Keto?
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leeabrown5054
Posts: 16 Member
I've been seeing a lot of the keto diet lately and just curious if anyone's actually doing it or has tried it, looking for thoughts on it. Some of the food looks really good and honestly if it's going to help me lose weight I'd like to know.
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Replies
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Keto will help you lose weight if it helps you stick to a calorie deficit. Some people follow it because fat/protein satiates them better than carbs do, others follow it because they need to limit their carb intake. There's nothing special about it.9
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Have you tried using the search feature on the forums? There are literally thousands of threads about people trying the ketogenic diet - and the existing threads will give you a lot of insights from people who are new, who have been doing it for a while, some who are having success and some who have decided it's not for them.
If weight loss is your goal and that's your only reason for wanting to try keto - you need to understand that weight loss comes from a calorie deficit, and keto is just one way of achieving that, but without a medical reason to restrict carbs there's no specific advantage to a ketogenic diet other than for some people, it helps them with adherence.5 -
It can help some people lose weight if the foods are satiating for you. Those with IR may lose faster when carbs are lower too.
Try the Low Carber Daily or keto MFP groups for more people who are trying it.
I've done it for most of the past 3 years. It agrees with me and I find it makes weight management easier than any thing else ever has. It's also improved my health. Win win for me.
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Keto will help you lose weight if it helps you stick to a calorie deficit. Some people follow it because fat/protein satiates them better than carbs do, others follow it because they need to limit their carb intake. There's nothing special about it.
Nothing Special about it???? increased energy, Brain function, reduced risk of type II diabetes, reduced insulin levels, reduced appetite. just to name a few...
The toughest part is getting keto adapted "keto Flu" and ensure you are taking enough electrolytes.
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Keto will help you lose weight if it helps you stick to a calorie deficit. Some people follow it because fat/protein satiates them better than carbs do, others follow it because they need to limit their carb intake. There's nothing special about it.
Nothing Special about it???? increased energy, Brain function, reduced risk of type II diabetes, reduced insulin levels, reduced appetite. just to name a few...
The toughest part is getting keto adapted "keto Flu" and ensure you are taking enough electrolytes.
Is that just your own personal experience or do you have peer reviewed data to back that up?
FYI not everyone is satiated by fat, so not everyone's appetite is reduced on keto. I can blow through a rotisserie chicken, a cheese platter, or a cannister of nuts without batting an eyelash.
OP, as others have said, there are tons of recent threads on keto, and a low carbers forum as well. Whatever way of eating you choose, an accurate and consistent food log is an awesome tool. Good luck!8 -
Keto will help you lose weight if it helps you stick to a calorie deficit. Some people follow it because fat/protein satiates them better than carbs do, others follow it because they need to limit their carb intake. There's nothing special about it.
Nothing Special about it???? increased energy, Brain function, reduced risk of type II diabetes, reduced insulin levels, reduced appetite. just to name a few...
The toughest part is getting keto adapted "keto Flu" and ensure you are taking enough electrolytes.
I had worse energy, reduced brain function and depression, and increased appetite that lasted beyond "keto flu". To top it all, I didn't like the food and felt like I was missing out on a lot. Bar pre-existing health issues, there is no reason at all someone should choose a diet that's hard for them to sustain when they can achieve the same results and health improvements eating in a more pleasant more sustainable way like I did. This way can be anything, from keto to high carb. As long as it helps you sustain a deficit and lose weight, rest assured the health benefits will follow including reduced risk of type II diabetes and better insulin sensitivity (I went from pre-diabetic to normal eating around 50% of my calories in carbs).
ETA: to OP, try it for a few weeks and see how you like it. If you feel it's enjoyable for you and makes dieting easier, then there is nothing wrong with keeping it up. If you feel it's too restrictive and hard to sustain, there is nothing wrong in modifying it or even changing it completely to something more pleasant.7 -
if your not testing blood ketones your not doing KETO IMO.
My energy levels are amazing once my blood ketones levels were testing abouve 2.0 mmol/liter. I am constantly now between 2.5-3.0 mmol/liter. except after a work out I will drop to 1.8ish mmol/liter.
Yes this is my experience but there are many N=1 studies done by several people and great research by DR. Dominic D’Agostino, Jimmy Moore, Dr. John Limansky just to name a few. if you want the science they are getting it. plenty of good podcast out there to listen to.
sounds like to me that you never got keto adapted. Keto is not for everybody. no diet is.. Keto should not be looked at as a diet. It is a lifestyle "cheat days" "cheat meals" are extremely detrimental to all things keto. if your willing to follow it and make sure your taking enough electrolytes and FAT more likely than not it will work the health benefits out weight the number on the scale but most likely the weight will come off.
I have several extremely fit and active officer I work with that are Keto and have been studying it for along time. I was extremely concerned about the increased fat intake. I have done low carb on and off for close to 15 years. I have gone up and down in fitness.
The main reason I went to keto was the steady energy levels, and health benefits. I could lose weight doing any diet. example being I could eat just a Twinkie a day lose a ton of weight and make a Twinkie diet look good. the point is I have done "diets" and can stick to them for a while..
I am not looking at Keto as a diet. it is a change in the way I look at food and my bodies energy.
I highly recommend listening to the Joe Rogan Experience episode 994.
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Keto will help you lose weight if it helps you stick to a calorie deficit. Some people follow it because fat/protein satiates them better than carbs do, others follow it because they need to limit their carb intake. There's nothing special about it.
Nothing Special about it???? increased energy, Brain function, reduced risk of type II diabetes, reduced insulin levels, reduced appetite. just to name a few...
The toughest part is getting keto adapted "keto Flu" and ensure you are taking enough electrolytes.
Congrats. You just listed side effects of losing weight in general.14 -
keto is amazing and more than just reducing appetite. Even if you eat a little bit more (in my personal experience) you still lose weight because your body doesn't need time to transition into fat burning. If anything, it's been hard for me to keep weight on (which I'm trying to do now)-- and I used to binge all the time. More importantly, to a lot of people it offers greater mental clarity (yes, beyond that provided with typical weight loss)15
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oliviascharfman wrote: »keto is amazing and more than just reducing appetite. Even if you eat a little bit more (in my personal experience) you still lose weight because your body doesn't need time to transition into fat burning. If anything, it's been hard for me to keep weight on (which I'm trying to do now)-- and I used to binge all the time. More importantly, to a lot of people it offers greater mental clarity (yes, beyond that provided with typical weight loss)
People who are satiated by fat may very well feel like they are eating more on keto, but they are still eating at a deficit to lose weight. It's true also that people who are highly satiated by fat may struggle to eat enough, that doesn't mean they aren't eating at a deficit like everyone else.
Mental clarity is subjective, and confirmation bias is a powerful thing. I found meditation gave me mental clarity, so there's that.
If keto is a way of eating that you enjoy and is practical for you, and it reduces your appetite so it's easier to stick to your calorie goal, that's awesome. If someone wants to try it, go for it, why not? But there is no long term evidence that it has health benefits over other ways of eating, and it is so weird how so many people feel the need to insist it's some kind of magical unicorn diet that we just now figured out as a species after not eating that way for thousands of years.5 -
oliviascharfman wrote: »keto is amazing and more than just reducing appetite. Even if you eat a little bit more (in my personal experience) you still lose weight because your body doesn't need time to transition into fat burning. If anything, it's been hard for me to keep weight on (which I'm trying to do now)-- and I used to binge all the time. More importantly, to a lot of people it offers greater mental clarity (yes, beyond that provided with typical weight loss)
Eat a little bit more than what? More calories than your TDEE, and still lose weight on keto? Congratulations, you defy the laws of physics. More food than you were eating before because it is different types of foods and feels like you're eating more because it's satiating, therefore enabling you to adhere to your calorie deficit and lose weight? Sure, that's possible, quite a few people report that they have better adherence to a keto diet because they find the food satiating and are better able to stick to the calorie deficit and see results, or avoid foods which can trigger binges, thus undoing a calorie deficit, etc.
I'm always curious about people who claim better mental clarity on keto, or any way of eating. What does that mean? How do you know? What specifically are these improvements?
Keto is a perfectly fine individual choice for some people, and there can be some health benefits for those who have reasons to restrict carbs. For the vast majority of people though, it is just personal preference and offers no advantage for weight loss than any other way of eating which creates a calorie deficit.
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oliviascharfman wrote: »keto is amazing and more than just reducing appetite. Even if you eat a little bit more (in my personal experience) you still lose weight because your body doesn't need time to transition into fat burning. If anything, it's been hard for me to keep weight on (which I'm trying to do now)-- and I used to binge all the time. More importantly, to a lot of people it offers greater mental clarity (yes, beyond that provided with typical weight loss)
People who are satiated by fat may very well feel like they are eating more on keto, but they are still eating at a deficit to lose weight. It's true also that people who are highly satiated by fat may struggle to eat enough, that doesn't mean they aren't eating at a deficit like everyone else.
Mental clarity is subjective, and confirmation bias is a powerful thing. I found meditation gave me mental clarity, so there's that.
If keto is a way of eating that you enjoy and is practical for you, and it reduces your appetite so it's easier to stick to your calorie goal, that's awesome. If someone wants to try it, go for it, why not? But there is no long term evidence that it has health benefits over other ways of eating, and it is so weird how so many people feel the need to insist it's some kind of magical unicorn diet that we just now figured out as a species after not eating that way for thousands of years.
Bingo. You type faster than me. Maybe it's all that meditation providing you better mental clarity.3 -
WinoGelato wrote: »oliviascharfman wrote: »keto is amazing and more than just reducing appetite. Even if you eat a little bit more (in my personal experience) you still lose weight because your body doesn't need time to transition into fat burning. If anything, it's been hard for me to keep weight on (which I'm trying to do now)-- and I used to binge all the time. More importantly, to a lot of people it offers greater mental clarity (yes, beyond that provided with typical weight loss)
People who are satiated by fat may very well feel like they are eating more on keto, but they are still eating at a deficit to lose weight. It's true also that people who are highly satiated by fat may struggle to eat enough, that doesn't mean they aren't eating at a deficit like everyone else.
Mental clarity is subjective, and confirmation bias is a powerful thing. I found meditation gave me mental clarity, so there's that.
If keto is a way of eating that you enjoy and is practical for you, and it reduces your appetite so it's easier to stick to your calorie goal, that's awesome. If someone wants to try it, go for it, why not? But there is no long term evidence that it has health benefits over other ways of eating, and it is so weird how so many people feel the need to insist it's some kind of magical unicorn diet that we just now figured out as a species after not eating that way for thousands of years.
Bingo. You type faster than me. Maybe it's all that meditation providing you better mental clarity.
Eat lots of potatoes, rice, and pasta and meditate, I'm living proof it works!2 -
Genuinely sharing that yesterday I ate 2,000 calories, ~500 above my TDEE, and lost half a pound. More importantly, humans DID used to eat more like this, and pretty much all babies are in ketosis at some point. There's actually plenty of reputable published research on the topic that in my personal experience (though I study astrophysics, not nutrition) has turned out to be true. As for mental clarity, that came most from fasting to me-- but generally I would say it's noticeable and something I experienced while fasting before knowing I was "supposed" to feel that way12
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@kimmy72 and @WinoGelato...I love reading your replies, I want to shout yes, exactly what I was thinking! 1
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My short personal experience.
On New Years Day, I did the polar bear plunge in the local pool. 17 degrees. Wind chill 3. Survived. My profile photo made the front page of the local paper. Not embarrassed by my weight - but it was a wakeup call. I had just recently been diagnosed with pre-diabetes the month before. I used this day to give up sodas. I started eating "better". Still....if I wanted a Chicken Fried Steak, I ordered a Chicken Fried Steak. No motivation to do the traditional diets. Working out more. Wheat bread. Eating out less.
I dropped some weight, but was still searching. Two of my friends that I hadn't seen in awhile showed up at an event. Both female. Both not really overweight. But they both looked amazing. That's when I learned of Keto. It was explained to me, "I can eat cheese, eggs, sour cream, butter, bacon, sausage......but if I eat an apple I'll gain five pounds."
So, I bought a book (which wasn't really necessary once I found online resources) and jumped right in. Didn't experience any KetoFlu. Bought eggs, cheese, sausage, bacon, sour cream, cream cheese, almond flour, coconut flour, butter, avocados, walnuts, cauliflower, broccoli, and salad. Started counting calories.
Down 14 pounds in 20 days. Energy level was the most sudden and immediate change. Before, I could fall asleep at a stoplight if I wasn't careful. I noticed immediately that I was more awake right out of bed and didn't have the "nap" feeling after meals.
Favorite thing so far - the 90 second "bread" in a mug. I make one, slice and toast it in a pan, put cheese and bacon (or sausage) on it and it's better than most breakfast. I'm still finding my way with what foods I like, but when it doubt, put bacon and cheese on it.
I struggled at first with getting my fat grams up to the right percentage. Cutting carbs is the easy part for me. Getting fat above protein was a little tricky the first couple of days. It just goes against what you have always been taught.
Between Keto and just "trying" since the polar bear plunge, I'm down 20 pounds. My goal is 100 overall.4 -
oliviascharfman wrote: »Genuinely sharing that yesterday I ate 2,000 calories, ~500 above my TDEE, and lost half a pound. More importantly, humans DID used to eat more like this, and pretty much all babies are in ketosis at some point. There's actually plenty of reputable published research on the topic that in my personal experience (though I study astrophysics, not nutrition) has turned out to be true. As for mental clarity, that came most from fasting to me-- but generally I would say it's noticeable and something I experienced while fasting before knowing I was "supposed" to feel that way
The impact of how much you eat doesn't show up on the scale the next day. The only thing that is impacted is water weight, but weight naturally fluctuates day to day throughout the week, and week to week throughout the month for women especially. Long term weight loss comes from a sustained calorie deficit over time and usually takes a couple of weeks to see results from previous week's efforts. Your loss today could have been from efforts you made weeks ago, or it could have been from a big bowel movement.
Again, what does that mean "mental clarity"? Did you have trouble focusing? Did you have trouble articulating your thoughts? Did you have trouble completing tasks? Were you suddenly able to solve complex multifactoral equations when you struggled to before?
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The mental clarity comments are probably based on the prior eating method was causing over reactive insulin responses and low blood sugar dips.
Usually I hear it mentioned along with feeling hungry all the time on prior diet.
Both are expected effects of low blood sugar.
But many have also rid themselves of that merely eating the protein & fat first in a meal, and carbs last, and confirm each meal has a good ratio for them.
But not eating also obtains that, except for after that last meal of day perhaps.
And not eating many carbs also obtains that.
The other health benefits have been shown in study after study to occur even with those not on low-carb or in keto.
It's the weight loss by itself providing that benefit.
The low carb may help some with underlying health issues to obtain some better or quicker improvements.
ETA - oh - TDEE is estimated always. Keep eating that 500 over estimated TDEE (if estimate is half-way accurate) daily, and you'll see that scale go the other direction.
The fact that you lost weight and ate above an estimated TDEE (which is weekly average anyway, no one day is truly that estimate), is meaningless in the face of expected water weight swings daily anyway.6 -
oliviascharfman wrote: »Genuinely sharing that yesterday I ate 2,000 calories, ~500 above my TDEE, and lost half a pound. More importantly, humans DID used to eat more like this, and pretty much all babies are in ketosis at some point. There's actually plenty of reputable published research on the topic that in my personal experience (though I study astrophysics, not nutrition) has turned out to be true. As for mental clarity, that came most from fasting to me-- but generally I would say it's noticeable and something I experienced while fasting before knowing I was "supposed" to feel that way
Could you point us in the direction of some reputable published research showing keto has benefits beyond appetite control for some people? Because we've discussed this ad nauseum here and I have yet to see any.
Your body weight doesn't immediately gain or lose weight today based on what you ate and did yesterday, so the fact that you ate a specific amount of calories yesterday and lost half a lb today doesn't actually show anything. Many people find that if they eat at a deficit through the week and then have a cheat day on the weekend, their weight drops after the cheat day. It's not actually the cheat day of course, just that weight loss isn't linear.
I also have no idea how accurate your logging is and not for nothing but if your TDEE is really 1500 cals, I would be surprised. I'm 45, short and barely lightly active and I eat @ 1800 cals to maintain.
I am sincerely glad that you have found a way of eating that works so well for you. That doesn't make it the holy grail of eating. And I'm not going to get into an argument about traditional/anthropological eating patterns.
ETA: @WinoGelato this time you typed faster. The mentally clear voices in my head are now disappointed.4 -
would like to say that there were a few weeks I was eating 2-300 calories less than my normal intake and my weight went up. it was water weight I know and then when I went back to eating more of course it went down. again water weight.I can be down 5 lbs one day then up 2 or 3 the next. @oliviascharfman, I can guarantee that if you were to take your weekly calories and add them together and then divide it by 7 it would prove that you were still in a deficit for the week,even eating more that one day. it has happened to me on many many occasions.
as for keto I have a health issue and it almost literally killed me,the longer I was on it the worse my health became,there were days I could not get out of bed and literally could not function. I couldnt remember simple things. I fast and have for most of my life, and dont experience the things you are saying you do. as for humans eating that way, one there is really no legit proof they only eat meat none of us were there its just a guess at how they ate based on some criteria.
but then again people died at earlier ages and from starvation too. during the colder months sure they probably ate more meat because plants werent available. But Im sure they ate plants too once they figured out which ones were edible and which ones were poisonous.2
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