Is Keto any good?
DallyWest
Posts: 5 Member
Hi anyone
Im using the macros to help lose weight (Ive uped my protein to help supress my appetite) but im wondering if I can use macros with the Keto diet?? Ive heard so many good reviews about Keto, but Im not familar with it. Thanks.
Im using the macros to help lose weight (Ive uped my protein to help supress my appetite) but im wondering if I can use macros with the Keto diet?? Ive heard so many good reviews about Keto, but Im not familar with it. Thanks.
2
Replies
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Keto is just one way to get into a calorie deficit. It is not a magic pill to lose more weight. If you have a calorie deficit you’ll lose weight no matter your macros. Of course you should eat foods that provide vitamins and minerals. If muscle building or maintaining muscle is a goal then make sure you get enough protein.10
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Sure you can! Actually, you have to track macros in order to be successful on Keto. So, for full on Keto, you set your carb intake to 20-30ish grams of carbs. Set your protein for your body goals(iirc, .8-1.2gm/lb of lean body weight), and fill the rest in with fats. Monitor calorie intake and adjust according to weight loss, weight gain, or maintenance goals.4
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This is really helpful. Thankyou both of you. I have a long way to go so this is useful.1
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Good for what? It's great if you don't particularly like carby foods. I think is supposed to be helpful for those with epilepsy.
Initially it may seem more successful in weight loss as you'll lose a lot of water weight. Fat loss is no faster than if you were to just focus on your calorie deficit with a higher percentage of carbs.9 -
Keto can be good if:
1. You have diabetes or IR
2. You are satiated by fat
3. You are not a volume eater
4. You do not enjoy carb foods such as fruits, oats, legumes
Really, the best diet is the one that you can sustain and comply with.
But of all maro based diets, high protein > all. Protein helps maintain muscle and metabolic functions, burns more calories through digestion and has the higher satiety factor.
Keto is inferior if:
1. You like volume foods
2. You are satiated by carbs
3. You partake in anearobic exercise or ultra endurance events.
ETA: if you do keto, you will need close to 5000mg of sodium.10 -
Keto can be good if:
1. You have diabetes or IR
2. You are satiated by fat
3. You are not a volume eater
4. You do not enjoy carb foods such as fruits, oats, legumes
Really, the best diet is the one that you can sustain and comply with.
But of all maro based diets, high protein > all. Protein helps maintain muscle and metabolic functions, burns more calories through digestion and has the higher satiety factor.
Keto is inferior if:
1. You like volume foods
2. You are satiated by carbs
3. You partake in anearobic exercise or ultra endurance events.
ETA: if you do keto, you will need close to 5000mg of sodium.
^ All of this.
Keto is no better or worse than any other diet when it comes to weight loss. Ultimately, no matter what your macros are (and all keto is is different macros), it all comes down to calories in/calories out.
The biggest difference in keto is the initial water weight loss as you deplete the water and glycogen reserves from your body - which creates a "whoosh" of weight loss and leads people to extoll the wondrous magical marvels of keto when they see an initial large drop on the scale. But it's water weight, not fat loss. Keto will not cause you to lose weight/fat any quicker or more easily than any other diet of equal calories.8 -
People talk about the calorie deficit with respect to the keto diet, but what is the cause of the deficit. Is it that your appetite is suppressed so one naturally eats less calories? I've read an alternate theory that says it's very hard to find foods with the correct ration of fats to carbs so people just end up eating less. If so, the hunger pangs would likely make this diet hard to maintain. Does anyone have any experience with this diet or know of any research to shed light on this? Thanks.2
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abbefaria4 wrote: »People talk about the calorie deficit with respect to the keto diet, but what is the cause of the deficit. Is it that your appetite is suppressed so one naturally eats less calories? I've read an alternate theory that says it's very hard to find foods with the correct ration of fats to carbs so people just end up eating less. If so, the hunger pangs would likely make this diet hard to maintain. Does anyone have any experience with this diet or know of any research to shed light on this? Thanks.
The theory is that people are so satiated by the high-fat foods in the ketogenic diet that they eat less and thus calorie consumption is lower. However, it discounts the fact that fat is not universally satiating and some people are far more satiated by carbs or protein.6 -
Choosing the right strategy is important, and I think finding out why things work or don't work, is interesting. Many diets are based on making eating hard or unpleasant (bland food, cutting out food groups, weird meal timing, food combining). I have always heard that keto is supposed to reduce appetite and cravings, and thus make it easier to not eat too much. But all sensible boundaries makes it easier to not eat too much. Reducing eating opportunities can be a sensible strategy, and not being able to eat anytime, anywhere is actually a sensible boundary for most people, not just ketoers. Too much hunger is absolutely a no-no in dieting, but hunger pangs is normal, and not a sign of imminent danger. You can still eat sufficiently on keto, but you have to plan your meals, and keto should make you feel full so you don't feel the urge to eat all the time. (I actually experience this just by sticking to a well-rounded diet.)abbefaria4 wrote: »People talk about the calorie deficit with respect to the keto diet, but what is the cause of the deficit. Is it that your appetite is suppressed so one naturally eats less calories? I've read an alternate theory that says it's very hard to find foods with the correct ration of fats to carbs so people just end up eating less. If so, the hunger pangs would likely make this diet hard to maintain. Does anyone have any experience with this diet or know of any research to shed light on this? Thanks.1 -
It would not be good for me.
I would be too worried that I wasn't getting enough vitamins and minerals as I don't eat offal except as pate. I also feel full from fibre.
I just don't see why most people would choose to not eat a wide variety of fruit, veg.
Each to their own but I don't think it is good.2 -
Personally, Keto has been amazing for me. I've always been a binge eater and couldn't stick with most diets I tried. I began Keto in October at 361lbs and now I'm at ~315. I can eat at a huge calorie deficit and can fast with ease. I feel as I have a lot more constant energy and just feel overall better. This isn't necessarily a good thing, as now I have to make sure I consume enough nutrients to keep me healthy, but I'd rather make sure I'm getting the vitamins/minerals my body needs than binge eating high sugary foods.
There's more than one way to skin a cat, and for me, that was keto. I don't exercise, but I plan to incorporate it soon once the January rush is over at the gym. I personally really enjoy the science behind it all and find it crazy just how much sugar is out there.
If you have any questions please feel free to shoot me a message or continue on the conversation. I've had great success with it, but like most people, to each there own. This to me is very sustainable and has gave me a lot of control over my food. When I get to my goal weight, who knows, I might move back to a standard diet, but probably not, because my energy and attitude is very comfortable right where I'm at.
Also, you get to eat a lot of bacon, so that's pretty cool.5 -
I recently started keto to help with psoriatic arthritis. It has other benefits as well as you're switching your metabolic system to using fat as fuel rather than sugar. So far, this change has made it easier for me to eat at a deficit and not feel hungry...and I've tried many other dietary changes before this. But overall, I like that it appears to be helping with my inflammation. It has also helped me by reducing bloating after meals so I no longer feel discomfort after eating. In the end, it's always about CICO. I just feel like this way makes it possible for me to maintain it long term and maybe prevent or reduce the need for medications for arthritis.
Edit: I should also add that I'm not much of a fruits and sweets person, so that helps. I get to eat lots of veggies with butter and good cuts of meat. I will admit it's very hard to begin if you're a carb lover like I am. Bread was like my favorite food in the whole world, but there are tons of recipes you can make to replace it...my fav is the fathead pizza dough which also has several variations that can be used for rolls or sandwiches. That's really helped.8 -
Hi all
Thank you for this, although it feels somewhat of a mindfield.
My previous dieting habits have been Weight Watchers and, ten years ago, I managed to lose 56ib/4 stone, which was great until I slowly started putting it back on, and some.
I have since tried Weight Watchers (unsuccessful) and Slimming World (again unsuccessful).
I'd recently contemplated doing Slimming World again (namely for group support) but I thought I would try looking at macros, and kcal intake in the first instance. However a friend of mine suggested Keto which I'm now open to looking at.
My current situation: Im 5 foot 5. Very sedentary (I use to run a a lot and did crossfit but it's just too painful on my joints at the moment).
I'm gluten intolerant and now, due to increased weight, have become insulin resistant.
I'd like to get to a healthy weight before looking at muscle mass, that's the ultimate goal, but for now I need to get my lifestyle in check, which means losing 70ib/5 stone (this will be a journey).
I fill myself up on carbs so I'm under no illusion that reducing this is probably going to be unsustainable.
I currently set my macros to 125p 75f and 205c This leaves me just shy of 2000kcal per day (a lot less than my current circa 3500 per day).
If anyone has any tips then I will be ultimately greatful. As above, this feels like a minefield!
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Personally, Keto has been amazing for me. I've always been a binge eater and couldn't stick with most diets I tried. I began Keto in October at 361lbs and now I'm at ~315. I can eat at a huge calorie deficit and can fast with ease. I feel as I have a lot more constant energy and just feel overall better. This isn't necessarily a good thing, as now I have to make sure I consume enough nutrients to keep me healthy, but I'd rather make sure I'm getting the vitamins/minerals my body needs than binge eating high sugary foods.
There's more than one way to skin a cat, and for me, that was keto. I don't exercise, but I plan to incorporate it soon once the January rush is over at the gym. I personally really enjoy the science behind it all and find it crazy just how much sugar is out there.
If you have any questions please feel free to shoot me a message or continue on the conversation. I've had great success with it, but like most people, to each there own. This to me is very sustainable and has gave me a lot of control over my food. When I get to my goal weight, who knows, I might move back to a standard diet, but probably not, because my energy and attitude is very comfortable right where I'm at.
Also, you get to eat a lot of bacon, so that's pretty cool.
Ive just seen this. Binge eating has been a huge problem for me. The reduction in carbs is my concern0 -
abbefaria4 wrote: »People talk about the calorie deficit with respect to the keto diet, but what is the cause of the deficit. Is it that your appetite is suppressed so one naturally eats less calories? I've read an alternate theory that says it's very hard to find foods with the correct ration of fats to carbs so people just end up eating less. If so, the hunger pangs would likely make this diet hard to maintain. Does anyone have any experience with this diet or know of any research to shed light on this? Thanks.
I think if it does work past the intial water weight whoosh, then a lot of it probably comes down to how awful most people are at portioning out carby/starchy things like pasta, rice, cereal, etc. It's extremely common for people to buy a food scale and then realize that they have been eating 3+ portions of these items without ever realizing it.3 -
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There is a group on MFP for people living the low carb lifestyle. It is a private group but if you ask, they will provide access. Low Carb Daily Forum is worth your time.2
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Hi all
I currently set my macros to 125p 75f and 205c This leaves me just shy of 2000kcal per day (a lot less than my current circa 3500 per day).
If anyone has any tips then I will be ultimately greatful. As above, this feels like a minefield!
This isn't related to your original keto question, but I thought I'd throw this out as possibly helpful...
Cutting 1500 calories/day overnight can in itself be difficult regardless of what you're eating. To make your diet easier to stick with you might consider cutting more gradually. For example, cut to 3000 for a week, then 2500 for a week then 2000. Yes, it will take a couple of extra weeks, but it will be much more manageable to transition gradually and greatly increase your odds of successfully sticking with it and not becoming discouraged.5 -
Between 2000 and 2005 I did a ketogenic diet, got very lean (sub 10% body fat) after losing about 60lbs
Cut to July 2017, I had climbed to 140lb overweight (not related to keto I point out)
Since then I have lost 63lbs in 23 weeks and I get 40% of cals from carbs.
Both ways of eating will help you lose weight if you creating deficit. I could not sustain the low carb myself
What I'm eating now is sustainable. My advice to everyone now is:
"start with the end goal in mind"
i.e if you reach target weight but hate the food you eat when you get there you'll likely put it all back10 -
Hi Westjemma, I have been where you are. I did all the diets. Atkins, Bernstein, HCG, Weight Watchers etc. What finally worked for me was finding a path to what I could do for life. Low carb at first seems awesome and it does work for some people who aren't big carb eaters. For me I got so I felt like I'd sell my soul for a potato, lol. My advice to you is find how many calories you need to lose a consistent amount of weight weekly (and don't try to lose it all at once) and then pick foods that fit in that calorie allowance. If you like fat and protein you can reduce carbs to help control cravings but find something you can live with for life. It took me 2 years to get 87 pounds off but I can live with this for good now and I have never felt better. Losing weight is a journey to find a way to maintain not just a way to lose then go back to eating "normally". Our normal is what landed us in trouble in the first place. Good luck kiddo, you can do this.3
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I used to run a keto diet to lean out, but I hated the transition back and forth from very low carb to a more balanced macro profile. The transition between the two always made me feel horrible during that period.
Today I follow a more balanced macro plan (50/30/20) and start my diet earlier for my summer physique. It's all about choices and I am not knocking the keto plan or modified Atkins plan at all. Just food for thought if you're considering a keto diet, be prepared for the transition.2 -
"What is it good for? Absolutely nothing!"
All kidding aside, I have a few friends who are on Keto and have had major success. With that said, it's not necessarily Keto that has made them lose the weight but being in a caloric deficit. Keto is just what works best for them to remain in a consistent caloric deficit.3 -
That is a lot of protein, and reducing your calorie intake by 1/3 is hard enough, so I would aim to avoid having to face as many hurdles as possible. An unbalanced, boring diet is one of the biggest hurdles to weightloss. If you reduce protein target to, say, 80-100 grams, and just regard that as a minimum, you'll still be eating plenty of protein, and have more room for any food you like.I fill myself up on carbs so I'm under no illusion that reducing this is probably going to be unsustainable.
I currently set my macros to 125p 75f and 205c This leaves me just shy of 2000kcal per day (a lot less than my current circa 3500 per day).
If anyone has any tips then I will be ultimately greatful. As above, this feels like a minefield!2 -
I'm eating a bowl of Lucky Charms while I read this thread, so I might be the wrong person to weigh in here (every pun intended on this cold, snowy, blustery morning), but...
losing weight is about creating a deficit in calories - bottom line = fewer calories in your mouth than you burn over time and voila you will lose weight (before somebody gets all excited, yes... I know it's more technical but we're keeping it simple today and yes, I know there are some medical concerns that will influence success but we're keeping it simple today). Added bonus, you don't even have to exercise!
If you enjoy a high fat diet, go the Keto route. For me, 20 grams of carbs a day is a non-starter. I would be miserable - I love bread (you know you hear Oprah in the background, but this isn't a WW commercial!), pasta, Lucky Charms... I would be sad if I couldn't eat those foods anymore and that would make me want to cheat my health and stop logging everything in mfp. That wouldn't be good for me or my waistline.
Instead, I shoot for about 1g of protein per pound of LBM which is roughly 40% of my daily intake and the rest gets split between carbs and fat. I've tweaked it a bit over time to see if reducing carbs is sustainable for me (I tend to carry weight in my midsection and I've read that carbs can make that harder to lose... pretty sure that isn't the case, my body just likes to lose that fat last). Anyway, I have found I really am a bear when I get less than 100 net carbs a day. So for my sanity and other's safety, I know Keto isn't for me. While I might be comparatively low carb to some diets (25-30% versus 40-50%), I don't feel like I've had to give up anything over the long term.
I think when you start any new diet or fitness regimen you tend to see a few weeks of quick results which leads people to exclaim that their new diet is THE BEST! Keto does that too... you basically stop consuming carbs which means your body drops water weight and depletes glycogen reserves. Because the scale is going down, the new Keto dieter dismisses the carb-withdrawals and presses on. But here's the thing, over time - Keto is no better than any other diet when it comes to weight loss. In the end, the only thing that matters is that you consume less fuel than you burn. So if you like carbs, eat them as part of a balanced diet and still lose weight.6 -
Kind of a long post ahead here, but I want to make sure to give you some of the great feedback that others gave to me when I first started.
Keto for me has been a life saver. I look at Keto as more of a medical/healing/metabolic diet hack for those you have extremely damaged metabolisms. It's a significant lifestyle change that isn't necessary for those who have healthy metabolisms, no markers of disease and just need to drop 20-30 pounds. So make sure you do your research to determine if you need to go full keto or if you can reach your goals with just low carb (or some other standard CICO diet). Also, really consider making Keto a way of life instead of a diet. This is a powerful tool that will hack your metabolism and fundamentally change the way you burn fat, store fat, burn energy, etc. So I don't suggest playing around with it casually. TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR FIRST, get them on board. If you have already done the research and you are confident that Keto is for you, then it will possibly change your life, your health and your control over food. Again, Keto has been a miracle for me. There is an initial Swoosh of weight loss that can be really motivating, but after that initial weight loss, keto becomes very similar to other diets in that you must stick closely to your macros, get some exercise and stay committed. Keto's advantage is that it is easier to do all of these things because of the quality of food that you eat and how it works to satisfy you and keep you full.
Also, keto DOES NOT require you to avoid all fruit and veggies. Some veggies/fruit are relatively high in carbs, so those should be avoided, but raspberries, strawberries, blueberries are part of the keto diet. Lower carb higher fiber veggies are also ok. Higher carb veggies will fall into the "if it fits your macros" category. You will have to experiment to see how many carbs/what type of carbs you can tolerate and still remain in Ketosis. So here are my tips for going keto:
1) Make sure to set your macros correctly. Someone above gave the specifics. (less than 20 g carbs, protein grams based on lean body weight and fat to round it out. This site will help tremendously with figuring out your macros
https://www.ruled.me/keto-calculator/
2) If you don't feel well under Keto and you start to experience problems, then switch to a Low Carb instead of strict Keto or possibly go with a different diet. Keto is not for everyone. Listen to your body
3) During the first week or so while you are becoming Keto adapted, you will not feel your best. Keep your magnesium and potassium up. There are hundreds of articles there on KETO FLU and how to work through it. After the first couple of weeks, you should begin to feel much better. If you do not, please refer to #2
4) Join support groups and forums. There are so many WONDERFUL forums that can help you through the Ketogenic lifestyle. Also watch some of the youtube videos. Start with Butter Bob-butter makes your pants fall off, Keto Christine and Two Keto Dudes (they actually healed type 2 diabetes through Keto)
5) Friend me =0) I am five months into Keto and down 61 pounds. I have reversed my pre-diabetes, my BP is perfect, cholesterol is perfect and for the first time in 15 years, I am on my way to weighing less than 200 pounds. But I use Keto as a lifestyle not a diet. And I plan to continue eating this way even after I reach goal weight. My fat loss has been amazing with very little lean muscle loss. I have a dexascan scheduled for Feb in order to get the exact percentages but preliminary tests looked good.
6) I strongly suggest that you count Total Carbs, not NET carbs. Once you get acclimated and understand how your body responds, then you can make decisions
There is a TON of scientific research to support this WOE for certain individuals. I wish you luck. Enjoy the Keto journey.
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Just to point out
I reversed Metabolic Syndrome, Type II diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and dropped 63lbs in 152 days eating 40% of my calories from carbs
so keto is NOT the main reason people reverse their illnesses, it's primarily weightloss that does that
Edit: and, how could I forget, Fatty Liver Disease too14 -
Hi all
Thank you for this, although it feels somewhat of a mindfield.
My previous dieting habits have been Weight Watchers and, ten years ago, I managed to lose 56ib/4 stone, which was great until I slowly started putting it back on, and some.
I have since tried Weight Watchers (unsuccessful) and Slimming World (again unsuccessful).
I'd recently contemplated doing Slimming World again (namely for group support) but I thought I would try looking at macros, and kcal intake in the first instance. However a friend of mine suggested Keto which I'm now open to looking at.
My current situation: Im 5 foot 5. Very sedentary (I use to run a a lot and did crossfit but it's just too painful on my joints at the moment).
I'm gluten intolerant and now, due to increased weight, have become insulin resistant.
I'd like to get to a healthy weight before looking at muscle mass, that's the ultimate goal, but for now I need to get my lifestyle in check, which means losing 70ib/5 stone (this will be a journey).
I fill myself up on carbs so I'm under no illusion that reducing this is probably going to be unsustainable.
I currently set my macros to 125p 75f and 205c This leaves me just shy of 2000kcal per day (a lot less than my current circa 3500 per day).
If anyone has any tips then I will be ultimately greatful. As above, this feels like a minefield!
I too am a carb lover - and this is my week 1 on Keto. Honestly, I haven't really craved sweets or carbohydrates at all and I am almost 1 week in (started on 1/1/18). It sounds like with your health issues, Keto would be an AMAZING option for you. If you put your mind to it, and get through the first week or two, you will do fine. Your body will lose it's "addiction" to carbs like bread, etc. Plus, you still get to eat a decent amount of carbohydrates. Just fibrous carbs that come from veggies, fruits, berries, etc.
I was eating lots before Keto (oh god, I don't even know how much). I am now satisfied after eating about 1500 kcal's per day, and that's with one bulletproof coffee in the morning and three meals that I have between noon and 7pm (for intermittent fasting). I have already noticed increased energy, and decreased inflammation (I have TONS of joint issues both from being over 300lb and from past injuries which have left me with arthritis in both knees, my left ankle, etc - plus I have had multiple surgeries on my left leg and knee already, at age 30, due to some of those injuries & associated nerve damage).
Definitely contact me! I am going to send this to you in an e-mail as well
-Heather3 -
I just completed a 30 day trial of a very strict Keto diet and I lost about 15lbs. With that being said, I've altered to a more "Keto Lite" diet. I increased the carbs I eat and I decreased the fat (bacon, processed foods, etc.) that Keto allows. I still incorporate keto by staying away from too much carbs and from the beginning I've completely cut out any fast food, empty calories, etc. Like others have said, there is not right or wrong answer. The bottom line is calories in vs out. The best advice I would give is track what you are eating as best you can and pay close attention to the macros associated with "good" vs "bad" carbs as well as vitamins, sugars, fiber and fats. At the end of the day you want to be healthier and feel better without feeling deprived. Also remember, you don't have to be perfect. If you slip up and eat something you know you shouldn't, it's not the end of the world. Just work it day-to-day and you will eventually get the results. Good luck!1
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Like kalbo_al above I sort of do "Keto Lite." I try to keep net carbs under 50 grams and calories around 1400 (I am only 5'2"). I've lost around 25 pounds, starting at 212 and now 187. My A1c went from 9.1 to 6.6 in the first 60 days. I have another appt with labs in February and I anticipate that it will be even better. I'd say if you have developed insulin resistance that your macros should lean toward low carb. I crave SUGAR and I LOVE potatoes and bread. If I eliminate them from my daily diet I don't have the struggle of limiting my portions, which I am basically terrible at and why I became a 200 pound woman! I've let myself have them about one day a week and I am able to do that. Technically that is not "keto" at all because it will not maintain your body in the state of ketosis. I know I can't go without bread, chocolate, or french fries for the rest of my life. I know I can limit it to about one day a week and be happy.1
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