21 Day Fix vs. Whole30 vs. Keto

In my last Blog, in discussing my journey though dieting, I also touched on how successful I had been using Beachbody’s 21 Day Fix plan, the whole30 diet as well as my final decision to follow the Ketogenic diet for the foreseeable future. I wanted to take some time to discuss in more detail what kind of habits I have learned and attitudes that I have changed to improve my relationship with food.

21 Day Fix:

The 21 Day Fix was exactly what I needed when I did it. It helped me to become more aware of the kind of food that I was putting into my body, it stressed portion control, and balance in everything that you put into your body. It helped me to realize that my body felt better when I was exercising daily. It taught me that I shouldn’t be treating myself even to “approved” treats more that 3 times a week and expect to lose weight. That was unheard of before! I used to think if I only ate dessert once daily, that was a win and definitely the healthier choice!

The thing that frustrated me on the 21 day fix was that in general, it was an attitude of “everything in moderation.” I know this is a relief to many people and typically means that this would be a more doable day to day eating plan. But I tend to be more of a black and white or a yes or no type person. What I mean by this is that I would rather say no to something than eat it and not be able to stop. I tend to be an excessive person and can never eat just one cookie! I’m not sure why that is so strong in my eating habits, but it is. If I am faced with 6 honey glazed bakery style donuts, I could easily eat 3 of them before I stop to feel bad about it. It’s slightly embarrassing, but I have come to know this about myself and have figured out a way (big surprise, it's Keto!) to stop this unhealthy habit.

Again, I must point out, that the 21 day fix was super helpful for me and a very great success, until it wasn’t. It taught me a lot about myself and my attitude towards food. I appreciated the education that I got about how to fuel my body to do the things I want to do. I felt that I was definitely learning how to give my daughter a healthy and well-rounded view of good eating habits and the importance of regular exercise. I think it started to change my view of food and how it related to my and my family’s health and fitness.

The thing that made me step back and move away from the 21 day fix was the complexity of it all. I was totally into counting all of my containers and thinking about how to get all of them in with my meals and snacks when I had one child that slept well. When my son was waking me up 3-5 times a night (for over a year), I did not have the brain power to think about my food in this context. I had loved it before and wanted so badly to make it work for me again, but I couldn’t. I think the lesson to be learned here is that there are other options to turn to and find a healthy eating program that can support overall energy and some weight loss. No program is a “one size fits all” by any means, and you don’t have to feel pressure or guilt if the one program that has worked in the past doesn’t anymore! Which is where I had found myself.

Whole 30:

During my first Whole30 diet I was able to successfully give up all sugar, gluten, legumes or beans, and all dairy. I did this successfully by eating larger portions of healthy fats like avocado and healthy oils accompanied by healthy lean proteins and lots of veggies and minimal fruit.

The hardest part of the whole 30 was no dairy. I’m a big coffee drinker and I love my half and half. I found a great non-dairy option for creamer and used nutpods which is made out of almond and or coconut milk. It wasn’t as creamy as I’m used to, but the flavor was good and it was better than black coffee! Whole30 was relaxed in the idea where I didn’t really track or measure anything, but I had to watch every food that I ate and make sure it was on the “approved” food list in order to stay whole30 compliant.

By the end I had been completely detoxed from the food groups that I was supposed to be avoiding and had seen the benefits of adding fat to every meal. This kept me full and satisfied and I was very happy with how healthy I felt when I had completed this challenge. One thing that the Whole 30 stressed was don’t eat unless you are actually hungry. It taught me to listen to my body’s hunger cues instead of relying on the clock to tell me when I was allowed to eat next. They really encouraged you to eat 3 meals a day without the snacking. I did end up usually eating a small snack in the afternoon, but I significantly cut down the number of times I ate throughout the day! I would say that everyone should try the Whole 30 way of eating at least once. You will be amazed how you feel when you start eating whole foods, healthy fats and cutting the things out that tend to cause inflammation in your body!

The Ketogenic Diet:

During the whole30 I started to actively research Keto as a way to transition into a different eating style when my 30 days was over. Keto was more relaxed than Whole30, but had the same basic goals in mind. Higher fat, moderate protein and very low carb. You were encouraged to get most of your carbs by eating vegetables and minimal berries. A lot of people will also eat some baked goods made with almond or coconut flour and keto approved sweeteners as well, which I have done.

With keto I calculated my macros and tracked everything that went into my mouth. I looked at the label of everything that I ate. I tracked it with My Fitness Pal to make sure I stayed within the calorie limit, I kept my net carbohydrates under 20 grams and my total fat and protein consumption within the macros which I calculated for myself with a macro calculator (https://www.ruled.me/keto-calculator/).

To my surprise, I have found that after getting through the initial introduction weeks of keto, by eliminating most carbs and sugars from my diet I was no longer craving those things all the time. When you get rid of it from your diet, the cycle of needing more of it stops and you adjust to eating different nutrients. I was also pretty impressed and surprised by the fact that I was pretty satisfied and rarely felt the need to exceed my calorie limit. By eating a diet higher in fat my taste buds and my cravings were satisfied faster and I needed less food to help me stay that way.

I love my coffee and I had a fatty coffee everyday at first, and by doing that I could skip breakfast often and stay satisfied until lunch most days. I did not work out much, if any for the first couple of months, but I started losing weight immediately. It has been a successful journey ever since beginning.

Here are a couple of the major things that I have learned because of switching my eating habits to the Keto way.

1. Greater awareness of the nutritional value in the food I was putting into my mouth, which in turn, made me more aware of the food I was feeding my kids.

By focusing on meeting my macros I am ensuring that I am getting a balanced diet that is going to feed off of stored fat, not glucose that I am ingesting throughout the day. I love that by eliminating sugar and most carbs, my body seeks out the fat that I consume and that I’ve stored over the years. And the more I learn, the more I’m realizing this may not be a completely crazy eating style to fee your kids either!

2. Better energy and less need for naps.

I have found that, most days, I no longer need to take a nap while my kids nap in the afternoons, because I have more energy when I am fueled by fat. I would say that I have not found that I feel a “mental clarity” that many people claim to feel. I am, however, certain that my entire state of mind is overall healthier now that I don’t have the “brain fog” that I used to have as the sleep deprived mama of two young toddlers. I feel like I am giving my kids a better version of myself and am better able to understand nutrition and the part it plays in mine and their lives. I want to be the best I can be for my kids and this has helped me do that!

3. By burning fat instead of glucose (sugar) for fuel, my body composition has literally changed.

I have been close to this weight before, but my clothing sizes are a full size smaller than they have ever been in my adult life. I find this totally fascinating and a little mind-blowing!

4. Cheating (or treating, if you prefer) is less of a temptation or a downward spiral and the cravings are totally different!

I think most people slip up sometimes, and I am certainly one of them! For example, in the past, when trying to stick to a certain eating plan I would slip up and try a cookie, which led to eating several cookies. By giving in to eating several cookies, I would feel like a failure for not being able to resist the temptation of that sugary goodness! So the rest of the day was “off-plan.” The next day I’d feel guilty and still pretty much like a failure...and so the cheating would continue for another day or two or even a week before I would make myself get back on plan! I can’t tell you how many times I have experienced this...too many to count for sure. BUT on Keto I have had fewer times where temptation has struck, but even fewer times where I have given in to that! By totally eliminating sugar from my diet I have lessened the cravings for it as well. The less sugar you consume, the less you crave that sugar.

I must also say that I am definitely not perfect because of the keto diet! I do still slip up here and there for sure! It can be easy to go back to the old habits of giving up for the rest of the day, but I do try very hard to stop the spiral in its tracks and get right back to eating right ASAP! I have learned that eating things that aren’t “on plan” can be a treat, but they also make me feel terrible! I am definitely overly sensitive to the sugar and carbs now. I usually experience stomach cramps, headaches and extreme exhaustion in varying levels almost immediately after slipping up or just plain old cheating! It is such a different feeling from what I have experienced through eating Keto that I don’t want to stay feeling like that for long. So I jump back on the wagon, try not to feel guilty about it and keep going! It’s important to not let yourself feel like a failure because you had a cookie. This is a way of life for me now and I think fueling my body like this the majority of the time is a win in itself. It’s ok to give in to an old loved treat once in a blue moon, but be ready to STOP and get back to the healthy routine you are creating for your body. It will thank you!

I hope the summary of these three eating plans was somehow helpful! My hope is that you see the value in the Keto way of eating and want to stick around and continue to read about my journey and the things that have helped me to be successful. But if it has opened your eyes to how another way of eating might be for you, GO FOR IT! If you think you have found a plan that could help you improve your health, I support you 100%! The food that we put into our bodies matters and it’s never too late to switch to a healthier way!