Advice On Increasing Carbs
Options
whathapnd
Posts: 1,235 Member
Hi! I've been eating 20g total carbs for a few weeks. I'd like to slowly increase carbs and try remaining in ketosis to see if I like this style of eating for the long-haul. (I'm tired on 20g and don't have energy to work out.) I have the original Atkins book and am wondering if I should follow his recommendations on which foods to re-introduce/number of grams to add each week or if there is new thinking on how best to ramp up carbs.
Thanks for any advice.
Thanks for any advice.
0
Replies
-
Sorry for the double post. Not sure how to delete.0
-
Short background= lost my excess weight via low carb (~128 grams/day). Maintained ~18 months low carb. Decided to try medically therapeutic keto for 52 weeks for reason other than weight management. Found LCHF to be nicely satiating and had struggled with hunger pre keto. Have been eating LCHF since (about a year).
When I ended my MTKD trial, I opted for 50 total carbs (versus the 20 I was on). Though I doubt my first few months were around 50 carbs (were lower) I certainly gave little focus to what type above ground vegetables, cheese, etc I ate. I ate more berries and occasionally added some fruit.
Over the last 12 months of around 50 total carbs I've occasionally had things like corn on the cob, sweet potato, potato, chili with legumes, etc. Very occasional regular desserts (in small potions). None of it has caused me issue. Increasing carbs did not cause weight gain, hunger, cravings, lethargy, digestive issues, etc. I sort of flex my carbs now and eat about 50 when eating at home (which is 95% of my eating) and sometimes more when eating away from home depending upon choices/circumstances.
Strict keto is not necessary for ME. It obviously wasn't necessary for weight loss and it isn't for weight maintenance. AND it is true, many people are in ketosis at 50 carbs or even higher depending on their activity level (since you mentioned you want to be in ketosis). Ketosis is not required for weight loss with the masses. It is excellent for hunger suppression. For me just LCHF is adequate for hunger suppression. I suppose I am in ketosis much of the time but it is not a focus/goal.
Frankly, I know me (I think). I got fat because I love highly palatable sweet/fatty desserts and salty/fatty snacks and I ate far too many of them. For oodles of years, I have eaten what most would consider a "healthy whole foods diet" EXCEPT I ALWAYS ADDED the desserts and snacks to my "healthy whole foods" calories and clearly had and still have an inability to moderate them.
If it would give you comfort and structure, add 5 (or 10) carbs each week or so in the sequence that Dr. Atkins suggests in his Ongoing Weight Loss Plan with his 10 Rung sequence. The only thing that I REALLY need to keep out of my diet for weight management are sweets and salty snacks. I still don't do well with anything that remotely resembles sweets and snacks. Keto or otherwise. I do ok with them so long as their not in my home. I keep a "safe food" home environment.
Good luck.6 -
Thanks for your reply! I should have given a bit more background. I'm a believer in CICO for weight loss and have had success losing weight just watching calories. I'm doing the keto diet as part of a study, and I've noticed a side benefit of decreased joint pain (and possibly better sleep, which could be related to the joint pain or a result of being a bit more tired.) I don't have a lot of cravings with this way of eating because I find protein and fat satisfying, so I thought I might continue eating this way while slowly ramping up carbs to see where it lands me. In all honesty, I'm not sure I care about ketosis, but the noticeable joint pain reduction (which could also be from stricter diligence with gluten allergy) has been great. I think I'll just start slowly adding carbs and experiment a bit.0
-
I had to do the opposite- gradually drop my carbs to avoid going too deeply into ketosis, for medical reasons. I adjusted by 10gm of carbs daily each week. So, I started at 150gm/ day, then the next week went to 140gm/ day, etc, until I found my sweet spot.1
-
I've never really had joint pain fortunately and I'm 64. The only thing I feel when I go overboard on carbs is lethargy and it has to be severely overboard like a couple hundred carbs. Yes it is true...been there which is why I keeps my home trigger free and "food safe".
There are many here who have joint pain of one sort or another remedied by low carb or gluten free so perhaps they will share their insights with you. I'd tag them but there are several and I don't really recall everyone's level of carbs or health.
They'll pop in.
0 -
In Atkins is it referred to as CLL or carb level for losing. The basic concept is to add 5 NC every week or two until you find the level you can can continue to lose at. It also helps you find your maintenance carb level.
I personally need the control of keeping my carbs under 20. I tried adding them back and got to 30 and I lost all control eating keto treats. Some people do great adding them back I don't happen to be one of them.0 -
Sorry for the double post. Not sure how to delete.
I'll delete it.
The one response you got there:canadjineh wrote: »Unless you have digestive issues with veggies, you could add slightly higher carb veggies like spaghetti squash, red peppers, more onion, maybe even a few beans, or some berries. Plain Greek yogourt is yummy too and will keep your protein up.
0 -
I carb cycle, so 4 days a week my carb goal is 25, and 3 days a week my carb goal is 112...so far the upshift has not caused me any issues with using keto for migraine control...but I have noticed that if I'm over on carbs more than 3-4 days in a row, then I start feeling all headachey again...so if you are looking to increase for long term sustainability of ketosis you can try increasing some days and keeping it lower other days and maybe get more bang for your buck in terms of enjoying your more carby foods.2
-
Thanks for responses, all.
Interesting about carb-cycling for migraine control. I've read about people doing it for exercise. I'm interested to see if the lack of joint pain is because of lower carb or stricter adherence to not accidentally eating food allergens. I think I'll start off slow with adding back, but the carb-cycling is intriguing for down the road possibly enjoying more foods. I'd really like some oatmeal with berries right now!0 -
I followed the ladder advice while losing I have been maintaining for almost a year now at 50 grams max. I mix up the carbs, maybe an apple instead of berries. I don't do grains, when I added any of those, and I love quinoa, I would get disoriented. But I can eat the occasional half a sweet potato, but usually choose not to do that. After a long hike or a good strength workout is usually the kind of day I will hit that 50 grams. Most days it is just naturally closer to 20 grams. I don't eat much of anything that has sugar alcohols, as they make me hungry.
Good luck on sorting it out.0
