Ketosis?

psychomajor07

Anyone have any thoughts on ketosis to lose weight? I'd like to lose the 80lbs I gained after some personal stuff. I've read and have been told that this is an effective way to lose a considerable amount of weight in a fairly timely manner.

earlnabby

It is one of many ways to lose weight. All you need to do is eat fewer calories than you burn. Going super low carb helps some get into that calorie deficit, but you still have to eat less than you burn. Keto eating does not magically make the weight go away. Some are happy eating like that, others cannot. It is a personal thing.

madarcom

I'd definitely do some research to see if it's right for you, but the Keto subreddit is a great resource if you want to give it a try. I've found success in it but it's something you have to really stick with and make the lifestyle shift in order to get the most benefit in the long run.

Here's some links for you to reference

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aiHSPoto_YqsNTDvL-g60nytMnyH-CJcCbiAx1IEUYM/mobilebasic?pli=1
https://www.reddit.com/r/keto
https://www.reddit.com/r/keto/wiki/faq

SciranBG

Keto helps most people, and especially obese people with hunger while in a calorie deficit, but the only reason the weight loss is so rapid on keto is because of the loss of water weight and glycogen. That's also why its extra important to drink enough water and possibly supplement things like sodium/potassium/magnesium. If you choose to end a low carb style of eating that water weight will return.

nvmomketo

I have been in ketosis for the past 8 months. It can be a satisfying way to create a caloric deficit, especially those with insulin resistance who tend to lose a bit faster eating LCHF.

The benefits of ketosis are often a reduced appetite, reduced carb/sugar cravings, improved blood glucose (and associated issues including hypoglycaemia, clearer skin, better mental clarity and energy levels) and lipid panels.

You may lose a but of water weight but it only amounts to a pound or so. Nothing big. The water loss may throw off your electrolytes and cause fatigue, headaches, muscle soreness or nausea. If you increase sodium up to 3000-5000mg of sodium per day, and add potassium and magnesium, you can largely avoid those issues.

To keep my carbs low (below 20g) I avoid foods with added sugars, baked goods, noodles, grains (oats, corn, rice, etc), tropical and sugary fruits, and starchy veggies. I eat lots of coconut oil, coconut, eggs, cheese, nuts, meat, heavy cream, cheese, avocados and butters. I eat some veggies but I have been cutting back because I find I feel better the fewer plant products in my diet. Other ketofiles include berries or a limited amount of baked goods made with almond or coconut flour.

Come join the Low Carber Daily. That is where most ketofiles hang out. http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/394-low-carber-daily-forum-the-lcd-group

Yi5hedr3

It's the best for controlling hunger, which is a huge part of weight loss.

sceleratis

I did keto for a year. It helped me drop over 40 pounds of the 60 I've lost total. It is an amazing tool, but it is by no means magic. Someone else suggested the keto subreddit and it is an excellent resource. Knowledge is truly power in this case, so make sure you read the FAQ there as it is very helpful. I can say that I definitely suggest it to anyone who has a large amount of weight to lose as keto helps with curbing hunger naturally since fat is very satiating.

psuLemon

If you are the type that like restrictive diets and it can help you get in a calorie deficit, then it's good. Some people don't respond well to little to no carbs... some thrive on it. Just make sure you understand the semantics.

macchiatto

Ditto much of what @nvmomketo said. I've been in ketosis for over 3 months and am also insulin resistant so it's worked better for me than other methods. Besides weight loss, I had some other benefits I wasn't expecting; my joint pain, reflux and other GI issues all really improved since eating this way. There is a range within ketosis as pp's have mentioned; I aim for 20-30 gm net carbs/day so I include more vegetables (and sometimes berries or other lower-sugar fruits) than some ketofiles. Even though at first it sounded way too restrictive for me, I've felt a lot less hungry and more satisfied eating this way than at higher carb levels, even at the same calorie level. It's not for everybody but might be worth a try.

yarwell

psychomajor07 wrote: »

Anyone have any thoughts on ketosis to lose weight? I'd like to lose the 80lbs I gained after some personal stuff. I've read and have been told that this is an effective way to lose a considerable amount of weight in a fairly timely manner.

Probably best to think in terms of "a ketogenic diet" rather than specifically ketosis. Some people struggle to achieve significant levels of ketones in the blood / urine and this can be a cause of stress. If you're eating below 50 g of carbohydrate with moderate protein you're likely to be in the right zone.

lemurcat12

There's already a keto thread in this section, although I'm not sure if it was really intended as a debate thread. Anyway, to repeat what I said there:

You chose to post this in the debate section. Do you wish to debate the merits of the keto diet? If you want support, there's a good low carb group, and the Motivation forum.

If you want to discuss keto, here's my view:

(1) It works as a weight loss method so long as it is a means to cut calories. All methods that have you eat less than you burn should work. It's not necessary to lose weight or superior to other methods, and is not for everyone or even most people.

(2) It can be a great choice for people who find that they are more likely to have cravings or difficulty being satisfied on a higher carb or even moderate carb diet (I don't understand how this is, so it's obviously not for me) or for someone who simply prefers high fat foods to most carbs.

(3) It is often tried before someone tries just changing their carb choices, and if someone is eating a low nutrient diet and their carb choices are mostly sweets or refined grains or soda or the like and they don't eat many vegetables, they should probably fix that before deciding carbs are the problem.

(4) It can be healthy (although no more so than other diets), but is only healthy if someone makes good food choices and doesn't just lower carbs. Those good food choices frequently will include carbs -- specifically, I am skeptical that people are better off ignoring the dietary advice to eat a good amount and variety of vegetables (I do know there are some rare digestive issues that would be an exception).

GaleHawkins

Ketosis is not a weight loss program in my view. In my case it was just a by product of cutting out sugar and all forms of grains to manage my joint and muscle pain without requiring Enbrel injections. The side effect in my case of losing the sugar and grains was my carb cravings just faded away after a few weeks. Then I was able to eat and stay full and lose/maintain. Living on high carbs seems to have been the trigger of my body inflammation.