Is everyone keto?
kimberwolf71
Posts: 470 Member
I tried keto for a few months relatively unsuccessfully. I seem to be incredibly carb sensitive and lack the will power required to be that strict! To remain in ketosis I had to be below 20 g carbs everyday.... i couldn't do it!!
I do feel better low carb but maybe because it forces me to be more strict with gluten intake.... My body also really likes protein and a goal is to build strength as well as weight loss.
So... i have been trying to change my macros to find a good fit. 180 g of protein is almost impossible for me to hit (carbs at 100g). 120 g carbs seems to high?
Suggestions?
I do feel better low carb but maybe because it forces me to be more strict with gluten intake.... My body also really likes protein and a goal is to build strength as well as weight loss.
So... i have been trying to change my macros to find a good fit. 180 g of protein is almost impossible for me to hit (carbs at 100g). 120 g carbs seems to high?
Suggestions?
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Replies
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Why not try adjusting your fat instead of only your protein or carbs? Just make small changes and see how you do.
I do LCHF, but I'm not keto. I just try to keep my carbs below 75 net grams. That's hard enough for me!0 -
Agree, adjust fat. My initial goal was less than 100g carbs. Once I started eating this way I found I am typically between 40-75. Protein goal is 135g and the rest is fat.0
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kimberwolf71 wrote: »I tried keto for a few months relatively unsuccessfully. I seem to be incredibly carb sensitive and lack the will power required to be that strict! To remain in ketosis I had to be below 20 g carbs everyday.... i couldn't do it!!
I do feel better low carb but maybe because it forces me to be more strict with gluten intake.... My body also really likes protein and a goal is to build strength as well as weight loss.
So... i have been trying to change my macros to find a good fit. 180 g of protein is almost impossible for me to hit (carbs at 100g). 120 g carbs seems to high?
Suggestions?
Why is it either 120g carbs or 20g of carbs? There are levels of carbs in between those two numbers.
You don't need 180g of protein, most likely, either. Somewhere around 100g should be sufficient. Check out http://keto-calculator.ankerl.com/ to get a range on your protein and figure out what works for you from there.
As others mentioned, a third macro exists, too. Don't forget about it. Fat is good for you and shouldn't be avoided, and when you drop carbs, you're usually better off increasing fat, not protein, for a number of reasons.
Set your protein to attain your goals, determine how many carbs you're comfortable with, fill the rest in with fat.0 -
The amount of protein you need is dependent on if you are wanting to maintain muscle or build muscle during strength training.
I don't know the formula. I used a keto calculator to determine my macros.
But I have found success with 20g max carbs, 70g protein and the rest of my calories from fat.
It's my understanding that excess amounts of protein are used for fuel before fat and become glucose in the blood.
So all those carbs and protein are just creating a constant glucose energy source.
You would be shocked how the carb cravings end once you get a few cheat free weeks under your belt.0 -
Well, apparently the protein becoming glucose thing is a myth. But I did read that on a site that seemed very well researched and informative. So I guess I need to do some more reading.0
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There are so many that hate and deride low carb diets with not even half truths.
I would be skeptical of any odd sounding criticisms of a low carb diet.
It works.
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I forget what my macros were set at when I was eating keto but I would not hit ketosis unless I stayed below 20 g carb and i just can't maintain that.
Is there still benefit to lchf if you aren't in ketosis? I guess I stopped paying attention to fat when I stopped trying to hit ketosis
Tbh these last few weeks I'm barely watching cico let alone macros but I have it set at 30 40 30 cpf... previously 25 45 30. Which is where my carb references came from.0 -
I couldn't stay around 20g, either, but seem to have found my sweet spot at 40-50g carbs, with around 70% fat, and the rest protein. Losing weight and inches, though often not at the same time. My energy has stabilized to a level I'm very happy with.
Play around with your macro levels, you might find something above 20g but below 100g that works for you.
Beat of luck!0 -
You don't need to be keto. Personally, I find that the fewer carbs I eat, the fewer cravings I have. But, if you're more successful with higher carbs, that's awesome. I definitely like higher protein than most people.0
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kimberwolf71 wrote: »I forget what my macros were set at when I was eating keto but I would not hit ketosis unless I stayed below 20 g carb and i just can't maintain that.
Is there still benefit to lchf if you aren't in ketosis? I guess I stopped paying attention to fat when I stopped trying to hit ketosis
Tbh these last few weeks I'm barely watching cico let alone macros but I have it set at 30 40 30 cpf... previously 25 45 30. Which is where my carb references came from.
When you say, "you would not hit ketosis unless you stayed under 20g @ day", what method did you use to ascertain that you were or weren't in ketosis?
Dan the Man from Michigan
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Dragonwolf wrote: »kimberwolf71 wrote: »I tried keto for a few months relatively unsuccessfully. I seem to be incredibly carb sensitive and lack the will power required to be that strict! To remain in ketosis I had to be below 20 g carbs everyday.... i couldn't do it!!
I do feel better low carb but maybe because it forces me to be more strict with gluten intake.... My body also really likes protein and a goal is to build strength as well as weight loss.
So... i have been trying to change my macros to find a good fit. 180 g of protein is almost impossible for me to hit (carbs at 100g). 120 g carbs seems to high?
Suggestions?
Why is it either 120g carbs or 20g of carbs? There are levels of carbs in between those two numbers.
You don't need 180g of protein, most likely, either. Somewhere around 100g should be sufficient. Check out http://keto-calculator.ankerl.com/ to get a range on your protein and figure out what works for you from there.
As others mentioned, a third macro exists, too. Don't forget about it. Fat is good for you and shouldn't be avoided, and when you drop carbs, you're usually better off increasing fat, not protein, for a number of reasons.
Set your protein to attain your goals, determine how many carbs you're comfortable with, fill the rest in with fat.
^^^^ Couldn't of said it any better ^^^^
Dan the Man from Michigan0 -
I have no idea if I am in ketosis. I have between 10-20g carbs usually.0
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We are all so different in what works for us. My carbs are set at 15grams a day. Today I have actually eaten 3 grams ....although MFP says that leaves me 11..lol
I started keto 6 weeks ago and set them at 15 grams, never really realizing that it was considered very low, but it works for me.
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I was gonna buy the strips but they were $20 and I decided to pass
40 or so net carbs and an average of 12000 steps per day to burn it out.
Maybe I am.
I will eventually buy some strips0 -
...with a grin ;-).0
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A wimpy 80-100 total carb grams for me. I like my occasional oatmeal, beans, fruit & Quest bar. Been managing to lose ~4 lbs/month. Good to know I've got room for more carb reduction if cravings or endless plateaus become a problem.0
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kimberwolf71 wrote: »Is there still benefit to lchf if you aren't in ketosis? I guess I stopped paying attention to fat when I stopped trying to hit ketosis
Yes, I have rarely been below 20 carbs per day, mostly 50 to 80, over the past 2 years. Lost 11 kg, and feel much better, though I do lurk in that gray zone where low carb flu can slow you down. My blood markers have all improved, HbA1C (three-month blood sugar measurment) is now at 4.7 or so, a good spot. So stick with it, you will notice improvements aside from weight loss. I eat lower carb, higher fat, middling protein to maintain. To lose, I usually did a fat fast for a day or two.0 -
I was keto and l
20 grams or less the first few months. But have upped that as I don't feel great at so low levels, so now a normal day is between 25 and 50 net carbs a day. Have had a couple of high carb days lately (birthday and such) had an 4th of a piece of pie and wine on Tuesday and had a headache all day yesterday. So maybe I am still fat adapted, but just a little higher carbs....0 -
Thank you everyone. So... I was testing with ketostix (which maybe I will ignore for awhile) and I was trying to stay under 20g of TOTAL carbs. I was really missing my veggies actually, I generally eat relatively "clean".
Sugar cravings have been huge lately, so I'm jumping back into LCHF... I reset my macros to 20c/30p/50f and figured out how to display fiber so I pay more attention to net carbs, but having 80g should be really easy for me to meet if I behave.
The bulletproof coffee was so yummy this morning! I've missed it.
So next maybe silly question.... I am typically the "designated" cook and just don't have the time & energy to be preparing multiple meals or at minimum main entrees. Should I be concerned about family members consuming the HF when they most likely will not go LC?
I believe in the science behind LCHF, but see HCHF as a recipe for trouble!! (young teenager and overweight mid-40 male who has a severe carb addiction lol)0 -
HCHF is a valid concern, but mostly if calories are in excess. If calories are high, fat will be stored. Reducing carbs primarily reduces the urge to eat in excess, but it'll also improve health markers even when calories are low.0
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kimberwolf71 wrote: »Thank you everyone. So... I was testing with ketostix (which maybe I will ignore for awhile) and I was trying to stay under 20g of TOTAL carbs. I was really missing my veggies actually, I generally eat relatively "clean".
Sugar cravings have been huge lately, so I'm jumping back into LCHF... I reset my macros to 20c/30p/50f and figured out how to display fiber so I pay more attention to net carbs, but having 80g should be really easy for me to meet if I behave.
The bulletproof coffee was so yummy this morning! I've missed it.
So next maybe silly question.... I am typically the "designated" cook and just don't have the time & energy to be preparing multiple meals or at minimum main entrees. Should I be concerned about family members consuming the HF when they most likely will not go LC?
I believe in the science behind LCHF, but see HCHF as a recipe for trouble!! (young teenager and overweight mid-40 male who has a severe carb addiction lol)
So don't make multiple meals or even multiple main entrees. There's generally no real need for it.
Start with a meat. Add a non-starchy vegetable or two. Add a starch if the dish seems to need it. Done. If the family doesn't like it, they're all old enough to make their own food.
This only gets hairy when you do casserole type of dishes, but in that case, just split your usual recipe in half and make them in smaller dishes, substituting out what you need to for the low carb one.0 -
Oh I have no intention (or time!) to make multiple meals, I guess I just need to re-think how I increase my fat numbers that doesn't involve the main meals eaten by all (especially the 12 yr old). Big guy can easily fend for himself, is often not home and not my official responsibility.
I appreciate everyone's input. I just want to (quickly) find a more sustainable way of this working for me and my lifestyle since my last attempt was such a mess. I struggled with meeting the fat goals in addition to keeping my overall carbs below 20g. Going to start off easier on myself and more knowledge is power.
Having varying input and experiences helps tremendously too! Thanks again!
Onward and upward!!0 -
when i make family meals i usually just add a load of butter to my meal and a starch for the rest of the family.0
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Yes, Butter.... or olive oil.... avocado and olives on a tossed salad.... cream cheese spread on veggies...0
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When I'm cooking for everyone, if something needs to be cooked in butter, I go ahead and use real butter but only the minimum I need then I usually make the family's plates and throw a bit more butter in the pan for my portion before making my plate.
Or it may be that I add cheese or something after I serve everyone else. I also tend to sautéed veggies in butter when I'm only cooking for me but I will steam them when it's a family meal and add melted butter to mine on my plate. They can add some margarine if they want but usually don't.
Just a few more ways to keep the extra fat off their plate without extra cooking...0 -
I quite often don't offer a starch with the meal. OH bakes lovely bread so I sometimes put some of that on the table but usually I just cook extra veg and half the time the recipients of the meal don't even notice!0
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Just read an article on PubMed re: this^^^. Not a total myth, but possible lower percentage of protein will turn into glycogen; and it is mainly hepatic storage and not released into the bloodstream immediately.Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »Well, apparently the protein becoming glucose thing is a myth. But I did read that on a site that seemed very well researched and informative. So I guess I need to do some more reading.
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SlimBride2Be wrote: »I quite often don't offer a starch with the meal. OH bakes lovely bread so I sometimes put some of that on the table but usually I just cook extra veg and half the time the recipients of the meal don't even notice!
This!!! ^^ Or I'll add healthier carbs - higher carb veggies, whole grain bread, etc. My fiance can handle more carbs and calories than I can, so the little he adds doesn't complicate that much. He's likely still LC by most standards...0
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