What am I doing wrong? Help needed please.
faw1001
Posts: 131 Member
So I started 'quitting sugar', then progressed to Primal then to LCHF over the course of about 2 weeks while absorbing all the info I could get my hands on. I started this 4 weeks ago tomorrow and although I lost about 4.5 kg in the first couple of weeks, I gained back 1.5 of that last week and no loss so far this week
What am I doing wrong? I cut down my carbs in recent weeks. I am in Keto (according to my test strips). I have been increasing the amount of fat I eat and now I am watching how much protein I have too.
Any ideas? My diary is open.
P.S. also my muscles have no energy and my skins has turned to cr*p!
What am I doing wrong? I cut down my carbs in recent weeks. I am in Keto (according to my test strips). I have been increasing the amount of fat I eat and now I am watching how much protein I have too.
Any ideas? My diary is open.
P.S. also my muscles have no energy and my skins has turned to cr*p!
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if your not in maintainance mode, why are you increasing your fat? You should only be increasing your fat once you've reached your desired weight so you wont continue to loose weight.
How have you determined what your macros should be? Here's a calculator if needed http://keto-calculator.ankerl.com/ but i use the macros that are based off of the findings of dr. phinney and dr. volek (i think thats the name)
here's a link to that http://www.askthelowcarbexperts.com/2012/08/23-long-term-stalls-weight-gain-even-on-a-well-formulated-low-carb-diet-dr-stephen-phinney/
For weight loss, you'd want to stay towards the lower end of the fat intake. But you should make sure your hitting the min protein at the very least, but more is better.
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mizaditude wrote: »if your not in maintainance mode, why are you increasing your fat? You should only be increasing your fat once you've reached your desired weight so you wont continue to loose weight.
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mizaditude wrote: »if your not in maintainance mode, why are you increasing your fat? You should only be increasing your fat once you've reached your desired weight so you wont continue to loose weight.
How have you determined what your macros should be? Here's a calculator if needed http://keto-calculator.ankerl.com/ but i use the macros that are in the optimal keto living facebook group.
If you decrease your carbs, you have to increase something to maintain the calorie level...So I started 'quitting sugar', then progressed to Primal then to LCHF over the course of about 2 weeks while absorbing all the info I could get my hands on. I started this 4 weeks ago tomorrow and although I lost about 4.5 kg in the first couple of weeks, I gained back 1.5 of that last week and no loss so far this week
What am I doing wrong? I cut down my carbs in recent weeks. I am in Keto (according to my test strips). I have been increasing the amount of fat I eat and now I am watching how much protein I have too.
Any ideas? My diary is open.
P.S. also my muscles have no energy and my skins has turned to cr*p!
You seem to be getting a large portion of your calories from foods that are fairly empty, nutritionally. The last couple of days, you've basically been living off of cream (today, especially). Try to make sure you keep eating a variety of foods and include vegetables.
Aside from that, it sounds about right. If you're switching from a high-carb diet, then you're going to go through a phase where things may get worse before they get better. This is often referred to as "keto flu." It's basically a detox/withdrawal reaction, as sugar can be physically addictive. It will pass, just make sure you're drinking enough water, getting enough electrolytes, and eating enough.
Your muscles have "no energy," because your body hasn't yet adjusted to using fat as its primary substrate for fuel. It's still searching for glycogen that is no longer there. If you lift, you'll likely want to back off the intensity for a while, and work your way back up. It's kind of like a runner switching to minimalist shoes and a mid-foot strike -- they can't just go out and run their usual workout distance. They have to back off until they get used to their new "normal," and work back up again. In the long run, it can result in comparable (or even improved, depending on your metrics) performance, but you have to back off, first.
Your skin issues could be a couple of different things. You're not very specific about what "crap" means, here. Did you consume as much dairy as you're consuming right now? It's possible that you're sensitive to dairy, and the uptick in consumption is causing your problems. Dairy has been known to cause acne in people who are sensitive to it.
Additionally, various other skin issues may also be a result of the detox reaction. It's not unheard of for the skin to react when starting a now protocol. It should clear up in a week or two if this is the case. The skin is our largest organ, and one of the largest ways we get rid of waste and toxins and whatnot. Give it some time.
As for weight loss, your weight fluctuates on a regular basis. especially since you're female. It's very likely as simple as that it's a time of the month where you hold on to water weight a little more. It could also be simply because you've depleted the glycogen stores that your body was using the first couple of weeks (the depletion of which were what were causing the big weight loss numbers). A week, and even two, is nothing. Weight loss is not linear. Keep doing what you're doing, making only some tweaks to ensure you're getting proper nutrition, and don't freak out if the scale doesn't go down every single time you weigh yourself. The scale is only a small part of the picture.
Also, a note about the ketostix -- they show that you're producing ketones, but they do not show that you're using them (producing and using are two different things). In fact, if the urine keto strips are picking up a lot of ketones, that means your body hasn't begun to use them efficiently yet and is discarding them as waste. It's when the strips show a drop in ketone levels that you're likely actually using them. Blood ketone strips are more accurate (though they are expensive) and can give you an actual number of the amount of ketones floating around in your blood for your body to use.0 -
increasing your protein is not bad. But again if your attempting to lose weight your going to want to decrease fat as opposed to increasing it.
How tall are you? Weight? male? female?0 -
Also, do a search for "optimal keto living" on facebook, thats a great group with lots of helpful info based on research.0
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Dragonwolf wrote: »You seem to be getting a large portion of your calories from foods that are fairly empty, nutritionally. The last couple of days, you've basically been living off of cream (today, especially). Try to make sure you keep eating a variety of foods and include vegetables.
Yea I have been using cream in my coffee instead of milk and I drink a fair bit of coffee. I used to eat as much dairy but all low fat, now I eat high fat dairy.
I am aware I need to avoid packaged foods and I have been on the hunt for more recipes to get more variety into my diet.
My skin issues are pimples and dry skin. I have been drinking loads more water than I used to. I never used to get thirsty but I do now
Interesting about the ketostix. My tests have been low in the mornings but much higher during the day after eating.0 -
I did the macros assessment and came up with:
1600 kcal Daily Calorie Intake
25 g Carbohydrates (6%, 100 kcal)
66 g Protein (17%, 264 kcal)
137 g Fat (77%, 1236 kcal)
So pretty much what I was aiming for0 -
wow, i just went and found the keto page on fb that mzaditude recommended, and reevaluated my macros, as well. big difference in protein. i am happy with this. thank you, msaditude, for the guide.0
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LoraKay131 wrote: »wow, i just went and found the keto page on fb that mzaditude recommended, and reevaluated my macros, as well. big difference in protein. i am happy with this. thank you, msaditude, for the guide.
Im glad you found it useful. In this group the consensus is that your fat shouldn't be higher than your protein in grams when your in weightloss mode because your eating fat but you also want your body to use the fat it already has to burn. If your eating a ton of fat theres no reason for your body to burn the fat from your *kitten* lol. They don't do the "eat more fat" thing because during weight loss fat is coming from your body and from the plate, not just the plate.
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mizaditude wrote: »Im glad you found it useful. In this group the consensus is that your fat shouldn't be higher than your protein in grams when your in weightloss mode because your eating fat but you also want your body to use the fat it already has to burn. If your eating a ton of fat theres no reason for your body to burn the fat from your *kitten* lol. They don't do the "eat more fat" thing because during weight loss fat is coming from your body and from the plate, not just the plate.
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mizaditude wrote: »Im glad you found it useful. In this group the consensus is that your fat shouldn't be higher than your protein in grams when your in weightloss mode because your eating fat but you also want your body to use the fat it already has to burn. If your eating a ton of fat theres no reason for your body to burn the fat from your *kitten* lol. They don't do the "eat more fat" thing because during weight loss fat is coming from your body and from the plate, not just the plate.
I go by the chart thats posted in the group, so i try to stay at the low end of that range since im in weight loss mode. But at this point, generally my protein is 100-120g and fat between 60-80g. Prior to decreasing the fat and increasing my protein, i wasn't gaining but i wasn't losing either. I increased my protein and gained 2 pounds initially but within the month i have lost a total of 5lbs, not including those inital 2 i gained. So it has helped me, personally0 -
mizaditude wrote: »mizaditude wrote: »Im glad you found it useful. In this group the consensus is that your fat shouldn't be higher than your protein in grams when your in weightloss mode because your eating fat but you also want your body to use the fat it already has to burn. If your eating a ton of fat theres no reason for your body to burn the fat from your *kitten* lol. They don't do the "eat more fat" thing because during weight loss fat is coming from your body and from the plate, not just the plate.
I go by the chart thats posted in the group, so i try to stay at the low end of that range since im in weight loss mode. But at this point, generally my protein is 100-120g and fat between 60-80g. Prior to decreasing the fat and increasing my protein, i wasn't gaining but i wasn't losing either. I increased my protein and gained 2 pounds initially but within the month i have lost a total of 5lbs, not including those inital 2 i gained. So it has helped me, personally
Thanks for sharing that. It makes sense that the body fat burned (net loss of fat) would make up part of the % of fat. I started LC using mainly coconut oil for pain management and I am from 7-8 down to 2-3 on a 1-10 scale. Now I want to start on losing weight aspect of LC. Ditched sugar and grains but it took to months to pull that off completely. Personal I think ditching the sugar cut pain levels the most. Being at 63 and years of yo yoing on traditional diets this time around is not as easy as before for sure.
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GaleHawkins wrote: »mizaditude wrote: »mizaditude wrote: »Im glad you found it useful. In this group the consensus is that your fat shouldn't be higher than your protein in grams when your in weightloss mode because your eating fat but you also want your body to use the fat it already has to burn. If your eating a ton of fat theres no reason for your body to burn the fat from your *kitten* lol. They don't do the "eat more fat" thing because during weight loss fat is coming from your body and from the plate, not just the plate.
I go by the chart thats posted in the group, so i try to stay at the low end of that range since im in weight loss mode. But at this point, generally my protein is 100-120g and fat between 60-80g. Prior to decreasing the fat and increasing my protein, i wasn't gaining but i wasn't losing either. I increased my protein and gained 2 pounds initially but within the month i have lost a total of 5lbs, not including those inital 2 i gained. So it has helped me, personally
Thanks for sharing that. It makes sense that the body fat burned (net loss of fat) would make up part of the % of fat. I started LC using mainly coconut oil for pain management and I am from 7-8 down to 2-3 on a 1-10 scale. Now I want to start on losing weight aspect of LC. Ditched sugar and grains but it took to months to pull that off completely. Personal I think ditching the sugar cut pain levels the most. Being at 63 and years of yo yoing on traditional diets this time around is not as easy as before for sure.
While it might "make sense..." at first glance, and appear "official" because it's posted on some facebook page, you and I are old enough to know that "things aren't always as they appear to be" <g>.
I have no doubt that the individual experiences described above are true and don't question those who report individual results that run counter to the "general recommendations".
So much of ANY dieting regimen is individual specific and determined to a large degree by any particular person's overall metabolic interactions that there simply is NO "one size fits all" and "general" recommendations must be viewed as "starting points" to be adjusted as necessary to accommodate the individual.
That said, however, one (or a relatively small group %-wise) of "outliers" does not change the "science" or the results of trials that define the consensus of opinion - nor does it change what is considered "best advice" for the majority.
Very few of the common wisdom recommendations are "hard and fast".
Some will be able to reach (and/or maintain) fat adaptation at 35g/day, others require <10g. Some can remain in ketosis with protein intake above 125g - others will be "kicked out" at 60.
Fat adaptation will be established for some in a couple weeks, for others it will take 6 or more. And, if proper macro ratios are not arrived at (excessive protein for example) might never be achieved.
It all "depends".
Carb and protein levels, most would agree are based on firm numbers (specific number of grams - 20g carbs, 65g protein e.g.) the number remains fixed and only becomes a % for ease of comparison.
I'd not seen the chart referenced above but neither have I ever heard anyone quote protein recommendations based on "height" - it's ALWAYS a percentage of a weight which makes a whole lot more "sense". Opinions vary on the base measurement to use (LBM, "ideal/goal" body weight, current bw, etc) as do they on the multipliers but the "range" any of them provide is always much narrower than those depicted on the chart above.
Indeed, a change of as little as 5g's of protein has been shown to effectively halt ketone production when the increase exceeded the test subject's protein "resistance" level.
Rule of thumb (generalization) 55-100 grams is the range that "most" will fall in and when the proper level is determined - more is NOT better. (those engaged in "extreme" exercise levels excluded, at least intermittently).
There actually IS "hard science" behind the idea that INCREASING FAT (and thereby decreasing protein) DOES result in increased weight loss.
It's all about how the body "converts" food sources to energy and promotes (or inhibits) the production of ketones, glucose, fatty acids, and a whole host of others.
This article is a pretty good "mix" between the hard science and still being understandable by those of us not comfortable with all the "science lingo".
tinyurl.com/nwsktv3
Hope it helps.
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It seemed to be a good article but every article seems to have its own lingo.
2390 kcal Daily Calorie Intake
20 g Net Carbs (3%, 80 kcal)
91 g Protein (15%, 364 kcal)
216 g Fat (81%, 1946 kcal)
This is what www.ruled.me/keto-calculator/ came up for me. I am now looking at tweaking my protein up to see if I get knocked out of ketosis at the >91 gram mark since I had been low on protein and I recounted. I have read where for best health most will need 90-120 grams of protein daily.
I plan to cut back on my fat at some point if I can figure out if I am burning stored fat more. If I could lose a net pound of body fat a week that would be 500 calories from my on fat as I now understand it. I also know I do not need to eat at more than a 5-10 deficit calorie wise to keep losing weight.
To keep some science involved I try to change only one think in my diet and do it for a week or more.
I did a carb nite last Friday and gained 6 pounds some how but it was not from the calories alone. Felt so bad but today I have drank a lot of green tea and the water loss has increased it seems. I had been <50 grams of carbs for 2 month without exception.
Over the next six months I hope to learn what works best for me and if possible understand why. Thanks
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ebay.com/itm/Advanced-Professional-Breathalyser-Detector-Police-Digital-Breath-Alcohol-Tester/381065373751?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D27538%26meid%3Df14a5ef0454140efaeac22ec1ce1bb97%26pid%3D100005%26prg%3D11353%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D121300767365&rt=nc
This is the type meter I use to determine if I am in or out of ketosis. The low end ones will measure alcohol, acetone, etc unlike the expensive ones that will only detect alcohol. Of course the readout is scaled for alcohol so it is just a relative reference to me. If I blow .02 then the next time .08 I 'assume' I am at a higher level of ketosis. The harder I work the higher the read out because I am burning more fat I guess. I have been using a meter like these for four months now. The two I am now using give different values but that is OK. If I get into some accidental carbs the numbers will drop some. After the one and only carb nite last week it took 12 hours to get a .0000 readout and a couple days to get over .02 readout.0 -
GaleHawkins wrote: »ebay.com/itm/Advanced-Professional-Breathalyser-Detector-Police-Digital-Breath-Alcohol-Tester/381065373751?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D27538%26meid%3Df14a5ef0454140efaeac22ec1ce1bb97%26pid%3D100005%26prg%3D11353%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D121300767365&rt=nc
This is the type meter I use to determine if I am in or out of ketosis. The low end ones will measure alcohol, acetone, etc unlike the expensive ones that will only detect alcohol. Of course the readout is scaled for alcohol so it is just a relative reference to me. If I blow .02 then the next time .08 I 'assume' I am at a higher level of ketosis. The harder I work the higher the read out because I am burning more fat I guess. I have been using a meter like these for four months now. The two I am now using give different values but that is OK. If I get into some accidental carbs the numbers will drop some. After the one and only carb nite last week it took 12 hours to get a .0000 readout and a couple days to get over .02 readout.
Funny you mention the breatholizer, Yar and I have been kicking around the Ketonix on another group and just tonight I dug out my old "home" alcohol detector meter.
Long story short, I "blew" a 0.02 and although I didn't take a B-OHB (blood) ketone reading at the same time, my last was 2.2 (solidly FA),
which would appear to be a good indicator for your .02
BUT......
My bride tried and blew the EXACT SAME 0.02 (again not simultaneous but her last blood was 1.1
Neither of us had consumed any alcohol in 24hrs (and only ~2 glasses of wine then) so we both "should" have blown 0.00BAC's
There were a couple other "variables" that we hope to get ironed out tomorrow or the next day and then test again but, so far at least, I'm pretty much convinced that any attempt to get anything any more definitive than "yup, it looks like there is "some" acetone in the breath which might indicate "something" as far as B-OHB goes" is not too likely.
I'd love to be proved wrong but remain convinced that blood testing is the ONLY way to go - do it "right" or don't bother doing it at all since the urine and (at least so far from what I've seen) the breath tests are totally useless.
As far as your "numbers" go, they look fine and you are exactly on track with taking it slow and changing one thing at a time.
I would revisit the "thinking of cutting back on fat...." thing, though.
Might want to reread the section on
The case against getting energy from protein
"We know, then, that dietary fats can produce all the energy the body needs, either directly as fatty acids or as ketone bodies. But, as there is still some debate about the health implications of using fats, why not play safe and eat more protein? "
There are better "sources" for "first hand" info but most of the conclusions are similar regarding the role dietary fat plays in the "grand scheme" of things.
Choice is yours (of course) and what matters most is that you find what works best for YOU.
I'm convinced you will - just keep at it and keep learning.
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Way I see it from your post;
- the initial 4.5kg loss was water weight, or mostly water weight. To understand why this is so, read up on glycogen.
- the 1.5kg regained was either actual genuine weight gain, or else water retention. Low carb doesn't invalidate calories in- calories out, in my opinion, but rather makes it easier to eat less and thus lose. If it's not weight gain from overconsumption, it may be water retention. That can occur if you've eaten enough carbs to refill your bodies glycogen stores, or for other reasons including hormonal/ stage in the menstrual cycle for women. If it's water retention, it will disappear as whatever caused it disappears.
- re: pattern of weight loss, actual weight loss does not happen in a nice steady fashion, but rather in fits and starts. This may be a factor here, just to be aware of.
- re: skin/ energy, I can't comment. Low carb does not agree with everyone, and this may be the case for you. Most of us get the low-carb 'flu' usually twice - first when we lower the carbs initially, and second a few weeks later often when our bodies transition fully to burning fat for fuel. If it's not this in your case, ie if it lasts more than a few days, I would suggest low-carb may just be disagreeable for you, which is quite normal in my opinion, as all diets disagree with some of us
Hope this helps. Personally I don't believe in any magical weight loss properties of low carb, aside from helping me eat less calories, and the first 30/ 35 of the 46lbs I've lost since May were all from eating lower carb. In fact I've returned to it recently to help me shed the remainder of the weight I wish to lose
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mizaditude wrote: »
Im glad you found it useful. In this group the consensus is that your fat shouldn't be higher than your protein in grams when your in weightloss mode because your eating fat but you also want your body to use the fat it already has to burn. If your eating a ton of fat theres no reason for your body to burn the fat from your *kitten* lol. They don't do the "eat more fat" thing because during weight loss fat is coming from your body and from the plate, not just the plate.
Um...no....that's not the consensus of this group. If there's any consensus to be had (not everyone follows the same low carb program, here), it leans more toward fat grams should be at least that of protein, if not more, especially when talking about the portion of people who follow keto.
The point of keto is to have your body use fat as its primary source of energy. When you're in this mode, the body doesn't really care whether that fat comes from food or the body. If you feed it less than you're burning, being keto makes it easier to tap into your stored fat. The reason this doesn't happen on high-carb is because glucose is toxic outside of a small threshold, and is, therefore, the highest priority to deal with, so everything else halts (or close to it) while there's excess glucose to handle. Fat doesn't have that issue, so the body can pull it from wherever, at will.
My protein intake hasn't really changed all that much since I started decreasing my carb intake. I've always averaged around 80-100g. What has changed is the percentage of my calories from fat vs carbs. And yet, when I keep my carbs low, I lose weight, despite gaining weight on the same number of calories, but with more carbs and less fat, due to the insulin and glucose processing issues that come with metabolic disorder and PCOS.
When you keep your calories constant, you must increase one or more macro when you decrease one or more other macros. We're not necessarily talking increasing calories when we say "eat more fat." We're talking increasing the percentage of calories you get from fat vs the percentage you get from carbs.
You lose weight when you increase your protein, because protein is not a fuel macro, and using it for fuel is very inefficient. It takes a lot of energy to turn protein into glucose, and because protein is turned to glucose when used for fuel, it's counterproductive to the goal of ketosis, anyway. It's also hard on the body to do it that way, and can cause a myriad of other issues, especially when carbs and fat are reduced beyond a certain point.
If you're still convinced that eating more fat is counterproductive to weight loss, I encourage you to look at Dr. Peter Attia's charts for when he went ketogenic. His final breakdown included 88% of calories from fat, 3-4 times the number of grams from fat as from protein. He was also actual able to eat more food and still lose weight. So no, your hypothesis that you can't/shouldn't increase fat or eat more grams of fat than protein if you want to lose weight doesn't hold water.GaleHawkins wrote: »mizaditude wrote: »mizaditude wrote: »Im glad you found it useful. In this group the consensus is that your fat shouldn't be higher than your protein in grams when your in weightloss mode because your eating fat but you also want your body to use the fat it already has to burn. If your eating a ton of fat theres no reason for your body to burn the fat from your *kitten* lol. They don't do the "eat more fat" thing because during weight loss fat is coming from your body and from the plate, not just the plate.
I go by the chart thats posted in the group, so i try to stay at the low end of that range since im in weight loss mode. But at this point, generally my protein is 100-120g and fat between 60-80g. Prior to decreasing the fat and increasing my protein, i wasn't gaining but i wasn't losing either. I increased my protein and gained 2 pounds initially but within the month i have lost a total of 5lbs, not including those inital 2 i gained. So it has helped me, personally
Thanks for sharing that. It makes sense that the body fat burned (net loss of fat) would make up part of the % of fat. I started LC using mainly coconut oil for pain management and I am from 7-8 down to 2-3 on a 1-10 scale. Now I want to start on losing weight aspect of LC. Ditched sugar and grains but it took to months to pull that off completely. Personal I think ditching the sugar cut pain levels the most. Being at 63 and years of yo yoing on traditional diets this time around is not as easy as before for sure.
Given the neurological effects of glucose on the body, that doesn't surprise me. Additionally, you've probably cut out foods that exacerbate inflammation (as grains are a common cause of issues, even among people without a Celiac diagnosis).
There have been numerous studies on the ketogenic diet for a number of neurological and neurodegenerative disorders, including migraines, epilepsy (for which the keto diet was originally created and used), Alzheimer's, muscular dystrophy, Parkinson's, ALS, and more.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3321471/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2367001/
I've personally found great relief from my periodic migraines/cluster headaches from ditching grains and reducing carb intake. I've also found that the pain from a couple of degenerating discs in my spine is generally lessened when I maintain lower carbs.
I've found LCHF to be easier than the more conventional ways of eating, especially when trying to lose weight. It gets easier with time, as you lose the carb/sugar cravings, and as you start falling into routines and building habits. It takes a while, but reaching for the full fat stuff will start to become second nature.0 -
deansdad101 I expect the ketone blood level would be the most accurate perhaps. $15 to know when I am in ketosis or not got my attention. I have not looked at the cost of a blood testing ketone system. The author of Carb Nite claims it is next to impossible to gain weight from eating too much protein but I still have a concern about my kidney health if abusing protein.
iloseityes low carb does not invalidate any factual laws of science I agree.
As to the low-carb flu I thought I was dying until I googled "death from coconut oil" and learned about the Herxheimer effect of kill off of the bad stuff in the gut.
Some people do low carb for things not weight related like trying to prevent vision loss from macular degeneration by way of the chaperone mediated autophagy that can get triggered when one enters a state of ketosis. It may help prevent cataract formation as well.
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GaleHawkins wrote: »
iloseityes low carb does not invalidate any factual laws of science I agree.
As to the low-carb flu I thought I was dying until I googled "death from coconut oil" and learned about the Herxheimer effect of kill off of the bad stuff in the gut.
Some people do low carb for things not weight related like trying to prevent vision loss from macular degeneration by way of the chaperone mediated autophagy that can get triggered when one enters a state of ketosis. It may help prevent cataract formation as well.
Yes, think we're in complete agreement really, although not sure if more than the first line was a response to my post, lol
Never heard of the Herxheimer effect.. off too google, and maybe learn something new, lol0 -
GaleHawkins wrote: »deansdad101 I expect the ketone blood level would be the most accurate perhaps. $15 to know when I am in ketosis or not got my attention. I have not looked at the cost of a blood testing ketone system. The author of Carb Nite claims it is next to impossible to gain weight from eating too much protein but I still have a concern about my kidney health if abusing protein.
iloseityes low carb does not invalidate any factual laws of science I agree.
As to the low-carb flu I thought I was dying until I googled "death from coconut oil" and learned about the Herxheimer effect of kill off of the bad stuff in the gut.
Some people do low carb for things not weight related like trying to prevent vision loss from macular degeneration by way of the chaperone mediated autophagy that can get triggered when one enters a state of ketosis. It may help prevent cataract formation as well.
I'm a firm believer in blood testing as the ONLY accurate, reliable, and worthwhile method.
I'm equally firm in believing that both urine and breath testing are essentially worthless as a diagnostic tool and provide, at best, little more than "huggy/feely, warm and fuzzy" feedback based more on wishful thinking than science.
Others disagree and that's fine but pretty much no one suggests that the results are reliable, accurate, or directly comparable to the only measurement that actually matters (B-OHB).
As far a blood testing meters and methods goes, if you haven't already, take a look at this thread for the basics. If you have additional questions, please ask.
community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10019664/how-do-i-know-if-im-in-ketosis#latest
In a nutshell, if you select the right meter and obtain strips from the "right" sources, it's entirely possible to get set up and running for $50-75 total for BOTH ketone and blood glucose testing.
Yes, the k-strips can be expensive but they don't have to be.
They are available for $2/ea (not the $5-6/ea you see at many sites) and there is no reason to test every day or multiple times per day. After adaptation, once a week is plenty (unless you're doing some sort of N=1 "test".
Having the ability to test blood glucose levels daily (at <$1/day) is invaluable and arguably MORE important than testing ketone levels.
I totally agree that "...some people do low carb for things not weight related...."
I'd go a step further and suggest that MOST people (in this group at least) who are serious about true nutritional ketosis and fat adaptation are doing so FIRST for the health and well being reasons and only secondarily for the weight loss benefits.
From that perspective, BOTH BG and B-OHB "numbers" are not only important - they are critical to success.
For me, the ability to actually "measure" the effect a change in diet macros has is "worth" the increased cost but others are fine with simply making a change and waiting to see the results.
Either method can "work" and indeed there are many who believe there is absolutely no reason (let alone necessity) to test at all.
"What I'm doing is working....why mess with success?" - is a perfectly reasonable point of view and as long as it works, who can argue?
On the "Carb Nite" thing, I'm not familiar with the book or the author but would suggest that there is an abundance of "evidence" (real, as in clinical studies and trials) that would say otherwise.
On the Herxheimer/Candidia/gut "kill off" issues, I would suggest that the "science" is still very much in its infancy and as far as I know, to date there are NO studies/trials that have definitively linked LCHF in a negative way.
There is, however, no shortage of "fear mongering" and misinformation (as has been the case for over 40 years regarding ALL things LCHF).
This is NOT to say that it (candidia/gut biology) isn't an "issue" - IT IS.
However it's (at this date) an "issue" without any definite conclusive results.
Here's another "article" (POV) that keeps the current state of knowledge a little more in perspective.
tinyurl.com/k3oeq4b
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Dragonwolf wrote: »mizaditude wrote: »
Im glad you found it useful. In this group the consensus is that your fat shouldn't be higher than your protein in grams when your in weightloss mode because your eating fat but you also want your body to use the fat it already has to burn. If your eating a ton of fat theres no reason for your body to burn the fat from your *kitten* lol. They don't do the "eat more fat" thing because during weight loss fat is coming from your body and from the plate, not just the plate.
Um...no....that's not the consensus
<snipped>
I've found LCHF to be easier than the more conventional ways of eating, especially when trying to lose weight. It gets easier with time, as you lose the carb/sugar cravings, and as you start falling into routines and building habits. It takes a while, but reaching for the full fat stuff will start to become second nature.
What she said <G>
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deansdad101 thanks for the blood testing suggestions. I found the Precision Xtra meter as slow as $25 with ketone strips at $1.50 and glucose at $.36 each on ebay using Google. I will use the ketone strips to 'calibrate' the blow meters.0
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deansdad101 wrote: »Dragonwolf wrote: »mizaditude wrote: »
Im glad you found it useful. In this group the consensus is that your fat shouldn't be higher than your protein in grams when your in weightloss mode because your eating fat but you also want your body to use the fat it already has to burn. If your eating a ton of fat theres no reason for your body to burn the fat from your *kitten* lol. They don't do the "eat more fat" thing because during weight loss fat is coming from your body and from the plate, not just the plate.
Um...no....that's not the consensus
<snipped>
I've found LCHF to be easier than the more conventional ways of eating, especially when trying to lose weight. It gets easier with time, as you lose the carb/sugar cravings, and as you start falling into routines and building habits. It takes a while, but reaching for the full fat stuff will start to become second nature.
What she said <G>
I was referring to the optimal ketogenic living fb group!!! not this group obviously!
As with anything, the opinion of optimal macros are like *kitten*.....0 -
wow ok now I really don't know what to do lol0
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mizaditude wrote: »deansdad101 wrote: »Dragonwolf wrote: »mizaditude wrote: »
Im glad you found it useful. In this group the consensus is that your fat shouldn't be higher than your protein in grams when your in weightloss mode because your eating fat but you also want your body to use the fat it already has to burn. If your eating a ton of fat theres no reason for your body to burn the fat from your *kitten* lol. They don't do the "eat more fat" thing because during weight loss fat is coming from your body and from the plate, not just the plate.
Um...no....that's not the consensus
<snipped>
I've found LCHF to be easier than the more conventional ways of eating, especially when trying to lose weight. It gets easier with time, as you lose the carb/sugar cravings, and as you start falling into routines and building habits. It takes a while, but reaching for the full fat stuff will start to become second nature.
What she said <G>
I was referring to the optimal ketogenic living fb group!!! not this group obviously!
As with anything, the opinion of optimal macros are like *kitten*.....
No offense was intended by any of my comments and if you took any, I apologize.
I went back and read the comments made in this thread and note multiple references to the fact that much of LCHF is "individual", what "works" for one may or may not for another, and that no one "challenged" your specific "results" - only that, "in general", the suggestions you were providing do not comport with the "science" as others understand it.
As to my "what she said" remark....it was intended to be "light hearted" - agreement with the entirety of her post, not a "slam" or double entendre.
On your "...not this group OBVIOUSLY!" comment,
I think if you go back and reread your original wording objectively (as much as anyone can read their own words "objectively") - it's a major leap to "obviously"
"In this group the consensus is..."
following,
"I'm glad you found it useful" (referring to the info in the "other" group)
I'm sure in your mind, it was your intention to say "in THAT group...." and that was what you meant to imply.
I'm sorry for the "nitpicking" (this/that) but it's unfair to suggest that what is "obvious" to you (in your mind at the moment you typed it), should be to others when the written word CLEARLY could be (and probably was, by most) taken to mean what it literally said. ("this group")
I can't speak for others but I doubt the response to your comment was meant in any other way than to clear up what appeared to be a misstatement on your part.
I "know" that was the basis of my comment.
Finally, I will take issue with your "opinions" comment.
I agree completely that "opinions are like....."
They (opinions) ARE.
And certainly everyone is entitled to whatever "opinion" they elect to hold.
However, "opinions" are not "facts" (they "might" be based in fact, in whole or in part, or they might not)
Putting one's "opinion" on public display invites challenge by those holding divergent opinion and requires that one offer "proof" that their's can be substantiated if it is to be respected.
"I saw it on facebook..." is NOT "proof" (as I'm sure you know and I'm NOT saying that's what you are doing), and,
it's not only entirely possible, but frequently happens in the world of science that two diametrically opposed points of view (opinions) can each be substantiated with "proof" (trial studies).
Both "opinions", if the "proofs" are equally valid, can be "right" (at least until further research defines and replicates which is "more right" or why one or the other was "wrong).
Some are never resolved and it's up to each of us to decide for ourselves and for others to agree or disagree based on their reading of the "facts".
With regard to the fat v protein discussion, I believe that the preponderance of the scientific "evidence" comes down firmly on the side of "more protein is NOT better" (in most cases) - you disagree and that's fine.
We can either agree to disagree and leave it at that or one (or both) of us can attempt to "convince" the other that their's is the "opinion" more soundly grounded in the available research.
Many of those in "this" group believe that discussion has already been had and the conclusion is based on solid science.
I have little doubt that those in "that" (the other) group feel likewise with what they believe to be true.
It actually IS "possible" that in "one-off" cases (your personal example) both CAN be "true".
BUT, when the discussion is "in general" or what is recommended for "most" - it's rare that "both" can be "best"
While I disagree with your "opinion" re protein - I admire you for your willingness to present and defend a position which runs counter to the one which predominates (here or anywhere else).
I can honestly say (been there, done that) and I have a pretty good understanding of what it takes to challenge "conventional wisdom".
Taking a position in a venue not predisposed to agree takes guts, is admirable, and gains you respect (in my eyes).
It does NOT, however, grant you a "free pass" and requires that you "prove" the basis from which your opinion is derived if that respect is to be maintained.
In the end, it's "facts" that matter - not "opinions",
(because, as you said, "opinions are like....")0 -
GaleHawkins wrote: »deansdad101 thanks for the blood testing suggestions. I found the Precision Xtra meter as slow as $25 with ketone strips at $1.50 and glucose at $.36 each on ebay using Google. I will use the ketone strips to 'calibrate' the blow meters.
Good use of the googlemachine. $1.50 is the best price I've seen.
Did you see the mention of the "free" Xtra meter? (the link should be in the other thread if you didn't).
If you don't want to wait (it only took about a week to get mine) and you have a walmart nearby - the "carbon copy" of the Xtra was <$20 last time I looked.
As far as "calibrating" the meters - good luck with that! <VBG>
I really AM pulling for you to make it work but have to tell you (if you hadn't already figured it out) that I'm not holding out much hope (PLEASE - prove me wrong)
I won't bore you with the details but my first wife and I tried again this am and the results were, shall we say, less than encouraging.
The one thing that I can confirm from the testing we've done so far is that, yes, the existence of acetone in the breath WILL produce a "reading" on the alcohol meter (at least it will on mine) - it's just that, so far for us at least, the "reading" is absolutely independent of the B-OHB levels.
Pretty much the same has held true for the Ketonix although I'm coming to the conclusion that my meter might be defective since in every case for my bride she gets NO result at all despite B-OHB 0.5-1.0+.
This am I got NO result (1st try) then Green 2 (bottom of the "low" scale) with a 1.4
Hope your testing provides more meaningful results.
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deansdad101 wrote: »GaleHawkins wrote: »mizaditude wrote: »mizaditude wrote: »Im glad you found it useful. In this group the consensus is that your fat shouldn't be higher than your protein in grams when your in weightloss mode because your eating fat but you also want your body to use the fat it already has to burn. If your eating a ton of fat theres no reason for your body to burn the fat from your *kitten* lol. They don't do the "eat more fat" thing because during weight loss fat is coming from your body and from the plate, not just the plate.
I go by the chart thats posted in the group, so i try to stay at the low end of that range since im in weight loss mode. But at this point, generally my protein is 100-120g and fat between 60-80g. Prior to decreasing the fat and increasing my protein, i wasn't gaining but i wasn't losing either. I increased my protein and gained 2 pounds initially but within the month i have lost a total of 5lbs, not including those inital 2 i gained. So it has helped me, personally
Thanks for sharing that. It makes sense that the body fat burned (net loss of fat) would make up part of the % of fat. I started LC using mainly coconut oil for pain management and I am from 7-8 down to 2-3 on a 1-10 scale. Now I want to start on losing weight aspect of LC. Ditched sugar and grains but it took to months to pull that off completely. Personal I think ditching the sugar cut pain levels the most. Being at 63 and years of yo yoing on traditional diets this time around is not as easy as before for sure.
While it might "make sense..." at first glance, and appear "official" because it's posted on some facebook page, you and I are old enough to know that "things aren't always as they appear to be" <g>.
I have no doubt that the individual experiences described above are true and don't question those who report individual results that run counter to the "general recommendations".
So much of ANY dieting regimen is individual specific and determined to a large degree by any particular person's overall metabolic interactions that there simply is NO "one size fits all" and "general" recommendations must be viewed as "starting points" to be adjusted as necessary to accommodate the individual.
That said, however, one (or a relatively small group %-wise) of "outliers" does not change the "science" or the results of trials that define the consensus of opinion - nor does it change what is considered "best advice" for the majority.
Very few of the common wisdom recommendations are "hard and fast".
Some will be able to reach (and/or maintain) fat adaptation at 35g/day, others require <10g. Some can remain in ketosis with protein intake above 125g - others will be "kicked out" at 60.
Fat adaptation will be established for some in a couple weeks, for others it will take 6 or more. And, if proper macro ratios are not arrived at (excessive protein for example) might never be achieved.
It all "depends".
Carb and protein levels, most would agree are based on firm numbers (specific number of grams - 20g carbs, 65g protein e.g.) the number remains fixed and only becomes a % for ease of comparison.
I'd not seen the chart referenced above but neither have I ever heard anyone quote protein recommendations based on "height" - it's ALWAYS a percentage of a weight which makes a whole lot more "sense". Opinions vary on the base measurement to use (LBM, "ideal/goal" body weight, current bw, etc) as do they on the multipliers but the "range" any of them provide is always much narrower than those depicted on the chart above.
Indeed, a change of as little as 5g's of protein has been shown to effectively halt ketone production when the increase exceeded the test subject's protein "resistance" level.
Rule of thumb (generalization) 55-100 grams is the range that "most" will fall in and when the proper level is determined - more is NOT better. (those engaged in "extreme" exercise levels excluded, at least intermittently).
There actually IS "hard science" behind the idea that INCREASING FAT (and thereby decreasing protein) DOES result in increased weight loss.
It's all about how the body "converts" food sources to energy and promotes (or inhibits) the production of ketones, glucose, fatty acids, and a whole host of others.
This article is a pretty good "mix" between the hard science and still being understandable by those of us not comfortable with all the "science lingo".
tinyurl.com/nwsktv3
Hope it helps.
I actually follow the Optimal Ketogenic Lifestyle like Mizatitude.
The science is based off of research from Phinney and Volek and not just the opinion of a group. The chart from Phinney and Volek that we use in our group provides a little more data though than the link provided above. The chart we use provides ranges for both males and females based on height and includes an average LBM with strict instructions to adjust based on your actual LBM since it varies slightly by person.
Not all people respond the same to the same diet. I average 95 grams of protein a day, 50 grams of fat (sometimes more but I never exceed my protein) and up to 50 net carbs a day and per my blood testing I stay in deep ketosis. I have had no hair loss issues that some have on this lifestyle. In fact, my hair, nails, skin all look amazing. I also average 3-4 lbs of weight loss a week with no hunger problems. I lift heavy 3-4 times a week and I run at least 3 days with no issues.
I should add for me, and again it varies per person, that dairy/sugar alcohols/protein shakes or bars do not work well for me. I do best getting all my macros from whole foods. I also try to get my protein in at around 30g per meal instead of all at once.
I don't like fat for fat's sake, so this version of Keto works best for me.0 -
Oh and I've lost 71 lbs in 6 months with no stalls at all.0
This discussion has been closed.