I don't even know where to begin. Prior to starting keto, I weighed about 200lbs (a lot on my female 5'9" frame) and constantly struggled with acne, dizzy spells, insane hunger pangs, over eating, and of course, an ever-expanding waistline. One of my main issues was low blood sugar in the morning. If I didn't eat something (usually toast) within the first like, 5 minutes of being awake, I would collapse on the floor, my stomach absolutely burning, as though I had lava in my stomach, and I'd usually vomit as a result.
I didn't know it was low blood sugar. I didn't know a lot of my issues were blood sugar/diet related. Finally one day, a friend linked me to /r/keto randomly, and after a few hours of perusing the progress pics and the basic information, I decided, "why not just try? What have I got to lose?" So I purged my kitchen of all sugar and carbs, and replaced everything with the staples of the ketogenic diet. To get it started, I followed the 6 day plan that's posted on the Subreddit. I believe I followed it for about a month, and soon enough, 20lbs had vanished. After that, I got creative with my food, logged everything in Myfitnesspal, and didn't cheat with any carbs or sugar for a good 6 months. In that first 6 months, I lost all the weight I really had to lose, which was amazing. Incredible. Indescribable. But the weight loss wasn't even the best benefit.
a lifetime of insomnia has been entirely dispelled. I used to be the "lay in bed with my eyes open thinking about death until my alarm for work goes off" kind of insomniac. Steadily staying on the ketogenic diet has completely eliminated insomnia from my life.
I am never hungry. I do not know this feeling of intense hunger or even the dreaded "hanger" (oh god how I hate that word) people like to talk about. When your body is in proper working order and your blood sugar regulated, you don't get "hangry." You eat when you need to, because you do need to eat, but it's never an all encompassing and immediate need.
I don't wear makeup anymore because the cystic acne that has plagued me all of my adult life is gone. I don't need to wear makeup!
I never ever ever get sick. I used to miss a fuck ton of work in my early 20's as I was always sick. ALWAYS.
My energy level is always the same, and it's always good. I don't nap, I don't need to. I'm never tired, because I sleep well and I always have energy.
I can wake up, drink a cup of coffee with some heavy whipping cream, and crush it at the gym just fine, and not feel dead after. I like to eat after I work out, not before, and my workouts are not diminished in the slightest by the empty stomach.
I never get that "omg I'm so full I'm going to fucking die" feeling after I eat a meal, even if it's a very large meal. As long as I eat low carb, I find I naturally eat until I'm satiated, and don't compulsively eat until I'm so full I'm gonna throw up.
I spend a lot less money on food. Some people when first starting keto get upset with how expensive the diet is. It can seem that way at the start, especially if you're in the mindset of eating 3 big meals and having snacks every day. But over time you find yourself eating less and less (because you're satiated and not compulsively consuming), and thus need to buy less groceries. Not being able to eat the majority of fast food helps too.
And ultimately, all of this has only been positive towards my mental health. How could I not be mentally healthy when I just... feel so fucking good, every single day, no matter what. It's this good feeling that has kept me, without any struggle, on the ketogenic diet for over 4 years (and still going!) even though I've lost all the weight.
And as for the occasional sweet treat: some people subscribe to the belief that you should never cheat, ever, but I disagree entirely. I love food more than damn near anything. Nothing on Earth is going to keep me from enjoying Sushi or cake or Chinese Food when the time calls for it. I love those things and I'd feel I was missing out on something in life if I never had them. But the straight reality is those things should not be frequently consumed. They should not be a habit. I can have that once a month cheat meal and enjoy it knowing that it's something special and that I'll be right back to my normal style of eating the next day. I refuse to live without those things, but I refuse to live with all the ailments that plagued me prior to this diet more. I look forward to my cheat meals. I have a lot of fun planning them, because when it's once a month, it's a big deal to me. I take time to think about exactly what it is I want to eat and where and why, and when I finally get to eat that special food... it's just so much more special. I appreciate it to the highest degree, whereas before I'd eat sushi daily and it was never exciting. I truly take pleasure in these infrequent treats. And I take a LOT of pleasure in exercising my knowledge and willpower by continuing to eat the way I know is right for me once I've had my indulgence. What keto has done for my body and mental health in the long term vastly outweighs any of the fleeting pleasure I get from carby, sugary food.
Needless to say, I strongly recommend it. And if my account isn't enough to convince you, head on down to /r/keto where people have lost hundreds of pounds, gone off all their medications, been declared "non-diabetic" after years of struggling with diabetes, have been able to conceive a child after years of being infertile due to PCOS, have gone from sedentary to 5k runners. The possibilities are endless, as long as you just stick with it!