Starting keto
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Cjartman
Posts: 3 Member
Started one month ago. Lost 8 pounds. Then leveled off. Please answer these questions:
I am not counting macros for each meal. Winging it. Is that wise?
Is this why I am not losing? I don’t think I am eating enough fat.
Sometimes I only can eat twice a day plus snack. Bad idea?
I just made fat bombs for first time. Delicious! Am I limited to one a day?
Can I drink a little diet pop or ice tea daily?
I love that I have comfortably maintained my loss. But I want to lose more. The procedures of eating this style seems to be more difficult than actually eating 75-20-5. Most of the time I feel quite satisfied.
Thanks.
I am not counting macros for each meal. Winging it. Is that wise?
Is this why I am not losing? I don’t think I am eating enough fat.
Sometimes I only can eat twice a day plus snack. Bad idea?
I just made fat bombs for first time. Delicious! Am I limited to one a day?
Can I drink a little diet pop or ice tea daily?
I love that I have comfortably maintained my loss. But I want to lose more. The procedures of eating this style seems to be more difficult than actually eating 75-20-5. Most of the time I feel quite satisfied.
Thanks.
3
Replies
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I am not counting macros for each meal. Winging it. Is that wise?
- Macros don't directly matter for weight loss. It's all down to calories.
Is this why I am not losing? I don’t think I am eating enough fat.
- High fat, low fat, medium fat. As above, as long as you're maintaining a calorie deficit that's what matters for weight loss
Sometimes I only can eat twice a day plus snack. Bad idea?
- Some eat 1 meal, some eat 3, some eat 12. The number of meals and when you eat them doesn't matter as long as you're maintaining a calorie deficit
I just made fat bombs for first time. Delicious! Am I limited to one a day?
1 a day, 10 a day, doesn't matter as long as you can fit them into your calorie target and maintain a calorie deficit
Can I drink a little diet pop or ice tea daily?
- I think you can probably guess what I'm going to say here. Drinking is drinking. Diet soda, tea, whatever as long as it meets your calorie target and lets you maintain a calorie deficit. A cup of tea, a cup of diet soda and a cup of water will all give you the same hydration.6 -
Actually Danp, your advice is incorrect for a Keto Diet... The Keto diet relies of on reaching Ketosis, so macros are important as you need to keep the carb level below a certain amount. Winging it is a bad idea, you have to follow it carefully until ketosis is reached and after that monitor your ketones to make sure you are staying in ketosis...8
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If you haven't joined yet, I recommend joining the Keto group and the Low Carber Daily Forum group on here.
They're the best places to get advice, tips, and recipes for keto.
Those percentages are good, but without tracking, you could be eating way off.
I eat 70-75% fat, 20-25% protein, and 5% carbs. Give or take a few, but always very close to these numbers.
There's no way without tracking, I'd be hitting these on target.
I sometimes don't log my food for the day until night....I always end up having to eat either a protein snack or a fat bomb to increase fat or protein. One of these is always low though.
The sweeteners in diet drinks spike insulin and can kick you out of ketosis. Aspartame, sucralose and saccharin will spike insulin.
Stevia, monk fruit, and swerve will not.
Definitely not limited to one fat bomb a day. Sometimes I eat 2-4 just to make up fat and calories.
Eating only twice is normal in keto. Food is so filling for so long, it's very hard to eat 3 meals a day.
Good luck!11 -
Started one month ago. Lost 8 pounds. Then leveled off. Please answer these questions:
I am not counting macros for each meal. Winging it. Is that wise?
Is this why I am not losing? I don’t think I am eating enough fat.
Sometimes I only can eat twice a day plus snack. Bad idea?
I just made fat bombs for first time. Delicious! Am I limited to one a day?
Can I drink a little diet pop or ice tea daily?
I love that I have comfortably maintained my loss. But I want to lose more. The procedures of eating this style seems to be more difficult than actually eating 75-20-5. Most of the time I feel quite satisfied.
Thanks.
Welcome!
How long has it been since you've lost weight? How much weight do you need to lose?
Are you sticking to your calorie goal?
I don't do keto, so I can't speak on anything specific to that. But calories determine weight loss and meal timing/number of meals/macros are personal preference.
Weight loss isn't linear, so if it's only been a week or two, it's perfectly normal to not lose weight as quickly, or at all, every week. Good luck!1 -
Started one month ago. Lost 8 pounds. Then leveled off. Please answer these questions:
I am not counting macros for each meal. Winging it. Is that wise?
Is this why I am not losing? I don’t think I am eating enough fat.
Sometimes I only can eat twice a day plus snack. Bad idea?
I just made fat bombs for first time. Delicious! Am I limited to one a day?
Can I drink a little diet pop or ice tea daily?
I love that I have comfortably maintained my loss. But I want to lose more. The procedures of eating this style seems to be more difficult than actually eating 75-20-5. Most of the time I feel quite satisfied.
Thanks.
If you are currently satiated then the issue is either your calories are too high or you just haven't waited long enough for the scale to move again. Considering that you have only done this a month so far either answer is a possibility.
I would not increase your fat or eat more than one "fat bomb" right now unless you want to start tracking your calories to make sure you can afford them.
Diet pop or unsweetened tea should not complicate your satiety level. If it does you know to cut them back out.1 -
Started one month ago. Lost 8 pounds. Then leveled off. Please answer these questions:
I am not counting macros for each meal. Winging it. Is that wise?
Is this why I am not losing? I don’t think I am eating enough fat.
Sometimes I only can eat twice a day plus snack. Bad idea?
I just made fat bombs for first time. Delicious! Am I limited to one a day?
Can I drink a little diet pop or ice tea daily?
I love that I have comfortably maintained my loss. But I want to lose more. The procedures of eating this style seems to be more difficult than actually eating 75-20-5. Most of the time I feel quite satisfied.
Thanks.
Outside the first two weeks, how much weight did you lose. The first couple weeks will have greater amounts of glycogen/water weight loss, so it isn't a good indicator or actual fat loss rate.
If you aren't tracking calories, its hard to tell what you are doing wrong, except for consuming too many calories.
If you aren't losing weight at an appropriate amount, than adding more fat is a very bad choice, because too much dietary fat will make you fat.
There is nothing wrong with diet soda or nutritional sweeteners.
And losing 8 lbs in 4 weeks is a good pace. After the first few weeks, you generally go to a normal fat lose level (1-2lbs) like everyone else.
If you don't lose after a few more weeks, i would either track or cut your fat back a bit. You honestly don't get extra benefits from more fat.1 -
Emmapatterson1729 wrote: »If you haven't joined yet, I recommend joining the Keto group and the Low Carber Daily Forum group on here.
They're the best places to get advice, tips, and recipes for keto.
Those percentages are good, but without tracking, you could be eating way off.
I eat 70-75% fat, 20-25% protein, and 5% carbs. Give or take a few, but always very close to these numbers.
There's no way without tracking, I'd be hitting these on target.
I sometimes don't log my food for the day until night....I always end up having to eat either a protein snack or a fat bomb to increase fat or protein. One of these is always low though.
The sweeteners in diet drinks spike insulin and can kick you out of ketosis. Aspartame, sucralose and saccharin will spike insulin.
Stevia, monk fruit, and swerve will not.
Definitely not limited to one fat bomb a day. Sometimes I eat 2-4 just to make up fat and calories.
Eating only twice is normal in keto. Food is so filling for so long, it's very hard to eat 3 meals a day.
Good luck!
I have yet to see research to support aspartame spiking insulin in a normal dose setting (i.e., consuming a soda).
And even more, even if there is a small rise in insulin, it doesn't mean it will kick you out of ketosis, or prevent ketones from being a primary fuel source.6 -
Actually Danp, your advice is incorrect for a Keto Diet... The Keto diet relies of on reaching Ketosis, so macros are important as you need to keep the carb level below a certain amount. Winging it is a bad idea, you have to follow it carefully until ketosis is reached and after that monitor your ketones to make sure you are staying in ketosis...
Actually the keto diet relies on a calorie deficit just like every diet out there. The OP specifically asked how to continue to lose more weight eating the way she is now. Ketosis and more closely monitoring macros does not necessarily achieve her stated desire.
There is a fair chance that in another week or so the OP will step on the scale and see another drop in weight with no change in her current habits. If she doesn't she will need to decrease calories. Please do not add unnecessary requirements to people who just want to lose weight.6 -
Actually Danp, your advice is incorrect for a Keto Diet... The Keto diet relies of on reaching Ketosis, so macros are important as you need to keep the carb level below a certain amount. Winging it is a bad idea, you have to follow it carefully until ketosis is reached and after that monitor your ketones to make sure you are staying in ketosis...
No, monitoring macros is important in achieving ketosis only and being in ketosis (or not) has zero impact on weight loss.
Eat a keto diet in and achieve ketosis while eating 500cals per day above maintenance and you'll put on a pound per week. Eat a keto diet and achieve ketosis while eating 500cals per day below maintenance and you'll lose a pound a week.
Just because you've adapted your body to burn one energy source (fats) over another (carbs) doesn't automagically exclude you from needing to be in a calorie deficit to achieve weight loss.3 -
Thanks to all of you for replying. I appreciated the direct comments to my questions. And I did realize that Danp’s response was not based on KETO principles. So that knowledge indicates I am learning some of the basics.0
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Thanks to all of you for replying. I appreciated the direct comments to my questions. And I did realize that Danp’s response was not based on KETO principles. So that knowledge indicates I am learning some of the basics.
Just don't put the principles of keto above your primary objective which is to lose weight. The purpose of a way of eating is to keep you full and happy while you are staying in a calorie deficit. It is not so you can pee on a stick to see ketone levels.
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I've been doing keto for a few weeks now, and I try to track everything I eat. This way I'm tracking my macros and total calories. If I'm below my calories and my % of protein or carbs are too high, then I eat a fat bomb or two, depending on how many calories I have left to eat. I put more importance on eating to my calorie limit vs getting 'enough' fat, and I've been seeing decent result, but I haven't been on keto for as long as you.0
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I started Keto diet on July 8th, weighing 206 pounds and 5' 11" after my doc told me I was borderline obese. Today, less than 7 weeks later, I weigh 187 pounds, a loss of 19 pounds. I found the first week difficult as I dealt with the withdrawal from sweets and finding substitutes for all the rice, potato and corn I was eating. But shortly after that first week, I found my reflux completely disappeared, I'm less tired, sleep better and have more energy than I have in years.
I do struggle getting to 1200 calories a day and 'top off' using macadamia nuts. 10 nuts is 200 calories and lots of fat.
Obviously, getting my body to burn fat is doing the job! My goal is 175 by my 45th high school reunion and it looks like I'll be able to make that.
Absolutely the main reason I got up to 206 and struggled loosing weight was because I was addicted to sugar and carbs. I'd eat a FULL meal and within a couple hours, be hungry. Not just able to eat something, but grizzly-bear-coming-out-of-hibernation hungry! Now, on this 'diet', I rarely feel hungry and then only for my snack foods like Cheetos or a big old apple fritter. Ha!
I eat breakfast maybe every 3rd day; eggs/bacon/patty sausage/omelette, otherwise coffee. Lunch is deli meat with cream cheese w/jalapeno, antipasti, cottage cheese, leftovers from the night before. Dinner is usually a rib eye steak, salmon, grilled chicken, ribs w/some sort of veggie and a salad. All that is MAYBE 1000 calories and I'll have to munch on some of those macadamia nuts to get up to 1200 minimum.
I have been kayak fishing, gardening, bike riding and otherwise keeping active, but I don't actually have a workout program.1 -
I started Keto diet on July 8th, weighing 206 pounds and 5' 11" after my doc told me I was borderline obese. Today, less than 7 weeks later, I weigh 187 pounds, a loss of 19 pounds. I found the first week difficult as I dealt with the withdrawal from sweets and finding substitutes for all the rice, potato and corn I was eating. But shortly after that first week, I found my reflux completely disappeared, I'm less tired, sleep better and have more energy than I have in years.
I do struggle getting to 1200 calories a day and 'top off' using macadamia nuts. 10 nuts is 200 calories and lots of fat.
Obviously, getting my body to burn fat is doing the job! My goal is 175 by my 45th high school reunion and it looks like I'll be able to make that.
Absolutely the main reason I got up to 206 and struggled loosing weight was because I was addicted to sugar and carbs. I'd eat a FULL meal and within a couple hours, be hungry. Not just able to eat something, but grizzly-bear-coming-out-of-hibernation hungry! Now, on this 'diet', I rarely feel hungry and then only for my snack foods like Cheetos or a big old apple fritter. Ha!
I eat breakfast maybe every 3rd day; eggs/bacon/patty sausage/omelette, otherwise coffee. Lunch is deli meat with cream cheese w/jalapeno, antipasti, cottage cheese, leftovers from the night before. Dinner is usually a rib eye steak, salmon, grilled chicken, ribs w/some sort of veggie and a salad. All that is MAYBE 1000 calories and I'll have to munch on some of those macadamia nuts to get up to 1200 minimum.
I have been kayak fishing, gardening, bike riding and otherwise keeping active, but I don't actually have a workout program.
Congrats on the progress you're making.
From your post it's pretty clear that your appetite is very much satiated by fats which means you're the perfect candidate for using a high fat approach to eating like Keto.
Being fat satiated and following a high fat diet has allowed you to achieve the calorie deficit you need to lose weight in the easiest, most natural and effortless way possible for you. Which is the PERFECT way to go about things.
This really illustrates a point that may people here try to hammer through, particularly to newbies. That point being that there are LOADS of different methods and approaches to achieving a calorie deficit and everyone will find some easier than others. The key is to try different approaches until you find one that lets you achieve your goal with the least amount of effort. Make it effortless and the need for 'motivation' is greatly diminished if not entirely eliminated.
Well done.0 -
I started Keto diet on July 8th, weighing 206 pounds and 5' 11" after my doc told me I was borderline obese. Today, less than 7 weeks later, I weigh 187 pounds, a loss of 19 pounds. I found the first week difficult as I dealt with the withdrawal from sweets and finding substitutes for all the rice, potato and corn I was eating. But shortly after that first week, I found my reflux completely disappeared, I'm less tired, sleep better and have more energy than I have in years.
I do struggle getting to 1200 calories a day and 'top off' using macadamia nuts. 10 nuts is 200 calories and lots of fat.
Obviously, getting my body to burn fat is doing the job! My goal is 175 by my 45th high school reunion and it looks like I'll be able to make that.
Absolutely the main reason I got up to 206 and struggled loosing weight was because I was addicted to sugar and carbs. I'd eat a FULL meal and within a couple hours, be hungry. Not just able to eat something, but grizzly-bear-coming-out-of-hibernation hungry! Now, on this 'diet', I rarely feel hungry and then only for my snack foods like Cheetos or a big old apple fritter. Ha!
I eat breakfast maybe every 3rd day; eggs/bacon/patty sausage/omelette, otherwise coffee. Lunch is deli meat with cream cheese w/jalapeno, antipasti, cottage cheese, leftovers from the night before. Dinner is usually a rib eye steak, salmon, grilled chicken, ribs w/some sort of veggie and a salad. All that is MAYBE 1000 calories and I'll have to munch on some of those macadamia nuts to get up to 1200 minimum.
I have been kayak fishing, gardening, bike riding and otherwise keeping active, but I don't actually have a workout program.
@jheitman2
The minimum number of calories for a man is 1500 and that is for a sedentary man meaning little to no exercise. You are clearly more active than that. You are in no danger currently because it has only been a few weeks but if you keep going at this pace you will be in danger of malnutrition and from what I have read you feel fine until you feel very poorly.0
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