Ketogenic diet...

I'm not following Atkins specifically, but I have been on a LCHF woe (way of eating) for some time now. I initially started eating this way to gain better blood sugar control because I have diabetes. Putting myself into nutritional ketosis and forcing my body to burn fat for fuel instead of glucose is great for weight loss, which I admittedly need. I'm still having issues keeping to my macros, and to be honest, I don't even know if the macros I'm using are the best ones for me. That calculator on the net is just confusing. I stay below 30g carbs daily, but usually clock in much less.

My internal medicine doctor is not yet convinced about this woe and is monitoring me on a monthly basis for lipids and all that good stuff because my triglycerides were high at my last blood panel. It does take anywhere from 3-6 months for the lipids to come back down to normal levels and they will get higher before they come back down. Not looking forward to THAT appointment.

After the first week or so, especially once you've gotten past the "Keto Flu," stage, you should start feeling more energized. I've been fortunate. No KF for me and my energy has gone up tremendously.

I do allow myself a cheat meal, every now and then, simply because I do not have a great deal of support from the people around me when it comes to keeping to this woe. Mostly I stick to my plan.

Hey there! Been eating keto for several months now. I started because of PCOS (high insulin resistance) and after a ton of research I realized this is the answer I've been looking for. I've lost almost 50 pounds since March, the first time since I was 8 that anything has worked for me.

Keto is great, but it is definitely a lifestyle change and not a "diet." Becoming fully fat-adapted takes time, longer than just producing ketones instead of glycogen. Cheat meals/days are not recommended as you will keep replenishing your glycogen stores which is the exact opposite of what you want to do. With that said, I was strict on keto for months, took 2 days off while in Atlantic City a few weeks ago, gained 4 pounds in water weight but lost it and more by the next week's weigh-in. I'm satiated, have a lot of energy, cured years of insomnia and have lost weight - winning all around, for me.

Keto calculator to figure out your macros: http://keto-calculator.ankerl.com/

I eat 5% carbs, 25% protein and 70% fat. I try to go over on fat and under on the other two when possible.

Other great resources:

http://authoritynutrition.com/10-benefits-of-low-carb-ketogenic-diets/
http://authoritynutrition.com/it-aint-the-fat-people/
http://www.reddit.com/r/keto/wiki/faq

Great low carb recipe blogs (I have one too, you can message me if interested - I feel weird/bad posting my own):
http://www.ibreatheimhungry.com/recipe-index
http://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/
http://peaceloveandlowcarb.com/
http://ketodietapp.com/blog

My fiancée and I are on day 8 of living the ketogenic lifestyle. He did it with success over a year ago, before we met and he was working out 6 days a week. He didn't track anything, just followed his trainers advice. Now we are using MFP app on our phone to make sure we hit the ratios daily. It definitely helps. The hardest thing for me is switching my thinking from having more protein than anything else to having more fat than anything else. I looked up a few recipes, made some fat bombs, tried bulletproof coffee and I am sold! The healthy fats really do keep me satiated. I almost have to force myself to eat, almost. It has definitely curbed my cravings for late night snacks, I sleep better already, I have more energy during the day, I am getting back into a workout routine, daily chores don't seem so overwhelming. It's been great. There are some foods I miss, but I tell myself I know what they taste like and I will be able to have them again. For now, I want to change my body and change my life. I highly encourage you to try it!