Welcome! I know the fat is scary, but you'll find a lot of good encouragement and advice here. I've been on the plan since Jan 1 this year and lost about 12 lbs so far.

Hi @motown13 I totally understand! I did low carb (under 100g) for years and like you, great medical results but no weight loss. The high fat is truly the missing link. My medical results are even better now, I'm taking less bp meds and 90% less insulin for type 2 diabetes and the weight is finally moving. The kicker is that I'm no longer hungry, I don't feel deprived, I'm eating food I love and very rarely have cravings for all the sweets and breads I used to devour when I'd cheat on my low carb high protein diet.

Welcome aboard! I wish you all the best in this new way of life

Yes, 70% fat is scary sounding, but it's oh so yummy, and it really makes all the difference in the world. I'm 11 months in to LCHF and down about 62 lbs, and I never ever feel deprived. Why? Because I eat fat! Even still when I have an unusually hungry day, if I look at my diary for the day I see that it's usually because I haven't had enough fat. Good luck! This is a fantastic bunch of people. I honestly would not have stuck with it so long without the knowledge, support, and encouragement I received here. But now I'm in it for life.

Welcome!! I have twins, too; mine are fraternal boys who just turned 7.

I had also done low carb diets before that were also low fat. The higher fat (I aim for 65% fat, 25% protein, 10% carbs) really took some getting used to but now I love it! Personally I did lose weight and reverse prediabetes on my low carb/low fat/high protein diet ... BUT I believe I also lost some muscle mass and I didn't really notice other health benefits.

Unexpected benefits I've noticed since I started keto almost 3 months ago (along with weight loss):
* After the first month, increased energy compared to before.
* Less hunger and fewer carb cravings than before, even compared to my low-carb low-fat diet. (That helped somewhat with hunger and carb cravings but not nearly to the same degree as LCHF.)
* Aching in my joints decreased significantly.
* Acid reflux and other GI issues got much better.
* My body became better able to tolerate my MS med that had always been hard on my digestive system.
* After the first 6-8 weeks, I noticed I felt calmer and certain little things that would get to me before (e.g. the chaos of two nutty little boys bouncing off the walls, fighting, whining ...) didn't get to me nearly as much. I think that might speak to brain or even hormonal benefits of keto?
* More focused and productive (brain benefits)!
* I got back down to my goal weight (I had gained 20 lbs from eating more carbs to try to counteract the GI issues) and this time around, I lost more from my waist/midsection than when I was at this weight before. That's always by FAR my trouble spot so I was happy with that! And I think I retained more muscle mass. (Keto tends to be muscle-sparing.)

Anyhow, good luck with your journey!

This thing about about eating fat is good is very hard for us after hearing 40 -50 years of false programming. I am turning 65 in a few weeks and after 17 months of very high fats my general health and health markers are better than when I was 45. Best of success.

motown13 wrote: »

TY Miami!

So, are you not counting calories at all, or maybe just have a general idea of your calories? I have been at about 2000, and I feel like I could eat another 500, most days.

An increase in hunger is common during the initial adjustment period. Basically, the body has gotten used to the way hunger signals work on a high carb diet, and eating fat sends different hunger/full signals, so your body is a bit "confused" at the moment (in oversimplified layman's terms). It also takes energy to get the fat-burning machinery back up and running at the level of the new demand, so it's not like the extra food you want is going to waste.

Generally speaking, we encourage you to eat to satiety, especially during the adjustment period. Not doing so makes you more prone to feeling miserable for longer (due to the low carb flu), though the important part is to make sure you're not feeling miserable and sick, which often happens when you're either not eating enough in general, not eating enough fat, or not eating enough sodium.

Hi Chuck, I just sent you a friend request, my diary is open to friends. Anyone else is welcome to add me too.

@motown13 may I suggest you read the lauch pad, if you have not had a chance yet?. Tips on the launch pad include drink lots of water; magnesium and salt are your friends; how to make bullet proof coffee and more. Worth a read. NSVs are also a fab motivator if your weight loss journey gets bumpy so measurements of waist, thighs, arms, neck, chest are all other ways to track success. Awesome to hear you are feeling better. Welcome!!

motown13 wrote: »

Sent request Miami. Would anybody else friend me so I can look at your meals?
Thanks.... Chuck

I have an open diary but feel free to add me as a friend. Fat is definitely key to success with this WOE. I've adjusted my macro %'s 3 -4 times in the past 17 months. When I first started out, I was at 70% fat. Then 4-5 months later I upped it to 75% fat. A few months later I tweaked it again so now I typically eat 80% fat every day. Find what works best for you and stick with it!