Just starting Keto and at a total loss.

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GlassAngyl
GlassAngyl Posts: 478 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I admit, measurements in math was not my best subject.. Algebra, Calculus.. easy.. Word problems and anything geometry? Forget it! So these grams and % nonsense has me lost!

I work as a pet sitter and while meeting with a potential client, a veterinarian, he took one look at my weight (300+ lbs) and enthusiastically introduced me to the ketogenic diet. He really was excited about sharing everything it has done for him and his gf.. They swear by it.. so I figured, "Why not?"

From what I understand, I should be eating 60% fat, 30% protein, and 10% carbs.. is this correct? Mfp converts this into grams (45 grams of carbs) which means NOTHING to me.. apparently I keep going over that.. (128grams) .. guess potatoes are carbs?

I am doing "ok" on protein but am having issues meeting the fat requirement?? And the recipes call for weird crap I've never heard of and have no desire to search for. I'm ok with cutting out breads and pastas. I HATE pasta and store bread so rarely ate them anyways.. I do have an unhealthy relationship with pastry type foods though. Again, I can ditch these.. but if anyone can direct me to different meal plans that use normal foods the average non-cooking person can utilize, that would be awesome..
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Replies

  • alexandriashannon
    alexandriashannon Posts: 5 Member
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    Hi there!
    I just started Keto yesterday so I'm no expert, but I'll share whatever I know!
  • GlassAngyl
    GlassAngyl Posts: 478 Member
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    Awesome!
  • baconslave
    baconslave Posts: 6,955 Member
    edited August 2017
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    As far as simple recipes:
    start with http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/

    The Low-carb Group has over 20 sites in their library, and I'm betting if you ask the members they have personal experience with sites that use less specialty items. http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/394-low-carber-daily-forum-the-lcd-group. I bet they'd even have suggestions on alternative recipes to complicated ones you've already looked over.

    I'm not as much a help on that, as I just mostly used normal recipes and converted them to LC. I have a family of 7 to feed so my modus operandi was KISS. I eliminated starches and replaced them with green above-ground veggies and low-carb dairy. I've found investing in liquid sucralose for any needed sweetener invaluable.

    I'm was seriously so boring. I made meat, cooked a veggie in butter or bacon grease. Sometimes added cream or cheese. That's it. It was tasty, and I'm a creature of habit so it worked.
  • Desteria
    Desteria Posts: 9 Member
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    When I'm trying to loose weight consistently (I've been on a break lately), a low carb diet works for me but I stick to 100 grams of carbs or less, otherwise I get crabby. Most of my meals include lean meat (chicken, fish, etc), cheeses, dairy, nuts, and lots of salads.

    Usually for breakfast I'll have an egg (either in an omelette with veggies & cheese) and some ham or bacon. Sometimes I'll use the same ingredients and make a breakfast sandwich with an english muffin - but then you have to make sure you count the carbs.

    For lunch it's usually some lunch meat and cheese, just eat it as is, not in a wrap or sandwich or anything, and a piece of fruit or veggies. Also I frequently have a can of tuna with some mayo, and a piece of fruit or veggies.

    Typically a dinner plate for me would consist a third of the plate being protein, a third or a little more of veggies, and then a small portion of a carb - typically a pasta side or potato.

    Gotta be careful with veggies and fruits, cause of lot of them do have carbs - ESPECIALLY potatoes. Also sugars are essentially sneaky carbs, so you gotta be careful with them as far as fruits go.
  • kristen8000
    kristen8000 Posts: 747 Member
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    I don't do Keto, but I like to keep my carbs low. It tends to keep me full, I can still kinda eat what I want, and nothing is off limits. Which means I may eat bread, pasta, pretzels, and potatoes, but limited...

    Eggs, breakfast meat, lean lunch meats, cheese, lower sugar veggies and berries tend to be my go tos. I tend to not shy away from processed foods as much as I should - but they don't seem to bother me (make me hungry, make me feel bad, etc). Also, I really like Quinoa (which yes, is a carb, but it's also high in protein). Avocados and Salmon will supply you with good fat and they are very tasty. Full Fat Greek Yogurt (if you don't have issues with dairy). Cooking in coconut oil, olive oil, etc. Peanut Butter (which I have to limit because I could eat the whole jar with a spoon).

    Now, saying all this, I still really have to watch my calories while I'm eating this way. I tried doing South Beach a long time ago and ate all the things they said to and none of what they didn't and didn't lose weight in over a month because I was eating too much.
  • Ruatine
    Ruatine Posts: 3,424 Member
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    @GlassAngyl It seems like you might benefit from this:

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    I don't do keto, but people I know who do eat low-carb veggies (like broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, etc.), a moderate amount of protein from meat and lots of fat (avocados, nuts, oils, etc.).
  • TeethOfTheHydra
    TeethOfTheHydra Posts: 63 Member
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    I lost about 50 pounds (235 -> 180) in a relatively short while on low-carb, though quite a while ago. At that time, since I had a lot to lose, I was not paying much attention to %s or #s. Most important thing was to know I had a set of foods that I enjoyed and could stick with for several months that were effectively zero or very low-carb. Meat, fish, eggs, and cheese. To the extent I ate a snack, it was peanuts. Very unsophisticated, but that was my experience and very successful, for me. I've transitioned over to more balanced eating and range between 80g and 145g of net carbs daily, but that number is particular to me, of course.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    edited August 2017
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    GlassAngyl wrote: »
    kommodevaran wrote: »
    GlassAngyl wrote: »
    I admit, measurements in math was not my best subject.. Algebra, Calculus.. easy.. Word problems and anything geometry? Forget it! So these grams and % nonsense has me lost!

    I work as a pet sitter and while meeting with a potential client, a veterinarian, he took one look at my weight (300+ lbs) and enthusiastically introduced me to the ketogenic diet. He really was excited about sharing everything it has done for him and his gf.. They swear by it.. so I figured, "Why not?"
    I think that was rude... but you should also ask yourself "why?". To lose weight, you have to eat less. You can do that with or without keto. It's all about calories. Some diets work better for some people. Keto is one of those hit or miss diets.
    From what I understand, I should be eating 60% fat, 30% protein, and 10% carbs.. is this correct?
    You could, but you don't have to.
    Mfp converts this into grams (45 grams of carbs) which means NOTHING to me.. apparently I keep going over that.. (128grams) ..
    Sorry, it's maths. Percentages of macronutrients are calculated from a whole (=100%). Fat has 9 calories per gram, carbs and protein each have 4 calories per gram. This means that the energy % is different for the three macros. But MFP calculates all that for you. You just have to get it to 100%. Other macro calculators do that better. But you don't have to think about macros unless you want to. I suggest you just leave macros for now, and focus on just calories.
    guess potatoes are carbs?
    The energy in potatoes is mostly in the form of carbs, yes.
    I am doing "ok" on protein but am having issues meeting the fat requirement?? And the recipes call for weird crap I've never heard of and have no desire to search for. I'm ok with cutting out breads and pastas. I HATE pasta and store bread so rarely ate them anyways.. I do have an unhealthy relationship with pastry type foods though. Again, I can ditch these.. but if anyone can direct me to different meal plans that use normal foods the average non-cooking person can utilize, that would be awesome..
    You don't need any other meal plan than the one you make yourself. Normal foods are everywhere. You may have to cook a bit, but it's not difficult. Pick up a cookbook, preferably from a library or a good bookstore where the staff knows what they are doing, ask for a cookbook with normal food and recipes. Or just buy "Secrets of Feeding a Healthy Family: How to Eat, How to Raise Good Eaters, How to Cook" by Ellyn Satter (I'm pushing that one today, but it's really good).

    My sil thought it was rude as well, but I was the one there. He wasn't trying to be rude.. it was like he wanted desperately to share his success with someone who could benefit from his experience. It did throw me off a bit and I slipped up with a "da fu**?!" Which made him laugh.. and I was hired so apparently my lack of professionalism didn't throw him off..

    I tried to just "eat less" but it didn't work for me. I keep binging when I feel like I'm starving. It's the main reason why I want to try this. So far all I have heard is how a higher fat diet has helped with others cravings. I'm aiming for a hunger control diet and vegetarian does not cut it.. nor does trying to balance my normal eating habits.
    Oh, but when we say that to lose weight you just have to eat less, we don't mean that you can ignore nutrition. If you don't have a balanced and varied diet, you may feel hungry. Hunger, cravings and appetite are bit fuzzy entities, the terms we use aren't really adequate to describe them, there are no firm lines between them, and they are individual, subjective and situational. We usually deal better with things we can measure. Calories in and your total body weight over time, are things that are easy to measure. A stable weight, or a not too rapid weight loss if you are overweight, is a sign that everything is fine, as far as getting in enough calories. You can do the same with macro- and micronutrients - log your food intake and aim to hit certain goals. The easiest way is to focus on enough fat and protein (and fill up your calorie allowance with carbs if you like), and eat your five-a-day. Portion out your calories into regular meals at reasonable intervals. Never skip a meal. Eat something different for each meal, and different foods from day to day. If you do this, you've covered your base. From this, you can extrapolate that the amount of hunger you are feeling, is normal, to be expected, and not to be feared or acted on. You will know that you aren't starving.

    But you can still have appetite or cravings. This is also completely normal. You don't have to eat every time you want to. You can choose not to. Almost everybody has excess appetite and need to stop themselves from eating from time to time.

    If you choose to abstain from your favorite foods, it will work. If you tell yourself can have it any time, but choose not to have it right now, it will work. But if deny yourself something you love, from fear/desperation/ignorance, you will miss it. If you miss something you can have any time, you'll crave it more and more, and soon you'll cave.

    I implied hunger can't be measured. That's not quite true. Use the hunger scale - there are several formats, some explain the difference between hunger and cravings, and you can google it, but one is like this:
    0 = Running on fumes, starving, hangry, and you need something NOW. Once you eat, it will probably take a while for your stomach to register that it’s full and at this point you are prone to overeating.
    3 = Hungry and in need of refueling. But if you don’t eat now or for the next 30 minutes, you’ll survive.
    5 = Neutral, you could go for at least another hour without eating.
    7-8 = Feeling full and satisfied. You could eat a little more before you hit the discomfort zone.
    10 = Overly stuffed to the point of discomfort, similar to how you might feel if you overate at Thanksgiving dinner.

    You may have to find your own individual signs, and it can be very interesting. You will experience that hunger comes and goes, and that it's not an emergency - even though it can feel exactly like that until you learn to feel more safe. Having regular meals and getting in good nutrition is a crucial part in this process. So is having meals you will look forward to. It's easier to wait for something you want and know you will have.

    In order to make this work, it all has to come together:
    Meal planning. Schedule meals (you may have to schedule time for meal planning, initially) you want to eat at times that fit into your day. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are normal breaks in peoples' days. If there are no such breaks in you day, create them. This is important.
    All foods and ingredients you need (and don't have already) goes on a list - this is your shopping list.
    Schedule time to shop for groceries, go shopping, bring your list, and follow it.
    Schedule time to cook. Cooking doesn't have to be elaborate or time-consuming. But you should expect to spend 15-35 minutes per day for the main meal.
    Sit down and enjoy your food, in company if you can and want.
    Pay attention to how this makes you feel, before, during and after eating.

    Linked to eating, is exercise and sleep. Aim to exercise moderately, at least getting in some movement during the day, and 8 hours of undisturbed sleep.

    After doing this for a while, you may notice that you are calmer and more aware, maybe even getting more assertive and confident. This will in turn make it easier to stick to your food plan. And if you stick to your food plan, you lose weight. Which is what we mean whe we say "just eat less".
  • freeamanda
    freeamanda Posts: 2 Member
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    If I were you I'd purchase and read The Keto Diet by Leanne Vogel. There are many books by doctors on the topic, but I think she does the best job of breaking it down, keeping it real, and also a healthy mentality. Keto totally works, and the way this book describes it, avoiding dairy, you don't feel like a greaseball. Win win win. Good luck!
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    I did keto for a bit, do low carb (not keto) now, because I like it but think eating more vegetables is important and enjoy eating fruit in the summer.

    It is absolutely NOT necessary for weight loss, but if you are interested worth a try.

    Agree with baconslave that the Low Carb group is a good place for information on how people do keto and other kinds of low carb diets.

    As to the specific questions:
    GlassAngyl wrote: »
    From what I understand, I should be eating 60% fat, 30% protein, and 10% carbs.. is this correct? Mfp converts this into grams (45 grams of carbs) which means NOTHING to me.. apparently I keep going over that.. (128grams) .. guess potatoes are carbs?

    Yeah, potatoes have some protein and a bit of fat, but are mostly carbs.

    Grams is actually a good approach, better than percentages. I'd recommend under 50 g carbs for keto (if you are active you can do more -- I was in ketosis and was more like under 60 g carbs, but it was around 35 g net carbs (net carbs is total carbs minus grams of fiber if you are in the US or Canada where fiber is commonly included within carb counts). For protein, during weight loss a good goal is .8 g per lb of your healthy goal weight (for me this was around 100 g). And then the rest fat, whatever that is -- will vary based on your goal calories.
    And the recipes call for weird crap I've never heard of and have no desire to search for. I'm ok with cutting out breads and pastas. I HATE pasta and store bread so rarely ate them anyways.. I do have an unhealthy relationship with pastry type foods though. Again, I can ditch these.. but if anyone can direct me to different meal plans that use normal foods the average non-cooking person can utilize, that would be awesome..

    You DO NOT need special keto recipes.

    How I ate when doing keto:

    Standard breakfast -- easy for me because I like eggs, I did a 2 egg omelet with lots of vegetables and some feta cheese, cooked in some kind of oil or butter (or sometimes I added some bacon and cooked the bacon first and the omelet in the fat). If I wanted more protein I might have some cottage cheese or greek yogurt on the side (full fat is better for keto, but watch the calories), or I might have a little avocado.

    Other meals I built around a source of protein (usually meat/fish, although I discovered black soy beans, which are low carb) and vegetables. I'd cook the vegetables in oil or butter (or if a salad, use a dressing made from olive oil and vinegar). I'd add some nuts on the side or avocado or cheese. If doing a low fat cut of meat like skinless chicken breast or fish I might do a bit of a sauce involving more fat, but really cooking with fat and not going super low fat for my choice of protein and having various higher fat items in the rest of my day (like nuts and avocado and eggs and full fat dairy and olives and maybe some coconut milk).

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