New to LCHF, new to MFP... help please!
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Welcome! I'm new myself, but I've been doing keto for a few months.
I would strongly recommend magnesium supplements, I started without it and I had arrhythmia and muscle cramp!
I also salute your decision to do this instead of a gastric bypass.
If you were a vegetarian and never cooked a steak there are options out there. Very fatty cheese, avocados, hard boiled eggs. I eat most of my lunch vegetarian/pescatarian.
Try to keep it simple not to be overwhelmed!0 -
Welcome. Feel free to add me as a friend.
The main thing to keep in mind is that you can do this. It won't fix everything overnight, but keep at it.0 -
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I came here looking for a place to talk with people who understand what I'm going through. I don't know how MFP works or what I should do to get the most from it. Any suggestions would be most welcome!
:flowerforyou:
Hello Keto Girl,
I am in the same boat as you. I started about 3 1/2 weeks ago. Instead of writing my whole history here. I have started my MFP blog. If you have a chance to read what I wrote, start from the bottom of my blog and work your way up.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/DittoDan?month=201409
Enjoy,
Dan the Man from Michigan
^^
Welcome
I would really suggest reading DittoDan's blog.
You have a lot in common with him.
This group is awesome with support and real life stuff. Skip all the theory and talk to the veterans here. I have been here for a month and received a lot of help every time I hit a hurdle.0 -
Hey & welcome KetoGirl! I think you've already gotten a bunch of great sources from others, but I just wanted to say hey and that you've already made a great start! The people in this group are very supportive, so don't hesitate to ask any questions you may have. A couple pieces of advice for starting out, based mostly on my own personal experiences (I've bounced in and out of this way of eating a time or twelve)...
1) Don't worry about calories! This is a big change for your body--it's been predominately using carbs for energy for a long time, and the transition is much easier psychologically if you don't have to worry about the number of calories. The first time I went very low carb, I was eating at least 3000 calories a day for the first week. Yes, I still lost weight. More than likely, your appetite will decrease as your body gets used to running off of fat. I'm not saying you won't ever have to watch calories, but I don't believe it's necessary or beneficial when you're first starting out.
2) Electrolytes! You need them. My main sources are bullion, Powerade Zero (depends on how you feel about and tolerate artificial sweetener), and Morton Lite salt. Usually if I feel a bit "off," it's because the electrolytes are out of whack and one of those helps.
3) Don't forget the "HF" in LCHF. It can be a bit daunting if you look at the amount of fat you're eating and compare it to the FDA "recommended" amounts. Don't do that lol. You're practically eliminating carbohydrates; fat is your fuel.
4) Watch out for "food boredom." It's been my downfall a few times. I get bored when I feel like I'm eating the same stuff all the time. I know that's not a problem for everyone, and that there are people that are perfectly content eating the same meals for weeks at a time. I'm not one of them. There are TONS of yummy, low carb recipes floating around the internet.0 -
I would focus on carbs at first and not be too worried about total calories. I have found that calories in calories out does not necessarily hold true all the time. Lately, I have been increasing my calories while not doing any exercise and I am losing more weight, than when I was exercising and maintaining a calorie deficit.
^^ agree
DOUBLE THIS! I lost nearly 60 pounds eating at a deficit on keto but have also been upping my FAT calories lately and seeing another "whosh". Hopefully my last and I'll be at goal.
I applaud you for taking this step towards a more healthy you. This way of eating has literally changed my life. The health benefits for me have been astounding: completely off blood pressure meds (was one two different classes of drugs at high dosages), my asthma hasn't bothered me in 6 months (I was on COPD drugs for it), my vertigo hasn't been as bad, my knees don't hurt anymore, even my persistent toenail fungus is gone! If you can stick to it, it will reward you. The only folks I've seen fail are those with real carb addiction, usually sweets. I am lucky in that I never had a sweet tooth. This "diet" will keep you satisfied and full longer than any low fat diet.
The keto flu is different for everyone but you should be warned that it probably will hit you at some point, probably pretty quickly. Your body has to get used to burning fat, it loved those carbs you were putting in it. So the keto flu is just your body shifting gears, although rather dramatically. Drink broth (salt), LOTS OF WATER (I mean over 120 oz. a day), get good sleep. And watch the carbs.
My favorite book is "The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living". I refer to it still and I've been doing this since January 2014. I will never go back to my previous way of eating, I just feel too good.
Good luck and I'll send you a friend request. We're here for you!0 -
Thank you so much for your answer.
I'm trying to log in a food diary but so many items are US measures that I sometimes I have no idea if the quantity entered is correct or not. Is it possible to change that to European measures?
Will keep looking around tomorrow, way past my bedtime.
:yawn:
A number of foods have either multiple entries or multiple choices of what measurement you use in an entry, just look around a bit until you find a measurement you can use, and in the worse case you can google a conversion chart.
Also I would suggest http://www.marksdailyapple.com/ might be a useful resource for you. It is about the primal version of the paleo diet which is low carb, but not as low carb as keto, but the author's wife, who sometimes blogs on it too, eats low carb and was a vegetarian but now eats some fish too, so you might find some articles that help you with eating low carb and high fats without it all being foods you don't know how to cook.0 -
Thank you everyone for your kind words and support, especially those that sent me a FR. I'm so glad some post on dietdoctor.com sent me here! :flowerforyou:
I'm on day 3 and so far it's not being as bad or as difficult as I feared.
Main difficulties: headaches come and go, my whole body hurts (it's not a severe pain but it is constant and enough to feel a relief when I get to bed) and I've been craving fruit and ice cream.
Biggest surprise: I'm enjoying the food! My husband is a marvellous cook and has joined me in this lifestyle change. He also needs to lose weight (not as much as I do) and he's happy cooking foods that, because of me, we never had at home. I was very afraid of finding the food repulsive, meat and all that fat, but I've had steak au poivre and fish cooked in butter and it's like I was starving, it was really delicious! His support and cookery skills have made this much easier than if I had to cook myself!
I did not have a lot of time today but I'm going to check all of you that have a blog and also start my own.
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I did not have a lot of time today but I'm going to check all of you that have a blog and also start my own.
i started a blog about 2 months ago and it has really helped me. i haven't shared the link with anyone, i just go back and read my old posts. i can input information about how i'm feeling, whether or not i stuck to calorie goal or carb goals, etc. and then see how i reacted later. it's almost like a diary 0 -
Welcome to a great group with supportive people. We tend to be that way as our convictions about food lay outside conventional wisdom. Give your body time to adjust- it takes a few weeks and you may feel flu like symptoms at first. Consider it a sign that your body is adjusting and it's a good thing. Salty broth helps...
Anyway, follow this diet and I bet you will feel better physically and mentally in a month or two. The road to weight loss and improved health has never been easier and use us for support.0 -
Thank you!0
