KETO DIET: Reviews and Tips
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I did it for a year after I had my youngest son. I dropped a ton of weight, however, a large part of it was normal post pregnancy weight loss. I wont do it again for a number of reasons. I enjoy variety in my diet, and I felt very restricted by keto. No fruit besides a few berries?!?! I can't. No yogurt?!?! I literally can't. Also, this is Tmi, but it made me very constipated.0
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Hopefully you already understand that keto isn't magic, and that you absolutely 100% need to maintain a calorie deficit to lose weight. But if you are thinking of trying keto, it is useful to know before you start whether you find carbs, protein or fat the most satiating. If you're a carby person, keto is not going to be your jam. I am very strict with my CICO, but I personally really struggle when I eat the IIFYM way. For me, when I eat something starchy, I get hungry again very quickly. Not so if I eat (for example) a nice spinach, mushroom and feta omelette.
The old saying 'if you're not hungry enough to eat an apple, then you're not really hungry' does not seem to apply to me. I can tell you from experience that eating apples makes something happen to my digestive system that triggers hunger like nothing else. Within 5 minutes of eating an apple, for some reason I am ravenous. I've had minor binges that have been set off by eating apples (which I love) to try to satiate hunger.
Keto has been successful for me, but I believe that is because it regulates my hunger hormones, so that I am less inclined to want to snack between meals. I have been mostly eating this way for going on 3 years now. And I don't obsess about staying in ketosis. I treat fruit like candy. If I feel like having an apple after my dinner, then I have an apple - maybe once a week or so. People think it is 'wrong' to cut out carbs and that it is restrictive, and perhaps that is true for the majority of people. But for people like me, carbs are the reason I got the size I am. Not bingeing on sugar, not fast food, just good food and lots of it because I lack cognizance when it comes to portion control. I don't want to go back to eating a 'standard' diet. I like vegetables and eggs and some meat. It's worked for me, and I'm over halfway to my goal in just over 7 months of being serious with my CICO (edit to add: I'm down 52 pounds since December '17). Good luck, OP.
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Wow.. Thank you all for the info! I know that it's primarily a calorie deficit and that all diets are going to have that one component in common. This was to follow it and see how I like it.
I should have stated that I tried to stay away from carbs to begin with for a while now, but just not as restrictive as the 20g or less. I am currently 5' 5 and weigh 121 pounds. I'm just trying to lose some water weight really for this trip.
Also, I have been on this diet for about 4 days now. I have had the major headache, felt dizzy, and super fatigued. But I'm starting to feel better! I have lost a couple pounds of water weight. And it's definitely encouraging me to make this a lifestyle thing where I will cycle in and out of ketosis. But once again, this was for a trip and I just wanted to look a bit less bloated (which it has definitely reduced). Thanks to all!3 -
The "keto-flu" is actually an entirely preventable electrolyte imbalance. If you replace the electrolytes that you lose with early water weight you can skip the symptoms of fatigue, headache, nausea, brain fog, moodiness, bm issues, and muscle weakness, pain or spasms.
Most early keto'ers need 3000 to 5000 mg of sodium a day. There's 2300 mg of sodium in a teaspoon of salt.
I found cravings were gone within a week, and it became easy fairly soon after that. I didn't change my food too much though. I just dropped sugars and refined carbs (baking) first. Then I cut back on fruits and starchy veggies. Instead of a steak with potato and a veggie, I dropped the potato. My spaghetti with meat sauce became a lot of sauce on a small amount of spaghetti squash. I stopped putting my stirfries on rice. Stuff like that.
Good luck.
So I ended up getting the "keto flu", but I got the MIO drops to help with the electrolytes.1 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »
"Easy" would be highly subjective and individual. Personally, I wouldn't find limiting carbohydrates to next to nothing very easy, nor would I find eating copious amounts of dietary fat easy or limiting protein easy.
I suppose it's easy for some who gravitate towards eating a ton of fat and have little interest in fruits and vegetables and other quality carbohydrates in more than the tiniest amounts.
Also keep in mind that initial losses on the scale are largely water and glycogen depletion...if you're planning on drinking alcohol on your trip, be prepared to put back on water weight and bloat.
This is a very uneducated opinion about Keto. I eat plenty of vegetables and :::gasp::: even some fruit. They aren't tiny amounts, often my lunch is a huge plate of salad with protein and then a homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette. Dinner is often grilled meat and a large side of veggies cooked in healthy fat. Honestly, the only thing I eat copious amounts of are leafy green veggies because I love them. And sometimes, I want a potato, so I eat a potato. Yes, initial weight lost is often water weight, but that is common with most any diet, and not exclusive to Keto.
And for the record, I never had the Keto Flu. I did my research before starting and simply upped my electrolyte consumption and when I did have that initial water weight loss, I felt perfectly fine.5 -
So I ended up getting the "keto flu", but I got the MIO drops to help with the electrolytes.
Emergen-C also makes a sugar-free Electrolyte Replenisher. Just like their other stuff, you just add a packet to a glass of water.0 -
You are at a healthy weight already. Wanting to drop water for a trip.. is a bit odd. Bets are that you'll store more water if you travel anyway. Possibly more due to higher temperatures, and if your unlucky due to TOM or any of the other dozens of reasons why women store more water. Plus, what do you want to eat while being on vacation? Continue with keto? Sounds rather restrictive unless you're doing a hiking trip through Mongolia where the diet is rather rich in fat and protein. As soon as you reintroduce carbs the water comes back. Why not just enjoy your vacation?8
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I agree with the above, dropping some water weight seems pretty futile before a vacation unless you have a photo shoot or something as soon as you arrive. But if you are travelling by plane, plus all the extra food, alcohol...unless you are planning on following keto the entire trip, the bloat will come back big time as soon as you introduce carbs again, maybe even more than if you didn't restrict them in the first place. Of course it's up to you what you want to do.2
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Wow.. Thank you all for the info! I know that it's primarily a calorie deficit and that all diets are going to have that one component in common. This was to follow it and see how I like it.
I should have stated that I tried to stay away from carbs to begin with for a while now, but just not as restrictive as the 20g or less. I am currently 5' 5 and weigh 121 pounds. I'm just trying to lose some water weight really for this trip.
Also, I have been on this diet for about 4 days now. I have had the major headache, felt dizzy, and super fatigued. But I'm starting to feel better! I have lost a couple pounds of water weight. And it's definitely encouraging me to make this a lifestyle thing where I will cycle in and out of ketosis. But once again, this was for a trip and I just wanted to look a bit less bloated (which it has definitely reduced). Thanks to all!
why would you want to cycle in and out of ketosis? what is the point of that?4 -
So I ended up getting the "keto flu", but I got the MIO drops to help with the electrolytes.
Add a fair bit of salt, and it should do the trick in avoiding ket flu. 3 -
CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »why would you want to cycle in and out of ketosis? what is the point of that?
The point is usually regulating your blood sugar levels (avoiding massive peaks and valleys) for the vast majority of the time, so that you minimize cravings triggered by sugar crashes. That doesn't mean you have to stay in ketosis 100% of the time to get the benefits of a ketogenic lifestyle.
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the8BitGirl wrote: »
The point is usually regulating your blood sugar levels (avoiding massive peaks and valleys) for the vast majority of the time, so that you minimize cravings triggered by sugar crashes. That doesn't mean you have to stay in ketosis 100% of the time to get the benefits of a ketogenic lifestyle.
That would suggest that a person doesn't have the ability to regulate blood sugar, which for the vast majority of people, we have the ability. And unless your just eating straight sugar, candy or sodas, you aren't having huge blood sugar swings like its lead to believe.7 -
That would suggest that a person doesn't have the ability to regulate blood sugar, which for the vast majority of people, we have the ability. And unless your just eating straight sugar, candy or sodas, you aren't having huge blood sugar swings like its lead to believe.
Since most people now have IR and related problems (T2D, prediabetes, PCOS, NAFLD, Alzheimer's, CVD), most people do not regulate their BG adequately. One need not eat straight sugar to get sugar crashes, although that is definitely a culprit.
CKD or TKD are performance based diets used to take advantage of a keto lifestyle while still using carbs for specific (exercise/fitness) goals.18 -
Since most people now have IR and related problems (T2D, prediabetes, PCOS, NAFLD, Alzheimer's, CVD), most people do not regulate their BG adequately. One need not eat straight sugar to get sugar crashes, although that is definitely a culprit.
CKD or TKD are performance based diets used to take advantage of a keto lifestyle while still using carbs for specific (exercise/fitness) goals.
Discussions of blood sugar regulation aside, I'd like to interject that your wording leaves open to interpretation that you're asserting that IR is causative of all the conditions you listed. Confusing symptoms and causes doesn't do your case any favors. IR is certainly not the cause of all of those conditions you listed, and to imply such is what gets push back so often about keto on these boards.9 -
Since most people now have IR and related problems (T2D, prediabetes, PCOS, NAFLD, Alzheimer's, CVD), most people do not regulate their BG adequately. One need not eat straight sugar to get sugar crashes, although that is definitely a culprit.
CKD or TKD are performance based diets used to take advantage of a keto lifestyle while still using carbs for specific (exercise/fitness) goals.
That is a fairly wild interpretation of the statistics; this doesn't eve include that treatment is different from prevention (Alzheimers, NAFLD, CVD), which are largely caused by genetics and obesity, not by blood sugar swings. Even further, this still doesn't take into consideration that all of those disorders are treated by a variety of ways, especially weight loss.
But if you look at the diabetes statistics, they states that 8% of the population is actually diagnosed with diabetes. The other 33% of undiagnosed are people who have markers that are a warning of their increased risk of diabetes and if action is not taken at some point my develop diabetes. In comparison to other 1st world countries who haven't continuously lowers their risk standards (like America several years ago) those statistics are much lower.
Again, looking at the healthiest and longest living nations in the world, they are all high carb, low meat diets. They are all active and have low rate of diseases. It's when they are exposed to westernized foods (highly caloric, high in fats, processed sugars, etc...) do they gain weight and increase the rate of disease. So it's not the carbs, fats, salts, etc.. it's a signficant increase in calories and reduction in activity, driving obesity rates through the roof.
So no, the average person doesn't have to worry about blood sugar. They more have to worry about eating nutrient dense foods, maintaining a healthy weight and exercising.
CKD and TKD are designed to take advantage of carbs and performance. Which further demonstrates the performance reductions driven by keto diets. Carb based diets are proven to be more effective, which is why Dr. Attia says it's a performance enhancing drug. I know this because everyone who refeeds after doing keto, to include body builders, so record lifts. It's very common that lean body builders see huge increases in power output after they eat dirty after competition.9 -
brneydgrlie wrote: »
Keto does not eliminate vegetables or even fruits. Green leafy vegetables and high fiber vegetables are encouraged, and low-glycemic fruits such as berries are absolutely fine to consume. Also, although the fat you consume is higher, it's not really an obscene amount if you are doing it correctly. Adding avocado and olive oil to your diet is not unhealthy, and the fat is what helps keep you satiated. It's not like you are sitting there eating Crisco by the spoonful.
I didn't say that it eliminated fruits and vegetables...but if you're limited to 20g carbs, you are very much restricting those things to tiny amounts...which is what I said...reading comprehension is an invaluable thing.
Most people I know doing keto are having about 70% dietary fat...IMO, that's an obscene amount of fat...I couldn't do it.
Fat does not personally satiate me.
Maybe not eating Crisco by the spoonful, but I know a lot of keto folks dumping Tbsps of coconut oil in their coffee which is just gross.
I'm not bashing the diet...I was simply stating why I couldn't personally do it due to the factors I mentioned...the foul breath and body odor would be another issue for me...but that's just me.11 -
michelle172415 wrote: »
This is a very uneducated opinion about Keto. I eat plenty of vegetables and :::gasp::: even some fruit. They aren't tiny amounts, often my lunch is a huge plate of salad with protein and then a homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette. Dinner is often grilled meat and a large side of veggies cooked in healthy fat. Honestly, the only thing I eat copious amounts of are leafy green veggies because I love them. And sometimes, I want a potato, so I eat a potato. Yes, initial weight lost is often water weight, but that is common with most any diet, and not exclusive to Keto.
And for the record, I never had the Keto Flu. I did my research before starting and simply upped my electrolyte consumption and when I did have that initial water weight loss, I felt perfectly fine.
Yeah, nah...
One medium apple is 25g of carbohydrate...boom...you've just gone over the 20 measly grams of carbohydrates that most keto dieters are doing. Saying that you don't have to restrict fruits and veg is a *kitten* premise.
Most of my carbohydrates come from fruits and veg and some oats and legumes...I'm well over keto limits with my healthy carbohydrates.15 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »I'm not bashing the diet...I was simply stating why I couldn't personally do it due to the factors I mentioned...the foul breath and body odor would be another issue for me...but that's just me.
Exactly, wasn't the OP asking for reviews?
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In my first 90 days of my keto diet I lost 31 pounds with my starting weight of 235. I did experience a bit of Keto "flu" but quickly resolved it by drinking boullion (sodium), taking magnesium and using Morton Lite Salt (potassium). The fat is what satiates you so it makes the diet easy. Burning fat is very healthy, especially for the brain, and it has helped me get off of most of my diabetic medications so far since I no longer need glucose to burn for energy but use fat instead. My doctor 100% supports this diet and is sharing it with many in our community. I truly believe any diet will work if you will just stick to it. Pick one that is right for you and allows foods you enjoy most. But know that this is a healthy diet where no food groups are denied. It really does work. You feel great. Don't let others scare you on this diet or any other. And during this diet or any, make healthy choices when choosing your carbs or calories. Get up and move. Drink your water. Get your sleep. Destress. All of these are necessary in any diet. Do your own research on keto and you will gain the confidence you need in the keto diet. Best of luck to you and I hope you will enjoy your vacay when the time comes.8
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deepwoodslady wrote: »In my first 90 days of my keto diet I lost 31 pounds with my starting weight of 235. I did experience a bit of Keto "flu" but quickly resolved it by drinking boullion (sodium), taking magnesium and using Morton Lite Salt (potassium). The fat is what satiates you so it makes the diet easy. Burning fat is very healthy, especially for the brain, and it has helped me get off of most of my diabetic medications so far since I no longer need glucose to burn for energy but use fat instead. My doctor 100% supports this diet and is sharing it with many in our community. I truly believe any diet will work if you will just stick to it. Pick one that is right for you and allows foods you enjoy most. But know that this is a healthy diet where no food groups are denied. It really does work. You feel great. Don't let others scare you on this diet or any other. And during this diet or any, make healthy choices when choosing your carbs or calories. Get up and move. Drink your water. Get your sleep. Destress. All of these are necessary in any diet. Do your own research on keto and you will gain the confidence you need in the keto diet. Best of luck to you and I hope you will enjoy your vacay when the time comes.
I know many people (myself included) that don't find fats satiating at all.
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cwolfman13 wrote: »
Yeah, nah...
One medium apple is 25g of carbohydrate...boom...you've just gone over the 20 measly grams of carbohydrates that most keto dieters are doing. Saying that you don't have to restrict fruits and veg is a *kitten* premise.
Most of my carbohydrates come from fruits and veg and some oats and legumes...I'm well over keto limits with my healthy carbohydrates.
Most of the people that I know that are doing keto or have been doing it for awhile use net carbs vs total carbs. For example, 100g of spinich has 3.6g of carbs of which 2.2g are fiber so you only have a net of 1.4g carbs for that 100g serving of spinach. So with the leafy green veggies like spinach, broccoli and such, you can eat a ton of them and not go over the 20g limit.
Also, there are a lot of people who can remain in ketosis consuming as high as 50-60g of carbs, depending on activity levels.4 -
I'm on keto and my seizures have reduced. I couldn't be happier. Why so much judgement? If you took a look at my updated medical records, you guys would sing a different tune before you go around bashing people's eating habits again.6
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KrazyKrissyy wrote: »I'm on keto and my seizures have reduced. I couldn't be happier. Why so much judgement? If you took a look at my updated medical records, you guys would sing a different tune before you go around bashing people's eating habits again.
I've never seen anyone criticize the eating habits of someone who is using a ketogenic diet to manage seizures or other medical conditions or even someone who just plain prefers keto for appetite/craving control.
The only issue is inflated/inaccurate claims for what a ketogenic diet can do or claims that everyone will experience appetite/craving control or find it non-restrictive.13 -
Op as you can clearly see , the true believers of keto will stop at nothing to spread the propaganda. They'll twist words and talk in circles, inject feelings instead of fact and misrepresent their way of eating.
If keto is what you like then go for it! But please don't be mistaken. Keto isn't going to cure all these wild ailments and cause amputated limbs to magically reappear. If you have a some medical conditions that could call for you to limit carbs maybe take a look into lowering carb intake but there's no reason to go to any extremes for weight loss.
Just because someone is keto doesn't automatically mean they are healthy. I know people who drink whipping cream and oil and eat fatty meats all day and think they are healthy just because they are a low carber. There's a ton of myths about keto and low carb. There's also tons of people who spread these myths daily because they truly believe it. It's almost like a religion for some.
Be very careful and do your own research. Don't rely on biased opinions and word play, learn how to decipher it on your own. You'll soon see that there's nothing magical about it.
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cwolfman13 wrote: »
Yeah, nah...
One medium apple is 25g of carbohydrate...boom...you've just gone over the 20 measly grams of carbohydrates that most keto dieters are doing. Saying that you don't have to restrict fruits and veg is a *kitten* premise.
Most of my carbohydrates come from fruits and veg and some oats and legumes...I'm well over keto limits with my healthy carbohydrates.
Oh no, there's no such thing as healthy carbs. Fruits and vegetables- devil carbs . Same as eating cake all day and all.
*Insert eyeroll*
But you can drink unlimited whipping cream mixed with oil. You can even eat at a calorie surplus every day because it's magic.
You can't gain weight on keto. Only magical muscle.
Hehehe12 -
janejellyroll wrote: »
I've never seen anyone criticize the eating habits of someone who is using a ketogenic diet to manage seizures or other medical conditions or even someone who just plain prefers keto for appetite/craving control.
The only issue is inflated/inaccurate claims for what a ketogenic diet can do or claims that everyone will experience appetite/craving control or find it non-restrictive.
This. ^^^8 -
I lost 72lbs by simply cutting my calories and getting active. With that said, I started the keto way of eating 2 1/2 week ago because a friend of mine, who is a nurse, recommended it for unresolved swelling in my ankles and feet and joint pain. I started this plan with no desire to make it a permanent part of my life just as a last ditch effort to see if it would actually help with swelling and pain. Well I am happy to report that my ankles are no longer swollen and my pain has been reduced to a dull roar instead of molten hot lava. I also have a ton of energy and have lost the its breakfast time, must eat... oh its noon, time to eat... 5pm dinner time mindset. I don't eat my first meals most days until 1ish so I figured what the heck I am basically doing IF so lets roll with it and see how it goes. I DID NOT get the keto flu (I am assuming that is because I was already eating low carbs, healthy fats etc...who knows) I have also lost 12lbs since I started... again after already having lost 72lbs I know most of that was water weight, but none the less I am no longer feeling bloated. Everyone has their way of "dieting" I didn't even read the previous comments because I know most people will lecture you on how stupid you must be to even think about Keto. However, in the end you have to do what works for you. Some people eat clean, some people eat in moderation, some people drink shakes, some people work out like crazy so they can eat pizza every night, others do keto... find what works for you and as long as your are healthy, getting enough nutrients and happy, that is all that matters... You do you!! Good luck!
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Most of the people that I know that are doing keto or have been doing it for awhile use net carbs vs total carbs. For example, 100g of spinich has 3.6g of carbs of which 2.2g are fiber so you only have a net of 1.4g carbs for that 100g serving of spinach. So with the leafy green veggies like spinach, broccoli and such, you can eat a ton of them and not go over the 20g limit.
Also, there are a lot of people who can remain in ketosis consuming as high as 50-60g of carbs, depending on activity levels.
Sure...you can eat a lot of greens and whatnot if that's what you're into. I like a wide variety of vegetables and fruit. If I subtract the fiber from the apple it comes out to 20.6 grams...still at the 20g limit that most people here seem to set for themselves.
I'm well aware that some people can do keto at 50-60g...it's still piddly...yeah, I can have 2 pieces of fruit and I'm done for the day.
My point is that it is disingenuous to say that you don't have to limit fruits and veg...even if you're eating a bunch of greens and broccoli, you're still limiting a whole host of other things that are perfectly healthy for you.
I don't care if people do keto or not...the claim that you don't have to limit fruits and vegetables is disingenuous. I typically have 6-8 servings of a variety of veg and 2-3 servings of fruit per day...no way is that going to fly with keto.4 -
I lost 72lbs by simply cutting my calories and getting active. With that said, I started the keto way of eating 2 1/2 week ago because a friend of mine, who is a nurse, recommended it for unresolved swelling in my ankles and feet and joint pain. I started this plan with no desire to make it a permanent part of my life just as a last ditch effort to see if it would actually help with swelling and pain. Well I am happy to report that my ankles are no longer swollen and my pain has been reduced to a dull roar instead of molten hot lava. I also have a ton of energy and have lost the its breakfast time, must eat... oh its noon, time to eat... 5pm dinner time mindset. I don't eat my first meals most days until 1ish so I figured what the heck I am basically doing IF so lets roll with it and see how it goes. I DID NOT get the keto flu (I am assuming that is because I was already eating low carbs, healthy fats etc...who knows) I have also lost 12lbs since I started... again after already having lost 72lbs I know most of that was water weight, but none the less I am no longer feeling bloated. Everyone has their way of "dieting" I didn't even read the previous comments because I know most people will lecture you on how stupid you must be to even think about Keto. However, in the end you have to do what works for you. Some people eat clean, some people eat in moderation, some people drink shakes, some people work out like crazy so they can eat pizza every night, others do keto... find what works for you and as long as your are healthy, getting enough nutrients and happy, that is all that matters... You do you!! Good luck!
You should actually read the whole thread before adding your thoughts. No one is lecturing.9
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