Keto

I just sent this to a friend last night who wanted ideas for meals. Hope this helps!! ♥

I like to keep things simple! Meat and veggies are the base of my diet. Nuts and cheese in small portions. I'm trying to avoid but butter and cream cheese for now as I have trouble controlling myself with these.

For snacks I would have mushroom, cucumber, cauliflower or broccoli with cheese, cold meats or nuts, or a combination of those. With tea!! Lol I drink lots of tea to keep me full and busy when I need to!

No artificial sweeteners! I ditched stuff that contains added sugar like ketchup. Just coconut oil, butter and heavy cream with a dash of cinnamon in my morning coffee. No sugar or replacement in my coffee and that's huge for me!

You should watch this video, it really helped me not to overcomplicate everything lol.

https://youtu.be/EeOvRGsPPpo

The book, Dr Bernstein's Diabetes Solution has a lot of info on how to reverse insulin resistance by eating keto. He recommends about 6 g total carbs for both lunch and dinner, and as high as 12 g carbs for dinner. No snacks.

When I started, I first cut back on added sugars and then refined grains (candy, baked goods, noodles, cereals, etc). Then I cut out dried fruits, tropical fruits (raisins, pineapple, mango, banana, grapes) and really limited my temperate fruits (apples, oranges, nectarines). I also cut or really limited my root vegetables like potatoes, yams, turnips, carrots, onions, beets, etc.

That leaves meats, eggs, seafood, nuts, seeds, olives, coconuts, veggies, full fat dairy, and some low sugar fruit like berries.

I basically tried to stay under my carb goal (often 20-30g for those with IR), try to exceed my moderate protein goal (often 20-35%) and fill in the rest with fat to hunger - eat less fat if not hungry.

The Low Carber Dailyand Keto M?fP groups have great stickies for newbies. Good luck.

I would say to focus on the food and its nutrients to start off. Also find the satisfaction in the meals you are preparing and enjoying the process. I personally pre-log my days so I have a plan and can make the adjustments needed to stick to it before it's too late. I never tested for ketones but I feel energized and really mentally sharp when I become ketone adapted. I also barely feel hungry and intermittent fasting naturally becomes my natural pattern of eating.

mistyboggs wrote: »

I did not know anything about the ketogenic diet when I began. It has been one month and I am down 16 pounds. Ultimately it’s is a low carb diet. It starts out has being high fat, moderate protein but once your body adjusts you don’t worry about making your fat goals, only protein goals. Typically you keep under 20 carbs. Ultimately no bread, potatoes no processed food. No sugar. Only fruits like blueberries, raspberries and strawberries. I no longer swell at the end of the day and my energy level is higher than it’s been over 20 years. I also do not experience brain fog. I also do intermident fasting. I only eat between noon at 8 pm. I start my morning out with bulletproof coffee so I guess I break my fast in the morning. I put MCT oil and heavy whipping cream. I used to put butter also, but not anymore

If you are consuming MCT and cream, you are definitely not fasting. MCT oil metabolizes fairly quickly (much like a carb).


OP, id suggest you just start to reduce carbs and increasing protein while filling the rest in with fat. Also, adding additional sodium to help mitigate electrolyte imbalances. With the carbs you do consume, i would focus more on fibrous ones. Over time, you can get carbs down to 20-50g.

Ultimately, you still need to control calories in some manner. If it helpa keeps you satiated, than its a good approach.

What I have learned so far on keto.
1. Log your food before making it to check carb and fat ratios of each meal. This will help you understand what you should be consuming.
2. Make sure you increase your water and electrolytes to stave off the “keto flu”. The symptoms are related to the water you are going to stop retaining when you drop carbs. The water also pulls sodium, potassium, and magnesium from your body. This causes dehydration which is why so many people feel bad the first week or so. Chicken broth, Powerade zero, and heavy seasoning on food will help with this.
3. The cravings that used to run my life are gone. I am the one in control now. Once I cut carbs from my diet the constant sugar cravings stopped. This has to do with how your hormones will change when you remove carbs from your diet. You can check you tube for explanations on the hormonal effect of ketosis.
4. My energy level went through the roof once I started burning fat over carbs. I truly felt better than I ever have.
5. You need to have green leafy vegetables in your diet every day. Or supplement with fiber to prevent bowel issues.
6. Take it one day at a time and adjust as needed. Don’t let mistakes derail you. One day of high carbs won’t undo all your hard work. We all need a break.
7. I feel like *kitten* if I eat too much sugar now which helps me avoid going back to my old way of eating.

kommodevaran wrote: »

amlelas68 wrote: »

I am also doing keto and what helped me is I joined some Keto support groups to help me have a better knowledge of the plan.

It sounds so backwards, weightloss is about eating less than you burn, if you accept that, that's all you need to know to lose weight.

I disagree. I knew, and I think most people know, that one needs to eat fewer calories in order to lose weight but some ways of achieving that are easier for some people to do, than other ways.

Getting support and more knowledge so you are more likely to be successful in weight management efforts seems to be a smart move to me. Similar to weight watchers or other plans that advise you on what foods might work best to reach a certain goal with CI<CO.