Any tips for starting again?

SqueezeTheClay

I'm restarting keto, for the umpteenth time in umpteen years, it works for me, but everytime I restart I have to play games with myself. Just wondering if there are any tips I'm missing, I tend to eat everything on the allowed list, as much as I want, with no regard for macros (just aiming for high fat) for the first few days while I get over the hump of sugar withdrawal. Also lots of sleep, water, fats, and l-glutamine.

Anything I'm missing? I'm feeling so on edge right now, which I realize is normal for the end of day two. Maybe I'll add reaching out and talking to people as another tip for ignoring the call of the carbohydrates.

Beth

KnitOrMiss

In the beginning, don't count calories, at all. You will slow down adaption. Eat all the fat you want to get through, eat well on protein, and keep those carbs at a limit. Overload on water, sodium, potassium, and magnesium. This will limit the effects of the carb flu. Find equivalents on plan for your worst cravings off plan. Even indulging in a keto treat binge is far less damaging that a high sugar/carb one. If you can, stop all artificial sweeteners for 4-6 weeks. (I could NOT do this.) Find go to easy foods to stash in your fridge so that on those days you don't want to cook it isn't more tempting to go out. Figure out all the foods you can have! Technically, nothing is off limits for me, AT ALL, I just have to focus more on portions.

For example, last night I made potato wedges for my fiance to go with our burgers. They were from tiny 2" potatoes, 8 wedges per potato, so less than bite size. I had four small pieces and was fine - still in keto. It's all about perspective and it's all about choice.

What are your worst struggles? That daily coffee? Not being able to settle down to sleep? That daily chocolate habit? The smell of your favorite foods? Let me know and I'll pass on tips if I can.

As point of reference, I went LCHF 1/15, Keto on 2/18, haven't had to readapt (once I dropped briefly due to massive dehydration, but I never really rehit the keto flu or anything). I've lost over 20 pounds and more than 20 inches. My body thrived once I ditched carbs, but I still crave them once in a blue moon...

kirkor

When you say you eat everything on the allowed list, are you referring to dairy and artificial sweeteners? These 2 categories can be problematic for many people.

CoconuttyMummy

I wouldnt recommend eating 'everything on the allowed list' in unlimited amounts, whilst not counting carbs OR calories, in the beginning or any other time. In my opinion this is a recipe for weightgain, which is i presume not what you are going for. Remember, high fat foods are way more calorific than high carb foods, so portion sizes and calories can get out of control if you're not careful. It doesnt matter if you're eating Keto foods or carby foods, if you consume more calories than your body burns, you will gain weight. Simple.

Fair enough, if you dont want to count calories at 1st, some people do that, but to succeed on a low-carb/keto diet you really do need to watch your carb intake closely, particularly at the start when your new eating habits havent yet become instinctive. If you eat "everything on the allowed list, as much as I want, with no regard for macros", the likelihood is you will go over your carb allowance.. As you probably know, most foods contain at least a few carbs and if you dont weigh your food and count your carbs they can add up fast and before you know it you're well over. I would definitely suggest that you at least count your carbs to start with, certainly until you are really knowledgeable about exactly what portion sizes of which foods add up to what amount of carbs.

Are you aiming for Low-Carb or Keto? If its low-carb, i suggest you set your carbs to 50g max. If you'd like to go Keto 20g max carbs is a good figure.

Macros do matter for this WOE. If this is a problem for you i would suggest you stick to a SAD/CICO diet at just a calorie deficit.

I know you said you dont want to count calories either, and again, technically this isnt always necessary, but most of us became overweight because, simply, we ate too much. To lose weight you need a calorie deficit. Eating to a calorie deficit invariably means you may still feel a little hungry. If you can stop eating naturally at this point then great, but i think most people, given free reign to eat until satisfied, are likely to eat way more than that. For me calorie counting is essential to successful weight-loss. Whilst adapting to low-carbs i would suggest counting calories and eating up to maintenance if you need to, but no more. When you start to feel well again then you should drop your calories to your chosen deficit (500 calories lower than your TDEE is a good figure to go for, or around your BMR. The less deficit the slower the weight loss, but its good practice to try to not drop too far below your BMR - at least not for very long).

Do you exercise? If so, you may want to ease up or stop working out for the 1st couple of weeks whilst your body adjusts, then just ease back into it as you feel able.

Also, remember to keep your electrolytes up. If you're serious about going properly low-carb or keto you will likely need to supplement with potassium and magnesium, and drink broth/stock for sodium. Also be vigilant about your hydration - you lose a lot of fluid & electrolytes when eating this way (constant peeing!). Muscle cramps, fatigue, weakness, headaches, dizziness, brain fog etc are all symptoms of low-electrolytes/dehydration so just be sure to keep them well topped up (ignore the government recommendations for daily allowances of sodium, magnesium & potassium - you need much higher doses on a low-carb/keto WOE).

One last tip... I would recommend that you dont cheat AT ALL once you commit to this WOE, especially for the 1st couple of months. If you submit to cravings and eat a carby cheat this will only increase your cravings more, making it harder for yourself. It is so much easier to go cold turkey on the sugars/carbs to eliminate cravings. This makes it way easier to stick to plan, imo. If you really desperately crave something carb-heavy and you cant fight it, i would suggest you replace it with a similar keto-version. Theres keto-ized versions of pretty much every treat out there, so that way you may go over a little on calories but you wont screw up your macros.

Hope that helps a little. If theres anything in particular youd like help with, give me a shout. Add me as a friend if youd like. My food diary is open to friends - it may give you some ideas of how to eat keto.

Ocrgrrrl

CoconuttyMummy wrote: »

I wouldnt recommend eating 'everything on the allowed list' in unlimited amounts, whilst not counting carbs OR calories, in the beginning or any other time. In my opinion this is a recipe for weightgain, which is i presume not what you are going for. Remember, high fat foods are way more calorific than high carb foods, so portion sizes and calories can get out of control if you're not careful. It doesnt matter if you're eating Keto foods or carby foods, if you consume more calories than your body burns, you will gain weight. Simple.

Fair enough, if you dont want to count calories at 1st, some people do that, but to succeed on a low-carb/keto diet you really do need to watch your carb intake closely, particularly at the start when your new eating habits havent yet become instinctive. If you eat "everything on the allowed list, as much as I want, with no regard for macros", the likelihood is you will go over your carb allowance.. As you probably know, most foods contain at least a few carbs and if you dont weigh your food and count your carbs they can add up fast and before you know it you're well over. I would definitely suggest that you at least count your carbs to start with, certainly until you are really knowledgeable about exactly what portion sizes of which foods add up to what amount of carbs.

Are you aiming for Low-Carb or Keto? If its low-carb, i suggest you set your carbs to 50g max. If you'd like to go Keto 20g max carbs is a good figure.

Macros do matter for this WOE. If this is a problem for you i would suggest you stick to a SAD/CICO diet at just a calorie deficit.

I know you said you dont want to count calories either, and again, technically this isnt always necessary, but most of us became overweight because, simply, we ate too much. To lose weight you need a calorie deficit. Eating to a calorie deficit invariably means you may still feel a little hungry. If you can stop eating naturally at this point then great, but i think most people, given free reign to eat until satisfied, are likely to eat way more than that. For me calorie counting is essential to successful weight-loss. Whilst adapting to low-carbs i would suggest counting calories and eating up to maintenance if you need to, but no more. When you start to feel well again then you should drop your calories to your chosen deficit (500 calories lower than your TDEE is a good figure to go for, or around your BMR. The less deficit the slower the weight loss, but its good practice to try to not drop too far below your BMR - at least not for very long).

Do you exercise? If so, you may want to ease up or stop working out for the 1st couple of weeks whilst your body adjusts, then just ease back into it as you feel able.

Also, remember to keep your electrolytes up. If you're serious about going properly low-carb or keto you will likely need to supplement with potassium and magnesium, and drink broth/stock for sodium. Also be vigilant about your hydration - you lose a lot of fluid & electrolytes when eating this way (constant peeing!). Muscle cramps, fatigue, weakness, headaches, dizziness, brain fog etc are all symptoms of low-electrolytes/dehydration so just be sure to keep them well topped up (ignore the government recommendations for daily allowances of sodium, magnesium & potassium - you need much higher doses on a low-carb/keto WOE).

One last tip... I would recommend that you dont cheat AT ALL once you commit to this WOE, especially for the 1st couple of months. If you submit to cravings and eat a carby cheat this will only increase your cravings more, making it harder for yourself. It is so much easier to go cold turkey on the sugars/carbs to eliminate cravings. This makes it way easier to stick to plan, imo. If you really desperately crave something carb-heavy and you cant fight it, i would suggest you replace it with a similar keto-version. Theres keto-ized versions of pretty much every treat out there, so that way you may go over a little on calories but you wont screw up your macros.

Hope that helps a little. If theres anything in particular youd like help with, give me a shout. Add me as a friend if youd like. My food diary is open to friends - it may give you some ideas of how to eat keto.

This is all really good advice! I don't know if it's because I'm close to goal or short, but I have to watch my calories too. Although I think you can get away with far less of a deficit with this WOE. Good luck! Keto rocks! I love it!

DittoDan

Set your macros in MFP to:

70% fat
20% protein
5% Carbs

Log every food religiously
Should a Person Have a Food Diary for the Keto Diet?

Try to limit your carb intake to 20 grams (less is better), but never go over 40 a day.

This is VERY important!:
"Keto-flu" and Sufficient Intake of Electrolytes

Fruits are pretty much out. Try strawberries, raspberries instead. Blueberries ~ but 2 oz max.

Eat fatty foods like cheeses, fatty meats, chicken WITH the skin, heavy whipping cream and many dairy products except milk. Yogurt is hard to find (that is suitable for carb count), so forget that. NEVER cut the fat off your food ~ eat it!

Some people can handle small amounts of no-calorie sweeteners, but a lot of people can't handle large amounts of no-cal sweeteners

Avoid foods that grow beneath the ground (starchy)

All breads/flours/pastas/rice/grains are out.

Just about any nut is good, but limit them to 2-3 oz. servings per day. Pecans are the best carbwise.

Do NOT subtract fiber from carb count

Make friends with people on this group that have a track record of good weight loss, and LOOK at their diary. See what they eat. (you can add me)

Read EVERY food label and make sure you know the serving sizes.

If you eat mostly at home, GET a digital gram/oz scale and weigh ALL your major foods that have carbs and calories.
Should You Use a Kitchen Scale to Weigh Your Food?

Don't worry about making mistakes with this way of eating

Experiment, if things don't work, try eating less carbs, or less calories.

Purchase refined coconut oil, butter, mayo and saute, cook-in, pour over all your other foods.

Skip breakfast and any and all meals you want to, especially if you're not hungry

Almost every other diet, you can cheat, and not get caught or suffer ANY consequences, BUT you can't cheat the Keto diet, if you eat too many carbs consistently every day, you will not get into ketosis and/or be Keto adapted!

Ask lots of questions here and on the LCD forum
Low Carb Discussion Group on MFP (LCD)

You DO NOT have to exercise to lose weight. I lost over 70 lbs without doing any exercise AT ALL! I couldn't, I have sciatic nerve damage and water on my knee. I just recently started doing work outside, and it is getting my strength back slowly.

Did I mention for you to get enough electrolytes?:
"Keto-flu" and Sufficient Intake of Electrolytes

Learn how to prepare lunch and dinners in batches....

Plan your which restaurants to go to. Some are more challenging than others to eat at. Sandwich shops, bread shops, bakeries avoid.

Read some of my links below my signature...

I hope this helps,
Dan the Man from Michigan
Keto / IF / Sedentary
92 pounds down, 32 to go.
Previous Discussions on the LCD & Keto Groups
DittoDan's Keto Sub Groups Blog
It's Ketogenic or Bariatric Surgery! How I Found the Ketogenic Diet
Blog #10 Keto: Abbreviations, Acronyms & Terminology Used on the LCD & Keto Discussion Groups Updated
Blog #13 DittoDan's Milestone's, First's And Good Changes Since Starting the Ketogenic Diet Updated
DittoDan's Keto Blogs
How I got Off of Diabetic Prescriptions Drugs Since I Started Keto Updated
Blog #11 Really Good Keto Websites
Low Carb Discussion Group on MFP (LCD)

CoconuttyMummy

Great advice for getting started, @DittoDan