Newbie and Net Carbs

DorkothyParker

Ok. I confess, I've been chatting in here like I know what I'm talking about; I don't.

I count Net Carbs generally. Now I've looked back and it looks like I consume about 40-55 actual carbs in a day (generally in the middle with a couple outlying days). Is that enough for a newbie to go keto or do I need to shock my system?
How do I get enough fiber if I only have 25-30 real carbs/day? Or do you guys know some super cool poop trick?

Finally. I'm a Questbar addict. Can I just have someone tell me it's okay to have this for breakfast every morning with my coconut oil coffee? I need validation! Also this is a large source of my fiber.

PS. Feel free to look at my diary and offer pointers. Although, I may not be in a place yet to take on some of the more ambitious ideas.

dasher602014

Magnesium is my poop trick. Wonderful stuff. Cheese is a problem.

DorkothyParker

PS. I would say I'm about a week in but I've been creeping there for a few days before then.

wabmester

If questbars and BPC are a sustainable diet for you, then go for it! The single biggest factor (IMO) is sustainability -- whatever will work for you in the long term.

Help us out here. What are your goals? Why do you want to be ketogenic?

DorkothyParker

I guess I thought I was supposed to be ketogenic?

I'm a recovered anorexic (4.5 years strong) so I am hesitant to focus on a simple CICO model. I really love the idea of high fat and have felt a lot better this past week and have started to lose some of my grad school (pizza, beer, and stress diet) weight.

I guess I want balance, but I also want to be healthfully slender. (GW would be roughly 110-115 for my height).

I don't mind convenience foods especially in the morning as I never ate breakfast before and I am pressed for time. I used to be able to not eat for hours and hours but now I get headaches or feel ill if I don't eat food. Especially if I exercise. Not that not eating was a good habit, but my body seems to be changing over the last year or two. I like eating. I want to eat! But I gained 6 lbs when I started school in the fall and I needed a change. Tried a CICO low fat and was hungry, grumpy, and it all came back.

My husband does most of the cooking in my house and isn't LC but is adapting somewhat for me. I don't have any desire currently for almond crust pizza but that may change. For now, not looking for low-carb versions of SAD, but that will change in time I'm sure.

Sorry, I just go on and on.

Both my sisters do LC but I know at least one doesn't count carbs or calories. They've been doing it long enough to probably know pretty well. They look fantastic. I want that to be me. I don't want my hair to fall out or to upset my menstrual cycle or get dry skin or be sick.

I want results the right way.

wabmester

DorkothyParker wrote: »

Both my sisters do LC but I know at least one doesn't count carbs or calories. They've been doing it long enough to probably know pretty well. They look fantastic. I want that to be me. I don't want my hair to fall out or to upset my menstrual cycle or get dry skin or be sick.

I want results the right way.

I guess there are several theories of how this works, but just about everybody agrees that some of the magic comes from the appetite effects. And most people agree that the appetite becomes better regulated because you're getting sufficient nutrients.

So I think your non-counting sister has the right idea. Don't obsess about counting anything -- neither calories nor carbs.

Ketosis has some cool effects, and some people specifically seek out those effects. It's not a black and white state. You make increasingly more ketones as you restrict carbs. Everybody who restricts below about 130g/d will make some ketones. You'll make more if you restrict more. You'll also make more if you exercise.

Personally, I like implementing the diet with mostly whole foods. Just because my ancestors didn't eat Quest bars.

Fiber is fine. Your gut bacteria will be happy to chew it up for you.

Sunny_Bunny_

I personally don't eat quest bars. My reason is very specific though. They make me feel like the sugar fiend I used to be! I start wanting more and more sweet stuff. It doesn't have to be actual sugar for it to give me crazy sugar hunting cravings. And I'm happy eating sugar free stuff to satisfy it. But the problem is an unnatural hunger that it makes me feel and causes me to overeat and that's not helping me on my long term path to learn to only eat when hungry.
So, if you can eat them without any issues, whatever they may be, then I don't see why you can't continue.

Panda_Poptarts

DorkothyParker wrote: »

I guess I thought I was supposed to be ketogenic?

If Quest bars are what works for you, go for it! You shouldn't notice any negative affects, even at very low carb intake, as long as you're eating enough fat. I've actually noticed my hair getting thicker, and my skin seeming more supple (Usually- lol) since going LCHF. I have a theory that carbs are super unnecessary, as long as we're getting enough fuel (fat). That being said, if you want to be a bit higher on the carb spectrum, that's fine too! Whatever is going to be sustainable and healthy (both mentally and physically) for you in the long term.