Just started KETO diet

gailygail99

Just started the keto diet. Lost a ton of weight a couple of years ago (100+ lbs) and gained about 40lbs back. Need to start something that shows me immediate results. I eat too many carbs anyway, so I am trying Keto. I have seen it work for a couple of my friends. I am on day #3 of 20g or less carbs. Added in a multi vitamin. Trying to keep my ratios at 65 fat/30 protein/5 carb. It is alot harder than you would think to eat all that fat. Any Keto beginners out there? Or Keto vets to give advice, feel free! Thanks!

neanderthin

Not very sustainable for about 95% of the population.........quick start means pretty much nothing in the big picture. Good luck.

brett1117

increase your carbs to less than 50/day. The diet works BUT you can't sustains it for long period of time! Healthy lifestyle I.E portion control, exercise, and staying away from fast food is the way to go!! I'm not over weight but I tried the Palio diet last year from 2 mths and lost 24lbs.

ajaxe432

Just started the keto diet. Lost a ton of weight a couple of years ago (100+ lbs) and gained about 40lbs back. Need to start something that shows me immediate results. I eat too many carbs anyway, so I am trying Keto. I have seen it work for a couple of my friends. I am on day #3 of 20g or less carbs. Added in a multi vitamin. Trying to keep my ratios at 65 fat/30 protein/5 carb. It is alot harder than you would think to eat all that fat. Any Keto beginners out there? Or Keto vets to give advice, feel free! Thanks!

Focus on big picture....instant gratification is toppled by long term success. NO IMMEDIATE results as they are not the most healthy ways to lose weight anyways!

Carnivor0us

Not sure why everyone thinks keto isn't sustainable long term. That being said, while quick results are psychologically encouraging, they're not always the best teacher of long term eating habits. I'm not a keto beginner but I keep my ratios at 75F/15P/5C

kenzietate

Not sure why everyone thinks keto isn't sustainable long term. That being said, while quick results are psychologically encouraging, they're not always the best teacher of long term eating habits. I'm not a keto beginner but I keep my ratios at 75F/15P/5C

Agree here. Keto is sustainable long term and it is also possible to switch back to a "normal" diet if desired it just has to be done slowly and correctly.

Best piece of advice I recieved: Don't worry about calories in the first two weeks. Get used to not having carbs first then worry about counting calories. Track what you eat but only eat when you are hungry and see where that gets you first.

SupermanRitz

Have you considered intermittent fasting?

PaleoPath4Lyfe

Not sure why everyone thinks keto isn't sustainable long term. That being said, while quick results are psychologically encouraging, they're not always the best teacher of long term eating habits. I'm not a keto beginner but I keep my ratios at 75F/15P/5C

Agree here. Keto is sustainable long term and it is also possible to switch back to a "normal" diet if desired it just has to be done slowly and correctly.

Best piece of advice I recieved: Don't worry about calories in the first two weeks. Get used to not having carbs first then worry about counting calories. Track what you eat but only eat when you are hungry and see where that gets you first.

Agreed. I am restarted Keto today. I am strictly reducing carbs due to holiday eating and such. It is much easier to maintain my self control this way.

I will resume my regular Paleo way of eating (not restricting carbs) after all the holidays are over.

bacitracin

Bullfrickincrap it's not sustainable. I've been on it for over two years, and know people who've been successful on it for over ten. It just takes a little bit of willpower and a lifestyle shift. Don't be a candy-butt pansy who lives for the thrill of sugar highs and feeling guilty for "cheating" (teehee!) and you'll be fine.

OP: Gimme a friend request and Carnivor0us and I will answer any questions you have. Beware because the MFP general forums are pretty hostile to anyone living low-carb or ketogenic, but we have some nice places like http://www.reddit.com/r/theketodiet and http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/1511-reddit-keto and http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/1160-keto to share info, make some friends and make it easier on you to stick to it.

lcyfrn

I'm looking at giving keto a try, have been trying to read up on it to make sure I'm getting it right but I have set my values as

Fat- 75%
Protein- 25%
Carbs- 5%

I'm a bit dubious about whether I'll be able to stick to the carbs at 5% as I'm a carb junkie, but I was looking through when I used to log before and I relied heavily on carbs and in addition I would crave them even more I think! Buuuuut, I absolutely love meat so hoping that being able to eat lots of it will make it enjoyable. I was also told that things like cheese and cream are very acceptable on keto so that will be LOVELY.

Anyway, sorry for kind of changing the subject-ish, good luck and I'm happy to support you as I know I'll need support from others aswel! xx

kenzietate

I'm looking at giving keto a try, have been trying to read up on it to make sure I'm getting it right but I have set my values as

Fat- 75%
Protein- 25%
Carbs- 5%

I'm a bit dubious about whether I'll be able to stick to the carbs at 5% as I'm a carb junkie, but I was looking through when I used to log before and I relied heavily on carbs and in addition I would crave them even more I think! Buuuuut, I absolutely love meat so hoping that being able to eat lots of it will make it enjoyable. I was also told that things like cheese and cream are very acceptable on keto so that will be LOVELY.

Anyway, sorry for kind of changing the subject-ish, good luck and I'm happy to support you as I know I'll need support from others aswel! xx

Just stick with it for two weeks. You will feel like crud because of carb withdrawal for the first few days to a week. Drinking a ton of water and broth, and making sure you get your electrolytes in will help a lot. Don't give up because you feel icky though, after you come through it, you will feel much better and the cravings will be so much lower. They will go away almost completely over time.

GingerLolita

I think people are saying it's unsustainable because you've done this before and gained most of it back. Using MFP to maintain after could make this time different. It's usually not a good idea to make changes to your diet if you don't plan on making it permanent because then you will have to come up with a new lifestyle diet plan to maintain and you don't want to fall into old bad habits.

kenzietate

I think people are saying it's unsustainable because you've done this before and gained most of it back. Using MFP to maintain after could make this time different. It's usually not a good idea to make changes to your diet if you don't plan on making it permanent because then you will have to come up with a new lifestyle diet plan to maintain and you don't want to fall into old bad habits.

The way he wrote it is that this is his first time trying low carb. He lost the weight using other methods before and gained some back. So if that is true then the comments still don't make sense because any "diet" is unsustainable if you don't change for the rest of your life in certain ways.

lcyfrn

Just started the keto diet. Lost a ton of weight a couple of years ago (100+ lbs) and gained about 40lbs back. Need to start something that shows me immediate results. I eat too many carbs anyway, so I am trying Keto. I have seen it work for a couple of my friends. I am on day #3 of 20g or less carbs. Added in a multi vitamin. Trying to keep my ratios at 65 fat/30 protein/5 carb. It is alot harder than you would think to eat all that fat. Any Keto beginners out there? Or Keto vets to give advice, feel free! Thanks!

I think that with any eating plan, if you want to maintain the results then you need to maintain the plan. If you lose all the weight you want to lose with keto and then suddenly start eating lots of carbs again, your results will not be sustainable.

I don't think there is such thing as a quick fix that lasts forever. instead of looking for a quick fix, find an eating plan that suits you and that you believe you will be able to upkeep.

Good luck xx

JoJo__Fit

I did it for 7 weeks, lost 8 lbs The first 2 weeks were hard however it got easier. But I missed my carbs Good luck!!

MaryJane_8810002

I have some advice:



STOP THE KETO!

Some_Watery_Tart

Oh boy. Hope it works out for you better than for me. I attempted to do it just to get my mom to quit nagging me about it. It made me seriously ill, and it took a while to recover. Won't ever try that stuff again.

I would caution you to listen to your body while you're doing this. If it's telling you "no", don't assume it's just a phase that you have to push through. It's telling you "no" for a reason.

Carnivor0us

I have some advice:



STOP THE KETO!

Why?

thmgoodw

Ignore the naysayers.

I just posted my before and after pics of losing 45 pounds over the course of the last 16-17 weeks in the success stories forum.

About 80% of the period has been pure keto (typically around 55-60% fat, 45% protein, and 5-10% carbs, and the other 20% a bit higher carb (~20%). I am trying to maintain/increase my LBM while losing the fat, hence my protein levels.

neanderthin

Ignore the naysayers.

I just posted my before and after pics of losing 45 pounds over the course of the last 16-17 weeks in the success stories forum.

About 80% of the period has been pure keto (typically around 55-60% fat, 45% protein, and 5-10% carbs, and the other 20% a bit higher carb (~20%). I am trying to maintain/increase my LBM while losing the fat, hence my protein levels.

All diets work if you maintain a deficit. I'm not against this diet, I just mentioned that it's mostly unsustainable for the vast majority of people over a lifetime. Losing weight is the easy part.

allisoncook87

Just started the keto diet. Lost a ton of weight a couple of years ago (100+ lbs) and gained about 40lbs back. Need to start something that shows me immediate results. I eat too many carbs anyway, so I am trying Keto. I have seen it work for a couple of my friends. I am on day #3 of 20g or less carbs. Added in a multi vitamin. Trying to keep my ratios at 65 fat/30 protein/5 carb. It is alot harder than you would think to eat all that fat. Any Keto beginners out there? Or Keto vets to give advice, feel free! Thanks!

I generally eat low carb but I do 20%/40%40% which is a lot easier and still gets you results.... Haven't heard of the Keto but it sounds hard!

thmgoodw

Agree on the deficit part, and for me (and I think many others), it is very easy for me to maintain a deficit on a very low carb diet because I am just not hungry. In fact, I think I would be ill if I consumed more calories than my TDEE.

Ignore the naysayers.

I just posted my before and after pics of losing 45 pounds over the course of the last 16-17 weeks in the success stories forum.

About 80% of the period has been pure keto (typically around 55-60% fat, 45% protein, and 5-10% carbs, and the other 20% a bit higher carb (~20%). I am trying to maintain/increase my LBM while losing the fat, hence my protein levels.

All diets work if you maintain a deficit. I'm not against this diet, I just mentioned that it's mostly unsustainable for the vast majority of people over a lifetime. Losing weight is the easy part.

eazy_

Ignore the naysayers.

I just posted my before and after pics of losing 45 pounds over the course of the last 16-17 weeks in the success stories forum.

About 80% of the period has been pure keto (typically around 55-60% fat, 45% protein, and 5-10% carbs, and the other 20% a bit higher carb (~20%). I am trying to maintain/increase my LBM while losing the fat, hence my protein levels.

All diets work if you maintain a deficit. I'm not against this diet, I just mentioned that it's mostly unsustainable for the vast majority of people over a lifetime. Losing weight is the easy part.

Why is it unsustainable?

lisamoultrie

I've been on Keto for 6 months and have lost 53lbs on it. More than the weight loss, it has taught me about eating when I'm hungry not when I feel like it. It's taught me to think about my meals ahead of time, so I have less of the "eating on the fly" moment. The weight loss has also encouraged me to take up running which I love and helps to create a greater calorie deficit everyday but still eat healthy. I do feel like it is sustainable long term, but not at the 20g carbs I've been doing. I plan on increasing my carbs to a max of 50g once I've hit my goal.

MapleFlavouredMaiden

So you lost a ton of weight and then gained back a large portion of it but you think doing a very restrictive diet is going to be a sustainable answer? Sounds like you have to get your mindset fixed before you try this again or your health will suffer for it.

ronrstaats

Best advice from someone who has been doing Low Carb for over 2 years now with 150 pound weight loss.... Don't ask for advice on here. Get on Facebook and find Low carb and Keto groups. People there will help and have tons of recipes and links to sites with recipes so you won't be stuck on the same low carbs foods every day.

tigersword

Ignore the naysayers.

I just posted my before and after pics of losing 45 pounds over the course of the last 16-17 weeks in the success stories forum.

About 80% of the period has been pure keto (typically around 55-60% fat, 45% protein, and 5-10% carbs, and the other 20% a bit higher carb (~20%). I am trying to maintain/increase my LBM while losing the fat, hence my protein levels.

Increasing LBM while keto is extremely unlikely and difficult. Keto usually ranks very low for bulking, because you need glycogen for optimal strength training performance, and glycogen only comes from eating carbs.

tigersword

Ignore the naysayers.

I just posted my before and after pics of losing 45 pounds over the course of the last 16-17 weeks in the success stories forum.

About 80% of the period has been pure keto (typically around 55-60% fat, 45% protein, and 5-10% carbs, and the other 20% a bit higher carb (~20%). I am trying to maintain/increase my LBM while losing the fat, hence my protein levels.

Increasing LBM while keto is extremely unlikely and difficult. Keto usually ranks very low for bulking, because you need glycogen for optimal strength training performance, and glycogen only comes from eating carbs.

Not true.
With the carbs this person is ingesting, glycogen stores should be normal. For optimal strength training, which means, I presume, a person is gaining strength, you must create a condition where the body can make PROTEIN and not necessarily glycogen. Fat metabolism creates a state of stress where cortisol levels and growth hormone levels are relatively high. That is good. You need amino acids, growth hormone, and insulin to make muscle protein.
I totally believe that this person is gaining strength on this KETO diet, though I have never heard of that diet specifically.
A nice summary of the physiology behind these things in Hagan's "Breakfast: The least important meal of the day."

The entire point of a ketogenic diet is glycogen depletion. If glycogen stores are normal, then the body isn't in ketosis, because it's using glycogen for it's glucose needs. Glycogen is needed for optimal performance in the gym (fat oxidation is not fast enough to keep up with the intensity of strength training.) Also, carbs are an essential part of IGF-1 and HGH production.

Finally, gaining strength is not the same as adding mass. Most strength gains are neurological in nature.

richardheath

What, specifically, are the benefits of a ketogenic diet? Are there any published studies using this as a tool for weight loss?

I have to watch my carbs closely because of prediabetes, although I haven't cut them out by any means. I can't imagine anyone wanting to do something as drastic as keto without some major benefits!

Carnivor0us

What, specifically, are the benefits of a ketogenic diet? Are there any published studies using this as a tool for weight loss?

I have to watch my carbs closely because of prediabetes, although I haven't cut them out by any means. I can't imagine anyone wanting to do something as drastic as keto without some major benefits!

My prediabetes have benefited greatly from a ketogenic diet. That's a major benefit for me personally.

tigersword

It's great for controlling epilepsy. And the people that push it have made a ton of money off books. Other than that, I got nothing.