To Keto, Or Not To Keto: That is the question.

If you really do have a healthy lifestyle, have been eating in a deficit and have not been seeing weight loss, then the only course of action really is to see a doctor.

LCHF doesn't cause weight loss unless you are in a deficit, so if you're already in a deficit and not seeing any loss, a change in diet isn't going to do much. LCHF has been a good choice for people with thyroid issues or PCOS, but again, you would need a doctor to diagnose and treat. I don't know of anyone on MFP with either of those conditions who is not on some form of medication to regulate the hormones along with a LCHF diet for weight loss.

Go talk to your doctor. You have medical conditions that need to be managed properly and not by a bunch of people online. We are not qualified to help you manage your illnesses.

miamouse3 wrote: »

Wheelhouse15 wrote: »

OP, I would really caution you against releasing such detailed medical information online.

There are millions of people with the same medical stats as me. None of this information enables Identity theft, and good luck if they want it to commit insurance fraud because mine sucks hardcore. I have huge medical debts. If someone wanted to use my information, they aren't going to have a jolly good time with it.

I see you just don't get the fact that there are things other than identify theft that can be done and things that can be worse. I would avoid discussion specific medical issues online.

My Personal Experience:

I'm on a keto diet (in my case, target is <40 net gms carbs per day, protein <95 g) per my doctor's recommendation to treat migraines. I experienced an almost immediate reduction in migraine symptoms. I'm not bipolar (as far as I know) so I can't speak to that, but it certainly seems help calm my "excitable" migraine brain.

In terms of weight loss, in my experience, it is MUCH easier for me to stay in a caloric deficit. I can go longer between meals and I tend to eat less at a sitting. I'm assuming it's because I feel full most of the time from eating high fat/protein and my energy levels are more stable because I no longer rely on carbs to maintain my energy level. I sometimes have to force myself to eat before bed to get to my BMR, and it's very easy to stay within my calorie goal. There are plenty of diets that will put you in a caloric deficit of course, but personally, this just makes it nearly effortless for me.

I have to say, the idea of eating nothing but fatty stuff all day grosses me out, so I try to avoid processed foods or artificial sweeteners, and include at least 2 1/2 cups of low-carb/high fiber veggies per day to make sure I'm getting those nutrients. And I do eat small quantities of fruit as well. However, my carb limit is higher than some other folks that do keto, so it may depend on where you set your limit and how your body reacts.

I definitely don't think this diet is for everyone since it fairly restrictive, but it kills two birds for me (migraines and weight loss) so it's worth it for me. Fortunately, I have found it relatively easy to stick to. However, day 3, I had a bout of nasty muscle cramps at night (watch those elecrolytes in the beginning!!). Since then I have added sodium and potassium to my MFP goals and I try to choose foods high in magnesium. This seems to have corrected the problem but it was extremely unpleasant at the time.

If you can't offer this, and aren't seeking similar answers or answering with anything about Keto, don't comment. Its unnecessary, redundant, and exhausting.

As is coming on a PUBLIC forum posting PUBLIC comments and (effectively) telling people to shut the hell up.

What, did you just discover this internet thing?

NO, conventional/traditional methods will not work.

Caloric deficit ALWAYS works, no matter what the underlying medical condition. ALWAYS.

If it didn't for you, you were doing it wrong. I suggest open your diary, and you'll get the help you need.

As for VLC, I did it for about a year. It was miserable. Low energy, inability to maintain decent exercise level, mediocre weight loss and constant cravings.

Never again.

Consider it my PSA for the day.

Hi,

reading your post it sounds to me you already made up your mind. Asking about keto in general forums usually don't end well...as you may have noticed.

I'd second "why don't you just give it a try for 2-4 weeks" and see where it takes you?
The adjusting phase is rumored to be elusively unpredictable, lasting up to several weeks until properly into nutritional ketosis (NK). The carb thresholds are highly individual. And the induction phase can be straining, headaches, rashes bla-bla-bla. Take more salt, yada-yada.

As with ANY major diet change, doing the research first pays off. With a quite "technical" diet, for lack of a better word, like ketosis, you really need to read up first. reddit.keto and ruled.me are great sites.

I also agree with those informing above that intake, aka portion control DOES MATTER for weight loss regardless of which diet you're on.


My LCHF journey. I'm myself lurking around flirting with my carb levels. I originally broke out of my plateau that lasted almost a year with intermittent fasting (IF) 10 weeks ago. I have consistently lost 1kg/week. (Last week I'm on diet break, so only lost 9kg) Since the 5:2 diet plan involves 2 semi-fasting days with only 500 kcal intake/day, most 5:2'ers choose them very low-carb. The natural and logic step for me was to reduce my carbs both simple and complex also on the other 5 days. I go in and out of ketosis (according to the stix) depending on how I'm training and carb intake. Usually I'm somewhere around 50-120g/day. I eat almost only homemade food, the exceptions often being portions of treats at night. I exercise between 3-5x/week.

Freedom from feeding. I like the effects IF and low-carbing has given MY lifestyle. I don't need to feed my body every 4 hours like a tamagotchi anymore. I can choose more freely when it suits me to eat. I can run fasted or take 10g protein pre spinning class. I can exercise VERY hard when I want to with a 100g carb up. I didn't run out of energy 2 weeks ago when I was bicycling 11 hours in 4 days during an instructor course. (Sore butt last day, energy still high).

I don't really stress about whether I'm "in" ketosis or not. I go by how I feel and adjust accordingly:) Right now exercising goals are more important until instructor exam than NK.

There are some cons to stay in ketosis. You do have to be very careful, calculating and maybe prelogging more than I have done. It's not for everyone. Whether the pluses wins over the negatives, only the individual can decide for themselves.

Good luck:)

TRIAL AND ERROR FTW

Edit: If anything, I'd say my athletic performance has gotten a boost since LCHF. Since I'm no longer so dependent on bloodsugar, I have recorded more peaks into red zone while HIIT. For example last saturday I stayed 9 minutes above 93% VO2max during 6 bursts. 24 mins in orange zone 83-87% within a 55 minute spinning class.

eric_sg61 wrote: »

miamouse3 wrote: »

kgeyser wrote: »

If you really do have a healthy lifestyle, have been eating in a deficit and have not been seeing weight loss, then the only course of action really is to see a doctor.

LCHF doesn't cause weight loss unless you are in a deficit, so if you're already in a deficit and not seeing any loss, a change in diet isn't going to do much. LCHF has been a good choice for people with thyroid issues or PCOS, but again, you would need a doctor to diagnose and treat. I don't know of anyone on MFP with either of those conditions who is not on some form of medication to regulate the hormones along with a LCHF diet for weight loss.

My doctors suspected Thyroid and PCOS, but the blood test results didn't show a yes. I was advised by someone on here to ask for a different test that was more accurate, I have it written down somewhere, but I can't get to a doctor right now because I work full time and the nearest physicians office that accepts my insurance is 1 hour and 45 minutes away on a good traffic day. I will go as soon as I can, but for right now I really can't go wrong with trying something new that could help since I am not getting any better doing what I already am. Its not a crash diet, so really there isn't any harm in giving it a go as long as I do it right.
Again, I was asking for people's experiences. I listed my stats because if anyone who has any similar stats and has tried keto sees this maybe they can tell me how it worked out.
The ASBP often recommends LCHF diets. I have seen a lot of posts on the keto board on reddit where people saw little to no result on other diets, switched to this, and saw change.

I also read about how low carb diets have shown improvements for people in epilepsy. Following keto and similar diets reduced the number of seizures they were having due to the way the diet change affected certain processes. The reaction was similar to results seen on depakote. In theory, epilepsy and bipolar share similarities, and both are controlled with seizure medications like depakote. These medications help make seizures and episodes less frequent. I have been treated with seizure medication in the past. I am not currently on any because I can't see a doctor right now. There aren't enough case studies done on bipolar patients, other than a couple bipolar women with similar issues as mine voluntarily underwent the lifestyle change and saw improvement physically and mentally. Because there isn't a wider grouping and more variables, this isn't a confirmation but it does suggest that theoretically it could be affective in therapies for bipolar patients.

So I do have medical reasoning to want to try it. I will see a doctor when I can. Right now I can't. I'm working on repairing that situation but it is incredibly tiring to hear that over and over when I am doing everything I can right now to have the ability or coverage to see one. its like rubbing salt in the wound. So I would greatly appreciate it if the doctor issue was dropped.

People with certain neurological disorders cannot properly metabolize or uptake glucose in the brain. Ketones provide an alternate fuel source. Even then, they are not always used and if they are used they are used short-term and the patients are monitored by dieticians and doctors because of the side effects of the diet.

curious...what "side effects"?

Foamroller wrote: »

:



Freedom from feeding. I like the effects IF and low-carbing has given MY lifestyle. I don't need to feed my body every 4 hours like a tamagotchi anymore. I can choose more freely when it suits me to eat.

^^I can vouch that this is true for me as well!!! I don't purposefully fast, but I regularly end up skipping breakfast or other meals because I'm busy and not hungry, and my energy levels remain stable. Prior to keto, I would have been STARVING,cranky, or exhausted if I missed a meal. Also, I lolled at the tamagotchi comment, but that is a great way to look at it.

I am a former avid low carber. I do not consider myself so any longer.


I've struggled with my weight almost my entire life. Been on a ton of different "diets", fads, tried many different approaches. Only two rose above, stuck and changed my relationship with food for life. LCHF was one of those approaches.

UPSIDES

- It was the very first eating approach that allowed me to eat to satiation and still lose a lot of weight. A fat/protein heavy diet is extremely filling to me, while never prompting me to overeat. I followed LCHF for years and years, and I never gained weight while sticking stringently to it.

- Murdered my snacking childhood/teenage snacking habit. LCHF meals just tended to be so satisfying, and stuck with me so long, that while I followed it snacking and munching just didn't happen often.


- It taught me that I did not need lots of carbohydrates to have energy. In fact I tend to feel more energized, with more sustainable energy, when my carb intake is low. No blood sugar crashes, ups and downs, etc. There was a time in my life where I was a regular runner and I did that entire period as a strict low carber. Was also the leanest I've ever been in my life so far.

- It made my overall diet much healthier. With many of the standard American staples off the table, I learned long ago to fall in love with a variety of veggies to help fill me up.

- My mother was also T2D, as was her father. Learning to eat lower carb has given me a lifeline to stave off the development in my own body, and if I am one day diagnosed, to be able to manage it with little to no medications. I am very, very grateful that I learned to eat this way.

- The diet literally transformed, seemingly permanent, what foods my body craves. I grew up on a typical US diet, with all the implications of that. Low carbing off and on for over 10 years killed my yearnings and heavy cravings for potato chips/snacks, pasta, bread and pizza. I never imagined that would happen. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy all those kinds of fare, but I almost never crave them. I can have the best bread ever baked, or the finest pasta dish Italy has to offer, enjoy it, and literally not have a craving for it for another year, not even think about it. I know, because I've done it. If you knew how I grew up you'd know what a minor miracle that was. This is a case where abstinence actually had a long term, very positive effect.

DOWNSIDES

- I villainized carbohydrates for years. Not the carbs in veggies, but in just about everything else, including fruit.

- It did not help with my intense sweet tooth. While abstinence helped me, as mentioned, kick my habit of overeating many foods, it didn't with sweets. I was fine as long as I didn't have them, but when I inevitably would I'd go over board, sometimes for days, weeks, months...and years.

- Fruit was in the no-no category. That was not what Atkins recommended, but it's how I practiced it out. I went years without eating fruit.

- It was very difficult for me to sustain long term. Because low carbing fed my "all or nothing" mentality, I did very well when I was doing very well...an extremely poorly when I somehow broke the "rules". Just the feeling of failure if I had some cake, or too much non-low carb ice cream, would send me into "eat all the SWEETZ and start tomorrow mode" and, at some point, tomorrow stopped showing up tomorrow.

- I gained back all my weight, and then double, when I allowed the ceiling to finally fall. I ended up low carbing again several times and almost always regained the weight I lost.


I haven't considered myself a dedicated low carber in a couple years. These days I use intermittent fasting for weight loss and maintenance. I also don't consider any foods bad, wrong or outside of my power to control anymore.

However LCHF has left a huge mark on the way I eat. To this day the bulk of my diet is made up mostly of lower carbohydrate, whole, nutritionally dense foods. I'm in great health. I eat this way because I love to, not because I have to. Just feels natural at this point, it keeps me energized and makes my body feel so, so much better than when I've followed a more standard, typical, high carbohydrate approach.