Starting Keto diet
supah11
Posts: 71 Member
So I'm starting keto diet and I got confused/stressed seeing the meal plan and the food to avoid and choose. My question is, will depending on my macros here on MFP and eating the right food for keto be good? Like I won't stick to the meal prep of keto but I'll be targeting my macros anyway. Will that be fine?
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@supah11 over the past 4.5 years of doing Keto I have learned the main thing in my case is to ballpark the carbs at or just under 50 grams daily. The protein and fats just kind of worked out so far. Protein can vary greatly from person to person due to activity levels.2
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You need to custom set your macros to fit the keto guidelines. I would use a site like ruled.me, figure out your macros and then adjust your mfp diary accordingly.
Many people lose following the iifym (if it fits your macros) mentality.1 -
What are your goals - weight loss? Do you have a medical reason to restrict carbs? What appeals to you about keto?3
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@WinoGelato No medical reason, I just want to lose weight1
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@GaleHawkins so its basically just cutting out the carbs? I just hate the restrictions and confusion. Like for example, cherry tomatoes aren't allowed but regular tomatoes are?2
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@ShaeDetermined yes I have edited my macros intake here in MFP. So does it mean that following the targeted macros and eating the allowed food for keto diet will help me with weight loss?1
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@GaleHawkins so its basically just cutting out the carbs? I just hate the restrictions and confusion. Like for example, cherry tomatoes aren't allowed but regular tomatoes are?
If you hate the restrictions maybe keto isn't for you. You don't have to give up anything to lose weight, you just need to be in a deficit. Which keto doesn't automatically guarantee anyway. Eat in a way you enjoy, weigh and track to know how much you're eating every day, and enjoy the weight loss.6 -
Starting the Keto diet on Monday. Do we have any success stories and/or some helpful tips?2
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@GaleHawkins so its basically just cutting out the carbs? I just hate the restrictions and confusion. Like for example, cherry tomatoes aren't allowed but regular tomatoes are?
if you hate restriction why pick a restrictive diet?
Keto works for some people who enjoy that way of eating and find it filling. but it is not necessary to lose weight (in fact many maintain/gain on Keto).
losing weight is about consistanly eating at a calorie deficit. doesn't matter what you eat for weight loss. pick a way of eating that keeps you full and happy thus increasing odds you can keep it up for longer (and ideally for life really just with maintenance calories VS deficit calories)5 -
@WinoGelato No medical reason, I just want to lose weight
All weight loss is thru calorie deficit. If very low carb helps you reduce calorie intake (and you enjoy eating that way) have at it.
There are no special weight loss properties with keto (apart from the initial woosh of water weight loss from carb restriction). You can eat high carb (vegetarians generally) and lose weight, or low fat, or moderate carb. All these work if you reduce calorie intake consistently.
Pick a way of eating that you enjoy. Weight loss should be a learning experience that helps you ease into maintenance.4 -
@ShaeDetermined yes I have edited my macros intake here in MFP. So does it mean that following the targeted macros and eating the allowed food for keto diet will help me with weight loss?
It definitely should.
If you are staying within your allotted calorie intake, and following the recommended macros, you should definitely lose.
Keep in mind, on keto the macro you should be strictest with is carbs. Use it as a hard limit. Eat plenty of protein, and enough fats to keep you full.0 -
@GaleHawkins so its basically just cutting out the carbs? I just hate the restrictions and confusion. Like for example, cherry tomatoes aren't allowed but regular tomatoes are?
https://health24.com/Diet-and-nutrition/Healthy-foods/8-fruits-you-can-actually-eat-on-the-keto-diet-20180709
@supah11 one thing you need to restrict is reading bum dope about keto.
If one can not or will not restrict the carbs down to 50 grams or less daily then a nutritional ketosis way of life is not going to work out. The protein and fats will work out in time for you I expect based on my 4.5 continuous years of keto.
In my case the trade off of not having to restrict/count my calories made keto easier. I went Keto cold turkey Oct 2014 because I was facing starting Enbrel injections the first of Nov 2014 for arthritis (Ankylosing Spondylitis) pain management which was not the option I preferred due to increased cancer risk because I was 63 with major health issues that I needed to reverse if possible.
While I was obese I had already decided never to cut calories again after 40 years of 100%+ regains after each loss from cutting calories. The first year on Keto I did lose 50 pounds and have maintained the loss for over 3 years now.
Key in my case was in the first 30 days on Keto my pain dropped like a rock permitting me to avoid starting Enbrel injections so doing Keto was a nobrainer for me. Cravings and the resulting binging faded fast and were no longer controlling a month into Keto. 6 months in my 40 years of life defining IBS I realized had left and has yet to return. Calcium deposits in some joints are decreasing enough to permit the dentist to work inside of my mouth and general range of motion is slightly better which is great when your spine was stiff as a poker.
It is my take on Keto that it sucks as just a weight loss tool based on what I read here.
It seems to work better when one has real needs that need to be addressed like prediabetic, high blood pressure, high risk of heart disease, autoimmune problems etc based on what a lot of MD's are starting to say. The science behind Keto that appeals to me is whole body inflammation reduction side effect. Well the odds of increasing longevity is another plus as well as getting my out of control eating back under automatic control.
Best of luck with finding the best the best WOE that works for you long term because there are many great WOE's out there.
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@supah11 from what you have said keto may not be the best way for you to lose weight if it sounds too restrictive. Maybe rather than going keto follow a low carb diet for a while and see how you go with that. Low carb is considered anything under 150 grams of carbs a day. Just remember that as long as you eat at a deficit for a prolonged period of time you will lose weight. As you have no medical conditions your particular macro percentage will depend on the foods you enjoy and the foods you find most filling. This will help with long term adherence. For some, this is keto because they enjoy that type of food and find fat much more filling than carbs. Others, however, need higher protein and carbs to achieve the same results.2
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If quick weight loss is your reason for doing Keto it might not be the right choice for you. If the eating style appeals to you or medical issues are the reason it is worth considering. I lost all my weight on low calorie but have had some issues with cravings and water weight retention in maintenance which is affecting my blood pressure so I have cut my carbs to 20%. I am seeing a big improvement so far although it’s only been a few days. I am not doing strict Keto and I am still logging my calories. Keto for some can still allow them to overeat although it is less likely because the high fat tends to make people feel more satisfied. Ignore all the crazy advertising saying it is a magic weight loss method. I believe calories still matter. @GaleHawkins seems to be one of the most knowledgeable people on here where Keto is concerned. I would listen to his advice if you choose to proceed with the Keto lifestyle.3
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cheryldumais wrote: »If quick weight loss is your reason for doing Keto it might not be the right choice for you. If the eating style appeals to you or medical issues are the reason it is worth considering. I lost all my weight on low calorie but have had some issues with cravings and water weight retention in maintenance which is affecting my blood pressure so I have cut my carbs to 20%. I am seeing a big improvement so far although it’s only been a few days. I am not doing strict Keto and I am still logging my calories. Keto for some can still allow them to overeat although it is less likely because the high fat tends to make people feel more satisfied. Ignore all the crazy advertising saying it is a magic weight loss method. I believe calories still matter. @GaleHawkins seems to be one of the most knowledgeable people on here where Keto is concerned. I would listen to his advice if you choose to proceed with the Keto lifestyle.
I agree with what you have written, except this. His research is bias and full of pseudoscience for the most part. He regularly makes claims about the benefits of keto that cannot be backed by science, and are often the result of weight loss and increased exercise, rather than the food eaten.8 -
@GaleHawkins so its basically just cutting out the carbs? I just hate the restrictions and confusion. Like for example, cherry tomatoes aren't allowed but regular tomatoes are?
Most food you are told to avoid is generally because of the higher carb content. Makes it harder to fit it into your food plan for the day, make sure you get enough calories. I'll have cherry tomatoes in guacamole for instance. It's about how much of a more moderate carb veggie or fruit you use. So onions, red bell peppers and tomatoes you need to weigh and calculate into your limit for instance. As long as you don't go over the limit you could say nothing is off the table. I'll also have peas now and then, but in a pretty small amount, like 10/20g.
The lower carb stuff like spinach, you'll soon find you prefer as you can have quite a lot of it. Cauli is your friend. 150g serving is about 5 net carbs. Make rice or mash with it. Goes with so many meals.
If I have a meal that takes up most of my limit, anything else I have that day is planned to contain as little carbs as possible to meet my calorie goal. So a cheese and meat omelette fried in butter for instance.
Now say you wanted a banana. Something that you really shouldn't eat on keto. A whole banana comes to approx 20g net carbs. That's your whole limit for the day. Say you separate it into 10 pieces and have one piece, now it's only 2g net carbs. So you can have a little taste and still be fine. But you also need to be aware that such a sugary item can give cravings. So again, reason to avoid.
People on this diet for diabetic reasons would have more reason to avoid the higher carb stuff than those just on weight loss, as higher carb food are often high GI. In their case, doing that taste with the banana thing wouldn't work out since it would spike the blood sugar too much even in that small amount.
Anyway, point is, to be in ketosis you just need to be consuming less than 50g total carbs a day or 20-30g net. The lower you go, the deeper the ketosis.1 -
I started Keto on 9/24/18 to lose weight, and I haven't minded the restrictions--no sugar, no root vegetables, no milk/bread/cereal/beans/peanuts, etc. I've had plenty to eat with meat, cheese, tree nuts, and vegetables I enjoy! Today, I reached my goal--down 43 lbs., from 178 to 135. I logged my food until about 3 weeks ago. By then, I felt comfortable about what and how much to eat. It's worked! If you decide it might work for you, go for it! It's a good plan for some of us.4
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Lillymoo01 wrote: »cheryldumais wrote: »If quick weight loss is your reason for doing Keto it might not be the right choice for you. If the eating style appeals to you or medical issues are the reason it is worth considering. I lost all my weight on low calorie but have had some issues with cravings and water weight retention in maintenance which is affecting my blood pressure so I have cut my carbs to 20%. I am seeing a big improvement so far although it’s only been a few days. I am not doing strict Keto and I am still logging my calories. Keto for some can still allow them to overeat although it is less likely because the high fat tends to make people feel more satisfied. Ignore all the crazy advertising saying it is a magic weight loss method. I believe calories still matter. @GaleHawkins seems to be one of the most knowledgeable people on here where Keto is concerned. I would listen to his advice if you choose to proceed with the Keto lifestyle.
I agree with what you have written, except this. His research is bias and full of pseudoscience for the most part. He regularly makes claims about the benefits of keto that cannot be backed by science, and are often the result of weight loss and increased exercise, rather than the food eaten.
@Lillymoo01 I would be interested to read your supporting evidence to back up your personal attack on the validity of my MFP posts. How many weeks, months or years have you done Keto and what are/was your results?
Weekly I use the services of 4 licensed professional health care providers to gain health improvements and they can testify to my improvements since I moved to Keto Oct 2014 that they have witnessed. They have been working with me from 2 to 20 years so there is data. Health wise I had been losing ground for many years and major improvements did not start until I went Keto out of desperation in 2014. As you know my kids then were 16 and having to help me get in the car and even get dressed some of the time. As you also have read I was looking for a solution for my Ankylosing Spondylitis should they or any future grandkids develop AS since genetically they are at risk.
I myself am still working to understand why my failing health started reversing 4.5 years ago before I lost the first pound of weight. I spend many hours reading books by MD's, PhD, etc trying to understand my case. I am currently studying the placebo (self healing) effect to see if that could be a factor since the placebo effect is cost the drug makers hundreds of millions of dollars annually because their new drugs often fail to be better than the placebo effect (self healing by the patient). Understanding the placebo effect requires getting a grasp on Quantum Mechanics where I am making some headway currently.
Currently I am reading research on the human gut microbiome and what role our 29 trillion bacteria living on us or in the gut play in supporting or harming our human health. At this time I expect this to be the next big advancement in the field of medicine.
microbiomeinstitute.org/blog/2016/1/20/how-many-bacterial-vs-human-cells-are-in-the-body
I make no claims for Keto or any other WOE for others. I do cover my health major health improvements since Oct 2014 when I started Keto cold turkey out of desperation due to my quickly failing mobility at the age of 63 that started 40 years earlier. For some reason my health and health markers and physical improvements are huge. I do walk a 1/4 mile about 360 days out of the year since Oct 2014 because I know moving is key to regaining motion in my arthritic frozen joints.6 -
GaleHawkins I must be confusing you with a different person with the same user name and profile picture then so I apologise. You know, the one whose posts are regularly pulled apart by others because the claims made can not be backed up by science.
Also, you do not need to try keto to understand how the body works. You do not need to try keto to understand the law of conservation of energy. Basic high school science is enough for that. You do not need to understand keto to differentiate between a blog and peer-reviewed research. This is something that you will very quickly master when you begin university if you haven't done so beforehand.
I am glad that you have found a way of eating that has benefited your health. That is fantastic. However, N=1 does not mean anything without other data. You can not distinguish between correlation and causation with such a small sample size.
Psst, I'd also suggest you look up the definition of personal attack before misusing the phrase again.1
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