KETO
Options
amethystskycg
Posts: 35 Member
Curious what others think of it
1
Replies
-
Not for me. Lost weight and regained. I know keto would never be a lifestyle (forever) change for me. Weight loss is ALWAYS about taking in fewer calories than maintenance. Learning portions for all foods instead of diet ones has been much more helpful to me as maintenance changes as I reduce my size.8
-
Its not a magic pill that results in faster than usual weight loss. Its like any other diet. Takes a energy deficit to lose weight. There's a lot of different protocols out there as well so I think it can be a negative experience for someone not familiar with physiology. For body recomp you want to make sure you're eating high to moderate protein, low carb and just enough fats to cover your energy needs. You simply cannot eat all the fat you want to lose weight. On a side note the fact you have to vigorously track electrolytes and supplement throughout the day is a pain as well. And is usually the cause of people saying keto doesn't work for me, I feel like garbage. So- if you have a lot of food triggers when it comes to carbs- then maybe a highly restrictive diet like keto could be good for you. But all in all if you can teach yourself how to eat healthy, without restriction, you'll end up doing better in the long run.6
-
If you think that Keto and the food choices you have to make on it are something you could do as a lifestyle change and could live the rest of your life on, then go for it. But if not, and you are considering Keto because you've heard it's the hot new magic bullet thing, than do not. There is nothing special about Keto for weight loss that cannot be achieved by any other diet. It works the same way. If you eat less calories than you burn, you will lose weight. If you eat more calories, you will gain weight.
The problem I have with Keto is not its existence, but the way its promoted. It's promoted as some sort of special life hack diet where you can eat as much as you want and lose all this weight super fast, etc. Those things aren't true. There's nothing special about being in Ketosis for fat loss. People in ketosis retain less water, so users of the Keto diet may see a big drop on the scale in the first few weeks, and think that is sign of success. But it is not a fat burn, and if you exit Ketosis, it comes back on quick.
Keto marketers would like you to believe that everyone has success with it, but if you spend enough time in these forums, you'll know that's not true. It's filled with posts about suffering from the Keto flu, about not losing weight on Keto, about "gaining on Keto please help".
So I would consider long and hard if the diet is really right for you. Don't do it just because you think it's the only way you'll lose weight.11 -
@amethystskycg I have been Keto since Oct 2014 when I was 63 years old for pain management and to reverse serious health issues and all of these years later the pain from arthritis (Ankylosing Spondylitis) is still well managed without any Rx Meds and my health and lab reports are better than in decades at the age of 68.
I did lose 50 pounds which I have since maintained but that was just a side effect in my case. I expect the Keto WOE removing my cravings that lead to binging is a factor in my weight loss. My daily calories seem to average around 3000 daily when I count up my calories a few times a year.
As posted above there is nothing magical about the KETO Way Of Eat. I had no success with Keto until realizing I was in Denial about being hooked a High Carb High Fat WOE. In my case on a hunch I cut out all foods containing added sugar and or any form of any grain which removed all ultra processed foods from my diet cold turkey.
There are many WOE's that work well and in my case it turned out KETO was the WOE that worked best for my body. In time keep listening to your body and it may tell you the WOE it prefers.
Best of success. Remember it is not the WOE at works well for others but the WOE that works well for YOU that you are looking for.
12 -
In my opinion- by forcing you to eliminate a bunch of foods that you enjoy eating there's a high chance of adherence failure after the initial 'honeymoon' phase.
5 -
I have been keto since 2015. I came to it because my blood glucose was starting to look prediabetic, and I was gaining weight trying to moderate my carb intake - instead if losing my extra 15 lbs I gained another 15.
I do best abstaining from foods so skipping trigger foods (sugars and refined carbs) led to me wanting them less than if I had eaten just a bit. The first couple of days required a bit of willpower, but now I know it gets easier for me the lower I set my carbs. I am maintaining now, although my clothing is getting looser in spite of the fact that I am staying at the same weight.
I get a lot of health benefits from keto (better bg control, no postural hypotension, better skin and hair, fewer migraines, better sleep, lower inflammation which makes my osteo and autoimmune arthritis almost symptom free, and a noticeable cognitive boost). Giving that up because I miss jujubes, or want comfort food would be foolish for me.
As an aside, keto flu is a preventable electrolyte imbalance caused largely from lower BG and insulin levels which causes you to retain less water and sodium. Most low carbers will need to supplement with some extra sodium or they feel unwell. Its not a big deal. A cup of salty broth and salting your food should be all that is needed.6 -
Since I am on a very long term weight loss journey - started on 170 kg, 375 pounds - I have found a balanced daily meal plan through MFP. They did all the calculations for me, I just had to understand and get to grips with my "trigger food". Just over 300 days later I prepare a basic meal plan for next day and take it day by day, meal by meal. I am still working on something called "portion control" which my brain doesn't seem to want to understand... I didn't gain all that extra weight overnight, so it will take some time to get rid of it.7
-
-
Seven days ago I was all about how easy it was.
The next paragraph is TMI. Skip if you want.
Seven days ago was the first time I attempted to improve my 'regularity' with a super fiber product named "Nopalina". The serving size on the nutrition label indicated 15 g.
Suffice to say, 15g of Nopalina on top of 15 g chia seeds is more than sufficient.
Six days ago, I tweaked that effort with 10 g Nopalina along with 15 g chia.
Sufficiency has been said again.
Five days ago, I weakly tweaked that to 5 g Nopalina along with 15 g chia.
This experience stressed my mind so much that I could not be satisfied with fat, protein, and patience.
So, for now at least, I'm going to go with 5 g Nopalina along with 15 g chia in my breakfast eggs.
Nevertheless, I press onward, through the fog.4 -
Some people find it helpful. It's not for everyone, most people probably would find just eating a sensible calorie-appropriate diet an easier way to lose weight. I tried it as an experiment (after I'd lost the weight) and didn't notice any benefits for me, and I found even the amounts of non starchy veg I like to eat were pushing me over my carbs, and I missed fruit and potatoes and pasta (which is an easy base for a nutritious dinner for me), and didn't like that without beans and having to limit dairy that I was more reliant on meat for protein.4
-
JeromeBarry1 wrote: »Seven days ago I was all about how easy it was.
The next paragraph is TMI. Skip if you want.
Seven days ago was the first time I attempted to improve my 'regularity' with a super fiber product named "Nopalina". The serving size on the nutrition label indicated 15 g.
Suffice to say, 15g of Nopalina on top of 15 g chia seeds is more than sufficient.
Six days ago, I tweaked that effort with 10 g Nopalina along with 15 g chia.
Sufficiency has been said again.
Five days ago, I weakly tweaked that to 5 g Nopalina along with 15 g chia.
This experience stressed my mind so much that I could not be satisfied with fat, protein, and patience.
So, for now at least, I'm going to go with 5 g Nopalina along with 15 g chia in my breakfast eggs.
Nevertheless, I press onward, through the fog.
Nopalina is a cactus based fiber widely sold in Mexico and it's heavy duty. A little goes a long way. I've tried it and it was too intense. My go to is ground psyllium husk. Much gentler.0 -
JeromeBarry1 wrote: »Seven days ago I was all about how easy it was.
The next paragraph is TMI. Skip if you want.
Seven days ago was the first time I attempted to improve my 'regularity' with a super fiber product named "Nopalina". The serving size on the nutrition label indicated 15 g.
Suffice to say, 15g of Nopalina on top of 15 g chia seeds is more than sufficient.
Six days ago, I tweaked that effort with 10 g Nopalina along with 15 g chia.
Sufficiency has been said again.
Five days ago, I weakly tweaked that to 5 g Nopalina along with 15 g chia.
This experience stressed my mind so much that I could not be satisfied with fat, protein, and patience.
So, for now at least, I'm going to go with 5 g Nopalina along with 15 g chia in my breakfast eggs.
Nevertheless, I press onward, through the fog.
Nopalina is a cactus based fiber widely sold in Mexico and it's heavy duty. A little goes a long way. I've tried it and it was too intense. My go to is ground psyllium husk. Much gentler.
The first day, ignorantly with 15 g Nopalina and 15 g chia, caused what I think was a vagal response. If it was not a vagal response, it so screwed my mind that it might as well have been a bad trip.2 -
keto was a big NOPE for me in more ways than one. I wont go into it here as I have posts all over about my experience with it.1
-
You need to read a lot about it rather than just asking here, and make your own mind up about it. There are low carb and keto groups that may be more supportive than the general forums here.
Personally, I haver fewer cravings and less desire to snack while I am in Ketosis, and I can lose weight with less effort than I have done previously (ie, in the past I have restricted foods and done a couple of hours extra exercise a day but always craved more food) whereas now, I eat pretty much what I ate before but no processed carbs like bread and pasta, or starchy veg like rice and potatoes. I have more cheese and creamy sauces, but like any other WOE for fat loss, you need to eat at a calorie deficit. I still do a couple of hours exercise/activity at work but I don't feel the urge to stuff my face when I get home.
It's not easy, as going out for dinner can upset your macros and fresh crusty bread is just about my favourite food in the whole world but I find it works for me. When I reach my goal weight (93-95kg) I will consider adding things like lentils, sweet potato and squash to my meals but if I put on weight I will cut back on them.
We're all different; this works for me.
3 -
Keto just makes me starving from the lack of food volume, tired and it kills my performance in the gym. And yes, i eat a crap ton of sodium, so it's certainly not an electrolyte imbalance. I am rather advanced in dieting, so i am very familiar on how to execute this protocol.11
-
I just never understood how a diet that made you cut out a ton of incredibly beneficial vegetables could be a good thing in the long run.13
-
Everyone is different and has to work out for themselves what works for their body.
People have different ideas about what "keto" is. My definition is pretty simple that it is lower carb than the typical western diet, putting your body into a state of ketosis for some or all of the day.
When people criticise "keto" they are usually thinking of the most extreme form of it, where people eat almost no carbs (maybe 25g or 50g) and lots of fatty foods.
However, I have a mild keto diet which involves moderate carbs (up to about 100g a day at the moment) from low GI/non-starchy foods, moderate lean protein, and moderate fat - about 40/40/20. So I still eat lots of vegetables, but steer clear of bread, rice, pasta, potato, sugar, etc. I also count calories and keep a deficit.
When I first tried this way of eating (still eating moderate amount of carbs, but not high GI ones), I bought some ketone strips to test the ketones in my urine to see if it did put me in ketosis, and it did. So I don't think you have to go extreme to have a keto diet.
The argument that you should not have a restrictive diet that doesn't allow you to eat the foods you like kind of cancels out the vast majority of effective diets for people who are trying to lose weight. I like chocolate, chips, ice-cream, cake, etc but if I eat these foods just because I like them, I am not going to stand much chance of losing the weight I need to while still keeping to my calorie limit and ensuring I'm getting the right nutrition.
There is a difference between what you need to do to lose weight to reach a particular goal versus to maintain a steady weight long term. Perhaps keto is unrealistic for most people long-term (due to restrictions around lots of common foods like bread and rice), but it can be very effective to shift the weight due to the ketogenic nature of it.
I have found, for myself, that it is hard for me to lose weight when eating higher GI carbs even if I am in a calorie deficit, and these types of carbs actually make me feel hungrier. I broke my diet 2 weeks ago to eat 1 piece of bread and I felt so hungry all afternoon and evening even though I also ate all the normal foods I do in addition to the bread and the calories from the bread meant I went over my normal daily allowance. I find lean protein and low GI vegetables to be more filling and nutritious for fewer calories, and I rarely feel 'hungry' for any length of time (i.e. if I feel hungry, I eat my next planned protein/veg meal or snack).
When I hit my goal weight I will slowly reintroduce some foods back in and see how I go; how does it effect my body, how does it affect my weight; how much do I really want to eat it; etc. Experimentation. But they are foods I really should eat in moderation as I know it is easy for me to overindulge in those foods and it may be better to pick other food choices that are lower in carbs.2 -
Some people have great success with keto as they find it is food they enjoy and also find the low carb, high fat diet satiating. Many find the diet quite restrictive and give up after a short period of time. Me, I went lower carb for a while (around 100gms), hated it and the effect it had on my body, so increased them to a more moderate level. Not only did I lose a lot of weight this way, but have been able to maintain that weight loss for several years. This is because I didn't eliminate foods that I enjoyed, just worked out how they could fit into my diet. I found something that was sustainable long term.
There is no harm in giving low carb/keto a go to see if it works for you. Just don't continue with it if you find it is not working as there is nothing magical about keto in regards to weight loss. It still all boils down to calories in versus calories out.3 -
Everyone is different and has to work out for themselves what works for their body.
People have different ideas about what "keto" is. My definition is pretty simple that it is lower carb than the typical western diet, putting your body into a state of ketosis for some or all of the day.
When people criticise "keto" they are usually thinking of the most extreme form of it, where people eat almost no carbs (maybe 25g or 50g) and lots of fatty foods.
That's what people mean when they talk about keto. Indeed, they are usually following one of the popular gurus that have made it a fad at the moment, and so aiming for under 20 g. I experimented with it and aimed for under 35 net carbs (which was around 60-65 total carbs, almost all from veg, maybe a serving of nuts or dairy), and got told it was too high by some. (I was in ketosis.)
No benefits for me, but I think for some it helps with compliance/appetite.The argument that you should not have a restrictive diet that doesn't allow you to eat the foods you like kind of cancels out the vast majority of effective diets for people who are trying to lose weight. I like chocolate, chips, ice-cream, cake, etc but if I eat these foods just because I like them, I am not going to stand much chance of losing the weight I need to while still keeping to my calorie limit and ensuring I'm getting the right nutrition.
Totally disagree with this. I like lots of foods that I eat on rare occasion when keeping calories low (or even on maintenance) -- I mean, realistically, how often would one have cake? (Maybe it's just that I'm a cake snob?) I prefer pie to cake, and yet have it basically only on major holidays. On the other hand, I like dark (85%) chocolate and ice cream and could easily have a little of either every evening, which I did for a while when losing weight successfully (I was exercising, it was no more than 200 cal). I've lost my sweet tooth currently, but one can easily include some sweet foods and lose.
More to the point, keto required me to cut back on the veg I eat, eliminate fruit entirely, eliminate pasta and potatoes, and eliminate beans and limit dairy, which meant I was eating more meat than I like. I certainly think these are foods that easily fit in on a weight loss diet. (Re pasta, I find it an easy and low cal -- if you control serving size -- base for a delicious and nutritious meal involving lots of veg, some olive oil, and some lean protein.)
I don't think the GI of a single food means anything -- what really matters is GL (many fruits are high GI and low GL, same with carrots, I think), and in particular the GL of the overall meal. And for many the satiety from foods is unrelated -- for example, potatoes plain likely have a higher GL than them with fat, and yet plain potatoes have a high satiety index, and fries do not. Personally, I go by my own experience with foods.6 -
As most know I do not do Keto for weight loss (however did lose 50 pounds that has not returned for 4 years now) but I do Keto for reversal of health issues by working to resolve their underlying causes. Nutritional ketosis may help trigger chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA) which is a subject of interest to me for many reasons.
https://ketovale.com/autophagy/
https://tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14728222.2018.1517156?journalCode=iett20
9
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 391.3K Introduce Yourself
- 43.4K Getting Started
- 259.6K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.6K Food and Nutrition
- 47.3K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 387 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.7K Motivation and Support
- 7.8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.2K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.2K MyFitnessPal Information
- 22 News and Announcements
- 913 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.3K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions