Ketogenic diet
Options
Replies
-
Here is how I look at it. Do not think of it as a diet. As soon as the word diet = failure. Think of it as a lifestyle. The commitment should be made for a long-term, not a short stint as we all know that weight will come back with a vengeance. So if you stick to making healthier choices and limit your carb intake and keep your fat intake higher, I think we can be successful long term.11
-
Here is how I look at it. Do not think of it as a diet. As soon as the word diet = failure. Think of it as a lifestyle. The commitment should be made for a long-term, not a short stint as we all know that weight will come back with a vengeance. So if you stick to making healthier choices and limit your carb intake and keep your fat intake higher, I think we can be successful long term.
That doesn't mean anything really because you can still gain weight with that highlighted sentence. The calories is the one thing that needs to be the top priority before playing around with macros. Of course, if you're following keto, then it's naturally you want little to no carbs, but saying fat intake needs to be higher....well a newbie who starts keto will not know how high his/her fat intake needs to be to lose weight which is why I prefer specifying the word calories.
8 -
I am noticing a kind of opposing view between the calories in/ calories out and LCHF groups. Yes calories matter but your % of carbs, Fat and protein matter too. I think when you start Keto it is more important to hit your % of each than to worry about calories. When your body becomes fat adapted you should start to burn fat but at the same time you will likely feel less hungry. This is when, in a perfect world, you should self regulate calories. You are not going to wreck your scale weight in two weeks of keto and I will even bet weight (water) goes down several pounds too. If the scale doesn't move you can always dial back total calories later. This isn't magic it is about burning fat AND managing calories. Week one for me stats, down 8 pounds but was 10, beer belly is shrinking dramatically to the point others notice. Not paying any attention to food portion or calories now but just eating til full.16
-
I am noticing a kind of opposing view between the calories in/ calories out and LCHF groups. Yes calories matter but your % of carbs, Fat and protein matter too. I think when you start Keto it is more important to hit your % of each than to worry about calories. When your body becomes fat adapted you should start to burn fat but at the same time you will likely feel less hungry. This is when, in a perfect world, you should self regulate calories. You are not going to wreck your scale weight in two weeks of keto and I will even bet weight (water) goes down several pounds too. If the scale doesn't move you can always dial back total calories later. This isn't magic it is about burning fat AND managing calories. Week one for me stats, down 8 pounds but was 10, beer belly is shrinking dramatically to the point others notice. Not paying any attention to food portion or calories now but just eating til full.
This is the thing... I think if keto helps you manage your hunger that is great, but I would imagine you would probably want to stay on it for the rest of your life, otherwise when you start to add carbs back in (or whatever sets your hunger off) it could become difficult if you aren't used to managing hunger. I think if someone has major issues with hunger it can help, but again it takes it away vs. helping them manage it, which again is fine if you stay on keto forever.
I think though, in some cases (not all...) it can be important to know how to manage and deal with hunger... it is uncomfortable. It does suck sometimes. Learning how to deal with it is hard, but it is a skill you learn that gets better with time. Exercise is hard, but over time you become more comfortable being uncomfortable if that makes sense. Again, this might not work for everyone, especially if your hunger signals are way out of whack.14 -
I am noticing a kind of opposing view between the calories in/ calories out and LCHF groups. Yes calories matter but your % of carbs, Fat and protein matter too. I think when you start Keto it is more important to hit your % of each than to worry about calories. When your body becomes fat adapted you should start to burn fat but at the same time you will likely feel less hungry. This is when, in a perfect world, you should self regulate calories. You are not going to wreck your scale weight in two weeks of keto and I will even bet weight (water) goes down several pounds too. If the scale doesn't move you can always dial back total calories later. This isn't magic it is about burning fat AND managing calories. Week one for me stats, down 8 pounds but was 10, beer belly is shrinking dramatically to the point others notice. Not paying any attention to food portion or calories now but just eating til full.
Unfortunately we don't live in a perfect world, keto doesn't regulate everyone's hunger and fatty foods are high calorie and delicious.12 -
jtaylor_71 wrote: »Hi all, wanting peoples thoughts (good and bad) on a ketogenic diet.
I lost 20kgs over the last year, however recently gained most of it back following a traumatic personal experience. I’m wanting to jump back in and start losing the weight while keeping myself busy
Please no negative, I’m not here for that, I’m here to gain knowledge.
How can you say no negative when you ask people's thoughts (good and bad)???
Anyways, my opinion is this, unless you have health issues that requires you to get rid of carbs or you simply just feel satiated and enjoy keto, doing keto isn't anything special. What I mean by that, for fat loss, keto will not directly cause you to lose weight, what does make you directly lose weight is being at a caloric deficit and it has been scientifically proven that for fat loss, every diet share similar results. People do experience fast weight loss in the initial stages of keto, but that's because of water weight and glycogen that is getting depleted .
For physical activities, although it is not yet conclusive, early stages of the studies show that keto is the least optimal out of all diets. This one does not surprise me since your water and glycogen are depleted and you're relying on fat as source of energy instead of carbs, so you're not going to get the best out of your workout which is why athletes in general follow a high carb diet.
You claim you lost 20kgs last year, but that was not keto that did that, it was the caloric deficit. Keto was just the tool you used in order to acheive that goal just like others will use Intermittent fasting or Paleo, well you get my point.
I am able to lose weight with carbs, but it's funny you won't see people shout "Eating a high carb diet made me lose weight". In the end, it's all about personal preference, if you enjoy keto and it helps you stick with your goal(s), then by all means keep doing it.
For most people, being in a caloric deficit will make you lose weight regardless of your macros. The only exception which can make losing weight difficult is if you have some health issues (like thyroid for example), but for the regular Joe and Jane, it's all about eating less calories than you burn which will make you lose weight.
'For physical activities, although it is not yet conclusive, early stages of the studies show that keto is the least optimal out of all diets. This one does not surprise me since your water and glycogen are depleted and you're relying on fat as source of energy instead of carbs, so you're not going to get the best out of your workout which is why athletes in general follow a high carb diet.'
I'm gonna have to chime in on this one. while I don't consider myself an "athlete" hell most of us don't on here I have been doing following the ketogenic lifestyle for about a year and a half. Last year I was training for a half marathon ( no didn't do it because my knee started acting up
) but I was running 10 miles once a week and 5-8 miles 3 time a week and lifting for an hour and a half to 2 hours 3 times a week. Not once did I ever experience any kind of issues with energy levels or muscle weakness (aside from the expected DOMS!) quite the opposite in fact. your body isn't actually using fats for energy but turning them into ketones, which your body does use for energy. some might say more efficiently than glucose. but I have no studies to back any of this up.
What I do have is my own opinion. I feel better than I ever have in my life. some of this is I'm sure due to the fact that I exercise more and I don't feel starving all the time like I used to on a more 'traditional' meal plan. I eat bacon and eggs and butter and salads and I don't feel bogged down like I used to .
My advice to the OP is to research for yourself.. read what others have experienced. and then if you still want to try do it. but research research research. I did for months before taking the dive and I don't ever plan on going back. I have a physical every year and there has been no negative changes in my heath. no blood pressure issues no cholesterol issues and I eat tons of fat and add loads of salt to everything. I'm sure it's not for everyone. But I love it.8 -
JustKeepTryin wrote: »jtaylor_71 wrote: »Hi all, wanting peoples thoughts (good and bad) on a ketogenic diet.
I lost 20kgs over the last year, however recently gained most of it back following a traumatic personal experience. I’m wanting to jump back in and start losing the weight while keeping myself busy
Please no negative, I’m not here for that, I’m here to gain knowledge.
How can you say no negative when you ask people's thoughts (good and bad)???
Anyways, my opinion is this, unless you have health issues that requires you to get rid of carbs or you simply just feel satiated and enjoy keto, doing keto isn't anything special. What I mean by that, for fat loss, keto will not directly cause you to lose weight, what does make you directly lose weight is being at a caloric deficit and it has been scientifically proven that for fat loss, every diet share similar results. People do experience fast weight loss in the initial stages of keto, but that's because of water weight and glycogen that is getting depleted .
For physical activities, although it is not yet conclusive, early stages of the studies show that keto is the least optimal out of all diets. This one does not surprise me since your water and glycogen are depleted and you're relying on fat as source of energy instead of carbs, so you're not going to get the best out of your workout which is why athletes in general follow a high carb diet.
You claim you lost 20kgs last year, but that was not keto that did that, it was the caloric deficit. Keto was just the tool you used in order to acheive that goal just like others will use Intermittent fasting or Paleo, well you get my point.
I am able to lose weight with carbs, but it's funny you won't see people shout "Eating a high carb diet made me lose weight". In the end, it's all about personal preference, if you enjoy keto and it helps you stick with your goal(s), then by all means keep doing it.
For most people, being in a caloric deficit will make you lose weight regardless of your macros. The only exception which can make losing weight difficult is if you have some health issues (like thyroid for example), but for the regular Joe and Jane, it's all about eating less calories than you burn which will make you lose weight.
'For physical activities, although it is not yet conclusive, early stages of the studies show that keto is the least optimal out of all diets. This one does not surprise me since your water and glycogen are depleted and you're relying on fat as source of energy instead of carbs, so you're not going to get the best out of your workout which is why athletes in general follow a high carb diet.'
I'm gonna have to chime in on this one. while I don't consider myself an "athlete" hell most of us don't on here I have been doing following the ketogenic lifestyle for about a year and a half. Last year I was training for a half marathon ( no didn't do it because my knee started acting up ) but I was running 10 miles once a week and 5-8 miles 3 time a week and lifting for an hour and a half to 2 hours 3 times a week. Not once did I ever experience any kind of issues with energy levels or muscle weakness (aside from the expected DOMS!) quite the opposite in fact. your body isn't actually using fats for energy but turning them into ketones, which your body does use for energy. some might say more efficiently than glucose. but I have no studies to back any of this up.
What I do have is my own opinion. I feel better than I ever have in my life. some of this is I'm sure due to the fact that I exercise more and I don't feel starving all the time like I used to on a more 'traditional' meal plan. I eat bacon and eggs and butter and salads and I don't feel bogged down like I used to .
My advice to the OP is to research for yourself.. read what others have experienced. and then if you still want to try do it. but research research research. I did for months before taking the dive and I don't ever plan on going back. I have a physical every year and there has been no negative changes in my heath. no blood pressure issues no cholesterol issues and I eat tons of fat and add loads of salt to everything. I'm sure it's not for everyone. But I love it.
I said the word "optimal", if you're on ketosis, you're not putting yourself into the most optimal situation for your body or else athletes in general would hop on the keto bandwagon for optimal performance. And I am not talking about elite athletes, I am also talking about at the amateur level. I never mentioned anything about not having energy when working out or running.3 -
Lillymoo01 wrote: »I have never tried keto but did try low carb (100 grams or less) for a few weeks. Hated it. I was avoiding foods I enjoyed in exchange for ones I didn't as much. My energy levels suffered as did my workout performance. I find a good balance of complex carbs, protein and fat to be the most satiating. For these reasons keto is not for me. That does not mean it won't work for you though.
My suggestion would be to drop your carbs a bit and see how you go while doing more research on keto. Although I am no longer low carb I still limit refined, highly processed, high carb, high sugar foods while consuming wholegrains instead. While there is nothing wrong with these foods as part of a balanced diet I find I do better without them regularly.
Very well said. I also completely avoid simple carbs & processed foods. Not only did I loose the weight I had a big spike in energy. WIN WIN!!!5 -
I am noticing a kind of opposing view between the calories in/ calories out and LCHF groups. Yes calories matter but your % of carbs, Fat and protein matter too. I think when you start Keto it is more important to hit your % of each than to worry about calories. When your body becomes fat adapted you should start to burn fat but at the same time you will likely feel less hungry. This is when, in a perfect world, you should self regulate calories. You are not going to wreck your scale weight in two weeks of keto and I will even bet weight (water) goes down several pounds too. If the scale doesn't move you can always dial back total calories later. This isn't magic it is about burning fat AND managing calories. Week one for me stats, down 8 pounds but was 10, beer belly is shrinking dramatically to the point others notice. Not paying any attention to food portion or calories now but just eating til full.
This is the thing... I think if keto helps you manage your hunger that is great, but I would imagine you would probably want to stay on it for the rest of your life, otherwise when you start to add carbs back in (or whatever sets your hunger off) it could become difficult if you aren't used to managing hunger. I think if someone has major issues with hunger it can help, but again it takes it away vs. helping them manage it, which again is fine if you stay on keto forever.
I think though, in some cases (not all...) it can be important to know how to manage and deal with hunger... it is uncomfortable. It does suck sometimes. Learning how to deal with it is hard, but it is a skill you learn that gets better with time. Exercise is hard, but over time you become more comfortable being uncomfortable if that makes sense. Again, this might not work for everyone, especially if your hunger signals are way out of whack.
Although I have some fat to lose I am doing this as a lifestyle change because I see some possible health and weight benefits.2 -
stevencloser wrote: »I am noticing a kind of opposing view between the calories in/ calories out and LCHF groups. Yes calories matter but your % of carbs, Fat and protein matter too. I think when you start Keto it is more important to hit your % of each than to worry about calories. When your body becomes fat adapted you should start to burn fat but at the same time you will likely feel less hungry. This is when, in a perfect world, you should self regulate calories. You are not going to wreck your scale weight in two weeks of keto and I will even bet weight (water) goes down several pounds too. If the scale doesn't move you can always dial back total calories later. This isn't magic it is about burning fat AND managing calories. Week one for me stats, down 8 pounds but was 10, beer belly is shrinking dramatically to the point others notice. Not paying any attention to food portion or calories now but just eating til full.
Unfortunately we don't live in a perfect world, keto doesn't regulate everyone's hunger and fatty foods are high calorie and delicious.
Agreed, in a small portion of people bad cholesterol can increase and it may not be for everybody. No magic to it but I am giving it a try and so far seeing positive results. This is the beginning of a long road and I won't truly know how this works for me for several months.1 -
I am noticing a kind of opposing view between the calories in/ calories out and LCHF groups. Yes calories matter but your % of carbs, Fat and protein matter too. I think when you start Keto it is more important to hit your % of each than to worry about calories. When your body becomes fat adapted you should start to burn fat but at the same time you will likely feel less hungry. This is when, in a perfect world, you should self regulate calories. You are not going to wreck your scale weight in two weeks of keto and I will even bet weight (water) goes down several pounds too. If the scale doesn't move you can always dial back total calories later. This isn't magic it is about burning fat AND managing calories. Week one for me stats, down 8 pounds but was 10, beer belly is shrinking dramatically to the point others notice. Not paying any attention to food portion or calories now but just eating til full.
Actually, I think the opposite approach is the more prudent one. If one wants to adopt a keto diet, log and track at first while you determine if self regulation is a benefit you realize from keto. Some do. Some don't.
Some can learn to self regulate with a gradual transition away from logging as their food intake gets more intuitive and as they may begin to realize the benefits of reduced hunger. Just as an aside, some of the benefits of reduced hunger can come from just lower carbs. One doesn't have to go full keto to get at least some benefit. My personal way of eating is 100-150 grams per day of carbs and I have no struggles with hunger at all.
Just a different perspective.2 -
I have only been doing it for a little less than two weeks but I will say I sure as hell wished I had not dismissed it as just another Atkins remake. My MIL has Type 2 Diabetes which is helped tremendously with the Keto diet so even though I thought it was a joke and BS, I told her I would do it with her. HOLY MOLY!! I was not prepared for my eyes to be opened like this. This is NOT Atkins whatsoever other than the low carb part. In less that two weeks, I am down 12 pounds!! After the initial 3 days of hell switching into Keto and the dreaded Keto flu on the 3rd day (remedied by drinking pickle juice and taking MCT oil) I feel more energy than I have in quite some time. My energy level is through the roof and I am never hungry. Its like my body was made for this diet....I do realize and appreciate this diet is not for everyone because we are all built differently genetically but I now also realize there is alot of misinformation and lack of understanding about what this diet is. There are also alot of wrong ways to do it so I advise anyone doing it to surround themselves with reputable sources of information and to learn for themselves rather than taking any one person word for it. Reputable medical doctors are using this for their patients and studies are bearing out the hype....this diet is the real deal. Wish I would have considered it sooner. There are alot of helpful people on MFP that can help with recipes, advice, etc.....Good Luck. :-) @DJ_Skywalker8
-
I like to run in the morning and that is something I haven't figured out regarding carb totals. Right now I am trying to hit 30 to 35g.1
-
JustKeepTryin wrote: »jtaylor_71 wrote: »Hi all, wanting peoples thoughts (good and bad) on a ketogenic diet.
I lost 20kgs over the last year, however recently gained most of it back following a traumatic personal experience. I’m wanting to jump back in and start losing the weight while keeping myself busy
Please no negative, I’m not here for that, I’m here to gain knowledge.
How can you say no negative when you ask people's thoughts (good and bad)???
Anyways, my opinion is this, unless you have health issues that requires you to get rid of carbs or you simply just feel satiated and enjoy keto, doing keto isn't anything special. What I mean by that, for fat loss, keto will not directly cause you to lose weight, what does make you directly lose weight is being at a caloric deficit and it has been scientifically proven that for fat loss, every diet share similar results. People do experience fast weight loss in the initial stages of keto, but that's because of water weight and glycogen that is getting depleted .
For physical activities, although it is not yet conclusive, early stages of the studies show that keto is the least optimal out of all diets. This one does not surprise me since your water and glycogen are depleted and you're relying on fat as source of energy instead of carbs, so you're not going to get the best out of your workout which is why athletes in general follow a high carb diet.
You claim you lost 20kgs last year, but that was not keto that did that, it was the caloric deficit. Keto was just the tool you used in order to acheive that goal just like others will use Intermittent fasting or Paleo, well you get my point.
I am able to lose weight with carbs, but it's funny you won't see people shout "Eating a high carb diet made me lose weight". In the end, it's all about personal preference, if you enjoy keto and it helps you stick with your goal(s), then by all means keep doing it.
For most people, being in a caloric deficit will make you lose weight regardless of your macros. The only exception which can make losing weight difficult is if you have some health issues (like thyroid for example), but for the regular Joe and Jane, it's all about eating less calories than you burn which will make you lose weight.
'For physical activities, although it is not yet conclusive, early stages of the studies show that keto is the least optimal out of all diets. This one does not surprise me since your water and glycogen are depleted and you're relying on fat as source of energy instead of carbs, so you're not going to get the best out of your workout which is why athletes in general follow a high carb diet.'
I'm gonna have to chime in on this one. while I don't consider myself an "athlete" hell most of us don't on here I have been doing following the ketogenic lifestyle for about a year and a half. Last year I was training for a half marathon ( no didn't do it because my knee started acting up ) but I was running 10 miles once a week and 5-8 miles 3 time a week and lifting for an hour and a half to 2 hours 3 times a week. Not once did I ever experience any kind of issues with energy levels or muscle weakness (aside from the expected DOMS!) quite the opposite in fact. your body isn't actually using fats for energy but turning them into ketones, which your body does use for energy. some might say more efficiently than glucose. but I have no studies to back any of this up.
What I do have is my own opinion. I feel better than I ever have in my life. some of this is I'm sure due to the fact that I exercise more and I don't feel starving all the time like I used to on a more 'traditional' meal plan. I eat bacon and eggs and butter and salads and I don't feel bogged down like I used to .
My advice to the OP is to research for yourself.. read what others have experienced. and then if you still want to try do it. but research research research. I did for months before taking the dive and I don't ever plan on going back. I have a physical every year and there has been no negative changes in my heath. no blood pressure issues no cholesterol issues and I eat tons of fat and add loads of salt to everything. I'm sure it's not for everyone. But I love it.
You mention not having research but there is plenty out there. Some examples:
The above graphic is from the summary of the available research. Full text at link below.
https://sci-fit.net/ketogenic-diet-fat-muscle-performance/
A couple of additional thoughts. Some elite level athletes use keto as a training tool for them to be more efficient at fat utilization to preserve and extend glycogen stores when competing. But they compete full carb loaded. One of the reasons for this is the rate at which fat can be converted to useable energy. The graphic below explains the reasons for this.
While you seem to be doing fine and are adapted to training and competing in keto, it is anecdotal. Some additional anecdotal observations come from many people who weight train who say that their sessions are miserable when training on keto. So, the anecdotes can go either way.
7 -
I like to run in the morning and that is something I haven't figured out regarding carb totals. Right now I am trying to hit 30 to 35g.
I practice IF and train fasted because I like to train in the morning. I've never had any issues but I suspect that is very individual as some struggle with training without some carbs ingested.1 -
I like to run in the morning and that is something I haven't figured out regarding carb totals. Right now I am trying to hit 30 to 35g.
I practice IF and train fasted because I like to train in the morning. I've never had any issues but I suspect that is very individual as some struggle with training without some carbs ingested.
I have always run at 4:30 AM fasted because it is easy to roll out of bed and hit the road. I eat when I get home and was eating oatmeal, English muffin or toast with eggs. By 9:00 I was shaking and would eat a snack bar or nuts. Now I eat a few almonds out of habit and don't get that shaky feeling that I used to call my calorie crash. I feel much better after my run and during the whole morning. I have read that athletes "may" need to up their carbs a bit so that is why I was shooting for 30g. I may drop it down to 20g if I don't feel like its a problem.1 -
I like to run in the morning and that is something I haven't figured out regarding carb totals. Right now I am trying to hit 30 to 35g.
I practice IF and train fasted because I like to train in the morning. I've never had any issues but I suspect that is very individual as some struggle with training without some carbs ingested.
I have always run at 4:30 AM fasted because it is easy to roll out of bed and hit the road. I eat when I get home and was eating oatmeal, English muffin or toast with eggs. By 9:00 I was shaking and would eat a snack bar or nuts. Now I eat a few almonds out of habit and don't get that shaky feeling that I used to call my calorie crash. I feel much better after my run and during the whole morning. I have read that athletes "may" need to up their carbs a bit so that is why I was shooting for 30g. I may drop it down to 20g if I don't feel like its a problem.
For training purposes, I'd keep it at the highest number I could while staying in ketosis. There is no additional benefit to dropping lower as when you are training you will be burning it off. It's totally up to you but personally, I'm going to get the most out of my training sessions and possibly back it off on non training days.
I do that now even though LC and not keto. The night before a training session I'll tend to be higher carb than average for me. It makes my training sessions so much more enjoyable to have the energy to kick it instead of dragging through.1 -
I lost 72lbs tracking my calories and eating primarily plant based, lean cuts of meats and cutting back breads, pasta, processed foods and drinking at least 128oz of water daily. With that said, CICO worked for me to lose a substantial amount of weight in about a year.
I am on week 7 of the KETO WOE (way of eating) while I still had about 30-35lbs to lose I only started this WOE because I was at my wits end with test after test not showing any reason for my constant swollen ankles and joint pain. A friend of mine who is an RN said try KETO. So I did with the intentions of doing it for 30 days. I was fortunate not to get the "keto flu" thankfully, not sure if that was because I was already eating low carb kinda, but grateful as I hear that is just awful... Anyways about 2 weeks into this WOE I noticed that the swelling in my ankles was gone, I had regular looking ankles for the first time in over a year and the joint pain was non existent. Not only that I am sleeping like a baby, my hair and skin look amazing and I find that I am not "starving" these days so much so that I started IF 16:8 and only eat two meals a day. Even when I was losing the 72lbs, I was eating small meals every 2-3 hours because I was ALWAYS hungry. I like this feeling of being in control. Like others have said, there are positives and negatives to every diet/WOE and not everything works for for everyone.
If you do try it, my recommendation is to do your research before jumping into it, its not all about just eating bacon and cheese, life most people think. Its a high Healthy fat WOE, not processed fats... Label reading is a must! You will be amazed just how many things have sugar in it disguised in a different name. I am happy to say I am down 18lbs in 7 weeks (remember most of weight loss in the beginning is water weight) but I have also lost nearly 4 inches off my waist in these 7 weeks. I highly recommend taking transformation pics and measurements as the scale will slow down just like any other diet, but pictures and measurements don't lie.
Cook books are also essential. Soo many delicious keto friendly meals out there. My husband, who could visably see a difference in my body, joined me in this WOE two weeks in. He has always been a meat and potato kinda guy, he is loving the variety of foods/recipes we have been trying.
Good luck to you!!!7 -
There is lots of good answers. There is one thing I want to make sure is said, might have missed it.
Keto diet is not for everyone!! We are doing it in our house. However, for example, my mom had her gallbladder removed, so she can't do it. There are other reasons why it might not work for you. Just make sure you listen to your body. Best advice I was give!2 -
I've been keto for about a year. I'm now "fat-adapted" and able to do mostly keto with a [healthy, keto-friendly] carb-up 1-2x in the evening during the week (maybe up to 50 NET carbs, nothing crazy and no binging!), while still never cheating on the foods that are inflammatory to me (gluten, dairy & most nightshades).
Biggest benefits:
-reduced binging, cravings, compulsions
-clearer memory, better cognitive functioning (brain fog is gone)
-steady mood, almost eliminated depressive episodes
-steady weight, no more yo-yo'ing
-easy to get back to normal weight 1 day after a vacations! (after fat-adapted)
-not retaining water
-can eat salt without the negative impacts
-reduction in cellulite
-can have wine
-can incorporate carb-ups (with carby veggies or fruits, sometimes I have a handful of popcorn), which makes it long-term doable for me
Biggest drawbacks:
-can be difficult socially (work meals, others cooking for you, selecting a restaurant, etc) but this is esp difficult for me because i'm strict with no dairy and no gluten....
-negative input from people that don't understand keto, nay-sayers
-remembering to add electrolytes daily (magnesium, potassium, salt) I sometimes get pins & needles from forgetting supplements!
-If you cheat (cake, bread, something high sugar), you will definitely feel the consequences either digestively or cognitively, emotionally, etc. It's a good incentive to stay the course!
Good luck!9
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 391.3K Introduce Yourself
- 43.4K Getting Started
- 259.6K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.6K Food and Nutrition
- 47.3K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 387 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.7K Motivation and Support
- 7.8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.2K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.2K MyFitnessPal Information
- 22 News and Announcements
- 913 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.3K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions