Ketogenic diet

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  • kpk54
    kpk54 Posts: 4,474 Member
    edited March 2018
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    @KrazyKrissyy, It's awesome keto is reducing your seizures. It helps many with Epilepsy. Given it's success with Epilepsy, I trialed MTKD for my neurological movement disorder (Cervical Dystonia aka Spasmodic Torticollis) for 52 weeks in 2016. Alas it was not effective but for sure it's not epilepsy so it was just a hope on my part. I've read a bit where there are a few trials with Parkinson's also so that also served as encouragement.

    I'm curious how you were able to get 3/4 cup of coconut oil into recipes consistently to eat that much every day. I would eat a few tablespoons (off the spoon) a day to ensure I got the entire amount but had to also supplement with foods like full fat cream cheese and mascarpone for their high fat LOW protein content. I'm not sure my digestive tract would have managed 12 tablespoons of straight coconut oil but I never tested it. I trialed MCT oil the last few months and could definitely handle only 3-4 tbsp of that daily. :/ About 1200 of my 1500 daily calories were fat.

    What was your source for recipes so heavy in coconut oil? Most of what I've found are desserts and eating the entire pan full (for the fat content and to ensure fat % intake) would put me over my maintenance calories and limit protein even further. Cool that you're losing weight if that is a bonus to you. I found I maintained my weight on the same calories as my previous 18 months of maintenance.
  • KrazyKrissyy
    KrazyKrissyy Posts: 322 Member
    edited March 2018
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    I'm currently on a keto diet for my epilepsy which is a bit different than the standard keto. For neuro conditions it's 80-90% fat, 5-15% protein, 0-5% carbs (which is what I'm following). Fat doesn't fill be up like protein/carbs do unfortunately. The good thing though is my seizures have been decreasing. Surprisingly, I'm rapidly losing weight (Even though that wasn't my original intention) despite eating over 2,500 calories and over 200 grams of fat. I use a minimum of 12 tablespoons of coconut oil per day. Its really good in recipes! Cellulite is disappearing so I guess that's a plus lol. And my blood sugar crashes finally stopped.

    were your seizures due to your blood sugar crashing? are you diabetic too or? what do you mean rapidly losing weight? and how do you measure your food intake? because rapid weight loss is usually from a very high deficit which should not be the case if you are really eating 2500 calories, unless you are on the go all day every day,or you have an underlying health issue causing it that you dont know about.

    Its a possibility that my seizures are due to low blood sugar, although ive had seizures since age 7. I dont have diabetes but my father does. I have reactive hypoglycemia, epilepsy, IBS, Gastroparesis, and SIBO. Veggies, fruits, grains, nuts, seeds, beans, wheat, and most dairy makes me look 5 months pregnant along with gas, cramps, bowel issues (my stomach will temporarily swell). My safe foods are meat, butter, oils, nut butters, cream cheese, etc. Anything low in fiber (however, i have to avoid refined foods and sugars because of my reactive hypoglycemia). Coconut oil helps me use the bathroom. The IBS-C, Gastroparesis, and methane SIBO causes chronic constipation and slow motility. TMI...but...Coconut oil gives me the runs and I'd rather have that then being backed up for 3-4 weeks. I use a measuring spoon (tablespoon) to fill ice cube trays with coconut oil, nut butter, and stevia and freeze. They taste great! I go through 1-2 trays per day.
  • KrazyKrissyy
    KrazyKrissyy Posts: 322 Member
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    @kpk54 I used coconut oil to make fat bombs. I'm sorry the coconut oil didn't agree with you :( have you been tested for any digestive issues as well? Different digestive problems can and can't handle different foods.
  • MelodiousMermaid
    MelodiousMermaid Posts: 380 Member
    edited March 2018
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    anubis609 wrote: »
    I'm currently on a keto diet for my epilepsy which is a bit different than the standard keto. For neuro conditions it's 80-90% fat, 5-15% protein, 0-5% carbs (which is what I'm following). Fat doesn't fill be up like protein/carbs do unfortunately. The good thing though is my seizures have been decreasing. Surprisingly, I'm rapidly losing weight (Even though that wasn't my original intention) despite eating over 2,500 calories and over 200 grams of fat. I use a minimum of 12 tablespoons of coconut oil per day. Its really good in recipes! Cellulite is disappearing so I guess that's a plus lol. And my blood sugar crashes finally stopped.

    Just to clarify this, a ketogenic diet was intended for the treatment of epilepsy in conjunction with medication to reduce the prevalence of seizures. That IS THE STANDARD of keto. All other variations of the diet to promote weight loss are actually bastardized versions of the original diet to treat epilepsy, specifically in children and adolescents.

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2902940/

    https://charliefoundation.org/diet-plans/

    I'm not offering any advice specifically to @KrazyKrissyy, as a medical condition requires a medical professional, but the following is intended for devout keto followers using the diet for non-neurological and non-medical purposes, AKA genpop keto.

    Herein lies the confusion that it was intended for all other people. What most keto "gurus" tout are the purported benefits as it applies to neurological conditions and it's now just barely tapped as a recent study for the general population, with more of a benefit to the treatment of diabetes and insulin resistance, but what they won't mention is that the classic diet with a 4:1 ketogenic ratio of fat:protein is that the children who were placed on this diet, actually weened off that ratio to a more modest diet that included a tapering up of protein to what is considered a modified Atkins diet (MAD) as their seizures were controlled because the abysmally low amount of protein in a child's biology leads to cachexia or sarcopenia in adults. Therefore, as a countermeasure, because of the importance of protein as we age (especially during the adolescent stage to puberty), the efficacy of MAD compared to KD was suggested as perhaps a better method to apply for adult epilepsy.

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26859528

    Basically, if you have nothing wrong with you, other than being overfat, adhering to a diet (severely high in dietary fat and low in protein) intended to treat a medical condition in order to "biohack" your body into ketosis (a natural survival trait inherent to humans) is asinine.

    So, setting labeling/unnecessarily judgmental comments aside (I understand you're frustrated and trying to be extra clear to make your point), I may have learned something.

    I would like to confirm my understanding is correct, since you seem to be more knowledgeable than I am regarding difference between these different ways of eating, and won't really have the proper amount of time to dig into academic sources for about a month. I'm not consuming a keto diet, but would like to understand.

    If a person has a dietary intake of 1,500 kcal per day, consumes 50g of net carbs per day (I realize this could be less), consumes .8-1g/lean mass lb for protein (which would vary wildly depending on lean weight), and consumes enough fat to round out the number, they are not in a ketogenic diet, but modified Atkins?

    As a more concrete example (just in case the above is too abstract), let's use my estimated lean mass of 101.82.
    This would be my intake if I were to go into super-low-carb eating (which, again, I am not doing):

    Kcal
    200 = 50g net carb (13.33%)
    404 = 101g protein (26.93%)
    896 = ~99.5g fat (59.74%)
    Total = 1,500 kcal

    This would be MAD and would not qualify as ketogenic?

    Thanks for the resource links, BTW, and thanks in advance on the confirmation on this clarified understanding.

    Edited to clarify net carb versus carb.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
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    anubis609 wrote: »
    anubis609 wrote: »
    I'm currently on a keto diet for my epilepsy which is a bit different than the standard keto. For neuro conditions it's 80-90% fat, 5-15% protein, 0-5% carbs (which is what I'm following). Fat doesn't fill be up like protein/carbs do unfortunately. The good thing though is my seizures have been decreasing. Surprisingly, I'm rapidly losing weight (Even though that wasn't my original intention) despite eating over 2,500 calories and over 200 grams of fat. I use a minimum of 12 tablespoons of coconut oil per day. Its really good in recipes! Cellulite is disappearing so I guess that's a plus lol. And my blood sugar crashes finally stopped.

    Just to clarify this, a ketogenic diet was intended for the treatment of epilepsy in conjunction with medication to reduce the prevalence of seizures. That IS THE STANDARD of keto. All other variations of the diet to promote weight loss are actually bastardized versions of the original diet to treat epilepsy, specifically in children and adolescents.

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2902940/

    https://charliefoundation.org/diet-plans/

    I'm not offering any advice specifically to @KrazyKrissyy, as a medical condition requires a medical professional, but the following is intended for devout keto followers using the diet for non-neurological and non-medical purposes, AKA genpop keto.

    Herein lies the confusion that it was intended for all other people. What most keto "gurus" tout are the purported benefits as it applies to neurological conditions and it's now just barely tapped as a recent study for the general population, with more of a benefit to the treatment of diabetes and insulin resistance, but what they won't mention is that the classic diet with a 4:1 ketogenic ratio of fat:protein is that the children who were placed on this diet, actually weened off that ratio to a more modest diet that included a tapering up of protein to what is considered a modified Atkins diet (MAD) as their seizures were controlled because the abysmally low amount of protein in a child's biology leads to cachexia or sarcopenia in adults. Therefore, as a countermeasure, because of the importance of protein as we age (especially during the adolescent stage to puberty), the efficacy of MAD compared to KD was suggested as perhaps a better method to apply for adult epilepsy.

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26859528

    Basically, if you have nothing wrong with you, other than being overfat, adhering to a diet (severely high in dietary fat and low in protein) intended to treat a medical condition in order to "biohack" your body into ketosis (a natural survival trait inherent to humans) is asinine.

    So, setting labeling/unnecessarily judgmental comments aside (I understand you're frustrated and trying to be extra clear to make your point), I may have learned something.

    I would like to confirm my understanding is correct, since you seem to be more knowledgeable than I am regarding difference between these different ways of eating, and won't really have the proper amount of time to dig into academic sources for about a month. I'm not consuming a keto diet, but would like to understand.

    If a person has a dietary intake of 1,500 kcal per day, consumes 50g of net carbs per day (I realize this could be less), consumes .8-1g/lean mass lb for protein (which would vary wildly depending on lean weight), and consumes enough fat to round out the number, they are not in a ketogenic diet, but modified Atkins?

    As a more concrete example (just in case the above is too abstract), let's use my estimated lean mass of 101.82.
    This would be my intake if I were to go into super-low-carb eating (which, again, I am not doing):

    Kcal
    200 = 50g net carb (13.33%)
    404 = 101g protein (26.93%)
    896 = ~99.5g fat (59.74%)
    Total = 1,500 kcal

    This would be MAD and would not qualify as ketogenic?

    Thanks for the resource links, BTW, and thanks in advance on the confirmation on this clarified understanding.

    Edited to clarify net carb versus carb.

    "Judgmental comments" perceived aside, a modified Atkins diet is technically ketogenic, by virtue of reducing dietary carbs, but it is a variation of the classic/standard ketogenic diet.

    I would actually promote MAD for dieters who wish to follow a low carb diet. If you're a keto advocate, Jeff Volek and Stephen Phinney are two of the most prominent thought leaders - in a positive sense - that actually recommend a modified Atkins version to promote for weight and fat loss. They call it a well-formulated ketogenic diet.

    As long as protein needs are met as it applies to your lean body mass, and carbs are restricted, dietary fat becomes the ultimate determinant of meeting caloric goals. It then follows the rules of CICO. If you want to lose fat, eat less dietary fat. If you want to maintain or gain, then increase the dietary fat. In the end, there is no difference between keto/low carb or CICO.. they all follow the laws of thermodynamics.

    A ketogenic diet isn't determined by the amount of fat someone ingests, it's determined by the amount of dietary carbs, and to an extent, energy balance, one doesn't ingest.

    Without going deep into the biochemistry details of the formation of ketone bodies ad nauseam, if calories are restricted to a low enough degree, 100% carbs can be ketogenic as well.

    But to your point, the way you've set up that example of a 1500kcal diet is optimally acceptable as a weight loss diet that follows a ketogenic pattern of carb restriction with proper protein. It's actually a stellar example. Don't get caught up in whether it's considered "ketogenic" or not. The state of ketosis should only be reserved for medical conditions that benefit from higher amounts of ketones. For fat loss, it's unnecessary.

    I agree with all of this.

    Below 50g is generally considered to be ketogenic. Some healthy people who are active, and timing carbs around exercise, will even be ketogenic at levels quite a bit higher than this. A person with insulin resistance may be ketogenic only at lower levels of carbs. But the main point of ketones is for health reasons, such as brain injury and diseases, and not for weight loss.

    People like ketogenic diets because of how it makes them feel - the improved health that many may experience.

    Reducing carbs may result in appetite suppression, which many dieters appreciate for weight loss. Reduced carbs may also result in ketosis, but the ketones are not thought to be what causes the reduced appetite.

    ... as I understand it.

    For more work by Phinney and Volek, read The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living, The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Performance, and the New Atkins Diet.
  • kpk54
    kpk54 Posts: 4,474 Member
    edited March 2018
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    @kpk54 I used coconut oil to make fat bombs. I'm sorry the coconut oil didn't agree with you :( have you been tested for any digestive issues as well? Different digestive problems can and can't handle different foods.

    Thanks for the reply. It wasn't that coconut oil disagreed with me. I got only some of my fats from coconut oil so never pushed the entire amount (1200 fat calories) to coconut oil. MCT Oil was a bit different. I eased my way up to 3-4 tablespoons but it definitely didn't agree with me in that amount. Without it, I fortunately have no digestive issues.

    I haven't eaten a MTKD for over a year. I trialed it for only a year and only for Dystonia. No luck but that's ok. If it worked for this disorder, I guess it might be medically known as with epilepsy. A hope and a prayer was all it was for me. Dystonia is not progressive and I've learned what aggravates it in me. I'm otherwise healthy and am now just trying to keep it that way at age 64. :) I hope you obtain 100% freedom from seizures. Forever! <3

  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
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    I'm currently on a keto diet for my epilepsy which is a bit different than the standard keto. For neuro conditions it's 80-90% fat, 5-15% protein, 0-5% carbs (which is what I'm following). Fat doesn't fill be up like protein/carbs do unfortunately. The good thing though is my seizures have been decreasing. Surprisingly, I'm rapidly losing weight (Even though that wasn't my original intention) despite eating over 2,500 calories and over 200 grams of fat. I use a minimum of 12 tablespoons of coconut oil per day. Its really good in recipes! Cellulite is disappearing so I guess that's a plus lol. And my blood sugar crashes finally stopped.

    were your seizures due to your blood sugar crashing? are you diabetic too or? what do you mean rapidly losing weight? and how do you measure your food intake? because rapid weight loss is usually from a very high deficit which should not be the case if you are really eating 2500 calories, unless you are on the go all day every day,or you have an underlying health issue causing it that you dont know about.

    Its a possibility that my seizures are due to low blood sugar, although ive had seizures since age 7. I dont have diabetes but my father does. I have reactive hypoglycemia, epilepsy, IBS, Gastroparesis, and SIBO. Veggies, fruits, grains, nuts, seeds, beans, wheat, and most dairy makes me look 5 months pregnant along with gas, cramps, bowel issues (my stomach will temporarily swell). My safe foods are meat, butter, oils, nut butters, cream cheese, etc. Anything low in fiber (however, i have to avoid refined foods and sugars because of my reactive hypoglycemia). Coconut oil helps me use the bathroom. The IBS-C, Gastroparesis, and methane SIBO causes chronic constipation and slow motility. TMI...but...Coconut oil gives me the runs and I'd rather have that then being backed up for 3-4 weeks. I use a measuring spoon (tablespoon) to fill ice cube trays with coconut oil, nut butter, and stevia and freeze. They taste great! I go through 1-2 trays per day.

    if your seizures are caused by low blood sugar then you need to find a way if you havent already to keep it stable. epilepsy occurs whether you have hypoglycemia or not. I understand eating foods low in fiber if it causes you issues. there are a few people here in MFP who are the same way. The thing is having the runs isnt good either. I understand the need for not wanting to be constipated.my sister has had seizures since she was 6 months old. it took 20+ years to find a spot on her brain that was causing them. she had laser surgery to remove the mass and shes been seizure free.

    I saw what she went through when she was younger.I cant comment on your other health issues such as the IBS-C,gastoparesis and so on because I can honestly say I know nothing about those things. never heard of the SIBO thing. But I can see where the rapid weight loss can come from having all those issues and with things going right through you.
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
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    I'm currently on a keto diet for my epilepsy which is a bit different than the standard keto. For neuro conditions it's 80-90% fat, 5-15% protein, 0-5% carbs (which is what I'm following). Fat doesn't fill be up like protein/carbs do unfortunately. The good thing though is my seizures have been decreasing. Surprisingly, I'm rapidly losing weight (Even though that wasn't my original intention) despite eating over 2,500 calories and over 200 grams of fat. I use a minimum of 12 tablespoons of coconut oil per day. Its really good in recipes! Cellulite is disappearing so I guess that's a plus lol. And my blood sugar crashes finally stopped.

    were your seizures due to your blood sugar crashing? are you diabetic too or? what do you mean rapidly losing weight? and how do you measure your food intake? because rapid weight loss is usually from a very high deficit which should not be the case if you are really eating 2500 calories, unless you are on the go all day every day,or you have an underlying health issue causing it that you dont know about.

    Its a possibility that my seizures are due to low blood sugar, although ive had seizures since age 7. I dont have diabetes but my father does. I have reactive hypoglycemia, epilepsy, IBS, Gastroparesis, and SIBO. Veggies, fruits, grains, nuts, seeds, beans, wheat, and most dairy makes me look 5 months pregnant along with gas, cramps, bowel issues (my stomach will temporarily swell). My safe foods are meat, butter, oils, nut butters, cream cheese, etc. Anything low in fiber (however, i have to avoid refined foods and sugars because of my reactive hypoglycemia). Coconut oil helps me use the bathroom. The IBS-C, Gastroparesis, and methane SIBO causes chronic constipation and slow motility. TMI...but...Coconut oil gives me the runs and I'd rather have that then being backed up for 3-4 weeks. I use a measuring spoon (tablespoon) to fill ice cube trays with coconut oil, nut butter, and stevia and freeze. They taste great! I go through 1-2 trays per day.

    Does the high fat bother your gastroparesis? I have severe gastroparesis (70% left at 4 hours) and Crohn's (with an ileostomy so constipation isn't an issue just slow output) and I have been told low fibre, low/moderate fat as fat apparently slows motility.
  • Lean59man
    Lean59man Posts: 714 Member
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    Yes? No? Why?

    What? No "maybe"?
  • MelodiousMermaid
    MelodiousMermaid Posts: 380 Member
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    @anubis609 : Thank you for your reply with the additional information. I do have mild epileptic episodes from time to time and that and the "clearer thinking"/appetite suppression are what made me think to give it a try. I did try it last summer for a few months, but found I love root veggies and cottage cheese way too much to go that low every day. I've since shifted to lower-carb, but not ketogenic (unless I can become one of those special people who can use workouts and timing to get things settled).

    It is interesting learning more about the various aspects. I will definitely take the time to do so sometime after tax season. :smile:
  • KrazyKrissyy
    KrazyKrissyy Posts: 322 Member
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    I'm currently on a keto diet for my epilepsy which is a bit different than the standard keto. For neuro conditions it's 80-90% fat, 5-15% protein, 0-5% carbs (which is what I'm following). Fat doesn't fill be up like protein/carbs do unfortunately. The good thing though is my seizures have been decreasing. Surprisingly, I'm rapidly losing weight (Even though that wasn't my original intention) despite eating over 2,500 calories and over 200 grams of fat. I use a minimum of 12 tablespoons of coconut oil per day. Its really good in recipes! Cellulite is disappearing so I guess that's a plus lol. And my blood sugar crashes finally stopped.

    were your seizures due to your blood sugar crashing? are you diabetic too or? what do you mean rapidly losing weight? and how do you measure your food intake? because rapid weight loss is usually from a very high deficit which should not be the case if you are really eating 2500 calories, unless you are on the go all day every day,or you have an underlying health issue causing it that you dont know about.

    Its a possibility that my seizures are due to low blood sugar, although ive had seizures since age 7. I dont have diabetes but my father does. I have reactive hypoglycemia, epilepsy, IBS, Gastroparesis, and SIBO. Veggies, fruits, grains, nuts, seeds, beans, wheat, and most dairy makes me look 5 months pregnant along with gas, cramps, bowel issues (my stomach will temporarily swell). My safe foods are meat, butter, oils, nut butters, cream cheese, etc. Anything low in fiber (however, i have to avoid refined foods and sugars because of my reactive hypoglycemia). Coconut oil helps me use the bathroom. The IBS-C, Gastroparesis, and methane SIBO causes chronic constipation and slow motility. TMI...but...Coconut oil gives me the runs and I'd rather have that then being backed up for 3-4 weeks. I use a measuring spoon (tablespoon) to fill ice cube trays with coconut oil, nut butter, and stevia and freeze. They taste great! I go through 1-2 trays per day.

    Does the high fat bother your gastroparesis? I have severe gastroparesis (70% left at 4 hours) and Crohn's (with an ileostomy so constipation isn't an issue just slow output) and I have been told low fibre, low/moderate fat as fat apparently slows motility.

    Fat does not bother me. Only fiber bothers my GP. Everyone who has GP will have their own severity of it. Your's sounds pretty bad. Do what you need to do to manage your symptoms xoxo
  • anubis609
    anubis609 Posts: 3,966 Member
    edited March 2018
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    @anubis609 : Thank you for your reply with the additional information. I do have mild epileptic episodes from time to time and that and the "clearer thinking"/appetite suppression are what made me think to give it a try. I did try it last summer for a few months, but found I love root veggies and cottage cheese way too much to go that low every day. I've since shifted to lower-carb, but not ketogenic (unless I can become one of those special people who can use workouts and timing to get things settled).

    It is interesting learning more about the various aspects. I will definitely take the time to do so sometime after tax season. :smile:

    You're welcome. There are positive aspects to a reduced carb/ketogenic diet, as @mmapags mentioned. My mother also has random epileptic episodes, which might possibly be attributed to her glioblastoma, though, it's not definitive. I have her following a low carb diet in conjunction with general strength training and that combination seems to alleviate her symptoms over just the diet alone. Whether her symptoms might be better treated on a true ketogenic diet are unknown since she adheres better to a lower carb diet.

    It's going to be different for everyone and again, outside of medical advice, online advice should be taken with a grain of salt. Find out what works for you along with the help of your healthcare team, or at least an approved team of practitioners that support your goal.