Why not a hybrid diet?

Akmauser

Has anyone ever started with ketosis and then switched into calorie counting?

A friend is dieting with ketosis, and I've been counting calories for approximately two weeks. We've both lost roughly the same weight, except he spends a lot more money on food maintaining his diet.

My concerns with ketosis is bouncing back after reaching a target weight and then eating 'normally', i.e. eating carbs again.

Quick side story: My uncle is a 400 plus pounds and has struggled his whole life with weight. He does low carb diets and drops to 230-270 pounds every other year, but bounces back every time.

Appears calorie counting has amazing life style benefits in teaching one to watch what they eat (This is why I am enjoying losing weight for the first time ever).

Question: Can an individual start with ketosis for associated health benefits, and gradually switch into calorie counting while gaining some carbs back? Split the difference in weight loss between the two diets?

buffinlovin

I actually found with calorie counting that I am more inclined to be lower carb, not because I'm trying to go keto but because foods lower in carb tend to be lower calorie, and I'm a volume eater. I don't see why it wouldn't work to gradually switch to calorie counting, albeit I have never done keto, so I could be off =P There's a section in MFP where you can watch your carb/sodium/sugar/etc macros, and that would, I believe, be helpful when reintroducing carbs to your diet.

Akmauser

Thanks for the reply! Just curious ultimately.

Have been averaging between 100-200 carbs daily (sometimes under 100), whereas prior to my calorie counting was roughly consuming between 400-500 carbs daily.

inertiastrength

I did. I didn't know any better so for the first two months I was very low carb. Being on the forums taught me the mechanics of weight loss, glycogen, water, all the stufff that was deviously mysterious. I reluctantly tried iifym thinking I'd get fat but save for a small period of no movement while my glycogen stores replenished I kept losing weight. I'm so grateful for these forums for that. And even more grateful I didn't have a head in the sand attitude and I was open to other people's ideas. It's now 4 years later and I'm still down 80lbs

inertiastrength

And you're not really splitting anything (as per your last sentence). Both those methods cause you to lose weight because of a caloric deficit but one way you learn why and the other way its a mystery. So absolutely they can use as many tools and approaches as they want but at the end of the day the deficit is king.

VintageFeline

He's losing weight because he's in a calorie deficit, not because he's in ketosis. It seems it isn't a lifestyle he can maintain long term and sees it purely as a diet and so bounces back up again when he returns to old habits.

If he wants to make a long term change then an understanding of how weight loss works would be incredibly beneficial but there again, some people always regain losses regardless of the method used. I would advocate for better education though, that both ketosis and calorie counting boil down to the same thing.

Akmauser

Excellent information! Going to research glycogen.

What was meant by 'split the difference' (at least in my novice head), is lose 50 pounds using ketosis to diminish fatty liver and then switch to calorie counting while increasing carbs (double) to roughly 70-100 allotted each day, and lose the remaining 50 pounds.

Everyone I know using ketosis does not count calories and even boast about not having to worry about the amount they eat.

PaulaWallaDingDong

Akmauser wrote: »

Excellent information! Going to research glycogen.

What was meant by 'split the difference' (at least in my novice head), is lose 50 pounds using ketosis to diminish fatty liver and then switch to calorie counting while increasing carbs (double) to roughly 70-100 allotted each day, and lose the remaining 50 pounds.

Everyone I know using ketosis does not count calories and even boast about not having to worry about the amount they eat.

You may also find more than a few MFP users thinking that calories don't matter on keto, and not understanding why they aren't making progress. The individual may or may not need to count calories, but that doesn't mean they don't matter. They ALWAYS matter.

CharlieBeansmomTracey

Akmauser wrote: »

Excellent information! Going to research glycogen.

What was meant by 'split the difference' (at least in my novice head), is lose 50 pounds using ketosis to diminish fatty liver and then switch to calorie counting while increasing carbs (double) to roughly 70-100 allotted each day, and lose the remaining 50 pounds.

Everyone I know using ketosis does not count calories and even boast about not having to worry about the amount they eat.

as for diminishing fatty liver ,just losing weight can help. keto is not a magical diet and you burn fat by eating high amounts of fat.keto is also not a cure all, you can accomplish a lot of things just counting calories too. I have improved a lot of my issues counting calories.

I dont have fatty liver but I have a genetic condition where my liver cannot properly process fats and cholesterol so I have to be on a low fat diet. to lose weight you have to be in a deficit,doesnt matter if you are doing keto or any other way of eating.

people think that eating in keto makes them burn body fat by turning them into a "fat burning machine",when its the fat they are eating that is being used, not their body fat.body fat is lost in a deficit. if you want to lose weight then eat in a deficit,if you want to do keto thats fine, but dont do it because you think you have to eat keto to heal your liver.do it because you want to

inertiastrength

Akmauser wrote: »

Everyone I know using ketosis does not count calories and even boast about not having to worry about the amount they eat.

They aren't "using" ketosis. They're inadvertently creating a caloric deficit by eliminating an entire food group. They're "counting" carbs so it's not like they're eating mindlessly. What they ARE doing mindlessly is losing weight without knowing why they're losing weight and they're claiming keto as their false profit. When they rebound, it's no mystery why.

inertiastrength

And all those health ailments can and will correct themselves with weight loss, you don't need to suffer while that happens.

cmriverside

Akmauser wrote: »

Excellent information! Going to research glycogen.

What was meant by 'split the difference' (at least in my novice head), is lose 50 pounds using ketosis to diminish fatty liver and then switch to calorie counting while increasing carbs (double) to roughly 70-100 allotted each day, and lose the remaining 50 pounds.

Everyone I know using ketosis does not count calories and even boast about not having to worry about the amount they eat.

Wait. Have you been diagnosed with fatty liver? That's really outside the "advice" parameters here.

The only thing you NEED for weight loss is eating fewer CALORIES than you use - and doing that consistently over time.

The people who lose doing keto only (without calorie counting) are full from all that protein and fat. Many people do both keto and calorie counting. Depends on whether or not they feel satisfied with the amount(s) of protein and fat without over-eating. Many do.

Eat carbs or don't, stay under calories, lose weight.

Akmauser

cmriverside wrote: »

Akmauser wrote: »

Excellent information! Going to research glycogen.

What was meant by 'split the difference' (at least in my novice head), is lose 50 pounds using ketosis to diminish fatty liver and then switch to calorie counting while increasing carbs (double) to roughly 70-100 allotted each day, and lose the remaining 50 pounds.

Everyone I know using ketosis does not count calories and even boast about not having to worry about the amount they eat.

Wait. Have you been diagnosed with fatty liver? That's really outside the "advice" parameters

Yes. Had my gallbladder removed last year and my doctor stated it's starting to become fatty. I'm actually really happy with my diet and results so far. These discussions are from ideas swirling around in my head and nothing more.