Keto people: ketosis/startup question

northstar699
northstar699 Posts: 99 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I'm new to the keto plan and I'm on my first day today! Breakfast was two hard boiled eggs, four slices of bacon, a babybel mini, and lots of water. However, I just got scared. I'm getting married in October and I have a menu tasting this Wednesday. Since I will have to eat carbs that night, am I better off starting keto the next day? I'm good with self-control, so I'm not afraid it will knock me off the wagon. I'm afraid that if it takes me time to achieve ketosis and I eat carbs in the middle of that period that it will delay ketosis by a lot and I will be left with a week of high fat intake on my *kitten* (literally.) Does that make sense?

Also, anyone able to give me an idea on a time frame? When, on average, do people hit ketosis? I'm 27 years old, 5'5", 134 lbs.

Replies

  • northstar699
    northstar699 Posts: 99 Member
    I guess there aren't any keto fans around... :(
  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
    There are many people that practice different types of diets.

    Most however, advocate a balanced diet. I am one of those people. I don't have the adequate answers for your particular problem, as it stems entirely from something I avoid anyway.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    I'm new to the keto plan and I'm on my first day today! Breakfast was two hard boiled eggs, four slices of bacon, a babybel mini, and lots of water. However, I just got scared. I'm getting married in October and I have a menu tasting this Wednesday. Since I will have to eat carbs that night, am I better off starting keto the next day? I'm good with self-control, so I'm not afraid it will knock me off the wagon. I'm afraid that if it takes me time to achieve ketosis and I eat carbs in the middle of that period that it will delay ketosis by a lot and I will be left with a week of high fat intake on my *kitten* (literally.) Does that make sense?

    Also, anyone able to give me an idea on a time frame? When, on average, do people hit ketosis? I'm 27 years old, 5'5", 134 lbs.

    What exactly is your reason for going keto? Assuming no metabolic conditions that would require you to limit carbs, fat loss will be similar holding protein and cals constant
  • MissMollieD
    MissMollieD Posts: 130
    You should be ok if it's only the one meal and you go right back at it afterwards. How low are you going on your carb intake?
  • MoveTheMountain
    MoveTheMountain Posts: 764
    You should be ok if it's only the one meal and you go right back at it afterwards. How low are you going on your carb intake?

    Agree with this. Also, just take small bites... 'tasting' doesn't require you to actually eat very much of whatever it is you'll have in front of you. If you keep the portions you're taking small, you might not even leave ketosis. What's the cut-off...? Something like under 100 carbs in a day, ish?
  • abetterjune
    abetterjune Posts: 219
    Personally, it takes me an average of 3 days with my total carbs (not net, but total) under 20 and at least one decent lifting workout in there to get into ketosis when starting completely from scratch.

    I don't think having one day with carbs will make it harder to enter ketosis. I did cyclical ketosis for quite a while, which involves a reefed day every week or so and it usually only took a day back on low carb to dive back into ketone levels around 80 or higher.

    My advice would be to start today as planned, then on Wednesday try to get in an extra workout, lifting is best in my opinion, to help with the carbs.

    Also... my personal opinion, keto isn't a quick-fix fad diet to lose weight quickly. It takes the same amount of work as other "diets."

    good luck.

    ETA: Literally burst out laughing reading your profile "the judgement in my cats eyes, not that she should talk, the fat *****" LOLOLOL
  • andeey
    andeey Posts: 709 Member
    I'm new to the keto plan and I'm on my first day today!

    <snip>

    Also, anyone able to give me an idea on a time frame? When, on average, do people hit ketosis? I'm 27 years old, 5'5", 134 lbs.

    I would recommend asking your doctor. When I first started trying to get fit, my doctor put me on a ketosis diet and provided me with little strips to test my urine to show when I was in ketosis, I think it took two days. But he also advocated carbs via green veg (all I wanted) and fruit (no more than 2 serves/day) and I stayed in ketosis doing that, so it's likely that if you get into that state, the tasting won't take you out and you'll be fine.

    Now having answered your question, I'll tell you that I hated that "diet" and after two weeks, I quit after finding MFP and now I eat a nice, healthy mix of foods and lose weight more slowly, but feel 1,000 times better! Please read up on some of the "side effects" of your body being in ketosis - I found that I was freezing cold all the time (I live in Arizona FFS!), had headaches, was b*tchy as hell, obsessed with food, etc. The best thing I ever did was stop, start reading and educating myself on what would work best for me to lose weight the slower and healthier way and I haven't looked back since.
  • hpsnickers1
    hpsnickers1 Posts: 2,783 Member
    I think it's around a few days under 50g of carbs. I"m not sure if a few bites would hurt too much.

    Maybe there's something you can find here:

    http://www.marksdailyapple.com/search-results/?cx=004987908667488763946:kd-fp2c7jek&amp;cof=FORID:11&amp;ie=UTF-8&amp;q=ketosis

    You can also check the forums and search ketosis. I would check on Primal/Paleo sites for information because these folks understand that ketosis is actually healthy. Heck the brain runs better on glucose AND ketones (rather than just glucose). And the heart runs great on ketones.

    Ketosis isn't a diet or fad or anything like that (our body goes into a state of ketosis while we sleep). It's a way to teach your body how to use fat as its main fuel source. (people on high carb diets - like the USDA diet - burn more carbs than fat even at rest. In others words, become "fat-adapted" again

    http://www.marksdailyapple.com/a-metabolic-paradigm-shift-fat-carbs-human-body-metabolism/

    http://www.marksdailyapple.com/what-does-it-mean-to-be-fat-adapted/
    http://www.marksdailyapple.com/what-does-it-mean-to-be-fat-adapted-part-2-qa/

    Never take nutritional advice from a doctor. They don't go to medical school to learn nutrition. They learn to diagnose (based on symptoms from a medical textbook. And they learn to cut into you and to prescribe drugs (they learn about the drugs from pharmaceutical reps - i.e. salesmen). After more than 20 years I did the opposite of what doctors kept telling me and got my digestive system back.
  • northstar699
    northstar699 Posts: 99 Member
    Just the one meal. I have to do this wedding tasting and probably another in a week or two, but those are the only times I can't avoid carbs.

    Edit: Sorry, forgot to quote MissMollieD.
  • MetilHed
    MetilHed Posts: 101 Member
    You should be fine eating keto up until then and then continuing after. In the past I have found that the occasional meal with more carbs than usual has little to no effect, as long as it wasn't a huge amount.
  • northstar699
    northstar699 Posts: 99 Member
    Personally, it takes me an average of 3 days with my total carbs (not net, but total) under 20 and at least one decent lifting workout in there to get into ketosis when starting completely from scratch.

    I don't think having one day with carbs will make it harder to enter ketosis. I did cyclical ketosis for quite a while, which involves a reefed day every week or so and it usually only took a day back on low carb to dive back into ketone levels around 80 or higher.

    My advice would be to start today as planned, then on Wednesday try to get in an extra workout, lifting is best in my opinion, to help with the carbs.

    Also... my personal opinion, keto isn't a quick-fix fad diet to lose weight quickly. It takes the same amount of work as other "diets."

    good luck.

    ETA: Literally burst out laughing reading your profile "the judgement in my cats eyes, not that she should talk, the fat *****" LOLOLOL

    Thanks for the advice, that was very helpful! I will definitely be sampling small bites and I already have a big workout scheduled for the same day. Hopefully I'll get lucky!

    I know that this isn't a quick-fix diet to be used and quickly set aside. I've done the low carb approach with success (and a setback or two) in the past, but I've realized that when it comes to carbs I have no self-control unless I'm aiming for a specific low number. I'm going to do a couple of weeks of weight-loss keto because my fiance has a significant amount of weight to lose and I'm doing it with him to keep him motivated, but I intend to change to maintanence low carb diet after that and just focus on lean muscle building. Sounds wonderful in theory, right?
  • northstar699
    northstar699 Posts: 99 Member
    I think it's around a few days under 50g of carbs. I"m not sure if a few bites would hurt too much.

    Maybe there's something you can find here:

    http://www.marksdailyapple.com/search-results/?cx=004987908667488763946:kd-fp2c7jek&amp;cof=FORID:11&amp;ie=UTF-8&amp;q=ketosis

    You can also check the forums and search ketosis. I would check on Primal/Paleo sites for information because these folks understand that ketosis is actually healthy. Heck the brain runs better on glucose AND ketones (rather than just glucose). And the heart runs great on ketones.

    Ketosis isn't a diet or fad or anything like that (our body goes into a state of ketosis while we sleep). It's a way to teach your body how to use fat as its main fuel source. (people on high carb diets - like the USDA diet - burn more carbs than fat even at rest. In others words, become "fat-adapted" again

    http://www.marksdailyapple.com/a-metabolic-paradigm-shift-fat-carbs-human-body-metabolism/

    http://www.marksdailyapple.com/what-does-it-mean-to-be-fat-adapted/
    http://www.marksdailyapple.com/what-does-it-mean-to-be-fat-adapted-part-2-qa/

    Never take nutritional advice from a doctor. They don't go to medical school to learn nutrition. They learn to diagnose (based on symptoms from a medical textbook. And they learn to cut into you and to prescribe drugs (they learn about the drugs from pharmaceutical reps - i.e. salesmen). After more than 20 years I did the opposite of what doctors kept telling me and got my digestive system back.

    Thank you! As a nurse working in the hospital, I can assure you I do not have an over-inflated regard when it comes to the doctor's advice!
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    I think it's around a few days under 50g of carbs. I"m not sure if a few bites would hurt too much.

    Maybe there's something you can find here:

    http://www.marksdailyapple.com/search-results/?cx=004987908667488763946:kd-fp2c7jek&amp;cof=FORID:11&amp;ie=UTF-8&amp;q=ketosis

    You can also check the forums and search ketosis. I would check on Primal/Paleo sites for information because these folks understand that ketosis is actually healthy. Heck the brain runs better on glucose AND ketones (rather than just glucose). And the heart runs great on ketones.

    Ketosis isn't a diet or fad or anything like that (our body goes into a state of ketosis while we sleep). It's a way to teach your body how to use fat as its main fuel source. (people on high carb diets - like the USDA diet - burn more carbs than fat even at rest. In others words, become "fat-adapted" again

    http://www.marksdailyapple.com/a-metabolic-paradigm-shift-fat-carbs-human-body-metabolism/

    http://www.marksdailyapple.com/what-does-it-mean-to-be-fat-adapted/
    http://www.marksdailyapple.com/what-does-it-mean-to-be-fat-adapted-part-2-qa/

    Never take nutritional advice from a doctor. They don't go to medical school to learn nutrition. They learn to diagnose (based on symptoms from a medical textbook. And they learn to cut into you and to prescribe drugs (they learn about the drugs from pharmaceutical reps - i.e. salesmen) After more than 20 years I did the opposite of what doctors kept telling me and got my digestive system back.

    LMAO, so disregard docs advice, instead listen to Sisson, who is a complete dope?
  • northstar699
    northstar699 Posts: 99 Member
    I'm new to the keto plan and I'm on my first day today!

    <snip>

    Also, anyone able to give me an idea on a time frame? When, on average, do people hit ketosis? I'm 27 years old, 5'5", 134 lbs.

    I would recommend asking your doctor. When I first started trying to get fit, my doctor put me on a ketosis diet and provided me with little strips to test my urine to show when I was in ketosis, I think it took two days. But he also advocated carbs via green veg (all I wanted) and fruit (no more than 2 serves/day) and I stayed in ketosis doing that, so it's likely that if you get into that state, the tasting won't take you out and you'll be fine.

    Now having answered your question, I'll tell you that I hated that "diet" and after two weeks, I quit after finding MFP and now I eat a nice, healthy mix of foods and lose weight more slowly, but feel 1,000 times better! Please read up on some of the "side effects" of your body being in ketosis - I found that I was freezing cold all the time (I live in Arizona FFS!), had headaches, was b*tchy as hell, obsessed with food, etc. The best thing I ever did was stop, start reading and educating myself on what would work best for me to lose weight the slower and healthier way and I haven't looked back since.

    Thank you for the warning! Thankfully I have done the low-carb thing long-term before and I am familiar with what I have now learned is called the "keto headache." I am one of the lucky few that only feels crappy for the first couple of days, then I feel marvelous! I promise that I will work to keep things very balanced and I'm glad you found a system you like so well. Congrats!
  • chrislouden
    chrislouden Posts: 8
    Just the one meal. I have to do this wedding tasting and probably another in a week or two, but those are the only times I can't avoid carbs.

    Edit: Sorry, forgot to quote MissMollieD.

    Why do you have to eat the whole meal? Can't you just have a few bites of each item. Just to try/taste.

    I've gone to wine and beer tastings. I just have a few sips. Hasn't knocked me out of ketosis yet.
  • Peg5678
    Peg5678 Posts: 15
    I just started on Tuesday (2 days ago) and I'm going to try the cyclical plan (I work out pretty hard 3 times per week with a trainer). I bought Ketostix (made by Bayer) on Amazon. There are 100 strips for checking your urine to get an idea of your level of ketosis. It's only been two days and I'm already half way up the chart ("moderate" amounts of ketones present in my urine).

    It's funny, my trainer REALLY doesn't think this is a good idea! I just feel like I need an extra tool to try and break through an awful plateau. I'm 50 years old, and it's SO HARD to loose weight!
  • MoveTheMountain
    MoveTheMountain Posts: 764
    I think it's around a few days under 50g of carbs. I"m not sure if a few bites would hurt too much.

    Maybe there's something you can find here:

    http://www.marksdailyapple.com/search-results/?cx=004987908667488763946:kd-fp2c7jek&amp;cof=FORID:11&amp;ie=UTF-8&amp;q=ketosis

    You can also check the forums and search ketosis. I would check on Primal/Paleo sites for information because these folks understand that ketosis is actually healthy. Heck the brain runs better on glucose AND ketones (rather than just glucose). And the heart runs great on ketones.

    Ketosis isn't a diet or fad or anything like that (our body goes into a state of ketosis while we sleep). It's a way to teach your body how to use fat as its main fuel source. (people on high carb diets - like the USDA diet - burn more carbs than fat even at rest. In others words, become "fat-adapted" again

    http://www.marksdailyapple.com/a-metabolic-paradigm-shift-fat-carbs-human-body-metabolism/

    http://www.marksdailyapple.com/what-does-it-mean-to-be-fat-adapted/
    http://www.marksdailyapple.com/what-does-it-mean-to-be-fat-adapted-part-2-qa/

    Never take nutritional advice from a doctor. They don't go to medical school to learn nutrition. They learn to diagnose (based on symptoms from a medical textbook. And they learn to cut into you and to prescribe drugs (they learn about the drugs from pharmaceutical reps - i.e. salesmen) After more than 20 years I did the opposite of what doctors kept telling me and got my digestive system back.

    LMAO, so disregard docs advice, instead listen to Sisson, who is a complete dope?

    Most doctors don't know jack about nutrition.
  • herrytews
    herrytews Posts: 38
    Hi,

    I have been in ketosis for 8 weeks and have lost 36 lbs (and the weight is still falling off).

    I have written a document detailing my experiences. Because I can't attach a PDF to this forum, I have provided a Dropbox link to it here ...

    https://www.dropbox.com/s/kmdzsaimrldpysd/Terry_ketogenic_diet.pdf

    You have my word that I am a genuine user and this is a genuine document.

    To answer your question, it took me 3 days to go into ketosis and I have stayed there ever since, by restricting carbs to less than 40g a day (very strictly). The document goes into way more detail (much of it really useful insight).

    Cheers

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