Keto--what are your thoughts?
Options
Replies
-
I know the OP decided against keto, but I'll add my experience anyways.
I've been in ketosis for about 2 months and it seems to be the way my body does best. For me it is that perfect fit, although that's not to say I'll do it forever - I may switch to lowcarb one day in the far future.
I switched to keto reverse prediabetes, reduce inflammation and arthritic pain, control sweet cravings and to help me lose weight and it has done all of that for me and more. If I eat very low carbs my blood glucose stays perfect and I don't deal with mild reactive hypoglycemia anymore. My joint pain and inflammation is better. I don't crave sweets at all anymore, which seems like a miracle, and I have lost 20 lbs in 2 months, which is pretty good since I wasn't that overweight to begin with - I am still losing at the same rate even though my BMI is now normal (at about 1600 calories per day).
Ketosis is one of those ways of eating that can have a lot of health benefits and can be very enjoyable.0 -
-
tincanonastring wrote: »
I'm not convinced that carbs aren't required for human health.
The Institute of Medicine doesn't know either "“The lower limit of dietary carbohydrate compatible with life apparently is zero, provided that adequate amounts of protein and fat are consumed. However, the amount of dietary carbohydrate that provides for optimal health in humans is unknown." http://iom.nationalacademies.org/Reports/2006/Dietary-Reference-Intakes-Essential-Guide-Nutrient-Requirements.aspx
0 -
Yes... There is no such thing as "essential carbohydrates", because the body itself can produce the necessary glucose (mainly from proteins, that's why eating too much proteins can stop ketosis).0
-
I haven't done Keto myself, but when my daughter was 6 y.o, she had epilepsy and we put her in a study for the Modified Atkins Diet that would induce Ketosis. At the time, she was taking 11 pills for her illness. It was incredibly difficult to change my mindset that (most) fruits = bad and cream and butter and fat = good, but it somehow worked for her! She was in ketosis for 2.5 years, never saw another seizure after week 7, weaned off all medication, weaned off ketosis and Atkins. This was 4 years ago and she is still seizure free. As an aside, because this was under dr supervision, her blood work was done regularily. Her cholesterol actually went down from baseline after the 2 month mark, and although she wasn't overweight, she became a bit leaner.0
-
stevencloser wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »The point is that in ketosis, there is no such thing as hunger or cravings. That's why in ketosis you don't need to count calories - you are going to eat less.
This is not true for everyone, that they eat less on keto. Some people also manage to maintain or gain on keto -- it's supposed to be a lifestyle, not a diet, after all.
I think keto works great for some people. Not everyone struggles with hunger (at least not physical hunger) or cravings, though, or wants their appetite to go away. And in that I've seen people fail on keto, it doesn't work for everyone.
I love fat and protein (and veggies cooked in fat), so I am pretty sure that after an adjustment period I could overeat on keto as easily as with any other eating style. I also believe that I feel better eating a more balanced diet with a good mix of less processed carbs (and some carb and fat based treats, sure), so that works for me.
I think people who enjoy keto should do what works for them and those who want to try it should. I only ever comment when people insist it works for everyone or that it's a superior approach in general or that it means that calories don't matter.
Off course you can gain on keto... Actually, I'm in bulk phase.
And I've lose the most part of my fat on a standard hypocaloric diet (14kg).
That's why I know how I felt during calories restriction during a high carb diet and during a high fat diet. It is quite simpler to limit food intake if you don't feel hungry.
Then there are other things to consider... But the point is simple: you cannot choose keto if you enjoy eating foods that are not compatible with it.
Any food is compatible with keto in the right quantity.
No not really, because of the strict upper limit on carbs, choosing to eat one thing that's higher in carbs would necessarily come at the detriment of stuff like veggies. Unless you're gonna call "half a slice of pizza and the rest of your day has to be entirely meat and fats so you're not over your carbs" compatible.
Most people can stay in ketosis somewhere in the range of under 50-100 grams depending on activity levels. Sedentary under 50 and higher for more active. The amount of a carb based 'treat' food needed for a fix is pretty small when you are not regularly eating starch and sugar in quantity. In the past I ate huge portions, so this is a noticeable change in my habits.
It is kind of alien to me how you are elevating vegetables nutritionally over fats and proteins. Fats an proteins are the essential macronutrients and contain all the micronutrients required. You can build a nutritional diet with minimal carbohydrates.
0 -
If you love them so much, it would be for you....0
-
stevencloser wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »The point is that in ketosis, there is no such thing as hunger or cravings. That's why in ketosis you don't need to count calories - you are going to eat less.
This is not true for everyone, that they eat less on keto. Some people also manage to maintain or gain on keto -- it's supposed to be a lifestyle, not a diet, after all.
I think keto works great for some people. Not everyone struggles with hunger (at least not physical hunger) or cravings, though, or wants their appetite to go away. And in that I've seen people fail on keto, it doesn't work for everyone.
I love fat and protein (and veggies cooked in fat), so I am pretty sure that after an adjustment period I could overeat on keto as easily as with any other eating style. I also believe that I feel better eating a more balanced diet with a good mix of less processed carbs (and some carb and fat based treats, sure), so that works for me.
I think people who enjoy keto should do what works for them and those who want to try it should. I only ever comment when people insist it works for everyone or that it's a superior approach in general or that it means that calories don't matter.
Off course you can gain on keto... Actually, I'm in bulk phase.
And I've lose the most part of my fat on a standard hypocaloric diet (14kg).
That's why I know how I felt during calories restriction during a high carb diet and during a high fat diet. It is quite simpler to limit food intake if you don't feel hungry.
Then there are other things to consider... But the point is simple: you cannot choose keto if you enjoy eating foods that are not compatible with it.
Any food is compatible with keto in the right quantity.
No not really, because of the strict upper limit on carbs, choosing to eat one thing that's higher in carbs would necessarily come at the detriment of stuff like veggies. Unless you're gonna call "half a slice of pizza and the rest of your day has to be entirely meat and fats so you're not over your carbs" compatible.
Most people can stay in ketosis somewhere in the range of under 50-100 grams depending on activity levels. Sedentary under 50 and higher for more active. The amount of a carb based 'treat' food needed for a fix is pretty small when you are not regularly eating starch and sugar in quantity. In the past I ate huge portions, so this is a noticeable change in my habits.
It is kind of alien to me how you are elevating vegetables nutritionally over fats and proteins. Fats an proteins are the essential macronutrients and contain all the micronutrients required. You can build a nutritional diet with minimal carbohydrates.
I understand that way of thinking even though I follow a keto diet. I thought that way for decades, and strove to make veggies the bulk of my meals with plenty of "healthy grains" thrown in, along with extra fibre. We've been so indoctrinated with this info for the past few decades, that it is a hard mindset to let go of. I would probably still think that way if I wasn't constantly reading a wide variety of nutrition, diet or health books in an effort to improve my health.
I get a lot of weird looks from people when they find out that I eat low carb, and tend to not eat fruits or make the majority of my plates veggies. Then come the questions about fibre and nutrients with more disbelieving looks. Now that I've (easily) lost 20lbs, and a couple of sizes, over the summer to get back to a normal BMI, plus improved my health, I am getting a few people who are actually looking into a LCHF or keto diet. People don't generally question what they have been told unless given a reason to. JMO
Keto is an extreme diet only in the sense that not many people do it - it is rare. Sort of how people viewed vegetarians 40 years ago. Scientific theories on nutrition and health are looking into, and supporting LCHF now, so my guess is that attitudes will start changing in the next 15 years.0 -
tincanonastring wrote: »OneHundredToLose wrote: »OneHundredToLose wrote: »Then there are other things to consider... But the point is simple: you cannot choose keto if you enjoy eating foods that are not compatible with it.
That's definitely not true. I did keto for 4 months and lost 30lbs, and many of the food items I had to cut back on were foods I enjoy. The only reason I stopped keto was because it wasn't economically viable for me. Willpower is...well...powerful. You can certainly sustain keto while restraining from eating foods that are not compatible with it.
Again, you are right. Is better to say: "you cannot choose keto if you are not prepared to cut off certain type of food".
(Also I like pizza, but the advantages of being in ketosis are for me greater than the satisfaction I get from food).
I'd absolutely agree with that. I had a few friends who tried keto and thought it was like any other diet where you can have slip days...the problem is that if you slip out of ketosis, it's a long hill back, not quite as easy as just starting over the next day and being right as rain.
That sounds laborious.
No not really. Just eat below 20 grams of carbohydrate/day and Bob's your uncle. Couldn't be simpler.
As to enjoyment. Boy did I enjoy bread! I even own a Community Shared Bakery. And boy did the bread make me sick. Keto has been a lifesaver for me, I went from metabolic syndrome, pre-diabetes and insulin resistance to healthy blood work, a great deal more energy and an end to my carbohydrate cravings.
So, after all this, it is really easy to cut back on the carbs. They make me sick, I don't eat them. Nothing laborious about that.
0 -
In fact veggies are very low in NET carbs... I ate more veggies now in keto as before.
0 -
The point is that in ketosis, there is no such thing as hunger or cravings. That's why in ketosis you don't need to count calories - you are going to eat less.
Okay....but not everyone will eat less just because they are on keto.
But if you do automatically eat less, it just means you are in the required calorie deficit to lose weight, which is 100% necessary fro weight loss.
True, but for me the main benefit is the control over insulin response to glucose. The weightloss is really secondary. I had to heal my metabolism.
0 -
I don't know if I could do ketosis. It was awful when I did it involuntarily. I like my moderately low carb diet. I'd rather get my carbs from dairy, beans, starchy vegetables and fruit, (and sweetened chocolate), than from eating a lot of grain.0
-
stevencloser wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »The point is that in ketosis, there is no such thing as hunger or cravings. That's why in ketosis you don't need to count calories - you are going to eat less.
This is not true for everyone, that they eat less on keto. Some people also manage to maintain or gain on keto -- it's supposed to be a lifestyle, not a diet, after all.
I think keto works great for some people. Not everyone struggles with hunger (at least not physical hunger) or cravings, though, or wants their appetite to go away. And in that I've seen people fail on keto, it doesn't work for everyone.
I love fat and protein (and veggies cooked in fat), so I am pretty sure that after an adjustment period I could overeat on keto as easily as with any other eating style. I also believe that I feel better eating a more balanced diet with a good mix of less processed carbs (and some carb and fat based treats, sure), so that works for me.
I think people who enjoy keto should do what works for them and those who want to try it should. I only ever comment when people insist it works for everyone or that it's a superior approach in general or that it means that calories don't matter.
Off course you can gain on keto... Actually, I'm in bulk phase.
And I've lose the most part of my fat on a standard hypocaloric diet (14kg).
That's why I know how I felt during calories restriction during a high carb diet and during a high fat diet. It is quite simpler to limit food intake if you don't feel hungry.
Then there are other things to consider... But the point is simple: you cannot choose keto if you enjoy eating foods that are not compatible with it.
Any food is compatible with keto in the right quantity.
No not really, because of the strict upper limit on carbs, choosing to eat one thing that's higher in carbs would necessarily come at the detriment of stuff like veggies. Unless you're gonna call "half a slice of pizza and the rest of your day has to be entirely meat and fats so you're not over your carbs" compatible.
Most people can stay in ketosis somewhere in the range of under 50-100 grams depending on activity levels. Sedentary under 50 and higher for more active. The amount of a carb based 'treat' food needed for a fix is pretty small when you are not regularly eating starch and sugar in quantity. In the past I ate huge portions, so this is a noticeable change in my habits.
It is kind of alien to me how you are elevating vegetables nutritionally over fats and proteins. Fats an proteins are the essential macronutrients and contain all the micronutrients required. You can build a nutritional diet with minimal carbohydrates.
Citation needed on those.0 -
OneHundredToLose wrote: »OneHundredToLose wrote: »OneHundredToLose wrote: »Then there are other things to consider... But the point is simple: you cannot choose keto if you enjoy eating foods that are not compatible with it.
That's definitely not true. I did keto for 4 months and lost 30lbs, and many of the food items I had to cut back on were foods I enjoy. The only reason I stopped keto was because it wasn't economically viable for me. Willpower is...well...powerful. You can certainly sustain keto while restraining from eating foods that are not compatible with it.
Again, you are right. Is better to say: "you cannot choose keto if you are not prepared to cut off certain type of food".
(Also I like pizza, but the advantages of being in ketosis are for me greater than the satisfaction I get from food).
I'd absolutely agree with that. I had a few friends who tried keto and thought it was like any other diet where you can have slip days...the problem is that if you slip out of ketosis, it's a long hill back, not quite as easy as just starting over the next day and being right as rain.
It's actually not much of a deal at all, really.
k
It takes a 24 hours in my case but it is not like I ate 100 grams of carbs that knocked me out of nutritional ketosis.
0 -
In fact veggies are very low in NET carbs... I ate more veggies now in keto as before.
They are low, but not that low.
I ran a day and was told it was fine for keto (at 38 net grams), but then I hear others saying you need to aim for under 30 or even 20, so who knows.
Just idle curiosity on my part.
I think there's nothing wrong with keto and understand that many who do it eat a good many non starchy vegetables and so I'm sure it can be a healthy way of eating. I will say that I've read lots of stuff on nutrition and have seen no reason to doubt that vegetables are important to nutrition and that while getting adequate protein (including from fish and other meats if you have no ethical problems with it) and healthy fats is important that on the whole having a largely plant-based diet is probably good for health.0 -
juliemom72 wrote: »I haven't done Keto myself, but when my daughter was 6 y.o, she had epilepsy and we put her in a study for the Modified Atkins Diet that would induce Ketosis. At the time, she was taking 11 pills for her illness. It was incredibly difficult to change my mindset that (most) fruits = bad and cream and butter and fat = good, but it somehow worked for her! She was in ketosis for 2.5 years, never saw another seizure after week 7, weaned off all medication, weaned off ketosis and Atkins. This was 4 years ago and she is still seizure free. As an aside, because this was under dr supervision, her blood work was done regularily. Her cholesterol actually went down from baseline after the 2 month mark, and although she wasn't overweight, she became a bit leaner.
Thanks for sharing your nutritional ketosis for medical reasons story. I read a lot of these case studies but it is good to hear it from a proud parent.
0 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »In fact veggies are very low in NET carbs... I ate more veggies now in keto as before.
They are low, but not that low.
I ran a day and was told it was fine for keto (at 38 net grams), but then I hear others saying you need to aim for under 30 or even 20, so who knows.
Just idle curiosity on my part.
I think there's nothing wrong with keto and understand that many who do it eat a good many non starchy vegetables and so I'm sure it can be a healthy way of eating. I will say that I've read lots of stuff on nutrition and have seen no reason to doubt that vegetables are important to nutrition and that while getting adequate protein (including from fish and other meats if you have no ethical problems with it) and healthy fats is important that on the whole having a largely plant-based diet is probably good for health.
They can be that low. I still eat waaaay more veggies than my husband but his rice, bread, noodles, croissant, and mashed potatoes ensure his carbs are almost 10 times what mine are at. He also eats more fruit than me, but I've never eaten much fruit. I don't eat veggies at breakfast anymore so that is a change from my old eating habits, but lunch and dinner usually has veggies, unless I'm not in the mood for them.
I tend to keep my carbs at about 30g but that's because i feel very good there and because I am pretty sedentary beyond a few walks each week. Pretty much everybody will go into ketosis at less than 50g of carbs per day. Very active people will be in ketosis at 150g of carbs per day if they time their carbs correctly (near their activity). I'm too inactive for that level of carbs.0 -
Keto is not for the masses and does not happen with a Standard American Diet (SAD). I tried very hard to go Keto but after two months realized it was not going to happen because I seemed to be addicted to carbs. Cold Turkey I went off all carbs 50 grams or more and in 30 days my pain was well managed which was my only goal. That was nearly a year ago and the pain is still managed well by diet.
I do not think carbs are evil but I know for some reason they became toxic to my body so carbs are evil in the eyes of my body. It will take great effort to shun carbs today.
While I eat Low Carb High Fat for pain control this way of eating has other plus and makes my body and mind more happy than it has been in 30 years.0 -
From Mark's Daily Apple: While I believe we are not meant to run primarily on carbohydrate energy, I do believe we depend on the nutrients offered by low carb vegetables and even some low glycemic fruits. A diet of 20 carbohydrate grams simply can’t allow for the plentiful intake of nutrient-rich vegetables.
Read more: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/dear-mark-ketosis/#ixzz3kEl6jVj9
And Dr Phinney has been quoted repeatedly when someone who consumes higher then 50 grams of carbs is out nutritional ketosis and it takes a minimum of 7 to 14 days to recover. He exercises regularly and has been in nutritional ketosis for 10 plus years. It seems many who think they understand the diet and the needed grams of carbs do not understand the parameters.
Maybe it is the way people measure their current state and think it is a 'switch' or letting the body 'genetically unfold'. I could be getting the genetic part wrong though. . .This is another Sisson quote which I do not understand the rationale.0 -
If you sit down and try to figure out getting 100% of RDI of nutrients it's far from easy on any diet. Best chance is eating different things every day. Or just take the easy way and use a supplement or supplemented protein shake.
Ye olde science says :-
0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 392K Introduce Yourself
- 43.6K Getting Started
- 259.8K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.7K Food and Nutrition
- 47.4K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 402 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.8K Motivation and Support
- 7.9K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.4K MyFitnessPal Information
- 23 News and Announcements
- 997 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.4K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions