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Keto diet -pros and cons

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  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
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    I've been on keto since November and it has been more effective for me than simple CICO. I still track CICO to a limit, but with keto I found I wasn't as hungry as I was on a standard CICO diet. Sure the first few days are hard (body adjustments), but it's been plain sailing since then.

    I know what you mean, and I think better appetite control is something some experience and is a good reason to do keto if you also enjoy keto. However, I just want to point out that CICO is not the same thing as calorie counting (your comment above shows that you are thinking it is) and also there is no such thing as a "standard CICO diet" or even a "standard calorie counting diet." CICO merely means that calorie balance dictates weight loss (whether you do keto, WFPB, or any other way of eating, including eating to personal preference with no other considerations). Calorie counting is one way (not the only way) of controlling your calorie balance, but someone can do calorie counting and eat any diet -- many people doing keto count calories, and of course people who count calories often think about things other than calories (including satiety and nutrition).

    I am quite satisfied (not hungry) on a non keto diet (although I do eat moderate carb at the moment and often eat somewhat lower carb, basically now I'm around 150 g and I sometimes go lower). The difference is likely personal, but it is also possible that your idea of what a "standard CICO diet" is isn't really reflective of what many of us do or the huge variety of options available, and that there are other things that also would have controlled your hunger.

    Obviously, though, if you like what you are doing and are happy, as I believe you are, no reason to change (and same for people not doing keto). I just think that sometimes people have weird ideas that if you calorie count you must be committed to eating the so-called SAD (which I never ate) while counting or don't care about anything but calories or eat (dunno why) low fat, etc.
  • KaiketsuZorori
    KaiketsuZorori Posts: 3 Member
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    lemurcat2 wrote: »
    However, I just want to point out that CICO is not the same thing as calorie counting (your comment above shows that you are thinking it is) and also there is no such thing as a "standard CICO diet" or even a "standard calorie counting diet." CICO merely means that calorie balance dictates weight loss (whether you do keto, WFPB, or any other way of eating, including eating to personal preference with no other considerations).

    My CICO diet was actually a "higher protein" diet, as I was also lifting at the time e.g protein as a goal. I guess by "standard CICO" I mean sticking near the Standard American Diet ratios (I am not American, but w/e) and just lowering calories to meet a deficit.
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    edited January 2019
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    lemurcat2 wrote: »
    However, I just want to point out that CICO is not the same thing as calorie counting (your comment above shows that you are thinking it is) and also there is no such thing as a "standard CICO diet" or even a "standard calorie counting diet." CICO merely means that calorie balance dictates weight loss (whether you do keto, WFPB, or any other way of eating, including eating to personal preference with no other considerations).

    My CICO diet was actually a "higher protein" diet, as I was also lifting at the time e.g protein as a goal. I guess by "standard CICO" I mean sticking near the Standard American Diet ratios (I am not American, but w/e) and just lowering calories to meet a deficit.

    Okay. I wouldn't really call that "standard," as I'm sure there's huge variation in what macros even someone eating the SAD eats in that most are not watching macros at all. (As an aside, the problem with the SAD isn't the macros, as they are quite similar to those in many places with healthier diets, and many blue zones are probably higher carb, in fact). Also, of course, many people doing calorie counting (not the same thing as CICO, just one way to achieve the desired CICO balance) will pay attention to how they feel and modify macros.

    For me, food choice has always been much more important than macros in satiety. I could create both low carb and high carb diets where I was always hungry and low carb and high carb diets where I was content and not hungry at all, on the same calorie level.

    Also, just because I am pedantic, and the point doesn't seem to have gotten across, there are no "CICO diets." CICO refers to the truth that calorie balance determines whether you gain, lose, or maintain. All diets, including keto (whatever your goals are, could be to maintain or gain), work by CICO principles, even when people don't count.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
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    nvmomketo wrote: »
    nvmomketo wrote: »
    nvmomketo wrote: »
    nvmomketo wrote: »
    psuLemon wrote: »
    nvmomketo wrote: »
    277to161 wrote: »
    There are both pro-Keto and anti-Keto people on this site. Sadly the anti-keto folks are really misinformed. If you have to lose a few vanity pounds and are in good health it may not be for you. If you are obese with other medical conditions such as gastro problems, high blood pressure or type 2 diabetes it's perfect for you. If you lost weight countless times with restricted calories and more exercise only to gain it back each time, it's perfect. If you are killing CICO and the scale is not moving, try it. Most people who say they tried, and didn't like it, were probably never completely adapted. It takes time. If you were pounding 300 carbs a day you can't just drop to 20 overnight. Proper keto requires work. You have to test with strips, or a breath or blood meter to make sure you are in ketosis. You tend to get constipated. The transition period to fix digestive issues can take over 3 months. If you make it, you will be so grateful. High fiber makes many people much worse inspite of what guidlines and most doctors say. Your blood pressure and A1C will drop like mad. Once you are in the groove you'll start dropping your blood pressure and diabetes medicine. Long before you've lost significant weight. You will have a huge jump in cognitive thinking and mental clarity. You will feel great. You will fix your body. The pounds will come off at a rate you've never experienced before. You will learn how to make Hollandaise sauce if you don't know how to. A perfect keto breakfast is 2 eggs and hollandaise sauce (2 eggs and half a stick of real butter) and bacon or meat of your choice over 2 cups of steamed spinach. Many days one can eat this and not eat until the next day without any hunger. It's not just a fad as many still believe. It's a way of life. Very sustainable. And a much better one. The food is really insignificant when you look at the true health benefits though. The site below has over 500 thousand members. You don't have to join to use it. Look at the health benefits, the challenges, and the food you eat. Watch some of the many doctor videos. Check it out for yourself: https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb#oopsie

    Good Luck to all, even the the devil Jillian Michaels (That's a joke)

    well I can say I have gastro problems and keto didnt do a dang thing for them. it made them worse and it gave me diarrhea I was not constipated. my gallbladder works fine so its not that. I was keto adapted as I did it for 2 months. my gastroenterologist also said that keto isnt going to "cure" gastro/digestive problems as many of those things are caused by other issues which change in diet rarely makes a big difference. I know for me my self it hasnt. ad for the the jump in cognitive thinking and mental clarity I had a HUGE decline in mine. I didnt feel great, it didnt fix my body it made my health issues worse and those with type 2 and high blood pressure weight loss alone can improve those things keto or not. I lost 45 lbs eating more that 200g of carbs per day because I was in a deficit still. as for the hunger it made no difference I did not lose a lot of weight in the beginning either 5 lbs was the most I lost on keto and then it slowed down.

    I was obese too all my health issues started when I was thin and at a healthy weight and some of them are genetic. keto is NOT going to fix those things. maybe for some that do keto will see some improvement in health issues(you still have to watch calories as you can gain weight doing keto). but for me it made my health decline at a rapid pace and I will say I will NEVER do it again. if someone else wants to do it or try it thhats their choice but people also need to be aware of the issues it can also cause on ones health. oh and keto is 50g net of carbs not 20. some athletes can be in ketosis eating more than 100g of carbs a day. it definitely was NOT sustainable for me at all. If I had kept going I probably would not be here now and thats not a joke or a jab at keto its what I experienced.

    Those with familial hypercholesterolemia would be outliers though and may not have an average or typical response to lchf . Please excuse me if I have misremembered your situation.

    My wife's GI got worse with low carb. She does not do well with high fat, especially with not having a gallbladder. And it got even worse after having a colon resecetion.

    And keto just made me feel like crap. I suspect based on the low compliance rate, that all those benefits you feel apply to a smaller range of people than you suspect.

    Your wife is probably not typical of those who benefit from keto the most either - typically those with metabolic syndrome, usually with a gallbladder, although there are a number doing lchf and keto successfully in the sub forums without one.

    The only long term success rates I have seen with keto that go above and beyond plain old calorie moderation are in virta, and that was people reversing t2d. As I have said before, compliance seems to be higher when one is getting some great health benefits from the diet.

    If one is not getting any benefits, or one is having added problems, it would be foolish to continue.

    I've heard of reversing diabetes on calorie restrictions, so long as 10% or greater weight loss is maintained.

    That is correct, and often without lchf. Lchf tends to be more effective for those diabetics who stick with it, but it isn't needed for all. Helpful, but not always required.

    Not sure what the comparison is to. Is the claim that LCHF is more effective when stuck with no other considerations versus people who have lost 10% of body weight and "stick with [maintaining a 10% body weight loss]"? I assume effective means, having less markers for diabetes? Actually, I'd be interested in knowing what even are the markers being considered, as resting glucose seems like it really isn't going to be a relevant analysis, and an actual glucose challenge is usually going to go rather poorly for someone that is actually long term ketosis.

    I'm not sure that it is ever required is the point of my 10% weight loss.

    If someone loses 10% of their body weight and eats a bag of candy that is within their calorie budget, they will have poorer blood glucose control than someone who eats the same amount of calories in more typical low carb junk foods like pork rinds.

    This also would be true for healthier meals: pasta marinara vs steak and a side salad, or bacon and eggs vs a muffin and orange juice.

    Blood glucose is best controlled by what you eat. Insulin levels depend on that too. This my point. I agree that people will often have better BG if they lose weight, but BG will be steadiest and lowest in one who eats fewer carbs.

    What is blood glucose control? I know what blood glucose level is. I know what a fasting glucose challenge is. I don't know what blood glucose control is.
    If you just mean one not eating carbohydrates will have lower glucose than not eating carbohydrate, I fail to see the relevance or revelation. Simply having glucose in one's blood is not bad - having zero is actually the unhealthiest number.

    Put simply, those with hyperinsulinemia tend to have higher BG numbers than is health or optimal. Spiking BG, even in non diabetics, is thought to contribute to health and circulatory problems in the long term. Good BG control is avoiding those spikes and keeping BG below prediabetic or diabetic ranges. The upper limit of healthy after a meal is 140 or 7.8; lower is healthier and easier to achieve with low carb. Zero is, of course, ridiculous to consider. A healthy lower limit is closer to 70 or 4.

    Good blood glucose control is staying between the upper and lower limits. How you get there partially indicates your health. If you get there by injecting insulin, chances are your health is not great. If you manage it with diet, sleep and exercise, that would indicate better health.

    I would think that good insulin control is actually the spikiest outcome. We say that someone's insulin sensitivity is a measure of how quickly their glucose returns to a near fasting level after a glucose containing meal enters the blood stream, yes? Well the fastest level in such an incident would be a very rapid spike down, would it not?

    Rather, I think instead of spiky, we would want to talk about the maximum of the curve, or the time area under the curve above fasting.

    Also, when you say thought to contribute, do you think it is actually causative, rather than a marker associated with a deeper pathology? It would seem at odds with what seems to be your interpretation of lipid profiles, but it could be understandable with the right empirical evidence.

    It seems to me in studies I've seen, a low carbohydrate dieter (as in eater, not as in losing weight) is going to have low glucose, but my impression was their time area curves for insulin response is actually kind of poor as well as the peak, presumably because of the adaptions for a LC diet - even the pancreas and insulin are against speculative production for that glucose raining day. I definitely wouldn't describe that as spiky, nor good if the free floating glucose itself is problematic.

    I disagree. It is thought that the BG and insulin spikes will lead to damage over time.

    Plus if just looking at BG spikes, you miss what insulin us doing. Joseph Kraft collected a lot of data on insulin curves and diabetics, and I think his approach makes sense: abnormal insulin proceeds abnormal BG.

    My ogtt showed slightly high BG response at 30 minutes (clise to 9) but then by 2hrs my bg was well below where I started (5.6 i thknk) showing an abnormal insulin response. At 2 hrs, my bg was at a healthy fasting level... I think it was a low 4.

    Some with more advanced hyperinsulinemia will have a delayed lowering after a higher carb meal. True. Some low carbers will have a delayed response after becoming fat adapted because they are no longer primarily glucose burners, just like glucose burners can't adapt to high fat immediately. Its transient. For low carb meals there is no real time difference.

    Spiking high BG and chronically elevated insulin are thought to be causative, but I tend to view the factors that cause those situations as the actual root cause, mainly lifestyle and food choices.
  • RhiAnLewis17
    RhiAnLewis17 Posts: 2,299 Member
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    The keto diet has REALLY made my skin integrity poor, I've never had spots and now they're coming up left right and centre. Accompanied by peri-oral dermatitis, so infuriating.
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    edited January 2019
    Options
    nvmomketo wrote: »
    nvmomketo wrote: »
    nvmomketo wrote: »
    nvmomketo wrote: »
    psuLemon wrote: »
    nvmomketo wrote: »
    277to161 wrote: »
    There are both pro-Keto and anti-Keto people on this site. Sadly the anti-keto folks are really misinformed. If you have to lose a few vanity pounds and are in good health it may not be for you. If you are obese with other medical conditions such as gastro problems, high blood pressure or type 2 diabetes it's perfect for you. If you lost weight countless times with restricted calories and more exercise only to gain it back each time, it's perfect. If you are killing CICO and the scale is not moving, try it. Most people who say they tried, and didn't like it, were probably never completely adapted. It takes time. If you were pounding 300 carbs a day you can't just drop to 20 overnight. Proper keto requires work. You have to test with strips, or a breath or blood meter to make sure you are in ketosis. You tend to get constipated. The transition period to fix digestive issues can take over 3 months. If you make it, you will be so grateful. High fiber makes many people much worse inspite of what guidlines and most doctors say. Your blood pressure and A1C will drop like mad. Once you are in the groove you'll start dropping your blood pressure and diabetes medicine. Long before you've lost significant weight. You will have a huge jump in cognitive thinking and mental clarity. You will feel great. You will fix your body. The pounds will come off at a rate you've never experienced before. You will learn how to make Hollandaise sauce if you don't know how to. A perfect keto breakfast is 2 eggs and hollandaise sauce (2 eggs and half a stick of real butter) and bacon or meat of your choice over 2 cups of steamed spinach. Many days one can eat this and not eat until the next day without any hunger. It's not just a fad as many still believe. It's a way of life. Very sustainable. And a much better one. The food is really insignificant when you look at the true health benefits though. The site below has over 500 thousand members. You don't have to join to use it. Look at the health benefits, the challenges, and the food you eat. Watch some of the many doctor videos. Check it out for yourself: https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb#oopsie

    Good Luck to all, even the the devil Jillian Michaels (That's a joke)

    well I can say I have gastro problems and keto didnt do a dang thing for them. it made them worse and it gave me diarrhea I was not constipated. my gallbladder works fine so its not that. I was keto adapted as I did it for 2 months. my gastroenterologist also said that keto isnt going to "cure" gastro/digestive problems as many of those things are caused by other issues which change in diet rarely makes a big difference. I know for me my self it hasnt. ad for the the jump in cognitive thinking and mental clarity I had a HUGE decline in mine. I didnt feel great, it didnt fix my body it made my health issues worse and those with type 2 and high blood pressure weight loss alone can improve those things keto or not. I lost 45 lbs eating more that 200g of carbs per day because I was in a deficit still. as for the hunger it made no difference I did not lose a lot of weight in the beginning either 5 lbs was the most I lost on keto and then it slowed down.

    I was obese too all my health issues started when I was thin and at a healthy weight and some of them are genetic. keto is NOT going to fix those things. maybe for some that do keto will see some improvement in health issues(you still have to watch calories as you can gain weight doing keto). but for me it made my health decline at a rapid pace and I will say I will NEVER do it again. if someone else wants to do it or try it thhats their choice but people also need to be aware of the issues it can also cause on ones health. oh and keto is 50g net of carbs not 20. some athletes can be in ketosis eating more than 100g of carbs a day. it definitely was NOT sustainable for me at all. If I had kept going I probably would not be here now and thats not a joke or a jab at keto its what I experienced.

    Those with familial hypercholesterolemia would be outliers though and may not have an average or typical response to lchf . Please excuse me if I have misremembered your situation.

    My wife's GI got worse with low carb. She does not do well with high fat, especially with not having a gallbladder. And it got even worse after having a colon resecetion.

    And keto just made me feel like crap. I suspect based on the low compliance rate, that all those benefits you feel apply to a smaller range of people than you suspect.

    Your wife is probably not typical of those who benefit from keto the most either - typically those with metabolic syndrome, usually with a gallbladder, although there are a number doing lchf and keto successfully in the sub forums without one.

    The only long term success rates I have seen with keto that go above and beyond plain old calorie moderation are in virta, and that was people reversing t2d. As I have said before, compliance seems to be higher when one is getting some great health benefits from the diet.

    If one is not getting any benefits, or one is having added problems, it would be foolish to continue.

    I've heard of reversing diabetes on calorie restrictions, so long as 10% or greater weight loss is maintained.

    That is correct, and often without lchf. Lchf tends to be more effective for those diabetics who stick with it, but it isn't needed for all. Helpful, but not always required.

    Not sure what the comparison is to. Is the claim that LCHF is more effective when stuck with no other considerations versus people who have lost 10% of body weight and "stick with [maintaining a 10% body weight loss]"? I assume effective means, having less markers for diabetes? Actually, I'd be interested in knowing what even are the markers being considered, as resting glucose seems like it really isn't going to be a relevant analysis, and an actual glucose challenge is usually going to go rather poorly for someone that is actually long term ketosis.

    I'm not sure that it is ever required is the point of my 10% weight loss.

    If someone loses 10% of their body weight and eats a bag of candy that is within their calorie budget, they will have poorer blood glucose control than someone who eats the same amount of calories in more typical low carb junk foods like pork rinds.

    This also would be true for healthier meals: pasta marinara vs steak and a side salad, or bacon and eggs vs a muffin and orange juice.

    Blood glucose is best controlled by what you eat. Insulin levels depend on that too. This my point. I agree that people will often have better BG if they lose weight, but BG will be steadiest and lowest in one who eats fewer carbs.

    What is blood glucose control? I know what blood glucose level is. I know what a fasting glucose challenge is. I don't know what blood glucose control is.
    If you just mean one not eating carbohydrates will have lower glucose than not eating carbohydrate, I fail to see the relevance or revelation. Simply having glucose in one's blood is not bad - having zero is actually the unhealthiest number.

    Put simply, those with hyperinsulinemia tend to have higher BG numbers than is health or optimal. Spiking BG, even in non diabetics, is thought to contribute to health and circulatory problems in the long term. Good BG control is avoiding those spikes and keeping BG below prediabetic or diabetic ranges. The upper limit of healthy after a meal is 140 or 7.8; lower is healthier and easier to achieve with low carb. Zero is, of course, ridiculous to consider. A healthy lower limit is closer to 70 or 4.

    Good blood glucose control is staying between the upper and lower limits. How you get there partially indicates your health. If you get there by injecting insulin, chances are your health is not great. If you manage it with diet, sleep and exercise, that would indicate better health.
    I would think that good insulin control is actually the spikiest outcome. We say that someone's insulin sensitivity is a measure of how quickly their glucose returns to a near fasting level after a glucose containing meal enters the blood stream, yes? Well the fastest level in such an incident would be a very rapid spike down, would it not?
    Rather, I think instead of spiky, we would want to talk about the maximum of the curve, or the time area under the curve above fasting.
    Also, when you say thought to contribute, do you think it is actually causative, rather than a marker associated with a deeper pathology? It would seem at odds with what seems to be your interpretation of lipid profiles, but it could be understandable with the right empirical evidence.

    It seems to me in studies I've seen, a low carbohydrate dieter (as in eater, not as in losing weight) is going to have low glucose, but my impression was their time area curves for insulin response is actually kind of poor as well as the peak, presumably because of the adaptions for a LC diet - even the pancreas and insulin are against speculative production for that glucose raining day. I definitely wouldn't describe that as spiky, nor good if the free floating glucose itself is problematic.

    Agree. IMO, if one is IR, what is best is what makes you more insulin sensitive, makes your body behave normally if, say, you eat a potato. That's weight loss for most people, and being more active. I realize there's a genetic component, so a percentage may not be able to achieve that, but a very high percentage of people seem to be able to make themselves more insulin sensitive, and it can be done on many different diets (including WFPB). The main thing is weight loss and exercise/activity.

    Obviously while you are IR, you'd want to eat in a way that minimized excess insulin, which means controlling carbs at least (eating a moderate number only and in combination with fiber and protein). Low carb is one way of doing this, and for some the only way, but that's probably not true for the majority of those who are T2D or IR.
  • KaiketsuZorori
    KaiketsuZorori Posts: 3 Member
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    lemurcat2 wrote: »
    Also, just because I am pedantic, and the point doesn't seem to have gotten across, there are no "CICO diets." CICO refers to the truth that calorie balance determines whether you gain, lose, or maintain. All diets, including keto (whatever your goals are, could be to maintain or gain), work by CICO principles, even when people don't count.

    No it has. I was just stating what I was doing at the time and what I originally thought what CICO was.

  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
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    I also just don't see IR->obesity over obesity->IR sounding right on what I know of going on at the cellular mechanics level. I believe we tend to see that fats cells become saturated first, and then insulin receptors on the surface are down regulated after. I think if insulin receptor down regulation was happening first, we'd see free lipids in the blood rise sharply after IR and before obesity. I think the pattern usually evolves the other way though - people can often become overweight without lipidemia and at or after obesity the lipidemia begins to drastically change.

    This is what I find most compelling too. Also, I just don't see a particularly strong mechanism as to how IR would cause obesity vs. the reverse (with cells becoming saturated at different levels of overall body fat depending on genetics).