Ruby, one of the things I have learned in the month I've been doing this is that there are a lot of people who think they have the right to attack you and your choices based on what they think is healthy. Dietitians and other health care professionals are some of the worst offenders.
I was placed on this diet by a bariatric physician who understands the science. I am obsessive about understanding the science as well, and have researched extensively into the good and bad of this diet. I think you're doing the absolute right thing, but you might not want to discuss it with your boss.
I agree completely with Skoster1.
Good luck!

Although many people specify a total gram amount for carbohydrate, instead I pretty much always keep my carbohydrate intake somewhere between 6 and 9% of my daily calories. Typically if you're under 10% you'll enter ketosis and stay there if active. If you want to enter quicker and get keto-adapated faster, lower amounts work best.

I keep my protein around 20-25% of my calories when cutting (losing weight) and about 30% when bulking (trying to add muscle mass).

Obviously makes up the rest. Typically a little over 70%.

A true ketogenic diet is high-fat / low-carb / moderate protein - most people find they do best in the range of 75% fat, 20% protein and 5% carbohydrate for getting into ketosis.

As far as foods to avoid: Grain, any/all refined/processed carbohydrate (basically ANY flour/sugar), starchy vegetables (potatoes, corn, parsnips, etc.).

Eat all the eggs you want, please. :-)

Fruit should be done in moderation - lower GI fruits such as berries and cherries are the best option. I eat berries or cherries every day, for the nutrients in them, but in quantity low-enough to keep in ketosis. I'll occasionally have 1/2 an apple or a small fruit cup (packed in water) as well. All my fruit snacks stay at < 10g of carbohydrate total and are always accompanied with FAT (fresh or whipped cream, maybe some cheese, nuts, etc.)

As for meal suggestions: I eat simple things:

Breakfast:
bacon/sausage and eggs, sometimes with cheese
Low-Carb Pancakes (see below)
LCHF protein shake (see below)

Lunch:
Sandwich on oopsie roll (google it)
Leftovers from supper
Salad, lots of fat/oil

Supper:
fatty cut of Steak (new york, ribeye, etc.) / Caesar salad (lots of dressing/bacon/cheese)
Chicken Cordon blue (extra cheese, low-carb breading)
Sausages, Brocolli/cheese/bacon casserole with side green beans or asparagus
Fish, etc.
Keto Pizza - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhimFAfPr4I

Snacks:
Nuts
Cheese
1/3 cup berries with heavy cream
gluten-free pepperoni sticks (avoid pepperoni with wheat)



Some Recipes I use:
LCHF Protein Shake: 3/4 scoop of high-quality whey isolate protein, 1/2 to 3/4 cup of heavy cream (depending on caloric requirements), small handful of berries and baby spinach leaves, sprinkling of stevia/truvia.

Low-carb Pancakes:
1/4c Almond flour
1/8c Whey Protein Powder
1/8c Vital Wheat Gluten
1tsp baking powder
1tbsp cinnamon (I hear this is good for us diabetics)
1pkt splenda/equal/whatever sweetener you like

1egg
Splash of milk (enough to get the batter the right consistency)

Mix/sift dry ingredients well, then add the egg and milk. Makes 3-4 small pancakes. Much better texture/taste then some others I've played with. Getting pretty close to what mom used to make.

Other recipes:

Check out Kent Altena's videos - he's been eating keto (Atkins specifically) for quite a while and has dozens upon dozens of excellent recipes: http://www.youtube.com/user/bowulf/videos

DiabetesForum is mostly geared towards KETO recipes: http://www.diabetesforum.com/diabetes-recipes/

Gary Taubes is a great resource on the subject! Also check out the art and science of low carb living. There's even a sequel to it now too. One of the most compelling things I've read is that a very LC diet lead to people losing the most while keeping on the most muscle! Many diet comparison studies are flawed in that they consider a LC diet to be a diet of like 30-40% of carbs and that just isn't low enough. Low carb advocates would agree that that carb level is too high. A must read!

I completely understand your concerns of your boss's judgment. When I tell people what I'm doing they compare it to the time they went on nutrisystem and gained all the weight back or think its simply a atkins diet. If need be, keep it to yourself if you can. or just say you're doing a GF diet or elimination diet.

Frankly, before keto I had been having a lot of symptoms that cleared up. I'm waiting to see a endocrinologist to have my hormones checked but I have a lot of symptoms of PCOS and/or hormone imbalance. Some that i know will take a while to clear like (like male pattern hair growth - yuck!). I also had minor symptoms of IBS. Frankly, those cleared up FAST for me but they were minor. Not to mention the mental clarity I now have!

Also, 2 years ago I woke up in extreme pain hardly unable to get out of bed. This happened overnight and it persisted for 4 months with no relief. I tried all kinds of things like stretching, supplements, exercises, OTC drugs. I didn't have insurance at the time and was limited in income. It was the most extreme pain in my life. It was hard to sit in a office chair for 30minutes or stand in line for 5 minutes. I was absolutely miserable and became so depressed. Decided to start getting back to a healthy weight by going LC (wasn't aware of keto at the time). After 2 weeks, i was 90% better. And a month of LC I was completely free of pain and full of energy. For many people LC/keto will make them feel so much better and even lose excess weight.

Like I said, I'm feeling better and the pounds are melting away. I have a lot of refinement to do as I still eat rather processed foods like LC hotdogs or salad dressing that uses canola oil as a main ingredient (it has the best macros at my local store). But it's making it easier for now to learn what works for me. I plan to start making my own mayo and dressings soon but its all a process. Feel free to add me as a friend and take a look at my food diary for ideas.

And if you don't have a lot of support from those around you, maybe you could get that from the keto groups online. I'm new to this group but the group forum posters seem lovely. Good luck and sorry for the novel!

What a great thread! Everyone has so much fantastic information to share. I love it.

From my experience, I only realized the FULL benefits of keto once I really committed to it. LC is great in a lot of ways and it helped me in a big way. Keto is definitely a step up from that. I think of it like climbing Mt Everest. You know you are making progress up and any progress is great. But the closer you get to the top, the more accomplished you feel and the more motivation you have to keep going. That's what moving from LC to Keto is for me at least.

To get my fat up I always add things like butter, mayo, olive oil, dressings, and coconut oil. Also, when I'm getting my protein in i pick fatty options. If the protein is higher than the fat, I pass. If i want chicken, I eat the skin with it. When i do this, I always get my fats up in the 70%. Sometimes to get higher (my goal is 80%) I need to supplement with fat bombs or coconut oil in my tea. The satiety i get from this way of eating is incredible.

Experiment with LC. Many people start there and later work into Keto. There's no need to rush into keto!