Low calorie Keto help!

gracie2586
gracie2586 Posts: 69 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi guys I need some help my Dr. Wants me to lose 40 pounds in the next 3 months he wants me to stay under 800 calories a day and begin keto. I don't really understand keto and I could use some easy recipes to get me started. Can anyone explain keto to me in lamen terms and does anyone have some low calorie easy keto recipes?

Replies

  • MargaretYakoda
    MargaretYakoda Posts: 2,997 Member
    Ah.
    That’s still a very restricted diet.

    Can you get a second opinion?

    Also, for what it’s worth, I have a friend who has arthrogryposis. They are able to exercise safely and very effectively on our NuStep TXr. It’s a very fancy recumbent elliptical. Many physical therapy offices have them. Excellent for disability and hip joint issues. Let me know if you want to know if you want more info.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,261 Member
    gracie2586 wrote: »
    As a follow up the I am 35 years old and about 290 pounds I was born with congenital hip dysplasia and at this age it is causing alot of pain I already have arthritis in my right hip and bone spurs it's pretty much bone on bone at the moment. Working and walking is becoming very hard. My orthopedic surgeon said I need a full hip replacement but he won't touch me til I'm down to 250 pounds. He referred me to this doctor who is supposed to specialize in women's health and weight management. I know it's not a perfect situation and I do realize how insane it sounds. But I really need this surgery and it is short term so I'm trying to do it his way the best I can.
    Good luck I'm confident you can do this. Hopefully the keto helps in the satiating dept. for you like it does for most. It will help you cope. You have enough adipose to compensate for the low calories so just make sure your dr. has advised you on supplementation you may require.

    You can google keto recipes and allrecipes is a decent source.

    https://www.allrecipes.com/recipes/22959/healthy-recipes/keto-diet/
  • vottav21
    vottav21 Posts: 84 Member
    These great comments got me on the bandwagon ! So how do you get you MFP things to show carbs ? Do you have to go premium ?
  • vottav21
    vottav21 Posts: 84 Member
    Saturday night Keto dinner . Thinking about all the things I can try using Dijon mustard as a starter ! Looking for more no carb tips y’all !
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,261 Member
    edited August 2021
    Love it. :D
  • WholeFoods4Lyfe
    WholeFoods4Lyfe Posts: 1,518 Member
    edited August 2021
    I understand that this is an urgent need for you, but I do beg you to proceed with caution. 800 calories per day is very low, and very difficult to sustain, even for a short period of time. Besides that, it is very difficult to get all of the vitamins and minerals that you need from your food if you are eating so little, and over time that lack of vitamins and minerals can lead to things like hair loss, bone loss, tooth decay, poor skin tone, etc. Also, losing weight rapidly can also lead to loose skin because the skin cells do not have time to repair themselves as you are losing the weight. If you still insist on listening to this doctors advice (which btw, I would never take advise on diet from a doctor because they spend very few hours in total while they are in medical school actually learning about nutrition) and would ask for a referral to a Registered Dietician and/or Nutritionist who can guide you with a diet plan that will be healthy for you with the best and most sustainable results.

    Also, my diary is open if you would like Keto inspiration. I aim for 1450 calories per day and am losing an average of 2lbs per week. My starting weight on 4/9/21 was 275lbs and as of today, 4 months and 7 days later, I am down 42lbs, so you can lose the weight without starving yourself.

    [edited by MFP Moderators]
  • Walkywalkerson
    Walkywalkerson Posts: 456 Member
    I don't do keto but I keep my meals fairly low carb / calorie.
    I try to keep it as simple as possible.
    A protien source, fibre source and fat source
    Most of my carbs come from dairy and fruit and veg.
    I aim for wholefoods and don't eat low fat or sugar substitutes etc ..
    It feels fairly simple this way and I'm not craving junk.
    I'm down 35lbs so far.
    800 calories is pretty low - I think it will be difficult to feel satisfied on so few calories.
    Maybe try intermittent fasting to curb your appetite?

  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,431 MFP Moderator
    gracie2586 wrote: »
    Hi guys I need some help my Dr. Wants me to lose 40 pounds in the next 3 months he wants me to stay under 800 calories a day and begin keto. I don't really understand keto and I could use some easy recipes to get me started. Can anyone explain keto to me in lamen terms and does anyone have some low calorie easy keto recipes?

    Keto is essentially creating a state where your body creates ketones for fuel instead of glucose. This ocucurs when you are restricted on carbs (20-50g/day). Often the reason to do keto is to help those with metabolic disorders (diabetes, seizure disorders) or in some cases, those who want to appetite suppressant capabilities (not universal, but does have strong correlation).

    Being 290 lbs, you should be able to safely lose around 2.5-3lb/week safely, especially under the care of a doctor.

    Food choices should be focused a bit of leaner meats (sirloin, strip, chicken, tuna fish, leaner pork, seafood), low fat greek yogurt (two good is a great brand with 2g carbs), low GI fruit (raspberries, blackberries and some strawberries), and low sugar veggies (spinach, bok choy, zucchini, squash, cabbage, asparagus, etc..). You can look at things like miracle noodles and sugar free jello to add more volume.

    Since you are lower calorie (hopefully not for long periods), focus on proteins and probably spread out over 2 meals.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,261 Member
    Misconceptions aren't exclusive to any one diet....they all qualify.
  • russellholtslander1
    russellholtslander1 Posts: 285 Member
    I would say give it a shot. I am 5'6" 268, and I struggle to eat 1800 calories on LCHF. 800 IS very low, but people who actually eat low carb, high fat, tend to not be able to eat a lot. They lose quickly, because their lack of appetite, causes a calorie deficit.

    On LCHF, you think the calories will pile up, but you end up eating 3-4 oz. portions of meat, maybe some eggs, and lots of fats, like mayo, butter, olive oil.. and end up with small meals. Mybe a can of tuna, with 3 Tbsp mayo, and a diced stick of celery... or 4 ozs of ground beef, with 3 mushrooms dice up in it, or 1/4 of an onion. Maybe some veggies, in 2 eggs, with 2 Tbsp butter. 4 ozs. of chicken with some diced peppers, and 2-3 Tbsp. olive oil.

    You want 75% fat on Keto, 20% protein, and 5% carbs.. so you would need to adjust to fit that. 75% of 800 is 600 fat calories.. or about 67 grams.. 20% of 800 is 160, or 40 grams of protein. 5% carbs is 40 calories, or 10 g of carbs.. basically a couple eggs, maybe some low carb veggies.

    The lower the carbs, the higher the fat, the faster you likely lose.. when you stop having carbs to burn for energy, the body switches to ketones, from breaking down fat.. after using dietary fat.. but 67g of fat gets burned off quickly.. then on to body fat.. lots of ketones for energy, once you adjust, since we have excess bodyfat.. that why you have it.. the fat is stored energy.. when your body needs calories, it will break down fat, and those ARE calories.. stored, but if you ATE fat, you count THOSE calories, so why not the calories from stored fat, if we are using it??

    Because we have no way to determine how much fat we use from our stored bodyfat, so no idea how much energy ( calories ), we are using. A lb. of bodyfat has 3,500 calories.. the difference is.. you consume LESS than you need in a day, and your BODY determines how much fat to use.. and uses JUST what it needs. We all burn some fat off, and store some every day.. but if we lose 1 lb. of fat a week, then we are burning an extra 500 calories a day.. so if you are eating 1200 calories a day, you are actually consuming 1700 a day.. the burned fat IS calories, just not dietary.. you didn't eat it today.

    I wouldn't eat only 800 calories, but I have eaten 1300 and felt fine. The main issue here is nutrition.. are you getting the necessary nutrition?? Enough protein?? 50-60 g recommended for a woman. Is it OK temporarily, because the weight loss has greater benefit than any issue created? You could get 50-60 g of protein on a 100-1200 calorie diet at 20%.. or eat a bit more protein on a lower calorie diet.. less fat, but that might cause hunger, or slow fat burning/weight loss.. all things to consider, but the protein isn't THAT low.. the main health issue is getting enough actual nutrients from 800 calories.. now keto foods tend to be more nutritious, but 800 is pretty low. The fat you burn is just fat.. you won't get Iron, or potassium from it, so you only have the 800 calories for nutrition. that is something you DO have to consider, and determine if you are OK with that.

    However, some people lose weight very fast.. some is water weight, but then they lose 2-4 lbs. of bodyfat a week.. or 1000-2000 calories extra a day.. let's look at 40 lbs., in 120 days.. .33 lbs.. or 1,155 calories. PLUS 800.. you would be getting 1,955 calories, IF you lose a lb. every 3 days, and consume 800 calories every day.

    So calorically, you will feel full, because while you are only consuming 800 calories, no one does that, and maintains their weight.. the break down bodyfat, and get the calories the body needs.. which is exactly what someone on a high carb, 1200 calorie diet is trying to do.. they burn body fat as well. That's what stored fat is for.. to fuel your body during low calorie times.

    The difference is.. fat satiates.. carbs tend to cause cravings.. so LCHF is simply easier to stick to, granted you aren't seeing carbs passed in front of your face.

    My guess is, if your doctor is concerned about nutrition, they might recommend a daily vitamin, or prescribe something, but people need to stop thinking of calories as only something we eat today.. a person on 0 calories a day, will use the same calories as a person on 3500 calories a day.. a body needs X amount of energy.. the only difference is WHERE they get those calories.. from diet, or their bodyfat.

    If you were 120 lbs., then getting calories might be an issue, but you aren't just using 800 calories.. the main concern if you decide to do this, besides nutrition, is the act of eating.. we LIKE eating more calories, and 3-4 meals, and things associated with meals.. you may really miss the ACT of eating, if not the calories.

    Good Luck. Hope you reach your goals.. I need a heart valve surgery, and have to be 210 to get it.. so I get aiming for a goal, to help with your health. Most people are only in need of cosmetic weight loss.. we all like to look better.. but the surgery will improve your life overall. Relieve your pain. I used to be 360 lbs., and almost got denied hernia surgery in 2006. I sat there listening to them discussing if I could get the surgery, and recover.. when I just wanted the pain to stop.. I had the hernia for 10 years, before I got it fixed. You have to figure out how much you are willing to do, and how low you will go, based on how quickly you want the surgery.. maybe 3 months is too quick, but you are the one who has to live with the pain, until the surgery, so you will set the pace.

    You ay find that 800 isn't something you can stick to, but maybe 100 or 1200 is.. and it takes a bit longer.. you may find you lose 5 lbs. a week.. especially if you are eating carbs now.. you might lose 20 lbs. of water weight in 1st first month.

    People tend to talk of dangers.. but no one said much when I was gaining 360 lbs. THAT wasn't enough to get them to warn me, but losing weight WAS. ??? I say just try it, and see what happens. Work with your doctor, and if you feel like something is a problem, talk to the doctor, and see if that worry can be removed, with a test. I seriously doubt that decades of bad eating won't kill you, but a few months of lower calorie, and burning body fat WILL. People mean well, but they are responding based on THEIR personal circumstance, and what THEY need. Even I am... do what works for YOU.



  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,431 MFP Moderator
    russellholtslander1 wrote: »
    I would say give it a shot. I am 5'6" 268, and I struggle to eat 1800 calories on LCHF. 800 IS very low, but people who actually eat low carb, high fat, tend to not be able to eat a lot. They lose quickly, because their lack of appetite, causes a calorie deficit.

    On LCHF, you think the calories will pile up, but you end up eating 3-4 oz. portions of meat, maybe some eggs, and lots of fats, like mayo, butter, olive oil.. and end up with small meals. Mybe a can of tuna, with 3 Tbsp mayo, and a diced stick of celery... or 4 ozs of ground beef, with 3 mushrooms dice up in it, or 1/4 of an onion. Maybe some veggies, in 2 eggs, with 2 Tbsp butter. 4 ozs. of chicken with some diced peppers, and 2-3 Tbsp. olive oil.

    You want 75% fat on Keto, 20% protein, and 5% carbs.. so you would need to adjust to fit that. 75% of 800 is 600 fat calories.. or about 67 grams.. 20% of 800 is 160, or 40 grams of protein. 5% carbs is 40 calories, or 10 g of carbs.. basically a couple eggs, maybe some low carb veggies.

    The lower the carbs, the higher the fat, the faster you likely lose.. when you stop having carbs to burn for energy, the body switches to ketones, from breaking down fat.. after using dietary fat.. but 67g of fat gets burned off quickly.. then on to body fat.. lots of ketones for energy, once you adjust, since we have excess bodyfat.. that why you have it.. the fat is stored energy.. when your body needs calories, it will break down fat, and those ARE calories.. stored, but if you ATE fat, you count THOSE calories, so why not the calories from stored fat, if we are using it??

    Because we have no way to determine how much fat we use from our stored bodyfat, so no idea how much energy ( calories ), we are using. A lb. of bodyfat has 3,500 calories.. the difference is.. you consume LESS than you need in a day, and your BODY determines how much fat to use.. and uses JUST what it needs. We all burn some fat off, and store some every day.. but if we lose 1 lb. of fat a week, then we are burning an extra 500 calories a day.. so if you are eating 1200 calories a day, you are actually consuming 1700 a day.. the burned fat IS calories, just not dietary.. you didn't eat it today.

    I wouldn't eat only 800 calories, but I have eaten 1300 and felt fine. The main issue here is nutrition.. are you getting the necessary nutrition?? Enough protein?? 50-60 g recommended for a woman. Is it OK temporarily, because the weight loss has greater benefit than any issue created? You could get 50-60 g of protein on a 100-1200 calorie diet at 20%.. or eat a bit more protein on a lower calorie diet.. less fat, but that might cause hunger, or slow fat burning/weight loss.. all things to consider, but the protein isn't THAT low.. the main health issue is getting enough actual nutrients from 800 calories.. now keto foods tend to be more nutritious, but 800 is pretty low. The fat you burn is just fat.. you won't get Iron, or potassium from it, so you only have the 800 calories for nutrition. that is something you DO have to consider, and determine if you are OK with that.

    However, some people lose weight very fast.. some is water weight, but then they lose 2-4 lbs. of bodyfat a week.. or 1000-2000 calories extra a day.. let's look at 40 lbs., in 120 days.. .33 lbs.. or 1,155 calories. PLUS 800.. you would be getting 1,955 calories, IF you lose a lb. every 3 days, and consume 800 calories every day.

    So calorically, you will feel full, because while you are only consuming 800 calories, no one does that, and maintains their weight.. the break down bodyfat, and get the calories the body needs.. which is exactly what someone on a high carb, 1200 calorie diet is trying to do.. they burn body fat as well. That's what stored fat is for.. to fuel your body during low calorie times.

    The difference is.. fat satiates.. carbs tend to cause cravings.. so LCHF is simply easier to stick to, granted you aren't seeing carbs passed in front of your face.

    My guess is, if your doctor is concerned about nutrition, they might recommend a daily vitamin, or prescribe something, but people need to stop thinking of calories as only something we eat today.. a person on 0 calories a day, will use the same calories as a person on 3500 calories a day.. a body needs X amount of energy.. the only difference is WHERE they get those calories.. from diet, or their bodyfat.

    If you were 120 lbs., then getting calories might be an issue, but you aren't just using 800 calories.. the main concern if you decide to do this, besides nutrition, is the act of eating.. we LIKE eating more calories, and 3-4 meals, and things associated with meals.. you may really miss the ACT of eating, if not the calories.

    Good Luck. Hope you reach your goals.. I need a heart valve surgery, and have to be 210 to get it.. so I get aiming for a goal, to help with your health. Most people are only in need of cosmetic weight loss.. we all like to look better.. but the surgery will improve your life overall. Relieve your pain. I used to be 360 lbs., and almost got denied hernia surgery in 2006. I sat there listening to them discussing if I could get the surgery, and recover.. when I just wanted the pain to stop.. I had the hernia for 10 years, before I got it fixed. You have to figure out how much you are willing to do, and how low you will go, based on how quickly you want the surgery.. maybe 3 months is too quick, but you are the one who has to live with the pain, until the surgery, so you will set the pace.

    You ay find that 800 isn't something you can stick to, but maybe 100 or 1200 is.. and it takes a bit longer.. you may find you lose 5 lbs. a week.. especially if you are eating carbs now.. you might lose 20 lbs. of water weight in 1st first month.

    People tend to talk of dangers.. but no one said much when I was gaining 360 lbs. THAT wasn't enough to get them to warn me, but losing weight WAS. ??? I say just try it, and see what happens. Work with your doctor, and if you feel like something is a problem, talk to the doctor, and see if that worry can be removed, with a test. I seriously doubt that decades of bad eating won't kill you, but a few months of lower calorie, and burning body fat WILL. People mean well, but they are responding based on THEIR personal circumstance, and what THEY need. Even I am... do what works for YOU.



    I think you are projecting a bit. I have done strict keto and i can eat me some crazy volume of food. My regular meals were in the 12-15oz of meat, veggies (mainly avocado) and berries.

    Also, fat by itself isnt that satiating. If you consider 100 calories of low gi berries or 1 tbsp of butter, what impacts hunger more? What i found though, i can generally eat less on keto as my overall hunger impact of high protein very low carb had a great impact on my hunger.

    And 50g of protein during a weight loss phase is very poor advice. There are hundreds of studies showing increases in protein being highly beneficial, especially if you are older. For women 90-140g seems be a good spot. For men its 130-200g. Overall, the recommendation from the leading protein researchers in the world, seems to be 1.5-2.2g/kg of lean body mass.
  • Priasmama416
    Priasmama416 Posts: 103 Member
    I know this may suck, but you may be limited to just protein shakes and vegetables in order to lose that much in short time and only have 800 calories. I had to lose weight quickly about 7 years ago, and that's what my doctor had me do. Afterwards I went to a nutritionist for a well balanced 1200- 1500 calorie diet, which helped me lose the additional weight I wanted to reach my goal.
  • wilson10102018
    wilson10102018 Posts: 1,306 Member
    Your doctor is a quack or you have misunderstood him. 800 calories a day is not safe for a 290 pound person unless hospitalized. 13 pounds per month is more like bridal wedding day hysteria and has no place in an orderly food plan.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,431 MFP Moderator
    wilson10102018 wrote: »
    Your doctor is a quack or you have misunderstood him. 800 calories a day is not safe for a 290 pound person unless hospitalized. 13 pounds per month is more like bridal wedding day hysteria and has no place in an orderly food plan.

    What are you even talking about? At 290 lbs, they are much higher risk for disease and other issues associated with weight and poor health. Given it's safe to lose 1% of our body weight per week (2.9 lbs) for this person, 12 lbs a month is within the safe range, especially given a short period of time and under the care of a doctor.

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