Quitting Keto After 5 Years: Why I Chose to Stop

blog you tube Feb 21, 2023
quitting keto after 5 years: why I chose to stop

Why did I give Up on Keto After Half a Decade?  

This video reveals The Shocking Reason I Quit Keto After 5 Years of Being a Loyal Follower

Hello, my name is Lesya Holzapfel. I have bachelors in nutrition and dietetics and I help professional women shed fat. 

On this channel, I talk about all things clean keto and carb cycling so if you're interested in that, consider subscribing.

Today I wanted to share my personal story with you about how I quit the keto diet after 5 years.

I know you may be thinking, "But wait, isn't keto supposed to be the ultimate weight loss solution for women?" 

Well, it worked for me in the beginning, but things took a turn for the worse after a while.

I discovered the ketogenic diet in 2015 after my first pregnancy.

I had gained 50 pounds and I could not lose it with traditional calorie counting and exercise.

I remember eating 1200 calories a day and running 5 miles 6 times per week but the weight would not budge.

I was so desperate that even though keto went against everything I had learned in college when I studied to be a dietician, I decided to give it a try.

The result? I was down to my pre-pregnancy weight in a matter of months.

I was thrilled!

I finally found the golden ticket- or so I thought.

Unfortunately, like many women I work with do, I treated keto like a diet, instead of a lifestyle.

By the time I got pregnant with my second daughter, I had given up on keto and gained 60 pounds in that pregnancy.

I weighed 200lbs when I gave birth and I was devastated.

I was motivated to go back to keto and figure out how to make it a sustainable lifestyle which is what I teach now as the Holistic Clean Keto Lifestyle.

It took me 8 months to lose the 60 lbs and all was well in the world.

Until the end of 2019.

Keto became the diet that worked for 5 years - until it didn't.

You see, I started experiencing some intense cortisol and adrenal issues, all related to chronic stress.

And unfortunately, the keto diet ended up making those issues worse.

I was eating all of the "right" foods and sticking to the plan, but instead of losing weight, I gained 50 pounds.

The weight crept up slowly and I didn't notice it because I was so occupied with growing a business and taking care of two small kids at home.

Then, one day I woke up looked in the mirror, and realized that I couldn't recognize myself anymore.

At first, I couldn't understand what was happening. I was so confused and frustrated.

But then, I started doing some research and realized that long term, the keto diet can harm your hormones, especially if you're dealing with stress-related issues.

So, I made the difficult decision to quit keto. 

It wasn't easy, trust me. 

I had been doing it for so long and it felt like such a part of my identity.

I built my business and brand around keto.

I was known as the "clean keto expert". 

Even my daughter used to call  me "the keto girl."

Not to mention, I was deathly afraid to eat anything but keto for fear of gaining weight even though I had already gained so much weight while being on keto.

Quite the paradox, wouldn't you agree?

But in the end, it was the best decision for my health.

I switched over to a carb cycling approach a couple of years ago to help fix my adrenal and cortisol issues and I've never felt better.

I also stopped gaining weight and am finally losing weight in a healthy, sustainable way, while eating way more carbs than I have in the 5 years I was on strict keto.

Now, I'm not saying that the keto diet is bad for everyone, but it's important to remember that what works for one woman may not work for another.

I still believe in the power of keto and highly recommend it, especially to my clients who have prediabetes or diabetes.

I have an entire program dedicated to keto called The Holistic Clean Keto Weight Loss Program for Women.

I'll leave a link in the description if you want to learn more about it.

The point I’m trying to make by sharing my honest story with you is that there's a time for keto and there's a time for carbs and it’s essential not to be dogmatic but know when it's time to switch.

I know that one day I'll be able to go back to more keto days and just because my body doesn't do well with strict keto now, doesn't mean it will be this way forever.

If you're watching this and experiencing any unexpected weight gain or hormonal issues, it may be worth looking into whether or not long-term keto is to blame and carb cycling can be the solution to those problems.

If you don't know where to start with this, go watch my training on how I help my clients bring back carbs with a simple 3-step blueprint.

 I'll leave a link in the description for that as well.

I hope my story can help someone out there who may be going through something similar.

Remember, it's always important to listen to your body and make the choices that are best for you.

At the end of the day, it's not about what diet is trendy, but what way of eating you feel best at and supports your goals.

Now if you are curious as to why long-term keto isn’t great for most women, that is what I’m going to cover In my next video, so if you're ready for that.