KETO diet?

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  • FitSeachely
    FitSeachely Posts: 74 Member
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    I did Keto for 6 months and now I eat what I will call Keto-ish.

    The book “The Keto diet” by Leanne Vogel is a great resource to get started. It explains what to eat, how to calculate your micros and has recipes.

    The websites https://www.gnom-gnom.com/
    and
    https://www.ibreatheimhungry.com/
    are great for recipes

    The positive: I love the Keto diet because I avoided all my trigger foods which made it easier to stay in a caloric deficit. I also found out my regular diet didn’t include enough fat and my body needed it. I saw tremendous improvement in my hair and skin plus it helps me deal with brain fog.

    The negative: I found it too restrictive and difficult to stick to during holidays and when eating away from home. Also, getting on board and in ketogenic state for the first time requires a lot of efforts and has several undesirable but temporary side effects. Finally, some of my family members did Keto and lost weight but didn’t learn how to eat properly (ie portion management, making better choices, etc) so they gain all the weight and then some.

    My Keto-ish approach now follows the Keto principles when it comes to proteins and refined carbs with the exception of unlimited access to all fruits and vegetables
  • sarahlucindac
    sarahlucindac Posts: 235 Member
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    I could never do keto or any other diet that restricts what I can eat. All of my success is based on calories in, calories out (down 47 lbs since March). I always feel kind of bad for my friends doing keto/fad diets. I’ve found it’s not necessary to lose weight. Eat what you want but in moderation! Choose a way of eating that is actually sustainable long term.
  • KatieeM14
    KatieeM14 Posts: 22 Member
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    I tried keto for a few months and while it did work, it’s not something I can see myself doing long term. A diet that tells me I’m not allowed to eat fruit isn’t a diet for me. I like my apples and oranges!
  • milowen
    milowen Posts: 40 Member
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    I've been doing keto with IF for just over 2 months. After the first 10 days, my A1C had dropped significantly (from over 10 to 6). Within weeks I was off of 2 blood sugar meds and off 75% of the last one. My blood pressure meds were reduced 75%. I no longer have issues with balance, wanting to be in bed every minute I could get away with, and a host of other health issues. I did it for therapeutic reasons, to reverse metabolic disease more than for weight loss.
    I also lost 30lbs in 60 days. The high fat keeps you full for longer and makes it easier to create a caloric deficit. MFP helped me see that I only wanted to eat 8-900 calories a day some days, so I added more olive oil to my vegetables and ate stuff like pecans to get closer to 1300. I also eat more carbs than most, closer to 50g/day from vegetables since I am vegetarian. I produce a moderate amount of ketones.
    It just clicked on day 1 for me. This is what works for my body. Any other diet, I never made it past a meal or 2, not days or weeks. I also don't do any MCT, powders, buttered coffee, etc. Just magnesium and potassium at bed time to keep up my electrolytes.
    In other words, yes, it works. And it should be very healthy and sustainable if you're not eating bacon wrapped bacon dipped in butter. I mean, you can, but it should be about eating whole foods. For me that's usually one protein/egg/tofu based meal with either sauteed veggies or a soup and my other meal is salad based with nuts, olives, olive oil, avocado, cheese, etc. I often have a snack, salad, or coffee with heavy cream in between my 2 meals.
    I don't feel deprived and if/when I have a craving for something that's junk food, I eat a couple bites and move on. Last week that was eggplant parm. Another week it was cheese curd. Others it's beans or some fruit in my salad. It's never knocked me out of ketosis b/c I am realistic and keep the amounts small.
    As of today, I'm officially overweight instead of obese and feel pretty amazing. Keto works for me, but others struggle. I think dieting is more mental than everything. It's a commitment, but the most rewarding I've ever made. Good luck with whatever your goals or health choices are.

  • amy19355
    amy19355 Posts: 805 Member
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    I think it will more important to measure and log the food you eat, and monitor it carefully to stay balanced in nutrition needs. I’ve not tried Keto, but, if I did, I would first be looking for their guidance on the daily targets (% and grams by age/weight) of carbs, protein and fat. MFP makes analyzing logged food by these categories really easy. I’m today sitting here in sad face dismay at the realization of how much more fat is in chicken thighs vs chicken breast. I don’t want high fat protein, and MFP nutrition charts let me see just how much of my fat was coming from that Frequent Food item!!

    Keto’s emphasis on low carbs has many debates; I wasn’t convinced to try it, but I was motivated to set a daily min/max target to drive a balance in my meal planning.

    I use a small digital scale on the countertop, or a measuring cup, and log everything before I plate my food, because sometimes I add or take away some portion of what I wanted to have. I think this, more than anything else, is making the most significant difference in staying true to my plan.

    Good fitness to us all!
    Amy
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,897 Member
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    KatieeM14 wrote: »
    I tried keto for a few months and while it did work, it’s not something I can see myself doing long term. A diet that tells me I’m not allowed to eat fruit isn’t a diet for me. I like my apples and oranges!

    And peaches, nectarines, pineapple, and bananas!

    Here are some lower carb fruits. "Net carbs" means you are subtracting fiber.

    Lingonberries are like cranberries - both are awfully tart without added sugar.

    8d92247e652e20e9de85348cfc9fc864.jpg
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,897 Member
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    AreneeS22 wrote: »
    Hi all! So I’m 32, 5ft 3, and weigh 251 lbs..I have quite a bit to lose! I’m not too familiar with the KETO diet, but I’ve heard that it works really well to get the weight off. I’ve read some about it, but would like to know what daily calorie intake you have and what are some of your favorite KETO foods? Any suggestions or tips? Thanks!

    If you find fat satiating and won't miss carbs, keto may be a good option for you.

    Calories are the same as any other diet.

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  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
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    sarahlucindac wrote: »
    I could never do keto or any other diet that restricts what I can eat. All of my success is based on calories in, calories out (down 47 lbs since March). I always feel kind of bad for my friends doing keto/fad diets. I’ve found it’s not necessary to lose weight. Eat what you want but in moderation! Choose a way of eating that is actually sustainable long term.

    Technically all diets do CICO. My success is based on CICO too.

    All diets restrict something too. Some diets restrict a little bit of everything; it sounds like that's what you do. I only restricted carbs - mainly sugar and grains- and did not restrict other foods at all. Some of my foods actually increased.
    KatieeM14 wrote: »
    I tried keto for a few months and while it did work, it’s not something I can see myself doing long term. A diet that tells me I’m not allowed to eat fruit isn’t a diet for me. I like my apples and oranges!

    How much fruit one eats will vary. Some people use fruit for most of their carbs.

    Technically speaking, most of the carbs I ate were fruits although most call them vegetables: peppers, cucumbers, squash, pumpkin, tomato, olives, coconut, avocado, nuts, berries, snap peas, etc.

    But yes, most low carbers limit or avoid high carb fruits - usually dried fruits or tropical fruits.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
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    nvmomketo wrote: »
    sarahlucindac wrote: »
    I could never do keto or any other diet that restricts what I can eat. All of my success is based on calories in, calories out (down 47 lbs since March). I always feel kind of bad for my friends doing keto/fad diets. I’ve found it’s not necessary to lose weight. Eat what you want but in moderation! Choose a way of eating that is actually sustainable long term.

    Technically all diets do CICO. My success is based on CICO too.

    All diets restrict something too. Some diets restrict a little bit of everything; it sounds like that's what you do. I only restricted carbs - mainly sugar and grains- and did not restrict other foods at all. Some of my foods actually increased.
    KatieeM14 wrote: »
    I tried keto for a few months and while it did work, it’s not something I can see myself doing long term. A diet that tells me I’m not allowed to eat fruit isn’t a diet for me. I like my apples and oranges!

    How much fruit one eats will vary. Some people use fruit for most of their carbs.

    Technically speaking, most of the carbs I ate were fruits although most call them vegetables: peppers, cucumbers, squash, pumpkin, tomato, olives, coconut, avocado, nuts, berries, snap peas, etc.

    But yes, most low carbers limit or avoid high carb fruits - usually dried fruits or tropical fruits.

    Exactly how do you "do" CICO?

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