Keto Diet and Chobani Greek Yogurt. Help!

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bekah818
bekah818 Posts: 179 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I started the keto diet, I'm on day 3, and so far I really like it. The only thing I find a bit confusing is the whole carb intake. I'm fiding it hard to stay under 50 grambs of carbs per day, even though I completely eliminated bread,rice, pasta, and all grains. For instance, I usually like to have a yogurt parfait for breakfast, that I make myself at home. I usually go for the Chobani Greek Yogurt with Fruit on the bottom (for fruit I only stick to a small serving of Blackberries, cherries, or blueberries.) I make the parfait by adding two cups of Chobani Yogurt, a small serving of blueberries/blackberries, chia seeds, and almond slices all in a mason jar. When I add this to my food diary, the carb count is 36 grams for the yogurt!!! I read somewhere that the carbs in greek yogurt are miscalculated and what's on the label isn't accurate due to the fermenting process and something about the live cultures... I'd love to hear some feedback on this. Should I stop having Greek Yogurt for breakfast to keep my carb intake low? Do the carbs in greek yogurt really count?? Here's an example of what my meals for the day generally look like.

I'd appreciate if any seasoned Keto dieters can tell me if my meals are good for keto and I'd especially appreciate some insight on the Greek Yogurt / high carb content thing.

My Meals for the day (All home made):

- Before the gym: handful of plain almonds

- Breakfast: Chobani Greek Yogurt, mixed nuts, chia seeds, and blueberries & blackberries (I put it all in a mason jar the night before and take to work the next day)

- Lunch: Mixed Greens (Spinach, romaine, Arugala), 1 wild caught Salmon filet, sliced almonds, gorgonzola cheese, and low carb dressing on the side (I like the poppy seed dressing that's high in fat, low carbs (4 grams)

Dinner: Home made Stuffed bell peppers ( Ground Beef (cooked in pure olive oil or coconut oil), Shredded Monterey jack cheese, onions & tomatos) with a side of zuchinni noodles in pesto sauce.

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Replies

  • bekah818
    bekah818 Posts: 179 Member
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    I meant to add, that my goal on this Keto Diet is weight loss. I have about 50 lbs to lose. My Profile pic is unfortunately old, I don't look like that now :s
  • fitoverfortymom
    fitoverfortymom Posts: 3,452 Member
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    The label for the yogurt is probably accurate, but there are also carbs in chia seeds and in the almond slices.

    If you're eating Chobain plain greek, that's 6carbs for the 5.3 oz container (not sure why there's a reason not to trust that, but I'm not a keto expert, so...)

    Chia seeds have 12g carbs per oz (24g).

    Raw almonds have 7g carbs per 28oz (not sure how much you're using).

    Blackberries have 10g carbs per 100g.

    Again, I'm not sure what the keto math is or how to determine net carbs, but your actual carb total if you're using those approximate serving sizes is easily 35.

    It's a nutritionally sound breakfast, just not very low carb.



  • turnerjwr
    turnerjwr Posts: 75 Member
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    I just started the Keto diet too! I've been doing it for two weeks, and I've lost about 6 pounds. I'm finding it hard to meet my fat intake goals, but I've heard that's a pretty common issue for newbs.

    Is the Chobani whole milk traditional greek yogurt? I found that other brands provided more fat for a given carb load than others. Chobani fell off my list after looking at this. The brand I went with for the time being is Greek Gods, but I'm still shopping around.

    The jury is out on accuracy of carb numbers on the nutrition data. If the yogurt has at least a few strains of active cultures, then they will consume some of the carbohydrates present in the yogurt. However, once the yogurt is cooled following initial fermentation, this process of carb lowering slows way down. Also, as they consume the carbs, they will build up lactic acid,which will cause the bacteria to go dormant, and stop eating carbs.

    Here are some Keto Yogurt write-ups:

    https://www.verywell.com/eating-yogurt-on-a-low-carb-diet-2242531

    https://www.ketogenicdiet.world/yogurt-options-keto-fiends/

    Those meals look good!
  • bekah818
    bekah818 Posts: 179 Member
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    fitoverfortymom wrote: »
    You don't need to eat "Keto" to lose weight. All you need to do is select a reasonable calorie deficit and measure/weigh your food on a food scale to meet that. With 50lbs to lose, you could set a deficit of 1lb to.5lb loss per week and fill your plate with whatever food you want.

    There's nothing magical about Keto unless you find eating that way makes it easier to keep to your calorie deficit.

    I appreciate your feedback..Thank you!!
  • DJ_Skywalker
    DJ_Skywalker Posts: 420 Member
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    Activia only has 11 grams of yogurt if you really need to have yogurt daily. You are adding lots of carbs to it though.

    Keto is not for everyone and staying under carbs and meeting protein/fat goals are not difficult if you really want it, but Calorie Counting is more important when trying to lose and maintain weight.
  • bekah818
    bekah818 Posts: 179 Member
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    toxikon wrote: »
    You don't need keto to lose weight. You can lose weight just the same while eating the same foods you already enjoy. Why make it harder than you need to? It all boils down to calories, not restricting particular macros.

    I say this as someone who did keto for a year, lost a decent amount of weight, then regained it all when I returned to my favourite foods.

    It's a very restrictive diet that isn't for everyone.

    Thanks! And you're right, I dont want to make a big deal about the carbs in the yogurt because then it becomes too much. And I completely agree about not needing Keto to lose weight. I guess I should say that I'm following Keto as a guideline, but making a few adjustments so that I don't drive myself crazy.
  • turnerjwr
    turnerjwr Posts: 75 Member
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    DJ_Skywalker wrote: »
    Activia only has 11 grams of yogurt if you really need to have yogurt daily. You are adding lots of carbs to it though.

    Keto is not for everyone and staying under carbs and meeting protein/fat goals are not difficult if you really want it, but Calorie Counting is more important when trying to lose and maintain weight.

    11 grams of yogurt per serving? What is this? A keto diet for ANTS?!? LOL
  • DJ_Skywalker
    DJ_Skywalker Posts: 420 Member
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    turnerjwr wrote: »
    DJ_Skywalker wrote: »
    Activia only has 11 grams of yogurt if you really need to have yogurt daily. You are adding lots of carbs to it though.

    Keto is not for everyone and staying under carbs and meeting protein/fat goals are not difficult if you really want it, but Calorie Counting is more important when trying to lose and maintain weight.

    11 grams of yogurt per serving? What is this? A keto diet for ANTS?!? LOL

    No, smartass ;) I am simply saying it already has enough carbs, so why add more carbs if she is looking for a lower carb diet?
  • toxikon
    toxikon Posts: 2,384 Member
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    bekah818 wrote: »
    toxikon wrote: »
    You don't need keto to lose weight. You can lose weight just the same while eating the same foods you already enjoy. Why make it harder than you need to? It all boils down to calories, not restricting particular macros.

    I say this as someone who did keto for a year, lost a decent amount of weight, then regained it all when I returned to my favourite foods.

    It's a very restrictive diet that isn't for everyone.

    Thanks! And you're right, I dont want to make a big deal about the carbs in the yogurt because then it becomes too much. And I completely agree about not needing Keto to lose weight. I guess I should say that I'm following Keto as a guideline, but making a few adjustments so that I don't drive myself crazy.

    Keto does have some nice health benefits and if you find fat and protein satiating, it can be a great way to naturally cut back on calories and stick to your deficit. For me, it ended up giving me an unhealthy viewpoint on carbs and I still feel guilty (years later) when I want to buy a loaf of bread at the grocery store.

    I still maintain a fairly low-carb way of eating (usually under 100g a day) and I find that much more sustainable.

    Good luck!
  • turnerjwr
    turnerjwr Posts: 75 Member
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    I certainly think being fully keto-adapted and adhering to the diet strictly is a temporary means to an end, but if you need to make a dynamic change in your eating habits, kickstart some progress, and start seeing results quickly to keep you motivated, I think it's a great idea!
  • macrologger
    macrologger Posts: 20 Member
    edited January 2018
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    Keto didn't work for me - my body hated me for it (I got very sick once I hit ketosis, and on top of that I didn't lose a single pound and I was doing it for 8 weeks), so I decided to stop. When I was on it, I only ate plain Greek yogurt as a "topping" for things if I didn't have full fat sour cream around. Your breakfast sounds amazing, but I agree with everyone else, not "keto-friendly". If you love keto and are seeing results than keep at it! Another alternative, if you have a hard time with the carbs, is IIFYM. Good luck with your goals!! :)
  • terryritter1
    terryritter1 Posts: 12 Member
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    It's important to do a diet that works for you. Keto doesn't work for everyone, but like almost all diets, it has latitude that you can use or not. You should still try for a nutritious approach no matter what diet you are on. I have a lot of experience here and, though it may not work for everyone, ketogenic diets are special. So, stating otherwise isn't an accurate statement to many that have had success. CICO might be a good way to approach calorie reduction and weight loss, but it's not the only benefit a diet might offer for metabolic health. Ketosis does a lot of that, and is more fat specific if managed correctly, not to mention many find it easier to follow. Not everyone, though.

    On the carb topic, I'd use net carbs. Most the research I've seen says Greek yogurts are about 1/2 the carbs that are listed on the label (due to fermentation). This assumes not added sugars (and many Greek flavors have just that). Other items on your list have carbs, but much is fiber, which is non-digestible, and so doesn't count toward blood sugar and the concomitant insulin release (which is what you want to avoid to get to/maintain ketosis. Use net carbs (total carbs - fiber = net carbs) in this calculation.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
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    bekah818 wrote: »
    toxikon wrote: »
    You don't need keto to lose weight. You can lose weight just the same while eating the same foods you already enjoy. Why make it harder than you need to? It all boils down to calories, not restricting particular macros.

    I say this as someone who did keto for a year, lost a decent amount of weight, then regained it all when I returned to my favourite foods.

    It's a very restrictive diet that isn't for everyone.

    Thanks! And you're right, I dont want to make a big deal about the carbs in the yogurt because then it becomes too much. And I completely agree about not needing Keto to lose weight. I guess I should say that I'm following Keto as a guideline, but making a few adjustments so that I don't drive myself crazy.

    It sounds like you've got a plan then: keto (<50g carbs) or low carb (<150g) depending on the day. Unless you want ketones for a health reason, there is no real need to worry about staying very low carb. If 60g a day works better, then go for it. You'll be largely ketogenic at that level anyways. :)
  • bekah818
    bekah818 Posts: 179 Member
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    Thanks for all your feedback! Another thing I wanted to add is that although my breakfast isn't "keto Friendly" It is high in fiber. And when I calculate my total daily carbs minus my fiber intake for the day, my carb count drops to the 60's in grams for all of my meals together... I guess that should count for something?
  • DJ_Skywalker
    DJ_Skywalker Posts: 420 Member
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    Yes, that counts for something :) I stay in the 30 - 80g a day. I do not like to put a label on my eating habits, but I do tend to stay lower carb while eating higher fat and protein foods
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 9,981 Member
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    elenamocovanu wrote: »
    ssabrina2 wrote: »
    Greek Yogurt is really fat and plus the amount of sugar ruin your diet completely. Avoid all highly advertised products, especially when it comes to dairies. Personally, I have tried all types of diets. In most of the diets, yougurt was an essential product. I tried all the yogurts possible and my conclusion is so hard to find a healthy and fat balanced yogurt. Hoewever, after many experiments I found out Bulgarian yogurt. Now, all my applauses go to Bulgarian yogurt, more specifically to Serdika. Try it and your diet will work better.

    Why didn’t anyone tell me about this some months ago?!

    Because it's not true and makes zero sense unless you define "greek yogurt" as only full fat, sugar-added greek yogurt, and ignore the fact that bulgarian yogurt can also be full fat and have sugar added?
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,392 MFP Moderator
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    If you are going to use yogurt, you are better off getting unsweetened and than using stevia or another nutritional sweetener to add more flavor.

    I consume it often, and it's do unsweetened full fat Wegmans Greek yogurt, add 50g of raspberries or 77g of blackberries with 1 tbsp of Stevia. I know this "uses" a lot my carbs, but it's worth it.

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