Keto Newbie - Questions and Concerns

Rockkap

I started Keto this week after researching and finding it is the optimal WOE for cancer patients (Cervical Cancer currently). I've picked up a few books to read this week and have done hours of online searches, but would like to hear your opinions.

Friends have posted that they lost a massive amount of weight right of the back. I haven't lost anything, I actually gained. I switched from low carb (I thought it was low until Keto- 53g), low fat, low sodium from following Jim Stoppani. My carbs with keto have been 20g spot on, fat 100g and sodium about 3g. Upon researching it appears Ketoers need between 3-5g a day.
My body fat % has went up (Yes, I am very hydrated), less shredded and weight gained. I am supposing it is sodium retention?

The thought of high fat and high sodium is a bit scary from what I just came from.
Did anyone else experience a gain right after starting, is this normal? Helpful responses only please, I see so much attitude in these forums- that only detours people and ruins progress.

KnitOrMiss

Weight gain, weight loss, bloating, cellular repair, fighting disease, all of it is normal, because we're all so different. If you were relatively close to goal weight when you started, the body might be holding onto extra nutrients to fight your cancer, or heaven only knows what!

Essentially the first 4-12 weeks can be mayhem. But you really need to focus on how you feel - physically, aside from the obvious cancer effects. I retain a lot of water when I don't get enough sodium... others are different.

I don't know specifically Jim Stoppani, but @FIT_Goat is our resident carnivore, and likely has some links about how "zero carb" is used to fight off a number of things....restore health, and so many things.

@GaleHawkins is very active in cancer research and protocols. I'm not sure if he is active in this group - or just in the LCD Group http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/394-low-carber-daily-forum-the-lcd-group...

Best of luck to you as you adjust...and on your FIGHT!

Yi5hedr3

Yikes! If you were doing low carb AND low fat at same time, you must have been eating massive amounts of protein! Not good. Be sure to keep your protein in the .7 to 1 gram per pound of Lean Body Mass, per day.

GaleHawkins

@mrsalexander89 for the first 6 weeks in ketosis I did not lose even 1 pound but did lose an inch or so at the waist and face. My weight loss is slow but with my fats macro being about 80%. Dr. Peter Attia of eatingacademy.com/ states when fats make up more than 45% of calories then it does slow weight loss. While I will lose another 20 pounds down the road pain management is my overriding objective to do keto after testing it 1.5 years ago and found that it worked for me when I went off of sugars as well as any and all forms of all grains.

I have been interested in reading about prevention and or treatment of cancer by diet for a long time it was when I was facing Enbrel injections for pain management and the cancer risk with Enbrel use that drove me initially then about the same time a neighbor had cancer but he passed before I learned a lot and had a chance to test several different cancer protocols on my self as being safe. Keto eating addressed my joint and muscle pain permitting me to dodge any cancer risk that may have come from the use of Enbrel.

Some that I did test on myself I will do again if directly facing cancer but did have some sides in my case so I will not do them regularly for prevention only. One that I maintain is trying to keep my Vit D levels in 70-90 range by taking Vit D3/Vit K2. At my age maintaining the Vit D levels of 70-90 is more to reduce the risks from all forms of premature death especially heart attack and stroke. There are other simple things like taking Wobenzym daily as well as fish and quill oil plus other things to help cellular health. While I work to make sure my BG level is <100 100% of the time since glucose seems to been the energy source required for cancer to spread I would look to drive it down to at least the 80 range if possible. I use Google for medical research.

Bluntly people talk about different protocols for cancer prevention and/or recovery but I have not found anyone anecdotal protocol that works that well after cancer is advanced but do believe there is hope at any point but preventing cancer seems to be a "low brainer". They tell us we will have had cancer growing for 10 years before it typically is clinically detected.

My neighbor did not directly die from his cancer but he flat out starved himself to death after they sent him home to die. The will to live seems to be key. Sadly my neighbor would only eat chocolate cup cakes. Carbs we know feeds cancer the most and fats does not drive the spread of cancer at all.

Back to Keto and weight loss I do not find it a magic bullet but in my case it seems magical how my pain, blood markers, weight, etc were addressed well when I cold turkey left sugars and grains Oct 2014. I have maintained on 2500-3000 calories daily for the past 12 months keeping my carbs <50 grams daily 90%+ of the time.

Best of success and welcome to MFP forums.

Rockkap

Thank you both for your wisdom and insight, this was very helpful!

DananaNanas

I have no advice lol just wanted to say welcome and good luck!

kirkor

mrsalexander89 wrote: »

Helpful responses only please, I see so much attitude in these forums- that only detours people and ruins progress.

That's the main forums. This one and Low-Carber Daily (http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/394-low-carber-daily-forum-the-lcd-group) are good ones.