Keto Diet

Options
I started doing some research on the keto diet. I believe this will work for me better than other diet plans i have tried in the past. Has anyone else tried this diet? Any tips? I am trying to lose weight and build muscle.

Replies

  • Badger_Girl99
    Badger_Girl99 Posts: 2,220 Member
    Options
    Keto is very difficult - I tried it and it wasn't for me, but many people are successful on it. I agree with happilymegan - put this in the food/nutrition area. My advice is to make sure to keep your electrolytes up the first few weeks - get a magnesium supplement and pound the gatorade zero (or whatever it's called). Salt everything. This will help with the 'keto flu' symptoms.
  • Timshel_
    Timshel_ Posts: 22,834 Member
    Options
    reyliniea wrote: »
    I am trying to lose weight and build muscle.

    Eat normally but at deficit and do strength training. It has worked for millions upon millions of people. Why do you need something different?
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited February 2017
    Options
    Losing weight and building muscle at the same time sort of does not work that way.

    What you can do is concentrate on two things 1) lose weight by eating in a calorie deficit 2) strength training and eating ample protein to produce muscle sparing during weight loss, the larger your calorie deficit (rate of loss) the more potential your weight loss will include losing muscle and not just fat.

    While it is true that a newbie lifter can gain some minimal muscle in the beginning, these muscle gains taper off during weight loss.

    Chosing keto is nothing magical for weight loss. Basically it is another way to adjust your macros towards the way you want to eat. Eating according to how you will be training during weight loss is key.

    There is a low carbers group in the forums if you are interested in learning more.
  • Carbkiller1970
    Carbkiller1970 Posts: 3,289 Member
    Options
    Keto was a great success for me. I love it
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    Options
    Try the Low Carber Daily MFP group linked already. http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/394-low-carber-daily-forum-the-lcd-group That is where most of the success stories hang out. There's quite a few who have been doing keto for more than a year or two.

    If you are hoping to build muscle at the same time as losing weight, I wouldn't use too large of a deficit. That can be hard on a body.

    My tip is salt. You'll need 3000-5000+ mg of sodium per day or your electrolytes will be out of balance. There's 2300 mg of sodium in a teaspoon of table salt.
  • DietPrada
    DietPrada Posts: 1,171 Member
    edited February 2017
    Options
    Keto is not difficult. It's the easiest thing I've ever done, after 20 years of yoyo dieting and binge eating and ending up at 123kg. I switched to Keto 4 years ago. And stuck with it, easily (after the first couple of weeks adjustment). It's not restrictive as many think, there are substitutes for many carby foods, you just need to read labels and make some changes. Why it works is this: trying to restrict intake with a carb heavy diet means you are often still a victim of the insulin roller coaster, meaning you eat carbs, you produce insulin to combat those carbs, and then you're hungry again. Keto switches your body to getting your fuel from fat, not carbs. Fat also keeps you satisfied. And you are not hungry. This, for me, was the most important thing. I control food now, food no longer controls me. Yes, you still have to watch your calories to lose weight, but you tend to naturally want to eat less due to the fat/protein. If you are one of those people who can stick to low calorie for a while but always end up "falling off the wagon" and gaining it back, Keto could save you like it saved me.
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    Options
    Keto is not difficult. It's the easiest thing I've ever done, after 20 years of yoyo dieting and binge eating and ending up at 123kg. I switched to Keto 4 years ago. And stuck with it, easily (after the first couple of weeks adjustment). It's not restrictive as many think, there are substitutes for many carby foods, you just need to read labels and make some changes. Why it works is this: trying to restrict intake with a carb heavy diet means you are often still a victim of the insulin roller coaster, meaning you eat carbs, you produce insulin to combat those carbs, and then you're hungry again. Keto switches your body to getting your fuel from fat, not carbs. Fat also keeps you satisfied. And you are not hungry. This, for me, was the most important thing. I control food now, food no longer controls me. Yes, you still have to watch your calories to lose weight, but you tend to naturally want to eat less due to the fat/protein. If you are one of those people who can stick to low calorie for a while but always end up "falling off the wagon" and gaining it back, Keto could save you like it saved me.

    its not difficult for some. for others its not easy or sustainable. but what works for one wont always work for another.
  • DietPrada
    DietPrada Posts: 1,171 Member
    Options
    Keto is not difficult. It's the easiest thing I've ever done, after 20 years of yoyo dieting and binge eating and ending up at 123kg. I switched to Keto 4 years ago. And stuck with it, easily (after the first couple of weeks adjustment). It's not restrictive as many think, there are substitutes for many carby foods, you just need to read labels and make some changes. Why it works is this: trying to restrict intake with a carb heavy diet means you are often still a victim of the insulin roller coaster, meaning you eat carbs, you produce insulin to combat those carbs, and then you're hungry again. Keto switches your body to getting your fuel from fat, not carbs. Fat also keeps you satisfied. And you are not hungry. This, for me, was the most important thing. I control food now, food no longer controls me. Yes, you still have to watch your calories to lose weight, but you tend to naturally want to eat less due to the fat/protein. If you are one of those people who can stick to low calorie for a while but always end up "falling off the wagon" and gaining it back, Keto could save you like it saved me.

    its not difficult for some. for others its not easy or sustainable. but what works for one wont always work for another.

    *shrug* I don't think I'm any different to anyone else. Low carb works for everyone. I think that the ones it doesn't work for are also the ones that calorie counting doesn't work for. Weightloss is hard. It's considerably easier if you're not hungry all the time.
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    Options
    Keto is not difficult. It's the easiest thing I've ever done, after 20 years of yoyo dieting and binge eating and ending up at 123kg. I switched to Keto 4 years ago. And stuck with it, easily (after the first couple of weeks adjustment). It's not restrictive as many think, there are substitutes for many carby foods, you just need to read labels and make some changes. Why it works is this: trying to restrict intake with a carb heavy diet means you are often still a victim of the insulin roller coaster, meaning you eat carbs, you produce insulin to combat those carbs, and then you're hungry again. Keto switches your body to getting your fuel from fat, not carbs. Fat also keeps you satisfied. And you are not hungry. This, for me, was the most important thing. I control food now, food no longer controls me. Yes, you still have to watch your calories to lose weight, but you tend to naturally want to eat less due to the fat/protein. If you are one of those people who can stick to low calorie for a while but always end up "falling off the wagon" and gaining it back, Keto could save you like it saved me.

    its not difficult for some. for others its not easy or sustainable. but what works for one wont always work for another.

    *shrug* I don't think I'm any different to anyone else. Low carb works for everyone. I think that the ones it doesn't work for are also the ones that calorie counting doesn't work for. Weightloss is hard. It's considerably easier if you're not hungry all the time.

    low carb may work for some but not everyone though. I cant do keto because I have a health issue and with keto you have to have high fat and low carbs. with my FH(familial hypercholesterolemia) I cannot have high fat. it would eventually kill me. for some low carbs arent satiating.so I eat higher carbs and low fat due to my health issue and have no issues with being hungry all the time. I make sure I get enough carbs,protein and what fat I can have.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,411 MFP Moderator
    Options
    Keto is not difficult. It's the easiest thing I've ever done, after 20 years of yoyo dieting and binge eating and ending up at 123kg. I switched to Keto 4 years ago. And stuck with it, easily (after the first couple of weeks adjustment). It's not restrictive as many think, there are substitutes for many carby foods, you just need to read labels and make some changes. Why it works is this: trying to restrict intake with a carb heavy diet means you are often still a victim of the insulin roller coaster, meaning you eat carbs, you produce insulin to combat those carbs, and then you're hungry again. Keto switches your body to getting your fuel from fat, not carbs. Fat also keeps you satisfied. And you are not hungry. This, for me, was the most important thing. I control food now, food no longer controls me. Yes, you still have to watch your calories to lose weight, but you tend to naturally want to eat less due to the fat/protein. If you are one of those people who can stick to low calorie for a while but always end up "falling off the wagon" and gaining it back, Keto could save you like it saved me.

    Switching energy systems, so your body utilizes more fats than carbs, is pretty meaningless. Many people think it means they burn more fat (insinuating it's body fat) but it just means that fat oxidation is increase due to increase storage of fat. Essentially, substrate utilization, for the average dieter, means absolutely nothing. Energy balance is what determines fat loss. And fat doesn't satiate everyone. It doesn't with me. Protein and fiber are more universal. Carbs and fats are very individual. For me, starches are the biggest driver (outside protein) for satiety for me.

    Also, insulin doesn't really drive hunger. It's a response to blood glucose. Protein also drives insulin. The biggest thing is, insulin acts as a key to your cells to take in nutrients to convert to energy.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,411 MFP Moderator
    Options
    reyliniea wrote: »
    I started doing some research on the keto diet. I believe this will work for me better than other diet plans i have tried in the past. Has anyone else tried this diet? Any tips? I am trying to lose weight and build muscle.

    Building muscle while in a deficit is going to be hard. Doing it while keto can definitely make it hard. Carbs are anticatabolic and prevent protein degradation. Diets higher in carbs would provide a greater environment for protein synthesis to outweigh protein degradation.

    If your goal is to gain muscle, while losing fat, you will want a small deficit (~ 10-20%) less than your TDEE or maintenance calories. Second, you will want a diet higher in protein; .8-1g per lb of lean body mass (or even up to 1g per lb of weight). Third, a progressive overload lifting program, like one of the ones found in the below link. Fourth, I would consider spreading out protein throughout day. Leucine, an amino acid in protein, can drive muscle protein synthesis. So there is some thought that it might be beneficial throughout the day. Fifth, I would consider timing your carbs around your workout (pre and post). 1-3 are the most important aspects. 4-5 might be beneficial. With the people worked with, they have seemed to be beneficial.


    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1
  • fairytink2u
    fairytink2u Posts: 16 Member
    Options
    Keto is the ONLY diet that has worked for me:)
  • Rob_in_MI
    Rob_in_MI Posts: 393 Member
    Options
    Keto is the IMO the easiest thing to follow. Monday-Friday, I keep carbs down to 20-30 grams daily. I don't keep track of calories.. ever. (Yes, it's a LOT of meat, salad, and cheese).

    On the weekends, pass the chips and wine please.
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    Options
    Rob_in_MI wrote: »
    Keto is the IMO the easiest thing to follow. Monday-Friday, I keep carbs down to 20-30 grams daily. I don't keep track of calories.. ever. (Yes, it's a LOT of meat, salad, and cheese).

    On the weekends, pass the chips and wine please.

    for you its easy. for others its not. I couldnt function on that low of carbs lol trust me Ive tried eating low carb(less than 100). I had no energy,my workouts suffered. and that was over a month later.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,411 MFP Moderator
    Options
    Rob_in_MI wrote: »
    Keto is the IMO the easiest thing to follow. Monday-Friday, I keep carbs down to 20-30 grams daily. I don't keep track of calories.. ever. (Yes, it's a LOT of meat, salad, and cheese).

    On the weekends, pass the chips and wine please.

    for you its easy. for others its not. I couldnt function on that low of carbs lol trust me Ive tried eating low carb(less than 100). I had no energy,my workouts suffered. and that was over a month later.

    I struggle on my low carb days and its close to 130g. So i can relate.