New to keto & looking for friends/support
greatthatsgreat
Posts: 36 Member
Hey all! I am in my mid-30s, 5'5", and currently weighing ~253 lbs. This is the highest weight I've been at in years, and I don't know if it's age or hormones or genetics or all of the above, but lately if I even breathe in the direction of carbs, I gain like 9 lbs instantly. I've known for YEARS that lowering my carb intake and upping protein/fiber is the way to go, but I've never committed because ~bread is awesome, y'all.~ But that really has to change, because my knees won't let me run anymore and my doctor suggested bariatric surgery, something I wish to avoid.
I've done a bunch of research and have been following the Ruled Me guide(s). I'm only on DAY TWO, but so far the recipes have been delicious and my apartment is stocked with only the good stuff. I feel like I can make this work, but outside support has always been the thing that pushes me to keep going.
I've really enjoyed reading about everyone's experiences so far! Tell me more about why you started your LC lifestyle and what keeps you here? Also, I'm very intrigued to hear about some of the benefits you've noticed. Has your skin cleared up? Joints felt better? Health overall improved? Have you kicked some of your meds? Anything inspirational or any helpful advice is super welcome! Feel free to add me, too!
Thanks, all!
Meredith
I've done a bunch of research and have been following the Ruled Me guide(s). I'm only on DAY TWO, but so far the recipes have been delicious and my apartment is stocked with only the good stuff. I feel like I can make this work, but outside support has always been the thing that pushes me to keep going.
I've really enjoyed reading about everyone's experiences so far! Tell me more about why you started your LC lifestyle and what keeps you here? Also, I'm very intrigued to hear about some of the benefits you've noticed. Has your skin cleared up? Joints felt better? Health overall improved? Have you kicked some of your meds? Anything inspirational or any helpful advice is super welcome! Feel free to add me, too!
Thanks, all!
Meredith
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Replies
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I'm 51 and started at 314 pounds. I started on 4/13. So far, I'm down 14 pounds, I don't get tired in the afternoon anymore, and I don't have any cravings for snacks or carbs. I was on this while on vacation and was able to stick with it - even at an Italian restaurant.12
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@ScottW3142 that's awesome! I'm really excited to hear that your energy levels went up. I'm not experiencing fatigue yet, but I'm sure it will happen. It's nice to know there's light at the end of this.1
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52 and one year ago next month I was at 356#. Currently I'm back and forth between 265 and 270, but I've been traveling quite a bit and haven't stuck with it like I need to. Back on track now and will see the 100# goal before my start date anniversary of August 1, 2017. I follow LCHF, work out some, walk some, and try and have a calorie deficit on a daily basis.5
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@AnvilTime nice job with your weight loss! thanks for responding0
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My suggestion: keep it simple.
Use MFP to set your calorie goal for weight loss. Alter your carb macros to the about the # of grams you want to eat. Set your protein intake to 20-30% or even 35% as a start unless you have a medical reason to keep protein lower or are an elite athlete workout warrior and have a burning interest in eating protein at higher levels. Fill in the rest of your calories/% with fat when setting up your goals. You don't have to "hit" anything every day. You do want to hover around your carb and calorie amount and not routinely go too low on protein...depending of course on how high you have it set.
For me as someone who fortunately has a healthy body at the ripe old age of 64, it is sometimes fun to dig deep into research but in the end, weight loss and maintenance has come down to 1) calories, 2) setting my macros to what suits me for satiation (LCHF) and 3) eliminating the nasty little habits (related to over eating/calories) that helped me become overweight in the 1st place.
Also 4) a little exercise. "Experts" debate macros and foods all day long. I've never once read that a little exercise/activity is "bad" for the physically able. I'm not saying one has to start endurance training/running or a lifting/circuit program. Get a little exercise. Move. You don't have to move to lose weight but it does help. And most (if not all) would agree exercise is beneficial to overall health.
Eat less than you did and move a little more than you did...when you were gaining. I'm not minimizing the benefits of low carb or keto. I've been eating "this way" for 5 years. I must find it favorable. Every single day has not been perfect but I didn't quit. I still haven't quit. I'm still here, being effective for me, keeping it simple.
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Hello! I started keto a few weeks ago, dieting 32-33 days ago and have lost over 20 pounds. I find that I still get to eat pretty great food on keto and half the time I am too full to eat my daily calories.5
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@kpk54 thanks so much for the helpful advice! i like the simplicity of "keep it simple."0
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@stacybaker707 nice! feel free to add me if you need more keto friends!0
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ScottW3142 wrote: »I'm 51 and started at 314 pounds. I started on 4/13. So far, I'm down 14 pounds, I don't get tired in the afternoon anymore, and I don't have any cravings for snacks or carbs. I was on this while on vacation and was able to stick with it - even at an Italian restaurant.
I also started at 314 lbs! ☺
Just 10.5 months in and I'm now 220 lbs...
I'm a permanent convert. I will be keto/low carb for life (no sugar, no grains - no question!). This way of eating has completely healed my inflammation, hormones, and compulsion to overeat. I feel fantastic.
Good luck to everyone here, on your respective journeys!!16 -
I’ve been keto for almost a year...next week is my ketoversary. I am down 70 pounds, with only 2 1/2 pounds to goal15
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River_Goddess wrote: »ScottW3142 wrote: »I'm 51 and started at 314 pounds. I started on 4/13. So far, I'm down 14 pounds, I don't get tired in the afternoon anymore, and I don't have any cravings for snacks or carbs. I was on this while on vacation and was able to stick with it - even at an Italian restaurant.
I also started at 314 lbs! ☺
Just 10.5 months in and I'm now 220 lbs...
I'm a permanent convert. I will be keto/low carb for life (no sugar, no grains - no question!). This way of eating has completely healed my inflammation, hormones, and compulsion to overeat. I feel fantastic.
Good luck to everyone here, on your respective journeys!!
That's awesome!1 -
@River_Goddess that's incredible! i'm really inspired by this and happy to hear about the additional health benefits (i.e., hormones, overeating, etc). Thanks!1
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I've been keto since last August. 40 pounds down on keto and 100 in total overall weight loss. My skin is clear, I had a sore hip which used to cause sharp, stabbing pain which was awful at work, the pain is gone, heartburn gone, headaches virtually gone. I love feeling in control whereas food used to control me.
I do IF and love it. I eat 2 meals or sometimes only 1 meal a day and I am full and satisfied. I am 15-20 pounds from my goal. Alcohol is my downfall, it gets me off track and I eat *kitten* food and it makes me feel horrible. I learnt the hard way lol.
The first week is the hardest. Get rid of temptations. Commit fully and you will get results. I usually have a high carb day once a week it helps me keep sane and also helps if I am stalling. Good luck!6 -
Hey, I’ve been strict keto without cheating for 1.5 years and 4 years going on and off of it.
For me I’m doing it for long term health but I’ve noticed a bit less skin out breaks.
I have gained weight on keto when I overate, so I’ve started tracking and weighing everything. Now I’m losing. Keto helps me feel very satiated even in a caloric deficit.
My advice is don’t keep non- keto stuff in the house. If there is something tempting that a family member has ask them to hide it from you. This isn’t so important after you’ve adapted, but it is in the beggining when you’re jonesing for carbs.
Take potassium tablets, I have to take like 20 tablets a day.
Get your calcium, I’m dairy free so I get my calcium from egg shells.
And your magnesium, I take natural calm.
Never intentionally cheat. This is totally debatable, but I do not have the will power to cheat and not go off the path. It’s better to make yourself keto versions of fun foods than to cheat.
Don’t go to a restaurant unprepared. Don’t go to a restaurant without knowing what you can eat there beforehand. Call the restaurant, read the menu. If you are going unprepared for social reasons, just get a tea. I always carry emergency EVOO with me so if I have to, I can order a plain salad and put olive oil on it (most restaurants do not actually have olive oil, but rather use vegetable oil or blended oils which is not hugely respected in the keto world.)
When you are transitioning get really good raw pickles. Raw pickles are the actual fermented cucumbers as opposed to the brined cucumbers and they are healthier but personally I think they are so much tastier and satisfying too. Also chicken broth is really good when transitioning. These salty foods are helpful in keeping cravings at bay.
That’s my advice!
Also here are some of my favorite fun keto store bought snacks:
Lily’s Chocolate Bars and chocolate chips
So Delicious Sugar Free Ice Cream bars and tubs
Smart Cake
Kite Hill Cream Cheese (if you’re dairy free)
Honest fizz
Honest Tea (some are sugar free)
Zevia Sodas
100% grass fed beef sticks, I don’t know the brand but they are at Trader Joe’s
Epic Bars (some are keto)
I used to love Quest bars but I feel like the ingredients are questionable and now I avoid dairy, but you can check them out too.
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@ironmaidenchick congrats on the weight loss and overall health improvements! forgive my ignorance, but what is IF?0
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greatthatsgreat wrote: »@ironmaidenchick congrats on the weight loss and overall health improvements! forgive my ignorance, but what is IF?
@greatthatsgreat
IF is intermittent fasting. It's when you eat all of your meals within a set time if day. For example, 16:8 IF would mean eating from, say, 10 am to 6 pm (or whatever 8 hour window suits your schedule best). The rest of the time is considered fasting and you consume only water, tea, coffee, pickle juice etc...
It has benefits of healing insulin resistance, improving digestion, and promoting autophagy. It pairs really well with Keto.
I intermittent fast daily - usually 18:6. I eat from 12:30 to 6:30 most weekdays... I do IF on weekends too but my eating window tends to be a bit more flexible
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Yes intermittent fasting. I do 16:8. I have never eaten breakfast so for me it works well :-) haha I must have said a naughty word up above as it says I eat kitten food! Alcohol and me equals bad food :-)3
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Ha, I thought people intentionally used the word kitten!
Kitten food. Now that's a new one!1 -
Lol so did I then when I looked back I thought whaaaaat!! Not sure how keto it would be :-)2
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@dangerousdashie thank you for responding and providing additional pointers. i'm really impressed by your 1.5 years of 1.5 years of straight up keto. that's super cool. i'm on day 4 right now and i sort of want to punch everything, so i keep checking back with this group for additional inspiration, haha. i'm doing okay, though! you are all very inspiring. 3
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@River_Goddess oooh, okay, thanks for explaining IF. i think i do that unintentionally right now. i've also been going to bed earlier because i used to stay up late and binge terrible food while watching netflix. now i know that if i stay up super late, i'll just get hungry and cranky and i should be working on my sleep schedule anyway. i'll try IF once i get past the first couple of weeks. right now all i can think about are cupcakes.1
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@greatthatsgreat if you still need to stay up and watch Netflix (I KNOW where you are coming from as I work nights and even on my days off am up til 2am) try a hot cup of really flavourful herbal tea like Ginger Peach, Black Cherry, Apple Cinnamon - they won't keep you awake longer but are very tasty with no carbs (Celestial Seasoning or Stash are my fave brands)1
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I decided to lose weight in January 2016. I adopted keto in October of that year. I have lost 118 lbs - 78 of it on keto. It has been basically a pound a week with a few flat spots in the chart. I find I am well suited to the <20 grams of carbs a day. It controls hunger well, and I am happy with what I am eating. I have never done IF.
With the keto diet and the weight loss, I have been able to go off metformin and am controlling my glucose with diet alone (I am T2D).5 -
Hi I am 52 and need to lose 200 pounds and I am doing a keto .low carb , the full on keto I just could not maintain , but adding the good fats is working , I only eat up to 20 carbs a day sometimes only 15 , my fats are higher and I am losing inches and weight (i have not weighed in 2 weeks ) I need to.
welcome to you and I hope you like us here we are a good group to hang with . please add me if you want ,my daily food diary is open to be viewed. 1 -
Thanks, everyone! I have about 100 lbs to lose, give or take. I don't think my body is structured to ever be super thin, and I don't want to be super thin, just not obese (I've been overweight my entire life). I feel like it is imperative to my health to get my relationship with food under control, and from what I've read, keto/LC is a really good way to do this.0
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My weight has been climbing up and i was at the largest I have been:~174 (5’3”). Then I decided to clean up for 10 days: no grains or alcohol. Then I remembered if I just upped my data, I’d be keto. So I started keto. It took me about 2 weeks to get into ketosis.
I get excited thinking about fitting into my clothes again. Bursting out of my “fat jeans” was depressing and I started looking 58 not 48.
We can do this! Each “one-day-at-a-time” adds up. 4 -
I've never intentionally followed a "keto" diet or plan. 3+ years ago my dr encouraged me to keep total carbohydrates below 35g daily. over the years I've tried to go back to a "normal" way of eating only to find I am decidedly not normal. My body does better, feels better, looks better when I keep carbs to a minimum. I don't really focus much on marcos, or calories for that matter but I do keep them in mind. I'm getting back in to training now for races (running) so I'm becoming more aware of how much protein I eat and when and how it makes me feel.
Food for thought on your journey
1) it took time for you to put on weight, it will take time for it to come off
2) give your self the grace and patience you deserve
3) what works for someone else will not necessarily work for you
4) there is no silver bullet.
hopefully you find a way of eating that makes you feel your very best self! It can be rough out there ,but this has been and is a good place to find information and support!4 -
SO. I've been not-entirely-rigidly-but-mostly doing keto for a week now, and today the scale reported a loss of 4.6 lbs! I KNOW. I know this is mostly if not entirely water weight, and I am certainly not anticipating this kind of loss throughout my weightloss journey, but this is the first time in two years that the scale has done anything but climb and I almost cried when I read my new weight. I was so worried that something was broken, that I'd always be addicted to sugar, that I'd always eat enormous portions, that I'd always let food control me. I know scale victories are capricious at best, but I'm still relieved.
Oh, and late last night when I was feeling peckish, instead of hunting down food, I made herbal tea and added cream and that was all I needed. This is, like, 100% unheard of for me and my disordered eating habits. Thank you to all of you who offered support this week. I really appreciate it.11 -
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canadjineh wrote: »
Exactly. Cinnamon Apple Spice mixed with Sleepytime Vanilla and Pyure = Apple Pie in a Cup.
Very Blueberry is good, too.
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