Any keto Survivors?? I really need your advice

sam308lbs
sam308lbs Posts: 1,936 Member
Ok i want to go on a high fat,moderate protein,very low carb diet for the next 4 months to lose the remaining of my weight.I have already lost 55 lbs on here on a high carb diet but it has slowed down by a lot.

So what i want to know is whether its possible to get back to normal eating(high carbs,high protein,moderate fats) after 4 months of Keto without becoming a food stuffing zombie.I am really worried i am gonna put back on all the weight as soon as i get out of Keto.
«1

Replies

  • Most people who've been successful on keto don't go back to eating high carb. The difference in energy levels alone make lots of people stay low carb. I know personally that I will never go back to a high carb diet when I get to my goal weight. I will probably add some more fruits and the occasional roll/bread into the diet but I never want to go back to feeling sluggish again. I sleep better, more energy, sharper awareness etc on low carb.
  • sam308lbs
    sam308lbs Posts: 1,936 Member
    i understand but i will be heading to college in another country after 6 months and will be low on cash most of the times.I won't be able to chose what i eat there.If i was in a more stable place in my life,i wouldn't be even asking this question cuz obviously i would want to be in nutritional ketosis all the time
  • sam308lbs
    sam308lbs Posts: 1,936 Member
    no one ??
  • CandyAppleCockers
    CandyAppleCockers Posts: 74 Member
    People seem to go modified keto or paleo when 'done' losing weight.

    Going back to a SAD type diet will make most people fat again. I get that your food situation may not be ideal in the future. I wouldn't be planning for high carb ever again though.
  • sam308lbs
    sam308lbs Posts: 1,936 Member
    Thanks for your response! Maybe i can try keto for a short period like 2 months and then go back
  • Sam even on a tight budget you can do keto and in fact would probably be cheaper. Remember the basis of a ketogenic diet is that your body switches from burning carbs to burning fat. So fatty foods are better and give more energy AS WELL as more filling. This means you can buy the fattier i.e. cheaper meats etc, not to mention eggs/bacon with a side of veggies is a darn near perfect keto meal. Many people who are keto adapted only eat 1 meal a day with maybe a couple of snacks so that lowers your overall food cost too. In my house we have 3 people eating keto (well 1 full core keto the other 2 eat carbs sometimes outside the house) and my food costs have actually gone down almost 25% from the carb heavy days. If you go into it thinking that you won't be able to do it...then you won't.
    Here are some things that should be relatively cheap and keto friendly

    eggs
    any meat, ask the butcher/meat department guy for the cheapest cuts..they don't always put them out in a showcase and they are just as good if not better on keto.
    veggies (stick to the green ones)
    Spam (if they sell it where you go to school)
    pepperoni/sausage/deli meats

    If you inbox me where you're going to school I'll do some quick research on things you can get there to try and stay keto.
  • If you're logging everything you eat and weighing yourself regularly, when you hit maintenance time and start re-introducing higher carb foods, you will be able to track your progress. If you start gaining weight, dial-back what you're eating.
  • sam308lbs
    sam308lbs Posts: 1,936 Member
    thank you guys..those were very helpful suggestions!!
  • witchy_wife
    witchy_wife Posts: 792 Member
    Yeah you can. I flipped between high fat/low carb and a low fat calorie controlled diet all the time last year. As long as you give your body time to settle in each time and accept that weight losses / gains at the beginning of each change are probably just due to water weight then you should be fine.

    I found it much easier to lose weight on keto and definitely lost more weight on keto in spite of eating about 250 more calories a day, but as long as you log everything and stick to a calorie defecit you will be fine (expect to gain 5-10lb back when you eat a lot of carbs at first, this is down to glycogen stores).
  • bacitracin
    bacitracin Posts: 921 Member
    Olive oil and butter on EVERYTHING. Canned tuna with oil/mayo is really cheap (can even class it up with celery and spices), and you don't really need the bread if you just eat it out of a tupperware container. Like everyone else said too, eggs are super cheap. Get in the habit of making deviled eggs every few days. Steamed broccoli with butter and cheese is a fantastic dinner.
  • bacitracin
    bacitracin Posts: 921 Member

    Weight loss is about calories, if you're in ketosis or not, it's about calories. If you eat at your maintenance calories then you'll be fine.

    False. You can burn body fat and build muscle while in a caloric surplus in a ketogenic dietary regime.
    I would recommend something like CKD(cylical ketosis diet). Long term ketogenic diets can lead to insulin resistance. your body adapts to not consuming many dietary carbs so when you add them again your body can't fully handle them well, so you will have elevated glucose(blood sugar).

    Ahem. False. Ketogenic diets are used to *treat* insulin resistance. low-fat, high carbohydrate (SAD, Standard American Diet) diets lead to insulin resistance. When you don't have carbs for a long time, and then you have them again, you are the opposite of resistant to insulin. You are sensitive.
  • sam308lbs
    sam308lbs Posts: 1,936 Member

    Ahem. False. Ketogenic diets are used to *treat* insulin resistance. low-fat, high carbohydrate (SAD, Standard American Diet) diets lead to insulin resistance. When you don't have carbs for a long time, and then you have them again, you are the opposite of resistant to insulin. You are sensitive.

    So does that mean if i start having carbs again after being in ketosis for a long tine,i can handle them better ??.Like i wont feel slow and tired after a high carb meal or feel hungry again in an hour due to the insulin spike?
  • sam308lbs
    sam308lbs Posts: 1,936 Member
    [/quote]

    Weight loss is about calories, if you're in ketosis or not, it's about calories. If you eat at your maintenance calories then you'll be fine.

    I know this but i was more concerned about shifting from fat metabolism to carb metabolism.That can be really hard and cause many people to put back on all the weight since they still cant deal with carbs yet
  • sam308lbs
    sam308lbs Posts: 1,936 Member
    Weight loss is about calories, if you're in ketosis or not, it's about calories. If you eat at your maintenance calories then you'll be fine.

    I know this but i was more concerned about shifting from fat metabolism to carb metabolism.That can be really hard and cause many people to put back on all the weight since they still cant deal with carbs yet

    It won't cause you to put on fat. It's not possible. Calories are a unit of energy, that's all, calories are energy NOTHING MORE.
    Protein, carbs, fats are NOT calories.

    If you replace 500 calories of your protein with 500 calories of carbs, it's still 2,000 calories of energy either way. It makes no difference in terms of fat gain or loss. You can gain a few lbs, due to the carbs and water retention. 5-10lbs, this is just water and glycogen(carbs) it's not fat.

    If low carb helps you lose weight that's fine. I just recommend something like the CKD as I said above. keto during the week moderate to high carbs on weekends.

    Bro you are not catching my drift !!
    i have been here for 5 months now and i understand the concept of energy in.. energy out and the rest.I am talking about the hunger aspect when you shift back to crab metabolism and you start getting those mad cravings where you want chew off the legs of your dinner table.That is my biggest concern and i am afraid those cravings would make me gain back all the lost weight when i switch over to SAD.

    As for CKD.,high carbs on the weekend means i wont be in ketosis and the weight loss will be very average.Also since it takes atleast 2 weeks for your body to settle at low carbs(start producing ketones and shift to fat stores for energy requirements),i am assuming the 5 low carb days would make me nauseous and tired all the time cuz my body would be confused whether to head to glycogen stores or fat stores for energy.Correct me if i am wrong
  • sam308lbs
    sam308lbs Posts: 1,936 Member

    Long term ketogenic diets can lead to insulin resistance. your body adapts to not consuming many dietary carbs so when you add them again your body can't fully handle them well, so you will have elevated glucose(blood sugar).

    This really helps!! Can you tell whats a safe time frame for attempting ketogenic diets ? Also if you point me to some research on this,that would be great. i work in advertising but i do have a ncbi account and i do look up for new researches there frequently :D
  • bacitracin
    bacitracin Posts: 921 Member
    Funny, I took biochem. I would think someone else who was taking it would understand basic premises. Like not having carbs equaling insulin sensitivity. By your logic, if we stay reaaaally far away from germs, then we'll become resistant to them. HAHAHAHA.

    Try "The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living", it explains how low-carb dieting is used to treat metabolic syndrome, and it's easy enough for anyone to understand. I hope.
    Now, I think I know what you're talking about. You're talking about being on a very-low-carbohydrate diet long enough that your muscles resist insulin spikes so as to spare glucose for use in the brain? Because that's entirely different than the insulin resistance that SAD diets induce, causing metabolic syndrome and type II diabetes.

    As far as calories go, being in a caloric surplus on a ketogenic diet is better for muscle preservation and even growth. It takes longer, because muscles like insulin and carbs for building, but it's possible. I usually eat at a caloric surplus ketogenically and I've lost about 45lbs so far. Tell me that's all water. It's even somewhat beneficial to do it that way because your body likes to hold onto it's fat stores (again, basic biology) and it will sacrifice muscle to keep the fat. If it has enough fat coming through, it's like "hey, i have enough dietary fat, i can lose some of this body fat. And hey, look, protein! I can build up some muscle because this dude's been working out!"
  • vivipr
    vivipr Posts: 80 Member
    Why is this guy Pu here if he dont believe in Keto??
  • Bump.
  • bacitracin
    bacitracin Posts: 921 Member
    I mentioned that muscle growth prefers carbs... so we do agree on that. And that's exactly the point I was making about the germs. If you stay away from carbs for a long time, when introduced back to them, you'd be super sensitive to them ,except as we all know, your body produces a small amount through gluconeogenesis to feed the brain and keeps our blood sugar levels stable which is how the keto diet leads to not being hungry all the time which leads to less overall calories consumed.
  • sam308lbs
    sam308lbs Posts: 1,936 Member
    ohkk i have a lot to read on this thread.I will go through it and revert back asap!
  • GoddessG
    GoddessG Posts: 172 Member
    I would never consider going back to high carb. I feel so much better now.

    I am thinking of going vegetarian and staying low carb. Now that protein shakes are so delicious, I might use them for my proteins and start seeing what it would be like to go as high as 25-30 carbs a day. I will do it as an experiment, but if it doesn't feel great, I'll go back to what does feel great.

    I understand that you will be pinching pennies. The only thing I can say is avoid the products that have been proven to make people hungry (bread, pasta, anything with wheat) and exercise, because exercise takes away the hungries.
  • sam308lbs
    sam308lbs Posts: 1,936 Member
    Trust me vegetarian and keto dont go hand in hand.Your choices would be very very limited.

    I have decided i would continue in nutritional ketosis untill the last month i am suppose to leave.Then i will slowly start introducing carbs back but never more than 100g.i really hope i can find some cheap low carb meals over there.This is very disappointing bcuz 1 more year eating low carb and i would have achieved my goal physique
  • busywaterbending
    busywaterbending Posts: 844 Member
    sam,

    the secret to returning to a higher carb intake in your diet is to make sure the entire meal is not high glycemic index. The carbs should be from nutrient dense sources, not empty calories, and have a low glycemic index.

    you can lower the total meal GI by making sure the meal has EFAs and complete proteins.

    happy training and eat healthy.

    (btw, when wil the mods eliminate the troll PU?)
  • sam308lbs
    sam308lbs Posts: 1,936 Member
    thank you! that was pretty solid advice :)
  • kiramaniac
    kiramaniac Posts: 800 Member
    (btw, when wil the mods eliminate the troll PU?)

    I just found the best thing - the IGNORE USER feature. I can't see a thing from that troll now. All of his posts are just skipped. Just click on the little down-arrow next to the username and POOF!
  • I just found the best thing - the IGNORE USER feature. I can't see a thing from that troll now. All of his posts are just skipped. Just click on the little down-arrow next to the username and POOF!

    Awesome! Thanks ... I really don't feel like reading his stuff.
  • Dauntlessness
    Dauntlessness Posts: 1,489 Member
    I will save everyone the trouble and tell you to just accept what Pu_239 says. I have been a friend of his for a long time now and he really does know what he is talking about. He ACTUALLY researches this stuff and never goes by what "he or she said". He is very successful with weight loss and bodybuilding. The proof is in the pudding, just look at his results.
    It seems like there is a lot of half truths going on from others in this forum. Just because he is not afraid to debate with you doesn't mean he is a troll. He is taking the time to try to help you. Trust me, he wouldn't waste his time unless he was passionate and truly knew what he was talking about..

    <3
  • bacitracin
    bacitracin Posts: 921 Member
    I will save everyone the trouble and tell you to just accept what Pu_239 says. I have been a friend of his for a long time now and he really does know what he is talking about. He ACTUALLY researches this stuff and never goes by what "he or she said". He is very successful with weight loss and bodybuilding. The proof is in the pudding, just look at his results.
    It seems like there is a lot of half truths going on from others in this forum. Just because he is not afraid to debate with you doesn't mean he is a troll. He is taking the time to try to help you. Trust me, he wouldn't waste his time unless he was passionate and truly knew what he was talking about..

    <3

    I would accept it as well-researched fact... if he wasn't wrong about most of it. :) We say he's a troll because he's very confrontational. A lot of us have taken advantage of the forum's ignore feature recently.
  • ^^^^ This! Some of the things posted by him were completely out of whack with well documented research. Plus the need to argue with each and every thing stated in a forum that is dedicated to Keto type diets is just painful and no fun.
  • Gentyl
    Gentyl Posts: 184 Member
    bump