Just starting and I'm a bit overwhelmed

MKknits

It was recommended to me that in an effort to try and naturally treat mild-PCOS (did not like how met made me feel) I try some diet changes - specifically to eat very low carb, which led me to researching the Keto diet.

I had cut out a lot of carbs prior to this but I wasn't very low carb by any means, in doing research about Keto and what I should be doing I'm getting overwhelmed and need a bit of help with some questions. I thought you all would be a good place to get help.

First my background: I'm 37, morbidly obese, have struggled for year with weight loss mostly because it comes off so stinking slow no matter how on plan and focused I am so eventually I stop caring as much, I teach so most of my meals need to be packed with me and eaten in 20 minutes if I'm lucky. So I do snack. I can provide what I've eaten the last two days if needed.

Here are my questions:
1. Should I be basing what I eat off percentages or just going with grams (so right now I have MFP set to 5/65/30 for net carbs/fat/protein).
2. Are my percentages correct? At my weight with my activity level MFP says I should be eating 146 grams of protein - which I'm actually struggling with.
3. What is my priority with macros fat or protein?

HawkPNP

I have PCOS and fibro.
1) You can do either -- there are different ways to LCD. I keto and do roughly 80% fat, 15% protein, 5% carbs.
2) It depends on what type of low carb you are doing. I follow the ketovangelist and most eat between 50-75g protein (if you're female).
3) also, that varies depending on plan. Keto I focus on fat the most. Other low carb my focus more on protein.

Do some Internet googling about different plans and figure out one that you can stick with.

moonlights

I have severe PCOS snd hormonal issues. Low carb is the only way I lose weight well (and metformin gave me hella issues too).

I eat under 20g carbs per day, that's the main thing I stick to.

After that I don't stick to a set number of grams but I make sure the 20g is 5% or less of my macros, protein is around 30% and fat around 65%

The amounts of protein and fat can vary but I always stick close to my carb limit.

supergal3

As said above, the key is what do you feel comfortable sticking with? I have to watch both calories and carbs in order to lose. I also have to add some exercise into the mix as well. I started with 60 grams of carbs and lowered that when I hit a stall.

MKknits

Thanks I've kept the carbs under the 5% for net carbs I figured that was key so I'm glad I stuck to that!

Can I link to my food diary for today? Maybe get some feedback?

kpk54

Your percentages look fine to me and bring forth something that was talked about in another thread-% versus grams. Keto programs generally say 50 grams or less of carbs and many of those state 20 grams or less. So without us knowing your total calories per day (and we do not need to know) regardless of what your 5% represents, just shoot for below 50 grams or preferably 20 if you're willing.

Struggling with eating 146 grams of protein in regards to eating too much or not enough? It is important to eat enough protein to maintain muscle mass. I don't know what that number is for you. However my new favorite macro calculator can be found at ketogains.com. Click on macro calculator when you get there. You'll need to guess at your body fat percent but can find picture examples of that or find an on line chart based on your weight.

Priority of fat versus protein all depends on where the 30% or 146 grams is in regards to what you need which is explained on the macro calculator.

Welcome.

Sarahb29

Hello! If you haven't found it yet, this FAQ is super helpful and what I was using when I first started. Your macros seem fine, low carb, high fat, moderate protein. In general people stick around 20g net carbs or less for Keto, especially when you're first starting.

Remember that MFP does not calculate net carbs - ie carbs-fiber and sugar alcohols, so it's good to have both fiber and carbs listed on your diary if you haven't done that already.

Other than that, take your time, don't go low calorie to start off with until you get used to this, and enjoy. Pinterest and Instagram are wonderful tools for searching for recipes!

MKknits

@Sarahb29 there is an add on script you can use to make it calculate net carbs...would you like me to link you to the directions? It only works on the Web based, but on my app I just know to subtract fiber from my total fat.

MKknits

@kpk54 struggling with not enough protein, the fat I'm able to hit mostly because I love avocados and just add grass fed butter to things.

sammyliftsandeats

@MKknits - No meat?

Protein sources include full-fat dairy and eggs. What about fish?

cstehansen

MKknits wrote: »

@kpk54 struggling with not enough protein, the fat I'm able to hit mostly because I love avocados and just add grass fed butter to things.

If you are morbidly obese, you may be better having lower protein. Many, including Dr. Jason Fung (you can find many youtube videos and other info from him) will stress not overdoing the protein for a couple of reasons.

First, for some, excess protein is converted to glucose in your blood and can slow down transition to ketosis (gluconeogenesis). This seems to be a situation where it is not the same for everyone. Personally, I have this WOE because of a diabetes diagnosis last year and have found high amounts of protein later in the day do raise my BG the following morning.

The second reason for keeping protein low is your skin and other connective tissue is larger now than it will need to be when you lose the weight you need to lose. On a ketogenic diet, you will be primarily burning fat (ketones) and not glucose, so your body will not be pulling as much protein from your body for energy, but you actually want it to pull what you don't need (protein in that extra connective tissue). Dr. Fung shows pictures of his patients who have lost as much weight as those who have had gastric bypass or been on the Biggest Loser and points out his patients do not have the same issues with all the extra saggy skin everywhere.

In order to maintain your current muscle mass, you only need 0.6-0.8 grams of protein per kg of lean body mass per day. You can calculate your lean body mass by taking the inverse of your body fat percentage (i.e. if BF is 40%, use 60%) and multiply it by your current weight in kg. For example if you weighed 220 lbs, that would be 100 kg, 60% of that is 60kg and protein goal would only be 36-48 grams a day.

There are other camps out there that swear the more protein the better. Unfortunately, we are not machines and therefore there is no one size fits all. The research all seems to show the minimum need is the calculation I have above. If getting "enough" based on your percentages is tough, but you are getting at least this minimum amount for whatever your lean body mass is, then I wouldn't worry about it at all.

If at all possible, I would encourage focusing on the net of 20 g of carbs or less, though. That is a number that will get you into ketosis faster. Once there, the cravings to eat frequently (your reference to snacks above) will dramatically decrease.

As for foods easy to pack for work and eat quickly, this is the BEST WOE for that. Just think meat and cheese rolled up around a pickle as an example.

If you haven't already done so, go to the launch pad. There are links to dozens of recipe sites and other useful information there. Also, scroll through the pages of these conversations and you will find many will have answers for questions you have or will have.

MKknits

You guys have already been super helpful! Thank you.

Here is a screen shot (hopefully this works) of my diary today. I have nothing to hide and I'm not shy about this. You will notice I eat a lot of the same veggies, I have IBS as well and certain veg just don't work so I'm pretty careful what I eat for veg to begin with. Also, the iced coffee is not the norm (I'm way too cheap to do that daily) but with Halloween last night, and three kids that I care for on my own and knowing I was going to face day after Halloween sugar high with my 7th graders I was dragging this morning. Tomorrow that won't happen (I actually only drank half but I'm keeping the whole thing there to remind me)

MKknits

Oh and I didn't put it on there but I also had a diet pepsi after lunch - I was dragging and the kids had all apparently eaten every piece of Halloween candy they collected during recess and were all wired for sound....I was not.

cstehansen

The 97g of protein is enough to maintain your muscle mass. You can even go lower if you wanted by getting meat that is not as lean - i.e. skin on dark meat chicken vs skinless breast or 80/20 ground beef instead of 90/10. I have moved to 73/27 ground beef to keep my protein from going too high.

In ketosis, you will find your hunger diminishes. Just watch that you are not eating based on habit. In particular, eating between meal snacks because the "experts" have been telling us to do so is not actually the healthiest option. The reason that was put in place is the "experts" began pushing us to high carb diets which made us hungrier sooner and the thinking was maybe spreading out the calories would help. In reality, our bodies perform better if we have more time between eating and not less.

MKknits

I actually have to go back and adjust the beef was 85/15 I didn't realize that when I was pre-tracking it before I started cooking.

MKknits

@cstehansen the info about protein is super helpful. I'll be reading the Dr. Fung site tonight as I'm always looking for more information about all of this.

I am becoming increasingly convinced that this will work well for me. Truthfully if you were to watch my day to day eating prior to making this change I ate very few processed carbs, most of my carbs were fruit and veg (and the occasional piece of carrot cake), chocolate was also a weakness, I also have a serious diet soda habit that I am working hard at kicking (hubby requested I kick it way before I started looking into keto). So when I look at that overall and that I don't eat horribly bad 90% of the time it would make sense to me that shifting my calorie intake from carbs to fat would make a difference for me. I am going to stick to this and keep my net carbs at 20 or just a touch over (like today).

Totally as an aside as I'm looking in to this more I'm realizing this is the same diet they put my now 9 year old on when she was 2 while we were waiting for epilepsy surgery for her - she has a type of epilepsy that meds didn't help and she will never grow out of the surgery made it so meds worked. The diet helped a lot but it couldn't be a life long cure for her because 1 little slip up and the seizures would come back with a vengeance, we also had to weight every bit of food we fed her and make sure she ate it all - a HUGE struggle with a then 2 year old.

kpk54

Looks pretty good to me but then I started my day with 400 calories (and 4 carbs) in decaf with heavy whipping cream. We eat, what we eat. We all have our preferences. You did great on your numbers and that's what matters. Thumbs up!

HawkPNP

To me it looks good as well. You could lower your protein if you wanted -- but if it works for you then I wouldn't worry.

MKknits

I was reading this article just now https://intensivedietarymanagement.com/obesity-solving-the-two-compartment-problem/

And one quick think I realized should I have MFP set for a calorie defecit AND the LCHF?

sammyliftsandeats

You still need a calorie deficit to lose weight.

LCHF is a method of being in deficit as it is easier to feel satiated with those meals and therefore, naturally eat less.

kpk54

When you set up your goals in mfp if you checked you wanted to lose weight it would have asked you for a rate of loss such as 1 or 2 pounds per week. If you entered a number of pounds per week you want to lose, the calories provided are the amount you need to maintain MINUS the deficit to lose.