Hi

jsingley899

Hi! My name is Jerri and I'm new to this low carb/no carb thing. I had joined my fitness pal awhile back, started counting calories, started working out, but like every diet before I burnt out quickly and quit. So...here I am months later, going to try to give this a shot. I think its going to be hard to give up carbs, and I will probably try to wean myself off of them instead of just outright quit, but any advice ya'll have would be appreciated! Is there like a list of can have and can't have foods or something that ya'll follow?

kiramaniac

If you want to know a little bit on keto - Keto in a nutshell (Thanks Reddit!)
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aiHSPoto_YqsNTDvL-g60nytMnyH-CJcCbiAx1IEUYM/edit

If you think you might want to try - read this FAQ (Thanks Reddit!)
http://www.reddit.com/r/keto/wiki/faq

Guide to acceptable foods (Thanks Reddit!)
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Ah8MbmZepQxWdGo4bnB2QmxxMUlmTzZUTXYzMURRLWc#gid=0

These alone can get you started.

Something simple that helps you (and others potentially) learn how/why this is healthy... Watch the documentary “Fathead”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evcNPfZlrZs

Why We Get Fat - Gary Taubes at OSUMC: Gary Taubes presents the history of nutritional decline and what can be done to combat the obesity epidemic
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTUspjZG-wc&feature=related

Not convinced?
Read Gary Taubes "Why We Get Fat"
More serious? Gary Taubes "Good Calories, Bad Calories" (more focused on the science in this one)
More serious yet? "The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living”

jsingley899

Wow, thank you for that info! I went ahead and adjusted my goals on here like it said and I have some work to do as I'm already -8 carbs just from breakfast and lunch. I'm surprised to see cereal and whole grains on the not list, just because I had always heard in the past that whole grains were good for you and healthy cereals like cheerios etc. This is going to be a learning process I see!

kiramaniac

All of the rules youve been told are flipped when you do keto. Keto is Low Carb, HIGH Fat, Moderate Protein. Switching over to high fat is a huge mental shift - and essential for success. Grains are carbs, and carbs are just sugars.

janetlarose1

I know I just recently started a couple weeks ago and I cut back straight away on carbs to less then 50g a day to start. It helped make the "induction flu" less severe then if I limited myself to 25g and gave my body a chance to adjust. I know also once I started I was severely craving bread, fries, and every other yummy thing I could smell. What made that easier for me also is if my boyfriend and I went out to eat and I had a really bad craving for carbs, I ordered a healthy keto friendly meal and had maybe 2 or 3 of his fries or carbs after I finished my meal if I still felt the need for it. If you have good self control then having someone share a little bit of their carbs ( and I mean a little like a bite) won't hurt, it may actually help you make the switch by making you feel like your not being deprived of the good stuff while keeping you from getting side tracked from your diet.

janetlarose1

Sorry to post a second time, but as far as list of foods I can and can't have that I follow, when I go grocery shopping I try to look at the net carbs in every item and try to get the brand with the least amount. I also don't try and stick to the calories but go by the fat, protein, carb, and fiber guidelines myfitness pal gives and try to get as close to those numbers without going over or under by 5g on each which usually is the equivelant of 1100-1350 calories at times. Only thing I can say about this diet though, is unless you start looking for low carb recipes or low carb ways to prepare foods you like, then you will get burnt out quick on eggs, chicken, hamburger, mayo, cheese, and etc. Oh and feel free to add me if you like. I have my diary open to friends.

jsingley899

I think that is the only part that confuses me so far. In my mind, although I'm getting rid of a lot of carbs, if its high fat, wouldn't I just gain weight anyway? I adjusted my goals on here to stay at 15g carbs a day. I didn't make it yesterday so today is offically day one of keto!

jsingley899

Just sent you a friend request! I went to the grocery store last night to get some good low carb/no carb foods and was so surprised at how many foods that I usually eat have tons and I mean tons of carbs. Even lots of the slim fast drinks/bars etc have lots of carbs. I basically got a ton of eggs, some fish, a bunch of tuna, turkey burgers, etc. I am going to have to def look up some recipes. Do you give yourself cheat days on keto or not at all? Today is my first day of working to stay under my 15g of carbs.

kiramaniac

I think that is the only part that confuses me so far. In my mind, although I'm getting rid of a lot of carbs, if its high fat, wouldn't I just gain weight anyway? I adjusted my goals on here to stay at 15g carbs a day. I didn't make it yesterday so today is offically day one of keto!

My easiest answer is to point out that I've lost 45 pounds eating 75% of my calories from fat.

Really important that you do some of the reading. If you don't take some time and effort to learn and understand how and why this works, you will not stick with this. Keto goes against EVERYTHING we were told about nutrition. You will need to change your mindset that fat is bad to do keto. You will need to avoid Low Fat and Fat Free foods, and switch over to the full fat versions. You will need to bathe in bacon fat (ok - I made that last one up).

Bottom line though: Fat doesn't make you fat; CARBS (sugars) make you fat.

jsingley899

I have been reading everything I can find and everything you sent me yesterday about keto. Yesterday when I went to the store I did not put anything in my cart until I had checked out my labels. So with 75% of your calories from fat, do you still count calories? I keep reading conflicting things on that one. I have my goals set to 15g carbs, 80g of fat, 105g of protein...does this seem correct? It says about 1200 calories a day.

janetlarose1

Thanks for the add. Yea I was shocked my first time too. As far as cheat days go, I try to limit it to one day a week where I know I won't be able to eat healthy or if its going to be hard. Such as days like yesterday where I had no control over what my grandma cooked. But just remember if you do have cheat days try and keep them spaced evenly apart and try to set a limit on how much carbs you eat on those days ( example: instead of eating 15g of carbs eat 75g). It's easy to over do it and don't be shocked at the scale if you gained or didn't lose as much (depending on how often you weigh yourself).

kiramaniac

There's plenty of debate on the calorie thing. I really focus on the macro percentages, but I kind of do also note the calories. My target is 1500 per day. If it seems like I'm low on calories for the day, I might have an evening snack; if I'm around 1400-1500 calories already, I might skip that, or have a smaller snack. 1200 calories seems low to me, but I know lots of people do that.

For the macros you've entered, it's a good start. You'll need to monitor progress. If it works, don't mess with it. If weight loss seems slow and/or you still feel hungry, then you might want to boost the fat and lower the protein.

janetlarose1

Lol too bad this thing doesn't have a messenger. Also just want to point out everything I'm telling you is what I do. You kinda gotta mold the keto diet to you. I first started I found 3 different sites that gave me different grams and calories to shoot for. I just recently found that my weight loss was essentially stalled when my protein was higher then my fat. All I can say for you is to try it out and see how it goes. If you lose keep your values but if you gain or stay same try eating more fat and less protein. I find for the most part if you go by grams of fat protein and carbs rather then shoot for calories, that your total calories end up being right around your goal calories if not try putting one high calorie meal with a low calorie meal.

jsingley899

Yeah, I pick up my Grammy every Sunday from assisted living and cook Sunday supper for her, but being we live in New Orleans, she loves southern food...which can be tons of carbs. I guess I will just try to stay under that carb amount and see how it goes and then adjust it from there. I have never really paid attention to what foods are protein/fat/etc before. All my previous diets were slim fast shakes, smart ones meals, and apples/carrots as snacks.

jsingley899

Yeah I guess I will just try this for a week or so and see if I notice any changes, or if I'm still really hungry then maybe up the calorie amount a little.

chirpinggalaxy

I've been eating this way since March 8th. The first week was tough, but I stuck it out and ended up 8 pounds lighter. In a week! The second week was a bit better, but I had stalled weight-wise. I almost quit several times at that point, but in all honesty, I felt great. My energy was up, my joints no longer ached, and I just generally felt good. The third week, I was still at a stall and very frustrated, but stuck it out even longer. Then the weight started coming off again. It was exactly what I'd been hoping for.

The bottom line with this diet (or any diet for that matter), is that the first week or two will be tough. Really tough if you're a complete carb addict. You WILL be hungry, especially during the first week or so. Eat anything low carb/no carb. Don't worry about calorie intake the first week. Just satiate your hunger with good fats, non-starchy veggies, and meats. I had tons of calories that first week and still lost. It baffled me! Drink water. Lots and lots of it. Have some chicken broth. It helps you through the beginning process of keto. Your sodium and potassium will be wacky for awhile, and the broth helps. Add fat to food on purpose. Eat the chicken skin. Yes, it all sounds backwards, and with the way we've been taught to eat, it is. But it really isn't once you understand the science behind insulin spikes and this diet plan. Don't give up on this.

My memory of the "beginning" of this is still fresh, since it happened not quite 2 months ago. I started March 8th. I'm down 24 pounds since the first of the year, but 18 since I began this journey. 18 pounds. In slightly under 7 weeks. That's huge for me. I have never lost so much weight so easily.

Friend me if you'd like. I don't consistently track my food any more, but I do spend a lot of time on MFP for support and ideas.

chirpinggalaxy

One more thing:

With me, I stopped eating so much after I became more adapted to this way of eating. I would absolutely fill my plate, as usual, but only eat about half. I wouldn't even think about it, but I'd just be done. The first time I did this and realized it, it blew my mind. I've been a lifelong plate filler/eater, and this was entirely new to me....and I didn't even have to think about it! I was listening to my body's hunger signals for the firs time ever.

GabyBaby916

If you want to know a little bit on keto - Keto in a nutshell (Thanks Reddit!)
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aiHSPoto_YqsNTDvL-g60nytMnyH-CJcCbiAx1IEUYM/edit

If you think you might want to try - read this FAQ (Thanks Reddit!)
http://www.reddit.com/r/keto/wiki/faq

Guide to acceptable foods (Thanks Reddit!)
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Ah8MbmZepQxWdGo4bnB2QmxxMUlmTzZUTXYzMURRLWc#gid=0

These alone can get you started.

Something simple that helps you (and others potentially) learn how/why this is healthy... Watch the documentary “Fathead”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evcNPfZlrZs

Why We Get Fat - Gary Taubes at OSUMC: Gary Taubes presents the history of nutritional decline and what can be done to combat the obesity epidemic
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTUspjZG-wc&feature=related

Not convinced?
Read Gary Taubes "Why We Get Fat"
More serious? Gary Taubes "Good Calories, Bad Calories" (more focused on the science in this one)
More serious yet? "The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living”

Thank you so much for these links!
It is exactly what I need to get this eating plan solidified in my head.

I've been eating low carb (max 80g per day) for a couple of months and cant seem to get past 10-12lbs lost. Then I start gaining and losing the same 2-3lbs, even though I'm no longer craving carbs and am well within my daily set goals for calories, carbs, etc.

I'm going to bump down to 50g for the remainder of the week, then down to 25g the following week.

Thanks again!

jsingley899

That's pretty cool! I have always done the same thing in the past, fill my plate. Today for lunch I had a salad with 1 boneless porkchop that I cut up with a little shredded cheese, olive oil. It was really good, I have to say I was surprised. I'm still feeling a little hungry, but not overly so to where I feel like I need to eat again. Instead, I'm just drinking some water to see if that will give me the rest of that full feeling.