Keto or Mediterranean
SONKISSED1
Posts: 48 Member
Help! I need to make a wise and healthy decision between the two. I spoke with my doctor who did not say anything bad about Keto, but just that she leaned towards Mediterranean. I have to lose weight in order to keep Type 2 Diabetes under control. Thanks.
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Replies
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Losing weight and increasing exercise will help your diabetes, regardless of the specific diet. Which type of eating do you see yourself doing for the rest of your life? I lost weight on low carb, but couldn't sustain it. Some people have no problem living without fruit and grains and ice cream - I'm not one of them. The Mediterranean diet is a good one if you like fish and aren't much of a red meat eater and it is a healthy all around way of eating. It really depends on what you like and dislike eating.
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Why are you considering Keto?
Why are you considering Mediterranean?
I mean there's nothing inherently special or magic about them and they're no better than the dozens of other approaches so what made you decided on these two? They're quite different approaches to eating and would have very different reasons for adopting them so the first step in deciding is to work why.18 -
what was said above. But personally, I"d go mediterranean because I can't low carb. Plus, I think you get a lot of good stuff from carbs like fruit and grains - micronutrients and deliciousness and I don't see the point of cutting them out unless for a medical reason.6
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Try a month of one, then a month of the other. If they’re both appropriate for your needs, there’s no reason not to test them out.
I’m on keto because while I love carbs, I don’t miss them when they’re (almost) gone. I’m not great at moderation and don’t get especially excited about a lot of the staple foods in the Mediterranean diet, so while I’ve tried to move my eating that way in the past, it never really took off. Keto sounded like a nightmare to me, but I tried it on a lark/dare for a month, and it was exactly what I needed.
It’s stricter than my mom’s pre-Type-2 management diet, but I need strict. It allows me to control my overeating and make good choices and, paradoxically, obsess less about food. I never would’ve predicted any of that before I tried, so...try. 🙂10 -
Main thing for you is to get your weight into healthy range and try to keep your carbs in the 100-150 grams per day range. This is solidly out of keto, but still low carb. You should be able to set MFP up to easily meet those goals. I recommend going to the getting started stickies, reading those and getting started.
Exercise will also make you more insulin sensitive. You don't need to do any thing extreme but you should get started in a modality you enjoy. Maybe walking, spin, yoga, etc.
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I'm type 2, and have been eating way closer to Mediterranean than Keto, just found out today that my A1C dropped form 7 to 6.2. Good luck with whatever you choose.8
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Whichever one you think you can stick to for the foreseeable future. The key is finding a way of eating that makes it as easy as possible to stick to your calorie goal. You don't actually have to "follow" any diet at all, or you can take strategies from a bunch of different diets. The key is what kind of food you like and what foods you find filling.
I don't find fat filling, so keto wouldn't help me. If I was going to follow a diet, the Mediterranean is what I aspire to, but I haven't really bothered. When I was losing weighr, I just tried to get more protein and fiber, plenty of veggies, and less mindless eating.
Whatever way you go, good luck!7 -
I'd you enjoy some moderate carbs, Mediterranean, if you don't, keto. Why not try Mediterranean flexible.2
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Calorie deficit diet11
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You could also try both.
Mediterranean diets have more to do with the types of foods you eat whereas keto is about certain macros. You could eat Mediterranean but heavy on the fish, olives, avocado and veggies. You could limit or skip the noodles and bread.2 -
Are you newly diagnosed? Did your doctor suggest a referral to a registered dietician? Someone to help you craft a plan that suits your needs and tastes might be a better way than just randomly trying different plans.5
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I am keto and enjoy the keto WOE but some find it restrictive. I think the Mediterranean is a little less restrictive on carbs. I would guess (key word guess) that keto may be a bit faster way to reach your goal but there is nothing wrong with either.18
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I am keto and enjoy the keto WOE but some find it restrictive. I think the Mediterranean is a little less restrictive on carbs. I would guess (key word guess) that keto may be a bit faster way to reach your goal but there is nothing wrong with either.
The Mediterranean diet isn't carbohydrate-restricted at all. It encourages the consumption of fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains (along with moderate amounts of fish, dairy, and wine).8 -
Check out https://nutritionfacts.org/2018/09/20/how-to-reverse-type-2-diabetes/
Dr. Greger is a strong advocate of going vegan. For myself, I am a flexitarian - I follow a vegetarian diet about 80% but when I feel like eating meat socially or otherwise I do, and I regularly have dairy. Regardless, there is a lot of really good information on this site - lots of 3-minute videos that take you through the literature. In particular to Type 2 diabetes there is some compelling diet-related information such as the link I provided that indicate a vegetarian-oriented diet is the way to go. If your journey was strictly about weight loss there are certainly lots of people who have had success with keto but if the underlying issue relates to T2 Diabetes then a Mediterranean diet with a lot of vegetables is preferable.14 -
You'll have quite a bit more variety with Mediterranean, particularly where fruit, veg, legumes, etc are concerned...you'll be pretty limited with that kind of stuff on keto.
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I like the (is it Michael Pollan?) "Eat food, not too much, mostly plants." That's my way of eating. Of course he and I don't always agree on the details but it's a pretty good overall strategy.
Other than that I just watch protein and fat to make sure I'm getting enough. I exercise for an hour five days per week.
Easy peasy.
No labels.
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janejellyroll wrote: »I am keto and enjoy the keto WOE but some find it restrictive. I think the Mediterranean is a little less restrictive on carbs. I would guess (key word guess) that keto may be a bit faster way to reach your goal but there is nothing wrong with either.
The Mediterranean diet isn't carbohydrate-restricted at all. It encourages the consumption of fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains (along with moderate amounts of fish, dairy, and wine).
I know nothing about Mediterranean diet but would it be safe to say it is not a high carb diet?1 -
janejellyroll wrote: »I am keto and enjoy the keto WOE but some find it restrictive. I think the Mediterranean is a little less restrictive on carbs. I would guess (key word guess) that keto may be a bit faster way to reach your goal but there is nothing wrong with either.
The Mediterranean diet isn't carbohydrate-restricted at all. It encourages the consumption of fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains (along with moderate amounts of fish, dairy, and wine).
I know nothing about Mediterranean diet but would it be safe to say it is not a high carb diet?
It would be considered moderate to high carbohydrate, with estimates of 55-60% calories coming from carbohydrates. It's not at all accurate to say it's a "little less restrictive on carbs" than keto. The base of the food pyramid would be fruits, vegetables, grains, and beans (along with olive oil and nuts/seeds). It's hard to imagine a definition of "carbohydrate restricted" that would apply to this way of eating.8 -
janejellyroll wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »I am keto and enjoy the keto WOE but some find it restrictive. I think the Mediterranean is a little less restrictive on carbs. I would guess (key word guess) that keto may be a bit faster way to reach your goal but there is nothing wrong with either.
The Mediterranean diet isn't carbohydrate-restricted at all. It encourages the consumption of fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains (along with moderate amounts of fish, dairy, and wine).
I know nothing about Mediterranean diet but would it be safe to say it is not a high carb diet?
It would be considered moderate to high carbohydrate, with estimates of 55-60% calories coming from carbohydrates. It's not at all accurate to say it's a "little less restrictive on carbs" than keto. The base of the food pyramid would be fruits, vegetables, grains, and beans (along with olive oil and nuts/seeds). It's hard to imagine a definition of "carbohydrate restricted" that would apply to this way of eating.
Agreed. Mediterranean is awfully close to, and could be easily done as, a vegetarian diet. I don't think it would be possible to do it in a way that would be considered low carb.
Here's an article on it from Mayo Clinic if anyone is interested:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/mediterranean-diet/art-20047801
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You can do both. I bought the book The Ketogenic Mediterranean Diet by Robert Santos-Prowse
https://www.amazon.com/Ketogenic-Mediterranean-Diet-Fresh-Delicious/dp/1612436412/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1539965489&sr=8-2&keywords=ketogenic+mediterranean+diet4 -
SONKISSED1, While both are sort of fad-ish, I'd agree with your Doctor and suggest Mediterranean over Keto. I am still not convinced Keto is safe based on the way it works. Mediterranean at least is based on a normal regional diet. Keto is basically like Atkins, IMHO. Others may argue otherwise. Just my opinion.2
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You can do both. I bought the book The Ketogenic Mediterranean Diet by Robert Santos-Prowse
https://www.amazon.com/Ketogenic-Mediterranean-Diet-Fresh-Delicious/dp/1612436412/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1539965489&sr=8-2&keywords=ketogenic+mediterranean+diet
This may be a great way to eat, but with limitations on vegetables, grains, fruit, and beans, I don't see how it can accurately be described as "Mediterranean."10 -
janejellyroll wrote: »I am keto and enjoy the keto WOE but some find it restrictive. I think the Mediterranean is a little less restrictive on carbs. I would guess (key word guess) that keto may be a bit faster way to reach your goal but there is nothing wrong with either.
The Mediterranean diet isn't carbohydrate-restricted at all. It encourages the consumption of fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains (along with moderate amounts of fish, dairy, and wine).
I know nothing about Mediterranean diet but would it be safe to say it is not a high carb diet?
No not safe to say. Have you ever been to Italy, a Mediterranean country? We eat pasta, risotto, pizza, and lots of lovely breads. Those are staples, but we eat lots of vegetables, fruits and glorious deserts--think gelato. The trick is portion control.10 -
Although I'm not a fan of diets, I did follow "The Sonoma Diet" for a month and lost 38 lbs (with no exercising). I actually ate quadruple the fat that I normally ate, but it was healthier fats (EVOO, avocado). It's basically a Mediterranean diet, although I consider it more of a lifestyle change (lifelong vs temporary fix).13
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SONKISSED1 wrote: »Help! I need to make a wise and healthy decision between the two. I spoke with my doctor who did not say anything bad about Keto, but just that she leaned towards Mediterranean. I have to lose weight in order to keep Type 2 Diabetes under control. Thanks.
Neither. Calorie deficit will yield weight loss. Its that simple.
Correct. I do think Mediterranean is a dietary style, but if it isn't coupled with calorie/portion control, it will fail, i.e. eating large portions of tortalini alfredo everyday (a Mediterranean dish technically) isn't going to help at all.
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Like others have said, all that matters for weight loss is a calorie deficit. For health, I like the mediterranean diet's emphasis on produce.7
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IM_in_training wrote: »Although I'm not a fan of diets, I did follow "The Sonoma Diet" for a month and lost 38 lbs (with no exercising). I actually ate quadruple the fat that I normally ate, but it was healthier fats (EVOO, avocado). It's basically a Mediterranean diet, although I consider it more of a lifestyle change (lifelong vs temporary fix).
No. You lost weight because of calorie deficit NOT because of this "sonoma diet" or "drinking healthy oils".
38lbs in a month?? did i read that right3 -
I will start by saying that I don't have diabetes, but I was considered pre-diabetic. My blood sugar and A1C were above norm, but not in the diabetic range. My real killer was my triglycerides were at 545, blood pressure was very high, and I weighed 235 pounds as a 5'8" male. I decided I needed to lose weight and did a little research on Med Diet, Keto, Atkins, and too many others. I am still on my journey, but I am down to 182 in 145 days. My last check had my tryglicerides at 152 and my blood sugar and A1C within normal. Here is what I found worked for me. I apologize for the long list, but I think they are important.
1. Any "diet" can work if you lower your intake of calories below what you burn. Start by weighing (with a food scale), measuring (if you can't weigh) and recording everything you eat or drink. That is the whole point of myfitnesspal. If you need help with how to record things, there are great posts on the forums to teach you.
2. No "diet" will work long term if you start by deciding what you can't eat. Does anyone like to be told that they can't have something?
3. If you don't like what you are eating or drinking, you won't stick to it. That seems like torture to me. I think about the scenes on tv when the mother makes her kids eat the food they hate, just because she made it.
4. Make the food you do love fit into your caloric needs and practice moderation on the "bad" foods.
5. Try to incorporate more fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and nuts into your diet by experimenting to see what you enjoy. Make it a game to see how many colors of fruits and vegetables you can eat in a day and try a new vegetable each week. You might find a new favorite!
6. Try to reduce foods high in added sugars, sodium and saturated fats because they "might" be bad for you. (Everything causes cancer if you have too much of it!)
7. Move more to get your body in better cardiovascular condition to make life easier to enjoy and allow you to eat a bit more food or create a larger deficit. Find some thing that you enjoy that gets you moving, and you can fit into your schedule. I started out walking, and I am now working on running with a C210K program. Do what you like!
8. Add resistance training to strengthen muscles to make life easier to enjoy and burn more calories in a rested state so you can eat more food or create a larger deficit. Make sure it fits in your schedule. I do a bodyweight workout that takes very little equipment, and I can do it at home. I hate having to drive to the gym. I use the program at www.startbodyweight.com.
9. Don't think you will fix things over night, and your weight will fluctuate along the way. You won't lose weight every day, week or maybe even month. Just stick to it.
10. Make sure you have a solid reason for "why" you are doing this. Repeat it to yourself when needed to keep motivated.
11. Find a spouse, partner, friend, internet buddy, support group, or something to do the journey with you. It will make everything easier!
12. Try your hand at meal prepping and bring lunches to work or school. It can help make your life easier. I make my lunches for the entire work week on Sunday. I save tons of money by cooking and eating out less. If you can't cook, try the podcast series at www.stellaculinary.com. (previously www.freeculinaryschool.com)
13. Moderation is the key. If you try to change everything to an extreme, you will almost always fail or regress at some point.
14. Just start now and stop researching. Too many of us suffer from paralysis by analysis. Start by working on how much you eat and add the rest later.
15. This is a Journey. Losing the weight it only one step in the journey. If you can't keep it off, then you will have to start the journey again. That is why most diets that radically change the foods you eat will not work after the initial weight loss. Think about it this way, if you lose the weight, what will you eat when you are trying to maintain? If it is completely different foods, then you will probably end up gaining weight back. If it is the same foods at a higher caloric level, then you have just spent the weight loss journey training yourself what to eat for the weight maintenance journey.
Good luck! Hope this helps. Find what works for you!19 -
SONKISSED1 wrote: »Help! I need to make a wise and healthy decision between the two. I spoke with my doctor who did not say anything bad about Keto, but just that she leaned towards Mediterranean. I have to lose weight in order to keep Type 2 Diabetes under control. Thanks.
How do you prefer eating? Do not make decisions that are not sustainable wrong run. Mediterranean and Keto are suitable for people with very different taste in food, so start from there.0 -
Well said imbr0gli0!0
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