Cover me - I'm going Keto!!

nicolepburgess91

Okay I'm familiar with the basics of the keto diet. Eggs, avocados, beef. LCHF. Macros. 75% fats. 5% carbs. 10% protein. Got it.
How many calories should I be consuming per day within the keto parameters to lose weight? I'm not very active at all. (Though I do intend on becoming more active(

What kind of results have you seen from the keto journey?

What's your favorite keto meal?

kimny72

Your calorie needs are the same regardless of what foods you eat. So the MFP calorie goal for the pace you chose would apply regardless. I didn't do keto (I lost weight eating moderately high carbs) so I'll leave the keto specific stuff to someone else!

Emmapatterson1729

Sorry this is sooo long!! But, only been doing keto for about four weeks now and absolutely LOVE it!

Energy increase is insane!!!

Calories: I downloaded a keto calculator that pretty much matched MFP on calories. So, whatever your calorie limit is on here, matches what the keto apps say. But, adding excessive amounts of fats (olive oil and coconut oil) into my diet has made a huge difference in appetite and hunger. I never feel like I'm starving, no cravings, and am struggling to eat 1200-1400 calories a day.

I was originally going to try and get 25 grams of carbs in a day, but have been totaling under 20 everyday, easily!!

Favorite meals so far: Taco Salad: meat of choice (chicken thighs, ribeye steak, or ground beef, etc) seasoned with a little cumin, salt, and pepper, and cooked in coconut oil. I throw everything into a big bowl: mixed greens, diced onion, a few cherry tomatoes, black olives, a head of cilantro, an avocado, shredded cheese, a little sour cream, top with meat... So filling!!

Omelets: one egg, lightly beaten with a tbsp of half and half, lightly season egg mix, heat oil (olive oil or butter) over medium low in little skillet, pour egg mix in, add cheese, veggies, meats, etc. My favorite is broccoli and cheese or spinach, bell peppers and cheese.

My daughter's favorite treat is keto hot chocolate, half and half, unsweetened organic cocoa powder, one tbsp of Stevia, heated over low heat, stirring with fork or whisk until cocoa powder blends!

I've already dropped a few inches, and my body is changing significantly, but the energy and, in general, feeling really good is definitely the best part.

tinkerbellang83

I'd recommend bumping your Protein up (Especially as you're missing 10% somewhere) it helps with maintaining muscle whilst you lose weight.

As @kimny72 said calorie goals are the same regardless of your way of eating. Follow the guided setup in MFP accounting for your actual level of activity (work/home life, not exercise) with a suitable rate of loss (don't automatically choose the fastest, that is only suitable for people who are obese).

Marlitharn

I’ve been doing keto since March, and I agree with the poster above - my energy levels are amazing. I’ve lost 33 pounds but that’s not even the best part - it’s the steady all day energy and the deep restful sleep and the clearer mind. Yeah, I miss pancakes sometimes, but not enough to give all that up.

The big draw of keto for me, and what makes it so easy to stick to, is that other than keeping your carbs under 20-30 net a day, there’s no real restrictions. Obviously you want to eat real food - meat and fish, some nuts, dairy if you tolerate it, non-starchy veg - but that’s it. (And salt. Eat plenty of salt because once you start tapping Into your fat reserves you’re going to be peeing out electrolytes like whoa.)

And that includes no calorie restrictions. Listen to your body, eat when you’re hungry, stop when you’re satiated. I usually eat a couple times a day but some days I only eat once and at least once a week I do a 24-36 hour fast. My calorie intake hovers around 1000 most days. I never feel like I’m starving and I don’t have cravings anymore. I also don’t have the blood sugar crashes that used to send me sweaty and shaking to the junk machine at work for a Snickers to hold me until quitting time.

I figure I spent 45 years storing all this extra fat, it’s high time I put it to use.

kimny72

"It causes you to under-eat" is not a selling point for a diet. Luckily most people do in fact eat a healthy amount of calories while eating a keto diet.


And @nicolepburgess91 I agree with tink that you should bump up your protein, I didn't catch that in your post! 10% is really low and it's important to get enough protein when you're eating in a deficit. (Hopefully that's a typo and you meant 20%). Adequate protein and some strength/resistance training is how you preserve muscle while you're losing weight.