Anyone do keto/low carb? I have a question
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ariannajune86
Posts: 6 Member
I've been doing keto for a month now, and sticking to less than 25g a day of carbs which come almost exclusively from vegetables. It's been working amazing. I'm down 20lbs, but the best part is the food 'obsession' has pretty much disappeared. I eat when I'm hungry, I enjoy delicious meals 3 times a day and live my life for the rest of it.
The high fat/low carb definitely suppresses my appetite, and it seems the less I eat carbs the less I want them. I can't even remember what some of the stuff I used to eat tastes like. And I also have tons of energy, sleeping better and have lost inches. So it's a win all around.
However, i've started tracking my intake on myfitnesspal, and I'm not reducing my calories as much as I thought I was. Now obviously, I'm losing weight so it might seem silly to fix something that ain't broke, but what I'm wondering is this: is it worth switching from keto to a low carb diet - between 50-75g, for example. I would make changes like instead of cream in my coffee, use whole milk. Widen my vegetable variety to include starchy vegetables, like carrots and butternut squash. I don't ever want to go fully back to carbs because I'm doing so much better without them, but I could do with eating a couple of hundred calories less per day. I'd still be 'low carb', just slightly higher.
The main thing is, I don't want to lose the appetite suppressing affects of keto. And I'm not sure how low I have to be to keep them. Is it something that is exclusively from ketosis, or will I continue not craving sugar/refined carbs if I just make the changes I mentioned above?
If anyone does low carb or keto, I'd love to hear what you think.
The high fat/low carb definitely suppresses my appetite, and it seems the less I eat carbs the less I want them. I can't even remember what some of the stuff I used to eat tastes like. And I also have tons of energy, sleeping better and have lost inches. So it's a win all around.
However, i've started tracking my intake on myfitnesspal, and I'm not reducing my calories as much as I thought I was. Now obviously, I'm losing weight so it might seem silly to fix something that ain't broke, but what I'm wondering is this: is it worth switching from keto to a low carb diet - between 50-75g, for example. I would make changes like instead of cream in my coffee, use whole milk. Widen my vegetable variety to include starchy vegetables, like carrots and butternut squash. I don't ever want to go fully back to carbs because I'm doing so much better without them, but I could do with eating a couple of hundred calories less per day. I'd still be 'low carb', just slightly higher.
The main thing is, I don't want to lose the appetite suppressing affects of keto. And I'm not sure how low I have to be to keep them. Is it something that is exclusively from ketosis, or will I continue not craving sugar/refined carbs if I just make the changes I mentioned above?
If anyone does low carb or keto, I'd love to hear what you think.
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Replies
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I don't do keto, but I wouldn't change it unless you really want to see if there are still appetite suppression from low carb as opposed to keto. You might find going to low carb, you get a bit more volume of food which can still lead to suppression or you might find the inclusion of more carbs inhibits that appetite suppression. Ultimately, it's a bit of trial and error. End of the day, it comes down to calorie control.0
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Go with what works. Sometimes something works great for a while, then you have to change it up. Ultra-low carb diets tend to have a shelf life, because at a certain point you become ravenous for a piece of freakin' bread.
If you hit that point, you may have to adjust. If it works for you, though, don't change yet. 0 -
Thanks for both your responses. I might do a bit of an experiment and see what my weight loss is this week (Sunday is my weigh-in day) and then slightly up my carbs next week - including whole milk and some more starchy veg. And compare both my weight loss and appetite next week. I can always revert back to full keto if need be the following week.
i honestly love low carb, but it would be nice to have more of a variety of veg and include whole milk. The cream is starting to get a bit tiresome!
Interestingly, I think I read somewhere that on Atkins you eventually add things back in over time.0 -
I think you could reasonably progress to 45 grams of carbs per day but increase slowly and if weight loss slows or stops, backtrack until you find your weight-loss limit. Adding starchy carbs is a slippery slope, best to increase by vegetables, not potatoes or starchy vegetables, and maybe some fruit. Believe me I've done it, unless you've met your goal, I wouldn't risk it.
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I'm switching it up all the time when it comes to cream or whole milk. I really want to make this a lifestyle change and not just a fad diet. So I want to be realistic about it. I don't limit my carbs down to 20g. It's usually in the 60g range. All my carbs come from veggies that are keto approved but honestly if a meal has a veggie outside keto I'll allow myself a few bites. Ex: Peruvian ceviche with a slice of sweet potato or whole milk instead of cream every now and then. I'll also allow myself a piece of fruit other than berries every now and then. I just went on vacation and allowed little carb cheats and although my weight loss stopped for that week, I came back weighing exactly the same as I had left which was great! Been a week back and I'm back to losing weight and found it super easy to switch back to full keto mode.
I've never lost my appetite suppressing benefits and am losing 3-4 pounds a week. That may be low for some keto peeps out there but I'm very happy with it and I never feel like I'm missing out on anything.2 -
Go with what works. If keto is helping you lose weight, I would stick with it, or close to it. If the only changes you want are whole milk in your coffee and a few extra veggies, you could definitely try it. I have been Leto for years and I eat some root veggies like carrots and onions, but the amounts are smaller than a higher carb diet could include.
Many, if not most, keto'ers eventually add more carbs back into their diets. If they had success on keto or experienced health benefits, they usually seem to stay low carb.
Be aware that your losses next month will probably be a bit less. In the first few weeks of keto people often lose a few pounds of water weight due to reduced carbs. It can be up to 10 lbs in a few people, with most only losing a handful of pounds. It does not continue. Plus if you reintroduce more carbs you may regain a bit of the water. It probably won't be much if you are staying under 100g of carbs, but it could happen.0 -
I think if you're losing weight with what you're doing now, keep doing it.
Congrats on your weight loss so far!! 0 -
I lost 13lbs the first week (obvs water), 1lb the next week and 3lbs the 3rd week. I've lost 3 inches off my waist and people are commenting on the loss. So I'm very happy.
I've had one cheat meal where I ate rice, spring rolls, drank coke and a bellini
Next day I had not gained 1lb (and that was the week I lost 3)
Very strange that the high carb meal didn't even make me gain water weight....0 -
gschinadoll wrote: »I think you could reasonably progress to 45 grams of carbs per day but increase slowly and if weight loss slows or stops, backtrack until you find your weight-loss limit. Adding starchy carbs is a slippery slope, best to increase by vegetables, not potatoes or starchy vegetables, and maybe some fruit. Believe me I've done it, unless you've met your goal, I wouldn't risk it.
Not everyone has an aversion to starchy carbs. In fact, it's one thing I eat a lot of because they keep me full the longest. I actually cut fats because I can eat it all day without becoming full. This is why its important to try a few things out to see what course of action is best.1 -
Is there a time where you do kind of a cheat meal? or refeed week or whatever I've heard it described both ways where you increase your carb count for about a week kind of like carb cycling, but not weekly. I'm sure I completely got everyone confused with my horrible explanation.
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I'm not doing specific cheat days, but rather I have said that if it's a special enough occasion, I will enjoy it.
I just got back from training this evening and my energy has not been great. I find I'm tiring much more quickly which is worrying.0 -
ariannajune86 wrote: »I'm not doing specific cheat days, but rather I have said that if it's a special enough occasion, I will enjoy it.
I just got back from training this evening and my energy has not been great. I find I'm tiring much more quickly which is worrying.
Many will experience a transient energy dip as your body adjusts to a low carb diet. It only last a few weeks.
If you experience a large decline in energy, it could be an electrolyte imbalance and extra sodium may help.1
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