Keto

Anyone else following a ketogenic diet? How long have you been doing it and how much weight have you lost?

Replies

  • Vegplotter
    Vegplotter Posts: 265 Member
    I'm not going to advise you don't try Keto if you are set on it. But you need to know a few facts:
    1. Keto doesn't contribute much to weight loss if you are overweight. Your body has tons of fat to burn anyway. It's just a fashionable dieting myth. You will lose weight, but no quicker than on the same calorie level and balancing nutrition.
    2. Any calorie restriction will result in weight loss, however you skew the nutrition. But over eating or under eating a balance of fats, carbs or proteins will result in either deficiencies, cravings, or low mood.
    I'd say try a low calorie balanced diet. Restricting carbs and increasing fats just isn't a healthy long term plan.
    60lbs in 18months is slow! I've lost over 18kg (40lbs) in 15 WEEKS just by eating less of everything. And I've never felt hungry from day one!
  • Bonny132
    Bonny132 Posts: 3,617 Member
    LCHF works for a lot of people. Carbs makes me hungry and gives me cravings. Low carbs, decent amount of proteins and fat till I feel full works for me.
    My IBS is getting under control and I am eating better.

    If you want to go Keto I suggest you search for some of the LCHF forums on MFP. Good luck, whatever you decide.
  • KetoLady86
    KetoLady86 Posts: 337 Member
    edited August 2016
    I love keto. My cousin lost 150lbs on the keto lifestyle...and so far myself, 30lbs. My dr. and his family also follows the keto way of life. Feel free to friend me!
  • KetoLady86
    KetoLady86 Posts: 337 Member
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/394-low-carber-daily-forum-the-lcd-group

    This is an awesome group..it has helped me since day 1...some really cool people there...they know their keto..lol
  • kpk54
    kpk54 Posts: 4,474 Member
    edited August 2016
    I am maintaining my weight loss via Keto but chose keto due to my having a neurological disorder. Contrary to popular belief, the ketogenic diet has been around for weight loss since the mid 1800s as in "Banting". Additionally it was used in the early 1900s to minimize (often eliminate) seizures in those who have epilepsy and is still used today for those who do not respond to the anti-seizure meds that were eventually developed.

    A ketogenic diet is not all bacon and butter. I would call that the "fashionable" or "faddish" version of keto. I will add, that I have PERSONALLY found the ketogenic way of eating does squelch my hunger thus making maintenance easier. That is a very positive side effect for me. Though I've maintained for 2 years, I always felt hungry on a more balanced macro approach and keto has changed that YMMV (as well as helped with my movement disorder).

    I too recommend the forum posted above for guidance and support.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    Vegplotter wrote: »
    I'm not going to advise you don't try Keto if you are set on it. But you need to know a few facts:
    1. Keto doesn't contribute much to weight loss if you are overweight. Your body has tons of fat to burn anyway. It's just a fashionable dieting myth. You will lose weight, but no quicker than on the same calorie level and balancing nutrition.
    2. Any calorie restriction will result in weight loss, however you skew the nutrition. But over eating or under eating a balance of fats, carbs or proteins will result in either deficiencies, cravings, or low mood.
    I'd say try a low calorie balanced diet. Restricting carbs and increasing fats just isn't a healthy long term plan.
    60lbs in 18months is slow! I've lost over 18kg (40lbs) in 15 WEEKS just by eating less of everything. And I've never felt hungry from day one!

    You're a vegetarian, correct?
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    Vegplotter wrote: »
    I'm not going to advise you don't try Keto if you are set on it. But you need to know a few facts:
    1. Keto doesn't contribute much to weight loss if you are overweight. Your body has tons of fat to burn anyway. It's just a fashionable dieting myth. You will lose weight, but no quicker than on the same calorie level and balancing nutrition.
    2. Any calorie restriction will result in weight loss, however you skew the nutrition. But over eating or under eating a balance of fats, carbs or proteins will result in either deficiencies, cravings, or low mood.
    I'd say try a low calorie balanced diet. Restricting carbs and increasing fats just isn't a healthy long term plan.
    60lbs in 18months is slow! I've lost over 18kg (40lbs) in 15 WEEKS just by eating less of everything. And I've never felt hungry from day one!

    There are vegetarian ketofiles out there too.

    This is largely wrong. Those with insulin resistance (PCOS, T2D, prediabetes, NAFLD, alzheimers) do tend to lose a bit faster on a very low carb diet, AND it often leads to better health for those people... that's pretty close to half of all people.

    Plus, carbs are a non-essential macronutrient. Just protein and fats are a must for good health. But that is an over exaggeration for the vast majority of ketofiles. Most of us eat plenty of veggies. We just skip the sweets, grains, and sweetest of all fruits. We may even be healthier for it.

    And I lost about 40lbs in 5 months doing it, to get to a normal, mid BMI. Not slow. ;)
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    edited August 2016
    nvmomketo wrote: »
    Vegplotter wrote: »
    I'm not going to advise you don't try Keto if you are set on it. But you need to know a few facts:
    1. Keto doesn't contribute much to weight loss if you are overweight. Your body has tons of fat to burn anyway. It's just a fashionable dieting myth. You will lose weight, but no quicker than on the same calorie level and balancing nutrition.
    2. Any calorie restriction will result in weight loss, however you skew the nutrition. But over eating or under eating a balance of fats, carbs or proteins will result in either deficiencies, cravings, or low mood.
    I'd say try a low calorie balanced diet. Restricting carbs and increasing fats just isn't a healthy long term plan.
    60lbs in 18months is slow! I've lost over 18kg (40lbs) in 15 WEEKS just by eating less of everything. And I've never felt hungry from day one!

    There are vegetarian ketofiles out there too.

    This is largely wrong. Those with insulin resistance (PCOS, T2D, prediabetes, NAFLD, alzheimers) do tend to lose a bit faster on a very low carb diet, AND it often leads to better health for those people... that's pretty close to half of all people.

    Plus, carbs are a non-essential macronutrient. Just protein and fats are a must for good health. But that is an over exaggeration for the vast majority of ketofiles. Most of us eat plenty of veggies. We just skip the sweets, grains, and sweetest of all fruits. We may even be healthier for it.

    And I lost about 40lbs in 5 months doing it, to get to a normal, mid BMI. Not slow. ;)

    There are, indeed. Just wanted the full context out there.
  • KetoLady86
    KetoLady86 Posts: 337 Member
  • Vegplotter
    Vegplotter Posts: 265 Member
    Carbohydrates are an essential nutrient! Even sugars like sucrose, fructose and lactose have their place in a diet. You can't metabolise protein without the energy that comes from carbohydrate. Carbohydrate also plays a really important part in digestion. It's the carbohydrate rich cellulose in plant based foods that provide the roughage that is essential for the gut.
  • ogmomma2012
    ogmomma2012 Posts: 1,520 Member
    Vegplotter wrote: »
    I'm not going to advise you don't try Keto if you are set on it. But you need to know a few facts:
    1. Keto doesn't contribute much to weight loss if you are overweight. Your body has tons of fat to burn anyway. It's just a fashionable dieting myth. You will lose weight, but no quicker than on the same calorie level and balancing nutrition.
    2. Any calorie restriction will result in weight loss, however you skew the nutrition. But over eating or under eating a balance of fats, carbs or proteins will result in either deficiencies, cravings, or low mood.
    I'd say try a low calorie balanced diet. Restricting carbs and increasing fats just isn't a healthy long term plan.
    60lbs in 18months is slow! I've lost over 18kg (40lbs) in 15 WEEKS just by eating less of everything. And I've never felt hungry from day one!
    Carbohydrates are NOT an essential nutrient. We can generate glucose on our own. Also, cellulose = insoluble fiber. What exactly do you think people eat on keto, just steak and butter? We cannot produce our own essential fatty acids NOR can we produce our own essential proteins.

    Annnyways, that's not what I was replying to. What I was replying to is that you think that keto, and the ketones and the muscle-sparing, long-term fuel that fat gives us once fat-adapted is a myth. It isn't.
    NOW, that isn't to say it's a perfect magical eating style. No one style fits everyone equally so I'm not going to pretend otherwise, however studies show it is VERY beneficial for a large amount of people with different ailments involving inflammation, diabetes, epilepsy, cholesterol problems and PCOS as well as healthy individuals in regards to it's muscle-sparing attributes and appetite control.

    Restricting carbs and eating high fat IS healthy, recent studies are showing that fat isn't scary and that we DO NOT NEED dietary carbohydrates, especially in such large quantities, to stay healthy.

    I brought one such study to my doctor for her to give me the go ahead to experiment with it in order to lose weight and lower my cholesterol levels. It worked. People have been low carb for YEARS with regular doctor visits and have not found anything negative, in fact the opposite has proven true.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    Vegplotter wrote: »
    Carbohydrates are an essential nutrient! Even sugars like sucrose, fructose and lactose have their place in a diet. You can't metabolise protein without the energy that comes from carbohydrate. Carbohydrate also plays a really important part in digestion. It's the carbohydrate rich cellulose in plant based foods that provide the roughage that is essential for the gut.

    Do you have a research citation for this?
  • KetoLady86
    KetoLady86 Posts: 337 Member
    Carbs are not essential..thats a fact.
  • tlflag1620
    tlflag1620 Posts: 1,358 Member
    Vegplotter wrote: »
    Carbohydrates are an essential nutrient! Even sugars like sucrose, fructose and lactose have their place in a diet. You can't metabolise protein without the energy that comes from carbohydrate. Carbohydrate also plays a really important part in digestion. It's the carbohydrate rich cellulose in plant based foods that provide the roughage that is essential for the gut.

    I'm thinking you don't know what "essential" means in the context of nutrition - essential nutrients are ones your body needs, but cannot make on its own, iow you need a dietary source. There are essential amino acids. There are essential fatty acids. There are no essential carbs/sugars. Your body can make all it needs.

    OP - I never did keto, just a standard LCHF diet. Lost 50 lbs in 7 months with no calorie counting, no going hungry, no change in activity level, and no "stalls" (even with a few "cheats" over the holiday season) and have kept it off for nearly three years now. My digestion a has never been more "regular", if anything dropping the fiber (I was routinely getting over 30 g per day prior to LCHF) and increasing the fat was helpful. Plus no more heartburn. The food is quite filling and satisfying for me and I cannot imagine ever going back to my old eating habits!
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
    I'd do Keto but I'm averse to joining cults.
  • alliemp68
    alliemp68 Posts: 4 Member
    Vegplotter wrote: »
    Carbohydrates are an essential nutrient! Even sugars like sucrose, fructose and lactose have their place in a diet. You can't metabolise protein without the energy that comes from carbohydrate. Carbohydrate also plays a really important part in digestion. It's the carbohydrate rich cellulose in plant based foods that provide the roughage that is essential for the gut.

    Not necessarily I'm type 1 diabetic I have to restrict carbs on a daily basis or take insulin to compensate. Three weeks on the keto way of eating and I'm 21 pounds lighter and rarely have to use insulin.
    My skin is better my hair thicker and I have more energy.
    I'm also a coeliac and my son is lactose in tolerant. My normal style of eating is fodmap which basically is clean up prcessed eating.
    But the downside to fodmap is I need insulin to eat carbs which as I grow older the amount of insulin I need will increase even as the carbohydrate portions decrease. I would personally avoid this.

    Well done in your weightloss.

    I previously lost 8 stone following a low carb high protein diet ten years ago and haven't regained that weight. Just need to lose the rest now before I hit the next big milestone in my life.
    This time eating a higher protein diet actually makes me gain weight hence higher fat less protein very low carb xx
  • kmsnyg
    kmsnyg Posts: 100 Member
    edited August 2016
    Vegplotter wrote: »
    Carbohydrates are an essential nutrient! Even sugars like sucrose, fructose and lactose have their place in a diet. You can't metabolise protein without the energy that comes from carbohydrate. Carbohydrate also plays a really important part in digestion. It's the carbohydrate rich cellulose in plant based foods that provide the roughage that is essential for the gut.

    On a regular LC day I ate broccoli, zucchini, yellow squash, spinach, lettuce, tomato and a few strawberries. My gut is doing just fine.

    And I've lost 60 lbs in 5 months.
  • TravisGM92
    TravisGM92 Posts: 143 Member
    I've been on a keto diet for a while now and have seen some good results. I helped my lady on a keto diet and she's lost more than 30lbs.! Although it is true you can lose weight on really any caloric restrictive diet, many people find they lose weight more on a keto diet. There's a lot of science behind ketones and whatnot.

    Also, being on a low carb diet gives your pancreas a break, which is good! In this day and age, diabetes is like a virus! Sure, some people get diabetes as a result of genetics... but low carb diets have been shown to help those even in diabetes.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    TravisGM92 wrote: »
    I've been on a keto diet for a while now and have seen some good results. I helped my lady on a keto diet and she's lost more than 30lbs.! Although it is true you can lose weight on really any caloric restrictive diet, many people find they lose weight more on a keto diet. There's a lot of science behind ketones and whatnot.

    Also, being on a low carb diet gives your pancreas a break, which is good! In this day and age, diabetes is like a virus! Sure, some people get diabetes as a result of genetics... but low carb diets have been shown to help those even in diabetes.

    Since you appear to be a fan of Lyle's: http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/research-review/ketogenic-low-carbohydrate-diets-have-no-metabolic-advantage-over-nonketogenic-low-carbohydrate-diets-research-review.html
  • TravisGM92
    TravisGM92 Posts: 143 Member
    AnvilHead wrote: »
    TravisGM92 wrote: »
    I've been on a keto diet for a while now and have seen some good results. I helped my lady on a keto diet and she's lost more than 30lbs.! Although it is true you can lose weight on really any caloric restrictive diet, many people find they lose weight more on a keto diet. There's a lot of science behind ketones and whatnot.

    Also, being on a low carb diet gives your pancreas a break, which is good! In this day and age, diabetes is like a virus! Sure, some people get diabetes as a result of genetics... but low carb diets have been shown to help those even in diabetes.

    Since you appear to be a fan of Lyle's: http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/research-review/ketogenic-low-carbohydrate-diets-have-no-metabolic-advantage-over-nonketogenic-low-carbohydrate-diets-research-review.html

    I had yet to read that study. Thanks for citing it! And although the study cited shows no significant difference in fat loss between keto diets and non-keto diets, I'll stick to keto because of the "break" it gives my pancreas. Although this study makes me want to study the long term effects of ketogenics. Perhaps it'd be best to not be in ketosis for long periods of time.
  • Bob314159
    Bob314159 Posts: 1,178 Member
    Wrong
    Vegplotter wrote: »
    Carbohydrates are an essential nutrient! Even sugars like sucrose, fructose and lactose have their place in a diet.

  • speedfreak75
    speedfreak75 Posts: 81 Member
    i use low carb when i am prepping for a show and there's tons of research now to show that our bodies function better on a carb restricted diet. Now i'm not saying go crazy with reducing carbs but the amount the average person eats is way over what you need.
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    TravisGM92 wrote: »
    AnvilHead wrote: »
    TravisGM92 wrote: »
    I've been on a keto diet for a while now and have seen some good results. I helped my lady on a keto diet and she's lost more than 30lbs.! Although it is true you can lose weight on really any caloric restrictive diet, many people find they lose weight more on a keto diet. There's a lot of science behind ketones and whatnot.

    Also, being on a low carb diet gives your pancreas a break, which is good! In this day and age, diabetes is like a virus! Sure, some people get diabetes as a result of genetics... but low carb diets have been shown to help those even in diabetes.

    Since you appear to be a fan of Lyle's: http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/research-review/ketogenic-low-carbohydrate-diets-have-no-metabolic-advantage-over-nonketogenic-low-carbohydrate-diets-research-review.html

    I had yet to read that study. Thanks for citing it! And although the study cited shows no significant difference in fat loss between keto diets and non-keto diets, I'll stick to keto because of the "break" it gives my pancreas. Although this study makes me want to study the long term effects of ketogenics. Perhaps it'd be best to not be in ketosis for long periods of time.

    How do you know you are giving your pancreas a break? what is sleep for?
  • TravisGM92
    TravisGM92 Posts: 143 Member
    queenliz99 wrote: »
    TravisGM92 wrote: »
    AnvilHead wrote: »
    TravisGM92 wrote: »
    I've been on a keto diet for a while now and have seen some good results. I helped my lady on a keto diet and she's lost more than 30lbs.! Although it is true you can lose weight on really any caloric restrictive diet, many people find they lose weight more on a keto diet. There's a lot of science behind ketones and whatnot.

    Also, being on a low carb diet gives your pancreas a break, which is good! In this day and age, diabetes is like a virus! Sure, some people get diabetes as a result of genetics... but low carb diets have been shown to help those even in diabetes.

    Since you appear to be a fan of Lyle's: http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/research-review/ketogenic-low-carbohydrate-diets-have-no-metabolic-advantage-over-nonketogenic-low-carbohydrate-diets-research-review.html

    I had yet to read that study. Thanks for citing it! And although the study cited shows no significant difference in fat loss between keto diets and non-keto diets, I'll stick to keto because of the "break" it gives my pancreas. Although this study makes me want to study the long term effects of ketogenics. Perhaps it'd be best to not be in ketosis for long periods of time.

    How do you know you are giving your pancreas a break? what is sleep for?

    I guess it's something I assume given that people are often advised to go on a low carb diet when they have pancreatitis. And that eating lots of sugar puts stress on the pancreas. I assume that the opposite of these is good.
  • ssmartgirl765
    ssmartgirl765 Posts: 12 Member
    edited August 2016
    I am on a low-carb lifestyle but in a modified way to were i still eat my carbs but monitor my portions I have lost 44 pounds on it I used to weigh 135 lbs and now I weigh 90 lbs and I am 4'7"

    of course I workout some too as well but I am limited to what exercises i can do since I was born with Spina Bifida and it paralyzed me from the waist down
  • medic2038
    medic2038 Posts: 434 Member
    alliemp68 wrote: »

    Not necessarily I'm type 1 diabetic I have to restrict carbs on a daily basis or take insulin to compensate. Three weeks on the keto way of eating and I'm 21 pounds lighter and rarely have to use insulin.
    My skin is better my hair thicker and I have more energy.
    I'm also a coeliac and my son is lactose in tolerant. My normal style of eating is fodmap which basically is clean up prcessed eating.

    Obviously INAD, but DO be careful eating keto even as a type 1. Insulin is part of what mitigates ketone production in normal people. Just be careful, almost everything I've ever read pretty much discouraged people with IDDM from doing keto.
    The dangerous part of DKA isn't the ketones, it's the acidosis (both glucose and ketones are acidotic).
    TravisGM92 wrote: »

    I guess it's something I assume given that people are often advised to go on a low carb diet when they have pancreatitis. And that eating lots of sugar puts stress on the pancreas. I assume that the opposite of these is good.

    I'm not sure I'd put too much faith into that. Yes, being in Keto switches the "mode" of your metabolism, but you're still producing insulin. That being said though, I'm pretty sure the pancreas isn't as regenerative as the liver. IE if you're to the point of beta cell burnout, I don't think going low carb is going to restore pancreatic function.

    BUT I do think it certainly is beneficial for people who aren't there yet. Not being reliant on insulin I think ought to help people with insulin resistance. That's how it should work in theory at least!