New keto dieter on MFP

Teneko

Hey all,

Just a new user intro here. I'm kind of a private person, so you won't see my photo or real name around - it's just how I've always rolled on the Internet. Heck, I debated even revealing I was female, but it just doesn't make sense to leave that out for some posts.

Uhh so I am middle-aged and female. My fiance and I are both on the keto diet. He's been on it for a while and lifts weights. He's had AMAZING results. A couple co-workers were also on the keto diet with great results, so here I am hopping on board.

I was a seafood vegetarian for 26 years because of taste/texture preferences.
I was dairy-free for 10 years because of adult-onset severe lactose intolerance.
I've been gluten-free for a few years as well - my father had coeliac's disease and for my mother, it's an asthma trigger. I won't discuss what happens to me when I have gluten/wheat products. It isn't pretty.
I've historically had issues with medically low potassium.
I turned all that on its head last October and started eating pork, chicken, and dairy again. Somehow, the dairy isn't causing an issue anymore. I'm still leaving the wheat out, though!

I take a few different OTC supplements and kind of tend to use food as medicine where possible. For example, I have Bigelow Lemon Ginger Probiotic tea instead of just taking some probiotic supplements. When I'm sick, I like to have tea or soup with fresh sage in it as a natural antibiotic.

I have joint problems and walk with a cane. When I started the new diet in October, I started exercising as well so I could get stronger. I still use the cane for balance, but now I can actually do squats! It's amazing. When I was in my early 20s, I remember squatting down to have a photo taken with my little girl...and I needed help getting back up again. I wasn't even that overweight back then. In fact, I started having trouble with my knees when I was 16 years old and weighed only 105 lbs (I was 5'5" but seem to have lost an inch along the way), so can't really blame it on the extra weight I've put on since then.

My Fitness Pal has been a really great resource when it comes to tracking what I eat and making sure I stay on track with my macros for the day. It's really easy to see on the website, for example, how much fat and protein I still need to have and how many calories I have left. The android app makes it easy to see a pie chart with my daily percentages to make sure I'm still close to 70% fat / 25% protein / 5% carbs for the keto diet to work.

Anyways. Uh, hi. Nice to meet you all.

-T.

GaleHawkins

Teneko I have been low low carb high fat with similar ratios.

I slowly (my choice) have lost some weight and inches all over. My arthritis pain dropped from 7-8+ to 2-3 most days now on a 1-10 scale.

Welcome to MFP.

Teneko

Thanks for the greeting, Gale! I'm taking it slow myself and not stressing the numbers. As long as I feel better and more fit, I'll be okay. I'd love to have my jeans fit a little better, too, but hey. I'll take what I can get.
Just finished munching out on some rosemary ham and havarti cheese with a side of...fresh radishes. Yeah, this is diet food.
One of the funniest things about keto is telling people the bacon-wrapped cream cheese stuffed jalapeno poppers from HEB (local grocery store) are diet food, too.

-T.

805_blondie

I just started as well, actually today is the start of my second week. Welcome!

baconslave

I'm keto as well. Welcome. I've been keto for over 7mo. Those poppers sound delish.

kokopelli505

Hi, I started HFLC 3 weeks ago today. I am feeling better and no longer craving wheat. However, I have only lost 3 lbs. Not sure what I am doing wrong? Help!

baconslave

kokopelli505 wrote: »

Hi, I started HFLC 3 weeks ago today. I am feeling better and no longer craving wheat. However, I have only lost 3 lbs. Not sure what I am doing wrong? Help!

That's a loss of 1lb per week. Pretty respectable loss.
Without being able to see your diary, I can't make recommendations specific to you. However, make sure you keep your carbs at your desired level. And keep an eye on your calories.

If that is all in order: Some people are stalled by dairy, nuts, alcohol, artificial sweeteners, and sugar alcohols. You may need to figure out if any of them are giving you grief. And you may just be a slow loser. Though I wouldn't say 1lb/week is slow. Cutting carbs also happens to cut calories for most people. It's portion control and blood sugar control. But in the end, you need to make sure your calorie level doesn't creep up, just as you make sure your carb level does not creep upward. Also, as we lose weight, our calorie level needs to be adjusted downward, as our bodies require less calories to operate. Bummer, but it is what it is.

Hormone balances, medications, stress, these can all cause the scale to take it's sweet time. Much to our chagrin. Stay the course. As long as you are losing, that is one less pound. I'm lucky to lose two tenths of a pound a week these days.

Teneko

I started in October at 152 lbs (I'm 5'4") and have only lost 4 lbs. I'd say 3 lbs in 3 weeks is pretty good in comparison!

I make almost all my food from scratch and spend way too much time in the kitchen for somebody who also has a full time job. It's actually a bit depressing sometimes. I'm getting around 1400 calories a day, often less. Sometimes I wonder if I'm in "starvation mode" and storing instead of losing. Fiance tells me not to worry, but I'm a worrier. I wasn't too worried about the scale, but noticed the other day that my torso looked all puffy.

I've been pretty strict since I started the diet, but I was sick with a terrible case of strep around the New Year's and was completely out of keto (according to the strips) while I focused on getting better. I'm back on track now with no sneaky sugars from medicines creeping in, and almost all my carbs come from broccoli or greek yogurt (still well under 17-18g/day).

Maybe I should try cutting dairy out like some folks suggest, or make sure my calories stay closer to 1400 instead of dropping too far down.

-T.

GaleHawkins

I did not loss a pound the first month but lost some inches. By the end of the second month I had lost 10 pounds and now at the end of four months I am down another 8 pounds for 18 pounds in 18 weeks. Sometimes I go a month and do not lose a pound.

In my case losing most of my pain makes Keto a winner in my book. The weight loss is a plus. I have had a BMI of 29.6 for the first time for three days now so I am no longer officially labeled Obese.

Teneko

I just re-read my own posts in my thread and realized I'm having some pretty big mood swings. o_O
Guess I'm more concerned with my weight and progress than I thought - the puffy abdomen in the mirror was staring at me yesterday as I changed into my pajamas.
Hmmm...
Mood swings
Puffy abdomen
Craving chocolate
Female
...
Well, crud. I had a hysterectomy, so sometimes I forget I have cycles, too.

I guess I'll stop sweating my progress for a week and check in later!

-T.

Teneko

Ahh that's more like it.
Went on a 2 day fat fast (80-90% fat, 10-20% protein) with slightly reduced calories (Thurs/Fri are my weekend).
Weighed in this morning a pound lighter, and the dark colour of the Ketostix tell me I'm firmly in ketosis.

I'm feeling much better now.

-T.

baconslave

Good for you!
Sometimes the body just needs a nudge. And sometimes it just takes its time.
Frustrating, but surmountable.