What do you think of Keto way of life?

lucegoh71

Coming out of my Fast with a delicious Keto Snack. Avocato, gouda cheese, olives with almonds, slice of ham and salami, almond milk and my never missing black coffee. Great way to start my day!

7% Carbs, 20% Protein, 73% Fat. 420 calories.

psuLemon

I enjoy it but i run a higher protein version and i don't fast as my goals are building some muscle. So i am 30-35% protein and spread 30-35g of protein per meal.

sandhillsmom

I love Keto way of life! I do a semi fasting version, I fast for 12-14 hours and it works for me quite well. Mostly this came about due to medications I have to take that do not allow me to eat for at least 2 hours, so I just wait until lunch time to eat.

yirara

I could not do it. It's mainly carbs that keep me full while high fat food leaves me hungry.

Shortgirlrunning

Not for me, I need my carbs! Fat isn’t satisfying for me, it just leaves me hungry. Plus I don’t have a gallbladder so really high fat content meals tend to make me feel not so great afterward.

sardelsa

I think it's great for some, not others. Personally not for me. I love and thrive off carbs and I don't find fats filling so I use them to increase my calories.

AnnPT77

If it's working for you, great!

Speaking as a long term (45+ year) vegetarian, it wouldn't work for me at all. Yes, there exist keto vegetarians, but many of my favorite protein sources, things I find especially tasty and satisfying (like legumes), are higher carb. Also, though I understand that many keto eaters get nutritionally adequate levels of veggies and fruits, I couldn't even come close to the variety and quantity of veggies/fruits I prefer to eat on even low carb, let along keto. On top of that, I had experimented with low carb eating in the past . . . and it was not a life enhancement, for me. Quite the contrary. Since weight loss and long-term maintenance since has been plenty easy enough while eating my preferred carb level (around 50%, now 200g+ most days), I can't see a reason to switch.

I know it works great for some people, so it's worth a try for folks who'd find it sustainable, especially people who find that carbs spark their appetite/cravings, or who have medical reasons to go a lower-carb route.

Best wishes!

amusedmonkey

Not for me. My breakfast alone today (which I really enjoyed) had 82 grams of carbs. Many foods I like are higher in carbs so keto would be torture if I attempted to do it for life. My few experiments with it didn't go well, I gained weight once because the volume of food is tiny, and was very hungry the other two times among other uncomfortable experiences.

If you like it and enjoy it, why not, just make sure you have a contingency plan for situations that could mess with your routine like social eating and traveling.

Love_2_Hike

I like it!! Carbs in the way of rice/pasta/bread/sugar don't fill me up.
1200 calories on a 'normal diet' I'm eating 5 times per day and I'm still hungry
1200 calories on Keto im eating 2/3 times per day and super satisfied, with no hangriness and cravings.

psuLemon

Love_2_Hike wrote: »

I like it!! Carbs in the way of rice/pasta/bread/sugar don't fill me up.
1200 calories on a 'normal diet' I'm eating 5 times per day and I'm still hungry
1200 calories on Keto im eating 2/3 times per day and super satisfied, with no hangriness and cravings.

Out of curiosity, have you tried carbs with just 2-3 meals? For me, regardless if I am Keto or not, i prefer less larger meals.

sarebearr

Personally, I could never ever do keto as a forever lifestyle. I have had good success with it for a short period of time, really motivating weight loss, but not practical or healthy for the long term. In fact there is not enough research to support its benefits in the long term. That being said it is a great way to kickstart weight loss and put yourself on the right path. I lost ten pounds doing keto for one month. Once I stopped I gained roughly 5 back.

Mazintrov13

I tried keto a few years ago when I was already fairly lean but wanted to cut some extra fat just like 3-4 kilos and I hated it!

I had been reading all this stuff about it online, claims that it burns fat faster due to being “fat adapted” so gave it go, probably lasted about a month but it was such a struggle. I didn’t lose anything 😂 luckily I was tracking on MFP or I reckon I would have GAINED due to all the fat. The portions were so small and I didn’t enjoy eating and I couldn’t stick to my calories. Craved carbs constantly.

I have found I feel so much better and more satisfied with more carbs, not really high carb or anything but just lots more veggies, rice, beans etc plus high protein.

In saying that though some people love it. I feel like it seems to be people with more body fat can make it work better for them.
Each to their own!

amusedmonkey

Mazintrov13 wrote: »

I tried keto a few years ago when I was already fairly lean but wanted to cut some extra fat just like 3-4 kilos and I hated it!

I had been reading all this stuff about it online, claims that it burns fat faster due to being “fat adapted” so gave it go, probably lasted about a month but it was such a struggle. I didn’t lose anything 😂 luckily I was tracking on MFP or I reckon I would have GAINED due to all the fat. The portions were so small and I didn’t enjoy eating and I couldn’t stick to my calories. Craved carbs constantly.

I have found I feel so much better and more satisfied with more carbs, not really high carb or anything but just lots more veggies, rice, beans etc plus high protein.

In saying that though some people love it. I feel like it seems to be people with more body fat can make it work better for them.
Each to their own!

Trust me, some fat people also hate it. I was super morbidly obese and prediabetic when I tried it, and I'm not exaggerating, it was one of the worst things I have ever had to do in my life. I felt like I was starving 24/7, and the time I gave myself the freedom to eat whatever I wanted I gained weight despite being heavy enough to have a substantial maintenance budget. I'm just not satiated nor satisfied without carbs, neither physically nor mentally. Mental satisfaction can affect your perception of hunger, too.

yirara

Another reason for me not to do it: costs! Most food recommended for keto is extremely expensive where I live. It would at least tripple my groceries bill. And even more if I continued to eat organic/'happy animal' meat. Heck, even a single avocado a day would be about 2/5 of my current groceries bill. Nuts are super expensive as well. Fish? Lots of water outside, but all seafood is very expensive.

emmabrookes1

The Mediterranean diet has been shown to have the best health impacts, particularly on cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. I think the 'keto way of life' has become a bit cult-ish and is entered into by a great many people who haven't considered all the potential implications.

sijomial

Regarding your diet as a "way of life" just seems to me an extreme way to describe eating.

No keto isn't for me, I enjoy and thrive on a high carb diet.
I also dislike dietary restrictions generally but putting a massive restriction on my veg, grains and fruit consumption seems counter-productive for my health.
Once my protein needs are met I'm far more likely to regards carbs as the way to top up to my calorie allowance rather than fat.

When I do want to cut some calories reducing high fat foods is the easiest method for me as I don't find fat generally satiating - I can eat huge amouts of nuts or good cheeses without feeling at all full.

reducingrenee622

I have been on Keto for a few months now. Overall, I really enjoy it. It is responsible for around 20 pounds of weight loss (still have lots to go, though), it has really helped curbed my hunger, and it has boosted my energy!

As for a healthy lifestyle and maintaining weight, I more than likely won't be able to continue with Keto, but for needing to lose some pounds it really seems to be the best option I've tried. For now, I plan to continue for quite a while. I am very excited how far Keto will bring me on my weight loss journey.