Ketogenic diet

EllieB_5

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/1511-reddit-keto

Awesome resource for keto from ketoians. Also www.reddit.com/r/keto.

btw, I accept all friend requests

tonyyano

I've tried 80% fat, 5% carb, and 15% protein and found some success with it, however, I backed away from it and changed up my approach. I use to eat high saturated fats such as salami, beef, butter, and cream, it works to lose weight, but recently found when I switch to full fat yogurt, nuts and avocado as a source of fats, and fresh fish as a source of protein, seems to work better.

I'm now more like 60% fat, 30% protein, and 10% carbs. With my food choices primarily with fish, full fat yogurt, nuts (walnuts almond), avocado, and some oat bran with MCT oil and cinnamon. I think it helps to get keto adapted to switch into this without feeling hungery, perhaps even cycle on and off this so the body can adjust (especially nuts). I have seen improvements in weight loss, drop in glucose reading, and slightly better body fat percentage.

djthom2

I've been following a ketogenic diet off and on for about 7 months. I recently had my annual cholesterol test and it was still under 200 having dropped a few points and my HDL had climbed from 54 to 62. My doctor said that was great.

albertabeefy

Hi Tony - nice to make your acquaintance!

I'm also diabetic and I've been ketogenic now for 39 months. I started the diet in December of 2010. It's been amazing. I went from an HbA1c of 12.2% to 7% in the first 3 months. It went to 6% about 3 months after that.

My HbA1c is now regularly in the 4.9% to 5.4% range which is quite NON-diabetic, so the diet helps me control it incredibly well. I've also lost 140lbs along the way - the vast majority in the first year.

The high-fat / low-carb / moderate-protein ketogenic diet is superior for glycemic control to ANY diet you could adopt. I'm glad you took the time to research and make that conclusion!

Good luck!

DehydrationStation

This thread contains many inaccuracies. Anyone interested in Keto should read this: http://goo.gl/NrGK8

The "standard" keto ratio is 5% carbs, 30% protein, and 65% fat.

Keto is not a "high protein" diet. It is low carb, high fat, moderate protein.

Ketones are not toxic. Anyone who tells you this is misinformed.

Ketoacidosis is not the same as Ketosis.

Recent studies show that, on a cellular level, ketones actually burn "cleaner" than glucose.

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/evolutionary-psychiatry/201104/your-brain-ketones

perseverance14

I tried low carb diets in the past but they made me feel week and all the fat was terrible for my digestion. To be fair, I don't have a gallbladder (although I did at the time I tried low carb dieting) and my body just can't handle all that fat.

The diet I do now is basically 40-45% lean protein, 35-40% carbs, and 15-20% fat (healthy fats).

Once I get to goal I am going to increase the healthy fats some, but I know that I will ever go back to eating as much fat as I did before (and I thought I ate a pretty small amount of fat till I realized how much I really did eat, although the same is true for sugar). Eating the way I am has really opened my eyes and is helping me develop good long-term ways I can live and stay healthy and fit.

Not having too much sugar is good for you in my opinion, but I think balance is important too, If you have too many unhealthy fats, it can hurt you in the long run low carb diet or not, if you don't have enough vegetables or fiber, that can be bad for you too.

tennisdude2004

I'm just gonna throw my 2 cents in on it coming from the opposite side of ketogenic. I did my own research on it and ketones are actually toxic to us as they make the blood slightly more acidic. Also the brain runs on glucose so if the carbs go down then the body has to find a solution to keep the brain alive. It resorts to making ketones, which some of it is used and the rest exit through urine.

The ketosis state is found in people with type 1 diabetes (not through insulin), alcoholics, low carb diets, starvation.

Although some people could argue evolution (people who consume animal products), yes this is true. Because our bodies had to adapt to cold climate when migrating and times of bad crops.

Also when you drop carbs you lose mainly water weight (think body builders right before a show).

Excess glucose and insulin are toxic!

Immediate weight lose - water weight, yes probably.

Long term - body fat.

sunnyskys2013

saving for later.

itsryanneyo

I'm a keto-er. Just finished my 18th day. I've lost 8.5 lbs in these 2 1/2 weeks, and had my 1st cheat day today... I did Adkins back in college with good results, but in the past 10 years of marriage, 2 babies, and owning a successful home bakery, Ive packed on a good 25 lbs, and I still have 16+ left to lose. Being endomorphic, this way of life is all that really works for me. I'm a beach body coach, used shakeology daily for a year, I run 3 miles a day, have completed multiple rounds of insanity and t25, but slowly the pounds crept on. High fat just works for me. Pain and simple. Not to mention how much better mentally and physically I feel. I jumped into ketosis by day 2, and haven't felt flu-ish at all, till today, actually, and I assume that's from the cheat day carbs.
The bulletproof coffee is my go-to in keeping my fat up... I do 1 tbsp of coconut oil and 2 tbsp heavy whipping cream to a mugs worth of decaf... Cool it off and our it over ice :-9

Clueless_in_MN

congrats! I've lost 20 pounds since March 4th as well. This isn't a diet but a change of eating for good. Weight loss is only one benefit. My blood sugar and blood pressure have stabilized. My HDL and LDL are improved already! Becoming a fat burner rather than a sugar burner (by feeding myself too many carbs) has changed my energy level, my mental clarity and my appetite! I don't crave carbs anymore and am never hungry. I no longer have gas, icky tummy, heartburn etc. I feel amazing!

tonyyano

Blood work - cholesterol, and A1c results. Ever since I've been on the ketogenic diet, I was concerned over the possible cholesterol effect, after all I am eating close to 60-80% fat, and fairly liberal on saturated fats. I got the test results back for cholesterol results (1st time since I've been on keto) and they are the lowest it ever been, a good 20 points lower than my five year average, both HDL and LDL an A1C are improved, go figure

mathewvarughese

i add coconut oil to everything. its a medium chain fatty acid and helps bring flavor to whatever i'm eating... i put it in my coffee too

judychicken

Bump

tonyyano

Ketogenic diet - two things to watch for Carb Levels and Salt/Magnesium - I've been on keto for almost a year, analyzing stats, and there are two things I wrestle with all the time and once controlled it's pretty smooth sailing.

First, Carb level in grams need to be under 50 grams per day otherwise your in no man's land (in the book "The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Performance" Volek and Phinney point out under 50 carb grams for most people are making substantial level of ketones" they also note the following quote "The other concern with easing into a low carb diet is that once you are eating less than the 150 carbs needed to feed your brain with glucose, but still more than 50 gram threshold below which ketosis is dependably operating, your brain's fuel supply becomes pretty tenuous." I constantly snag on this one and when I stall I drop the carbs.

Second, salt/magnesium, Once I constantly got under 50 carb grams a day, I then snag on the next one. In the same book "Low carbohydrate diets increase the loss of sodium and water by kidneys . Failure to adequately replace sodium adversely affects potassium balance and has several negative effects (fatigue). Most muscle cramps are due to magnesium depletion in cells." I have used a variety of remedies for this one bone broth is the best, but I found it takes time to make. Bouillon cubes work but, I got tired of those. My current remedy is just using "Saltstick' caps with water, very easy and works great.

These are my two constant battles, the remedy seems almost too easy once I finally figured it out, and now it's smoother sailing.