Pros and cons of a Keto Diet

LiftHeavyThings27105

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

macchiatto

True, I can vouch that @psuLemon does recommend lower carb for those of us with PCOS and related issues. He was great at helping me figure out how to transition to maintenance/recomp while eating lower carb.
Also, I'm sorry you and your wife have been through so much health-wise. I didn't realize it had been going on so long!

Anon2018

So, a little late to the game but I wanted to throw in my personal pros and cons for a keto diet. Currently, I follow a moderate low carb high fat diet, that usually shakes out to 15% carbs, 60% fat, and 25% protein (I'm not strict on macros). I tried keto for about a week, and still end up at keto levels 3-4 days a week. I test for ketosis periodically (pee strips) and it seems I go in and out of it. Just for context, I am about 25 pounds overweight, but have no other health issues. I am relatively active with light lifting, boot camp, and cardio (spin and jogging). Besides the extra weight I'm carrying, I am very healthy. Most of my life I've been about 5 pounds overweight, but it didn't cause me much trouble. I've gained 20 pounds in the past two years. I'm 27 years old, 160 and 4'11", my best adult weight was 125 (24.9 BMI), and the weight I've maintained most of my adult life is 130. I would ideally like to get back to 125 but would be happy with 130. I started this diet at 165 - lost 5 pounds in 3 weeks.

Personally, I gained this weight not because I eat very unhealthy foods consistently or have really bad habits, but because I just ate too damn much. I fell into the classic trap of overstimating my exercise cals and eating too much. For example, something I'd do a lot of weekends is go for a 7-8 mile run with my boyfriend, and then afterwards go to this neighborhood health food restaurant and drink a large protein acai smoothie and have a sandwich on a whole grain bun with chicken, swiss, avocado, tomato, onions, lettuce, and ranch. Easily a 1500 calorie lunch! And that's honestly a conservative estimate. And this was after a full breakfast and before a full dinner. i should mention, i'm only 4'11". So for me, I needed to find a way to feel satiated on fewer calories. I also viewed keto, low carb, whatever as a tool to help me count calories. And for me, this is the first thing that has worked for me to keep my cals in check and feel full and energized. When I would count calories in past attempts to lose weight I would have to trade off between counting/eating at a deficit and exercise. I could eat 1200 calorie days (pretty much what every calculator gave me) but I had no energy to exercise, was miserable, couldn't eat out or hang out with friends, and would go to sleep feeling week or tired super early. Obviously, this would only last a few days. OR I could exercise, eat 1700-1800 calories, and not lose weight. I should mention, I'm not exactly a volume eater. Big bowls of raw veggies make me feel sick and bloaty but not full. I love dietary fats (cheese, avocado, nut butter, yum!). I don't really eat fried food or anything like that.

When I first tried keto, it just clicked for me. I had tons of energy and was eating really satisfying foods, and I felt great. I was used to eating breakfast at 9 and by 10:45 my stomach was rumbling and I was counting down to lunch. When I changed to keto, I would eat breakfast at 9, and by 1 be like "oh I forgot to eat lunch?". I would eat 1200-1300 cals, be totally full and satisfied, and have energy to exercise. What I realized after a few weeks is that, for me, there was no magic in keto, and low carb high fat was really the move for me. But, since this is about keto, I will give my pros and cons:

Pros:
- Feeling satiated on fewer calories, making calorie counting and weight loss easier
- Less bloat
- Energy to workout on lower calorie levels
- Finding it easier to navigate social situations and restaurant menus (not being afraid of fat or salt really helps with the restaurants)
- No cravings

Cons:
- Slightly restrictive in terms of sauces, condiments, dairy, stuff like that (I never felt like I had to limit my veggies, and FWIW I don't run into this problem on my current LCHF)
- Objectively, more expensive. I'm not bulking meals out with rice or pasta or adding a piece of toast anymore, just eating more of the meat. Also to keep variety, buying different kinds of meat (more beef, more fish, etc.)
- Hard to find things to satisfy your sweet tooth if you don't eat artificial sweeteners - which I don't (again, I don't run into this problem on LCHF. For example, now after dinner if I'm craving a dessert I can have a yogurt with a few teaspoons of honey for 20-25 carbs whereas I couldn't do this on keto)
- TMI but I'm struggling a little with poop

Basically, for those struggling to be satiated on a low cal diet, cutting carbs can be a great strategy. I figured out that I don't really miss the carbs themselves, I miss them as a vehicle for stuff. Like, I used to have a piece of toast with nut butter if I was hungry before bed. But now that I've cut out the grains, I realized it wasn't really the bread I liked, it was the nut butter, and I'm just as happy with a spoonful of the nut butter itself or a tbsp of nut butter in a small pot of yogurt, and I won't be hungry after. Ditto for something like mac and cheese. Like, all I really wanted was the cheese as it turns out, lol.

So, this is what worked for me. Obviously everyone's body reacts to things differently, but for me, the grains and carbs just didn't fill me up relative to their calorie spend. Basically, I get more bang for my buck adding 3 oz of salmon to dinner than I would a half cup of brown rice. I'm fuller longer, and I'm much happier.