Yoga and Weight training - Keto or Low Fat Diet to Accompany this for weight loss?

nostalgiasponsorship

61 F - 165 lbs. I do yoga 4x and weight training 2-3x weekly. I'd like to get down to 145 eventually, but I'm not in a race. I keep flip flopping on whether to incorporate a keto or low fat eating plan. Keto has worked for me in the past, but I've only done cardio in association with it. I'd like to find one method that will produce consistent results and is sustainable, but I feel hungry throughout the day without the higher fat diet.

Any personal experience to share?

tomcustombuilder

You need to eat in a way that is permanently sustainable. Get enough protein and good fats and be in a consistent calorie deficit.

FibroHiker

I know this is only anecdotal, but everyone that I have known who has lost weight from the keto diet has gained it back.

I used to do low carb to lose weight because I thought it was the only way to be successful. Now most days I consume between 40 and 50% of my calories from carbs because I need that energy to not be fatigued.

When I have read books from body builders their advice always surprised me. What they advised wasn't keto, low fat, or low carb, but eating for macros and lifting weights. Whenever I eat to maintain nutrient goals, stay under my calroie threshold, and stay active, I lose weight and maintain it.

AnnPT77

Keep in mind, too, that low fat or low carb aren't the only options, when you're looking for a personally sustainable way of eating.

For myself, I used a fairly mainstream balanced-macros approach to lose weight and maintain a healthy weight since. I set protein and fats minimums in grams, am OK with exceeding either, and use carbs to balance calories. Looking backwards, I've ended up somewhat close on average to the percents of calories that MFP uses as defaults. It varies, but I'm close to 50% carbs, maybe 25%-ish each fats and protein, though the numbers bounce around a little.

To be clear, I'm not advocating that you should go with balanced macros, because I agree with Tom that it matters what a person finds sustainable. I'm just saying it's an option, as are low carb or low fat.

springlering62

I am 62 and I do hot power yoga, weightlifting, and “body pump” type cardio with hand weights, among other activities.

My very personal and very anecdotal experience? Just stay under your calorie goal to lose, at goal to maintain.

There’s no magic tricks, wonder diet, time of day eating schedule etc. I just set a goal and adhered to it. I lost 97 along the way, but added back 20 or so in muscle over three or four years, while remaining at the smallest size.

I do lean very heavy towards protein, but that’s a personal preference. On a daily basis, I find protein very satiating.

I get most my protein from chicken breast, various leftover lean grilled meats, cottage cheese used 101 different ways, and my daily treat of a Nugo bar.

As you can see from my (open) diary, I’m the first person to lay into a box of chocolate or a big *kitten* chocolate chip cookie once in a while, sometimes both in the same day. As long as my weekly averages are in line, I’ve learned to be cool with that.

There’s no inherent sin in having too much fat or carbs one day. Calories are king. And hella lot easier to track.

Unless you’re doing a particularly active and challenging power type yoga, don’t expect a big calorie burn. However, the results from yoga are 👍🏻, and combined with weight training 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻.

The two disciplines (and you do have to be disciplined!) are extraordinarily complementary, imho.

And btw, if your classes are hot, do be sure to hydrate. That has always been my failing, and I’m trying to improve. With the extra heat down here, our classes are running high 90’s and I pull a double every Saturday. If I don’t hydrate, sometimes the walk home is….well, it seems a darn sight further than it did walking there in the first place!!

nostalgiasponsorship

@springlering62 Thank you for your experience and suggestions. I've incorporated additional cardio outside of my yoga practice because the caloric burn isn't that high but it sure helps with the morning stiffness of age.

springlering62

nostalgiasponsorship wrote: »

@springlering62 Thank you for your experience and suggestions. I've incorporated additional cardio outside of my yoga practice because the caloric burn isn't that high but it sure helps with the morning stiffness of age.

Oh, honey, anything helps with morning stiffness! Sometimes it’s a win just to make it out of bed, but I know that by the time I’ve taken the dog out to the pocket park for a brief wee, and made breakfast for me and the critters, it will have passed off.

Beats the daylights out of the “old” days, and scary as heck to think the old days were only five or six years ago.

My first trainer warned me that running would “slim you down”. I was keen to try running after not having run since forced to for the President’s test in maybe 1976, lol. I did my own version of Couch to 5K (aka C25K) just to prove to myself I could do it.

She was right. Make sure you eat enough if you add in cardio to what you’re already doing b

rileysowner

FibroHiker wrote: »

I know this is only anecdotal, but everyone that I have known who has lost weight from the keto diet has gained it back.

I used to do low carb to lose weight because I thought it was the only way to be successful. Now most days I consume between 40 and 50% of my calories from carbs because I need that energy to not be fatigued.

When I have read books from body builders their advice always surprised me. What they advised wasn't keto, low fat, or low carb, but eating for macros and lifting weights. Whenever I eat to maintain nutrient goals, stay under my calroie threshold, and stay active, I lose weight and maintain it.

It is purely anecdotal. I lost weight before using other diets and put it back on. Several times in fact. It isn't the way of eating that is the issue, it is that we live in a time and culture where overeating is easy and eating appropriately is difficult. Add to that the reality that many people with weight issues also have major issues with disordered eating patterns, and the reality is that losing weight is the easy part. Maintaining afterwards is the difficult part. It is all about finding an eating pattern that works for you as an individual. I discounted Keto for a long time. It wasn't until I developed health issues that are directly improved by eating Keto that I went that route. In doing so I discovered a way of eating that works well for me. It may not work for everyone, but discounting it because people fail when the reality is people seeking to lose weight an keep it off fail in large numbers in every approach, is just wrong.

To the original poster. Find what works for you. Weigh loss is a function of establishing a calorie deficit. However, how you do that is up to you, and finding the way that works for you as an individual is what is important. Which ever route you take, make sure you give it enough time to see if this is a way of eating that you can stick with the rest of your life. If you think you can't, try something different.

MargaretYakoda

100% agreement with everyone here.

Find what works best for you.

I’m not someone who would find keto sustainable personally. And there are some medical reasons why I personally wouldn’t like keto.

I’m down a few sizes (not weighing until mid or late July) and I enjoyed a delicious handful (pre-measured! 100 calories!) dipped in peanut butter (also pre-measured! 190 calories!) for lunch today.

Find what works best for you.
Then stick with it. And if you discover it’s not working anymore? Try something else.