To Keto or not to Keto?

I'm currently doing lower carb, 50-75g net carbs. It's going really well for me-no more bloating, I've lost a few pounds of stubborn weight that I've been struggling with, (I'm in maintenance and had crept out of my maintenance range). And by moving macros ratios around to a higher fat, lower carb intake, along with an increased protein intake, I've had a significant reduction in appetite. Another 'side effect' I realized today-I no longer think about food all the time. Before, I would eat and then start thinking about my next meal/snack. Now, I have to remember to eat and be intentional about it-it's been a very surreal experience so far.

Having said all that-I can't imagine doing a very low carb way of eating, like the keto/20g. I just enjoy veggies, dairy and nuts too much, to want to reduce them. I also enjoy a bit of fruit every day. It would also be very difficult to sustain through holidays, family get togethers, eating out/being a guest at someones house for dinner etc-all things I've had happen since I started experimenting with a lower carb way of eating. I'm really enjoying lower carb, but keto just doesn't seem sustainable long term?

I am a keto'er and I also do IF(fasting).....The main reason for me doing keto is because I was diagnosed with type II diabetes and I am determined to reverse it and lose weight...

My family doctor told me that the people who live a keto lifestyle will see heavy damage to their kidneys years down the road (15-20 years). She said our kidneys can't handle the large keytones being passed through our system long term. Just passing on what my doctor told me. However, I follow keto when I want to lose weight.

Not.

I don't do specifically keto; I just kept lowering my carbs and raising protein, until eventually realized I could not eat that much protein and started raising my fat. I settled close to what is apparently known as "dirty/lazy keto'. Still, full disclosure, I never personally set out to follow any kind of keto diet plan. I just landed in the vicinity.

I eat 5% carbs/ 70% fat/ 25% protein. I've given up all grains and added sugars. I've also given up high-carb veggies & fruits (potatoes, mangos, etc.) and beans and such. I get my carbs from veggies and fruits with moderate to low carbs, and some unsweetened dairy. And meat, of course. I use sweeteners sparingly but I don't get too picky about it if I'm 'treating' myself to something with artificial sweeteners.

For me it is a permanent lifestyle and a life-saver. "Going off" isn't an option, not something I want to do or plan to do. I may need to tweak again, esp. as the weight comes off, or when is start strength training I will probably up my protein, and at maintenance I might up my daily carb allowance to like 10%... but overall I'm pretty happy eating this way, I rarely get hungry between meals and no longer get cravings/binge impulses.

I don't feel deprived or restricted; when I eat carbs -- esp. in the form of high-starch foods like whole grain breads, oatmeal, rice, potatoes, etc.-- it triggers cravings and binges. That's when I feel restricted; I feel like a slave to food.

As much as I liked carbs, I like not being diabetic anymore even better lol. I never intend to go back to added sugars and/or grains again, even if I do up my carb intake a bit somewhere down the road.

If someone struggles with low-carb I generally tell them to try upping their fat; that's what helped me find my sweet spot and everything fell into place. If they're still eating sugars & grains for their carbs, they may want to cut those out for a month to see if it helps.

I really never believed it was something I could live without, but the human body doesn't need sugar or grains to survive. There is nothing we get from them we can't get from better, less processed sources (veggies, fruits, meat, etc.). Some people may prefer them, or have no problem with them, but no one "needs' them.

If someone truly feels that low-carb is not long-term sustainable, then it's probably best they don't do low carb. Maybe they'd be better off doing controlled carb where you can have 40-60 g. of carbs per day and just stick to healthier ones.

Atkins I believe recommended you start at very low carb, and then as you progress on your journey you keep upping your carbs a few per week until you find a higher carb level you can live with. That sounds like a sensible approach to me as well.

FriendlyPastels wrote: »

I'm on the "no" boat. It's not a sustainable lifestyle in my opinion. There are far better food plans that would be an overall better choice. For me, I follow mostly vegetarian with protein from eggs and lean seafood, beans and nuts. I think it'd be miserable if I had to restrict carbs that much.

Sustainability depends on the person. There are people who have been eating "keto" for decades. Yes, you read correctly, decades. Especially currently, there are many keto options that make eating keto much easier. Personally, vegetarian would 1) Make me miserable as all my experience with veggies is they fill me up for a very short period and then I am ravenously hungry again. 2) I did strive to eat controlling my calories with no real concern about carbs (most of which came from fruit, veggies, and grains) which I dropped for keto because my blood sugar was getting progressively worse even while my weight was going down. Two weeks on keto and my blood sugar was great and my estimated HbA1C was excellent. Add to that my blood pressure plummeting to the point where I went from 3 blood pressure medications down to 1 which I will likely be able to come off soon.

I realize I am a n=1 sample size, but I am happier and healthier eating keto than I ever was eating what is often considered a much more balanced diet with lots of fruits and veggies. BTW, I still eat veggies, but only the low carb ones.