Is Keto Worth it?

Inspiration15

I am CONSIDERING Keto. It seems so drastic to me. If you eat a cookie the weight will come back. Anyone successful on this? Was it hard?

L1zardQueen

Yes, it was hard, I had no energy. Now I do a moderate approach, works for me.

AnvilHead

Keto doesn't cause you to lose weight any faster than any other diet of equivalent calories (other than the initial water weight loss as you deplete your body of glycogen/water). It can be helpful if it fits the way you like to eat and helps you control your calorie intake. If not, there's no reason to do it.

RonyMack

Inspiration15 wrote: »

I am CONSIDERING Keto. It seems so drastic to me. If you eat a cookie the weight will come back. Anyone successful on this? Was it hard?

When I did keto, I ate a cookie and broke a tooth. Apparently there was a rock in that cookie. My dentist bill was $500.

T1DCarnivoreRunner

It isn't necessary for most, but it does make weight loss much easier for a lot of people. Is it worth in? Hmm.... I'm not sure what the trade-off is aside from avoiding foods with loads of carbs / sugar. As someone who can't eat a single donut, but will eat the whole box (ok, 3 boxes) as soon as I eat 1, it is much easier to avoid it altogether.

WinoGelato

That depends... what do you think the perceived benefits are? Are they aligned with your goals? What foods do you enjoy? What foods do your find satiating? Are there any foods you have difficulty moderating?

To your point about the cookie... do you really think eating one cookie after being in ketosis would undo all your weight lost? If so, might want to do some more research on how weight loss really works - it comes from a sustained calorie deficit over time. Keto doesn’t inherently cause weight loss, and eating sweets doesn’t negate the weight loss either.

nvmomketo

It isn't true that if you eat a cookie, the weight will come back. You may retain some water, but it's just water. Calories are still king.

Keto can make weight management easier for many. I don't overeat steak or salad and they don't stimulate my appetite like pasta or a muffin would. For me, keto works. I don't have to count calories or worry about eating too much because I appear to naturally eat at a caloric deficit without hunger. That's why people like me enjoy keto for weight loss.

2t9nty

I have been keto for almost 2 years, and I find it pretty easy to follow. I am T2D. It has brought down my blood glucose levels and I have been able to go off meds. My last A1C was in the normal range for non-diabetics after being off the metformin for 6 months.

I have not had a cookie since starting keto, but I would expect blood glucose levels to be very high afterwards, and I am not going there. Just gravy thickened with flour will give me a spike on the meter. I can believe not all diabetics would respond this way, but I do. I would be surprised if a cookie would make a difference on the scales, but maybe it would for some people, and I doubt I will ever find out.

FlyingMolly

Keto is worth it to me because I’ve been an emotional and binge eater my whole life and on keto I don’t do those things. It’s not inherently better than any other way of eating unless it turns out to be a better fit for you personally, so you kind of have to just find that out for yourself.

cheryldumais

Each individual has to decide what eating style they can live with permanently. Keto works for some folks and can be useful for those who have health issues that benefit to a low carb lifestyle. If you can eat Keto for the rest of your life it might be worth considering. If you are only considering it for a quick weight loss it is unlikely to create lasting weight loss. I did the low carb diets back when Atkins was king and it was similar to Keto. I lost and regained because the lifestyle was not sustainable for me. I did lose weight but because I didn't learn anything I couldn't maintain my loss. When you break ketosis you will see a jump on the scale as in your cookie scenario but as others have said it is mostly water. I gained 7 - 10 pounds when I went off. I show a range because I did the diet more than once and always encountered this issue. As others have said it is your body restoring glycogen stores in the muscles which need water. True weight loss comes over time from the reduction in calories enabling your body to burn fat stores. Eating a cookie won't cause you to gain those pounds back instantly. However if you spend your entire time doing Keto thinking about all the things you will eat when you are off you are very likely to overindulge and gain back the fat lost because your calories will be too high. As others have said calorie reduction (or extreme exercise) is the only true way to lose excess body fat.

Panini911

For me it isn't worth all the work to cut out food groups and I can't see how going extremely low can be beneficial to health overall. I prefer moderation. I eat what I like (not ALL the time obviously, and within calorie limits).

unless there is another actual health reason that requires cutting of foods from the diet, I don't see the point. I find just staying under calories and balancing macros hard enough thank you very much. not adding MORE difficulty to this task.

I also prefer working towards healthy habits that i can maintain the rest of my life. once i am ready to go to maintenance I can easily keep doing what I am doing with a different (slightly higher) calorie goal.

tinkerbellang83

cwolfman13

Not for me...I have no medical condition for which I would benefit from a keto diet.

showjack70

Inspiration15 wrote: »

I am CONSIDERING Keto. It seems so drastic to me. If you eat a cookie the weight will come back. Anyone successful on this? Was it hard?

It is drastic. Which almost never works. I think you answered your own question(s).

FlyingMolly

hobbitses333 wrote: »

My best friend and her husband have had great success with Keto as a method of weight loss. They love it, she is a chef and has created so many wonderful recipes. But going out for lunch with her is very complicated. I don't do well with restrictions so it is not for me... I think there is no harm in giving it a try to see if it may work for you and you like it.

Dining out on keto doesn’t really have to be a big deal. Delis will sell chicken or tuna salad by the tub; diners that serve breakfast all day are a gimme; anywhere you can get a burger you can just leave off the bun; Cobb salads always work. Once I got comfortable with the idea that I might need to leave some things on the plate it was actually quite easy. The only time I run into trouble is at pizzerias that ONLY have pizza, and then I just....eat pizza. And get back to keto the next day.

2t9nty

hobbitses333 wrote: »

My best friend and her husband have had great success with Keto as a method of weight loss. They love it, she is a chef and has created so many wonderful recipes. But going out for lunch with her is very complicated. I don't do well with restrictions so it is not for me... I think there is no harm in giving it a try to see if it may work for you and you like it.

I do lunches out from time to time with work. It is pretty easy for me anyway. I'll get something like the roast beef swiss melt with mushrooms and ask them to hold the bread. They will let you substitute broccoli for the fries. You are set.

nvmomketo

FlyingMolly wrote: »

hobbitses333 wrote: »

My best friend and her husband have had great success with Keto as a method of weight loss. They love it, she is a chef and has created so many wonderful recipes. But going out for lunch with her is very complicated. I don't do well with restrictions so it is not for me... I think there is no harm in giving it a try to see if it may work for you and you like it.

Dining out on keto doesn’t really have to be a big deal. Delis will sell chicken or tuna salad by the tub; diners that serve breakfast all day are a gimme; anywhere you can get a burger you can just leave off the bun; Cobb salads always work. Once I got comfortable with the idea that I might need to leave some things on the plate it was actually quite easy. The only time I run into trouble is at pizzerias that ONLY have pizza, and then I just....eat pizza. And get back to keto the next day.

I don't find it complicated either.
I'm a celiac and eating gluten free is complicated. If just low carb I could have a Bunless burger or a steak and salad. As a celiac I need to know if the grill has been contaminated, what spices were used, was soy or worchestershire used, is the salad really GF or just crouton removed, is there filler in the burger, and can I have a new ketchup that has no risk of having touched the bun.

I tend to just go for drinks. Lol

FlyingMolly

nvmomketo wrote: »

FlyingMolly wrote: »

hobbitses333 wrote: »

My best friend and her husband have had great success with Keto as a method of weight loss. They love it, she is a chef and has created so many wonderful recipes. But going out for lunch with her is very complicated. I don't do well with restrictions so it is not for me... I think there is no harm in giving it a try to see if it may work for you and you like it.

Dining out on keto doesn’t really have to be a big deal. Delis will sell chicken or tuna salad by the tub; diners that serve breakfast all day are a gimme; anywhere you can get a burger you can just leave off the bun; Cobb salads always work. Once I got comfortable with the idea that I might need to leave some things on the plate it was actually quite easy. The only time I run into trouble is at pizzerias that ONLY have pizza, and then I just....eat pizza. And get back to keto the next day.

I don't find it complicated either.
I'm a celiac and eating gluten free is complicated. If just low carb I could have a Bunless burger or a steak and salad. As a celiac I need to know if the grill has been contaminated, what spices were used, was soy or worchestershire used, is the salad really GF or just crouton removed, is there filler in the burger, and can I have a new ketchup that has no risk of having touched the bun.

I tend to just go for drinks. Lol

Yes! I have a friend with a serious nut allergy and THAT'S stressful. The worst that can happen on keto is that I miscalculate and stop being in ketosis for a little bit. Oh no! It's a single meal; it's just not that serious.

hroderick

Maybe worth it if you need to control epileptic seizures. Otherwise simpler lifelong eating behavior changes are much easier and lasting