Thinking about KETO! Just thinkin'!
whyhelloheart
Posts: 82 Member
Hi guys! 
I've been on the weight loss bandwagon for probably 2.5 years now. I've lost 100 pounds and then I gained a few pounds back. It's not that I'm losing motivation, but I'd like to jazz things up a little bit.
When I was 18, I was diagnosed with PCOS, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome. Probably a year and change ago, I went to the doctor and she said I was no longer in the pre-diabetic range. Woo! Good for me!
However, I still have PCOS symptoms like long, thick, black hairs. I'm on birth control, so periods aren't too big of an issue (although I spot a few weeks prior to my period pills).
Anyway, I'm thinking more and more about the ketogenic diet. I know people have seen major success on it, but it goes against everything I've ever known! CALORIES! Agh!
Can you guys lead me in the right direction? Just baby steps towards the ketogenic lifestyle.
Like how many carbs should I be ingesting? 100g? 50g? 20g? What snacks do you normally eat?
*kitten* is scary.
I've been on the weight loss bandwagon for probably 2.5 years now. I've lost 100 pounds and then I gained a few pounds back. It's not that I'm losing motivation, but I'd like to jazz things up a little bit.
When I was 18, I was diagnosed with PCOS, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome. Probably a year and change ago, I went to the doctor and she said I was no longer in the pre-diabetic range. Woo! Good for me!
However, I still have PCOS symptoms like long, thick, black hairs. I'm on birth control, so periods aren't too big of an issue (although I spot a few weeks prior to my period pills).
Anyway, I'm thinking more and more about the ketogenic diet. I know people have seen major success on it, but it goes against everything I've ever known! CALORIES! Agh!
Can you guys lead me in the right direction? Just baby steps towards the ketogenic lifestyle.
Like how many carbs should I be ingesting? 100g? 50g? 20g? What snacks do you normally eat?
*kitten* is scary.
0
Replies
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You need a calorie deficit for weight loss, plain and simple. Whether you use straight calorie deficit, keto, IIFYM, IF, etc - they are all just tools to get into a deficit.
If you lost 100 pounds doing what you are doing why would you change that? if you have gained some back you need to ask yourself the following:
am I logging everything?
do I used a food scale to weight all solids?
am I using the correct MFP database entries?
have I adjusted my calories for my new weight?0 -
whyhelloheart wrote: »Anyway, I'm thinking more and more about the ketogenic diet. I know people have seen major success on it, but it goes against everything I've ever known! CALORIES! Agh!
You still have to count calories while on Keto, otherwise you will only lose water weight from cutting the carbs.
This group will be able to get you headed in the right direction;
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/1143-keto
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I think there might be more Keto-ers down in the groups:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/394-low-carber-daily-forum-the-lcd-group
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/1143-keto
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@ndj1979 absolutely! and i know in my heart of hearts that calories in vs calories out is what truly matters here in the grand scheme of things. heck, i wouldn't have lost 100 pounds without knowing that!
i'm just tossing around the idea of keto due to my PCOS.
@IsaackGMOON i don't think i could ever NOT count calories! hahah! it's just ingrained in me!
@kshama2001 thank you! i'll check those out! 0 -
Many people with PCOS do better with lower carb; going full keto may not be necessary. Honestly, how you achieve your deficit is personal choice, so definitely hit up the groups mentioned to see what it would be like (keto flu affects people differently, but it's good to know what may or may not happen and how long it can last).
Beyond that, I'd suggest trying it out for a month or two and see if you enjoy it (or if you can't stand it). Even if you can't stick with keto, lowering your carbs somewhat could also be beneficial. Finding the right balance is again personal, so it may just take some trial and error to see what works for you.0 -
PCOS is one of the medical conditions that can specifically be helped by a low-carb diet, significantly more than a straight CICO approach. Calories still count, but due to heightened issues with insulin caused by PCOS, low-carb can both make weight loss a bit easier as well as help ease some symptoms of the syndrome.
OP, if you want to go ketogenic, definitely check out some of the links posted above. You'll likely want to start out at about 20 NET carbs (so total carbs less fiber) for at least 4 weeks or so before you can start playing with that number a bit and adding some back until you hit a sweet spot - that can range from staying close to 20 or even a bit lower all the way up to something closer to 75g/day or a bit more. Just depends on the person. Replace those carbs with fat and keep your protein moderate. Use your carbs wisely on nuts and a wide variety of non-starchy vegetables. Use MFP to count both calories and carbs. Get support, here on MFP in one of the low carb groups or elsewhere. Good luck!0 -
Many people with PCOS do better with lower carb; going full keto may not be necessary. Honestly, how you achieve your deficit is personal choice, so definitely hit up the groups mentioned to see what it would be like (keto flu affects people differently, but it's good to know what may or may not happen and how long it can last).
Beyond that, I'd suggest trying it out for a month or two and see if you enjoy it (or if you can't stand it). Even if you can't stick with keto, lowering your carbs somewhat could also be beneficial. Finding the right balance is again personal, so it may just take some trial and error to see what works for you.
Also ^^ this.0 -
I did a Whole 30 & it helped with my endometriosis so much that I have decided to stick with it. It's not a gimmick, it's only whole foods for 30 days (meats, veggies & fruit mainly). Theres a book called "It Starts With Food" that is amazing that goes into more specifics.
My sister has PCOS and had great success cutting out legumes and wheat products. Good luck with what ever you do!0 -
You guys are totally right. I'm struggling to see the point in keto/low carb if I can still achieve the same result with my regular ol' calorie deficit, but then I remember, "Oh! Wait! PCOS! Remember that?"
What would be considered in the "low carb" range then if I don't want to go full on keto? Would that be like 100g? I guess it's trial and error? Agh! This whole thing is giving me anxiety! Hah
You guys know what you're talkin' about! Sheesh! 0 -
@whyhelloheart, good job on losing 100 pounds!
I hear keto works for some, not for others. For me it would not work because I love my carbs!
I saw your progress pictures at your website, and what a wonderful transformation!
Keep up the good work!0 -
whyhelloheart wrote: »You guys are totally right. I'm struggling to see the point in keto/low carb if I can still achieve the same result with my regular ol' calorie deficit, but then I remember, "Oh! Wait! PCOS! Remember that?"
What would be considered in the "low carb" range then if I don't want to go full on keto? Would that be like 100g? I guess it's trial and error? Agh! This whole thing is giving me anxiety! Hah
You guys know what you're talkin' about! Sheesh!
Don't let it give you anxiety!! If you stress too much about it, you'll end up giving up (or, at least you will if you're anything like me, haha).
A quick and dirty internet search (so, GRAIN OF SALT ALERT) looks like in one study, women with PCOS saw a medical benefit just from reducing their carbs from 55% to 41% per day. On a 1500 calorie diet, that's something like going from 200 carbs to 150 carbs per day. I don't know what you're currently eating, but if you don't want to go full keto right off the bat (totally fine idea IMHO), why don't you try swapping carbs to fat in maybe 5% increments every 1-2 weeks until you hit a point where you feel good? I typically hate the idea of eliminating food groups, but if you're really mindful of things like bread, pasta, and potatoes, and you try to swap those out for veggies in as many instances as you can, I think it could be reasonably easy to achieve. I think an ultimate goal of anywhere from 75g to 150g per day or so, depending on your activity level, would be pretty good. It all depends on how you feel and what you can stick to.0 -
@SLLRunner you're a sweetheart! Thank you! That's why I kind of think this "experiment" would be fun! It would be neat to see what my body does on this sort of diet, ya know?
@BarbieAS I KNOW! I'm saying to myself, "Why is this giving you anxiety? It's not a life sentence. You can literally try it for a few weeks and see if you see any benefits. If not, hop off and go back to your usual low calorie diet! Ta da!" But the other half of me is like, "WHAT THE HECK AM I GOING TO EAT?!"
I saw that study! My two friends with PCOS who have done keto have said they saw a great improvement in their symptoms and what not.
Right now I usually eat between 1100-1300 calories a day (except for those days when calories don't count, obviously
)
That's a great way to look at it, actually. If we look at it from a more mindful standpoint instead of totally restricting things. Just trying to do swaps here and there can do more good than bad.
I'm thinkin' that's a good carb range, too! Maybe 100g for right now and then we'll see how I feel. And then I can keep lowering it if I feel OK with it.
How the heck do you deal with going out to eat, though? I guess just MEAT and VEG. But there's added sugar in everything!
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whyhelloheart wrote: »Hi guys!
I've been on the weight loss bandwagon for probably 2.5 years now. I've lost 100 pounds and then I gained a few pounds back. It's not that I'm losing motivation, but I'd like to jazz things up a little bit.
When I was 18, I was diagnosed with PCOS, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome. Probably a year and change ago, I went to the doctor and she said I was no longer in the pre-diabetic range. Woo! Good for me!
However, I still have PCOS symptoms like long, thick, black hairs. I'm on birth control, so periods aren't too big of an issue (although I spot a few weeks prior to my period pills).
Anyway, I'm thinking more and more about the ketogenic diet. I know people have seen major success on it, but it goes against everything I've ever known! CALORIES! Agh!
Can you guys lead me in the right direction? Just baby steps towards the ketogenic lifestyle.
Like how many carbs should I be ingesting? 100g? 50g? 20g? What snacks do you normally eat?
*kitten* is scary.
As someone with PCOS, you should look into both LOW CARB and keto.
I would suggest reading real, scientific based studies. Books by well respected Dr.s and the like.
Even a couple of the TEDx talks are good.
Are you a member of the PCOS group or any of the low carb or keto groups?
Good luck!0 -
You need a calorie deficit for weight loss, plain and simple. Whether you use straight calorie deficit, keto, IIFYM, IF, etc - they are all just tools to get into a deficit.
If you lost 100 pounds doing what you are doing why would you change that? if you have gained some back you need to ask yourself the following:
am I logging everything?
do I used a food scale to weight all solids?
am I using the correct MFP database entries?
have I adjusted my calories for my new weight?
As she states:However, I still have PCOS symptoms like long, thick, black hairs. I'm on birth control, so periods aren't too big of an issue (although I spot a few weeks prior to my period pills).0 -
PCOS is one of the medical conditions that can specifically be helped by a low-carb diet, significantly more than a straight CICO approach. Calories still count, but due to heightened issues with insulin caused by PCOS, low-carb can both make weight loss a bit easier as well as help ease some symptoms of the syndrome.
OP, if you want to go ketogenic, definitely check out some of the links posted above. You'll likely want to start out at about 20 NET carbs (so total carbs less fiber) for at least 4 weeks or so before you can start playing with that number a bit and adding some back until you hit a sweet spot - that can range from staying close to 20 or even a bit lower all the way up to something closer to 75g/day or a bit more. Just depends on the person. Replace those carbs with fat and keep your protein moderate. Use your carbs wisely on nuts and a wide variety of non-starchy vegetables. Use MFP to count both calories and carbs. Get support, here on MFP in one of the low carb groups or elsewhere. Good luck!
This^^
First, congratulations on your success so far! Well done! I suggest you obtain advice from those particularly familiar with insulin resistance and the growing body of research surrounding it. Best to you on your continued journey to health!0 -
I've found that in going out to eat, salads with a protein are my friend. There are often other menu choices, but usually even if there's NOTHING else, you can always find a salad with grilled chicken. And, yes, there is added sugar in just about everything, but the beauty of swapping carbs for fat is that you then end up with room for the full-fat creamy dressing, which often doesn't have nearly so much in the way of added sugar - typically, the sugar gets added in to replace the flavor when they strip the fat out. Or salsa and guac as dressing, or straight up oil and vinegar if it's available works well, too. And, if your goal is around 100g, then you absolutely have some wiggle room such that if the basics of what you order are sound (like you said, protein and vegetables), more than likely whatever the restaurant adds to it, like some sugar in a sauce or a couple of croutons or something, it isn't going to put an insurmountable dent in your day. Just be smart and realistic about it and you'll be fine.
Definitely do some more research around what's going to work best for you, and be prepared for some trial and error. It ultimately may not be right for you, but I think you've decided that the medical condition you have indicates that at least giving it a try is a good idea. You can go whole hog and start with keto or Whole 30 and work your way upwards on your carb number, or you can just try to make small changes that result in a gradual decline of carbs. Neither is better than the other, IMO. Whatever you think is going to end with you being satisfied and successful and gives you the greatest chance to give it an honest effort is the right way to go.0 -
whyhelloheart - an OBGYN specializing in hormones told me at 15 I had symptoms of insulin resistance and "might have PCOS". She recommended South Beach, which in a nut shell, is two weeks of meat, low-carb vegetables, cheese. You can stay on that "phase" to lose more weight or move to phase 2, which incorporates low sugar fruits and whole grains; you'll still lose, but not as fast. Now I'm more Atkins; I like to stay under 20g of carbs a day. My energy levels have not been sacrificed, I find I have more energy, low-carb changes your attitude towards food, and around the second or third week people report not even craving the carbs and sugars they did before. I will send you my South Beach book.
I'm 26 now, and after trying plain CICO, or good old fashioned moderation, I've learned that low carb diets are what really work for me when I stick to them correctly.0 -
Grains and sugar on this chart are almost entirely carbs, and constitute ~= 40% of the calories.
Carbs are ~ 4 cal/g, so this equates to 250g+ of carbs a day.
That isnt considering all the carbs that are present in the other groups.
25% or lower is typically considered to be low carb. At your calorie goal ( 1300 ), that would be < 82g/day.
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I've been considering Keto as well, for a couple months now at least. I have been slowly dropping my carb intake by 3-5% each month, in anticipation of trying it. But I am unsure if I actually will go that far ... I love my breads and pastas too much.
The community links provided are great resources, you should definitely check them out.0 -
@Sabine_Stroehm, ah! Good idea on the TED talks! I didn't even think they'd have any on this topic! Thanks for the heads up! I'll definitely give 'em a look!
@Healthymom_5 thank you so much! That means a lot to me!
@BarbieAS I mean, it definitely can't hurt to give it a go. I just remember I did a low carb diet back in high school and I was DRAINED as hell. I'd come home and just conk out for a while.
I'm thinking that the 90g-100g option is the best because it's not a HUGE decrease, but it's enough to put me in that "low-carb" category. And then, like you said, I can just decrease as I see fit and what not. I think that's the best option.
SATISFACTION IS A GIANT BOWL OF PASTA! I can't be alone in that thought, right? RIGHT? Hah
@spernoud you say that you're more on the Atkin's Diet these days! What's the real difference between keto and Atkin's? You're still consuming 20g of carbs on either one. You don't feel tired at all with the lack of carbohydrates? Did you initially feel that drain? I remember being in high school and feeling tired all the time!
I think I actually have the South Beach Diet book at home, now that I think about it! I've been on every diet under the damn sun, it seems!
@pmm3437 how many carbs are you looking at now? Maybe you're already in ketosis and you don't even know it! 0 -
whyhelloheart wrote: »@spernoud you say that you're more on the Atkin's Diet these days! What's the real difference between keto and Atkin's? You're still consuming 20g of carbs on either one. You don't feel tired at all with the lack of carbohydrates? Did you initially feel that drain? I remember being in high school and feeling tired all the time!
I think I actually have the South Beach Diet book at home, now that I think about it! I've been on every diet under the damn sun, it seems!
I wanted to continue on Phase 1 of South Beach, which is essentially Atkins. Atkins is considered a "keto" diet and there's a slew of other options I'm sure I'm not aware of. It just made sense to me that my body should use stored fat for energy instead of me feeding it energy in the forms of higher calorie/higher sugar foods that are bad for my hormone levels, kidneys, and liver. My family also has a history of heart disease so most often I try to go for leaner proteins.
I am sluggish for 4-5 days while my body adjusts, but then I find that my newly high-protein and high-vegetable diet gives me a great boost. I still like a snack an hour or two before working out. I also take a daily multi-vitamin to fill in the gaps.
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@spernoud right? It totally makes the most sense that our bodies should be using the energy source we already have to get through the day instead of replenishing it with other sources of energy.... although that sounds like I'm making it seem like we shouldn't eat at all. Hahah. I promise I don't mean that!
What kind of snacks do you eat between meals?0 -
whyhelloheart wrote: »What kind of snacks do you eat between meals?
My go-tos are Blue Diamond dark chocolate flavor almonds (you can find big bags at walmart), regular almonds, string cheese, any kind of olives, any kind of pickles, a hard-boiled egg, and the Atkins shakes and bars are pretty good, but I have to be careful not to have more than 2 a day. An unconventional list, I know XD.
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@spernoud actually, that's a rad lookin' list of snacks! I went to the supermarket yesterday and I got a boatload of snacks and goodies! And actually a ton of what you said are already on my list! I got some guacamole, avocados, two blocks of cheese, string cheese, almonds, sunflower seeds, liquid eggs (although a full egg is probably better, but I'm still in "OH GOD CALORIES!" mode), turkey bacon, lotsa fish, and some other meat snack goodness.
Yesterday, I ate around 16-20g of carbs. Today, WE DRINK WATER FOREVER! 0 -
whyhelloheart wrote: »@pmm3437 how many carbs are you looking at now? Maybe you're already in ketosis and you don't even know it!
I bounce around too much to stay in ketosis, if I ever actually get into it for any period of time. My intake on an average day is about 75-125, but it can range from 15-200+
When your trying to lose fat, you want your body to be burning ketones, which it gets from your fat stores or dietary fat intake. The trick/benefit of the Keto diet ( as I understand it ), is that your already doing this on a full time basis, negating any delay from your body switching between modes. Your still going to need to practice good CICO discipline, and eat appropriately for your goal.
Low carb intake will lower the amount of glycogen available in your system, and therefore how much is stored. Lower levels of glycogen stored in muscle tissues will cause a reduction in water retention in the same tissues, which is necessary for that storage. This drop in water retention is the cause of the initial large weight drop most see in the 1st week or 2 of this type of meal plan.
The benefits of low carb related to PCOS, IRS, etc are well documented and a quick search can give you more information than most ppl want at 1 sitting.
On a side note, my typical snacks are nuts/nut butters ( PB on celery anyone ? ) or dairy ( cheese stick, cottage cheese ). I tend to eat snacks in the evening, and use them to balance out my macros for the day. Sometimes I will get into carbs at night as well. That means dark chocolate, frozen deserts, or even popcorn ( bonus fiber ). In the end, IIFYM it can be a snack.0 -
@pmm3427 THANK YOU! Thank you for explaining everything so thoroughly! I really appreciate it!
See, I hear you talkin' about CICO and I'm like, "YEAH! I'm doin' that normally and I can still eat pasta, so why am I doing keto?" Hahah. I'm still trying to just let it happen.
But, you're right, there's many benefits to a low carb diet in relation to PCOS and IRS. So, I guess that is the benefit of keto, too
Actually, I had a cheese stick and almonds for a snack today! Chicken and avocado for lunch! Ta da!0 -
@pmm3427 THANK YOU! Thank you for explaining everything so thoroughly! I really appreciate it!
See, I hear you talkin' about CICO and I'm like, "YEAH! I'm doin' that normally and I can still eat pasta, so why am I doing keto?" Hahah. I'm still trying to just let it happen.
But, you're right, there's many benefits to a low carb diet in relation to PCOS and IRS. So, I guess that is the benefit of keto, too
Actually, I had a cheese stick and almonds for a snack today! Chicken and avocado for lunch! Ta da!0 -
whyhelloheart wrote: »@spernoud actually, that's a rad lookin' list of snacks! I went to the supermarket yesterday and I got a boatload of snacks and goodies! And actually a ton of what you said are already on my list! I got some guacamole, avocados, two blocks of cheese, string cheese, almonds, sunflower seeds, liquid eggs (although a full egg is probably better, but I'm still in "OH GOD CALORIES!" mode), turkey bacon, lotsa fish, and some other meat snack goodness.
Yesterday, I ate around 16-20g of carbs. Today, WE DRINK WATER FOREVER!
It sounds like you are off to a great start and I think you will be surprised after 2 weeks+ Keep me posted! Maybe we can swap recipes.
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As a fellow PCOS sufferer, I will say what my GYN told me. This woman has her multiple degress in not only gynecology but also nutrition and specializes in weight loss and PCOS. She recommended a low carb diet and it helped me drop some weight and start ovulating so I could get pregnant, like, within 2 months of starting, haha. Too bad I used breastfeeding as an excuse to eat anything and everything in way larger quantities than was warranted... Heh.
ANYHOO! Just be sure you are eating 12-15 net carbs MINIMUM from some good ol' nutrient dense vegetables. Lots of people bash low carb diets (like Atkins) because "you don't eat any vegetables," but I know I eat WAY more vegetables on Atkins than I did when I was a vegetarian way back when. Eating a high fat/low carb diet is naturally keeps you in check regarding CICO AS LONG AS you're eating to satiety and not stuffing yourself full of butter and bacon long after you're full! I sometimes have to add a little snack at the end of the day to get up to my 1500 calorie goal, haha. Best of luck! 0 -
If you go to Atkins.com they will send you a free quick start guide and carb counter, as well as some of their snacks. I don't personally like their snacks as they're full of sugar alcohols and other artificially created nonsense and I'd rather eat a handful of blueberries, but whatever floats your boat. They also have 2 programs now, Atkins20 that starts with 2 weeks of "induction" where you eat off a "strict" list (with over 100 acceptable veggies on it, it's not that restrictive) and then slowly increase your net carbs and add in different foods (like nuts, berries, yogurt, etc) to see what foods your body responds to by having cravings, holding on to pounds, etc. Their other program is Atkins40 that's geared toward those with less weight to lose, starts out at 40g net carbs a day, etc. etc. Just remember when logging your carbs on MFP, turn on your the FIBER column in your tracking, and subtract your fiber from your carbs for your total NET carbs daily. You want to be sure you're getting enough fiber too. 0
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