Insight and opinions please

mongoosealamode

Sorry for the long post.

I started keto March 2015. The first 7-8 months were amazing - I swam every day from June to August and lost a total of 40lbs. Right before thanksgiving I got really sick and, because I couldn't keep anything keto down, after about 4 days I decided I needed some bread. That worked and I *VERY* slowly was able to eat a decent amount of food per day - I still lost another 5lbs in a week and a half just because I couldn't eat much. I decided from that point until mid January I wasn't going to stick keto because of Christmas and my birthday.

After that I went full on back into keto but my gusto for being meticulous was disappearing. I wasn't measuring and weighing everything like before and because of this I was basically in maintenance which was fine.

For maybe 2 months I have been struggling. I am still keto but I'm not strict. Mostly my not so keto foods are carb balance tortillas and larger portions of veggies than before - other than that I eat keto. My problem is that I'm not Super passionate about keto any more and I really REALLY miss some things I used to eat like smoothies and really nice grainy bread.

I am the kind of person that can't really stick to one thing for a long time. I don't know if I just get bored or loose motivation or what. This part of me has always made me feel like a failure at everything... But I also feel like if my heart isn't in it then I will likely fly off the handle.. which I kinda started with eating more than I should

I have been thinking about not being keto but still keeping things out of my diet. I don't really know how well it will work though based on things I would like to keep and bring back.
I know I don't really have a desire to eat things like potatoes, pasta, most bread, processed foods like junk food, anything with added sugar, etc.
I would like to continue to consume veggies, good and fatty meats, hwc, butter, cheese, and BPC(regular is ruined for me)
I would also like to include, in moderation of course, the occasional super grainy seedy bread, fruit, and more veggies like carrots, peas, and sweet potatoes.

Is this reasonable? I usually have a bpc every day. I am afraid that if I eat a little more carbs and sugar, the fats will be too much and I will start gaining more.

Any thoughts, insights, experiences, ideas, etc are greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
Liz

KnitOrMiss

Absolutely reasonable. I'm kind of in the same boat, though not going back to all the veggies and such yet. In the diabetes treatment/prevention seminar about a month ago, one of the suggestions was to do 1/4 cup of veggies at breakfast, 1/2 cup or so at lunch, and 3/4 cup at dinner... Sometimes, even full on keto, I'll do a cup or more of broccoli with dinner, so personally, I felt those suggestions fit for the still not as starchy veggies (like no potatoes, corn, etc.)...

I would work to create new macros but still stay under 100 grams of carbs a day... Adjust your protein and fats accordingly. This is still medically considered low carb high fat moderate protein - it's just not low enough for keto. Many folks in this group have had lots of success doing that. @Sabine_Stroehm is one of our group mods here, and she does a slow-carb situation, if I recall correctly.

It's all about balance... I hope you find your good space!

Hugs, Knit

auntstephie321

Sounds like a great plan to me. Keep us updated on how it goes. I like to eat a bit higher carbs, around 100g as well but my method is not nearly as well planned as yours. I end up using my carbs for things like chocolate, ice cream, and alcohol. I think that naturally if you are eating a bit more carbs the fats would lower a bit, on days I've done well that's what I've noticed. Not recommended. I think your plan sounds well thought out and sustainable. Good luck.

baconslave

I moved from keto to 100g/day.
I eat protein and fat for breakfast (eases insulin production into your day. Minimal response in the morning is better.)
The rest of the day for my carbs, I eat lots of non-starchy veggies and some low-carb dairy, a little higher carb dairy (yogurt) a little nuts, and for supper I have one serving of some kind of bean and a bedtime snack of a piece of fruit (orange, banana, or apple.) I'll have peas instead of beans sometimes or corn if it's fresh. Not a huge amount, just a serving which is usually a half-cup. It's working really well. I'm still LCHF. I don't have crazy cravings. It's good.

I listened to a chick named Elizabeth Benton (primalpotential.com). She has 170ish podcasts, and I listened to a lot of them to formulate how I currently eat. She also has a great take on the mindset aspect of weight loss. And once you can get past her voice, which some might find a little annoying, she's worth listening to.

Sabine_Stroehm

KnitOrMiss wrote: »

Absolutely reasonable. I'm kind of in the same boat, though not going back to all the veggies and such yet. In the diabetes treatment/prevention seminar about a month ago, one of the suggestions was to do 1/4 cup of veggies at breakfast, 1/2 cup or so at lunch, and 3/4 cup at dinner... Sometimes, even full on keto, I'll do a cup or more of broccoli with dinner, so personally, I felt those suggestions fit for the still not as starchy veggies (like no potatoes, corn, etc.)...

I would work to create new macros but still stay under 100 grams of carbs a day... Adjust your protein and fats accordingly. This is still medically considered low carb high fat moderate protein - it's just not low enough for keto. Many folks in this group have had lots of success doing that. @Sabine_Stroehm is one of our group mods here, and she does a slow-carb situation, if I recall correctly.

It's all about balance... I hope you find your good space!

Hugs, Knit

Yup. I eat "slow carb". I have eaten this way for about 14-15 years. Been maintaining that long too. I eat flatout wraps when I have a hankering for bread, and I eat all the plant foods my heart desires (a lot). I also eat legumes fairly regularly.
I do eat quite a bit of fat, but more often than not it's from fish or avocados.
My diet most closely resembles a South Beach Style, except I don't eat as much fruits and grains as south beach encourages, and I don't fret the occasional potatoes or corn. (I also moderate that group)

Like you I don't really eat pasta and I eat no heavily processed junk foods.

I do have smoothies, but they are mostly veg (and hemp seeds, and yogurt, and just a bit of berries.

Hope you find what works for you.

FitToLead

Hi, much sympathy for the struggle. I am not on keto .. i have a few other problems that keto makes worse, as does coffee, but I am quite familiar with it, and did lose weight while in ketosis.

I can can stay focused for 2-3 months usually on any new regime, but when I go off the path- I don't end up in the wrong street, its like I drive through the wrong suburb, out into the country and can end up all the way into some other state:)

I am now a mix of low carb, high fat, clean, paleo. It allows me to listen to my body and its changing needs. I do well with a decent slug of vegies, can manage sweet potato, carrot, and occasionally small amt of peas - just not all of those in one sitting. And i have higher cals some days, less on others.

For me, I love that kind of bread you talk of, tho if I start eating it, I can't stop. so for me I can't indulge. Like you, I no longer crave sugar, potatoes, rice, pasta, processed food. Unless I am tired from lack of sleep. I can't help think that finding our way with dropping weight is, as they say, a way of life, and that has to be sustainable.

I'm now accepting that weight loss is not a straight line, and sometimes I might have a few days or a week off track, then a movement back on track. It helps when I go back on track to tighten up, on a slightly altered regime to get me back into gear.

I can't really do sugar, except when I do a lot of exercise I might have an apple. Beyond that, it messes with me.

So I'm not sure I have much advice, but for me, learning to live a sustainable journey is important, I have quite a way to go.