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Began my keto diet this week. Tips welcome!
- Thread starter Relix
- Start date
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peteykirch
Member
It varies person to person plus how active you are.
Some people can go up to 60g a day and still stay in ketosis.
Others if they go over 20-25g will drop out of it.
Hmm... I did close to 25 yesterday and don't seem to be having any problems.
Does the hunger ever go away? It was my biggest problem before starting keto and it has only gotten worse since then.
I am in control, but I would be lying if I said that it was anything other than miserable.
water_wendi
Water is not wet!
Are you having enough fats?
I think so... I have been cooking literally every meal in gobs of coconut oil, and making keto coffee every morning with heavy cream and coconut oil.
I haven't been counting anything exactly except for carbs, but I guess I could start. My meals look like this:
(after morning run)
Breakfast
- 3 eggs, 3 pieces of bacon, 3 spoonfuls of coconut oil, a few slices of hard cheese
- 12oz keto coffee with 1oz heavy cream and a spoonful of coconut oil (a tiny bit of stevia depending on how I'm feeling)
(8 hours between meals)
Dinner
- fatty protein pan-fried in 3 spoonfuls of coconut oil, likewise a selection of low-carb greens like spinach or asparagus prepared the same way
- 1-2 cups of chicken stock and 1/4 to 1/2 a cube of bullion to drink with dinner
(3 hours until bedtime)
No snacks during the day, no lunch, (I've heard intermittent fasting helps accelerate weight loss, correct me if I'm wrong here) only lots of water during the day. I have two multivitamins right before bed.
Rinse, repeat.
dickroach
Member
intermittent fasting: you're only supposed to eat during about a 6 hour window (±2 hrs) each day.
I can't do it.
i think not snacking during the day isn't doing shit for you right now except keeping you hungry.
6 oz of sliced ham or turkey and a string cheese or something couldn't hurt in the middle of that eight hours between meals. and if you're worried about calories with the snacking, that's something that you can burn off w less than 30 minutes of cardio
I can't do it.
i think not snacking during the day isn't doing shit for you right now except keeping you hungry.
6 oz of sliced ham or turkey and a string cheese or something couldn't hurt in the middle of that eight hours between meals. and if you're worried about calories with the snacking, that's something that you can burn off w less than 30 minutes of cardio
Not worried about calories at all. I'm typically coming in at around 1500-1700, which is a fairly large deficit for someone my age/gender/height/weight (about 30-40% not counting exercise). Would fatty ground beef be OK? I have access to a fridge at all times of day and I'm concerned that turkey or ham would not be fatty enough. I have read that almonds are good but it is easy to go overboard and they are not always the most filling option.
Speaking of calorie deficits, what is healthy? I've heard anywhere from 30% to 60%, but that seems like a pretty wild difference to me. For reference, I have 70-90lbs to lose currently (I want to start lifting with 5x5 at some point, so I will likely not lose that much when all is said and done). Since starting keto a week ago, I am down 8lbs or so.
Speaking of calorie deficits, what is healthy? I've heard anywhere from 30% to 60%, but that seems like a pretty wild difference to me. For reference, I have 70-90lbs to lose currently (I want to start lifting with 5x5 at some point, so I will likely not lose that much when all is said and done). Since starting keto a week ago, I am down 8lbs or so.
I do this right now. I don't eat until noon-ish. It's actually become pretty easy. I have a cup of black tea (with a tsp of generic powder creamer they have at my work and a packet of sweet 'n low) at 8am when I get into work, another cup at 10am, then I eat lunch at 12:30. The creamer has calories in it but it's only 10 per tps and from what I read, that doesn't kick you out of the fast. The main thing you gotta do is drink water. So much water.
All of the water.
Go for the ground beef option. I'm shocked to see that you're still in hunger with what you're eating. Maybe keto doesn't work the same for everyone with the hunger stuff but something like this lasts me for 24 hours
Just curious, do you eat that all at breakfast? My wife is doing one meal a day but I could never swing it with how hungry I get. One if the attractive parts about keto to me was the alleged disappearance of hunger pains.
I had (still have, to some extent) an insatiable, ravenous appetite before - it's what really got me into trouble, despite the decent amount of exercise I get. I even saw a weight loss specialist and we tried suppressing my appetite with pharmaceuticals (to no avail). What's saving me on keto is that all of the stuff I would turn to before to satisfy my hunger was full of sugar and carbs, and so I'm forbidden. I've just been going hungry instead.
Maybe the addition of lunch will help. I will give it a shot.
Thank you for your advice, everyone! I really appreciate the guidance here, it has proven to be extremely valuable. Does anyone know what a safe calorie deficit is for maximizing weight loss without sacrificing too much muscle mass? I'm going to focus on lifting once I weigh a little less, especially because I spend a lot of time running and hiking during the summer months. Since I'm already starving all day, I figured that I might as well maximize my deficit.
Alter_Fridge
Member
Low carb isn't keto
Mr. PlayStation
Member
But don't they have high grams of sugar and carbs in them?
dickroach
Member
they have like 4-6 net carbs. they use erythritol instead of sugar
oneils
Member
How could you not be hungry on this diet? Whether it's Keto or not, you are only eating two times a day.
White_sox
Member
I find that hunger and cravings start to disappear in about a week and will generally be gone by the 2nd week. One of the reasons I hate binging on carbs is because getting "back on" equates to having two or so weeks of cravings and hunger. The hardest part of the keto/low-carb is getting through that initial stage - after that, it's smooth sailing. I'd suggest eating more lean meats and drinking a lot of water especially when you are just starting. Rotisserie chicken is a staple for me and I try to drink about 8 bottles of water a day.
I only eat two times a day at 12/1PM and then again around 7-8PM and I rarely get hungry before or after. If I do get hunger waves, I drink a glass or two of water and it usually goes away. If not, I will just have some keto-friendly snacks like pork rinds or cheese sticks but that's only on very rare occasions.
water_wendi
Water is not wet!
That doesnt sound like a lot of fat. In fact it doesnt evem sound like a lot of food for someone going into a keto/low-carb diet.. usually they are overweight and are used to eating a lot more.
oneils
Member
That's awesome. But if you did get hungry on that diet wouldn't the reason be kind of obvious?
I've been doing 2 meals a day for a very long time so my body's gotten used to it. If I did get hungry, it was probably because I did not eat enough in one of those meals and not because I am only eating 2 meals a day. I do have times when I eat more 2 meals, if I am travelling or out somewhere with friends.
As long as you get enough protein, you can have a pretty serious deficit going.
WiseguyMVP
Member
Anybody trying intermittent fasting as well? I'm trying that first and then I'll move from low carb to keto when the time is right. Just started intermittent fasting so we'll see if there are any positive results. Doing a 16:8 fast.
Everyone is different but honestly, I'd go crazy without my four smaller meals a day (averaging about 1500 calories).
I've lost 10 pounds in 3 weeks on Keto. It works. Stick with it. It's very expensive though so keep that in mind. Don't overload yourself with sweeteners and nuts though. Both can slow or knock you out of ketosis if you have large quantities. Use them as a treat.
Also, NOTHING kills those early sugar cravings like Sparkling Ice carbonated water. Get some immediately and take a few sips whenever you feel like you're going to break.
Also, don't go insane on the calories. Calories can still count if you're eating very large amounts. Tons of dairy can slow things down too. Just take things in moderation, eat at meals until you're moderately full, and drink tons of water. Get yourself a metal water... cup... thing and fill it up like 3 or 4 times a day. You're gonna pee a ton at first.
Also, NOTHING kills those early sugar cravings like Sparkling Ice carbonated water. Get some immediately and take a few sips whenever you feel like you're going to break.
Also, don't go insane on the calories. Calories can still count if you're eating very large amounts. Tons of dairy can slow things down too. Just take things in moderation, eat at meals until you're moderately full, and drink tons of water. Get yourself a metal water... cup... thing and fill it up like 3 or 4 times a day. You're gonna pee a ton at first.
My wife only eats once a day (1300-1500 calories) and she is never hungry. I've heard of others who are the same on keto.
I drink a fuckload of water so no issues there. Why lean meat, though? I thought I wanted to load my protein with as much fat as possible. Even the most greasy McDonald's burgers are a 1:1 ratio of fat: protein typically - which means lean meats will leave a huge fat deficit to fill.
Too weeks gives me hope, I'm halfway through at this point.
I am overweight, and I am used to eating A LOT more. I recently had a scare at the doctor about the potential for developing pre-diabetes (especially given my family history) and that is not a road I intend to travel. I'm going all in. Starting a 30-40% calorie deficit and maybe even going more once I'm fully keto adjusted.
What do you recommend in terms of increasing fat intake? I thought that the copious amount of coconut oil had me covered but maybe not...
I guess I'll have to do more research on this. I'm really worried about losing all of my muscle mass and ending up as skin and bones by the time I'm through... Would you recommend lifting weights while I lose right away, or is cardio (I also do a lot of hiking) sufficient for the time being?
That's not how it works, if I understand the science correctly. Complex carbs metabolize into sugar and wind up spiking your blood glucose. Your body then turns to that as an energy source and doesn't wind up touching your fat reserves. Keto forces your body to use fat as energy (the way it was before humanity learned to cultivate wheat and rice) and thus cuts through your fat really quickly when accompanied by a calorie deficit.
Cutting out simple processed sugars will certainly help improve anyone's health, but the difference will never be as drastic as true keto.
In relation to the Atkin's diet, I understand that keto is a lot more strict. Atkin's let's you cheat after a few weeks/months and is generally much more forgiving. Part of the idea behind keto is that it is strict enough that you never feel like you have the wiggle room to cheat, so it forces strict adherence.
I just started so I'm definitely open to ideas. I'm going to try lunch for a while starting tomorrow and see how it goes.
dickroach
Member
if you're pretty overweight and you're eating 1500 calories/day right now you straight up don't need cardio. you're eating enough protein where you're not gonna wither away; chill. start lifting.
I'd recommend doing one or the other, if you are running a large deficit. Lifting weights while also doing cardio and in a large deficit isn't a complete waste, but you're not going to get a huge return on your time investment and it will likely up your hunger as well as potentially burn you out. If you do decide to lift, do a full body routine 2x a week.
Keto is pretty efficient at sparing LBM, as long as you are getting enough protein. I personally shoot for no less than 150g a day. Some reading for you.
Sounds exactly like those 20/4 (20 hours fasting, 4 hours window where you can eat) variants of intermittent fasting. IF is flexible like no other diet.
ZackieChan
Member
I can attest to this. Pre-cheat day, I was consistently coming in under my daily calorie allotment without any hunger. In the week after, I was hungry constantly and 200 or so above EVERY DAY. Some days I couldn't stop eating. So weird.
Things are balancing out again for me now. Not feeling so hungry, but it could be better.
Hard to tell if you're not tracking. It should be 75% or more of your daily calories coming from fat. Use MyFitnessPal for a week or two until you get a sense of the rhythm. You can set your calories goals and check the nutrition macros (subtract fiber from carbs, though).
I may give this a try soon.
Lev
Member
You can do keto on a budget for sure. Of course, your meals will be very limited and you'll be a ton of eggs most likely.
I love milk but I can't drink anymore with a keto diet. It's nearly impossible if you are going for 20-30g of carbs, unless you are only using every little for coffee.
Update time!
251 pounds. I hit a plateu, decided to Carbo load which led to a week of sinning (pizza, beer, sandwiches, burgers, etc), which jumped by weight to 256 about a week or so ago. At the end, it was good.. I hit my cravings hard and since Sunday I've been back in keto. The past week I had a higher carb intake than normal and still managed to drop some, so this week I am watching my carbs as normal and have been coming up with new recipes which have worked.
251 pounds. I hit a plateu, decided to Carbo load which led to a week of sinning (pizza, beer, sandwiches, burgers, etc), which jumped by weight to 256 about a week or so ago. At the end, it was good.. I hit my cravings hard and since Sunday I've been back in keto. The past week I had a higher carb intake than normal and still managed to drop some, so this week I am watching my carbs as normal and have been coming up with new recipes which have worked.
Omnistalgic
Member
Ok....so week 2, I think I might have messed up a little here and there 4 days ago I had a chicken wing that was fried beforehand, didn't take another bite and left some skin on once I found out. And then 2 nights ago I had a bite of cheesecake, worse because I only got mostly frosting and not the actual cheese. So much sugar in that one little piece, if I was in Ketosis, I'm sure that knocked me out '-(
Been better past 2 days now and honestly, don't see myself falling off again. I had a bit of a sugar/carb cravings which I satisfy by using exactly 3 small frozen strawberries in my morning protein shake. They really are more delicious now that I'm not eating any sugar! Yesterday had chipotle though, and the dairy bothered my stomach, I've also read a lot and watched documentaries on our meat industry and honestly, dairy and fast food seems to be some of the worse things we can consume. I try to get no antibiotics, and grass fed as much as possible, but I think I'm gonna stay away from dairy. I'm buying into the vegan lifestyle a bit I guess, lol...Do we really need milk designed for baby cows? So, with that, my fats are mostly going to come from oils (Olive, Coconut, Avocado) Avocados, seeds/nuts, fatty meats. I seem to be suffering from the same symptoms as the gentlemen above though, just consistently hungry. It's starting to become more manageable, but I still miss the 'full' feeling of carbs, but definitely like the way my belly feels, so I'm sticking with it. Here's what my diet looks like now, any and all suggestions much appreciated, you guys have been really helpful.
Breakfast
Garden of Life Vegan Protein Power
Tablespoon of Coconut Oil
Strawberries (2-3)
Tablespoon Chia seed
415 cal
Weekend breakfast
2-3 eggs or whites
1 piece of Uncured turkey bacon
Whole Avocado
650-700 cal
Lunch
Chipotle Bowl
Chicken or Steak
Peppers
Guac
Tomato salsa
460cal
Mid day
small pinches of mixed nuts/seeds
Mix includes Pumpkin, sunflower, cashews, almonds, pistachios
Dinner
Ground Turkey and Avocado (if I didn't have it for lunch/breakfeast)
Shredded Cabbage/Mushrooms/Cauliflower/Scallion mix
A few cups of Spinach if I'm really famished
600-700 calories depends on how much oil I'm using really
Weekend Dinner
Lamb chops or Shoulder or
Grass Fed Porterhouse cuts
Same Cabbage/Mushroom mix
I'm 5" 7 and last time I was weighed about 167 lbs
Nutritionist said my body fat was around 21% and I'm probably overeating on carbs a bit which is why I can't get rid of the stubborn love handle fat or get my chess smaller/ripped
I've read my deficit should be around 1800 cal for the day, and I think I hit that most days, though it's super easy to go over with Coco oil, that stuff is FULL OF FAT lol...but so good. and I workout moderately 2-3 times a week. Usually a full body workout with light weights or body weight, and during 2-3 miles at a local park with hills.
Just trying to lose fat atm...see my abs more defined, no love handles, and get rid of the fat in my chest do I don't look like a mini Hulk and more like a slim swimmer or something. Kevin Heart and Mark Walberg are my body goals and same body type as me.
Been better past 2 days now and honestly, don't see myself falling off again. I had a bit of a sugar/carb cravings which I satisfy by using exactly 3 small frozen strawberries in my morning protein shake. They really are more delicious now that I'm not eating any sugar! Yesterday had chipotle though, and the dairy bothered my stomach, I've also read a lot and watched documentaries on our meat industry and honestly, dairy and fast food seems to be some of the worse things we can consume. I try to get no antibiotics, and grass fed as much as possible, but I think I'm gonna stay away from dairy. I'm buying into the vegan lifestyle a bit I guess, lol...Do we really need milk designed for baby cows? So, with that, my fats are mostly going to come from oils (Olive, Coconut, Avocado) Avocados, seeds/nuts, fatty meats. I seem to be suffering from the same symptoms as the gentlemen above though, just consistently hungry. It's starting to become more manageable, but I still miss the 'full' feeling of carbs, but definitely like the way my belly feels, so I'm sticking with it. Here's what my diet looks like now, any and all suggestions much appreciated, you guys have been really helpful.
Breakfast
Garden of Life Vegan Protein Power
Tablespoon of Coconut Oil
Strawberries (2-3)
Tablespoon Chia seed
415 cal
Weekend breakfast
2-3 eggs or whites
1 piece of Uncured turkey bacon
Whole Avocado
650-700 cal
Lunch
Chipotle Bowl
Chicken or Steak
Peppers
Guac
Tomato salsa
460cal
Mid day
small pinches of mixed nuts/seeds
Mix includes Pumpkin, sunflower, cashews, almonds, pistachios
Dinner
Ground Turkey and Avocado (if I didn't have it for lunch/breakfeast)
Shredded Cabbage/Mushrooms/Cauliflower/Scallion mix
A few cups of Spinach if I'm really famished
600-700 calories depends on how much oil I'm using really
Weekend Dinner
Lamb chops or Shoulder or
Grass Fed Porterhouse cuts
Same Cabbage/Mushroom mix
I'm 5" 7 and last time I was weighed about 167 lbs
Nutritionist said my body fat was around 21% and I'm probably overeating on carbs a bit which is why I can't get rid of the stubborn love handle fat or get my chess smaller/ripped
I've read my deficit should be around 1800 cal for the day, and I think I hit that most days, though it's super easy to go over with Coco oil, that stuff is FULL OF FAT lol...but so good. and I workout moderately 2-3 times a week. Usually a full body workout with light weights or body weight, and during 2-3 miles at a local park with hills.
Just trying to lose fat atm...see my abs more defined, no love handles, and get rid of the fat in my chest do I don't look like a mini Hulk and more like a slim swimmer or something. Kevin Heart and Mark Walberg are my body goals and same body type as me.
water_wendi
Water is not wet!
It sounds like you are starving yourself and hence you are hungry. This might be counter-productive.
Your problem is not eating enough. You will lose fat when you are in ketosis. There is no need to starve yourself like that. Anyway.. as for fat. Usually when people are hungry while in ketosis they are not eating enough fat, just straight protein and fiber. You can eat mountains of meat but if you are not getting enough fat you will feel hungry. Ever hear of something called rabbit starvation? From Vilhjalmur Stefanssons writings:
edit:
Sample menu i had today where i am in deep red ketosis.
3:30am Breakfast - riced cauliflowers sauteed like hash browns in butter with a handful of colby-jack and some turkey sausage links
5:30pm Dinner - turkey burgers, mayo/mustard/relish/little ketchup condiments, pre-cooked bacon
Heavy amount of work during the day and zero hunger. Could have easily just flopped down on the bed and fell asleep but from experience whenever i cut things too low i stall.
ZackieChan
Member
I don't understand the wing thing - it being fried isn't a problem on keto. Was it breaded? That's an issue, obviously. Get them "naked", I believe is the term.
And as for cheesecake, there are a ton of keto cheesecake recipes that are great and don't knock you from ketosis. I prefer the chocolate peanut butter cup fat bombs I make - they are amazing and are basically all oil, butter, and almond butter (with a peanut butter center). So good.
Keto Connect on YouTube has cheesecake recipes, and Jason Whitlock on YouTube has the chocolate one (I add the peanut butter off-recipe).
sneakypete
Member
Everyone is different and not everything will work for everyone. That being said, I'm not trying to be a dick here, but if your goal is weight loss, then constant snacking on IFketo is sabotaging you. Every time you eat your body's parasympathetic nervous system takes charge for the next ~8 hours, stopping you from burning body fat for fuel.
I thought this was interesting as well: you're not actually hungry when you think you are. You learned yo eat at certain times and now your body produces more of the hunger hormone called ghrelin at those times. The more you fast, the more you can reteach your body. I recommend trying a 36 or 72 hour fast so you can actually feel real hunger. If you want to see the science regarding ghrelin:
https://intensivedietarymanagement.com/fasting-ghrelin-fasting-29/
Again, IF isn't for everyone. I personally have had great success with it. It took about 2 weeks before I got into the rhythm of it and the hunger subsided, and now it is easy. One meal a day for the last 7 weeks. I save so much money on groceries vs before keto.
HammerOfThor
Member
Wait so are Quest bars okay on Keto?
water_wendi
Water is not wet!
Try one and see if it kicks you out of ketosis. i think they are a bit pricey but ive picked up the Costco version of the Quest bars in the past and theyve come in handy the few times ive needed them.
ZackieChan
Member
They also taste like shit. Gotta microwave them for 15 seconds or so to make them palatable.
HammerOfThor
Member
Whats the Costco version called?
https://www.costco.com/Kirkland-Signature-Variety-Protein-Bars,-40-count.product.100296106.html
Direct copy of quest bars, taste pretty good too. Can get hard though over time.
HammerOfThor
Member
Great, thanks!
Barrel Cannon
Member
I had better success eating one meal around 9:30/10:00 at work, 1 at about 3pm and then having a protien shake and some light snack after my workout at night
Just wanted to say that I started keto on June 1st, mostly thanks to seeing this thread pop up on the first page. This led me down a rabbit hole of research and I eventually decided to just take the plunge.
Some background on me: I've always been a relatively skinny/healthy weight. In my mid-20s I spent time putting on muscle so I have a fairly well-defined chest and always had ab muscles showing even with higher bodyfat. However over the past 2 yrs I let myself go and ate a lot of fast food and carbs, and even sugar (I've never been much of a sugar guy and never ever drink non-diet soda). The weight gain was subtle, but over time I started noticing that clothes weren't fitting as well, and my gut was starting to show up consistently in photos. At the end of May, I stepped on the scale and it read 183, which was the heaviest I had ever been in my life (I'm 5'7" btw)
So far as of this morning I've lost 16 lbs and still going and the experience has greatly exceeded my expectations. I wanted to share my own personal experience w/ keto in this relatively short time in case anyone else is on the fence about giving it a shot. Here are some random notes/thoughts on my keto journey thus far:
- For starters, I found switching to this diet extremely easy in practice, even though it seemed nearly insurmountable to think about.
- Historically I've always loved bread, pasta, potatoes, rice, etc. I thought it would be much harder to let these things go. While I occasionally think about missing these foods, I found that the longer I stuck with the diet, the less I craved these things. In fact I don't really crave anything anymore (except maybe bacon, and BBQ)
- I should clarify, that I am doing lazy keto. I don't track my macros as that shit is way too much work. I find things like calorie counting and keeping food journals to be incredibly tedious and unproductive, but I also appreciate taking a data-driven approach to things so I can totally see why people advocate for this.
- I already consume a large amount of meat and fat, so my big change was basically just replacing the side dishes I paired with meat. (so instead of a steak and baked potato, I just eat steak and asparagus)
- I did not experience any keto flu symptoms. I may have had a mild headache for a day or two but that was it. I also love salty foods and eat a fuckton of sodium every day, so that may have helped mitigate the effects.
- Unlike other diets that incorporate carbs, I saw results almost immediately (yeah yeah I know it was water weight, but it was still a confidence boost)
- My weight loss has been fairly consistent. So far no major plateaus yet. I did have a 3 day stretch where each weigh in was a bit higher than the previous day, but my normal weight loss resumed shortly after
- I find that my hunger cravings in general have changed. I never quite feel the same level of hunger that I used to, and I find it much easier to stop when I'm full. I rarely ever get that bloated/tired feeling after eating lunch that I used to.
- I did cheat over the 4th of July weekend. I had like maybe 4-6 beers, a frozen margarita, and some sandwich bread. I gained a bit of weight after that weekend but within days I dropped back into ketosis and the weight loss resumed.
- My ability to concentrate (adult ADHD) has definitely improved
- I have done almost no exercise at all, and many days I work from home and barely get any physical activity.
- Speaking of, I've noticed that on days when I am less physically active, my body doesn't require much food. Previously I would get hungry every 2 hours regardless, and if I worked out I would be absolutely ravenous. Nowadays, if I don't move around much I may only get hungry for one meal a day.
- Related to ^^ I find intermittent fasting to be 10x easier now that I'm eating a ketogenic diet. Previously the only time I was ever able to tolerate IF was when I was taking Vyvanse, which has a hunger suppression side effect (plus a handful of other side effects)
- I live in TX and I fucking love Texas BBQ. The fact that I can eat as much of it as I want is glorious. Again, the only change I had to make was to stop getting sides like potato salad, mac n cheese, bread, etc. I just load up on brisket, sausage, pulled pork, and ribs.
- So far my biggest challenge has been making sure I get enough fiber. I probably don't eat enough leafy green veggies, and some meals I just eat meat which I know isn't great. I will occasionally eat half a cup of beans, which has helped in this regard.
- I've found that I can usually get away with around 40-50ish carbs per day without falling out of ketosis, but I generally try to keep it under 30. Obviously YMMV here
- Most of my adult life I wore a belt with my jeans, as the waist size I buy was always slightly too big (but the next one down was too tight) so I had to wear a belt. About 1.5 years ago, I noticed my waistline being uncomfortably tight and I had to ditch the belt. Today for the first time I had to use a belt again to keep my pants from sagging, and I was so happy.
Anyways thats where I'm at so far. I'm not some inspiring story or anything like that as I wasn't obese or pre-diabetic, but I was definitely overweight and trending in the wrong direction. I can definitively say that embracing a ketogenic diet has been the best decision I've made this year.
If anyone is on the fence about giving this diet a try, I say go for it. Don't even think about it just give it a shot. It's definitely not for everyone. My friend decided to try it around the same time as me and absolutely hated it and gave up after < 48 hrs. I've seen similar reactions from ppl on the internet. That shouldn't discourage anyone from giving it a go. To me it is the easiest diet I've ever tried, as I am still allowed to eat almost all of my favorite things.
I just wanted to say thanks to the folks who have participated in this thread as it helped push me towards embracing this diet. My initial goal was to do this for a fixed period of time as an expriment, and now I'm thinking it may end up becoming a lifestyle change.
Some background on me: I've always been a relatively skinny/healthy weight. In my mid-20s I spent time putting on muscle so I have a fairly well-defined chest and always had ab muscles showing even with higher bodyfat. However over the past 2 yrs I let myself go and ate a lot of fast food and carbs, and even sugar (I've never been much of a sugar guy and never ever drink non-diet soda). The weight gain was subtle, but over time I started noticing that clothes weren't fitting as well, and my gut was starting to show up consistently in photos. At the end of May, I stepped on the scale and it read 183, which was the heaviest I had ever been in my life (I'm 5'7" btw)
So far as of this morning I've lost 16 lbs and still going and the experience has greatly exceeded my expectations. I wanted to share my own personal experience w/ keto in this relatively short time in case anyone else is on the fence about giving it a shot. Here are some random notes/thoughts on my keto journey thus far:
- For starters, I found switching to this diet extremely easy in practice, even though it seemed nearly insurmountable to think about.
- Historically I've always loved bread, pasta, potatoes, rice, etc. I thought it would be much harder to let these things go. While I occasionally think about missing these foods, I found that the longer I stuck with the diet, the less I craved these things. In fact I don't really crave anything anymore (except maybe bacon, and BBQ)
- I should clarify, that I am doing lazy keto. I don't track my macros as that shit is way too much work. I find things like calorie counting and keeping food journals to be incredibly tedious and unproductive, but I also appreciate taking a data-driven approach to things so I can totally see why people advocate for this.
- I already consume a large amount of meat and fat, so my big change was basically just replacing the side dishes I paired with meat. (so instead of a steak and baked potato, I just eat steak and asparagus)
- I did not experience any keto flu symptoms. I may have had a mild headache for a day or two but that was it. I also love salty foods and eat a fuckton of sodium every day, so that may have helped mitigate the effects.
- Unlike other diets that incorporate carbs, I saw results almost immediately (yeah yeah I know it was water weight, but it was still a confidence boost)
- My weight loss has been fairly consistent. So far no major plateaus yet. I did have a 3 day stretch where each weigh in was a bit higher than the previous day, but my normal weight loss resumed shortly after
- I find that my hunger cravings in general have changed. I never quite feel the same level of hunger that I used to, and I find it much easier to stop when I'm full. I rarely ever get that bloated/tired feeling after eating lunch that I used to.
- I did cheat over the 4th of July weekend. I had like maybe 4-6 beers, a frozen margarita, and some sandwich bread. I gained a bit of weight after that weekend but within days I dropped back into ketosis and the weight loss resumed.
- My ability to concentrate (adult ADHD) has definitely improved
- I have done almost no exercise at all, and many days I work from home and barely get any physical activity.
- Speaking of, I've noticed that on days when I am less physically active, my body doesn't require much food. Previously I would get hungry every 2 hours regardless, and if I worked out I would be absolutely ravenous. Nowadays, if I don't move around much I may only get hungry for one meal a day.
- Related to ^^ I find intermittent fasting to be 10x easier now that I'm eating a ketogenic diet. Previously the only time I was ever able to tolerate IF was when I was taking Vyvanse, which has a hunger suppression side effect (plus a handful of other side effects)
- I live in TX and I fucking love Texas BBQ. The fact that I can eat as much of it as I want is glorious. Again, the only change I had to make was to stop getting sides like potato salad, mac n cheese, bread, etc. I just load up on brisket, sausage, pulled pork, and ribs.
- So far my biggest challenge has been making sure I get enough fiber. I probably don't eat enough leafy green veggies, and some meals I just eat meat which I know isn't great. I will occasionally eat half a cup of beans, which has helped in this regard.
- I've found that I can usually get away with around 40-50ish carbs per day without falling out of ketosis, but I generally try to keep it under 30. Obviously YMMV here
- Most of my adult life I wore a belt with my jeans, as the waist size I buy was always slightly too big (but the next one down was too tight) so I had to wear a belt. About 1.5 years ago, I noticed my waistline being uncomfortably tight and I had to ditch the belt. Today for the first time I had to use a belt again to keep my pants from sagging, and I was so happy.
Anyways thats where I'm at so far. I'm not some inspiring story or anything like that as I wasn't obese or pre-diabetic, but I was definitely overweight and trending in the wrong direction. I can definitively say that embracing a ketogenic diet has been the best decision I've made this year.
If anyone is on the fence about giving this diet a try, I say go for it. Don't even think about it just give it a shot. It's definitely not for everyone. My friend decided to try it around the same time as me and absolutely hated it and gave up after < 48 hrs. I've seen similar reactions from ppl on the internet. That shouldn't discourage anyone from giving it a go. To me it is the easiest diet I've ever tried, as I am still allowed to eat almost all of my favorite things.
I just wanted to say thanks to the folks who have participated in this thread as it helped push me towards embracing this diet. My initial goal was to do this for a fixed period of time as an expriment, and now I'm thinking it may end up becoming a lifestyle change.
TheSkullPrince
Member
Can you have any cheat days on this diet?
Infinite_Daremo
Member
Thought id give an update on my stalled weight loss. So as a treat I would have a teaspoon of peanut butter a day. Didn't think much of it. Except the fact one spoon of it could range from 100-200 calories. Add to that days when I was feeling extra hungry I would have 1-2 more spoons and theres my calorie limit fucked.
Issue was i'd been doing this since the start of Keto and lost weight weekly but once approaching 8-10% BF range my body was becoming a bit less lenient.
In short. Track every calorie. Even a tiny spoon of something could fuck you over
You can but it will most likely knock you out of Ketosis. I have a cheat weekend once a month.
Side note. Getting a full health review next week guys. Expecting to get told my cholesterol is that of the average American so what warning signs should I look out for and what results should I expect being on Keto?
Yes, and it's recommended that you have a day with lots of carbs and minimal fat a few times a month, especially if you have been doing it a long time or are relatively lean. Referred to as a 'refeed' and it helps correct some the hormonal adjustments your body makes to zero carbs.
Skip breakfast, do intermittent fasting. Gives you loads of energy.
dragonelite
Member
Yeah but its not effective because for majority of people will be knocked out of Keto while raising carbs.
I going to assume that is what you meant with a cheat day have your cake and eat it.
Its possible to have cheat meals/days it really depends on how much you're going/willing to sacrifice if your doing Keto for losing weight.
I usually had Saturday as my cheat day, so i could go out to dinner or have some drinks with friends.
To get back faster into Keto i took a walk or ran some kilometer to burn up some of the stored up glycogen, i would usually be back into ketosis Sunday night or Monday morning.
While still eating through out the day. An even faster way for me to get back into ketosis was to just use fasting(intermediate fasting) till like 10pm Sunday or till Monday morning.
I usually skip breakfast and just have some black coffee, you might want to combine it with MCT or butter if your afraid about not getting enough fat/calories in.
sneakypete
Member
However strict you want to be, keto works. 17 weeks and down from 268 to 198.
Infinite_Daremo
Member
Skip breakfast? You mother fuckers are crazy.
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