Is being in ketosis nessesary for low carb weight loss

I just started a low carb diet with 70% fat 25% protein and 5% carbs. I eat 25 carbs a day. I know that being in ketosis burns fat but i have one cheat meal every Saturday, its nothing overboard maybe just a burger and fries or just the fries.
I was wondering if my weight loss will still be successful even though i am throwing myself out of ketosis every week?
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Replies

  • bajoyba
    bajoyba Posts: 1,153 Member
    I've never done low carb or been in ketosis, but I'm inclined to believe that if you're eating at a calorie deficit, you should have no problem losing weight.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    That sounds miserable. Do you actually enjoy eating that way?

    And yeah, you'll lose weight as long as you're in a calorie deficit. Low carb or not.
  • ladymiseryali
    ladymiseryali Posts: 2,555 Member
    That sounds miserable. Do you actually enjoy eating that way?

    And yeah, you'll lose weight as long as you're in a calorie deficit. Low carb or not.

    You can make amazing meals if you know how to cook. There is no need to be miserable on low carb. In fact, eating this way has made me experiment with things I would never have thought to do, like add cream cheese to a turkey meatloaf, or make an epic tuna and spinach casserole with all of the cheeses!
  • Achrya
    Achrya Posts: 16,913 Member
    That sounds miserable. Do you actually enjoy eating that way?

    And yeah, you'll lose weight as long as you're in a calorie deficit. Low carb or not.

    You can make amazing meals if you know how to cook. There is no need to be miserable on low carb. In fact, eating this way has made me experiment with things I would never have thought to do, like add cream cheese to a turkey meatloaf, or make an epic tuna and spinach casserole with all of the cheeses!


    WAIT!

    Imma need the details for this. Please and thanks.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    That sounds miserable. Do you actually enjoy eating that way?

    And yeah, you'll lose weight as long as you're in a calorie deficit. Low carb or not.

    You can make amazing meals if you know how to cook. There is no need to be miserable on low carb. In fact, eating this way has made me experiment with things I would never have thought to do, like add cream cheese to a turkey meatloaf, or make an epic tuna and spinach casserole with all of the cheeses!

    Oh sure you can have a lot of delicious food, no question. It's more about the stuff that you *can't* fit into 5% of calories from carbs.
  • ChoiceNotChance
    ChoiceNotChance Posts: 644 Member
    In for recipes if you don't mind...
  • MyiahRose
    MyiahRose Posts: 183 Member
    But i still will be ok even on the one weekend cheat meal once a week?
  • losingw8now
    losingw8now Posts: 105 Member
    You don't have to worry about your cheat meal - I have done low carb before and always had a cheat meal a week and successfully lost weight.

    My problem is that after about 3 months - I would be craving sugars and junk food so badly that I would go off of it and just go completely overboard on eating the junk food again and gain it all back. That is why I am now trying to do calorie counting and included junk foods that I like, so that maybe I can maintain it for a lifetime.

    Good luck on low carb! I know I felt so much better on it!
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    You don't have to worry about your cheat meal - I have done low carb before and always had a cheat meal a week and successfully lost weight.

    My problem is that after about 3 months - I would be craving sugars and junk food so badly that I would go off of it and just go completely overboard on eating the junk food again and gain it all back. That is why I am now trying to do calorie counting and included junk foods that I like, so that maybe I can maintain it for a lifetime.

    Good luck on low carb! I know I felt so much better on it!

    This is a common experience with low carb diets. Eventually, willpower gives out and you start to eat the foods you haven't "allowed" yourself for so long. You quickly fall back into old eating patterns and gain the weight back. I prefer plans and methods that don't needlessly restrict very specific foods, or categories of foods, entirely. This helps one learn moderation with all foods and not feel unnecessarily restricted in food choices. IMO low carb is not a way to set yourself up for life.
  • ladymiseryali
    ladymiseryali Posts: 2,555 Member
    That sounds miserable. Do you actually enjoy eating that way?

    And yeah, you'll lose weight as long as you're in a calorie deficit. Low carb or not.

    You can make amazing meals if you know how to cook. There is no need to be miserable on low carb. In fact, eating this way has made me experiment with things I would never have thought to do, like add cream cheese to a turkey meatloaf, or make an epic tuna and spinach casserole with all of the cheeses!

    Oh sure you can have a lot of delicious food, no question. It's more about the stuff that you *can't* fit into 5% of calories from carbs.

    Well it depends. Like if I want to have tacobell, I can. I just have a crunchy taco with some black beans on the side. I think the total net carbs for that meal is under 10, and I can make it work. I occasionally have ice cream or some candy. Yes, it throws me out of ketosis, but I can get myself back into it within a few days and I'm back to losing. I'll gain like one-three lbs from that, but it's mostly water weight that I can get rid of by the end of the week.
  • ladymiseryali
    ladymiseryali Posts: 2,555 Member
    But i still will be ok even on the one weekend cheat meal once a week?

    I think you would be fine, as long as you keep your net carbs for that day under 100, or 75 if you can help it. One cheat meal won't ruin you.
  • MyiahRose
    MyiahRose Posts: 183 Member
    You don't have to worry about your cheat meal - I have done low carb before and always had a cheat meal a week and successfully lost weight.

    My problem is that after about 3 months - I would be craving sugars and junk food so badly that I would go off of it and just go completely overboard on eating the junk food again and gain it all back. That is why I am now trying to do calorie counting and included junk foods that I like, so that maybe I can maintain it for a lifetime.

    Good luck on low carb! I know I felt so much better on it!

    This is a common experience with low carb diets. Eventually, willpower gives out and you start to eat the foods you haven't "allowed" yourself for so long. You quickly fall back into old eating patterns and gain the weight back. I prefer plans and methods that don't needlessly restrict very specific foods, or categories of foods, entirely. This helps one learn moderation with all foods and not feel unnecessarily restricted in food choices. IMO low carb is not a way to set yourself up for life.

    Im asking people who know about low carb. You are here just being negative giving your unwanted opinion.
  • _benjammin
    _benjammin Posts: 1,224 Member
    Weekly Calorie deficit=weight loss
    Going in and out of ketosis once a week=misery
  • MyiahRose
    MyiahRose Posts: 183 Member
    But i still will be ok even on the one weekend cheat meal once a week?

    I think you would be fine, as long as you keep your net carbs for that day under 100, or 75 if you can help it. One cheat meal won't ruin you.

    yea its def under 75. Thanks for your help!
  • ladymiseryali
    ladymiseryali Posts: 2,555 Member
    That sounds miserable. Do you actually enjoy eating that way?

    And yeah, you'll lose weight as long as you're in a calorie deficit. Low carb or not.

    You can make amazing meals if you know how to cook. There is no need to be miserable on low carb. In fact, eating this way has made me experiment with things I would never have thought to do, like add cream cheese to a turkey meatloaf, or make an epic tuna and spinach casserole with all of the cheeses!


    WAIT!

    Imma need the details for this. Please and thanks.

    http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/vegetabledishes/r/spinachcaserole.htm

    I followed this recipe, but added tuna to the mix. It's soooo good! And a good source of protein!
  • ladymiseryali
    ladymiseryali Posts: 2,555 Member
    But i still will be ok even on the one weekend cheat meal once a week?

    I think you would be fine, as long as you keep your net carbs for that day under 100, or 75 if you can help it. One cheat meal won't ruin you.

    yea its def under 75. Thanks for your help!

    However, you may want to wait on a cheat meal until you're keto-adapted, which happens about a month into the eating plan, sometimes two months. Once you're keto-adapted, it's much quicker to get back into ketosis if you kick yourself out of it.
  • Achrya
    Achrya Posts: 16,913 Member
    That sounds miserable. Do you actually enjoy eating that way?

    And yeah, you'll lose weight as long as you're in a calorie deficit. Low carb or not.

    You can make amazing meals if you know how to cook. There is no need to be miserable on low carb. In fact, eating this way has made me experiment with things I would never have thought to do, like add cream cheese to a turkey meatloaf, or make an epic tuna and spinach casserole with all of the cheeses!


    WAIT!

    Imma need the details for this. Please and thanks.

    http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/vegetabledishes/r/spinachcaserole.htm

    I followed this recipe, but added tuna to the mix. It's soooo good! And a good source of protein!

    Thanks very much. I'd probably add noodles too but I'm all about new ways to tuna casserole. :heart:
  • ALNoog
    ALNoog Posts: 413 Member
    I do 5% carb 30% protein and 65% fat
    I find that works very well for me.


    I never track ketosis.. I don't know if I'm in it or not ... Never really cares as long as I was losing.
  • gmstarr1
    gmstarr1 Posts: 66 Member
    I've been on a low carb diet for a little over a month, and I probably go in and out of ketosis all the time. I haven't figured out the right levels yet. Sometimes the amount of saturated fat I intake seriously freaks me out after all the low fat diets I've been on...I'm having to retrain myself on that. I have a cheat day/meal every once in awhile; other than gaining water weight for a short time, it doesn't seem to derail me a lot. I still make sure I have a calorie deficit.

    And I haven't been miserable at all. I don't have the cravings for sugar and carbs that always made it where I was constantly struggling to stay under calorie goals. That's terrific! I've tried low calorie diets a lot over the last 10 years, and I've never been able to maintain that...once I start drinking a lot of coca cola and eating cookies...I want more and more until I forget all about weight. So I'm hoping that this diet will be the one to stick.

    AND I had a very good day food wise. I had bacon wrapped asparagus! I didn't even knew I liked asparagus! I've always been too busy stuffing my face with bread to look at vegetables. I can't wait to make more tomorrow!
  • _benjammin
    _benjammin Posts: 1,224 Member

    This is a common experience with low carb diets. Eventually, willpower gives out and you start to eat the foods you haven't "allowed" yourself for so long. You quickly fall back into old eating patterns and gain the weight back. I prefer plans and methods that don't needlessly restrict very specific foods, or categories of foods, entirely. This helps one learn moderation with all foods and not feel unnecessarily restricted in food choices. IMO low carb is not a way to set yourself up for life.
    Count me as a low carb loser and calorie/macro tracking maintainer. My low carb losing weight phase set me up for a healthy life.
    80 carbs a day seemed to be my magic number.
  • EHisCDN
    EHisCDN Posts: 480 Member
    You don't have to worry about your cheat meal - I have done low carb before and always had a cheat meal a week and successfully lost weight.

    My problem is that after about 3 months - I would be craving sugars and junk food so badly that I would go off of it and just go completely overboard on eating the junk food again and gain it all back. That is why I am now trying to do calorie counting and included junk foods that I like, so that maybe I can maintain it for a lifetime.

    Good luck on low carb! I know I felt so much better on it!

    This is a common experience with low carb diets. Eventually, willpower gives out and you start to eat the foods you haven't "allowed" yourself for so long. You quickly fall back into old eating patterns and gain the weight back. I prefer plans and methods that don't needlessly restrict very specific foods, or categories of foods, entirely. This helps one learn moderation with all foods and not feel unnecessarily restricted in food choices. IMO low carb is not a way to set yourself up for life.

    QFT. If you're in a calorie deficit you'll lose weight. How you achieve that calorie deficit is up to you. I'm of the opinion that compliance is a big indicator of long term success, for me low carb or super low calories (I realize they're not the same) would present issues with long term compliance. I'll stick to eating everything at a moderate deficit. Good luck.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member

    This is a common experience with low carb diets. Eventually, willpower gives out and you start to eat the foods you haven't "allowed" yourself for so long. You quickly fall back into old eating patterns and gain the weight back. I prefer plans and methods that don't needlessly restrict very specific foods, or categories of foods, entirely. This helps one learn moderation with all foods and not feel unnecessarily restricted in food choices. IMO low carb is not a way to set yourself up for life.
    Count me as a low carb loser and calorie/macro tracking maintainer. My low carb losing weight phase set me up for a healthy life.
    80 carbs a day seemed to be my magic number.

    Your profile says you lost 48 pounds between December 2012 and April 2013. You logged for a significant portion of that time period, and you seem to average well over 100, with occasional forays above 200. I don't see a single day you approached carbs representing single-digit percentages of total caloric intake. Maybe I'm missing something?
  • tiffanycherie
    tiffanycherie Posts: 97 Member
    http://authoritynutrition.com/how-many-carbs-per-day-to-lose-weight/

    This is a pretty good article.

    I am keeping my carbs to 50grams a day but, I have also experimented with carbs and usually my weight loss doesnt slow down unless I go over 90 carbs a day.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    "Metabolically deranged" is the phrase of the day.
  • whovian67
    whovian67 Posts: 608 Member
    Read about being in ketosis...not good....(lay persons can read about it on WebMD... clinical research trial results are posted at many universities sites.... Used to make me crazy when people would do Atkins and talk about Ketosis as a good thing.. I think of it as your brain full of Urine :)
  • ladymiseryali
    ladymiseryali Posts: 2,555 Member
    Read about being in ketosis...not good....(lay persons can read about it on WebMD... clinical research trial results are posted at many universities sites.... Used to make me crazy when people would do Atkins and talk about Ketosis as a good thing.. I think of it as your brain full of Urine :)

    Are you sure you're not confusing ketosis with ketoacidosis? My brain isn't full of urine whatsoever. I have more energy and the weight loss has been phenomenal for me.
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  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    I love that people are arguing whether their brains are full of urine or not.
  • ALNoog
    ALNoog Posts: 413 Member
    Read about being in ketosis...not good....(lay persons can read about it on WebMD... clinical research trial results are posted at many universities sites.... Used to make me crazy when people would do Atkins and talk about Ketosis as a good thing.. I think of it as your brain full of Urine :)

    Ummmm
    Say what?
  • meglizbo
    meglizbo Posts: 42
    I think the book called The Carb Nite could be an interesting read for you...from my understanding it is essentially what you are already doing, but don't hold me to that 100%!