Brand new to keto
mulder_scully06
Posts: 8 Member
I’m new to keto and I just find all of the information so overwhelming. I am trying to read and research and adapt. But I’m also a brand new mom and I’m tired/foggy from sleep deprivation. Is it wise to calorie count? I thought aiming for 1,200 would be good for weight loss. I have a a lot to lose (approx. 80lbs) so I’m afraid to have my calorie count too high. Can anyone give honest advice or a suggested simple beginners meal plan idea? I find looking on Pinterest etc overwhelming with literally hundreds of recipes and extremely varied meal plans. I just want something disgustingly simple until I get a better grasp! Like the same meals every single day to help me adapt for a couple of weeks.
Help!
Help!
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Replies
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i would vote "no" on calorie counting (https://ketowomanpodcast.com/annette-bosworth-talks-calories/). between the health changes inherent in postpartum & healing available with keto, no. (as with all things, check with your dr and/or dietician for thoughts directly tied to you)
i don't have a meal plan; but some simple things to help you get going:
bacon & eggs (breakfast, lunch, dinner; as much as you can stomach, literal [ish; maybe no more than a package], though & metaphorical)
hamburger (in whatever form you like: tacos, shaped, browned-and-eaten-straight-as-is)
steak (with or without eggs)
eggs (of any type)
bacon (however you want it)
skinny pasta topped with butter/olive oil (cheese if you can; the cheese is a popular debate point)
bacon wrapped chicken
chicken baked in coconut oil
welcome to the group & good luck!
hope all is going well with baby
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mulder_scully06 wrote: »Is it wise to calorie count? I thought aiming for 1,200 would be good for weight loss.
Sorry that you feel bombarded with info, I found it similar when I started... In the end the only thing that matters is that you keep your carbs under 5% of your daily limit... Without going way too overboard on protein... Anything else is just adjustments and recommendations...
Hi, I believe the general concencus is that the first step is to get into Ketosis... So it is less important to calorie count to start with...
let me share some of my tips with you
Step 1, get into ketosis by keeping your Carbs under the recommended amount (5%) of your daily intake. Dont worry about calories until you are in ketosis. This can take a few days, some people do it in 2 others do it in 7. Most likely you will be somewhere inbetween.
Step 2, Make sure you keep your electrolites up to avoid the keto flu.... (I do this by taking a multi vitamin and magnesium suplement every day).
Step 3, Once you are in ketosis you will find yourself much less hungry than normal. Dont be afraid to go under your daily recommended limit from time to time.
Step 4. Remember to get fibre into your diet... leafy greens are great, also broccoli and cauliflour...
Step 5. Remember you care about NET carbs... carbs from fibre dont count... For example, for something like cabagge, 40% of the carbs are from fibre, so 10 carbs is only 6 carbs...
Step 6. Find a rythm to get into, yes you will have to mind your calories to a certain degree, but keto is much more friendly if you go over a bit one day or under a bit on another day. Repeatedly going under every day can cause problems around muscle loss... You want to make sure you keep enough calories to maintain muscle tone (important for heart health).
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I count calories to make sure I get enough in.
Keto suppresses the appetite. I would shoot for over 1200. And lower when you hit plateaus. 1200 is the minimum calories for a sedentary (wheelchair, bedridden female) needed to lose.
I started out with wanting to lose 60-75 lbs and was aiming for 1600 calories... Lack of keto appetite, now I battle to get in 1410.
It's pretty simple: eat proteins and veggies (just not the starchy ones-- potatoes, corn, etc.) And fill the rest of needed calories in with healthy oils (olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, cheeses, creams, and butter).
I add olive oil, butter, and cheese to everything I cook now, to bump my calories up.
I've been at it almost two months have about 20-25 more to lose.
Good luck!! It's really not as complicated as the internet makes it out to be.
Sent friends request... My food diary is open to friends.
And... The truth is out there!!5 -
Here is my counsel. FWIW, I lost over 130 lbs and have been in maintenance (still keto) for a year.
I count calories. The charts/calculators all say I should eat 2000-2100 calories a day to maintain. For me, 1600(ish) is maintenance. When I was losing, I was 1200-1300 calories a day at the end. I would adjust it down when I hit a two week plateau.
I find a higher protein version of things works best for me. I don't intentionally add fat really or drink bullet-proof coffee. I get enough of it in the things I eat. I do have HWC with my first cup of coffee in the morning.
I keep net carbs under 20 (usually under 10). I try to meet or exceed my protein goal (35%). I try to keep fat under 100 g a day.
This has worked very well, although it did take me a little while of paying attention to figure it all out. I am satisfied with what I am eating, and I find this easy to follow.1 -
Thanks everyone for the sage advice! I will keep all your points in mind.
In order to keep it simple stupid I plan on just starting out with eggs, turkey bacon (I read the difference in regular bacon and turkey isn’t too much and I prefer the taste of the turkey,but correct me if I’m wrong), omlets with feta and spinach, taco salads, and protein and veg for dinners. Snacks I was just going to aim for cheese sticks and lean meats, or handful of nuts, celery w almond butter. I don’t want bulletproof coffee and if I have coffee I’ll just stick to cream. Counting the carbs,etc will be the biggest learning curve I think.
Any thoughts on ketchup? Is there truly a keto friendly one? I can live without sweets and Soda but I’ll struggle without the Heinz 🤣1 -
I can't imagine anyone eating enough ketchup for it to matter...but then, I don't like ketchup...as long as you log it, then you should be able to adjust consumption as needed to meet your goals.
If portions become an issue then maybe try the individual packets as a form of portion control???2 -
I used the calculator on Ruled Me. You can put in calorie deficit and it will help tell you net carb intake. Good luck!0
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I buy organic ketchup no added sugars. But after eating keto for a month, it became sickly sweet to me.
I don't do the BPCoffee either. But I did switch out my International Delights Cold Stone Creamery Sweet Cream for: half and half (or heavy cream), stevia, and cocoa powder (was adding vanilla extract in the beginning too).
My taste have adjusted, and I love my coffee creamer concoction now. Ran out of cocoa powder and half and half, used my old creamer (still in fridge), and it was way too sweet for me now.
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I am new to this as well. I started a low carb diet in April and I have lost 25 lbs. I am ready to take it to the next level so after a bunch of research I have decided to start a keto food plan when I get back from vacation. I found a -starting the “keto program” weekly program with recipes at Ketodietyum.com. I want a simple plan to follow and this one seems great. Good luck and let us know how it goes.1
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I count calories. The charts/calculators all say I should eat 2000-2100 calories a day to maintain. For me, 1600(ish) is maintenance. When I was losing, I was 1200-1300 calories a day at the end. I would adjust it down when I hit a two week plateau.
You're like me, you fall out of the normal curve for some reason or other. For my stats I should be eating similar but I'd gain if I ate 2000 calories a day. I'm absolutely stuffed most of the time @ 1350 unless it's something like nuts.I find a higher protein version of things works best for me. I don't intentionally add fat really or drink bullet-proof coffee. I get enough of it in the things I eat. I do have HWC with my first cup of coffee in the morning.
This is pretty much what I do, but occasionally I do make my own sort of bulletproof coffee if I'm going to have a somewhat active day and have to leave the house. 8oz coffee, exactly 1/2 ounce butter, 1 splenda, and run through the blender.I keep net carbs under 20 (usually under 10). I try to meet or exceed my protein goal (35%). I try to keep fat under 100 g a day.
Similar. I focus on protein and keeping my carbs to a minimum. Sometimes I'm over a bit on carbs but I don't fret about it. Sometimes I'm under on protein and sometimes I'm over on fat. A year ago I would have freaked out but now that I've settled into things I've become rather Laissez-faire about it. I've got other things to stress out about.This has worked very well, although it did take me a little while of paying attention to figure it all out. I am satisfied with what I am eating, and I find this easy to follow.
Exactly.
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Not to depress anyone. But some things cause you need less calories. PCOS I know can be as much as 400 a day less in some people - I looked this up and found it in studies a while back. So if you have some other process going on you may want to see if you need to adjust your BMR a little.0
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Not to depress anyone. But some things cause you need less calories. PCOS I know can be as much as 400 a day less in some people - I looked this up and found it in studies a while back. So if you have some other process going on you may want to see if you need to adjust your BMR a little.
Gender precludes the PCOS as an issue for me, but I get your point.
My doctor seems to think everything is fine. I suspect the charts are a little one-size-fits-all, and don't really account for human variability. I had a dinner not too long ago with another man who had lost 100+ lbs, and he was gaining it back. He said as close as he could tell, maintenance for him was about 1600 calories at the lower weight. I nodded and said that was actually the number I had landed on myself.
He could just not be happy in the long term with 1600.4 -
Not to depress anyone. But some things cause you need less calories
Yep.
I am EXTREMELY sedentary most days. As in I seldom leave the house. The most walking I do is the bathroom and back, the kitchen and back, etc. On a good day I might walk to the mailbox. On a real good day I might visit a neighbor or pop in to the store down the street. But that's pretty rare. I'm in constant pain and most of the time it's baaaaaaaad. Most of the time I'm either in a chair or in bed. So yeah, I don't need many calories to maintain or lose. Plus I take meds that may or may not cause metabolic issues.
I envy people who walk 10k steps a day because I doubt I've ever done that in my life with my whole leg thing. Even before my immune system went haywire I've had a leg thing (atrophied muscles, slightly shorter, blah blah) and it's hurt every day of my life. The ankle is weak and because of the corrective surgery they had to do things like cut tendons so I've never ever been able to do things like jog or run. I've tried when I was a kid, they kinda force that crap in school and I always ended up with a badly sprained ankle. Fortunately I never broke it. They finally stopped making me do P.E. as I got older when they realized I really wasn't faking it. Yeah, as if that foot long scar and noticeable size difference wasn't enough.
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I'm a beginner on this keto thing too and struggling to get 1200 calories a day in. Here I am on day 4, and reading through this, realize my lack of energy could also be lack of calories. I'm just not hungry. I got the keto strips (I know they are not perfect), and the results were encouraging but I have a ways to go.2
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I'm a beginner on this keto thing too and struggling to get 1200 calories a day in. Here I am on day 4, and reading through this, realize my lack of energy could also be lack of calories. I'm just not hungry. I got the keto strips (I know they are not perfect), and the results were encouraging but I have a ways to go.
Add an extra tbsp of olive oil or butter to each meal, that's 220 calories right there for two meals. Or 1/4 cup of cheese another (est) 110 calories.
There's ways to get calories in. At least in the beginning, can always play with macros after adjusted to limited carbs. Soon, I will be increasing my protein a little, after I drop a few more doing the high fat thing!
Good luck!0 -
I'm the opposite
getting more calories than I want or need. My goal is 1100 a day but I'm close to 1500 or 1600 a day. CW 205, GW 145. ...I think I eat too much peanut butter LOL 2 -
I'm the opposite getting more calories than I want or need. My goal is 1100 a day but I'm close to 1500 or 1600 a day. CW 205, GW 145. ...I think I eat too much peanut butter LOL
No one should purposely shoot for under 1200 calories unless for a medical condition under doctor's supervision. This is why MFP does not go under 1200 for goals.
Especially on keto that messes with electrolytes. Electrolytes getting too low can cause heart chambers to swell.
Dropping calories too low (without medical reason) can cause muscle mass loss. The heart can also experience muscle mass loss from too low of calorie intake which is extremely dangerous an can cause chambers to swell as the walls weaken.
If you're coming in at 1500-1600, listen to your body.
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When I reread my comment, it's sounds preachy to me. I don't mean to sound preachy.
After heart failure from dropping my own calories too low, I get concerned when I see others dropping too low, and want to scream, "Stop, Nooo, don't do it, not worth the risks."
I wouldn't wish heart failure on my worst enemy! It literally destroyed my health!
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Emmapatterson1729 wrote: »When I reread my comment, it's sounds preachy to me. I don't mean to sound preachy.
After heart failure from dropping my own calories too low, I get concerned when I see others dropping too low, and want to scream, "Stop, Nooo, don't do it, not worth the risks."
I wouldn't wish heart failure on my worst enemy! It literally destroyed my health!
I understand... But a fat adapted body gets calories from stored body fat also. The only reason why my calories are higher is because I'm not yet fat adapted. Too many cheat weeks set me back LOL! So until I get back to fat adapted bliss, I'm hungrier, so I eat more. BUT I will eventually go back to OMAD, and water fasting occasionally. I've seen too many people be just fine without ANY calories to be worried about my calories being too low. I don't believe there's a direct correlation between low calories and heart failure for most ppl. I do know the effects of low calories on metabolism, I switch up my intake to prevent it from slowing.1
