Motivation to get back into Keto - it's not what you think!

What motivated me to come back to Keto?

4 year break since last time, what made me return?

Last time I followed the diet these were my takehomes...

1. Endurance cycling capacity went through the roof
2. Fatigue from exercise was almost eliminated
3. Sleep quality improved amazingly
4. Weight reduced
5. Brain clarity and absorption was at a level not previously experienced

Now - I love cycling, there's no doubt about that. It's fun, challenging, rewarding, social and a great leveler (socially speaking). No matter your backstory - you all have to climb up the same hill. It doesn't matter if you are a bin man or a banker, work in retail or research. You've still got a common goal and it's an equal achievement when you roll over the summit. 

But that's not why I'm heading back to "Ketoland".

It's a bi-product of the global coronavirus pandemic. I run a small business that has face to face interaction as it's core value - needless to say the last three months have not been fruitful. I need some mental clarity and energy to do a relaunch of the business into the unknown. Providing the same service as before but remotely. 

A further thing to overcome is that one of my children is still at home, her classes aren't set to return until September, and my son (while back at school currently) finishes for Summer holidays in a week - and will return in September too. 

My fantastic wife is back at work and so it's full business relaunch, done solo - while looking after the bambinos. 

I need some clarity. Energy is required. Sleep will be treasured.

Should a few kgs disappear along the way - boom, I'll take it. But it's not my focus.

I write this post after 4 days on the diet, my body reacted really well to going back to keto this time, not sure if re-entering (even after years) is meant to be easier? Had two days feeling lethargic and like walking was too much hassle. Had to stop a Zwift ride are 15 minutes on the second day as I as woozy. But from day 3 my tests showed 1.5mmols of ketones. Cycling (at zones 1 & 2) is back on the cards... now to wait for the mitochondria to adapt and open up zone 3 and maybe, just maybe, some zone 4.

Research going into keto this time was even more rigorous than before. Next post will be covering some of my key learnings.

Take it easy.

Keto - round 2 the lead up

It's been a few years. If you subscribe to the old adage - once bitten, twice shy? Then browse away now. This is the re-hash.

Going back to a previous post that covered the merits and pitfalls of using a ketogenic diet as an endurance cycling tool that you can find here [http://knockingoutmiles.blogspot.com/2016/08/keto-does-it-work-for-endurance-cycling.html] you will know that I truly believe, if distance is your desire, keto is a magic bullet for achieving your goal.

Why? It allowed me to cover vast distances with next to no stoppage time, kept me feeling fresh and able to ride and required effectively no food (~400km was completed on 6 rashers of bacon, two cheese strings and two pepperamis).

I completed this diet for a number of months and came off it in spectacular fashion. I was at the cinema with my children and decided that I would end by procuring the sugariest drink known to man...

The blue raspberry Tango Ice Blast. Oh baby. What a rush. 

66.5 grams of pure sugar in one hit, having not consumed carbs for months. Sitting still throughout the film was problematic. Buzzing. 

The following 4 years have been following a "normal" diet. Usual stuff. Predominantly carbs, suitable levels of protein and modest amounts of fat. My weight is mildly higher than when i went keto last time. If I remember correctly I was 78kg at the start at under 71kg at the end of it. I'm 82kg now, which I'm not overly fussed by. I'd guess it's more as I've been riding less than I used to. Turns out taking a job in the city isn't for me. Round trip of 90 miles each day on the bike was fine riding distance. My issue was with the section of the ride from Putney Bridge to the City. A real nightmare. I did it daily for a couple of weeks then sacked it off, back to the train carriage of depression. A strange place. People clearly longing for some human interaction but making insane levels of effort to avoid eye contact with another person... train beers fixed that.

Anyways - that's what the path to here has been like for me. In case you were curious what the lead up to Keto round 2 was.

My next post will talk about my motivations to do this again, what I've learned from more recent research about how keto works and some exercise goals that I'd like to set myself.

Cheers for reading and hopefully there's some info in there that you can take away, either as a cyclist, someone looking to get into keto or just someone who loves a blue raspberry slushie!