Pros and cons of Keto diet

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  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
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    Not for me. I have familial hypercholesterolemia, but that aside, I don't find fat to be satiating.

    I low carbed for ten years (this was prior to my diagnosis) and still struggled to get my weight below 150.

    I wasn't cutting carbs to keto levels, but my diet was high in fat, and I did not experience the natural appetite suppression and calorie regulation that many people who do low carb say they feel. It just doesn't happen for me.

    At the time I low carbed, I wasn't active.

    I'm very active now and find that my body thrives on carbs.

    For other people, their choices are theirs, and keto can be a fine choice for them provided that they are getting adequate vegetable intake (I know some people are carnivores, but no one will ever convince me that this is optimal, I believe in a decent intake of vegetables for health).

    Keto is just not optimal for me.
  • Catawampous
    Catawampous Posts: 447 Member
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    I think this is where things come down to individuals.

    I haven't had a gallbladder for roughly 20 years. Hubby has gallstones and only a partially functional gallbladder. I have no trouble. His gallbladder is triggered more by vegetables that tend to give him gas lol. Go figure. I can't tell you the last time I had an anxiety attack! Thanks goodness because they suck!! We both thrive eating this way. Both of us have energy coming out our ears. This does not happen for everyone as you can see from the posts above!

    OP - Do your research and go in with your eyes open if you decide to try it. If you are looking for miracles ... they don't exist! It takes hard work and commitment just like in other ways of eating. It made my struggles easier but that doesnt mean it will for you. Calories still matter and it isn't a license to drink bacon grease!
  • GlassAngyl
    GlassAngyl Posts: 478 Member
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    I don't have a gallbladder and it's actually STOPPED the er.. rushes to the rest room. I was worried about that as well especially since the attending physician said I could never eat fats again or I'd suffer the consequences. Quite the reverse actually. I've avoided fats and have had serious gastronomical issues for the past 10 years. I've only been trying keto since July 16th and the only thing I'm dealing with now is constipation. But the stools are for once well formed. Doctors don't always know everything.
  • jamacianredhair
    jamacianredhair Posts: 230 Member
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    OliveGirl128 wrote: »
    For me personally it wouldn't be a realistic method at all, since I do much better on a high carb woe. I love vegetables and fruit, whole grains, beans etc and I'd have to cut them out-for no good reason. Some people find that a low carb/high fat method works for them, but you won't know if that's you until you give it a try.

    As for safety-I don't think it's particularly healthy to eliminate nutrient dense foods, but to each their own!

    Same.
  • spiriteagle99
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,676 Member
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    I successfully lost weight twice on a low carb diet (Atkins) but wasn't successful on maintaining the weight loss afterwards. Once I could eat carbs again, I went back to eating too much and gained back a lot of the weight. I have done better with tracking CI-CO via MFP, but I also have not stopped tracking once I reached goal weight. That made a huge difference. For me, not eating carbs was strictly short term. I didn't mind the diet, and it was simple to cook, but it got boring after a while. Seriously low carb didn't work for me at all. I did Stillman's many years ago and it was only about 5 g. of carbs. (The only vegetable allowed was lettuce IIRC.) I got so I hated eggs, cottage cheese and chicken. That took years to get over. I love fruit, bread, beer, and sweets. Learning to eat them more moderately has allowed me to eat a varied diet and maintain my weight loss. But when I am serious about losing weight, I usually start with some sort of lower carb eating.
  • pander101
    pander101 Posts: 677 Member
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    For those it works for, yes it works and it can work long term. For those it doesn't, it won't. I have personally have been having to most success with keto as oppose to just lowering calories. It cuts a lot of my trigger foods and it I've honestly not felt hungry or deprived. In the end, it's helping me reach that calories in vs. calories out. I haven't had any major issues with any "side-effects" and I feel better. If you're worried about not getting enough vitamins, take a multi.
  • dennjc
    dennjc Posts: 1 Member
    edited August 2017
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    I lost about 100 lbs last year on a keto diet, plus lots of bike-riding and walking (from 250 lbs down to 150-160) I'm 61 years old and I suspect metabolism behaves differently at 60 than at 30 yo. It took a while for my metabolism to adjust (it lowered the more weight I lost) ...but it's finally almost back to normal, thankfully. I had also skipped breakfast and lunch a couple times a week. That helped too. I took a multivitamin on those days. I still mostly stay with this diet, just not as strict (I occasionally splurge now that I'm normal weight, but I keep it to a minimum).
    One of the rewards: my doctor really stroked my ego! Rare for her. She had always scolded me about this and that. But after the pounds started falling off, she went on and on about how well I was doing, especially after my blood tests showed my various levels to be spot on. And no more high blood pressure. I love it!
    If only I could get rid of all the extra skin now :( Oh well, it's worth it.
    An odd thing though : comments above mentioned "keto flu" This happened to me too. BUT after a day or two of that, there was a couple days of feeling great, emotionally. It was a slight euphoria and this happened a few times when I was no longer in ketosis, then I went back into ketosis again... I experienced flu, then after that passed, I experienced a high. I later read some other people's comments about this high , and they took it as something "spiritual" which made me laugh and facepalm. Apparently, it's a chemical reaction when your body switches to burning fat stores, that's all. Too bad it only lasts a day or two. I doubt it's even noticeable to every one. Anyway, I view it as a consolation prize.
  • Aha123
    Aha123 Posts: 30 Member
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    dennjc wrote: »
    I lost about 100 lbs last year on a keto diet, plus lots of bike-riding and walking (from 250 lbs down to 150-160) I'm 61 years old and I suspect metabolism behaves differently at 60 than at 30 yo. It took a while for my metabolism to adjust (it lowered the more weight I lost) ...but it's finally almost back to normal, thankfully. I had also skipped breakfast and lunch a couple times a week. That helped too. I took a multivitamin on those days. I still mostly stay with this diet, just not as strict (I occasionally splurge now that I'm normal weight, but I keep it to a minimum).
    One of the rewards: my doctor really stroked my ego! Rare for her. She had always scolded me about this and that. But after the pounds started falling off, she went on and on about how well I was doing, especially after my blood tests showed my various levels to be spot on. And no more high blood pressure. I love it!
    If only I could get rid of all the extra skin now :( Oh well, it's worth it.
    An odd thing though : comments above mentioned "keto flu" This happened to me too. BUT after a day or two of that, there was a couple days of feeling great, emotionally. It was a slight euphoria and this happened a few times when I was no longer in ketosis, then I went back into ketosis again... I experienced flu, then after that passed, I experienced a high. I later read some other people's comments about this high , and they took it as something "spiritual" which made me laugh and facepalm. Apparently, it's a chemical reaction when your body switches to burning fat stores, that's all. Too bad it only lasts a day or two. I doubt it's even noticeable to every one. Anyway, I view it as a consolation prize.

    Awesome!!!!! Wow! Thanks so much for sharing!
  • Aha123
    Aha123 Posts: 30 Member
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    pander101 wrote: »
    For those it works for, yes it works and it can work long term. For those it doesn't, it won't. I have personally have been having to most success with keto as oppose to just lowering calories. It cuts a lot of my trigger foods and it I've honestly not felt hungry or deprived. In the end, it's helping me reach that calories in vs. calories out. I haven't had any major issues with any "side-effects" and I feel better. If you're worried about not getting enough vitamins, take a multi.

    Thanks for sharing! :smile:
  • Aha123
    Aha123 Posts: 30 Member
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    spiriteagle99 wrote: »
    I successfully lost weight twice on a low carb diet (Atkins) but wasn't successful on maintaining the weight loss afterwards. Once I could eat carbs again, I went back to eating too much and gained back a lot of the weight. I have done better with tracking CI-CO via MFP, but I also have not stopped tracking once I reached goal weight. That made a huge difference. For me, not eating carbs was strictly short term. I didn't mind the diet, and it was simple to cook, but it got boring after a while. Seriously low carb didn't work for me at all. I did Stillman's many years ago and it was only about 5 g. of carbs. (The only vegetable allowed was lettuce IIRC.) I got so I hated eggs, cottage cheese and chicken. That took years to get over. I love fruit, bread, beer, and sweets. Learning to eat them more moderately has allowed me to eat a varied diet and maintain my weight loss. But when I am serious about losing weight, I usually start with some sort of lower carb eating.

    :smiley: Thanks for sharing!
  • Aha123
    Aha123 Posts: 30 Member
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    gebeziseva wrote: »
    A major con: you don't get to eat yummy carbs.

    I know! :0(
  • Aha123
    Aha123 Posts: 30 Member
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    diannethegeek wrote: »
    GlassAngyl wrote: »
    I don't have a gallbladder and it's actually STOPPED the er.. rushes to the rest room. I was worried about that as well especially since the attending physician said I could never eat fats again or I'd suffer the consequences. Quite the reverse actually. I've avoided fats and have had serious gastronomical issues for the past 10 years. I've only been trying keto since July 16th and the only thing I'm dealing with now is constipation. But the stools are for once well formed. Doctors don't always know everything.

    If this is pointed at me, I'm discussing my own, personal, observed experiences with low carb and keto, not doctors knowing anything. Ketovangelists love to tell me that my experiences don't exist, that it I'd only stuck it out through the pain, through the suicidal thoughts, that if only I had given it another chance I would come through the other side and find sparkles and unicorns. There's no keto unicorn for me. It works for a lot of people. It works for a lot of people who have similar issues to mine. But it don't work for me. The OP asked for pros and cons and I chose to weigh in with mine. I remember now why I stay out of keto discussions.
    diannethegeek wrote: »
    GlassAngyl wrote: »
    I don't have a gallbladder and it's actually STOPPED the er.. rushes to the rest room. I was worried about that as well especially since the attending physician said I could never eat fats again or I'd suffer the consequences. Quite the reverse actually. I've avoided fats and have had serious gastronomical issues for the past 10 years. I've only been trying keto since July 16th and the only thing I'm dealing with now is constipation. But the stools are for once well formed. Doctors don't always know everything.

    Thanks for your input! I want to hear the good and the bad! :smile:
  • Aha123
    Aha123 Posts: 30 Member
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    GlassAngyl wrote: »
    I don't have a gallbladder and it's actually STOPPED the er.. rushes to the rest room. I was worried about that as well especially since the attending physician said I could never eat fats again or I'd suffer the consequences. Quite the reverse actually. I've avoided fats and have had serious gastronomical issues for the past 10 years. I've only been trying keto since July 16th and the only thing I'm dealing with now is constipation. But the stools are for once well formed. Doctors don't always know everything.

    Thanks for sharing! Wish you well! :smile:
  • GlassAngyl
    GlassAngyl Posts: 478 Member
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    diannethegeek wrote: »
    GlassAngyl wrote: »
    I don't have a gallbladder and it's actually STOPPED the er.. rushes to the rest room. I was worried about that as well especially since the attending physician said I could never eat fats again or I'd suffer the consequences. Quite the reverse actually. I've avoided fats and have had serious gastronomical issues for the past 10 years. I've only been trying keto since July 16th and the only thing I'm dealing with now is constipation. But the stools are for once well formed. Doctors don't always know everything.

    If this is pointed at me, I'm discussing my own, personal, observed experiences with low carb and keto, not doctors knowing anything. Ketovangelists love to tell me that my experiences don't exist, that it I'd only stuck it out through the pain, through the suicidal thoughts, that if only I had given it another chance I would come through the other side and find sparkles and unicorns. There's no keto unicorn for me. It works for a lot of people. It works for a lot of people who have similar issues to mine. But it don't work for me. The OP asked for pros and cons and I chose to weigh in with mine. I remember now why I stay out of keto discussions.

    This wasn't aimed solely at you. It was a counter to yours to show no two experiences are a like so those without gallbladders know they can still try it without being jaded by only one persons experience.
  • StarvingDiva
    StarvingDiva Posts: 1,107 Member
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    GlassAngyl wrote: »
    I don't have a gallbladder and it's actually STOPPED the er.. rushes to the rest room. I was worried about that as well especially since the attending physician said I could never eat fats again or I'd suffer the consequences. Quite the reverse actually. I've avoided fats and have had serious gastronomical issues for the past 10 years. I've only been trying keto since July 16th and the only thing I'm dealing with now is constipation. But the stools are for once well formed. Doctors don't always know everything.
    YES. this is me too. I finally can be more than 10 ft from a bathroom after a meal.

  • Rufftimes
    Rufftimes Posts: 349 Member
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    I did Keto for approximately 5 months leading up to June. It's part of how I lost all my weight and hit goal. For me it worked very, very well. About three months in, I decided to go back to a balanced diet to see if it would give me added energy for my workouts. It didn't, and I gained 6 lbs in a week. I went straight back on here and mentioned it in a post. I was attacked by more people than I could count for saying that. I got comments like I had just gained water weight and had no idea what I was talking about. Who cares? I was 6 lbs heavier than I was a week earlier. Anyways, Back on Keto, I lost the 6 I gained and eventually ended up at goal. After hitting goal, I decided for my next program, I was going to try balanced eating again. Gained 7 lbs, and stayed there for a month. I'm back on Keto as of last Monday.
    Now keep in mind, this is just me, I'm not saying this is how it is for everyone. I love the foods I get to eat, and don't miss the ones I can't at all. And when eating carbs, I'm ravenous. All.The.Time. I think that's my biggest problem, I end up sabotaging myself because I'm so damn hungry.
    Long story short. Keto is my life, but it might not be yours. Give it a try and see how you feel.
  • Aha123
    Aha123 Posts: 30 Member
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    Rufftimes wrote: »
    I did Keto for approximately 5 months leading up to June. It's part of how I lost all my weight and hit goal. For me it worked very, very well. About three months in, I decided to go back to a balanced diet to see if it would give me added energy for my workouts. It didn't, and I gained 6 lbs in a week. I went straight back on here and mentioned it in a post. I was attacked by more people than I could count for saying that. I got comments like I had just gained water weight and had no idea what I was talking about. Who cares? I was 6 lbs heavier than I was a week earlier. Anyways, Back on Keto, I lost the 6 I gained and eventually ended up at goal. After hitting goal, I decided for my next program, I was going to try balanced eating again. Gained 7 lbs, and stayed there for a month. I'm back on Keto as of last Monday.
    Now keep in mind, this is just me, I'm not saying this is how it is for everyone. I love the foods I get to eat, and don't miss the ones I can't at all. And when eating carbs, I'm ravenous. All.The.Time. I think that's my biggest problem, I end up sabotaging myself because I'm so damn hungry.
    Long story short. Keto is my life, but it might not be yours. Give it a try and see how you feel.

    Thanks! I appreciate your willingness to share! Well wishes!

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