Keto vs LCHF
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...primarily for weight loss. I found the chart that....hmmm...fitgoat? I don't know I really don't remember....posted extremely interesting. Seems like most people on here are going for keto....less than 20 carbs a day. I have also been doing that but I was considering going higher. Like 40 maybe. But primarily I'm trying to help my husband on this and I think he would be much happier starting out higher. I think I might be the minority here, and I was wondering why some people chose to start out at that extremely low 20 net carbs per day instead of reducing to like say 40 to 50? Just curious. I like to hear what other people's experiences are
I'm happier at higher. I think you should play around with it, see how you feel, and see what is comfortable and sustainable for you.0 -
...primarily for weight loss. I found the chart that....hmmm...fitgoat? I don't know I really don't remember....posted extremely interesting. Seems like most people on here are going for keto....less than 20 carbs a day. I have also been doing that but I was considering going higher. Like 40 maybe. But primarily I'm trying to help my husband on this and I think he would be much happier starting out higher. I think I might be the minority here, and I was wondering why some people chose to start out at that extremely low 20 net carbs per day instead of reducing to like say 40 to 50? Just curious. I like to hear what other people's experiences are
This one? http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10343022/recalibration-time-what-is-the-low-in-low-carb/p1
That was me, precisely because most people here aren't actually going for keto levels, but those of us on the lower end tend to be more vocal on here, and it's gotten to the point where people think that keto is required, and "higher carb" means 50g a day, neither of which are actually true.
There's a bit of a bias toward those of us on keto, in part because we tend to have more problems that are being resolved through this way of eating. You'll see a lot of us with Diabetes, PCOS, fibromyalgia, RA, IBS, and other "chronic"/"incurable" disorders at these lower levels. It also tends to be a bit more challenging (not just the way of eating, itself, but because it literally turns everything we've ever been taught on its head, so there's a huge psychological element, too) for those just starting out if they're going that low for whatever reason, so more questions come up.
If the only reason you and/or your husband is doing it is for weight loss, then hanging out in the 100g range is just fine. Setting the limit to 100g is, in my opinion, a good starting point, because it's low enough to force you to change your habits, but high enough to not be too intimidating and be more forgiving of stumbles as you learn where all the hidden sources of carbs are. You can then adjust up or down from there, depending on your personal needs.0 -
Great points, @Dragonwolf.0
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Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »There's actually a lot of members at higher levels.
I personally chose the Keto level initially as kind of a personal challenge and because I had a seriously bad sugar addiction. I was eating multiple boxes of movie theater sized candy a week. I'd eat some every single day and hide it in different places because I knew eating so much candy was a problem, but I didn't want my husband to know just how often I was eating it.
I had to try really hard not to eat the entire box so that it would last more than one day.
Anyway, I found that I was able to completely resist any candy temptation as long as I kept carbs really low. If I had more or if I had too much sweetened foods (low carb treats and such), that I would find myself craving sweets and generally feeling hungrier. I like being in control and the lower carbs give me that.
Then, as I learned more and noticed more of the benefits, I decided Keto is my lifelong plan for the mental benefits of ketosis.
Oh my gosh this sounds exactly like me with the candy (chocolate, biscuits etc...) I feel so ashamed but keep doing it and hiding it. It's so embarassing. But I'm on day 1 today and don't want to go back to the shame!0 -
I try and keep my total carbs under 100g. I did do keto levels for a while and it was easier to lose weight then at the lower level of carbs. But I'll keep that in my tool box if I ever really need it, such as a long plateau or if health conditions pop up that warrant it.0
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Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »There's actually a lot of members at higher levels.
I personally chose the Keto level initially as kind of a personal challenge and because I had a seriously bad sugar addiction. I was eating multiple boxes of movie theater sized candy a week. I'd eat some every single day and hide it in different places because I knew eating so much candy was a problem, but I didn't want my husband to know just how often I was eating it.
I had to try really hard not to eat the entire box so that it would last more than one day.
Anyway, I found that I was able to completely resist any candy temptation as long as I kept carbs really low. If I had more or if I had too much sweetened foods (low carb treats and such), that I would find myself craving sweets and generally feeling hungrier. I like being in control and the lower carbs give me that.
Then, as I learned more and noticed more of the benefits, I decided Keto is my lifelong plan for the mental benefits of ketosis.
Oh my gosh this sounds exactly like me with the candy (chocolate, biscuits etc...) I feel so ashamed but keep doing it and hiding it. It's so embarassing. But I'm on day 1 today and don't want to go back to the shame!
You can do it! I was super hard core with the sugar! Lol
I would find a reason to "have to" go to the store. I'd come home with tampons or something but have 4 boxes of candy in my car. 1 of them would be half devoured on the half mile drive home and I'd have some in my pocket so I could still eat them and not have to wait til the next day when I could get them out of my car.
I drew strength from people I cared about that we're going through much more difficult things. My niece was a recovering drug addict, just out of prison and doing well. Still is thank god! And my dad was being treated for lung cancer and couldn't stomach much food but was forcing down the bare minimum each day anyway.
I thought to myself "If I can't even just stop eating all this stupid candy that I don't actually want to eat, but my niece can stay clean and re adapt to her new life and my dad can feel like absolute hell but still make every effort to fight for life, then I can surely, just not eat candy!" Ugh! I hated that I even felt like it was hard to do! I was completely embarrassed by how weak and childish I started to feel. I literally got kinda mad at myself and said that's it! This is not the hardest thing I'm ever going to have to do in my life. I had to be successful or I had no right to expect my family to fight their much more challenging battles. Mine was so trivial by comparison.
Sorry I didn't mean to rant. This subject gets me every time!0 -
Nice heartfelt post @Sunny_Bunny. Definitely puts things into perspective xx0
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Wow powerful words @Sunny_Bunny_
We all can relate!0 -
@Sunny_Bunny_ inspiring people in your life. I think you are also one of them. Your kicking a food addiction is potentially harder than your niece's kicking drug addiction. I am not belittling her efforts either, just flagging that unfortunately for you and anyone struggling with food addiction, we can't decide one day to give up food completely. We still need to eat and we are around those food temptations every day. That is a huge achievement!!0
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@Sunny_Bunny_ It also helps to remember that the carbs in the candy were abetting that addiction -- HC really does affect how we think and feel, and logic goes out the window.0
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When I first began LCHF I was at 100gm a day. My original goal was weight loss. I felt so good at 100 I kept dropping the number and found I felt better the lower I went (fibromyalgia, headaches, cervical dystonia began to resolve!) I still wanted the weight loss, but began to focus on the health benefits I was seeing, making any weight loss a sort of side effect to this woe. I do still have about twenty pounds I want to lose, but know it will come with time. I eat to feel better at this point and find if I get any higher carb foods (including veggies) on a regular basis I begin to have old pains again. This is a motivation I've never found with just weight loss that I wish I could share with others (not the pain, but the motivation!)!!
Success comes when you find your sweet spot (carb level), and stick with it, no matter what that level of low carb is!0 -
In 2010 I lost 25 pounds eating around 120g total carbs per day (15 g total sugar). For various excuses, I fell off and couldn't get myself back into it for years. When I came back in Feb 2015 I went for Keto levels and found it FAR easier to stick with, though the weight loss has been slower. I'm obviously older, and I think I did some damage with regards to insulin resistance in those years of on/off LC eating (and I completely forgot the HF part).
So now I find I do best when I eat between 5 - 15 total grams of carbs per day, get lots of walking in, keep green vegetables to one meal per day, and avoid sweeteners and dairy. But right now I'm experimenting a bit to see what other things might work for me (for reducing inflammation).
Experimenting is useful, but it's completely stopped my losses, and I'm actually up a smattering of pounds from where I was at the end of 2015. If my goal was pure weight loss I'd go right back to where I was and focus on those very low levels of carbs.0 -
Great post @Sunny_Bunny_ . Most humans agree doing drugs is unhealthy but that eating candy is OK. It is good to here your father is forcing himself to eat. I had a friend that starved to death long before cancer would have taken him out directly.0
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Thanks for sharing that @Sunny_Bunny_ . I can relate to hiding candy in the car! I couldn't discipline myself enough until I got bad bloodwork from the doctor...it was almost like I needed to be *ordered* to change my habits by someone outside of my daily life.0
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Well, I started last June on Atkins Induction because of my hubby (who has since quit). It's basically 20g (net) or less. That transitioned to keto when I found out keto was actually a thing. Nowadays..... I tend to net 30 or less most days, but if I go up to 50 or so, I don't really sweat it. I'm losing fairly steadily 2lbs a week at least on average. I was diagnosed type II in January, but since getting super strict again, my BG is now perfect, fasting and non-fasting. I can't wait till the end of the month and see my Dr's face.
I've lost 21 lbs in a month and a half (which some was holiday water weight gain, stupid carbs and glycogen refilling.) I'm hoping to win my dietbet this month too. Only 4 lbs left to go by March 22nd. WOOT! 0
