Ketogenic diet

Hey
Im wanting to start the keto diet as I like the sound of it and results can be quite quick. Am interested to se if there have been any negative side effects to anyone who have done it? Also, is there a go to site for help with meal plans etc? Do you still keep an eye on calories or more macros? Thanks in advance :) Oh and anyone with an open diary following keto feel free to add me.

Replies

  • Gallowmere1984
    Gallowmere1984 Posts: 6,626 Member
    edited July 2016
    The "quick weight loss" you're expecting is just water loss from glycogen purge, and will come back as soon as you reincorporate carbs into your diet. Macros do matter, but you will absolutely require a caloric deficit in order to lose weight.

    That said, http://ruled.me has a macros calculator, and a bunch of recipes you can look through. He also offers 30 day meal plans and the like to get you started, but he charges for direct involvement. Not sure what he charges, as I mostly just use the site for recipes.

    ETA: I run keto, and my diary is public, if you want to have a look.
  • anydaynow0786
    anydaynow0786 Posts: 12 Member
    edited July 2016
    I tried it and it works initially like @Gallowmere1984 said, but then constipation is a real side effect. Some people hit a plateau in week 4 and never lose any more weight for two months despite following closely and sticking to it. Everyone is different. If you don't have a lot of weight to lose it may work for you but the minute you stray from it, or go over your carbs limit you gain weight overnight.
  • Gallowmere1984
    Gallowmere1984 Posts: 6,626 Member
    I tried it and it works initially like @Gallowmere1984 said, but then constipation is a real side effect. Some people hit a plateau in week 4 and never lose any more weight for two months despite following closely and sticking to it. Everyone is different. If you don't have a lot of weight to lose it may work for you but the minute you stray from it, or go over your carbs limit you gain weight overnight.

    Constipation is generally only a problem when consuming too much protein. In fact, most people running high fat tend to have thr exact opposite problem, until their bodies adjust to the change. Setting a macro ratio of 65-80% fat will generally always avoid the plugged gut issues.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    Join the keto group

    But yes water weight, keto flu, can be expensive and restrict social activities and it has to be the way of eating that works for you and you can stick to rather than going in with a quick fix mentality
  • andysport1
    andysport1 Posts: 592 Member
    its a brilliant diet however there are some serious risks, if you don't get it right you may cause irreversible damage to your kidneys, could actually cause a heart attack, so its really important to have a plan and stick to it, make sure you get enough of your daily vitals.
  • Gallowmere1984
    Gallowmere1984 Posts: 6,626 Member
    edited July 2016
    Sued0nim wrote: »
    Join the keto group

    But yes water weight, keto flu, can be expensive and restrict social activities and it has to be the way of eating that works for you and you can stick to rather than going in with a quick fix mentality

    It's only expensive if one insists upon buying all of the random niche stuff that people associate with it. Almond flour, flax seed, artificial sweeteners, etc. However, if you just go for fatty meats, butters, oils, and creams, it can be absurdly cheap. Luckily, we live in an era where fatphobia is still a thing, so fattier meat cuts are almost always cheaper (except where steaks are concerned).

    Hell, if one were so inclined, and running a 2000 kcal/day diet, you could live for about $4 per day on Spam, bacon, eggs, 73/27 ground beef, and a vitamin supplement.
  • megbugs
    megbugs Posts: 102 Member
    Hi! My husband was put on a keto diet by his doctor so I'm following it as well to support him (plus I prepare all the meals). Feel free to add me. I've lost 60+ pounds in 8 months just doing CICO and have found that I'm losing 2-3 lbs a week on keto. My husband's been put on a 20g carb/day program (which only includes meat & low carb vegetables & cheese -- no fruit, potatoes, grains, and a lot of vegetables are too high like corn, peas & tomatoes). It's been very restrictive and week 3 I ate a cupcake sooooooooo I'm not perfect but I'm still losing. My husband has dropped 25 pounds in 3 weeks but he has more to lose. I think the science behind keto makes a lot of sense -- it trains your body to use fat as fuel and burn stored fat instead of glucose. It also helps with cravings....I don't have so much of a sugar tooth anymore, well unless you put $5 cupcakes in front of my face hahaha. I'm starting to get bogged down with all the "diets" out there --- keto, whole30, iifym, etc. etc. My overall goal was to lose 100lbs so another 40lbs and I'll reevaluate.
  • bethany68
    bethany68 Posts: 11 Member
    Hi all,

    I am hoping some of you could help answer some questions on Keto. I started 8 days ago, I used the calculators on reddit to make sure my numbers are correct. I have a few concerns:

    a) my hair is already falling out (the past two days to be exact it started)
    b) constipation ( I ordered a fiber complex hoping that helps)
    c) I haven't saw the scale move

    I am monitoring my protein as I have read if you go over, that will cause the weight loss to stall.

    Any advice would be great,
    Beth
  • megbugs
    megbugs Posts: 102 Member
    I'm not sure about the hair falling out...could be a vitamin deficiency like zinc. For b) the doctor told us to put 1/2 chicken boullon in hot water every night to restore electrolytes in your system and help combat too much protein which causes constipation. With the bouillon and regular exercise, I haven't had any constipation. For c) have you been tracking your calories? There's a facebook page called Ketogains that emphasizes counting calories and using a macro calculator to find out how many calories, g protein, g fat & g carbs you should be consuming.
  • MelaniaTrump
    MelaniaTrump Posts: 2,694 Member
    Keto works.
    From Time Magazine quote :
    "Research is mounting that saturated fat is better for you than processed carbohydrates like sugar and white bread"
    http://time.com/4386248/fat-butter-nutrition-health/
  • erider0505
    erider0505 Posts: 13 Member
    edited July 2016
    @bethany68 - I drink 1 tsp Himalayan Pink Salt in 8oz of water every morning and it keeps things running smoothly for me. You may try that. Also try to be at 80% Fat, 15% Protein and 5% Carbs. Also, drink 1 gallon of water a day too. You need to water to flush everything out.