To Keto or not to Keto?

happypy
happypy Posts: 4 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi - what is everyones thoughts on the Keto way of living - if we do it, how long should we stay on it for and if we go off it, should it be for a small period of time and then go back on Keto? - I am unsure if this is even healthy - what is everyones thoughts?

I have been doing Keto for three months and lost 9kgs. I have gone off it twice for three days each time and when I did and I started eating fruit and carbs, I felt bloated and yuck - so is Keto a new way of life or not? - I want to know who else is out there, what your results are on and off Keto and what everyones thoughts are? :)

Replies

  • Unknown
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  • zeejane4
    zeejane4 Posts: 230 Member
    I'm currently doing lower carb, 50-75g net carbs. It's going really well for me-no more bloating, I've lost a few pounds of stubborn weight that I've been struggling with, (I'm in maintenance and had crept out of my maintenance range). And by moving macros ratios around to a higher fat, lower carb intake, along with an increased protein intake, I've had a significant reduction in appetite. Another 'side effect' I realized today-I no longer think about food all the time. Before, I would eat and then start thinking about my next meal/snack. Now, I have to remember to eat and be intentional about it-it's been a very surreal experience so far.

    Having said all that-I can't imagine doing a very low carb way of eating, like the keto/20g. I just enjoy veggies, dairy and nuts too much, to want to reduce them. I also enjoy a bit of fruit every day. It would also be very difficult to sustain through holidays, family get togethers, eating out/being a guest at someones house for dinner etc-all things I've had happen since I started experimenting with a lower carb way of eating. I'm really enjoying lower carb, but keto just doesn't seem sustainable long term?
  • happypy
    happypy Posts: 4 Member
    You are all right - if it works for some it may not work for others - I feel great on it! I do have unsweetned yoghurt and berries if I want my fruit fix - for me I ate way to many carbs and then I would be like a woman possessed at 330pm trying to find my sugar fix - also I havent been the weight I am for 7 years!! I just thought I would ask the question here, because when I tell friends what I am doing, they think it is bad and that I shouldnt be on it :0b- they are the skinny friends of course, who have never had weight issues :0
  • Unknown
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  • Megan_smartiepants1970
    Megan_smartiepants1970 Posts: 43,332 Member
    I am a keto'er and I also do IF(fasting).....The main reason for me doing keto is because I was diagnosed with type II diabetes and I am determined to reverse it and lose weight...
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    Try it and see if you like it. I didn't perceive any benefits from it and missed some foods I thought were healthy (and was always over mostly from non starchy veg, which I eat a lot of). But it's a simple way to eat and for some can be filling and cut cals.
  • happypy
    happypy Posts: 4 Member
    In response to jennlynne2018 "What made you say you were unsure if it was healthy? That is what sticks out to me from your initial post".....................In the last week I have met up with three friends - three separate occassions who have told me Keto isn't good for you - they may not know much about it, but it made question if I should be doing it or not and I thought what better place to find out peoples opinions then on here :)
  • HereToLose50
    HereToLose50 Posts: 154 Member
    edited April 2019
    I've had a few friends who had to stop keto because their cholesterol spiked and their doctors wanted to put them on meds.

    My doctor has advised against me doing keto or low carb for other reasons with my health issues. No crazy diet changes. Just lower my calories to lose weight.

    I always advise people to ask their doctors if it's a safe option for them and to get check-ups after they start. Keto wasn't created for weight loss. You still need to burn more calories than you take in just like with every way of eating.
  • psimmons1129
    psimmons1129 Posts: 1 Member
    My family doctor told me that the people who live a keto lifestyle will see heavy damage to their kidneys years down the road (15-20 years). She said our kidneys can't handle the large keytones being passed through our system long term. :/ Just passing on what my doctor told me. However, I follow keto when I want to lose weight.
  • saresimsr36
    saresimsr36 Posts: 128 Member
    edited April 2019
    If you research studies, you will see that even the world health organization is against keto. As well as the cardiological societies of various countries. The reason, high fat. Most commented that low carb is great for your body if you can sustain it, others mentioned the high fat is bad for your heart and general health. They recommend the Mediterranean diet on a lower carb level.
    https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/ketogenic-diet-is-the-ultimate-low-carb-diet-good-for-you-2017072712089
    With that said, I did keto for almost a year and lost over 40lbs. However, I found it hard. Doing more research IF can provide the same benefits as keto without the dangers of high fat. Doing 18:6 or even 16:8 IF can provide you very similar results and put you in a state of ketosis without having to do the extremely low carb and high fat. However, it is suggested to be paired with low carb (below 100g)
    https://keto-mojo.com/pages/kickstart-what-is-intermittent-fasting-and-should-i-do-it
    I recently found this study https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2716748/ that can be very helpful in you making your decision. Because, well ultimately, you have to decide for yourself.
    Hope this helps
  • echmain3
    echmain3 Posts: 231 Member
    Not.
  • Hot_Dina
    Hot_Dina Posts: 1 Member
    I have been on a journey for the past 4 years to lose weight and gain a healthy lifestyle. I have tried soooo many mechanisms over the years (Dr. Bernstein, Weight Watchers, Intermittent Fasting, OMAD (One meal a day), Eating every other day....I would say every one of them worked when I was consistent and had my head in the right place.

    However, of all the approaches I would say that Keto has provided me with the most success, combined with exercise and intermittent fasting. It hasn't been an easy road, but I have lost about 85 lbs on Keto. With that said, I would not recommend it for a long period of time, after a while I found that my metabolism was a bit sluggish and I hit plateau's even with Keto.

    The worst is when you get so used to eating high fat and protein, but dabble in carbs (major weight gains) so consistency is key (as is with anything we do in life to progress to a new level)

    So what worked for me?

    Doing Keto for a period of 2 - 3 months max in which time I typically lost about 15 to 20 lbs.

    After the Keto intense period, I would take a maintenance break. continue exercising and eating clean, but introducing more fruits and rolled oats and wine (yum) slightly higher carbs. (i.e. going from about 20 to 40 g carbs to about 80 g carbs. (still limiting refined carbs and sugars - which were only for special occasions that were deliberately planned)

    Maintenance break would sometimes last again 3 to 4 months.

    then start the Keto period again

    I recently started working with a nutritionist because I was fed up with Keto, and while I did lose a little weight it's been 5 months (8 lbs) my body is not responding to fat loss like it did on keto. It is however very nourished and thriving.

    thinking of going back on keto to lose the final lbs and then moving to maintenance again.

    above is strictly based on my experience and body's response to what I have experimented with
  • MacLowCarbing
    MacLowCarbing Posts: 350 Member
    I don't do specifically keto; I just kept lowering my carbs and raising protein, until eventually realized I could not eat that much protein and started raising my fat. I settled close to what is apparently known as "dirty/lazy keto'. Still, full disclosure, I never personally set out to follow any kind of keto diet plan. I just landed in the vicinity.

    I eat 5% carbs/ 70% fat/ 25% protein. I've given up all grains and added sugars. I've also given up high-carb veggies & fruits (potatoes, mangos, etc.) and beans and such. I get my carbs from veggies and fruits with moderate to low carbs, and some unsweetened dairy. And meat, of course. I use sweeteners sparingly but I don't get too picky about it if I'm 'treating' myself to something with artificial sweeteners.

    For me it is a permanent lifestyle and a life-saver. "Going off" isn't an option, not something I want to do or plan to do. I may need to tweak again, esp. as the weight comes off, or when is start strength training I will probably up my protein, and at maintenance I might up my daily carb allowance to like 10%... but overall I'm pretty happy eating this way, I rarely get hungry between meals and no longer get cravings/binge impulses.

    I don't feel deprived or restricted; when I eat carbs -- esp. in the form of high-starch foods like whole grain breads, oatmeal, rice, potatoes, etc.-- it triggers cravings and binges. That's when I feel restricted; I feel like a slave to food.

    As much as I liked carbs, I like not being diabetic anymore even better lol. I never intend to go back to added sugars and/or grains again, even if I do up my carb intake a bit somewhere down the road.

    If someone struggles with low-carb I generally tell them to try upping their fat; that's what helped me find my sweet spot and everything fell into place. If they're still eating sugars & grains for their carbs, they may want to cut those out for a month to see if it helps.

    I really never believed it was something I could live without, but the human body doesn't need sugar or grains to survive. There is nothing we get from them we can't get from better, less processed sources (veggies, fruits, meat, etc.). Some people may prefer them, or have no problem with them, but no one "needs' them.

    If someone truly feels that low-carb is not long-term sustainable, then it's probably best they don't do low carb. Maybe they'd be better off doing controlled carb where you can have 40-60 g. of carbs per day and just stick to healthier ones.

    Atkins I believe recommended you start at very low carb, and then as you progress on your journey you keep upping your carbs a few per week until you find a higher carb level you can live with. That sounds like a sensible approach to me as well.

  • FriendlyPastels
    FriendlyPastels Posts: 2 Member
    I'm on the "no" boat. It's not a sustainable lifestyle in my opinion. There are far better food plans that would be an overall better choice. For me, I follow mostly vegetarian with protein from eggs and lean seafood, beans and nuts. I think it'd be miserable if I had to restrict carbs that much.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,332 Member
    FriendlyPastels wrote: »
    I'm on the "no" boat. It's not a sustainable lifestyle in my opinion. There are far better food plans that would be an overall better choice. For me, I follow mostly vegetarian with protein from eggs and lean seafood, beans and nuts. I think it'd be miserable if I had to restrict carbs that much.

    Sustainability depends on the person. There are people who have been eating "keto" for decades. Yes, you read correctly, decades. Especially currently, there are many keto options that make eating keto much easier. Personally, vegetarian would 1) Make me miserable as all my experience with veggies is they fill me up for a very short period and then I am ravenously hungry again. 2) I did strive to eat controlling my calories with no real concern about carbs (most of which came from fruit, veggies, and grains) which I dropped for keto because my blood sugar was getting progressively worse even while my weight was going down. Two weeks on keto and my blood sugar was great and my estimated HbA1C was excellent. Add to that my blood pressure plummeting to the point where I went from 3 blood pressure medications down to 1 which I will likely be able to come off soon.

    I realize I am a n=1 sample size, but I am happier and healthier eating keto than I ever was eating what is often considered a much more balanced diet with lots of fruits and veggies. BTW, I still eat veggies, but only the low carb ones.
  • quantumphysicsguru
    quantumphysicsguru Posts: 3 Member
    I have to do a vegetarian keto diet just to survive. The less meat the better. I’m looking into the H factor diet again. See if that would work. That got me in ketosis. Attempting the actual keto diet never did. There is meat in the diet but it isn’t daily if I remember correctly. I haven’t gotten that far in the book yet.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,226 Member
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