Someone asked me the other day if I would ever consider going off keto. I honestly haven’t thought about it. Bill has to do it for his health, so I just committed to doing it with him for life. It wasn’t a question. But, technically, I could go off keto and be okay. It made me wonder, and I thought I’d wonder out loud in a blog.
Pros of Going Off Keto
The one big pro of going off keto would be the freedom to eat what I want, when I want. It would make going out to eat a lot easier. I am a people pleaser, so to ask for changes to the menu items is always hard for me. It would also be nice to occasionally get the fries with a burger. The restriction of certain foods on keto is one of the major drawbacks that are listed by opponents to the lifestyle.
There is also the amount of work keto takes. We spend our time preparing for our meals each week. We plan our meals, we bake the fat bombs and snacks, and we cook our dinners each and every night. Keto has a lot of benefits, but you do work for those benefits.
Cons of Going Off Keto
Could I go back to burning carbs instead of fat? I’m not sure. I remember sitting at my desk in the afternoon and truly struggling to keep my head up. I enjoy not having the afternoon slump in energy. The highs in energy are great, the lows are not so great.
My biggest fear of going off keto is regaining all the weight I lost. Sure, I’d try to stay with whole foods and stay away from the junk food, but who are we kidding? It’s a slippery slope for me, because I turn to food as a way to cope with stress. I know this about myself. So, I’d still need to restrict my food choices.
I actually like the food I eat now. Whereas before, much of what I ate was due to convenience, I like the flavour of food. I mean, does anyone actually like Kraft Dinner, or is it just a semi-tasty meal that takes 5 minutes to make?
The Threat of Sugar
One of the biggest drawbacks to going off keto would be the re-introduction of sugar. I have learned so much about the health issues around sugar, but I know I’d just have one Blizzard, or just one chocolate bar, and I’d be back in the sugar cycle. My taste buds are now rounded out to enjoy other flavours than sweetness. I really don’t want to go back to always craving sugar.
So, Would I Consider Going Off Keto?
There are a few reasons why it might be good to go off keto. Bill and I have a trip to Mexico coming up, and being keto adds a difficult component to it. I’m asking the resort about low carb drinks and food options. It’s a lot to consider on vacation. How much easier would it be to just go and indulge like everyone else?
But, I enjoy how keto makes me feel. I’m in control over food for the first time in my life. So often, I would start my week by saying I was just going to give up sugar. The next thing I knew, I had a chocolate in my mouth – without even knowing how it happened!
Sure, keto is a lot of work. But, if I wanted to stay at my current weight, it would still be a lot of work. You can’t maintain a healthy weight by eating at McDonalds every night and grabbing a chocolate bar on the run. You still have to make a meal plan and stick to it.
My Final Thoughts
Even after all that, if Bill could go off keto, we might try it. The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. But, I don’t think we’d be happy. We would regain weight, and we would have low energy levels again. We’d always be chasing that blood sugar high. Not to mention, what would we do with all our free time if we weren’t writing blogs about keto?
Nope, I think we are keto for life.
Wendy
