New to Keto - Advice?

__Roxy__

Hey there! I just weighed in at a whopping 314 lbs.
Good Goddess!

I am so tired of being tired (and fat!)
I had all kinds of excuses for putting the weight on... but I have now have no excuses for not taking it off!

I am buying a tub of KETO//OS tomorrow and going to do a big grocery shop for keto-friendly foods. I am totally ready. I bought an exercise bike for my living room and a gym pass to the neighborhood gym. I reactivated my MFP account - all set

I would really love to be friends with others who have 100+ lbs to lose, and/or who are following a similar way-of-eating.

One thing I'm trying to figure out is what my carb intake should be. I read anywhere from 5% to 20%. I feel like 20 is way more realistic... I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Sunny_Bunny_

You do not need keto/os. I promise. Please save your money.
You want to make and burn your own fat. Not a fat supplement.

The biggest advice I can offer someone new is to not over think every detail to the point you can't do anything. You'll get better at it on time. Don't stress mishaps, misunderstandings and lack of knowledge in the beginning. It will come.

Salt. Salt. Salt. You absolutely must understand your increased need for sodium. Please read the electrolytes info in the launchpad. Start with some extra salt by day 1 and really make sure to supplement it as you go into the following days when you will be losing the most water weight and sodium with it.

Also, you'll need to eat at a deficit to lose weight, but I wouldn't bother trying to cut calories the first week. Making the change is hard enough without adding hunger on top of carb withdrawal. Just eat all the keto foods you want to ward off falling off the wagon in the beginning. Appetite generally reduces naturally and quite quickly after the first week or so. Some people find they always need to be mindful to not overeat though.

You do not need to drink any special coffee or add loads of fat to anything. Drinking fatty coffee is not what makes keto work. It's the lack of carbs that makes it keto. I've seen many people think drinking bulletproof coffee was some kind of keto necessity. It's not. It's better as a way to maintain weight than lose fat. You're be better off eating something with more nutrient density than drinking mostly empty calories. I wish I would've had that understanding 2 years ago. That's why I say it now.

This is a really helpful and supportive group. Ask any questions you have as they come. You'll get lot of help.

Very best of luck to you!

Ps. Take a start photo. Several of them. In form fitting clothes or just undies. You will find them very helpful as the months go on

1thankful_momma

Are you doing Keto, low carb or lower carb?

I'm doing keto( 20 grams or less carbs) and 100+ to lose. I've lost 21 so far.

Check out the stickies for a lot of good data to get off on the right foot.

kpk54

Is you're striving for ketosis you'd probably want less than 20% of total calories but not knowing 20% of what, is the reason we have so many conversations around here about focusing on grams versus percentages. For keto, carb grams are usually 20-50 grams net (carbs-fiber).

If weight loss is your goal, you don't need to be in ketosis to lose weight. Honestly, for starters i would just set MFP to lose 2 pounds per week, set your carbs around 20% of total calories and maybe split the rest 25% proteins and 55% fat. Skip the Keto/Os for now.

See how you do for a couple of weeks and then tweak. My plan was basically 40%c/30/30 for weight loss and about 2 years of maintenance at the same. I then did a year of keto for reason other than weight loss.

Now i keep total carbs around 50 and fat considerably higher than protein. I think my macros are set to 15% carbs, 25% protein and 60% fat but i don't follow them precisely. I keep carbs low, eat whole foods, no added sugars or starches and no keto (or otherwise) dessert except on an extremely rare occassion. It works for me. I'm calorie compliant without cravings or hunger.

You'll get a million suggestions. Just. Get. Started. Except for medical purposes it doesn't have to be super science-my opinion.

Working2BLean

I have been on this three years and went from a couch potato type 2 diabetic to having done an Iron Man 70.3 and having a new circle of fitness friends.

The last part is key in my opinion. You know what to do and have the tools to do it. Sustaining it is where success comes from! Getting new friends and a new lifestyle where you enjoy activities instead of "doing exercise" is what makes fitness for life stick.

Best wishes on your journey. I hope you find your enjoyable activities and people to have fun with!

JohnnyLowCarb

Keto, low carb, paleo, grapefruit. Does not matter what diet. Laws of physics cannot be broken , to lose weight you must be in a calorie deficit. There is no magic, believe me I tried

2t9nty

I am a relatively recent convert to this WOE, since staring last October. Everything @Sunny_Bunny_ said rings true in my experience, and she is a great resource in general.

My counsel would be to work on the keto initially. Just reducing the carbs is a fairly abrupt change for most of us in terms of behavior and habits. I was eating what would have been considered a very healthy diet as far as what you are taught in school, food triangle, whatever. It is an adjustment, and you are eating more carbs than you realize until you start logging and counting them.

Once you get the low carb thing working for you, and you establish some healthier patterns, then I would start paying more attention to adequate protein. Then figure out the calorie deficit bit once the low carb has gotten the hunger under control. Essentially you are breaking the whole thing into smaller tasks, and you won't be so overwhelmed with too many details to track all at one time.

The scale is only one way to measure progress. I track neck and waist measurements, and I don't really take pictures due to vanity or modesty or something.

I say get started. The forum is a great resource as you get the details figured out for you.

KarlaYP

Wonderful advice given above!!

Welcome and remember, one meal at a time! It gets easier and the food is yummy!!

baconslave

Forget macro percentages unless you are doing a medical ketogenic diet.
Carbs to grams ceiling. (20-50g)
Protein in grams in your range (based on height/weight/activity level).
Fill the rest with fat (to satiety).

Just count carbs the first week or 2, then you can use a keto calc (like ketogains) to zero in and begin tracking calories. You can use keto calculators to find your protein range, too. Generally, it is .8g-1.2g per kg of lean body mass. Higher activity would mean shooting for the higher end of the range, sedentary the low.

Do not underestimate your need for salt. It is crucial. It irritates the snot out of me how many of the low-carb "gurus" never say anything about it. It's irresponsible, IMO.

Consistency + dogged Persistence + Time = Success.
That at which you do not consistently persist is that at which you will fail.
And PLAN AHEAD, this is crucial. Just do it.

Best wishes.

nvmomketo

Welcome to the group.

Ditto the others who said to skip keto/os. It probably won't help with fat loss. Ketones don't cause fat loss. They are just a byproduct of fat oxidation (burning) that the brain likes to use.

River_Goddess wrote: »

One thing I'm trying to figure out is what my carb intake should be. I read anywhere from 5% to 20%. I feel like 20 is way more realistic... I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Do whatever you think suits you best.

Under 20-50g of carbs per day is a ketogenic diet where you will be making lots of ketones and relying primarily on fat (dietary or body) for fuel. Low carb is up to 100-150g of carbs per day, and some people enjoy that more.

I started at ketogenic levels because of prediabetes, and stay there because I find carbs drive my appetite. You experiences will be different than mine though.

Plus you can change as you go. Start at 20% and add more carbs if you wish, stay there, or go lower. There is no right way.

And ditto the salt needs. You need 1-2 teaspoons of salt per day.

Good luck.

RAC56

Welcome!

Alaplum

i have hated every diet I've ever been on. Keto woe is amazing. If you keep your carbs under 20 grams, at least for me, the cravings disappear and suddenly you are in control, can say no to foods that would have half killed you before.

I have a lot of weight to lose but after a couple of months now, I don't worry. I love keto.