I've been lurking for the past 2 months and finally started keto 5 weeks ago. I'm only 25 years old and just finished law school in May. I was a decent athlete in high school and was in great shape around 180. By my junior year in college (the last 5 years) I was drinking around 10 IPAs a day and eating fast food, always with dessert, for 2-3 meals a day. I got sciatica during my playing days and after putting on 70 lbs over the past 7 years I had given up on ever being able to run again. The pain would shoot down my leg and the burn would be unbearable after a few short minutes. It caused me so much mental anguish that I couldn't lose weight because I couldn't exercise without pain, and there seemed to be no hope. Chiropractors only provided temporary relief and cost too much money. I even considered surgery (at my age, how stupid would that have been!)
I woke up every morning bloated and starving. So hungry, in fact, that I would be too nauseous to eat. My friends, classmates, and coworkers would give me a hard time for wearing the same few pairs of clothes everyday, but I outgrew all of mine and couldnt afford to keep buying. Without alcohol I would toss and turn in pain from my back for hours before falling asleep. As I started my bar prep I knew I had to do something before I started my career or I would continue my death spiral.
I didnt hear about keto until the guys on my favorite podcast (Pardon My Take) started it as a joke, but I was intrigued and came here to learn more. I was nervous about starting keto during such a stressful time where I needed to study 8-10 hours a day. I absolutely could not waste a week on keto flu. But with a month before the test I pulled the trigger. Within 3 days my back pain that I had surrendered to long ago was virtually gone. I felt more rested, but required less sleep. I was no longer on the brink of death every few hours from hunger.
On one of the test days we got a late start and didn't get our lunch break until almost 2pm. Without keto I would have been a hungry mess by 11. Instead, I felt like a machine, no longer a slave to my (misguided) hunger. Who knows if I passed. I hope I did, but if not, I can still retake it. What matters to me is the confidence I've gained from taking back control of my life before it was too late.
I've only been doing lazy keto, but I've lost around 30 lbs in these 5 weeks. I even lost a couple pounds on the celebratory cruise my family treated me to after the exam. My parents and in-laws were blown away by my progress and couldn't believe I wasn't hungry every few hours like they were. They began asking me all about it and I even saw one of them eating a bunless burger by the end of the trip.
I know this was a long post, but I just wanted to share my experience thus far and thank all of you who have shared yours. Thanks to you, I felt well informed during the hardest parts. I was able to skip keto flu and know what to expect during the first few weeks. I'm down to 218 from 246 and can't wait to get back under 200. I'm even planning on training for a half marathon in another month or so once I'm more adapted. This diet has changed my mind as much as it has changed my body, and I can't stop telling my wife how great I feel and how happy I am. Thank you all and KCKO.
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