When do you start feeling great on Keto?
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Healthymom_5 wrote: »Coconutty,
I'm so glad things turned out well for you!! I have been going through re-adaptation and was doubting myself, too while I was feeling poorly. Today I'm doing much better and over the hump ( added salty homemade bone broth and just gave it more time). Best wishes as you see continued health improvements and pounds lost!
Hey HealthyMom, That's sweet of you, thanks for the kind words.
Im really glad you are feeling so much better. How long ago did you start ketoing? It can be so tough at the start for some of us. At least its worth sticking with - or at least i think it is.
Unfortunately ive had a scale misery this morning: the glorious pound i lost yesterday? Back on this morning. ARRGGHHHH! Im sooooooo frustrated! I really hoped and believed that keto had started to work and the weight was starting to shift, but im back to square one again. Well actually, thats a lie, because i am showing an inch lost on the waist and hips, but i really want to see that scakle move down. I was so happy yesterday with that little pound lost and now im very deflated (or, should i say, inflated)
I have to say, though, it may well be my fault. I did overeat yesterday. Hands up! I had one of those constantly hungry days again, where i just couldnt quell my appetite, and i managed to polish off a BPC, Bacon Keto-Waffle Sandwich, about 60g pork scratchings & 2 tbsp cream cheese as a snack - and theyre seriously calorie dense, more like a meal - and then, finally stuffed, i had to eat again at dinner with family, which was chicken breast, asparagus, courgettes & butter, so although i did just about stick to my carbs i went way over on fats. Tooooo much food.
When i get hungry i have this haunting thought in my mind that many people (some books included) say that calories dont matter much on keto, as long as the carbs are nice and low, and protein low-med. They say to eat to satiation, concentrating on fats; that it's unlikely you'll overeat and even if you did up your calories dramatically, keeping your macros in LCHF proportions will allow your body to still burn it off. .. So far i havent found this to be true.
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CoconuttyMummy wrote: »Healthymom_5 wrote: »Coconutty,
I'm so glad things turned out well for you!! I have been going through re-adaptation and was doubting myself, too while I was feeling poorly. Today I'm doing much better and over the hump ( added salty homemade bone broth and just gave it more time). Best wishes as you see continued health improvements and pounds lost!
Hey HealthyMom, That's sweet of you, thanks for the kind words.
Im really glad you are feeling so much better. How long ago did you start ketoing? It can be so tough at the start for some of us. At least its worth sticking with - or at least i think it is.
Unfortunately ive had a scale misery this morning: the glorious pound i lost yesterday? Back on this morning. ARRGGHHHH! Im sooooooo frustrated! I really hoped and believed that keto had started to work and the weight was starting to shift, but im back to square one again. Well actually, thats a lie, because i am showing an inch lost on the waist and hips, but i really want to see that scakle move down. I was so happy yesterday with that little pound lost and now im very deflated (or, should i say, inflated)
I have to say, though, it may well be my fault. I did overeat yesterday. Hands up! I had one of those constantly hungry days again, where i just couldnt quell my appetite, and i managed to polish off a BPC, Bacon Keto-Waffle Sandwich, about 60g pork scratchings & 2 tbsp cream cheese as a snack - and theyre seriously calorie dense, more like a meal - and then, finally stuffed, i had to eat again at dinner with family, which was chicken breast, asparagus, courgettes & butter, so although i did just about stick to my carbs i went way over on fats. Tooooo much food.
When i get hungry i have this haunting thought in my mind that many people (some books included) say that calories dont matter much on keto, as long as the carbs are nice and low, and protein low-med. They say to eat to satiation, concentrating on fats; that it's unlikely you'll overeat and even if you did up your calories dramatically, keeping your macros in LCHF proportions will allow your body to still burn it off. .. So far i havent found this to be true.
The way the eating balances out is after you're adapted AND have given your body time to repair. It's not an instant, magic wand waving things.
Honestly, right now, if you're going to give Keto a fair shake, ditch the scale for a month. My daily weigh in record looks like an EKG readout for a heart patient in the middle of a heart attack. Up down up down roller coaster types. You cannot look at daily numbers. You are doing arithmetic, your body is doing calculus. Weigh in maybe once a week or once a month.
Your obsessing over everything is adding stress which is adding cortisol which is making this harder on yourself. Do it it or don't, but the way you are going about it, you will never succeed. Perhaps try some meditation.0 -
My theory is that if the weight isn't shifting and the food is on target, your body is focusing on something else for the moment. It might be fighting off an infection, it might be fixing one of those little annoying things you've figured you just had to live with, it might be building better brain connections or correcting your hormones, or it might simply be figuring out how to deal without the carbage and use the fat. I track my weight, but I also pay attention to how my wrists feel (joint pain is one of my first continuing indications that something is going wrong) and if my digestive system is arguing (that would be the first immediate indication that something is going wrong).
Look at your intake over a week. If everything pretty well evens out, cool, you're good. If you're consistently going over, you either need to tweak things so you quit it or your body is requesting more fuel than you're planning. I have days where I eat 1200 calories, I have days where I eat 2800 calories. As long as it's averaging over 1200 and under 2000 or so, I'm not going to stress about it. Don't feel you have to eat just because everybody else is eating, even if it is a family meal, or that you have to eat a full portion if you don't feel like eating that much.
My weight goes up and down, but the general trend line is downward. Some days I gain 2 pounds, some days I lose 1, some days it doesn't change at all, but the trend line for the last 2 weeks when I've been eating right has been downward.
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My theory is that if the weight isn't shifting and the food is on target, your body is focusing on something else for the moment. It might be fighting off an infection, it might be fixing one of those little annoying things you've figured you just had to live with, it might be building better brain connections or correcting your hormones, or it might simply be figuring out how to deal without the carbage and use the fat. I track my weight, but I also pay attention to how my wrists feel (joint pain is one of my first continuing indications that something is going wrong) and if my digestive system is arguing (that would be the first immediate indication that something is going wrong).
Look at your intake over a week. If everything pretty well evens out, cool, you're good. If you're consistently going over, you either need to tweak things so you quit it or your body is requesting more fuel than you're planning. I have days where I eat 1200 calories, I have days where I eat 2800 calories. As long as it's averaging over 1200 and under 2000 or so, I'm not going to stress about it. Don't feel you have to eat just because everybody else is eating, even if it is a family meal, or that you have to eat a full portion if you don't feel like eating that much.
My weight goes up and down, but the general trend line is downward. Some days I gain 2 pounds, some days I lose 1, some days it doesn't change at all, but the trend line for the last 2 weeks when I've been eating right has been downward.
I totally agree, thanks for this Twibbly. Today i've only had a Rocket Fuel Latte and a cheese string and then will have a normal dinner tonight so it looks like it is evening itself out again like it did last time (i now see that a day of under-eating will probably result in the following day over-eating, and vice versa, so i guess the trick is to try and balance out these high and low calorie days and get them a bit more consistent, but like you say, as long as the general trend line is downward we are achieving the same results as a consistent daily calorie intake anyway, so i'll allow myself a little flexibility with natural hunger highs and lows.
I know im a bit analytical about going keto, but i love to learn and understand topics of interest like this, and it allows me to gain some control over an area on my life where i believe its needed. I see it all a bit like a scientific experiment - its nice to play about with data and give 'biohacking' yourself a try'. With knowledge comes power - the power to be slim & healthy!
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You don't need to try to be consistent on daily calories. Your body has different caloric needs on any given day. Listen to it. There are days I'll eat 1,400 calories and days I'll eat 2,800 calories, but the weekly deficit settles out. Now that I've learned to listen to my body's real voice again, I follow it's cues. I don't know why it needs more calories when it does, but as long as it works, I'm trusting the system.0
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Yup, it appears these hunger highs and lows do even themselves out, so i wont stress about them too much - unless i have more highs then lows of course! 0
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CoconuttyMummy wrote: »Healthymom_5 wrote: »Coconutty,
I'm so glad things turned out well for you!! I have been going through re-adaptation and was doubting myself, too while I was feeling poorly. Today I'm doing much better and over the hump ( added salty homemade bone broth and just gave it more time). Best wishes as you see continued health improvements and pounds lost!
Hey HealthyMom, That's sweet of you, thanks for the kind words.
Im really glad you are feeling so much better. How long ago did you start ketoing? It can be so tough at the start for some of us. At least its worth sticking with - or at least i think it is.
Unfortunately ive had a scale misery this morning: the glorious pound i lost yesterday? Back on this morning. ARRGGHHHH! Im sooooooo frustrated! I really hoped and believed that keto had started to work and the weight was starting to shift, but im back to square one again. Well actually, thats a lie, because i am showing an inch lost on the waist and hips, but i really want to see that scakle move down. I was so happy yesterday with that little pound lost and now im very deflated (or, should i say, inflated)
I have to say, though, it may well be my fault. I did overeat yesterday. Hands up! I had one of those constantly hungry days again, where i just couldnt quell my appetite, and i managed to polish off a BPC, Bacon Keto-Waffle Sandwich, about 60g pork scratchings & 2 tbsp cream cheese as a snack - and theyre seriously calorie dense, more like a meal - and then, finally stuffed, i had to eat again at dinner with family, which was chicken breast, asparagus, courgettes & butter, so although i did just about stick to my carbs i went way over on fats. Tooooo much food.
When i get hungry i have this haunting thought in my mind that many people (some books included) say that calories dont matter much on keto, as long as the carbs are nice and low, and protein low-med. They say to eat to satiation, concentrating on fats; that it's unlikely you'll overeat and even if you did up your calories dramatically, keeping your macros in LCHF proportions will allow your body to still burn it off. .. So far i havent found this to be true.
Coconutty,
To answer your question, I got serious about low carb in February ( had transitioned to Paleo/Primal-ish before that but that wasn't getting my blood sugar where it needed to go). Somewhere between February and April I pushed for keto. I lost 10 more pounds during that time for a total of 20 for the year. My weight has stayed the same since April, and although I never went back to high carb, I wasn't as diligent. But I'm thrilled with that ability to maintain rather naturally, since I no longer gravitate to carbs at all (carbs are binge foods for me, all of them). This is a HUGE deal for me as it is imperative for my health that it stays OFF this time! So, I'm back to working on getting keto-adapted (my goal is to feel energetic at 30g which is where my carbs need to be to keep my fasting blood sugar down) and want to lose 10 more pounds. So it's not keto itself I'm concerned with, it's just that my blood sugar is best at 30 g carbs. Last time it took 3 or so weeks to feel right and this time within one week I'm already feeling better (enough to do a HIIT workout this morning).
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I've noticed many people that mention not eating many veggies on Keto. I don't have any trouble eating lots of veggies (though I haven't much lately) and keeping the carbs down. I test for ketones with a blood meter periodically and I'm always over 1.2
I go by a net carb goal of 20g or less as long as the carbs come from veg.
I don't take any supplements because I keep reading that most of them are ineffective. I actually meant to ask my doctor about it recently but I totally forgot.0 -
Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »I've noticed many people that mention not eating many veggies on Keto. I don't have any trouble eating lots of veggies (though I haven't much lately) and keeping the carbs down. I test for ketones with a blood meter periodically and I'm always over 1.2
I go by a net carb goal of 20g or less as long as the carbs come from veg.
I don't take any supplements because I keep reading that most of them are ineffective. I actually meant to ask my doctor about it recently but I totally forgot.
I can eat veggies, I just don't always choose to. I think those that aim for 20 grams TOTAL carbs are the ones that have more difficulties fitting in higher fiber veggies.0 -
Healthymom_5 wrote: »CoconuttyMummy wrote: »Healthymom_5 wrote: »Coconutty,
I'm so glad things turned out well for you!! I have been going through re-adaptation and was doubting myself, too while I was feeling poorly. Today I'm doing much better and over the hump ( added salty homemade bone broth and just gave it more time). Best wishes as you see continued health improvements and pounds lost!
Hey HealthyMom, That's sweet of you, thanks for the kind words.
Im really glad you are feeling so much better. How long ago did you start ketoing? It can be so tough at the start for some of us. At least its worth sticking with - or at least i think it is.
Unfortunately ive had a scale misery this morning: the glorious pound i lost yesterday? Back on this morning. ARRGGHHHH! Im sooooooo frustrated! I really hoped and believed that keto had started to work and the weight was starting to shift, but im back to square one again. Well actually, thats a lie, because i am showing an inch lost on the waist and hips, but i really want to see that scakle move down. I was so happy yesterday with that little pound lost and now im very deflated (or, should i say, inflated)
I have to say, though, it may well be my fault. I did overeat yesterday. Hands up! I had one of those constantly hungry days again, where i just couldnt quell my appetite, and i managed to polish off a BPC, Bacon Keto-Waffle Sandwich, about 60g pork scratchings & 2 tbsp cream cheese as a snack - and theyre seriously calorie dense, more like a meal - and then, finally stuffed, i had to eat again at dinner with family, which was chicken breast, asparagus, courgettes & butter, so although i did just about stick to my carbs i went way over on fats. Tooooo much food.
When i get hungry i have this haunting thought in my mind that many people (some books included) say that calories dont matter much on keto, as long as the carbs are nice and low, and protein low-med. They say to eat to satiation, concentrating on fats; that it's unlikely you'll overeat and even if you did up your calories dramatically, keeping your macros in LCHF proportions will allow your body to still burn it off. .. So far i havent found this to be true.
Coconutty,
To answer your question, I got serious about low carb in February ( had transitioned to Paleo/Primal-ish before that but that wasn't getting my blood sugar where it needed to go). Somewhere between February and April I pushed for keto. I lost 10 more pounds during that time for a total of 20 for the year. My weight has stayed the same since April, and although I never went back to high carb, I wasn't as diligent. But I'm thrilled with that ability to maintain rather naturally, since I no longer gravitate to carbs at all (carbs are binge foods for me, all of them). This is a HUGE deal for me as it is imperative for my health that it stays OFF this time! So, I'm back to working on getting keto-adapted (my goal is to feel energetic at 30g which is where my carbs need to be to keep my fasting blood sugar down) and want to lose 10 more pounds. So it's not keto itself I'm concerned with, it's just that my blood sugar is best at 30 g carbs. Last time it took 3 or so weeks to feel right and this time within one week I'm already feeling better (enough to do a HIIT workout this morning).
HealthyMom, you're doing great! Well done. 20 pounds in a year is awesome, and to be able to maintain your weight since April without any struggle. I think that is a huge step, to do away with the rebound effect after 'dieting' where you gain all the weight back once you relax a little. Re-educating yourself about food choices seems to be key.
I'm looking forward to becoming fat-adapted too. I wonder if there are any symptoms over and above normal signs of ketosis when you become adapted or if you just cant tell that its finally happened?
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Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »I've noticed many people that mention not eating many veggies on Keto. I don't have any trouble eating lots of veggies (though I haven't much lately) and keeping the carbs down. I test for ketones with a blood meter periodically and I'm always over 1.2
I go by a net carb goal of 20g or less as long as the carbs come from veg.
I don't take any supplements because I keep reading that most of them are ineffective. I actually meant to ask my doctor about it recently but I totally forgot.
Im hitting for 15-20g total carbs and i can struggle to get my veggies in depending on my food choices. Im going to try and get more low-carb veggies back in my diet (when i was regular low-carb primal/paleo i ate a ton of veg) b/c TMI, but, i think i need the fiber to get things moving again in the bathroom department.
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KnitOrMiss wrote: »Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »I've noticed many people that mention not eating many veggies on Keto. I don't have any trouble eating lots of veggies (though I haven't much lately) and keeping the carbs down. I test for ketones with a blood meter periodically and I'm always over 1.2
I go by a net carb goal of 20g or less as long as the carbs come from veg.
I don't take any supplements because I keep reading that most of them are ineffective. I actually meant to ask my doctor about it recently but I totally forgot.
I can eat veggies, I just don't always choose to. I think those that aim for 20 grams TOTAL carbs are the ones that have more difficulties fitting in higher fiber veggies.
Agree.
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Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »I've noticed many people that mention not eating many veggies on Keto. I don't have any trouble eating lots of veggies (though I haven't much lately) and keeping the carbs down. I test for ketones with a blood meter periodically and I'm always over 1.2
I go by a net carb goal of 20g or less as long as the carbs come from veg.
I don't take any supplements because I keep reading that most of them are ineffective. I actually meant to ask my doctor about it recently but I totally forgot.
I think many of us were attracted to LC because it doesn't have a big emphasis on veggies. I don't do well with a lot of foods (to put it mildly) and would much rather eat what I know doesn't upset my system at this point.0 -
I've eaten veggies once since April 30th. I ate about a half cup of onions and mushrooms sauteed in butter. Was a mistake, for me! Felt bad the next day and it wasn't nice for the bathroom either (I describe it as gumming up the pipes). I won't be doing that again!
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I wish you the best of luck-
1. It took me just at 3 full weeks to have a similar energy level and exercise tolerance upon starting keto. I probably could have been smarter with electrolyte replacement- but I still think you are way early to expect much "good feeling."
2. You are calorie restricting AND carb restricting, and I think that could be part of your problem.
My advice would be to eat to satiety fat and protein, keep your carb restriction, and give yourself a full month. What is the harm in giving yourself a good, fair chance at success?
Again, best of luck!0 -
It has been a while since I have been on here, and apparently I missed some fireworks! I hope my comment about calorie restriction (#2 above) doesn't strike a nerve! It wasn't meant to, and is in line with a few other remarks in this thread about making sure you are giving your body enough nutrients to function appropriately.
Best of luck Coconutty0 -
I try to not lose more than 10 pounds without maintain at new weight for weeks or months. I maintained at 209 for 90 days and currently I am closing on another 10 pounds loss.
I do not touch the old carbs but just jack up my Fats by about a 1000 a day to maintain or that was the case when maintaining at 209 for 90 days.
The fat can give you an energy boost too.
Keto Sticks might be of value if you pulled an accurate blood ketone value say once a month. The color should become lighter as your ketone levels increase and your body/brain fully adapts to burning ketones for its main fuel.
ketopia.com/why-you-need-to-stop-worrying-about-the-color-of-your-ketostix/0 -
It has been a while since I have been on here, and apparently I missed some fireworks! I hope my comment about calorie restriction (#2 above) doesn't strike a nerve! It wasn't meant to, and is in line with a few other remarks in this thread about making sure you are giving your body enough nutrients to function appropriately.
Best of luck Coconutty
Hi Mpants,
Noo, no nerves at all - your advice is received with gratitude, thanks. You may well be right regards the calories, but i'm only at a deficit of just over 300 calories, working out at a projected 0.7 pounds weightloss, so my calorie deficit is not extreme its actually small for any meaningful weightloss. Im very short, sedentary & fairly close to my goal weight so my body isnt burning many calories. I do believe that at least part of weightloss is attributed to the simple energy in < energy out rule, but on days i feel genuinely hungry lately ive been allowing myself to eat more calories (whilst keeping carbs low, still), im finding that it does tend to even itself up naturally with a lower hunger day to follow.
Patience isnt my strongest point but of course im happy to give time to settle in to this woe. When i started this thread i was feeling really poorly and was looking for an idea of how long it might take before i could expect to start feeling human again. I fully intend to stick with keto long enough to give it sufficient time to work its magic. If i see no significant results after 8wks+ i will reassess, but until then i will stick to plan and hope my body will start losing flubber within that time. I know all 'diets' can take time to get used to, but there's no way i could have endured more than a week of constantly feeling so dreadful - not and care for myself and my 3 year old son singlehandedly - it really knocked me off my feet.
Thankfully, ive turned a corner, and whilst im not getting the exceptional energy benefits (yet) that others talk about, i do at least feel close to 'normal' again.. periods of average energy which gradually shifts to the body aches, tiredness, headaches, low clarity etc later on in the day. This is a major improvement from waking up exhausted, so im hoping that in time my body will allow me to feel this energy into lunchtime, early afternoon and beyond. What i have noticed is that im waking up a LOT earlier in the morning - up to 4 hours earlier many days! And i do feel well rested and ready to start the day, whereas before i could sleep til 12noon or later if you let me and i would still feel like i needed another 8 hours sleep - i never felt alert or awake - i was two blinks from falling asleep at all times, no matter how much i slept (in fact it felt almost like the longer i slept the worse i felt, but on less sleep i was just as bad, so i couldnt win). It really is great to wake up refreshed. Now, if only i can get this energy to continue throughout the day.
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GaleHawkins wrote: »I try to not lose more than 10 pounds without maintain at new weight for weeks or months. I maintained at 209 for 90 days and currently I am closing on another 10 pounds loss.
I do not touch the old carbs but just jack up my Fats by about a 1000 a day to maintain or that was the case when maintaining at 209 for 90 days.
The fat can give you an energy boost too.
Keto Sticks might be of value if you pulled an accurate blood ketone value say once a month. The color should become lighter as your ketone levels increase and your body/brain fully adapts to burning ketones for its main fuel.
ketopia.com/why-you-need-to-stop-worrying-about-the-color-of-your-ketostix/
Morning, Gale. I do actually have some Keto-Stix. Ive been a little obsessive with my testing, i do admit, (4x a day!) but i wanted to try to gain an understanding of how my body was handling ketosis and what effects certain foods or fasts had on my ketone levels. Ive found that my results vary throughout the day and ive noted that too much veg at my evening meal can kick me out of ketosis for a few hours, as can too much protein. And i tend to find my strongest results are late morning, 3/4 of the way through my fast (with BPC). Its all interesting stuff, but i do find that negative or faint trace results can boggle me when ive stuck to plan all day. I tend to hang out in the next shade up from trace (light pink) but ive got up to medium salmon pink a couple of times, mid to end of my fast. (sorry i dont have my ketostix with me to give the proper values), but then i get quite a few 'trace' results, and the odd negative. Im guessing this is normal. I was urging the stick to go purple, but you say that the stick should go lighter as your body adapts, so thats a relief. What color do your sticks tend to read, if you dont mind me asking? I know you're a veteran ketoer!
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I think it was wabmester who said in another thread that the ketostix are only measuring what is excess in your urine which isn't really an indication of how many your body is making and what your body is doing with it. And I have also read that as you adapt further, there is going to be less excess in the urine. So not sure that measuring multiple times per day is actually giving you data to plan your day to day eating by. Kind of like the scale, it can be a guideline over time, but not always an indication that you are losing fat.
To me, the sleep issues speak more to hormonal issues than keto issues.0
