Ketosis?

Thoughts about trying a keto eating plan but I don't know too much about it. Is it safe for pescatarians (i.e. i eat fish, dairy, eggs, but no meat or poultry)? Is it sustainable/safe? I am totally new to this so any advice is appreciated, particularly from people who have some knowledge or experience with ketogenesis :)

Replies

  • Gallowmere1984
    Gallowmere1984 Posts: 6,626 Member
    Until very recently, almost all of my intake was eggs, fish, and cheeses. Had to start bringing in some fat bombs to get that up though. My diary is public, and prior to the last week or so, my diet was mostly static for months. So the first couple of entires give an idea.
  • Samina1215
    Samina1215 Posts: 35 Member
    Lose weight fast, gain weight faster. Slow and steady wins the race.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    Samina1215 wrote: »
    Lose weight fast, gain weight faster. Slow and steady wins the race.

    You only lose fast up front faster due to glycogen depletion but fat loss would be equal and is based on deficit size.

    Personally i dont like restrictive diets and i dont perform well on low carb diets. But in the end, its personal preference and diet adherence.
  • TheNewFabMe
    TheNewFabMe Posts: 8 Member
    I am actually trying to do a high protein low card diet so far I am on day 3
  • TheNewFabMe
    TheNewFabMe Posts: 8 Member
    I would like to add people to my friends so we can be more accountable and support each other on this plan if anyone is on a keto diet please add me
  • bkennedy29
    bkennedy29 Posts: 6 Member
    smecham351 wrote: »
    Thoughts about trying a keto eating plan but I don't know too much about it. Is it safe for pescatarians (i.e. i eat fish, dairy, eggs, but no meat or poultry)? Is it sustainable/safe? I am totally new to this so any advice is appreciated, particularly from people who have some knowledge or experience with ketogenesis :)

    The keto eating plan is not ideal for a long term eating pattern. Side effects from ketosis can include nausea, headache, fatigue (mental and physical), and of course bad breath. There is minimal evidence showing the effects of following this eating pattern long term but there many studies showing that those who followed a keto diet compared to those who followed a balanced eating plan for weight loss saw the same percentage of weight loss after 1 year. This is often seen because those who follow a keto type diet often gain large amounts of weight back very quickly due to overeating and feeling deprived. Slow and steady wins the race :)

    -Britney
  • ladipoet
    ladipoet Posts: 4,180 Member
    bkennedy29 wrote: »
    Side effects from ketosis can include nausea, headache, fatigue (mental and physical), and of course bad breath.

    All of which, with the exception of keto breath, can be easily avoided and/or resolved by making sure to keep your electrolytes balanced. This means keeping your salt/sodium WAY up because following a Keto WOE is diuretic by it's very nature. You may also have to supplement potassium and magnesium.
    bkennedy29 wrote: »
    The keto eating plan is not ideal for a long term eating pattern.

    Respectfully, @bkennedy29, I beg to differ. I've been Keto now for almost 2 years (more like 22 months). It is ideal for me (I follow LCHF due to medical & health issues) and I've not regained a single pound I've lost but that's likely due to a combination of daily exercise and portion control in connection with my WOE (eating more whole foods and less processed and refined junk).

    @smecham351...I suggest you check out the main low carber daily forum group here in MFP. It's where most of us Ketofiles tend to hang out:

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/394-low-carber-daily-forum-the-lcd-group
  • MrSimmers
    MrSimmers Posts: 32 Member
    edited July 2016
    Keto diet does have scientific support behind it, particularly for neurological health and preventing seizures (https://leafmother.com/blog/ketogenic-diet-and-lowered-seizure-incidence-due-to-tryptophan/)

    It's great for weight loss as well since you're forcing the body to use fats for ATP instead of sugar. There can be some side effects at first, however once the process of ketosis is underway you should notice substantial benefits in numerous areas.

    Now, where I wouldn't recommend the diet is in those individuals who are already slim and don't have much body fat. This can be dangerous if the body is forced to break-down muscle instead of fats over the long-term, but if you're overweight it's definitely a viable dieting strategy.
  • Gallowmere1984
    Gallowmere1984 Posts: 6,626 Member
    I am actually trying to do a high protein low card diet so far I am on day 3

    The high protein part's usually not recommended. With tight carb restriction, you're likely gonna find yourself feeling a bit like hell unless your fat intake is kept at higher levels.
  • neohdiver
    neohdiver Posts: 738 Member
    bkennedy29 wrote: »
    smecham351 wrote: »
    Thoughts about trying a keto eating plan but I don't know too much about it. Is it safe for pescatarians (i.e. i eat fish, dairy, eggs, but no meat or poultry)? Is it sustainable/safe? I am totally new to this so any advice is appreciated, particularly from people who have some knowledge or experience with ketogenesis :)

    The keto eating plan is not ideal for a long term eating pattern. Side effects from ketosis can include nausea, headache, fatigue (mental and physical), and of course bad breath. There is minimal evidence showing the effects of following this eating pattern long term but there many studies showing that those who followed a keto diet compared to those who followed a balanced eating plan for weight loss saw the same percentage of weight loss after 1 year. This is often seen because those who follow a keto type diet often gain large amounts of weight back very quickly due to overeating and feeling deprived. Slow and steady wins the race :)

    -Britney

    Most people who are actually following a ketogenic diet would disagree. Both mental and physical fatigue, for example, are typically dramatically reduced. Nausea and headache are short-lived (2 weeks, at most) during the period when your body is adapting to running on fat, rather than carbs - and many people never experience or have very minor symptoms of "keto flu." And far from feeling deprived, most people report feeling satiated much more of the time on a low carb/high fat diet than on a calorie deficit diet that high carb/low fat. Some people report bad breath. For those who do, it typically is short-lived.

    Personally, I am following a ketogenic diet (or close to it) for health reasons - I am successfully controlling diabetes by limiting my carb intake to no more than 20 grams in a 3 hour period. I went from diabetic numbers to normal numbers in 3 days, aside from the "dawn phenomenon," which typically takes weeks to abate (about 8, in my case).

    It took me completely by surprise when my mental and physical fatigue decreased dramatically - and my near-depression and mental fog lifted within the first month on this diet (effects that have held through the most grueling academic schedule I have had since the early 80s, a cancer diagnosis (and surgery), and my brother's death). I had absolutely no expectations either way, so this experience is not confirmation bias. My sole goal was to keep my blood glucose below 140 at all times. I had no "keto flu" symptoms - and those closest to me have not suggested any bad breath.

    I am down 65 lbs since October. Aside from an oral glucose tolerance test, my carb intake has been within my goals ever single day for the past 273 days. I have exceeded my calorie goals fewer than a half-dozen days in that same period - and by no more than 50% on any given day. When I have lost weight in the past without restricting carbs I have still had/felt the need to have days when I ate without restriction - typically around a day or two a month, and I typically ate at least 3 times the daily calorie limits I set for myself.

    My ability to sustain a steady diet, without a break, actually came as a bit of a surprise as well. Over the years I have found that sugar, certain fats, and the lack of grain-based carbs all trigger cravings. I expected to have to fight cravings because of the relatively high fat content - and the lack of grain-based carbs. To my surprise, it has been almost a non-issue - although I have limited my consumption of certain fats that I know trigger cravings.

    When people rebound with weight gain (and it happens on both carb and calorie restricted diets), it is typically because the dieter didn't treat the change as a lifestyle change - but as a temporary weight loss change. If you revert to old eating habits, you will gain the weight back. If you have become accustomed to eating high fat foods and you don't cut those back out when you increase carbs, your weight gain is likely to be faster and more significant. That is not a problem of a ketogenic diet, though, it is a problem of treating any diet as a temporary fix for a lifetime problem.

    A ketogenic diet is not for everyone. I would not personally be following it but for the fact that my body no longer processes carbs in a healthy way. But I am tired of the knee-jerk condemnation of what is a very useful dietary tool for some people, whether out of preference of medical necessity.
  • xlen975
    xlen975 Posts: 1 Member
    Hi there!
    I have got a question according to carbs. Are the listed carbs in ones nutition diary netCarbs? And should one keep the fat:protein:carb ratio per day or per meal?The pie chart only shows the daily ratio. (Hope you understand what I mean.)
  • MelaniaTrump
    MelaniaTrump Posts: 2,694 Member
    Needs to be repeated:
    Samina1215 wrote: »
    Lose weight fast, gain weight faster. Slow and steady wins the race.

  • neohdiver
    neohdiver Posts: 738 Member
    xlen975 wrote: »
    Hi there!
    I have got a question according to carbs. Are the listed carbs in ones nutition diary netCarbs? And should one keep the fat:protein:carb ratio per day or per meal?The pie chart only shows the daily ratio. (Hope you understand what I mean.)

    The carbs listed are gross carbs. To find the net carbs, deduct the fiber and (according to some) the carbs for alcohol sugars. I count net carbs, since that is what impacts my blood glucose. Others count gross.

    I track mine by meal, since what I am controlling for is the impact on my blood glucose. That's a 2-3 hour window. Most people who are not tracking to control diabetes track by the day.

  • neohdiver
    neohdiver Posts: 738 Member
    Needs to be repeated:
    Samina1215 wrote: »
    Lose weight fast, gain weight faster. Slow and steady wins the race.

    You are aware that the original post said nothing about the speed of weight loss, right? And you are also aware that eating a ketogenic diet does not create inherently rapid weight loss, right?

    Tying the two together came from someone whose intent was to discourage people from eating a ketogenic diet by linking two unrelated concepts (ketogenic diet & rapid weight loss) together, and declaring that because one was bad the other must also be bad.
  • CrossfitOCRunner
    CrossfitOCRunner Posts: 61 Member
    I've been keto and am currently going keto again for a time. as an athlete, I have to ride the line, but the fat adaptive benefits are great. in my view, its not sustainable for most. I have some friends that have been keto for years. I don't know if they are freaks of nature or just really love the results. one of my friends is a keto athlete and just won an 5k and did well in an ultra the same day. it really depends on why you are doing it and what it looks like if you go off of it. I am high fat and protein anyway, so I think I'm riding the keto line most days anyway. im paleo so it isn't a far stretch. with anything, do your research, make sure your intentions are pure and do an experiment. but if you just want to drop weight and are looking for a fix, then you are basically subscribing to the fad diet train. the main rule of sustainable weight loss is don't do anything ( or MUCH of anything) that you cant do forever. even I have gotten drastic to hit that race weight or summer 6-pack weight. but find your happy and effective life. that's the key. nothing wrong with trying this. plan for it and do it wholeheartedly. it takes 2-7 days to go keto, so you cant go off and on. and if you go on and then crash, you're likely rebound. I've never seen the same forum post twice so feel free to friend and/or message me.
  • rezb0
    rezb0 Posts: 2 Member
    xlen975 wrote: »
    Hi there!
    I have got a question according to carbs. Are the listed carbs in ones nutition diary netCarbs? And should one keep the fat:protein:carb ratio per day or per meal?The pie chart only shows the daily ratio. (Hope you understand what I mean.)

    Hiya,

    yeah i was wondering if it is possible to get the pie chart to show net carbs not gross...

    If not i suppose i could go through all ingredients and changing the carb total to the nets... :sigh:


    keto on


    Andy