Keto is exasperating
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grugrx2
Posts: 3 Member
It’s been 10 days since I started this crazy diet I find myself exasperated with trying to make the macros numbers. Hovering between 20-25 net carbs and inevitably go over on protein by 10 and under fats by 10. Ive read that the fat/protein allocation is okay.
But these carbs numbers! What the heck? I don’t eat fruit, juice, or starchy vegs and grains of any kind. No sweets. Reading labels and weighing foods. Literally only consuming meat and green veggies and whole dairy products (heavy cream and cheese). I’m subtracting fiber grams from the carb count. Why am I over 20g?
I read the keto blogs, avoid the bad foods list...I just can’t get under 20g. It just seems like it is impossible to do.
Its early in the game, right? But I want to quit before I feel like an epic failure, but I can’t quit because then I’d be a loser without weight loss lol.
But these carbs numbers! What the heck? I don’t eat fruit, juice, or starchy vegs and grains of any kind. No sweets. Reading labels and weighing foods. Literally only consuming meat and green veggies and whole dairy products (heavy cream and cheese). I’m subtracting fiber grams from the carb count. Why am I over 20g?
I read the keto blogs, avoid the bad foods list...I just can’t get under 20g. It just seems like it is impossible to do.
Its early in the game, right? But I want to quit before I feel like an epic failure, but I can’t quit because then I’d be a loser without weight loss lol.
3
Replies
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Are you eating keto for a medical reason or weight loss? The reason I ask is ketosis is not the cause of weight loss so keeping carbs to 20 or less to be in ketosis is not necessary. Also many are in ketosis when over 20. Depends on your activity level. Weight loss is the result of a calorie deficit. For many/most people the lchf combo of keto make adhering to the deficit easier via hunger suppression. That's the real benefit to keto IMO.
There is no need to hit the macros precisely. Keep the carbs low, get ample protein, hover around deficit calories.
Your carbs may be showing higher than you think they should be because you might be using a database entry that is incorrect. MFP'S database is loaded with incorrect entries. Also if you're using something like HWC that is "supposed to be" zero carbs per a label, that is true only for 1 serving. It might be .4 carbs so the label or database may show zero or <1 but if you have 2 servings that becomes .8 which gets rounded to 1.
Another thing is...it is true. Darn carbs are in about everything. Your carbs should be low enough. Many here are losing well on slightly higher carbs. You probably will too. Don't make it too difficult, get frustrated and quit. See how you do where you are. You do not have to be under 20 carbs.9 -
You are fine. You do not need to hit anything on the dot. 5,10, even 15g one way it the other isn’t going to affect anything. Wherever you are learning that it needs to be that strict is going to drive you nuts and will inevitably cause you to give up.
Nothing about this needs to be that precise.
Going over protein especially is perfectly fine.
I would stop reading from wherever is making you feel such a need to be exact.8 -
I agree that you are doing okay! Don't stress a few carbs here or there. No one is perfect and no one will perfectly hit their macros 100% of the time. I can guarantee that I rarely hit my macros 100%...I actually don't think I ever have been 100% on my macros and it's okay. Also if you want you can friend me and you can see my diary, but also check out some of the group members with open diaries and you might gain some insight and inspiration.
I know you are worried about your macros but my question to you would be: are you seeing any positive results?
In your post you are being really hard on yourself. Please try not to think about yourself with such negativity. You have already taking a number of FANTASTIC and POSITIVE steps:
1. You have decided you wanted to make a change.
2. You joined MFP and are using this to help you in this change.
3. You have asked for help...and this is a wonderful positive choice.
4. You have been taking one day at a time, like we are all, and we learn everyday what works, what doesn't.
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I agree with the others - you are doing fine!
Going over on protein is usually a good thing. Maybe increase your protein goal and drop your fat goal since you seem to trend in that direction? There is no one way to eat ketogenic, and you seem to do well with slightly altered numbers.
Give yourself some wiggle room. When I was losing I had large variations in my calories each day. I believe my goal was 1420 kcal, but over 3-4 months I actually averaged 1500 kcal. Some days were 1200, and others were 1800 kcal. Some days my carbs were almost zero and others were over 30g. Some days my protein barely broke 70g and other days I got it closer to 110g.
Just stay mostly in a calorie deficit and you'll lose weight. Keep doing what you're doing. 5 -
I agree with everything said above! But I also found that after being on Keto for about a month, that I was starting to eat less. Like, my serving sizes went down and that helped to dramatically reduce my carbs. Simple things like eating half a can of tuna instead of a whole can. I used to pack my lunch full of 5-7 different things and now all I eat is lunch meat and a cheese stick, and I am satisfied.
Keep at it and it will become easier! Good luck 4 -
Don't quit, adapt instead.
If 20g is too low for you to sustain long-term, then increase it to 50g and see how you do.
I find that I don't have any problem staying keto even with 100g days...but I am very active, so that might not be the case for everyone.
In the end long-term sustainability is going to be more important than hitting a particular number, so if hitting a number is making you want to quit, then it's time to adapt the plan to something more sustainable for you as an individual.4 -
It’s been 10 days since I started this crazy diet I find myself exasperated with trying to make the macros numbers. Hovering between 20-25 net carbs and inevitably go over on protein by 10 and under fats by 10. Ive read that the fat/protein allocation is okay.
But these carbs numbers! What the heck? I don’t eat fruit, juice, or starchy vegs and grains of any kind. No sweets. Reading labels and weighing foods. Literally only consuming meat and green veggies and whole dairy products (heavy cream and cheese). I’m subtracting fiber grams from the carb count. Why am I over 20g?
I read the keto blogs, avoid the bad foods list...I just can’t get under 20g. It just seems like it is impossible to do.
Its early in the game, right? But I want to quit before I feel like an epic failure, but I can’t quit because then I’d be a loser without weight loss lol.
Aside from the other posts in this thread, find ways to reduce your stress a lot. Weight loss has just as much to do with your state of mind as it does finding ways to navigate a new way of eating (WOE). Don't think of this as something you "quit" and start thinking of it as something you adopt into your life and then adapt it to suit your needs. Stressing out is a weight loss killer, in my opinion. Take a breath, be mindful and present in the moment it will all work out.0 -
I had a similar post not that long ago. I listened to the group here and stopped trying to hit my macros perfectly. Some days I'm up, some days down. Most days at calorie deficit, so I'm losing. Agree with post above about HF...I pay attention to make sure I don't go too far under...just to control hunger before it hits. Hang in there...I'm not even a month in and it's gotten easier since I stopped obsessing about the exact macros. I suspect a stall or gain in my future, but confident it will keep trending down in the law of averages2
