A really good comprehensive post on keto?
try2again
Posts: 3,562 Member
I'm just wondering if there is a good, comprehensive post out there on the topic for all of these newbies interested in starting keto? I hate to see new ones wanting to jump into it without knowing how it works, what to expect, and the pros & cons. I'd love to just have a link to share, but I'm not finding one. If not, might one of you wonderful, experienced users with a talent for clearly conveying ideas in an unbiased way write one and share the link here? 
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Replies
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For the time being:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10701339/keto-diet-good-or-bad/p10 -
There are two very comprehensive groups in our community which contain lots of information about the diet, and are comprised of people actually following the diet. Some of them have been doing it for years. Seems like a good place to start for people who are interested potentially following a low carb or keto diet.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/394-low-carber-daily-forum-the-lcd-group
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/1143-keto
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There are two very comprehensive groups in our community which contain lots of information about the diet, and are comprised of people actually following the diet. Some of them have been doing it for years. Seems like a good place to start for people who are interested potentially following a low carb or keto diet.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/394-low-carber-daily-forum-the-lcd-group
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/1143-keto
Thanks for sharing those Are the threads in those groups searchable, by any chance, or are there stickies?
I wish I could still edit my original post. I shouldn't have used the word "comprehensive" and I didn't have in mind advice on getting started so much as things a person should take into consideration when considering keto. I saw half a dozen posts today alone from people basically saying, "I've heard good things about keto- what do others think?" and was thinking it would be nice to have some basic info and various factors to consider in one handy (objective) link.2 -
The Low Carber Daily group has a great Launch Pad stickie.2
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You do need to join; you simply need to ask them the add you. If you decide you don't want to remain as a members, you can ask them to remove you. The wealth of information and the support of the group members is phenomenal so you may find this group as useful as I have!0 -
You do need to join; you simply need to ask them the add you. If you decide you don't want to remain as a members, you can ask them to remove you. The wealth of information and the support of the group members is phenomenal so you may find this group as useful as I have!
Yes, you need to ask to join. But you can leave simply by clicking "leave group".1 -
Most new users are still figuring out the forum thing, and having to join a group to read a thread seems unnecessarily complicated for them.
I agree that a Keto Primer in the Getting Started sticky section would be nice for new users.9 -
Most new users are still figuring out the forum thing, and having to join a group to read a thread seems unnecessarily complicated for them.
I agree that a Keto Primer in the Getting Started sticky section would be nice for new users.
But then what? A Vegan primer? An Organic whole foods primer?
There are literally millions of hits if you do an internet search.
No one way of eating deserves its own sticky.
I'm not LCHF, but I'm in the LCHF group. It's an interesting group. The only reason it's a private group is that people are so attack-y. Making it private means people can be tossed out when they need to be.5 -
cmriverside wrote: »Most new users are still figuring out the forum thing, and having to join a group to read a thread seems unnecessarily complicated for them.
I agree that a Keto Primer in the Getting Started sticky section would be nice for new users.
But then what? A Vegan primer? An Organic whole foods primer?
There are literally millions of hits if you do an internet search.
No one way of eating deserves its own sticky.
I'm not LCHF, but I'm in the LCHF group. It's an interesting group. The only reason it's a private group is that people are so attack-y. Making it private means people can be tossed out when they need to be.
Devil's advocate
We have plenty of primers explaining how CICO, calorie counting, and eating what you want within that framework works.
There are far more 'New to keto!' threads started than vegan or WF, etc. I just think it would be nice to have a thread to point them to, no joining a group required 🤷 Call me lazy :laugh:5 -
I mean, I'm no fan of keto, just looking for a way to help the dozens of newbies who post asking about keto and LCHF every day. They tend to just get replies from other newbies giving them questionable info.
Perhaps they can put links to a few groups in the Getting Started most helpful posts thread. The only posts I typically see here asking for beginner help are keto, lchf, and vegan. If and when the tide turns and different ways are popular, the links could be easily changed. Just a thought5 -
Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »
You do need to join; you simply need to ask them the add you. If you decide you don't want to remain as a members, you can ask them to remove you. The wealth of information and the support of the group members is phenomenal so you may find this group as useful as I have!
Yes, you need to ask to join. But you can leave simply by clicking "leave group".
Thanks for the clarification!
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cmriverside wrote: »Most new users are still figuring out the forum thing, and having to join a group to read a thread seems unnecessarily complicated for them.
I agree that a Keto Primer in the Getting Started sticky section would be nice for new users.
But then what? A Vegan primer? An Organic whole foods primer?
There are literally millions of hits if you do an internet search.
No one way of eating deserves its own sticky.
I'm not LCHF, but I'm in the LCHF group. It's an interesting group. The only reason it's a private group is that people are so attack-y. Making it private means people can be tossed out when they need to be.
Devil's advocate We have plenty of primers explaining how CICO, calorie counting, and eating what you want within that framework works.
There are far more 'New to keto!' threads started than vegan or WF, etc. I just think it would be nice to have a thread to point them to, no joining a group required 🤷 Call me lazy :laugh:
CICO is not a way of eating. Have we taught you nothing?
This is a calorie counting website. Why wouldn't there be threads explaining how to use the tool?
Someone making a primer is one thing. There are lots of those. Making it a sticky is a whole other thing.3 -
cmriverside wrote: »cmriverside wrote: »Most new users are still figuring out the forum thing, and having to join a group to read a thread seems unnecessarily complicated for them.
I agree that a Keto Primer in the Getting Started sticky section would be nice for new users.
But then what? A Vegan primer? An Organic whole foods primer?
There are literally millions of hits if you do an internet search.
No one way of eating deserves its own sticky.
I'm not LCHF, but I'm in the LCHF group. It's an interesting group. The only reason it's a private group is that people are so attack-y. Making it private means people can be tossed out when they need to be.
Devil's advocate We have plenty of primers explaining how CICO, calorie counting, and eating what you want within that framework works.
There are far more 'New to keto!' threads started than vegan or WF, etc. I just think it would be nice to have a thread to point them to, no joining a group required 🤷 Call me lazy :laugh:
CICO is not a way of eating. Have we taught you nothing?
This is a calorie counting website. Why wouldn't there be threads explaining how to use the tool?
Someone making a primer is one thing. There are lots of those. Making it a sticky is a whole other thing.
I know! That's why I added 'calorie counting' I'm not one to ask for advice anyway. My WOE at the moment is 'How many more Christmas cookies can I get away with eating without gaining weight?' 
I should probably just save the group links from this thread to my clipboard for easy access this month.3 -
Most new users are still figuring out the forum thing, and having to join a group to read a thread seems unnecessarily complicated for them.
I agree that a Keto Primer in the Getting Started sticky section would be nice for new users.
This was my thinking. I know many new users don't even look at the stickies and just start their own threads, but it would be nice to have something specific to link them to as opposed to saying "check the keto groups". Personally, I don't like to "join" things to get my info.4 -
Most new users are still figuring out the forum thing, and having to join a group to read a thread seems unnecessarily complicated for them.
I agree that a Keto Primer in the Getting Started sticky section would be nice for new users.
This was my thinking. I know many new users don't even look at the stickies and just start their own threads, but it would be nice to have something specific to link them to as opposed to saying "check the keto groups". Personally, I don't like to "join" things to get my info.
Also, I don't know if it has changed since I joined, but when I did join the Low Carb Daily group, there was no notification once I was approved, so I had to keep checking back to see if I could get in. So I agree having immediately accessible information is a better option.3 -
Most new users are still figuring out the forum thing, and having to join a group to read a thread seems unnecessarily complicated for them.
I agree that a Keto Primer in the Getting Started sticky section would be nice for new users.
This was my thinking. I know many new users don't even look at the stickies and just start their own threads, but it would be nice to have something specific to link them to as opposed to saying "check the keto groups". Personally, I don't like to "join" things to get my info.
The Keto group is open and also has helpful stickies. The LCD group is a bit older and more established- their stickies are a bit more comprehensive.
As already mentioned, LCD is closed because of attack-like postings about 5 years ago, on both sides. Food and diet choices can be a hot topic so going private kept things a bit more civil.
The Ketogenic Forums by 2ketodudes is a very active forum. Their Show me the Science section is quite good, IMO. Reddit can be helpful too.
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I spent some time looking for an outside link close to what I had in mind. Hard to find sources that aren't either trying to push keto or scare people away, or that just contain a lot of woo. (Personally, I like to hear views from both sides of a matter.) I did find this article that I liked for a few reasons. It's easy to read, has a simple explanation of keto, and helps a person consider if it's a good fit for them. The best point, IMO, being "the best diet is the one you stick with". I also like how it points out some positive lessons from keto that everyone can apply. There's some potential woo in there, but it's a start:
https://www.menshealth.com/nutrition/a19530409/ketogenic-ketosis-diet-for-beginners/
Edited to add: One thing I would have liked to have seen spelled out is how weight loss still comes down to calories. It talks about how it works by reducing cravings & helping a person feel full, but doesn't explicitly say these things cause a person to take in fewer calories. So many seem to have the idea the weight loss is attributable to the WOE itself.2 -
Just thought I'd leave this here too, in case people are considering different diet options:
https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/02/health/mediterranean-best-diet-2019/index.html
(It's not just about the Mediterranean diet, but is a ranking of various diets for 2019.)1 -
Just thought I'd leave this here too, in case people are considering different diet options:
https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/02/health/mediterranean-best-diet-2019/index.html
(It's not just about the Mediterranean diet, but is a ranking of various diets for 2019.)
"The diet features simple, plant-based cooking, with the majority of each meal focused on fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans and seeds, with a few nuts and a heavy emphasis on extra virgin olive oil. Say goodbye to refined sugar and flour except on rare occasions. Fats other than olive oil, such as butter, are consumed rarely, if at all.
Meat can make a rare appearance, usually only to flavor a dish. Instead, meals may include eggs, dairy and poultry, but in much smaller portions than in the traditional Western diet. Fish, however, are a staple."
Sounds good to me! (considering avocados, eggplant, tomatoes etc. as fruits as well)
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Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »Just thought I'd leave this here too, in case people are considering different diet options:
https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/02/health/mediterranean-best-diet-2019/index.html
(It's not just about the Mediterranean diet, but is a ranking of various diets for 2019.)
"The diet features simple, plant-based cooking, with the majority of each meal focused on fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans and seeds, with a few nuts and a heavy emphasis on extra virgin olive oil. Say goodbye to refined sugar and flour except on rare occasions. Fats other than olive oil, such as butter, are consumed rarely, if at all.
Meat can make a rare appearance, usually only to flavor a dish. Instead, meals may include eggs, dairy and poultry, but in much smaller portions than in the traditional Western diet. Fish, however, are a staple."
Sounds good to me! (considering avocados, eggplant, tomatoes etc. as fruits as well)
Me too! Just wish I had a family that didn't look at me like I was trying to assault them by feeding them fish
It would also be nice to have a little old Mediterranean lady to do the cooking 3 -
Just thought I'd leave this here too, in case people are considering different diet options:
https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/02/health/mediterranean-best-diet-2019/index.html
(It's not just about the Mediterranean diet, but is a ranking of various diets for 2019.)
I am wondering what they based their rankings on? I like the Mediterranean diet but the rankings seem to be based on opinions.
For the best diets for T2Ds, they don't even include LCHF, which has something like an 80+ % success rate in improving the disease and losing weight in the second year of the Virta trials - the best of all diets. The ADA finally included LCHF in their recommended diets because of that study.
Keto, Dukkan and Whole 30 are ranked as bottom diets, although keto is one of the top for fast weight loss. The rankers advise against those diets because they (apparently) eliminate entire food groups - not sure which food groups they are thinking of... They also say, in their rankings, that Keto is not recommended for those with kidney problems or liver problems even though it is used to treat nafld and there is no reason a moderate protein diet like Keto would be hard on kidneys.
Speaking of diets that actually do eliminate food groups, veganism is ranked as one of the best diets to try ...for weight loss.
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Just thought I'd leave this here too, in case people are considering different diet options:
https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/02/health/mediterranean-best-diet-2019/index.html
(It's not just about the Mediterranean diet, but is a ranking of various diets for 2019.)
I am wondering what they based their rankings on? I like the Mediterranean diet but the rankings seem to be based on opinions.
To judge the diets, a panel of experts in heart disease and diabetes, nutrition, diet, food psychology and obesity reviewed research about the diets from medical journals, government reports and other resources.
Angela Haupt, assistant managing editor of health for US News and World Report, said the experts then ranked the diets in seven categories: "how easy it is to follow, its nutritional completeness, its ability to produce short-term and long-term weight loss, its safety and its potential for preventing and managing diabetes and heart disease."
"How easy it is to follow" is sort of subjective, but it sounds like the rest of the categories are likely just based on the data. And I wouldn't take it to mean that there aren't people that thrive on the lower-ranked diets.
I can see keto coming out high for quick weight loss because the data likely doesn't differentiate between water and fat loss.1 -
Yes, I wasn't surprised to see Keto in there for quick weight loss, what you say makes perfect sense, but I wonder where ther got some of their facts from. KWIM?
The diets they said eliminate food groups do not. A diet based on ethics is ranked for weight loss. And the most effective diet for treating insulin resistance is not even mention for treating T2D.
Some of it makes sense, like WW does work well for some, and the Mediterranean diet seems like a solid choice for many, but some other things they discuss was incorrect.
unfortunate because many will take it at face value. 0 -
Oops. I see you started another thread on the rankings. Smart. Ignore my other posts. 0
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Yes, I wasn't surprised to see Keto in there for quick weight loss, what you say makes perfect sense, but I wonder where ther got some of their facts from. KWIM?
The diets they said eliminate food groups do not. A diet based on ethics is ranked for weight loss. And the most effective diet for treating insulin resistance is not even mention for treating T2D.
Some of it makes sense, like WW does work well for some, and the Mediterranean diet seems like a solid choice for many, but some other things they discuss was incorrect. unfortunate because many will take it at face value.
I wish the AP style book would have a listing/definition for "food groups". That's a pet peeve of mine as well.
Now I have to go and read the whole article. 😜0 -
Yes, I wasn't surprised to see Keto in there for quick weight loss, what you say makes perfect sense, but I wonder where ther got some of their facts from. KWIM?
The diets they said eliminate food groups do not. A diet based on ethics is ranked for weight loss. And the most effective diet for treating insulin resistance is not even mention for treating T2D.
Some of it makes sense, like WW does work well for some, and the Mediterranean diet seems like a solid choice for many, but some other things they discuss was incorrect. unfortunate because many will take it at face value.
I don't know... seems like a decent jumping-off point for general comparison.
I assume the use of the term "eliminate" is casual. I think most would consider keeping carbs <20 g to be "eliminating" grains.0 -
Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »Just thought I'd leave this here too, in case people are considering different diet options:
https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/02/health/mediterranean-best-diet-2019/index.html
(It's not just about the Mediterranean diet, but is a ranking of various diets for 2019.)
"The diet features simple, plant-based cooking, with the majority of each meal focused on fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans and seeds, with a few nuts and a heavy emphasis on extra virgin olive oil. Say goodbye to refined sugar and flour except on rare occasions. Fats other than olive oil, such as butter, are consumed rarely, if at all.
Meat can make a rare appearance, usually only to flavor a dish. Instead, meals may include eggs, dairy and poultry, but in much smaller portions than in the traditional Western diet. Fish, however, are a staple."
Sounds good to me! (considering avocados, eggplant, tomatoes etc. as fruits as well)
Me too! Just wish I had a family that didn't look at me like I was trying to assault them by feeding them fish
It would also be nice to have a little old Mediterranean lady to do the cooking
Hubs grins and bears it, but I know he hates fish. I always offer him something else. But I think he feels like he's insulting my cooking by not liking fish (and come one we both know he's a better cook!).0
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