Keto - What worked for you?

I also have done keto, but the chart above that shows you it all comes down to calories is correct. I find keto does help me keep my calories down, but I do not skimp on green veggies and occasionally have a piece of fruit like a peach or plum or berries. If I really start to crave something like a piece of cheesecake, I buy one piece, not a whole pie, and enjoy it. But I do go back on my diet the next day. I consider these lapses as treats, not defeats, and I do not take them often.

A lot of being successful on whichever diet you choose is your mindset. You have to get thru the day one meal at a time. I try to have a breakfast that meets my parameters as I set them on my fitness pal. Then when it's time for lunch, I am most apt to stay on point because I already have stuck to my plan for breakfast. Come dinner time, since I've done so well thus far, I know that I will have blown the success of the day if I don't behave at dinner. And if something starts calling me in the evening, I finish watching whatever I am watching on tv or reading the chapter in my book, brush my teeth and go to bed. If I am not tired enough to sleep, I read or watch tv again, but my long-standing rule is that no food goes in my mouth once I have brushed my teeth. If I actually have hunger pains, I have a cup of tea or water with a lemon wedge. But seriously, I seldom really am physically hungry. I do not have to be hungry to want to eat! The one blessing of keto is that fat quenches hunger and carbs spark hunger. My go to snack if I really feel the need to eat is nuts. Not many because they are high calorie, but only a few really shut down hunger.

The great thing about my fitness pal is that you can set the amount of calories you want to consume as well as the way you want the percentages of carbs, fat and protein. I believe it is really important to eat healthy, especially when dieting, because you are stressing your system by cutting calories and you do not want to get sick. So please choose good green/yellow/orange/red veggies, lean proteins and healthy fats. Do not skimp on protein. As you age you need more, not less, and definitely 60g or more per day. Skip processed foods. Spend 98% of your time in the grocery store around the perimeter where you will find whole foods--fresh vegetables, fruits, dairy, eggs, meats and fish and frozen veggies and fruit. I have a rule not to buy anything with more than 4 ingredients or ingredients with more than 10 letters. Everything that will ruin your diet is up and down those aisles in the middle.

My very last piece of advice is to enter your meals on my fitness pal as soon as possible after you finish each meal. It will really help you keep on track. Also enter your weight weekly and look at your weight chart. It helps keep you focused.

Hope this helps and doesn't come across as preachy. I am 77 years old and did not have a weight issue until after menopause in my early 50s. I learned all of the above hit and miss and know it works for me. Hope it helps you as well.

I'm on keto and I have been doing it for four years. I have been on many diets in my life. Keto is my meal plan.

Get to know your meal plan. Get to know your kitchen. I have made tortillas and breads that I know have less carbs than the less-carb name brands. (I do demand Quest chips on occasion.) Research your recipes and perfect them.

I cooked lobster tails on Friday! And I steamed them and I put salt, pepper, and Hungarian paprika (hot). I melted ghee and served it. The lobster was hot paprika with the butter - it was magnificent! It was even delicious with Smashed brussel sprouts.

On vacation and at parties, I do try to make an effort (I bring my own hard seltzers) stick to protein and veggies. I have an occasional ice cream cone, a bag of Cheetos, or a sandwich. I stick to it 90-95 percent of the time. When I stick to it 70-75 percent of the time, I plateau. When I stick to it 50-55, I gain.

Fat: I do Fairlife whole milk, butter, olive oil, and cheese (cream cheese, ricotta, cheddar, queso, etc.) I eat fat on meat (the skin), but when I have 80% hamburger -- I am draining it. Almond, pecans, and peanut butter.

Protein: I eat steak, hamburger, chicken thigh, wings, turkey, salmon, lamb, and eggs.

Carbs: I must eat a vegetable/strawberries at every meal. (You must saute it, steam it, or broil it -- or have it raw.) Have a little salad (strawberries, salad, and feta). However, you may not have sugary substance that society calls salad dressing. Tortillas, bread, lavash bread, and crackers (how much you have is variable).

You must eat vegetables on this meal plan. It's good for you and you will get constipated when you don't.

The thing with keto is that if you are on and then go off for the weekend or whatever, you're going to have wild water weight swings. If you're trying to do keto and end up "cheating" the diet, it is likely that your plateaus are also due to water swings. Every gram of carbohydrate carries roughly 3-4 grams of water with it which is why you see big losses with keto early on...and also why your weight jumps when you eat carbs.

Being able to be consistent in one's plan is ultimately the most important thing. There isn't anything magical about keto...it works the same way as any other dietary plan. Personally what works for me is eating a varied and nutritious diet and indulging myself occasionally. I would never be able to stick with something super restrictive unless it was truly a medical necessity to do so.

I like rice and oats too much to do keto.

Doing keto is like getting a Lamborghini to drive to work. You get to work in the same amount of time, but you’re just driving a different car. Any car (diet in this case) will give you the same result.