Keto app + tips wanted. First timer!

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catherinet89
catherinet89 Posts: 60 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So as the title says I would love to try out the Keto diet. I have done low carb in the past and feel like I did it wrong because I was miserable the whole time.
I know the basics of Keto but feel like I dont really understand how to balance my food. Im a carboholic so really love bread, pasta, potatos and rice.
Im also looking for an app I can use to help me track/plane meals specific for keto.

Another quick question. I would love a fitbit but just cant afford to fork out $200+ for a watch so was wondering if anyone knows of a cheaper alternative that is as good. I feel like I will do much better in my weight loss efforts if I can track everything and adjust my lifestyle as needed.

Thank you in advance for any replies!

Replies

  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    edited July 2018
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    If you felt poorly while low carb in the past, it could have been low electrolytes. When carbs are lowered, insulin falls. Low insulin results in the kidneys excreting water and electrolytes. If you don't replace those electrolytes (sodium) many will end up with headaches, fatigue, nausea, brain fog, moodiness, BM issues, muscle weakness and spasms.

    Low carbers need at LEAST 3000-5000mg of sodium a day. 2300mg = 1 tsp salt. A couple of cups of bullion/broth, salt tablets, pickle juice, a salted Mio ketoade, or just a half teaspoon of salt can help you get enough sodium.

    You can use the MFP diary to track macros. Common macros are 5-10% carbs, 20-30% protein, and 60-75% fat.

    Join the MFP subgroups Low Carber Daily and Keto for food ideas and more support. Both groups have lots of information for interested people.

    Good luck. :)
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
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    catherinet89 wrote: »
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    Why do you think keto is a good fit for you? What are you hoping to accomplish with this approach that you can’t achieve with other plans?

    Because of my bad relationship with carbs and overeating them. If I avoid them completely I would have an easier time than trying to moderate the amount of them I eat. Ive also read alot about how it helps with weightloss and fat burning. I have around 80 pounds I need to drop to get to a healthy BMI. Also its something new to try and why not try something new? If it works for me in the end great if it doesnt atleast I tried it and now know its not for me.
    I plan to do IF ontop of that which I have done in the past and had great results with but its the things I eat that I have the most issue with.
    I have a very unhealthy relationship with food so a lifestyle that helps me avoid those foods seems to be a smart thing for me to do

    This approach may be a good fit for you if it helps you control your intake of certain foods that are problematic for you... but there is no long term metabolic advantage for weight loss for a keto/low carb diet compared to any other that creates a calorie deficit.

    The tips @nvmomketo mentioned might help with adjusting better than your previous attempts.

    FitBits aren’t all $200, I think the basic version starts at less than $100 - and I saw a step counter at target last week for around $20 that may help motivate you to move more.
  • catherinet89
    catherinet89 Posts: 60 Member
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    nvmomketo wrote: »
    If you felt poorly while low carb in the past, it could have been low electrolytes. When carbs are lowered, insulin falls. Low insulin results in the kidneys excreting water and electrolytes. If you don't replace those electrolytes (sodium) many will end up with headaches, fatigue, nausea, brain fog, moodiness, BM issues, muscle weakness and spasms.

    Low carbers need at LEAST 3000-5000mg of sodium a day. 2300mg = 1 tsp salt. A couple of cups of bullion/broth, salt tablets, pickle juice, a salted Mio ketoade, or just a half teaspoon of salt can help you get enough sodium.

    You can use the MFP diary to track macros. Common macros are 5-10% carbs, 20-30% protein, and 60-75% fat.

    Join the MFP subgroups Low Carber Daily and Keto for food ideas and more support. Both groups have lots of information for interested people.

    Good luck. :)

    Thank you very much I'll have a look there :)
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    catherinet89 wrote: »
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    Why do you think keto is a good fit for you? What are you hoping to accomplish with this approach that you can’t achieve with other plans?
    Because of my bad relationship with carbs and overeating them. If I avoid them completely I would have an easier time than trying to moderate the amount of them I eat. I have around 80 pounds I need to drop to get to a healthy BMI. Also its something new to try and why not try something new? If it works for me in the end great if it doesnt atleast I tried it and now know its not for me.

    I have a very unhealthy relationship with food so a lifestyle that helps me avoid those foods seems to be a smart thing for me to do
    Yes, it seems like the logical thing to do, but it's not necessarily true. Going to extremes is easy. Moderation takes a lot of practice and patience. Demonizing foods, food groups and nutrients makes us want them intensely, even when we tell ourselves taht they are bad, try to avoid them, but we can't avoid them, because they taste great and we need pleasure from food, then we give in, then our suspicion of their evilness and our lack of willpower is confirmed, and we eat some more, because we've already given in, and because we feel sorry for ourselves, and to get it over with. This is so common that it's most unlikely that you haven't ever experienced any of this.
    Ive also read alot about how it helps with weightloss and fat burning.
    Take things you read and hear with a grain of salt. Always be cautious when you read something "helps" something you can't directly control. You lose weight in accordance with your calorie deficit. You're in a calorie deficit when you eat less. You can control your eating. Things that help you control your eating, are valuable. If keto helps you control your eating, it's a great thing for you. If trying to eat low carb makes you crash and burn, then keto, which is very low carb, will be a bad fit for you.
    I plan to do IF ontop of that which I have done in the past and had great results with
    This suggests to me that you will benefit from some simple boundaries, like a good meal schedule,
    and that
    but its the things I eat that I have the most issue with.
    is just what appears to be the problem.
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
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    catherinet89 wrote: »
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    Why do you think keto is a good fit for you? What are you hoping to accomplish with this approach that you can’t achieve with other plans?

    Because of my bad relationship with carbs and overeating them. If I avoid them completely I would have an easier time than trying to moderate the amount of them I eat. Ive also read alot about how it helps with weightloss and fat burning. I have around 80 pounds I need to drop to get to a healthy BMI. Also its something new to try and why not try something new? If it works for me in the end great if it doesnt atleast I tried it and now know its not for me.
    I plan to do IF ontop of that which I have done in the past and had great results with but its the things I eat that I have the most issue with.
    I have a very unhealthy relationship with food so a lifestyle that helps me avoid those foods seems to be a smart thing for me to do

    Keto helps with weight loss if it helps you stick to your deficit more easily. You may initially lose more weight than on a less restrictive diet, but this is due to water loss that comes with drastically reducing your carb intake. Fat loss is no different than if you achieved the same deficit in another way.

    You don't burn more body fat, but you burn more fat due to eating more fat.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
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    catherinet89 wrote: »
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    Why do you think keto is a good fit for you? What are you hoping to accomplish with this approach that you can’t achieve with other plans?

    Because of my bad relationship with carbs and overeating them. If I avoid them completely I would have an easier time than trying to moderate the amount of them I eat. Ive also read alot about how it helps with weightloss and fat burning. I have around 80 pounds I need to drop to get to a healthy BMI. Also its something new to try and why not try something new? If it works for me in the end great if it doesnt atleast I tried it and now know its not for me.
    I plan to do IF ontop of that which I have done in the past and had great results with but its the things I eat that I have the most issue with.
    I have a very unhealthy relationship with food so a lifestyle that helps me avoid those foods seems to be a smart thing for me to do

    Whether you go keto or not is up to you, but the bolded is what you need to work on the most regardless of your diet of choice. Sweeping it under the rug wouldn't work. What would happen once you stop doing keto and haven't fixed your relationship with food? Or when you find yourself in a situation where you are exposed to carby foods and lose control? Since you identified your problem, why not work on solving said problem instead of masking it?

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