Ketogenic Diet: would anyone like to share their experiences good or bad?

sharonmcloughlin1
sharonmcloughlin1 Posts: 19 Member
edited November 14 in Health and Weight Loss
I have tried several diets in the past without much success. A friend recently suggested keto and I've done quite a bit of research online (mostly youtube) and to be honest it sounds a bit too good to be true. I would really appreciate it if anyone who has, or is currently eating this way would share their experiences. :smile:
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Replies

  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    leanjogreen18 wrote: »
    I also did Atkins years ago...I was successful at losing 45lbs. At first it was fun eating bacon & cheese all the time and I felt full of energy but I missed my pizza and mostly potatoes. When I came off I regained my weight I couldn't eat high fat & moderate carbs without gaining.

    It works just as any calorie deficit will work. Some feel more satisfied eating less on Keto and initially the weight comes off faster but after about 6 months it averages out to the same as any calorie deficit diet. It helps some with their cravings for sweets.

    If you think you can stick to it I say try it BUT it works best if you make it a lifestyle and not just a "diet", this is true for all "diets" its best to maintain your loss on the "diet" you lost on to be successful. RARELY does anyone lose weight on one way of eating and then switch to another without gaining the weight back.

    So very true. If you go back to what you did before, you get fat like you were before. The change in eating, or how your approach food, needs to be for your entire life.

    That being said, I've done keto for a good year and a half and still like it. I plan on doing it for the foreseeable future. I have gone off of it, and gone to low carb, but I don't feel as good so it is back to keto for me.

    Keto helps reduce my appetite and carb cravings. It makes it easier to eat less. It also helps control my blood glucose and autoimmune issues, which seems to help me burn slightly more calories. A low carb diet usually results in just a handful more pounds lost (6lbs in a year is the number I remember) but for many the advantage is not having to fight hunger, steadier energy and enjoying the food.

    For those whom it works, keto is great. For those who are metabolically healthy, with no insulin resistance or CAD (about half of all people), keto does not offer any weight loss advantage.

    Check out the groups linked above.
  • cerise_noir
    cerise_noir Posts: 5,468 Member
    I did keto for a few months and hated it. I was always hungry. Carbs satiate me.
  • LishaT15
    LishaT15 Posts: 4 Member
    I started Keto on 12/27/16 and I have lost 8lbs so far. I'm no expert I just found a Keto calculator put in my info to get my macros & the journey begins. Eight days 8lbs so far so good. I have been told that Keto is a lifestyle not a diet. I do not get hungry often, I only eat when my stomach grumbles & my energy level is amazing.
  • Emilyoutland
    Emilyoutland Posts: 10 Member
    I had great results from a ketogenic diet many years ago. It was called Lean for Life. I wasn't hungry, and I felt really good after the first few days. Many of the people I know who do ketogenic diets long term end up having problems with their gallbladder, but I only was on it 6 months.
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
    The best diet, is one that is sustainable for you. Restricting a whole macronutrient dis not sustainable for me, so I don't do it.
  • daniip_la
    daniip_la Posts: 678 Member
    I did keto for 6 months and lost around 40lbs.

    It was completely unsustainable for me, though. I enjoy eating carbs. So when I stopped keto, my eating was out of control and I gained it all back. Now I'm sticking with calorie counting, and I lose just fine with it since I'm still at the same calorie deficit.
  • getoffin1year
    getoffin1year Posts: 87 Member
    I have pre-diabetic symptoms so sugar and carbs are dangerous for me. Before my last pregnancy I lost 30lbs in a few short months on a strict keto diet. I also felt a better quality of life. For those that like instant gratificafion, it is greaf. Unfortunately I gained it all back and then some during and post-pregnancy. I started again on 12-8-16 with a bit of cheating around the holidays and in less than a month I've lost 21lbs. There's an immediate weight loss but I assume that is water weight, I remember reading an actual science report on it but I wouldn't paraphrase it correctly. Anyway, it works for me as long as I maintain a calorie deficit as well. I have a carb intolerance so i will have to maintain keto for life.
  • takeluck42
    takeluck42 Posts: 3 Member
    I just started keto last week, so I'm still very much new to it. The plus side: I am never hungry. Paying attention to my macros and prioritizing fat has so far meant that I am having zero issues with hunger. Quite the opposite in fact, I have had some days that I'm too full to meet my calorie goal without feeling sick. There are tons of foods that I can eat that I enjoy and I'm finding tons and tons of recipes and ideas. The r/keto subreddit is pretty great.

    The con: I initially approached this as a 30 day challenge thing and that's already changed. I'm now looking at this as a long term, possibly permanent dietary shift. And truthfully, the strictness I'm currently implementing (<20g carbs/day, I'm ignoring net carbs) is not doable. So there are definitely going to be things I am eliminating from my life probably completely. Which I don't love. But! I found keto flu to be really clarifying for me, in that if I feel this much like crap from stopping eating certain foods (carb rich) I probably shouldn't be making my body dependent on them.

    There's also lots of research from the WHO that adults shouldn't be exceeding 25g of added sugars (not the same as natural carbs obvs) per day, so there's plenty of evidence to support the science of low carb.
  • TasnimEz
    TasnimEz Posts: 280 Member
    I did and it made me sick. Muscle pain, stomach pain, constant nausea. Sure, I lost some weight but it wasn't worth it. I gave it up when finally one day I started vomiting and felt like I never wanted to eat again. Nope, just wasn't for me.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    TasnimEz wrote: »
    I did and it made me sick. Muscle pain, stomach pain, constant nausea. Sure, I lost some weight but it wasn't worth it. I gave it up when finally one day I started vomiting and felt like I never wanted to eat again. Nope, just wasn't for me.

    This might have been the electrolyte imbalance. If you cut carbs, insulin goes down and water is lost. Along with that water goes electrolytes which causes, fatigue, headaches, crankiness, nausea, BM issues, muscle aches and eventually cramping. Many find they need 3000-5000+ mg of sodium per day, which is 1-2+ tsp of salt. If people let that go more than a few days they'll need potassium and magnesium too.

    It almost sounds a bit like it could be a gall bladder issue too.

  • TasnimEz
    TasnimEz Posts: 280 Member
    After my first 3 months of feeling awful and going back to eating carbs I actually gave it another shot, because I really believed it's the best way to eat. One day in and I was vomiting. Messed me up pretty good. Never had these issues, only while eating low carb.
    Many keep saying that you should just hang in there, it will pass, but for some it doesn't and I believe it can be bad for your health. I don't know, maybe I had some underlying issue and that's why I felt horrible, but I would advice anyone trying low carb to listen to your body. It's normal to feel a bit off the first week or so but if it's more than that, just be careful.
  • AngInCanada
    AngInCanada Posts: 947 Member
    I did it for 8 months. Lost quite easily on it, never felt hungry. But for me, my mental health tanked and I just could not get the electrolytes properly balanced so I was dizzy and exhausted. I did lose 40 lbs in 8 months and then lost another 10 lbs doing cico then spent all of 2016 maintaining within 3 lbs. 2017 I am calorie counting and hope to get to goal.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    TasnimEz wrote: »
    After my first 3 months of feeling awful and going back to eating carbs I actually gave it another shot, because I really believed it's the best way to eat. One day in and I was vomiting. Messed me up pretty good. Never had these issues, only while eating low carb.
    Many keep saying that you should just hang in there, it will pass, but for some it doesn't and I believe it can be bad for your health. I don't know, maybe I had some underlying issue and that's why I felt horrible, but I would advice anyone trying low carb to listen to your body. It's normal to feel a bit off the first week or so but if it's more than that, just be careful.

    :( No fun.

    Did you add electrolytes though? I had to start adding 1 tsp of salt to water everyday, plus drinking broth and salting my foods, and adding Mg and K supplements, in order to get my electrolytes in balance. I couldn't believe I needed that much salt. I finally added salt after a couple of weeks of fatigue and headaches, when my muscles were starting to cramp up in the middle of the day. A couple of days of supplements and I was right as rain.

    If you are supplementing, then I whole heartedly agree that keto does not suit you. I am impressed you tried it as long as you did.
  • cdelsman
    cdelsman Posts: 1 Member
    I have been eating keto/paleo for about 2 years now (with occasional cheat days or weeks when on vacation). I exercise quite a bit (2 hours per day 4-5 days a week) because I like it and tracked most of my calories throughout. I usually eat between 1800-2200 calories per day. I have gone from 272 to 167lbs with little to no problems. I love this way of eating because my hunger is practically non existent and I rarely have cravings. I have lost and regained (50lbs each time) weight multiple times on CICO diets. I finally feel like I've found a long term lifestyle that I and my family enjoy. My mom and dad's girlfriend liked my results so much that they also tried it and both have lost more than 50lbs. The beginning is very difficult and I felt like I was going through withdrawals because I used to drink large amounts of coke. Once you get past the beginning, it's quite easy to stick with. The hardest part is eating out and variety. But there are multiple websites with low carb/keto recipes to give you ideas.
  • silver_arrow3
    silver_arrow3 Posts: 1,373 Member
    I followed a keto diet for a bit over a year. I loved it, as did my husband (who ate the keto meals I made, but supplemented them with carbs). I got to challenge myself with recipes - I'd find any recipe that sounded good, then worked to alter it in a way that fit my diet. I didn't have much issue with keto-flu, luckily, so I don't have much bad to say about it.

    All of this is in past-tense. I'm 6 months pregnant at the moment and there's no force in the world that will keep me from my chocolate milk. However, once I'm able, I fully intend to get back to my keto diet.
  • cerise_noir
    cerise_noir Posts: 5,468 Member
    edited January 2017
    AngInCanada wrote: »
    I did it for 8 months. Lost quite easily on it, never felt hungry. But for me, my mental health tanked and I just could not get the electrolytes properly balanced so I was dizzy and exhausted. I did lose 40 lbs in 8 months and then lost another 10 lbs doing cico then spent all of 2016 maintaining within 3 lbs. 2017 I am calorie counting and hope to get to goal.

    I am glad you figured it out @AngInCanada It screwed me mentally, too. Hard.
  • barni71
    barni71 Posts: 30 Member
    I've done keto a few times in the past with a lot of success. I was calorie counting before Christmas as I do like my carbs but as I ate far too many of them over Christmas/New Year I am doing keto again this week as I feel I eat more healthily on this type of diet as I'm not going for convenience food which is what I normally do on a cico diet. I've never calorie counted on a keto diet in the past but I am this week.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,976 Member
    I only did keto when I prepped for a body building contest. And hated it the whole time. But I did it because it worked to get down to single digit body fat numbers. After a contest, I consumed large amount of carbs and usually gained back 10lbs to 15lbs within a couple of days.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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  • sweeneywi
    sweeneywi Posts: 1 Member
    I liked the feeling of being in Keto. Mentally, I was very sharp and creative. I found it easy to be calm, meditate, and focus. While I don't have any data, I think my insulin resistance got a lot better. I noticed feeling full more clearly and I didn't have delayed muscle soreness from working out. I could go without eating and not really feel hungry. It also seemed to help my IBS tremendously, probably because I wasn't eating fermentable carbs. My heart rate variability also seemed to be really great.

    I could maintain output in my workouts for longer. I could lift weights for two hours without getting tired. However, my maximum outputs were noticeably lower. I found it difficult to full-on sprint during sports.

    I found it hard to get into - it took me about the full two weeks. If I ate a little too much protein or carbs, I would be out for a couple days at least. And every time I jumped out, getting back in was a physically rough process. I felt really low energy and crabby. The keto flu was *kitten*. Also, I wasn't sleeping well without glucose.

    I also gained 20lbs! Keto did not help me loose weight. While I did feel a more salient full feeling, I was eating a crap ton of fat on a daily basis. Somewhere in the 3000-4000 calorie range, which is about twice what I should have. Bulletproof exec claims he ate a *kitten* ton and still lost weight. I don't believe that is possible for everyone.

    While it was easy to calm down, I found that it was also easier for me to get anxious. I started having panic attacks. After going on medication, I decided it was time to go back to carbs. Additionally, my doctor told me keto could potentially give me kidney damage. I don't know how likely that is, but that was enough to scare me off.

    I returned back to the land of carbs (mostly paleo). My workouts were stellar, I could really go balls to the walls. I felt more relaxed and slept better. I lost 15ish pounds pretty quickly. The trade off is that I don't feel the mental clarity I used. I can really shove down a lot of carbs without feeling full. I have to watch what I eat still.

    I get similar mental clarity from intermittent fasting, which I start with bulletproof coffee. I still have high fat days now and then too just because it's easier when eating out.
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    sweeneywi wrote: »
    I liked the feeling of being in Keto. Mentally, I was very sharp and creative. I found it easy to be calm, meditate, and focus. While I don't have any data, I think my insulin resistance got a lot better. I noticed feeling full more clearly and I didn't have delayed muscle soreness from working out. I could go without eating and not really feel hungry. It also seemed to help my IBS tremendously, probably because I wasn't eating fermentable carbs. My heart rate variability also seemed to be really great.

    I could maintain output in my workouts for longer. I could lift weights for two hours without getting tired. However, my maximum outputs were noticeably lower. I found it difficult to full-on sprint during sports.

    I found it hard to get into - it took me about the full two weeks. If I ate a little too much protein or carbs, I would be out for a couple days at least. And every time I jumped out, getting back in was a physically rough process. I felt really low energy and crabby. The keto flu was *kitten*. Also, I wasn't sleeping well without glucose.

    I also gained 20lbs! Keto did not help me loose weight. While I did feel a more salient full feeling, I was eating a crap ton of fat on a daily basis. Somewhere in the 3000-4000 calorie range, which is about twice what I should have. Bulletproof exec claims he ate a *kitten* ton and still lost weight. I don't believe that is possible for everyone.

    While it was easy to calm down, I found that it was also easier for me to get anxious. I started having panic attacks. After going on medication, I decided it was time to go back to carbs. Additionally, my doctor told me keto could potentially give me kidney damage. I don't know how likely that is, but that was enough to scare me off.

    I returned back to the land of carbs (mostly paleo). My workouts were stellar, I could really go balls to the walls. I felt more relaxed and slept better. I lost 15ish pounds pretty quickly. The trade off is that I don't feel the mental clarity I used. I can really shove down a lot of carbs without feeling full. I have to watch what I eat still.

    I get similar mental clarity from intermittent fasting, which I start with bulletproof coffee. I still have high fat days now and then too just because it's easier when eating out.

    if you didnt lose weight you werent in a caloric deficit. even doing keto you HAVE to be in a deficit to lose weight. its not a magical way to lose weight,its also not "eat all you want and lose" type of diet either,it doesnt work that way. if you were eating 3-4000 calories you were eating in a surplus if you were gaining weight.
  • kidodo
    kidodo Posts: 1 Member
    lost 4 lbs in 2 week , considering I am only a 115lbs person, that is FAST!

    Bounced back in 2 days, I promise I was just eating normal during that 2 days (1700calories/day)

    Will NEVER do it again.
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