Low Carb and Keto

LadyBoss_1989

I'am very interested in doing low carb for insulin resistance reasons and to lose some left over stubborn fat. Do I have to do Keto (less than 50mg of carbs daily) to lose fat and get blood sugar in check, OR can I just simply do low carb?

KetoCutie

Start with the keto calculator to get a better idea of what your keto macros should be - if you want to give keto a try.

http://keto-calculator.ankerl.com/

That said, keto is keto and low carb is low carb. Which do you really want to do?

LadyBoss_1989

Thanks but pretty much wanting to know if I can still lose fat and correct insulin resistance without going in keto and just doing low carb

KetoCutie

How do you define just doing low carb? What would your macros be?

kirkor

You lose fat by eating less calories than you burn. Low carb and keto can help some people do that by keeping hunger at bay while running a deficit.

DittoDan

LadyBoss_1989 wrote: »

I'am very interested in doing low carb for insulin resistance reasons and to lose some left over stubborn fat. Do I have to do Keto (less than 50mg of carbs daily) to lose fat and get blood sugar in check, OR can I just simply do low carb?

I have been a diabetic for 16ish years. If you go low carb, your sugars will come down immediately. Are you taking med's for glucose control now?

Dan the Man from Michigan

Healthymom_5

Ladyboss,
I'm trying to do the same. I got an inexpensive glucometer to determine the best carb level for me. So far I've found my body can't handle over 30g carbs ( so I set mine for closer to 20g,) and I have to not overdo protein either. I've had some of my best glucose numbers in months by doing it this way. I haven't tested as to whether I'm in ketosis, but my macros would be considered a ketogenic diet ( I think! - I'm new to this:))
HTH!!
I'm also adding strength training and some HIIT on the treadmill and those are helping I think.

Healthymom_5

Ps - so what I meant to ask was whether you had tried using a glucometer to determine which might be best for you. I think it will be very individual and can take trial and error for sure.

LadyBoss_1989

I have lost weight by eating less but Im still retaining ALOT of fat in my stomach. Which is a sign of insulin resistance (I ate extremely poorly for atleast 10yrs and no exercise) i would not be surprised if Iam but not officially tested yet and diabetes is very much in my family. I mostly crave carbs and sugar, even tho i eat alot better now I still hard core crave it. and after eating a large amount of carbs and sugar, i feel very very lazy and bloated. i get no energy from carbs it seems.

Healthymom_5

LadyBoss_1989 wrote: »

I have lost weight by eating less but Im still retaining ALOT of fat in my stomach. Which is a sign of insulin resistance (I ate extremely poorly for atleast 10yrs and no exercise) i would not be surprised if Iam but not officially tested yet and diabetes is very much in my family. I mostly crave carbs and sugar, even tho i eat alot better now I still hard core crave it. and after eating a large amount of carbs and sugar, i feel very very lazy and bloated. i get no energy from carbs it seems.

I had lost some weight too and was exercising when I went to the doctor and he told me my sugar was borderline! It seems pretty standard to try lowering to 30 g carbs but it depends on the individual's response. I bet you will start to feel better soon by cutting the carbs! Seriously, an inexpensive meter from Walmart might help you chart your course. The Relion brand is what many get. From there you could determine whether you are cutting your carbs enough.By sticking with it a few days I think those cravings ( and bloat) will disappear!

Dragonwolf

LadyBoss_1989 wrote: »

Thanks but pretty much wanting to know if I can still lose fat and correct insulin resistance without going in keto and just doing low carb

The answer is a resounding "maybe." It depends on how bad the insulin resistance is. You can find this out pretty easily by getting your fasting glucose, insulin, and A1C tested by your doctor. You can also find out what it takes to keep your blood sugar under control by monitoring it like your Diabetic relatives do (or should be doing).

Some people can drop their carbs to 150g and have great success. Others need to drop it to below 50. You won't know until you start tinkering with it. I'm a fan of starting with 100g, since it's fairly easy to attain, but challenging enough to require some change in meal approach. If you continue to crave carbs or aren't losing weight, then drop it down to 75g, 60g, etc., and repeat until you find your sweet spot.

tricolorkittie

So I don't know a lot about Keto. Could someone recommend a solid resource? What I do know is if I eat bread, pasta, rice, potatoes and cheese I have serious problems with cravings. I also get bloated, feel terrible, have zero energy, inflammation issues are much worse as well as higher levels of pain from my injuries. If I cut out all added sugar and the mentioned foods I feel better within 24 hours and seem to do best when I can keep my diet to 33% natural carbs 33% fat 34% protein with 6 -8 glasses of water per day.

FIT_Goat

Keto is very low carb (<20g which usually amounts to less than 5% of calories from carbs). It tends to be moderate protein (60-120g depending on body size) and high in fat (the rest of the calories... which can be up to 80+%).

I can recommend more in-depth resources, but if you're happy at 33/33/33, then keto might not be for you.

LadyBoss_1989

Is 60grams a carbs a day enough for me to lose fat

JPW1990

The point where people stay in ketosis varies from person to person, too. Some people can go as high as 40 or 50 and still be in it, others have to stay lower. For most it's just trial and error to see where they fall.

LadyBoss_1989

Not too worried about going keto, as long as doing low carb, (around 60 grams a day) will help me still lose fat and correct IR issues...

Dragonwolf

LadyBoss_1989 wrote: »

Not too worried about going keto, as long as doing low carb, (around 60 grams a day) will help me still lose fat and correct IR issues...

I know it seems to be something you don't want to hear, but maybe. Everyone's a little different. Try it for 4-6 weeks and see.

ldmoor

My personal experience is that I couldn't lose on 20-25 carbs a day, and until I upped the fat significantly on a ketogenic plan, the scale didn't want to budge.

nicsflyingcircus

FIT_Goat wrote: »

Keto is very low carb (<20g which usually amounts to less than 5% of calories from carbs). It tends to be moderate protein (60-120g depending on body size) and high in fat (the rest of the calories... which can be up to 80+%).

I can recommend more in-depth resources, but if you're happy at 33/33/33, then keto might not be for you.

Yup this. Right now I have my macros set to 20g carb (though I average more like 10), 80g protein and 105g fat. This breaks down to 6% carbs, 24% protein and 70% fat.

In practice, since January 1st, my macros actually look like: 3.9% carbs, 22.6% protein and 73.5% fat.

I recently (about 2 weeks ago) upped my protein macro and dropped my fat a little bit.