Hello!! Long time, no talk. Sorry, things have been pretty busy in my neck of the woods lately. Last week I traveled to Boston, MA for my internship orientation, caught a nasty cold virus, & have since been busy trying to recover & working 6 days straight. I’m now finished with my job (today was my last day) & getting ready to start my dietetic internship on Monday! I thought now would be a good time to squeeze in a quick post updating you all on my diet – you may (or may not) have noticed that it’s had a slight… shift, shall we say?
I’ve decided to make a few changes/adjustments to my diet & the way I’m thinking about it all. Since having a few great conversations in Boston with my fellow dietetic interns & their food philosophies, it’s helped shed some light on some things for me – & make me question my views on a few things as well.
I’ve always had a pretty lousy relationship with food. I’m a VIP member of the Clean Plate Club & seem to lack an “off” switch when it comes to realizing I’m full, or not even hungry. Throw in some sweets, & this issue often leads to binges & sugar benders. It’s not pretty. It’s also one of the main reasons I’ve loved keto & eating a ketogenic diet – it helps to kill the sugar cravings & doesn’t really allow me to have any sweets since they’d be too high in carbs to stay in ketosis.
I felt good in ketosis & eating a keto diet… but was I happy? I’m not entirely sure. I’m a foodie & LOVE food & eating – let’s be real here. I love volume. The more food I get to eat, the better & happier I am. I enjoy eating a big ‘ol pile of tasty veggies with my meal & when I was eating keto – well, I had to watch the carbs & couldn’t overdo it if I wanted to stay in ketosis. If I dipped in & out of ketosis too much/too often, I wouldn’t really see much benefit & would feel crappy since my body would be confused. One of the veggies that I love this time of year are all of the squashes & sweet potatoes. I really enjoy some roasted squash, especially kabocha squash – my favorite!
Roasting kabocha squash chunks in coconut oil, cinnamon, & sea salt.
Oh, & let’s not forget the star of the season – pumpkin!!
Fruit. Banana + PB… need I say more? I still believe that TOO much fruit isn’t a great thing & that you should definitely eat more VEGGIES than fruit because even though fructose is natural – it’s still sugar. Plus, modern day fruit has become SO sweet – & large!! I admit, I do love me some fruit here & there though.
I think the big thing was that I was getting bored with my eating… & I felt like I was missing out a bit. The tipping point came after my conversation with my fellow dietetic interns/friends & they all decided they were going to go out after the internship dinner & get cannoli’s for dessert – so, I went too! And yes – I shared some cannoli’s with them & it was a lot of fun! Delicious too!! And… I haven’t been in keto since.
The bottom line is that I’ve decided to try out eating more of a paleo/primal (grain-free) style diet again (for the most part) with a few treats sprinkled in here & there. It’s not going to be a ton higher in carbs since they’re mainly going to come from veggies & some fruit here & there. REAL food is the focus, but I don’t have to put too much pressure on myself to be perfect. What I’m aiming for here is BALANCE.
Some things I’ve been enjoying…
Since I’ve returned from my orientation in Boston I’ve been enjoying a lot more veggies, some fruit, kombucha, lots of squash, & even a few treats. You know what? I’ve been feeling GREAT! And happy!!
I’m trying hard to find the balance that I’ve lacked in the past – especially with sweet things. Like I said, I’ve managed a few treats & have actually been so impressed with myself & didn’t end up going on a sugar bender! I left it at the one treat & moved on. It felt GREAT. Usually sweets end up in more & more sweets. We’ll see how it all goes, but basically, I’m giving myself a few weeks to experiment with my diet & see how this all works out for me. If it doesn’t workout & doesn’t feel good after awhile I’ll just go back to keto, no biggie. 
I love experimenting with myself & I think it gives me great relate-ability & experience for when I eventually become an RD.
So… yep, that’s my story. Sorry to disappoint any of my keto peeps – I still fully believe in the power of a ketogenic diet. I thought that was my end point & be-all (it still could be), but I AM a female after all, which means I’m indecisive & always looking for the best fit.