Keto

Burandt80 · March 2022

Ok I am seeing a lot of people doing this Keto Diet. I am 41 years and having a hard losing the weight. First what is Keto? Does it work? Just curious because the fats that are included. Any input would be good?

glassyo · March 2022

Others will come in and explain it better but it's basically low carb/high fat. I could be wrong, tho, because low carb anything is a hard no from me.

I *am* here to tell you that you can follow any plan of eating, any time of eating, any food of eating but you won't lose weight unless you're eating less calories than you burn.

Structured diets are more for fitting into your lifestyle and what helps keeps you from being hungry. Calories are king for weight loss.

snowflake954 · March 2022

If you are interested in Keto, I believe there are groups on MFP. Do a search. Keto is high protein, low carb and some people like it because they say they are not hungry doing it. Others miss carbs or have problems with it. So, as in any diet--it's individual.

To lose weight you don't need a name diet. Just get your daily calorie goal, a digital food scale, and start weighing and measuring everything you eat and drink. Stay within your goal everyday. Be patient and consistent. You can eat what you like, but will find certain foods high-cal and too much of them will break your budget. Fruits and vegetables have fewer cals and you can eat more.

Try to exercise and you will have more calories to spend. Good luck.

AnnPT77 · March 2022

Burandt80 wrote: »

Ok I am seeing a lot of people doing this Keto Diet. I am 41 years and having a hard losing the weight. First what is Keto? Does it work? Just curious because the fats that are included. Any input would be good?

In what ways are you having trouble losing weight? Knowing that would help us give you better advice.

Keto is very low carb, and obviously that implies higher amounts of something non-carb, usually higher fat, but can include higher protein.

Eating more fats is not a big deal, because as others have said, it's the calories that matter in a direct way for weight loss. Some people have lower appetite with high fat (they find it filling), so keto helps them stick with a calorie goal (maybe without even calorie counting). Some people find their energy tanks on low carb, or find high-volume foods filling so that calorie-dense fat isn't helpful for satiety for them. Those latter people probably won't do well with keto.

It's possible to get basic adequate levels of fruit and vegetables on a keto diet, but I wouldn't be able to eat as many (of as great a variety) as makes me happy, and keep my carb intake at keto levels. (I target 10+ 80-gram servings of varied, colorful veggies/fruits daily, which is kind of a lot - it keeps me full, well-nourished, happy . . . but it wouldn't do that for everyone.)

If you're wondering, maybe try it, see if it helps you? It's not like it's a "once and forever" decision. Be aware that there are some possible issues with electrolytes, that might result in some early issues ("keto flu") but it can often be mitigated by getting more electrolytes.

Personally, I did this, while calorie counting, to lose weight (and maintain weight for 6+ years since), starting at age 59 (now 66):

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10636388/free-customized-personal-weight-loss-eating-plan-not-spam-or-mlm/p1

That won't work for everyone, either, because personalization of tactics is key to success, IMO. Beware of people who tell you one single way of eating is ideal for absolutely everyone.

kshama2001 · March 2022

If you find fats satiating and don't care about carbs, keto might be a great choice for you.

Like others have said, you can lose weight on any way of eating that creates a calorie deficit.

cbihatt · March 2022

My understanding is that the goal of the keto diet is to eat low enough carbs that your body goes into ketosis, and therefore burns fat stores immediately rather than using glucose first. It’s supposed to be a quicker, more efficient way to lose fat. I have never used this approach myself, so apologies if that is incorrect.

Personally, I would not be able to handle a diet that encourages such a high fat intake. My body would revolt. But, there are plenty of people who love keto.

sijomial · March 2022

cbihatt wrote: »

My understanding is that the goal of the keto diet is to eat low enough carbs that your body goes into ketosis, and therefore burns fat stores immediately rather than using glucose first. It’s supposed to be a quicker, more efficient way to lose fat. I have never used this approach myself, so apologies if that is incorrect.

Personally, I would not be able to handle a diet that encourages such a high fat intake. My body would revolt. But, there are plenty of people who love keto.

FYI - your body burns fat all the time whether you are in ketosis or not, you also don't "burn glucose first" in any meaningful way for weight loss. Both glucose and fat are being used as fuels virtually all of the time in different proportions even if someone has a high carb diet.

Burning body fat, meaning a net loss of body fat, is a function of being in a calorie deficit whatever diet someone follows rather than the food types someone eats. Someone with a high fat, low carb diet and in ketosis but in a calorie surplus would have a net gain of body fat.

OP - More detail on why you are struggling to lose might help with targetted advice/suggestions.

azuki84 · March 2022

Every diet is a different approach as we are all different. Ultimately though you are looking for caloric deficit over time to lose weight.

CDWTurnbow · April 2022

Keto is low carbs protein high Good fats. It has three phases and you see fast results. It is a lifestyle change if you return to eating like you were you will gain your weight back. But phase three Keto will maintain your weight and is very food friendly. I have loved it and it fits my lifestyle. I’m sedentary and don’t count calories only watching my carbs. Good luck!

soldodunja2910 · April 2022

I heard a lot of the weight loss on the keto diet is water weight. I don’t think it matters what kind of diet, what matters is that you are eating less. I have lost weight eating high fat high carb on calorie defecit. Diets just encourage a calorie defecit by eliminating certain foods.

DFW_Tom · April 2022

soldodunja2910 wrote: »

I heard a lot of the weight loss on the keto diet is water weight. I don’t think it matters what kind of diet, what matters is that you are eating less. I have lost weight eating high fat high carb on calorie defecit. Diets just encourage a calorie defecit by eliminating certain foods.

It is true that much of the initial weight loss on low carb diets is from water loss, thus carb's -hydrate suffix. Healthline makes this statement:
"Actually, for every gram of carbohydrate you consume and your body keeps to use as energy, your body hoards 3 to 4 grams of water to help store the energy (glycogen)."

Reduce the carbs and you reduce 3 or 4 times the same weight in water. Consume extra carbs that get stored and put on 3 or 4 times as much weight as the extra carbs stored. I think of it as cheat a little and gain a lot.

The biggest benefit from Keto for me (male, 65, and down 12.5% of total body weight in less than 3 months) is that it has left me with almost no food yearnings. I still can get hungry, but is nothing like the kind of hunger I use to experience from eating carbs. It is a struggle for me most days to eat enough of the right mix of calories, fiber and protein. If I don't keep moving during the day, my metabolism does slow to a crawl. If I don't consume enough of the right kind of calories (like extra cheese please and more meat) I loose lean muscle, even with my abundant stores of fat.

lorib642 · April 2022

I am type 2 diabetic. I was in a keto program through my insurance for a year. My glucose was great but it was hard for me to stick to. I like sweet things, like fruits. I went off around the holidays and never got back to it. It was very low carb fats to satiate, moderate protein. I did not lose much weight, either and i started gaining when I stopped. If you have any health condition I would ask your dr about it. My husband eats low glycemic (non starchy veggies) but not keto. He was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and he is able to control it through diet alone. I try to eat like him but I don’t have his discipline. There are low carb and keto groups if you search.

ghinajaber1322 · April 2022

I started my keto diet on January 1, 2022. As at today, I lost 44 pounds. If you decided to go with Keto add yo your diet the potassium and magnesium supplements.

cwolfman13 · April 2022

Burandt80 wrote: »

Ok I am seeing a lot of people doing this Keto Diet. I am 41 years and having a hard losing the weight. First what is Keto? Does it work? Just curious because the fats that are included. Any input would be good?

Keto is a very low carbohydrate, high fat diet. In the absence of glucose for fuel (due to very low carbohydrate intake), the human body has a back-up plan for required energy, which is ketones. They are produced by the liver when it breaks down fats and then acts similarly to glucose for providing energy to your cells and brain.

A common misconception is that you burn more fat in ketosis and thus lose more weight...this is not the case...it's similar to the notion that you burn more fat if you exercise in the "fat burning" zone. In ketosis you are primarily utilizing fat for energy...but it's not just the fat that is stored on your body, it is also the fat you are ingesting that is being converted to ketones. Ultimately, to have a net loss of body fat, you have to be in a calorie deficit (energy deficiency) which requires your body to utilize body fat to make up for that deficiency whether you are keto or low carb or vegetarian or paleo or whatever diet you can think of. If you are not in a calorie deficit but in ketosis, you will not lose weight or bodyfat...because there is no deficiency of energy for which your body would require compensating for.

Many people benefit from a keto diet in that for those people, it decreases cravings and thus there is a decrease in snacking and overconsumption in general. Many people also find fat to be filling and they're just less hungry. But this is not a universal thing...whether you would benefit or not would be a matter of trial and error.

In my experience and observation, difficulty losing weight often comes down to adherence and consistency over a long period of time. That's what makes losing weight difficult...it takes a long time and requires discipline and consistency over that time. I'm currently in the process of dropping the 20 Lbs I gained over the last two years of COVID protocols...I could easily say I'm having difficult losing weight because I've only lost about 3 Lbs since January. The truth of that statement however would be in question because the reality of the matter is that I have been neither disciplined or consistent in my dietary approach to losing weight and have eaten maintenance calories more often than not...you don't really make a whole lot of headway when you're not consistent day to day and week to week and month to month. A few days of dieting and then eating again...and then dieting for a couple of days and then eating again over and over isn't going to cut it. Losing weight is slow and hard.

I've also noticed your other posts in regards to other dietary approaches. Just know they all work the same way...calorie deficit. One or another may provide you with greater adherence, but it's still going to require discipline and consistency in your approach. Jumping around from diet to diet is much like going to the gym and program hopping...it usually leaves you spinning your wheels with little in the way of actual results. At some point you just have to go with something and commit to it and be consistent.

Keto

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