How the Cyclical Keto Diet Helped Me Achieve A Flat Stomach
Holly Dolke is a Brit with a passion for travel and fitness, who used keto to beat bloating and increase her weight loss. You can find her sharing tips and workouts on Youtube and Instagram.
Before Starting My Keto Diet:
I decided to start Keto because…
… I had a lot of digestive problems that weren’t going away, even after many visits to the doctor. On top of this, I would get extremely bloated after eating carbs, which would also make me feel lethargic.
Before I started Keto…
… I ate a lot of sugar and I did not track the amount I was consuming or the amount of carbs I was eating on a daily basis. I would always include some form of carbs into every meal, every day, whether this was rice, pizza, a wrap or sweet potato.
When I First Started Keto, There Were A Few Challenges
Eating out was hard in the beginning
When I first started Keto, it was a big struggle to eat out. I struggled not knowing what ingredients were in my meals at restaurants and I had to become picky about where to go.
Cutting out carbs was a big change
I struggled to exclude carbs from my dinners. But once I started looking up dishes online and counting my macros with the MyFitness Pal App, it became so much easier. And it really made me aware of how many carbs I used to easily consume beforehand.
Adding more fats into my diet was another challenge
I think I also struggled with consuming more fats every day because I never used to touch cream, butter or much cheese. I had always been taught that fats were bad for you so I subconsciously told myself to steer clear of them and eat a lot of salads, vegetables, and protein.
However, after researching the benefits of Keto and understanding that fats do not make you fat, I really changed not only my view point but my eating habits.
Since sticking to Keto, my stomach remains flat every day (other than when off keto) and I overall feel a lot more energetic and healthier.
My Cyclical Keto Diet
I’m doing Cyclical Keto (CKD) because it enables me to enjoy carbs at the weekends, which I see as my cheat meals.
I schedule it like this:
- Start Keto: Sunday Evening after 6pm
- On Keto: Until Friday 6pm
- Off Keto: Friday 6pm until Sunday 6pm
So as you can see I am off Keto for 2 days in total and the rest of the time I am Keto friendly.
When I am on Keto, my stomach is always flat and more toned and my arms do not carry any water weight.
Some of my favourite Keto dishes are:
My favorite snack is double cream whipped and then raw cocoa powder mixed in. Once set in the fridge it tastes amazing with some whipped cream if you want to get your fats up! Or a good Greek yogurt with some honey if you are low on your carbs.
For lunch, I usually eat avocado, scrambled eggs, spinach and feta cheese
My favorite dinner recipe is homemade Thai green curry with a good amount of coconut milk, served with chunky vegetables. Or prawns marinated in olive oil, paprika, cumin, and coriander, served on a bed of salad and halloumi cheese.
The Keto Diet Has Helped Me And My Sister Lose Weight
I have seen a change in my weight since doing Keto
I had already lost a stone exactly one year ago before I had started Keto and have managed to remain at this weight.
However, since starting Keto, I have lost 2.5kg doing Cyclical but the weight fluctuates depending on if I have eaten carbs or not. I range between 51.5 – 52.5kg and I have been CKD for around 6 weeks.
My legs and bum are my main “problem area”, so this is my core focus for workouts and eating clean. I suffer from a “double bum” (this is where you carry weight under your bum) and I have seen a change in my weight here since doing Keto.
I do believe however, I have plateaued because I do not have much fat to lose other than on my legs so I am unsure if any more weight will shift for me. I would like to lose 1kg to get to my goal, but this is not my focus on Keto.
The keto diet also helped with my digestive issues
Keto massively helped me with my digestive system, especially when I introduced MCT oil into my diet. Everything returned back to normal which really surprised me since I have had issues for around a year or two.
The bloating when I am on Keto is non-existent which I love and my stomach remains flat even after I eat a lot!
I’ve also got my sister to try the Cyclical Keto Diet and she’s seen results too
She has gone from 64kg down to 56kg in just 3 weeks. She is loving doing cyclical keto. She can still go eat a pizza at the weekend and stay keto really easily during the rest of the week.
This is actually the FIRST ever healthy eating program she’s ever followed and stuck to. She’s only 21 and a university student, and from past experience sticking to a clean eating plan can be really hard with the temptations around!
Tips From Me For Anyone Starting The Keto Diet
1 – Downloaded the MyFitness Pal App
This helps to track your macros on carbs and fats. You’d be so surprised how many hidden carbs are in your everyday foods and this app is fantastic!
2 – Start on the Cyclical Ketogenic Diet
You still get to enjoy your cheat meals on the weekends, and you will find the Keto eating habits so much easier. Especially if you are someone like me, who does normally include carbs into every meal.
3 – Add in MCT oil
A big tip for anyone that is suffering from low energy on Keto and wants to workout. I highly recommend having some MCT oil in either just some water as a shot or in a tea. I definitely will tell anyone that having good music on seriously helps with workouts too!
4 – do not obsess over the scale!
My last and final tip is a very honest one from myself – do not obsess over the scale! I have done this and still do it often. I have to remind myself that it is just a number, and the best way to track weight is by using photos. The scales will change on a daily basis, due to a woman’s time of the month, water retention, muscle weight, and other factors. So please do not get disheartened and check every day.
