Low Carb/high-fat diet...thoughts?

2»

Replies

  • KateTii
    KateTii Posts: 886 Member
    I did keto for quite a few months...

    Does it work for you?
    Yes, I guess? My results weren't any different than when I was just purely calorie counting. (see point 3)

    Was the process to change to lower carbs hard?
    Yes and no. I struggled quite bad with "Keto flu" to start and got very dizzy and nauseous at work, also needed to pee every 15 minutes (no joke) and drank over 3L of water in one day. I had to run across the road to the shops and buy a mineral supplement to keep my potassium and sodium levels up, felt better 20 minutes after the supplement and got better at managing my micronutrients after that

    Was there any pointers for someone thinking about moving to low carb diets?
    I would definitely not recommend any diet that focuses on keeping any macronutrient "low", UNLESS they understand and have achieved some goals using the basic concept of calorie counting AND they understand that it is not a magic tool. You may see benefits from higher satiety and therefore find it easier to stick to, or you might end up like I did, finding that you were craving high-carb fruits and vegetables. I ended up stopping low carb as I found it was just difficult restricting my "healthy" carb intake as corn, carrots, fruit etc. were "too high carb".

    For me, I will ALWAYS recommend just plain old calorie counting (with some respect given to macros, but not perfectly meeting goals).
  • rheddmobile
    rheddmobile Posts: 6,840 Member
    If you like bread, grains and pasta, and are losing at your desired rate, there’s no need to go to the trouble of keto. It does “work” in the sense that if you eat keto at a deficit you will lose weight, and it’s easier for some people who have trouble moderating carbs, but it isn’t magic unless you are a child with epilepsy. (Which is why the diet was originally developed.)

    I’m a type 2 diabetic which means I need to limit carbs anyway. I lost 125 lbs and got my a1c into non-diabetic range eating no fewer than 150g net carbs per day. Every now and again I accidentally dip into ketosis on a running day when I don’t consume enough carbs, and it feels really icky. Also, ketosis makes your breath smell like a summer trash can with a dead squirrel in it.
  • Dogmom1978
    Dogmom1978 Posts: 1,580 Member
    I love carbs. My issue with ANY “diet” is it implies an end where you return to “normal” eating. Then you become a yo yo where you lose weight and gain it back.

    I have found that sustainable life style changes are the most useful for both weight loss and keeping it off. I weigh my foods, check the mfp entries, and work out more if I know I want to have a special meal or treat.

    So far, I’ve lost over 25lbs (need to lose about 40 more). You have to find what works for you, but I strongly encourage you to find something that you think you can do FOREVER to avoid becoming another yo yo. 😊