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To Keto or Not To Keto?
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Whichever "diet" you choose will only help you lose fat if CI<CO. They all can work. Pick one that provides your body with all the nutrients it needs also one that aligns with your personal preferences...3
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If you could give up pasta and bread, go have a try
That was a big IF in my case in Oct 2014. After a hellish two weeks back then I gave up all forms of sweeteners and all forms of grain. I did it for pain management since it reduced my cytokine storm which is positive with COVID-19 out there today. One of many pluses in my case my fasting blood glucose is under 100 for the first time in many years. It had never clicked before that glucose comes from carb sources so type 2 diabetes typically just goes away unless the carb level increases over time. Because I eat a lot of nuts and dairy I am in and out of ketosis because my daily carbs run in the 50-100 gram range. Oh after the first 6 months my 40 years of IBS left and has not returned all of these years.
Keto and low carb are good long term for some that need it for better health but as always each one has the final say on what we put in our mouths.6 -
I guess it just depends on your body type and how you normally eat, but for me personally, keto would make me gain a lot of weight. I am naturally a carb burner/ectomorph so a more balanced diet is best for me. anything remotely low carb makes me extremely bloated, lethargic, put on weight, always starving. even for those bodies benefit from keto, it seems not to be something that people can stick to long term. so unless you have specific health problems, I think a more balanced diet is a healthier and more sustainable option.1
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I guess it just depends on your body type and how you normally eat, but for me personally, keto would make me gain a lot of weight. I am naturally a carb burner/ectomorph so a more balanced diet is best for me. anything remotely low carb makes me extremely bloated, lethargic, put on weight, always starving. even for those bodies benefit from keto, it seems not to be something that people can stick to long term. so unless you have specific health problems, I think a more balanced diet is a healthier and more sustainable option.
FYI, ectomorph is a category without a basis in science. Some guy just made it up.
I'm not quite sure what "carb burner" means in this context. We're all carbohydrate burners. Even people who feel better on a low carbohydrate or ketogenic diet can burn carbohydrates.26 -
im just saying im naturally tall and on the slim side, hard to gain muscle and weight. and by carb burner I mean that my body seems to tolerate carbs much better than most/I gain weight more easily from protein and fat vs carbs.
from what ive seen (and experienced in different contexts), these types of fat diets are overly restrictive and not easy to maintain.
for people who benefit from keto, it can be an effective option for weight loss short term. but whats the point of losing weight if you're going to keep it up for a year or two? plus, even if you can keep it up, im sure that 10-20 years down the line it has negative effects on your heart/organs (from what ive read).
if you have a specific medical or health issue that requires keto, its great, but I just dont think its a great option for anyone who is trying to keep weight off long term and live a healthy normal life.4 -
im just saying im naturally tall and on the slim side, hard to gain muscle and weight. and by carb burner I mean that my body seems to tolerate carbs much better than most/I gain weight more easily from protein and fat vs carbs.
from what ive seen (and experienced in different contexts), these types of fat diets are overly restrictive and not easy to maintain.
for people who benefit from keto, it can be an effective option for weight loss short term. but whats the point of losing weight if you're going to keep it up for a year or two? plus, even if you can keep it up, im sure that 10-20 years down the line it has negative effects on your heart/organs (from what ive read).
if you have a specific medical or health issue that requires keto, its great, but I just dont think its a great option for anyone who is trying to keep weight off long term and live a healthy normal life.
How does one determine that you gain weight more easily from protein and fat versus carbohydrates? I eat a mix of all three each day, I'd have no idea how to break down what percentages of calories my body was retaining from each.13 -
janejellyroll wrote: »im just saying im naturally tall and on the slim side, hard to gain muscle and weight. and by carb burner I mean that my body seems to tolerate carbs much better than most/I gain weight more easily from protein and fat vs carbs.
from what ive seen (and experienced in different contexts), these types of fat diets are overly restrictive and not easy to maintain.
for people who benefit from keto, it can be an effective option for weight loss short term. but whats the point of losing weight if you're going to keep it up for a year or two? plus, even if you can keep it up, im sure that 10-20 years down the line it has negative effects on your heart/organs (from what ive read).
if you have a specific medical or health issue that requires keto, its great, but I just dont think its a great option for anyone who is trying to keep weight off long term and live a healthy normal life.
How does one determine that you gain weight more easily from protein and fat versus carbohydrates? I eat a mix of all three each day, I'd have no idea how to break down what percentages of calories my body was retaining from each.
Exactly. Protein and carbs has the same number of calories per gram at 4. Fat is higher at 9. Also, fat is the easiest for the body to store as fat. Protein does not have a preferred metabolic pathway for fat storage and is only stored under rare and extreme circumstances.
Also, it is hard for all of us to gain muscle. That doesn't indicate anything special metabolically. Gaining muscle comes down to diet and resistance training. Gaining weight is all about eating more than we burn. People don't "naturally" have trouble gaining weight from a physiological point of view. It is just a matter of determining maintenance calories and eating more than them. To not be able to do this is more a psychological/ emotional issue than a physiological one.9 -
Personally, I’ve done it(for almost two years) and I do not think it is the best way to go.
Sure-I lost a lot of weight. But that is what happens with Keto; you lose a bunch right out of the gate. Most of this is simply due to consuming less calories since you are cutting out most bread, carbs, sugars, candies, and sweets.
The fatigue and low energy I felt is not worth it to me. Our body needs carbohydrates. I also was so so constipated due to lack of carbs/fiber, and all the high fat gave me awful acid reflux. I also think it is risky for your heart health.
I get it-the idea of basically cutting out a food group with promises to lose weight sounds simple and appealing. But honestly what are bodies need is just a well rounded diet including all the food groups.10 -
New to trying keto but I am doing it not so I can eat unlimited fat and meat but to try and regulate my hunger. It is difficult for me because I love fruit and veggies (especially fruit) If anything think I have an unhealthy relationship with fat, having been raised believing it was bad. The keto diet is forcing me to eat more healthy fats and more protein in an effort to meet my macros. It is still way too soon in my journey to know if it will work for me or not but I am giving it a try.7
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mmebouchon wrote: »New to trying keto but I am doing it not so I can eat unlimited fat and meat but to try and regulate my hunger. It is difficult for me because I love fruit and veggies (especially fruit) If anything think I have an unhealthy relationship with fat, having been raised believing it was bad. The keto diet is forcing me to eat more healthy fats and more protein in an effort to meet my macros. It is still way too soon in my journey to know if it will work for me or not but I am giving it a try.
I don't think there's anything wrong with keto if done healthfully, but in your shoes -- and if you haven't already -- I'd try just lowering carbs and increasing fats and protein. If you are a big carb eater and were eating too few healthy fats and not enough protein, often something like setting protein for 0.8 g/lb of a healthy goal weight (what is often recommended for keto too), and then carbs at 40% or less and then reducing from there if hunger is still an issue, and then treating your fat as a goal rather than a limit can be an approach. (And some find fiber is more important than any macros for hunger, while others find meal timing makes a difference for them.) Cutting out (or almost out) something as healthy as fruit if you love it seems like a shame, and there are many in-between approaches.5 -
In my honest opinion, I don't think any diet is necessarily bad or good if your overall goal is just to simply lose weight. Many people find success in a wide variety of diet plans (intermittent fasting, all natural diet, vegan diet, keto diet, traditional diets).
I think the important thing is moreso to find a diet that you can stick to and will keep you at a caloric deficit. Losing weight is pretty simple if you're just talking about moving the scale, calories in calories out. Just find a diet that you think you can stick to without being miserable. If a diet makes you miserable, you'll probably give up.6 -
I know any diet works if you can keep your calories controlled while on it, but keto is the only one that just seems genuinely unhealthy to me. I just can't imagine a diet where you have to give up so many things that are objectively good for humans to eat as not having some kind of side effects. And it doesn't help that people seem to mainly get excited about it because they lose ten pounds instantly or whatever when all that indicates to me is they haven't read up on it and don't know what water weight is.5
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I know any diet works if you can keep your calories controlled while on it, but keto is the only one that just seems genuinely unhealthy to me. I just can't imagine a diet where you have to give up so many things that are objectively good for humans to eat as not having some kind of side effects. And it doesn't help that people seem to mainly get excited about it because they lose ten pounds instantly or whatever when all that indicates to me is they haven't read up on it and don't know what water weight is.
Can you expand what you think is unhealthy? I would argue my keto diet is probably healthier than most peoples diets. Like with all diets, there are healthy and unhealthy ways to implement.12 -
I just firmly believe a varied diet is important. Fruit, legumes, potatoes, sweet potatoes, oats, just as a short list...and other whole grains obviously...all these foods full of fiber and nutrition that are among the healthiest things humans can eat and that entire civilizations have been founded on, just being completely eliminated from your eating choices, forever. It's an extreme way of living and I'm not sure what the purpose is if the goal is simply weight control.10
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I just firmly believe a varied diet is important. Fruit, legumes, potatoes, sweet potatoes, oats, just as a short list...and other whole grains obviously...all these foods full of fiber and nutrition that are among the healthiest things humans can eat and that entire civilizations have been founded on, just being completely eliminated from your eating choices, forever. It's an extreme way of living and I'm not sure what the purpose is if the goal is simply weight control.
I would note, i have a fairly varied diet. I just happen to limit grains, starches and high GI fruits. All things they aren't required in a diet. And while we could argue the civilization aspect, the fact is, diets varied based on location.
I eat a variety of meats (ground beef, various cuts of beef, chicken (thighs, wings, and breast), turkey, lamb, venison); eggs; dairy (mainly low fat Greek yogurt, cream and Irish butter); low gi fruits (blackberries, strawberries, raspberries); vegetables (avocado, onions, peppers, zucchini, spinach/salad mixes); fish (Ahi, salmon, mahi mahi); nuts/seeds (chia, peanut, pumpkin, macadamia, walnut, hazelnut); and oils (avocado and olive). So almost zero added sugar. I still focus on fiber and i focus on whole foods. On top of my diet, i do refeeds and occasionally diet breaks (like this weekend). So i would certainly argue the one can have a very healthy Ketogenic diet if done properly.17 -
mmebouchon wrote: »New to trying keto but I am doing it not so I can eat unlimited fat and meat but to try and regulate my hunger. It is difficult for me because I love fruit and veggies (especially fruit) If anything think I have an unhealthy relationship with fat, having been raised believing it was bad. The keto diet is forcing me to eat more healthy fats and more protein in an effort to meet my macros. It is still way too soon in my journey to know if it will work for me or not but I am giving it a try.
I don't think there's anything wrong with keto if done healthfully, but in your shoes -- and if you haven't already -- I'd try just lowering carbs and increasing fats and protein. If you are a big carb eater and were eating too few healthy fats and not enough protein, often something like setting protein for 0.8 g/lb of a healthy goal weight (what is often recommended for keto too), and then carbs at 40% or less and then reducing from there if hunger is still an issue, and then treating your fat as a goal rather than a limit can be an approach. (And some find fiber is more important than any macros for hunger, while others find meal timing makes a difference for them.) Cutting out (or almost out) something as healthy as fruit if you love it seems like a shame, and there are many in-between approaches.
Thanks for your reply lemurcat2. I seem to be following what might be a low carb diet instead of keto. I try to stay under 50 net carbs and it has eliminated my hunger between meals. It has helped me to add in some extra fats in my diet. More olive oil and avocados for sure. I have never been a big carb eater except I think I was over consuming sweet fruits. The fantastic thing about reducing carbs for me has been paying more attention to net carbs in various fruit and veggies and picking which ones I will eat based on my daily quota. I don’t think I have reduced the amount of servings I am eating of fruit and veggies together but I have definitely increased my low carb veggies3 -
I eat a variety of meats (ground beef, various cuts of beef, chicken (thighs, wings, and breast), turkey, lamb, venison); eggs; dairy (mainly low fat Greek yogurt, cream and Irish butter); low gi fruits (blackberries, strawberries, raspberries); vegetables (avocado, onions, peppers, zucchini, spinach/salad mixes); fish (Ahi, salmon, mahi mahi); nuts/seeds (chia, peanut, pumpkin, macadamia, walnut, hazelnut); and oils (avocado and olive). So almost zero added sugar. I still focus on fiber and i focus on whole foods. On top of my diet, i do refeeds and occasionally diet breaks (like this weekend). So i would certainly argue the one can have a very healthy Ketogenic diet if done properly.
psuLemon this list of low carb food that you enjoy is very helpful.4 -
mmebouchon wrote: »I eat a variety of meats (ground beef, various cuts of beef, chicken (thighs, wings, and breast), turkey, lamb, venison); eggs; dairy (mainly low fat Greek yogurt, cream and Irish butter); low gi fruits (blackberries, strawberries, raspberries); vegetables (avocado, onions, peppers, zucchini, spinach/salad mixes); fish (Ahi, salmon, mahi mahi); nuts/seeds (chia, peanut, pumpkin, macadamia, walnut, hazelnut); and oils (avocado and olive). So almost zero added sugar. I still focus on fiber and i focus on whole foods. On top of my diet, i do refeeds and occasionally diet breaks (like this weekend). So i would certainly argue the one can have a very healthy Ketogenic diet if done properly.
psuLemon this list of low carb food that you enjoy is very helpful.
No problem. Feel free to know you can certainly add more protein and less fats. I tend to get 50-60% fat (sometimes less) and more protein. The only thing required for ketosis is carb suppression.4 -
mmebouchon wrote: »I eat a variety of meats (ground beef, various cuts of beef, chicken (thighs, wings, and breast), turkey, lamb, venison); eggs; dairy (mainly low fat Greek yogurt, cream and Irish butter); low gi fruits (blackberries, strawberries, raspberries); vegetables (avocado, onions, peppers, zucchini, spinach/salad mixes); fish (Ahi, salmon, mahi mahi); nuts/seeds (chia, peanut, pumpkin, macadamia, walnut, hazelnut); and oils (avocado and olive). So almost zero added sugar. I still focus on fiber and i focus on whole foods. On top of my diet, i do refeeds and occasionally diet breaks (like this weekend). So i would certainly argue the one can have a very healthy Ketogenic diet if done properly.
psuLemon this list of low carb food that you enjoy is very helpful.
No problem. Feel free to know you can certainly add more protein and less fats. I tend to get 50-60% fat (sometimes less) and more protein. The only thing required for ketosis is carb suppression.
Good advice thanks again0 -
something broderick posted up today on FB
obviously a rodent study, would be interesting to see if it affects humans
in the same way long term
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