The Ketogenic Diet and Cannabis

Cannabis Is Keto: How Pot Helps Me In My Keto Weight Loss Journey

Can You Use Marijuana on the Keto Diet Plan? from CannabisNet on Vimeo.

If you’re trying to lose weight and love pot, keto might just be the right diet for you. The keto diet is a high fat, ultra low carb diet that was originally designed for epilepsy patients because it has several positive effects for the mind and nervous system. (If you haven’t heard of keto or would like to know more, this site is a pretty good reference for everything you need to know: Ketogenic Diet 101)

I’m 2 weeks into the keto diet, and have lost 7 pounds so far. Truth be told, I wish I started this diet earlier because it works! I know I’m a little late to the party, but having struggled with weight most of my life, I was hesitant to try a diet that worked really fast. But every single person around me who was on keto lost an average of 15 pounds a month – and I want in on that!

I also realized that pot is perfect for the keto diet. Here’s how I use pot while on keto:

Withdrawal period: The first 3 days on keto weren’t enjoyable. As someone who lives on rice, bread, and those other deliciously sinful things called carbs, my body needed a few days to completely detox from sugar. This was expected based on my research, and during this withdrawal period, some people even get a full-on flu, which is called the keto flu. While thankfully I didn’t get the keto flu, what I got was extreme fatigue (characterized by sleeping up to 16 hours a day), and severe nausea on the second day. I smoked up when I got nausea and it lulled me into a deep slumber, and by the next day the nausea had disappeared. It also helped me fall asleep much easier when I could no longer sleep at night because I had spent the whole day sleeping. The brain fog was also intense during the first 3 days, so I was completely useless. I smoked pot, rested, drank around 15 8-ounce glasses of water a day.

Fasting: I’ve written about before how pot helps me with my intermittent fasting habits. Back then, I wasn’t following any kind of diet. Just fasting. But during my research on keto, I found that intermittent fasting is synergistic with the keto diet. I’m no stranger to fasting, having done 16/8 (16 hours of fasting with an 8 hour eating window) many times in the past. Although I’m not yet ready to do as much as 21/3 or 18/6, which is what people on keto for a long time can do, weed helps me stay sane during the fasting period. Additionally, while you’re fasting, this doesn’t mean that you can’t drink anything. There are a few permitted items to consume while intermittent fasting: black coffee, tea, water, and lemon water; all because these are essentially calorie-free. Guess what? Pot is calorie-free too. So feel free to smoke as much as you want during your fasting period.

Social use and enjoyment: The keto philosophy states that sugar is evil. Sugar is in everything these days. Carbs turn into glucose in your body. Even protein does, if you eat too much protein and too little fat while on the keto diet. The maximum amount of carbs you’re allowed on the keto diet for weight loss is 20 grams of net carbs (carbs – fiber) or less. This severely restricts all my favorite alcohol intake. So what’s a girl to drink on keto? Well, there’s actually a lot. Keto-approved alcoholic drinks include a glass of wine, gin, vodka, whiskey, and tequila. The choices aren’t that bad at all.

BUT, if you’re just starting out on keto, which means that you’re still trying to get your body used to using fat for fuel instead of glucose (this is referred to as a state of ketosis), you need to be really strict in the beginning to keep the pounds off. In short, NO CHEATING ALLOWED. To stay in ketosis without going crazy from boredom while around my friends (who thankfully love pot as much as I do), I just get stoned. Even while they drink in front of me.

And if you do get the munchies while on keto… guess what? These are the things you can eat: cheese, cold cuts, pork rinds, keto desserts, steak, avocadoes, salads, berries and (full-fat) cream, strawberries and other berries (up to 1 cup a day), and so much more if you’re creative with your food. As long as you follow this general keto ratio: 75% of your calories a day from fat, 20% from protein, and 5% from carbs. As you can see from these choices, you won’t be left feeling like you can only eat things that taste like cardboard, which is what many other diets are like.

So far, the keto diet has had amazing effects on me, not to mention the mental clarity. I can’t wait to lose more weight but I probably wouldn’t be able to do it without weed. So if you’re trying to lose weight – try keto with pot!

NB: If you have a heart problem, are taking medications, or have undergone surgery, please consult with your doctor before proceeding with the keto diet. It’s not recommended for pregnant and breastfeeding women. Do your research before moving forward.

The Keto Diet and Medical Marijuana