Keto - What worked for you?

ameliaprenger

I’ve always heard when doing keto you have to sort of reset yourself and eat carbs every now and then. If so, how often, how much, and for how long??

Or, has anyone ever had success doing keto through the week and more just low carb on weekends? Does that defeat the purpose?

DFW_Tom

Excellent question and I am eager to hear what others have to say.
I am very new at Keto, right at 3 months now. I can only report what has worked for a newbie like me. The first month I tried to keep my carbs to around 20g. I still keep net carbs (carbs less fiber) to around 35g on 1600 calories average diet. Going over a little isn't a big deal, but going back to 200g or more a day would defeat the purpose. Keto is very restrictive if it is to work. Its a lifestyle change for me because I know that if I ever go back to eating the way I use to, I'll just put back on any weight I've lost.

This is what has worked for me:

1) Plan meals ahead:
Figure out how much and what kind of food each day is going to fit your macros.
2) Track daily consumption:
Each meal, each day. Weigh your ingredients, look up the nutrition value of everything, then log it.
(Many meals, or main dishes are repeated so I built a recipe spreadsheet to make the logging less
time consuming, then make just one entry in my daily food spreadsheet for that item.)
3) Recognize the difference between yearnings and the type of hunger the body needs for nourishment.
Then stay away from those things that turned on that almost uncontrollable yearning response. For
me, that are some beans, most breads and some fruits. So far, but I'm still discovering.
4) Move throughout the day:
I've heard it described as (the body's response to the change of diet) going into starvation mode. My
resting heart rate has has dropped from the high 60's to low 50's per second. My high blood
pressure has dropped 25 points. Every couple of hours I get up and just move for a few minutes.
5) Exercise is good:
Mainly with helping with #4 above by keeping my metabolism higher than it would be otherwise. It
also helps to maintain lean muscle mass that my body will eat into if I don't consume enough protein
and calories. Working out burns very little calories by itself, but light exercise really helps.
6) Keep my body fed even if I'm not hungry:
It is a struggle to eat enough healthy calories, protein and fiber each day to meet my macros. I find I
need to take vitamin and mineral multi supplements. I add whey protein to my morning coffee and
ground flax seed to meals for it's great net fiber load. The struggle to get those healthy calories in
has been the most surprising thing of all while on keto, but it is a prerequisite for #'s 4 and 5.
7) Only eat what I can control:
I almost never eat at restaurants, and never at fast foods places. I prepare almost all my meals
myself since my wife still eats the same diet we shared for 45 years. I stay away from any highly
processed foods and log any packaged food into my spreadsheets. Lunch today: brauts-sauerkraut-
brown spicey mustard-flax, all packaged items except the flax, as one item from my recipe list. I'll
add some roasted broccoli and cauliflower (left overs) that I'll weigh on my kitchen scale. Preparing
several servings at a time saves time in the kitchen. There are some very good keto breads and
tortillas that can be had at local stores.
8) I log how I've been doing weight and exercise wise compared to what I've been eating. Some days I
just lack energy and stamina. I try to figure out what I've been doing or eating that might have
caused it, then make adjustments. It is an ongoing process.
9) Remain positive:
It is so easy for the scales to show a bit of weight gain. I always consider that as temporary water
weight. The occasional increase in waist measurement I consider that as bloating. I track weight
weekly and monthly. Waist size is measured with a strip of cloth because I don't want to be
discouraged by how many inches it still might report. I just place a mark on the cloth each week and
number it then compare that mark to the first mark I made in January.
10)Keep my snacks to healthy snacks.
Cheese, nuts, jerky - even popcorn. I still log it on my daily food spreadsheet.

I don't think I could each a bunch of carbs on the weekend and stay in ketosis. My diet and activity changes are an effort towards lifelong lifestyle change that I expect to stick with. I still miss the sandwiches, the pizza, the beer, the 30-40 ounces of chips I use to eat each week, but not as much as I thought I would. I am committed to living without them and trying to add whole grains to my diet soon.

baconslave

ameliaprenger wrote: »

I’ve always heard when doing keto you have to sort of reset yourself and eat carbs every now and then. If so, how often, how much, and for how long??

Or, has anyone ever had success doing keto through the week and more just low carb on weekends? Does that defeat the purpose?

No. You don't ever need to reset yourself.

If you do decide to do weekend carbs, as it may help some with compliance if they need a dangling carrot, then be aware that going out of ketosis is going to bring temporary water weight and that will mask weight loss. Calorie deficit still applies.

I generally avoid doing the carby weekend things unless I'm in maintenance. Carb cravings come back and it is easier to make your weekends go up, up, and away on cals too so keep that in mind. It can be a slippery slope. I'm getting rid of Covid chunkiness now after allowing my carb weekends to go too far. It's not fun relosing the weight again.

rameshtaker

Please never do until you achieve your goal. Some people have the habit of spiralling down once they take a cup of rice. I’m that kind; so I never touched it. I may take some chocolate or roti once a month. But never touch rice/pasta/pizza with shields down.