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To Keto or Not To Keto?

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Replies

  • Mellouk89
    Mellouk89 Posts: 469 Member
    How many people are on Keto for years and don't you miss eating carbs?
  • Mellouk89
    Mellouk89 Posts: 469 Member
    edited August 2020
    At 50g you can still eat carbs but I notice that most people on Keto will eat vegetables only.
  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,160 Member
    Mellouk89 wrote: »
    How many people are on Keto for years and don't you miss eating carbs?

    Do you mean is in an emotional sense or other wise? While doing my n=1 currently with pomegranate juice I am high carb out of necessity. Since that n=1 is going to my liking I have order pomegranate supplement options to see if I can get the same gut microbiome response without the carbs.

    Really all I cut out to do Keto is added sugar and any form of any gain and keep total carbs <50 grams daily. On KETO it shifted me to a more plant base way of eating. Sugar now makes me fell like death warmed over.

    Now that my focus is on learning how to increase the health of my gut microbiome I do eat more carbs if they contain fiber that is thought to improve the balance of my gut microbiome.

    My emotional attachment to added sugar is still there in the background until I feed it again. :)

    There is no one magical way for everyone to eat but we each have to listen to our own body. When I eat something that had a lot of sugar added I know it within the hour one way or another.
  • ccrdragon
    ccrdragon Posts: 3,365 Member
    psuLemon wrote: »
    Mellouk89 wrote: »
    At 50g you can still eat carbs but I notice that most people on Keto will eat vegetables only.

    In my case, which I am probably not the norm, but I run a cyclical keto diet (CKD). In this, I will incorporate very low fat, very high carb refeeds into my diet every few weeks because I am lean and I can start to feel weak and super hungry.

    I have been doing something along these lines, myself. I was eating keto levels of carbs (less than 30g net most days) from March thru June with no issues. Come July and I started riding my bike for an hour plus 5 days a week and found I could not sustain the rides - I nearly bonked one Friday so I checked my blood sugar reading - I was at 56 after the morning ride! I took the weekend and had a carb-feast, and have since allowed myself to net anything under 100g a day. My blood sugar after the morning rides is consistently in the mid 70's.

    I have no idea if I am still maintaining ketosis, nor do I care, I just know that I am not bonking after my rides and I am still losing weight at the same rate I was before allowing more carbs in my diet.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,372 MFP Moderator
    ccrdragon wrote: »
    psuLemon wrote: »
    Mellouk89 wrote: »
    At 50g you can still eat carbs but I notice that most people on Keto will eat vegetables only.

    In my case, which I am probably not the norm, but I run a cyclical keto diet (CKD). In this, I will incorporate very low fat, very high carb refeeds into my diet every few weeks because I am lean and I can start to feel weak and super hungry.

    I have been doing something along these lines, myself. I was eating keto levels of carbs (less than 30g net most days) from March thru June with no issues. Come July and I started riding my bike for an hour plus 5 days a week and found I could not sustain the rides - I nearly bonked one Friday so I checked my blood sugar reading - I was at 56 after the morning ride! I took the weekend and had a carb-feast, and have since allowed myself to net anything under 100g a day. My blood sugar after the morning rides is consistently in the mid 70's.

    I have no idea if I am still maintaining ketosis, nor do I care, I just know that I am not bonking after my rides and I am still losing weight at the same rate I was before allowing more carbs in my diet.

    You can also run a targeted keto diet (tkd) where you consume 30-50g of glucose (jelly beans, sour patch kids, gummy bears, etc...) about 30 mins prior to the ride. That should help. If you don't like the candy approach, you can do white rice an hour before. Same carb gram total.
  • watts6151
    watts6151 Posts: 887 Member
    psuLemon wrote: »
    ccrdragon wrote: »
    psuLemon wrote: »
    Mellouk89 wrote: »
    At 50g you can still eat carbs but I notice that most people on Keto will eat vegetables only.

    In my case, which I am probably not the norm, but I run a cyclical keto diet (CKD). In this, I will incorporate very low fat, very high carb refeeds into my diet every few weeks because I am lean and I can start to feel weak and super hungry.

    I have been doing something along these lines, myself. I was eating keto levels of carbs (less than 30g net most days) from March thru June with no issues. Come July and I started riding my bike for an hour plus 5 days a week and found I could not sustain the rides - I nearly bonked one Friday so I checked my blood sugar reading - I was at 56 after the morning ride! I took the weekend and had a carb-feast, and have since allowed myself to net anything under 100g a day. My blood sugar after the morning rides is consistently in the mid 70's.

    I have no idea if I am still maintaining ketosis, nor do I care, I just know that I am not bonking after my rides and I am still losing weight at the same rate I was before allowing more carbs in my diet.

    You can also run a targeted keto diet (tkd) where you consume 30-50g of glucose (jelly beans, sour patch kids, gummy bears, etc...) about 30 mins prior to the ride. That should help. If you don't like the candy approach, you can do white rice an hour before. Same carb gram total.

    I’ve seen a few lads in the gym use this approach and make good progress even bulking
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,372 MFP Moderator
    watts6151 wrote: »
    psuLemon wrote: »
    ccrdragon wrote: »
    psuLemon wrote: »
    Mellouk89 wrote: »
    At 50g you can still eat carbs but I notice that most people on Keto will eat vegetables only.

    In my case, which I am probably not the norm, but I run a cyclical keto diet (CKD). In this, I will incorporate very low fat, very high carb refeeds into my diet every few weeks because I am lean and I can start to feel weak and super hungry.

    I have been doing something along these lines, myself. I was eating keto levels of carbs (less than 30g net most days) from March thru June with no issues. Come July and I started riding my bike for an hour plus 5 days a week and found I could not sustain the rides - I nearly bonked one Friday so I checked my blood sugar reading - I was at 56 after the morning ride! I took the weekend and had a carb-feast, and have since allowed myself to net anything under 100g a day. My blood sugar after the morning rides is consistently in the mid 70's.

    I have no idea if I am still maintaining ketosis, nor do I care, I just know that I am not bonking after my rides and I am still losing weight at the same rate I was before allowing more carbs in my diet.

    You can also run a targeted keto diet (tkd) where you consume 30-50g of glucose (jelly beans, sour patch kids, gummy bears, etc...) about 30 mins prior to the ride. That should help. If you don't like the candy approach, you can do white rice an hour before. Same carb gram total.

    I’ve seen a few lads in the gym use this approach and make good progress even bulking

    I have been debating on trying it once i get lean enough. I already know that being in the 155-160 lbs range is not where i want to be.
  • watts6151
    watts6151 Posts: 887 Member
    psuLemon wrote: »
    watts6151 wrote: »
    psuLemon wrote: »
    ccrdragon wrote: »
    psuLemon wrote: »
    Mellouk89 wrote: »
    At 50g you can still eat carbs but I notice that most people on Keto will eat vegetables only.

    In my case, which I am probably not the norm, but I run a cyclical keto diet (CKD). In this, I will incorporate very low fat, very high carb refeeds into my diet every few weeks because I am lean and I can start to feel weak and super hungry.

    I have been doing something along these lines, myself. I was eating keto levels of carbs (less than 30g net most days) from March thru June with no issues. Come July and I started riding my bike for an hour plus 5 days a week and found I could not sustain the rides - I nearly bonked one Friday so I checked my blood sugar reading - I was at 56 after the morning ride! I took the weekend and had a carb-feast, and have since allowed myself to net anything under 100g a day. My blood sugar after the morning rides is consistently in the mid 70's.

    I have no idea if I am still maintaining ketosis, nor do I care, I just know that I am not bonking after my rides and I am still losing weight at the same rate I was before allowing more carbs in my diet.

    You can also run a targeted keto diet (tkd) where you consume 30-50g of glucose (jelly beans, sour patch kids, gummy bears, etc...) about 30 mins prior to the ride. That should help. If you don't like the candy approach, you can do white rice an hour before. Same carb gram total.

    I’ve seen a few lads in the gym use this approach and make good progress even bulking

    I have been debating on trying it once i get lean enough. I already know that being in the 155-160 lbs range is not where i want to be.

    Will be interesting to see your progress if you do decide to run it
  • Fit_Chef_NE
    Fit_Chef_NE Posts: 109 Member
    I tried keto for a while, but my body was tired and grouchy without carbs. I am an active person. I did lose weight and stuck with it for months, but it just isn't for me. I never stopped dreaming of pasta and my homemade breads or bagels. For me, it wasn't a life worth living. I did feel good when I wasn't exhausted. I spent all day thinking about how much I wanted certain foods. I think a lot of other people stop craving them pretty quickly. It made food and eating into something I resented rather than enjoyed. What I learned is that I would legitimately mourn as though I lost a friend if someone told me I could never have a bowl of pasta again. :D Or a gooey, real deal chocolate brownie. The spice of life for me includes having a fully varied diet. We all have different things that make life enjoyable though.

    You never know how you will like something until you try it for yourself. Plenty of people swear by a keto or keto-adjacent diet and I respect that they know their bodies the best. And then I go stick a piece of bread in the toaster to have with my eggs. ;)
  • whitpauly
    whitpauly Posts: 1,483 Member
    I love all the keto foods but my stomach wasn't happy at all! I know I probably would have adjusted eventually but I just couldn't deal, I can and do follow lower carb but strict keto just isn't for me
  • IronIsMyTherapy
    IronIsMyTherapy Posts: 482 Member
    BAC716 wrote: »
    @maggiemax18 People get enamored with keto because when you restrict carbs in the beginning you lose "weight" quickly. Sure, some might definitely be fat in the first couple of weeks but you're losing a lot of water weight and stored carbs (glycogen). This reflects favorably on the scale though so people think it's a no brainer to continue on.

    Keto has been around since the early 1900s, originally formed as a diet to help treat conditions like epilepsy...it's been around forever. If you actually enjoy keto, that's great; it CAN work. The PROBLEM is, I personally cannot think of a single person I personally know who has started keto and lasted very long because they enjoy carbs like most of us.

    Carbs are not essential like fats and protein but are in many enjoyable foods and are beneficial for exercise performance, etc. If you're less active, have smaller carb portions. But, you can eat higher carbs and more moderate fats and lose weight as well...depends on the person and their preferences.

    Personally, I'm on a slow "bulking" plan right now and eating 375g of carbs per day; just bumped up from 360g. My weight has come down a pound on average since I begun testing to find an appropriate surplus to be in...Means I need more total calories in my life because CI vs. CO matters most. My fats are only at 70g per day with about 1.1g/lb. of protein.

    If carbs were inherently fattening, I'd be getting pretty fat on that many at 182 lb. right now haha. Just need to have the right portions for your body, preferences and activity levels.

    Well put.
  • 4Phoenix
    4Phoenix Posts: 236 Member
    Not a fan of the long-term effects of Keto...I want to live a long healthy life.
  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,160 Member
    edited September 2020
    Mellouk89 wrote: »
    How many people are on Keto for years and don't you miss eating carbs?

    In my case I did not really miss eating carbs for about 4 years and only added fruit and honey for the health of my gut microbiome hoping to reduce the risks of health failure and premature death. I still do not eat food with added sugar or any form of any grain 99% of the time. At a birthday today I did eat 3 tacos for the first time in years. Medically speaking personally I never plan to risk a zero carb Way Of Eating. With Covid-19 around and 70-80% of my immune system coming from my gut microbiome eating for their health is Job #1 in my mind today.

    I think Keto was best in my case to slow my rush towards death from 2014-2018 but my carbs were really never much under 50 grams daily because I was eating more plant based foods than in many years. Yes I still eat meat but it is more fish and chicken than in past years.

  • ccrdragon
    ccrdragon Posts: 3,365 Member
    4Phoenix wrote: »
    Not a fan of the long-term effects of Keto...I want to live a long healthy life.

    What long term effects are you speaking to?
  • dpeters203
    dpeters203 Posts: 1 Member
    As can be seen from previous comments, if you can give up carbs long term and be happy, then by all means give Keto a try.

    For me personally, I will not consider any diet that tells me when and what I can eat. Besides, I run a lot and any diet that makes my performance suffer is not even a consideration.