) Sweetener as a substitute sugar.
Hence, this post will be the beginning of my Keto Diet and Weight Loss series where I document and track my progress. I will be updating this series on a weekly basis so if you’re interested to know how I’m doing, I will be posting updates on this same post.
The Preparation Phase
As the saying goes, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”. Hence, to get myself prepared for this journey, I went to the supermarket to buy some groceries and some items that I bought included bacon, tuna, salmon, sardines, asparagus, avocado, pistachio milk, and almond milk.
I also bought Ketone Urine Strips to test whether my body was going into ketosis.
The Beginning, 12 May 2021
I started taking the Keto Actives pills and I experienced the following:
- Bad Breath
Known as the keto breath, it is a common side effect when ketosis kicks in. Thankfully, keto breath is temporary the odour will subside as the body adjusts to a lower carb intake. - Heavy Perspiration
Sweating and frequent urination happens in the early stages of ketosis. When the body adapts to changes in the diet, these symptoms normally go away on their own. - Warm/Spicy Stomach
I guess this is only expected since the Keto Active pills contain ingredients thermogenic compounds such as caffeine, bitter orange, and etc.
On a more positive note, I was able to resist and curb my appetite for snacking and that really helped to reduce my calorie intake. As the Keto Active pills that I am taking contain 150mg of caffeine, I am avoiding coffee for the time being. Just so you know, a single shot of espresso contains about 63mg of caffeine. I am also staying off beer and wine.
As the Ketone Strips that I bought is taking some time to arrive, I wasn’t able to test if my body is in ketosis mode. But from the side effects that I have experienced, I guess my body is entering ketosis mode. Also, I haven’t done any exercises to burn off extra calories yet and it would be something that I am considering doing if I can find time for it.
18 May 2021
I did a weigh-in and here are the stats:
- Weight: 81 KG
I have dropped 1 kilo after 6 days. - Body Fat Percentage: 28.6%
8-20% is considered to be in the healthy range and I’m still quite far from the ideal range.
- Visceral Fat 14
1-12 is considered to be in the healthy range and I’m nearly there.
- Body Muscle Percentage: 31.5
The ideal percentage range for body muscle is between 40 to 44%, I’m still quite far off and as we all probably know, an increase in muscle mass will also increase the rate at which our body burn energy (calories).
29 May 2021
I felt like my weight has somewhat plateaued and although I have shaved off another kilo, my metabolic rate seem to have decreased somewhat. I am also getting tired of the Keto diet because staying off carbs is super tough! I will see how this goes and whether I need to make some changes to my diet. As I haven’t incorporated any exercise into my daily routine, perhaps this might just be the answer that I am seeking for.
- Weight: 80.1 KG
I have dropped 0.9 kilo after 11 days. - Body Fat Percentage: 28.7%
8-20% is considered to be in the healthy range and I’m still quite far from the ideal range. - Visceral Fat 14
1-12 is considered to be in the healthy range and I’m nearly there. - Body Muscle Percentage: 31.3
The ideal percentage range for body muscle is between 40 to 44%, I’m still quite far off and as we all probably know, an increase in muscle mass will also increase the rate at which our body burns energy (calories).
6 June 2021
My whole Keto diet has been thrown out of the window as I could not sustain without taking any carbs but where I could, I stayed off carbs during lunch. I also included some light exercises where I run 5km at least twice a week. That might have contributed to the decrease in my body fat percentage but I’m not entirely sure yet as my weight has remained stagnant.
- Weight: 80.1 KG
My weight has remained stagnant since 29 May 2021. - Body Fat Percentage: 28%
8-20% is considered to be in the healthy range and I’m still quite far from the ideal range. The only consolation is that my body fat percentage has decreased by 0.7%. - Visceral Fat 14
1-12 is considered to be in the healthy range and there is no progress in this aspect. - Body Muscle Percentage: 31.9
The ideal percentage range for body muscle is between 40 to 44%, I’m still quite far off and as we all probably know, an increase in muscle mass will also increase the rate at which our body burns energy (calories). On a more positive note, my body muscle percentage increased by 0.6%.