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Newbie keto dieter here
ashofthestars
Posts: 8 Member
Thanks for the add. A little background: today I weighed myself im 224lbs, higher than when I was 9 mo pregnant! 5'5" 28 yrs old. I've been having my hands fall asleep a lot, actually right now as I type. I've decided low carb high fat is the way to go because as usual my low cal traditional diet has produced no results in the past two weeks. When I was pregnant I had gestational diabetes and used a low carb diet of 50g per day. I remember crying the first day bc I missed my carbs! Lol. After adjusting I felt great and actually only gained 5 lbs in the last 6 weeks of pregnancy. So I know I can do it. I've been doing research and making a plan to start next week. Planning on buying a magnesium supplement and potassium bc I really dont want the keto flu. I found a good meal plan on ibreatheimhungry where the cals are aroumd 1600, carbs 20g
My question is exercise? Should I just plan on being miserable next week with no room for exercise? If I do exercise, should I increase my calories? But keep macros the same?
Also any other beginner tips would be greatly appreciated!
My question is exercise? Should I just plan on being miserable next week with no room for exercise? If I do exercise, should I increase my calories? But keep macros the same?
Also any other beginner tips would be greatly appreciated!
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Replies
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Welcome! Sounds like you're well prepared overall!
For me, I was 3 weeks from a 5K when I started keto so I still exercised, but I did struggle with speed and stamina for the first 3-4 weeks.
I'm not sure about your calories. They sound reasonable to me given your stats, but I guess it depends on how they were calculated to begin with, whether they factored in exercise or not. A lot of people here get this calculator to set their calories and macros up front and then adjust as needed as they go along:
http://keto-calculator.ankerl.com/0 -
When I started this, I was advised to consume more salt than I was used to, as my blood pressure dropped (and caused dizziness), so I began regularly drinking some broth (a boullion cube and hot water does the trick, stirred up). I don't know what is best for you, but that helped me.0
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Also, CICO is important, in my opinion, but not everyone agrees - it's a debatable issue, with good points on both sides.0
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Calories count.
Though not as much as you think. Calorie calculators are estimates only. Your needs could be lower or higher. They are just a guide to give you a starting point. You'll have to figure out your own range.
Here's how I did it to keep the stress down and make the transition easy.
I started counting carbs for a month or 2. That will help you get into the groove of things. Then, if after a month of only carb-counting you stop losing, then you can start counting calories if you like. It took me 3 months before I had to start counting cals. I was 252lb at 5'10" to start. It doesn't matter how fast you lose, just as long as you are losing.
Absolutely essential: Keep your electrolytes up. Sodium>potassium>magnesium.
3,000-5,000mg daily of sodium.
Try to reach 2000mg of potassium a day. But if you at least get some, but keep your sodium up, you'll be good. The body will preserve your potassium as long as it has enough sodium.
And supplement 300-400mg of magnesium in the form of citrate, glycinate, or malate. Some people supplement more than 400mg. That's a YMMV.
Do exercise if you feel up to it. If you get enough fat and keep your electrolytes good, you won't get the keto flu. I had maybe 3 mild headaches and I think it was because I wasn't drinking enough water. If it feels a little hard, just be easy on yourself for that week and shorten or decrease the number of days you workout. You are converting fuel types, after all. You'll soon be able to step it back up.0 -
ashofthestars wrote: »I've been having my hands fall asleep a lot, actually right now as I type.
This is probably worth getting checked out by a dr as you may have carpal tunnel syndrome. One of my first symptoms was numb hands when typing...no amount of weight loss or gain made a difference.0 -
Hi and welcome @ashofthestars! Just guessing from your profile pic and description of having GD during pregnancy... You're pretty recently postpartum, right? Are you breastfeeding?
If the answer to either or both is yes, I just want to say that LCHF is doable, and so is exercise, but proceed slowly and with caution. I started this back in May of last year with a ten month old, whom I was still breastfeeding (still am, but almost done now.) I made an all-out effort, but didn't realize how much I needed to load up on electrolytes, especially salt. I was exercising 5-6 days a week. I had keto flu from hell. I did make it out the other side, but if I could go back and do anything differently, it would be to eat a lot more salt and salty foods (whole pickles, olives, broth with added salt, pepperoni, feta, etc.) and back off a little in the exercise until I got past the first few weeks.
Best of luck! You can do it!
Mary0 -
P.S. If you are breastfeeding, you may need more calories than 1600. I've heard the suggestion to add 500 calories per day if you're exclusively breastfeeding, or proportionally less if you're doing a combo of breast milk and formula. And that's one beautiful baby you have there!0
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ashofthestars wrote: »Thanks for the add. A little background: today I weighed myself im 224lbs, higher than when I was 9 mo pregnant! 5'5" 28 yrs old. I've been having my hands fall asleep a lot, actually right now as I type. I've decided low carb high fat is the way to go because as usual my low cal traditional diet has produced no results in the past two weeks. When I was pregnant I had gestational diabetes and used a low carb diet of 50g per day. I remember crying the first day bc I missed my carbs! Lol. After adjusting I felt great and actually only gained 5 lbs in the last 6 weeks of pregnancy. So I know I can do it. I've been doing research and making a plan to start next week. Planning on buying a magnesium supplement and potassium bc I really dont want the keto flu. I found a good meal plan on ibreatheimhungry where the cals are aroumd 1600, carbs 20g
My question is exercise? Should I just plan on being miserable next week with no room for exercise? If I do exercise, should I increase my calories? But keep macros the same?
Also any other beginner tips would be greatly appreciated!
Just out of curiosity, have you been retested in earnest for elevated insulin and glucose levels since your pregancy?
I recall an post by a Type 2 diabetic with CTS and hand numbness whose symptoms improved as his glucose levels fell.0 -
Sorry if I'm about to say things that have already been said. I'm on my phone and haven't read all the other posts. Your situation resonated with me because you sound like how I was before I began the Keto diet. I had GD too. I gained 50lbs with my first and 10 lbs with my second.
I was worried that I'd feel miserable exercising or that I'd get the Keto flu. I do karate a couple of times a week and it can get intense. I was scared about how I'd be affected. I started the diet on one of my karate nights because I read that a good way to get into ketosis is to burn the glucose out of your body as fast as possible. What better way than eat a Low Carb diet (like less than 20g or even zero) and exercise.
I made sure I ate pickles, salami, olives and extra salted my food, I took a multivitamin for women (not sure if this helped but it certainly didn't do harm), and drank a crap load of water. I didn't count calories for the first week. It's hard enough changing the way you eat. Just eat low or no carb first . Once you're into the hang of it, start counting calories.
I don't know if all these things I did contributed to me not getting the keto flu. Maybe I was just one of the "lucky ones". I truly believe that being under 20g of carbs and exercising made a difference thigh. I didn't have any symptoms at all until the 3rd week, but still, those symptoms were not flu related and have now completely gone away.
My diary is open if you'd like to check it out.0 -
i have been drinking PowerAde Zero to help with electrolyte balance.
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Powerade zero unfortunately has very very little electrolytes in it. Might be adequate for a high carb diet where the electrolyte needs are not as high, but you'd have to drink 8-10 20 oz bottles a day and still salt your foods to meet your needs. And that would be consuming very high amounts of artificial sweeteners.0
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blacktie347 wrote: »When I started this, I was advised to consume more salt than I was used to, as my blood pressure dropped (and caused dizziness), so I began regularly drinking some broth (a boullion cube and hot water does the trick, stirred up). I don't know what is best for you, but that helped me.
Thanks for the tip, I actually love the flavor so that'll be an easy one!0 -
ambergem1969 wrote: »ashofthestars wrote: »I've been having my hands fall asleep a lot, actually right now as I type.
This is probably worth getting checked out by a dr as you may have carpal tunnel syndrome. One of my first symptoms was numb hands when typing...no amount of weight loss or gain made a difference.
Yes I need to get checked. I just figured it was related to my weight bc I never had the problem when I was smaller. I'll ask my Dr 0 -
baconslave wrote: »Calories count.
Though not as much as you think. Calorie calculators are estimates only. Your needs could be lower or higher. They are just a guide to give you a starting point. You'll have to figure out your own range.
Here's how I did it to keep the stress down and make the transition easy.
I started counting carbs for a month or 2. That will help you get into the groove of things. Then, if after a month of only carb-counting you stop losing, then you can start counting calories if you like. It took me 3 months before I had to start counting cals. I was 252lb at 5'10" to start. It doesn't matter how fast you lose, just as long as you are losing.
Absolutely essential: Keep your electrolytes up. Sodium>potassium>magnesium.
3,000-5,000mg daily of sodium.
Try to reach 2000mg of potassium a day. But if you at least get some, but keep your sodium up, you'll be good. The body will preserve your potassium as long as it has enough sodium.
And supplement 300-400mg of magnesium in the form of citrate, glycinate, or malate. Some people supplement more than 400mg. .
Thanks for the MG amounts, just got my supplements today and I was unsure how much to take0 -
mlinton_mesapark wrote: »Hi and welcome @ashofthestars! Just guessing from your profile pic and description of having GD during pregnancy... You're pretty recently postpartum, right? Are you
No that's an old pic! Lol but thanks very much for the exercise advise!0 -
mlinton_mesapark wrote: »P.S. If you are breastfeeding, you may need more calories than 1600. I've heard the suggestion to add 500 calories per day if you're exclusively breastfeeding, or proportionally less if you're doing a combo of breast milk and formula. And that's one beautiful baby you have there!
Thanks:)0 -
ashofthestars wrote: »Thanks for the add. A little background: today I weighed myself im 224lbs, higher than when I was 9 mo pregnant! 5'5" 28 yrs old. I've been having my hands fall asleep a lot, actually right now as I type. I've decided low carb high fat is the way to go because as usual my low cal traditional diet has produced no results in the past two weeks. When I was pregnant I had gestational diabetes and used a low carb diet of 50g per day. I remember crying the first day bc I missed my carbs! Lol. After adjusting I felt great and actually only gained 5 lbs in the last 6 weeks of pregnancy. So I know I can do it. I've been doing research and making a plan to start next week. Planning on buying a magnesium supplement and potassium bc I really dont want the keto flu. I found a good meal plan on ibreatheimhungry where the cals are aroumd 1600, carbs 20g
My question is exercise? Should I just plan on being miserable next week with no room for exercise? If I do exercise, should I increase my calories? But keep macros the same?
Also any other beginner tips would be greatly appreciated!
Just out of curiosity, have you been retested in earnest for elevated insulin and glucose levels since your pregancy?
I recall an post by a Type 2 diabetic with CTS and hand numbness whose symptoms improved as his glucose levels fell.
No, I have not but I think I still have the blood glucose test kit. I'll get it out and see. When I tested with my last pregnancy (I miscarried unfortunately ) it was high Im thinking 100 in the morning. I did low carb after that until i lost it.I kinda just tried to ignore it at that hard time. But I'm done ignoring my health!0
This discussion has been closed.