What was/is your experience with the Ketogenic diet?
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Oops, my comment above was supposed to say 283-143. 140 pounds lost with low carb. Also agree with autoroam that adding fat like butter to coffee (unless you fancy it) is unnecessary and didn't speed fat loss for me.1
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I've been doing Keto since mid August 2016 and am loving it. Since then I have lost around 30-32 pounds. It is ironic that I got on to it because all my clothes were too tight and I didn't want to be buying new clothes...but now all my clothes are too big.
Keto works for me because I have a real weakness for sweet things and asian foods which of course include lots of rice, as well as potatoes and bread. All these foods make me feel bloated, cause pain from inflammation and create constant hunger from sugar highs and lows.
Now, I keep my carbs between 20-30 gm (not anal about measuring and weighing) just by eyeballing portions. I eat a lot of high quality chicken (free range), goat meat, fish, prawns, offal like goat and chicken liver. I once even had some grass fed beef tenderloin with no antibiotics or nasties. I cook these meats in butter, ghee, coconut oil/milk, and extremely high quality extra virgin olive oil depending on my mood. And I eat a fair bit of non-starchy vegetables every day. Okra, radish, eggplant, salad leaves, bell peppers, haricot vert, celery, boy choy, cauliflower rice (a lifesaver)...and so on. Nuts like macadamia, Brazilnuts and walnuts as well.
I use sugar substitutes like Eythritol and Monkfruit powder (mix them myself) to create sugar without calories, carbs or glycemic load. I use Swerve to bake the most sinful chocolate cake using almond flour and have a small slice every day. It's not a struggle....since I started keto, I just don't feel like eating a lot of sweet stuff.
Plus I can go for really long spells without feeling hungry...sometimes I'll work thru lunch in the office and don't notice till 6 pm when I leave. Brain feels like its working the same when it was on carbs.
What I'm not a fan of, though, is extreme keto....where you dump butter and coconut oil in your coffee hall the time....and eat fat bombs. My thinking is that if you overload with fats in the initial stages then how will your body burn its own fat....so the plan was to wait till the most of my own fat was burned off and then ramp up fat intake gradually over the next 6 months or so. The other thing I won't do is eat very fatty cuts of meat and processed meats like bacon....I prefer to get my fats from vegetable and not animal sources.
After 3 months of Keto, I just did a blood test to see if there were any signs of harm, but nothing alarming was found. BP normal....blood sugar less than what it was 8 years ago....triglycerides were within the acceptable range but there was a slight elevation in total cholesterol....I need to work on getting these eliminated via the liver by eating more vegetables. But so far so good.
Thank you for this. This is useful information. I decided to start about 4 days ago and so far I'm struggling with meals because I don't really like anything besides chicken fish and eggs with regards to meat. I'm staying within my limits but I'm all over the place with what I eat just to fit it in there. It's definitely an adjustment. I'm not fond of most cheeses or diary and I really REALLY don't like pork. I'm glad I have this forum to come back to for encouragement and advice.0 -
Oops, my comment above was supposed to say 283-143. 140 pounds lost with low carb. Also agree with autoroam that adding fat like butter to coffee (unless you fancy it) is unnecessary and didn't speed fat loss for me.
Woah! Congratulations on your big weight loss - that's impressive.
I've been thinking about how to fit in vegetables and fruits without going out. My Carb is 18 limit per day, so I end up eating cucumbers and spinach a lot (which is fine with me because I like both of those things a lot). However, I am definitely struggling with my fat intake. I'm currently getting it from cheese, cream in coffee, butter and coconut oil. I'm use to eating apples, bananas and broccoli (I LOVE raw broccoli). I'm assuming everyone has an adjustment period right?
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I've lost weight calorie counting and i've lost weight calorie counting eating keto. Either way, it was my calorie balance that was the reason I lost the weight - but I do find keto more filling, satisfying and better for my recomp/muscle building goals.
I don't have any 'reason' to do Keto, I just enjoy the food and how it makes me feel. It's worth a try, but personally I would recommend a beginner do plain calorie counting first to learn the basics, and then try keto, as it requires a lot of attention to macro ratios, micronutrients etc.
Yeah, I've heard that Keto keeps you feeling full. That might be a good enough reason to try it!
Satiation is highly individual. Some people find more protein keeps them more satiated, some people fats and some people actually find carbs more filling. I kept trying to up my protein in an attempt to feel more satiated because that's what you always hear works, but it never worked. For me, fiber and fat are important for satiation. So you might be more satiated, but don't feel like that's something that must happen or you're doing it wrong.
Also, what's wrong with salt, spices and potatoes???
I'm one of those that feel most satiated with carbs. Not fruit or veggies generally but good old bread, pasta, potatoes, rice, etc. Give me a fatty meal at lunch time and I will be tired for the rest of the day, and super hungry. Too much protein might cause reflux. So yes, everyone is different.
But not trying to discourage you, TO.2 -
I’ve done the Keto diet for about 40 days until I started feeling heart palpitations almost on a daily basis. Turns out for me at least, my body needs an amount of carbs and sugar to function so I’ve adjusted 140 carbs and 50 g sugar per day since the change I no longer have the palpitations. Everyone’s body is different I guess finding that sweet spot where your not feeling drained and tired all the time will take some experimentation.3
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Hi there! I’m not exactly doing keto, but my program is close! It’s a medical weight loss clinic under doctor supervision, and it calls for a major calorie deficit and also eating mostly protein with some healthy fats (no carbs and no sugar). It’s worked really well for my fiancé and me. He’s lost 55 lbs in 7 weeks, and I’ve lost 30!
More importantly, I have PCOS and only had 5 periods in the past 4 years when we started the program. I couldn’t tolerate metformin at all, and I was feeling helpless. But since starting the program, I’ve had my period twice— 27 days apart! I personally don’t think I would have been able to do keto without my man doing it with me, and also weekly check-ins with the clinic. I’ve definitely struggled through it, but it’s been absolutely worth it!
Wow 55 pounds in seven weeks..I would love to hear from you could you add me to your friend list.. How many calories do you guys consume? What exactly are your meals.....Great job!!!3 -
I tried keto for about a month and a half, and personally, I found it absolutely unsustainable to lay off the carbs - the cravings were far too strong, even after I had recovered from my "keto-flu" period. Recently I've been slowly reincorporating carbs back into my diet, but rather than the 200-300 g I used to have per day, I'm trying to keep my diet relatively low-carb by trying to keep my intake <100 g per day. Aiming for the caloric deficit more than anything else and hoping for the same results - during the keto period I was averaging about 2 lbs of weight loss per week. But at the cost of my sanity. If I continue to average at 1 lb per week with carbs, I'll stay happy.5
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I'm only on day 5 and I'm finding my cravings for carbs going away, but I have no hunger. I'm struggling to reach my daily calories. I decided to give myself a month and see how I feel, so far I'm feeling great. However, I'm doing 70% fat 25% protein, 5% carbs. My biggest problem is I don't like a lot of meat, or dairy, so my meals are limited. I miss bananas already.
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I'm only on day 5 and I'm finding my cravings for carbs going away, but I have no hunger. I'm struggling to reach my daily calories. I decided to give myself a month and see how I feel, so far I'm feeling great. However, I'm doing 70% fat 25% protein, 5% carbs. My biggest problem is I don't like a lot of meat, or dairy, so my meals are limited. I miss bananas already.
You said your carb goal is 18g? That may be needlessly low - especially if you're not happy with your food choices. For example: you might be able to eat 40g of carbs a day - still be in ketosis the majority of time - and keep eating the broccoli, spinach and cucumbers you love and have 20g carbs to spare for a small banana. The goal is to eat as many carbs as you can and still receive the benefits of low carb - lower is not necessarily better.
There's more room for flexibility than you're allowing yourself. Experiment and see how you make out - best wishes.
P.S. Here's a great blog post to help put things in perspective: The Keto Train to Crazy Town.3 -
I personally dont like any diet that excludes something (or drastically limits it). I prefer balance.4
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Ryansworld84 wrote: »I personally dont like any diet that excludes something (or drastically limits it). I prefer balance.
I don't really like the term balanced diet. Does it mean a diet that has all essential nutrients? Or a diet rich in carbohydrates, the only non essential macronutrient?
In seems a bit judgemental to me too. Like if I restrict carbs then I am "unbalanced." LOL8 -
Ryansworld84 wrote: »I personally dont like any diet that excludes something (or drastically limits it). I prefer balance.
I don't really like the term balanced diet. Does it mean a diet that has all essential nutrients? Or a diet rich in carbohydrates, the only non essential macronutrient?
In seems a bit judgemental to me too. Like if I restrict carbs then I am "unbalanced." LOL
I'd say you are interpreting through your own biased filter. There is plenty of info available on how to "balance" a diet and there is a wide range of room for interpretation.
A diet that restricts a whole macro nutrient likely has a lower chance of cover all the important micro nutrients that a "balanced" diet does. You mention essential nutrients but they are only important for survival not for thriving.
It's not judgmental. It is just fact that seems to offend your biased nutritional view.4 -
Ryansworld84 wrote: »I personally dont like any diet that excludes something (or drastically limits it). I prefer balance.
I don't really like the term balanced diet. Does it mean a diet that has all essential nutrients? Or a diet rich in carbohydrates, the only non essential macronutrient?
In seems a bit judgemental to me too. Like if I restrict carbs then I am "unbalanced." LOL
I'd say you are interpreting through your own biased filter. There is plenty of info available on how to "balance" a diet and there is a wide range of room for interpretation.
A diet that restricts a whole macro nutrient likely has a lower chance of cover all the important micro nutrients that a "balanced" diet does. You mention essential nutrients but they are only important for survival not for thriving.
It's not judgmental. It is just fact that seems to offend your biased nutritional view.
I'd say I've definitely improved my nutrition by going keto in that I get way more micronutrients than I used to, within my calorie limits. I find myself eating more veggies and healthy fats/proteins than when I crammed my face with bread and French fries. I believe the food pyramid to be unbalanced...which is what I've always utilized in previous diets...none of which have worked for me. I also feel the restriction on carbs is not limiting in essential nutrients because I am more choosy about the things in which I want to spend those carbs. The higher fat content allows me to not feel as hungry and thus reduces my overall desire to eat all the things. I'd say overall, it feels like a good balance for me...but I'd agree it isn't for everyone and people should experiment to see what works for them.4 -
I love keto. I have PCOS with a history of diabetes in my family on both sides. It really is a lifestyle, this isn't for everyone. Unlike other posters, I choose keto because I have a very hard time controlling myself eating a SAD. I am also an emotional eater, so keto helps me distance myself from foods that I used to run to in order to cope with my feelings. I lost 90lbs two year ago. When my mom died, I pretty much sank into a depression and gained it all back. The picture in my profile is me at about 190. Now, I'm back to 250lbs and I know that keto is sustainable for me, the foods I make are delicious and I don't feel deprived.
It's really up to you, calories do count no matter what style you try. Keto makes me feel good and in control. Maybe give it a go and if it doesn't work out, try something like paleo or even basic calorie counting eating whatever you want.2 -
silversnow7 wrote: »I’ve done the Keto diet for about 40 days until I started feeling heart palpitations almost on a daily basis. Turns out for me at least, my body needs an amount of carbs and sugar to function so I’ve adjusted 140 carbs and 50 g sugar per day since the change I no longer have the palpitations. Everyone’s body is different I guess finding that sweet spot where your not feeling drained and tired all the time will take some experimentation.
Heart palpitations usually mean low potassium, which is usually solved by including more avocado or a supplement. I have never had keto flu because I make sure that my electrolytes are provided for, since low carb means we do not hold on to a lot of water.3
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