Keto Kwestions

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lar25473
lar25473 Posts: 183 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everyone. I'm reading up about the keto diet right now and I'm just wondering if anyone who has experience on this eating plan can give me some feedback from your personal experience.

Is it really a no fruit diet? I was reading that you can't have any fruit at all. Like...even though I'm Italian I can give up pasta, but I need my fruit! I read "no apples and bananas" which really struck an axe into my soul, as I love apples and bananas more than any other fruit.

Is the diet encouraging you to eat mostly meats?

Replies

  • morningglorybates
    morningglorybates Posts: 3 Member
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    I have been on a keto diet the past two weeks. Overall the hardest part is feeling bloated from the salads I ate at lunch every day. I saw a great improvement in my overall well being through cutting the carbs. I already ate a low carb diet anyways so I didnt have any withdraws. When i first cut a large portion of carbs out I was irritable and felt sick so if you do go Keto get a partner or friend to join you.
  • lar25473
    lar25473 Posts: 183 Member
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    Wow thanks for the answers everyone... you know, I do try to count calories but sometimes I'm sure I don't do a very good job. I was thinking that trying to stick to a particular diet would be helpful. I want to ask livinglean if you can recommend me a way to eat that will encourage me to be healthier... I have a lot of trouble with sticking to a wellness plan and a diet seemed like the good way to go.
  • tamashar
    tamashar Posts: 1 Member
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    livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
    It's encouraging you to eat low carb, high fat, moderate protein.

    Unfortunately most fruit would be out as it is higher carb without a lot of fibre (compared to vegies) - you carb goal is without fibre, you need to subtract the fibre from the total carbs. You could probably make a few berries fit.

    Why do a diet that restricts healthy foods you enjoy? Fruit isn't bad, and if you enjoy it, eat it! Just account for it..

    Thankfully, there are different ways to keto. I myself am fine with sour fruits, so I do strict keto at 25 grams of carbs or less a day. Lazy keto may just cut out the high carb fruits like pineapple. I can live without pineapple but if some ends up in my quesapizza, I'm just accounting for it.
  • Catawampous
    Catawampous Posts: 447 Member
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    First ... you dont need to drink a ton of water. Drink when you are thirsty. You also need to be mindful of your sodium and make sure you keep that up. Most who suffer from irritability and feeling bad are not getting enough salt which throws electrolytes out of balance. Easy to avoid problem. You can also have whatever you want to eat as long as it fits into the carb goal you have set for yourself. I eat fruit! Berries mostly and I do eat apples also but I cut them in half or quarter depending on their size.

    You still have to watch your calories! It's a good way to eat for a lot of people and not a good way for others. YMMV.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
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    It is a limited fruit diet.
    Most keto'ers I know use an IIFYM approach to eating. Keto is under 20-50g of carbs. Those carbs can be nuts, veggies, beans, rice, bread, or fruit (like pineapple or banana). Most tend to go for carbs with fibre which ends to be veggies. It adds volume to your food. 25g of carbs is a salad and some side vegggies at different meals, or it can be a large banana. Most skip the banana.
  • lar25473
    lar25473 Posts: 183 Member
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    This is all really helpful information. So I have another question. So long as I were to stay under the carbohydrate limit, it wouldn't matter *what* I ate? One could eat a carbohydrate fruit as long as they stayed within their limit?
  • kokonani
    kokonani Posts: 507 Member
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    Keto diet is very restrictive. A bit over your carb intake and it kicks you out of ketosis. Then it takes another 2-3 days to get back in. I am an ex-ketoer. It was great at first, but couldn't sustain for long. Tired of eating high fat all the time. I'm much happier and better eating high carbs and still losing and maintaining. Good luck!
  • coliry
    coliry Posts: 12 Member
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    lar25473 wrote: »
    So long as I were to stay under the carbohydrate limit, it wouldn't matter *what* I ate? One could eat a carbohydrate fruit as long as they stayed within their limit?
    Um, not really. Fruits contain fructose and that's like the most anti-ketogenic sugar existing. It needs to be metabolized in the liver therefore it very quickly refills liver glycogen and that basically means saying goodbye to ketones.
  • Catawampous
    Catawampous Posts: 447 Member
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    People say it's restrictive. To ME it doesnt matter where I cut calories from. It matters what is satisfying to me and helps me reach/maintain my goal with as little fuss as possible. I prefer tastier fatty foods than low fat, so for me it's not restrictive in the least. It is an individual thing.

    If you are not dealing with health issues related to diabetes, insulin resistance, etc. I see no reason you can't have a piece of fruit you like within the limits you have set. I do it all the time and stay in ketosis. That doesn't mean the same would hold true for another person. I do not have those type of health issues. All you can do is try and adjust from there.

  • Tankiscool
    Tankiscool Posts: 11,105 Member
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    Best eating habit out there to loose fat imho. I have to force myself to eat now instead of constantly being hungry eating well mainly an American diet which is *kitten*.

    I eat strawberries. Keep your carbs around 25g per day. If you want an apple, eat it, but you still have to watch your carb count for that day. You can go over 25g per day if you workout more than the average Joe. Some people can stay in Ketosis under 50g of carbs per day. It really varies per person. I haven't played around with it myself but you can purchase a blood ketone meter to see what level your blood ketones are at to see if you are in "ketosis"

    Mostly meat I would say, I have to eat more protein 180g to 200g per day to keep my lean muscle mass. So I do take protein shakes as well. I mainly eat eggs, chicken, cheese, and beef.

    Keep your salt up and your electrolytes. Your body flushes through them alot faster so you need about 5000 mg of sodium per day. Have some potassium on hand, you can buy it anywhere but alot of Keto people buy Lite Salt which has more potassium in it than sodium, mi it with water and a water enhancer like Mio and viola you have Gatorade, and magnesium pills in case you get cramps.

    Read the FAQ on Reddit. Helps alot for beginners.

    https://www.reddit.com/r/keto/wiki/faq
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    lar25473 wrote: »
    This is all really helpful information. So I have another question. So long as I were to stay under the carbohydrate limit, it wouldn't matter *what* I ate? One could eat a carbohydrate fruit as long as they stayed within their limit?

    Yeah, exactly.

    However, when I tried keto (I gave it up for the summer largely because of fruit), I mostly just consumed vegetables, nuts, and dairy, because I considered those more important (especially veg) and it was hard to fit in even the amount of veg I think is desirable. Deciding to go for fruit on a particular day is fine within the limit.

    The limit is also likely higher than what a lot of the sites push. For some reason under 20 g carbs (which in my opinion makes adequate vegetables impossible to fit in) seems to be a fad, when under 50 g is probably fine to get you into ketosis, even under 50 g net carbs. Especially if one is at all active.
  • tjucan
    tjucan Posts: 12 Member
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    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    The limit is also likely higher than what a lot of the sites push. For some reason under 20 g carbs (which in my opinion makes adequate vegetables impossible to fit in) seems to be a fad, when under 50 g is probably fine to get you into ketosis, even under 50 g net carbs. Especially if one is at all active.
    Now I'm really curious what kind of vegetables you find "adequate" (or how much of them). Because in my experience, damn, trying to eat 50g of net carbs while still hitting my protein goal would be impossible. Simply too much volume.

  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited August 2017
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    tjucan wrote: »
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    The limit is also likely higher than what a lot of the sites push. For some reason under 20 g carbs (which in my opinion makes adequate vegetables impossible to fit in) seems to be a fad, when under 50 g is probably fine to get you into ketosis, even under 50 g net carbs. Especially if one is at all active.
    Now I'm really curious what kind of vegetables you find "adequate" (or how much of them). Because in my experience, damn, trying to eat 50g of net carbs while still hitting my protein goal would be impossible. Simply too much volume.

    I aim for 8-10 servings, prefer to eat them to preference, an unlimited amount (but counted if I am logging!), which normally results in me being at that number or more. For that, since they are non starchy veg, 50 g net, absolutely, doable. Under 20 g net, no. When I was doing keto I aimed for 50 g total and usually came in around 55 total, 35 net, which required me to cut veg a bit from what I'd been doing or worry more than I like about the type (choosing more lettuce over brussels sprouts).

    My concern is that I see the number 20 g being pushed on people as needed for ketosis and it's not, and I similarly see lots of people aiming needlessly for under 20 g net or even seeming to think it's better to be at, say, 5 g or some crazy low number. I understand some people choose to do these diets on purpose because they have the idea that any carbs are bad for them, but it's absolutely not required for ketosis and basically eliminates any reasonable amount of vegetables.

    My protein goal is 100 g (.8x125, as I'm 125 and that's a healthy weight for me), and that's probably on the high side for lots of keto recommendations, and finding it hard to get lots of veg with that much protein isn't something I relate to.

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