Keto Vs. Low Carb
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supergal3
Posts: 523 Member
I am somewhat confused. Can someone clarify the difference between the two (aside from number of carbs ingested)? I know that we can both gain and lose weight doing both; is the main advantage to keto the mental clarity and/or increased energy expenditure?
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Low carb is anything under 150g carbs a day. Typically keto is a much lower carb intake than that. The theory behind it is that at a very low carb intake your body will begin producing ketones from burning fat to run the necessary functions in your body, instead of using glucose. You will gain or lose weight on any type of diet based on your calorie intake and output. Keto and low carb both work for appetite suppression which aids in reducing calorie intake. I've seen that many with insulin resistance or type 1 or type 2 diabetes are able to keep their bg numbers in check by being very low carb/keto, much more so than just low carb. I'd say low carb is the general overriding umbrella and keto is a smaller subset of that category.11
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@supergal3 I do Keto (just under 50 grams of carbs daily) for joint and muscle pain management. Being down 50 pounds is a nice side effect however in my case as well as a better working brain.
I am just one that does not do well with carbs at the age of 65.3 -
Simply, a ketogenic diet ("keto") is keeping carbs low enough for the body to produce ketones. A low carb diet may or may not produce ketones. Typically the lower the carbs, the more ketones produced.
There are numerous potential health benefits to a ketogenic approach; carbs in every form have the potential to be toxic and produce negative side effects from the hormonal to the digestive. Only by experimenting will you be able to find out what health and performance benefits are available to you.
If you care for yourself properly as you experiment (see the Launch Pad re: "keto flu", etc.) there are no negatives to a low carb/keto WOE.
Typically the only negatives are psycho-social, i.e. not feeling normal because most other people don't eat this way. It helps to remember that (by the statistics) most other people are overweight, obese, and/or unhealthy eating a normal Western diet.8 -
Thanks, @auntstephie321, @GaleHawkins @Majcolorado !
I find for myself, I must lower my carb level to 20-25ish to enter nutritional ketosis and was wondering if being that strict with my diet had a real advantage over, say, 50-60 grams. I guess I will have to do some self-experimentation to decide what works best for me.2 -
Majcolorado wrote: »There are numerous potential health benefits to a ketogenic approach; carbs in every form have the potential to be toxic and produce negative side effects from the hormonal to the digestive. Only by experimenting will you be able to find out what health and performance benefits are available to you.
Alas, efficient, minimally-unpleasant self-experimental protocols are far from obvious.
It sure would be great if some of our knowledgeable keto-philes were to whip up some templates to help us evaluate variables!
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Thanks, @auntstephie321, @GaleHawkins @Majcolorado !
I find for myself, I must lower my carb level to 20-25ish to enter nutritional ketosis and was wondering if being that strict with my diet had a real advantage over, say, 50-60 grams. I guess I will have to do some self-experimentation to decide what works best for me.
you would likely be in nutritional ketosis at 50-60 grams as well, especially if you are doing any sort of physical activity. for most the mental clarity and increased energy doesn't last forever usually around 6 weeks or so people start wondering what happened to that great feeling they had in the beginning. I know for me personally I'll be producing a good amount of ketones at 80-100 grams with daily walks for exercise, lower than that and I get severe sodium loss and low bp issues so I tend to keep higher for that reason.4 -
Right now I'm usually about 50 carbs a day. I find that I feel fuller if my carbs are closer to 20, but I have more energy when they're closer to 50. Just keep experimenting at different levels and find what works best for your body. I've lost weight at both numbers. Good luck!3
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auntstephie321 wrote: »Thanks, @auntstephie321, @GaleHawkins @Majcolorado !
I find for myself, I must lower my carb level to 20-25ish to enter nutritional ketosis and was wondering if being that strict with my diet had a real advantage over, say, 50-60 grams. I guess I will have to do some self-experimentation to decide what works best for me.
you would likely be in nutritional ketosis at 50-60 grams as well, especially if you are doing any sort of physical activity. for most the mental clarity and increased energy doesn't last forever usually around 6 weeks or so people start wondering what happened to that great feeling they had in the beginning. I know for me personally I'll be producing a good amount of ketones at 80-100 grams with daily walks for exercise, lower than that and I get severe sodium loss and low bp issues so I tend to keep higher for that reason.
Thank you for posting your experience. I found it very helpful!1 -
Hello! I would be considered "keto" but my carbs are usually 20-30 grams but I feel best at 40-50 grams. I do not measure ketones but I do keep a close eye on my blood sugars (type 2 diabetic). After dropping 20 lbs with this WOE, my blood sugars have been amazing! And I don't feel deprived in any way. Like @Majocolarado said, it LC and KETO is a lifestyle adjustment but I dont look at it as any different than people saying they are vegetarian, vegan, or gluten free. And if someone has a problem with that, I really don't give a rat's bum lol4
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As a newbie, I've definitely had the same question as OP. Unfortunately, it does seem to vary among individuals from what I've been reading. I've read that true ketosis has the added benefit of being a little more metabolically demanding, therefore the calorie burn is slightly higher. But it may also have more side effects, at least in the short-term.
I find I'm able to eat at 40-50 grams without being a total weirdo and restricting myself from everything I want (and no more than 10-15g per meal). Perhaps I would find greater benefits at <20? I don't know if I have the willpower to cut it that low, to be honest. Less than 50 has not been difficult for me to adjust to from a behavioral perspective and I'm finding it very filling, but I also haven't gotten the energy burst that others mention on keto.1 -
whisker1984 wrote: »As a newbie, I've definitely had the same question as OP. Unfortunately, it does seem to vary among individuals from what I've been reading. I've read that true ketosis has the added benefit of being a little more metabolically demanding, therefore the calorie burn is slightly higher. But it may also have more side effects, at least in the short-term.
I find I'm able to eat at 40-50 grams without being a total weirdo and restricting myself from everything I want (and no more than 10-15g per meal). Perhaps I would find greater benefits at <20? I don't know if I have the willpower to cut it that low, to be honest. Less than 50 has not been difficult for me to adjust to from a behavioral perspective and I'm finding it very filling, but I also haven't gotten the energy burst that others mention on keto.
I'm not sure who mentioned it earlier about the "keto" boost but I really experienced in the beginning,especially with BPC, not so much now
Still I have waaaayyyy more energy than I had before I started this WOE. Also I did want to mention that I am concious of my caloric intake. I try to stay under 1200 calories per day since I am pretty vertically challenged 
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I'm a Keto gal - 20 carbs or less for me right now. I've gone from 258 to 223 since March. I feel so much better, generally speaking and I don't crave carbs or even desire things like bread any longer. I do still eat out of habit which I'm trying to get under control. As I drop weight, I drop my calories. I was at 2000 and now at just over 1600. My daughter is a low carber - she keeps her carbs at 106 or fewer with a 2800 calorie ceiling, though she's a marching band member and is much more active (and younger!) than I. She's starting to see benefits of low carb - wt loss in the last three weeks (3.5 lbs) and she doesn't have as much pain in her joints when marches as she used to. She also doesn't crave carbs like she used to. @Sohma16 - why am I sharing for you? Crimeny, jump in and be a part of the group
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I aim for between 30 - 40 g net carbs per day, sometimes I am under 20 and sometimes I'm closer to 50, but things have been pretty steady. I've dropped from 236 to 167 lbs so far, and still counting. I'm 5'7" and I'm aiming to see what 150 lbs looks like on me. I don't worry too much about calories...the keto calculator I used recently said I should aim at 1350 but I feel that's on the low side for me - I am in the gym 3 - 5 times per week doing heavy lifting with short sprints of activity between sets, which really revs up the metabolism! I know that about 1900 to 2100 is maintenance for me at this point, so I figure as long as I'm under that its all good.2
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I have coached people for years on diet, exercise, and business at one time or another.
My own health issues have included extreme stress and physical exhaustion, caffeine abuse (yes, seriously), Celiac, chronic Lyme, adrenal issues, thyroid issues, and for a brief moment many years ago, suicidal depression. Throwing myself into LCHF or keto without addressing those underlying issues first could have had significant unintended consequences.
My doc has had to hold me back over the years, especially from overdoing the exercise before my system was ready to handle the additional stresses.minimally-unpleasant
The key words there - not disagreeing, just pointing out that one person's 'simple process' can be another person's 'non-negotiable no way I'm not going there' for any number of reasons, some valid and some maybe not, which is why a standardized templated approach can be challenging.
In my perfect world, I'd start every client with a full allergy and endocrine evaluation by a functional medicine doc followed by an elimination diet to control for as many variables as possible, then approach altering macros to LCHF or keto ratios.
Edit: Most folks manage these things by exception out of necessity. The radical change in macro ratios surfaces issues that they either didn't know they had, or changes issues they did know about in a material way. I meant to include that thought in the original post...
Judging from what I'm reading, some people don't reach the perfect elevated energy state until they go zero carb, and many zero-carbers seem to keep that state indefinitely. It's very intriguing, and also another variable to consider when trying to determine optimal carb levels for an individual - optimal could be absolute zero.2 -
whisker1984 wrote: »I also haven't gotten the energy burst that others mention on keto.I'm not sure who mentioned it earlier about the "keto" boost but I really experienced in the beginning,especially with BPC, not so much now Still I have waaaayyyy more energy than I had before I started this WOE.
@whisker1984 and @genmon00 this may be due to electrolyte imbalance. How is your salt intake? Are you getting a MINIMUM of 3000 - 5000mg per day? If not, I strongly suggest you try to up your sodium intake every day and see if that helps with t of energy.3 -
@ladipoet Thanks for the suggestions! I've managed to get nearly 5000mg sodium per day with food alone (including soups), then I'm adding Lite Salt to some water for the potassium and sodium. I'm also taking the magnesium supplements recommended here by someone. I don't feel more tired at all, maybe slightly better -- I just haven't seen any major improvement. However, I have a crazy schedule at the moment and don't get much sleep, so to be honest I may miss the boost even if it were to occur!
@Majcolorado How does anyone manage zero net carbs?! I'd have to cut out any processed meats, as well as nuts, and most vegetables and many cheeses. What would someone eat at a near-zero level of carb intake? But it is interesting to consider!
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Majcolorado wrote: »In my perfect world, I'd start every client with a full allergy and endocrine evaluation by a functional medicine doc followed by an elimination diet to control for as many variables as possible, then approach altering macros to LCHF or keto ratios.
Edit: Most folks manage these things by exception out of necessity. The radical change in macro ratios surfaces issues that they either didn't know they had, or changes issues they did know about in a material way. I meant to include that thought in the original post...
Judging from what I'm reading, some people don't reach the perfect elevated energy state until they go zero carb, and many zero-carbers seem to keep that state indefinitely. It's very intriguing, and also another variable to consider when trying to determine optimal carb levels for an individual - optimal could be absolute zero.
Thanks for your insights - a good reminder that we're all our own science projects, no two exactly alike.4 -
For me the e chess calories and sugar left me lethargic and comatose. I would not say low carb makes my brain better. Getting rid of excess sugar helped me feel better all over!
As far as net carbs available to your body for glucose storage or circulating glucose... You have to factor in activity levels. That burns glucose.
A moderate carb person like me, 70-100 intake, would seem high to some. But factor in a 2 hour bike ride at 1200 calories burnt off, and I am way below zero on circulating glucose or "available net carbs".
Just my opinion, but what you function at for your activity level is something you just have to find. Some like all meat diets with very little exercise. I may have a snickers bar and cup of cappuccino before a 2 hour or more ride. We both have zero carbs available in our system.
A tape measure and a scale will tell the tale as to if your strategy is working. I think consistency is the key to a long term lifestyle change, not 20-40 carbs difference.
They you also favor in, do I do more and have more energy at 20 more carbs? That activity matters too.
Best wishes on finding your point of balance.4 -
whisker1984 wrote: »@Majcolorado How does anyone manage zero net carbs?! I'd have to cut out any processed meats, as well as nuts, and most vegetables and many cheeses. What would someone eat at a near-zero level of carb intake? But it is interesting to consider!
@whisker1984 Here's a good place to start, and that will lead you to other resources if you are interested. It's quite fascinating. https://zerocarbzen.com/1 -
Wow, @Majcolorado. Very interesting reading! I'm like 10 articles in and can't stop. Thanks for posting!0
