Support NeoGAF

[Relix]

I cannot freaking sleep. I have like a massive amount of energy, and I even Ran! About 400 meters today which is a first in a long time, so yeah laugh at me, and walked over 3 miles.

But I feel restless and can't sleep right now. Too much energy. Is this normal? Are these effects expected just 3 days in?

 

[Valkerionseven]

Been wanting to try this, whats a good basic idea of what to eat/buy at the store to begin?

Wont be able to cut carbs entirely living in Japan due to rice and what not but can try for at least 2 of the three meals a day.

 

[water_wendi]

I cannot freaking sleep. I have like a massive amount of energy, and I even Ran! About 400 meters today which is a first in a long time, so yeah laugh at me, and walked over 3 miles.

But I feel restless and can't sleep right now. Too much energy. Is this normal? Are these effects expected just 3 days in?

More energy, less sleep is common. When i am in heavy ketosis i find i can get by just fine on 4 hour of sleep if i choose to.

 

[ubique]

I ignored people that told me to eat fiber when I was on this diet, and as a result I didn't shit for 6 or 7 days. I thought I was gonna need some kind of shit removal surgery, really started to panic... but when I finally made it, it came out normal

 

[water_wendi]

I ignored people that told me to eat fiber when I was on this diet, and as a result I didn't shit for 6 or 7 days. I thought I was gonna need some kind of shit removal surgery, really started to panic... but when I finally made it, it came out normal

ive only had constipation when ive gone overboard cheese. In ketosis bowel movements seem to be much smaller. Not sure if from more efficient breakdown of fat/protein vs carb or just less overall solid material with lower water content (which has more water.. a slice of ham vs a ritz cracker for example).

 

[ZackieChan]

Been wanting to try this, whats a good basic idea of what to eat/buy at the store to begin?

Wont be able to cut carbs entirely living in Japan due to rice and what not but can try for at least 2 of the three meals a day.

You won't be doing keto, then. It requires high fat and very low carbs (probably under 25g). Very difficult to do in Japan unless you cook at home.

 

[Valkerionseven]

You won't be doing keto, then. It requires high fat and very low carbs (probably under 25g). Very difficult to do in Japan unless you cook at home.

Which I can do Everything is available here... except like... skittles. Lunch might be a problem since I go out for lunch usually or am provided it by where I'm at that day and always comes with a piece of bread or a serving of rice.

 

[DeadlyVirus]

Any recomendations on keto snacks I can buy off Amazon?

 

[ZackieChan]

Which I can do Everything is available here... except like... skittles. Lunch might be a problem since I go out for lunch usually or am provided it by where I'm at that day and always comes with a piece of bread or a serving of rice.

I had quite a difficult time doing it in Tokyo, tbh. Probably because everything delicious has carbs. And that Crunky.
There were a few places that I could grab low carb food from, but since I was just there for a few months, I just ate like a local and ditched the low carb.

 

[Famassu]

I wouldn't do a keto diet unless there's some good reason to (can be good for obese people to lose weight fast if being obese is seriously life-threatening to them already, can cause problems in the long run) and you can & are willing to have a doctor supervise your short & long-term progress every now & then. For everyone else, a balanced diet that takes some care to keep portion sizes in check but doesn't demonize any one group of nutrition is far better than something so strict & potentially harmful.

 

[arigato]

The human body is very resilient so you won't die as long as you avoid dairy and shellfish or any seafood like the plague. Remember, don't forget your potassium and sodium as they're non negotiable. And don't overeat on eggs either but they're a great source of iodine.
Make avocados a weekly habit to pair together with your meals so you got your fiber in that way.

 

[ZackieChan]

You'll die if you eat seafood? What am I reading?

 

[CaptainCook]

When I did Keto all I ate was bacon eggs sausage and fatty beef. And I would start my day with a bullet coffee made in my magic bullet. Shits delicious, get the grass fed butter and make sure you add coconut oil to almost everything that you can. Keto is super hard to maintain but wow in that one month I saw results. Dropped 20lbs. The second I got off it though the weight came flying back. Also cheese is a great snack for keto. I was doing under 15g a day of carbs. Also get the Keto strips. It's cool to see when you hit ketosis.

 

[ISWThunder]

The human body is very resilient so you won't die as long as you avoid dairy and shellfish or any seafood like the plague. Remember, don't forget your potassium and sodium as they're non negotiable. And don't overeat on eggs either but they're a great source of iodine.
Make avocados a weekly habit to pair together with your meals so you got your fiber in that way.

Umm.... what?

 

[MuddyDonut]

I started mine this week too! Congrats.

 

[Like the hat?]

I've been doing keto for a while

My biggest tip? Get some vitamin k and magnesium supplements or else you're gonna get some wicked leg cramps.

 

[gutterboy44]

It drops weight quick, but it is not without negatives. I did it, lost 20 lbs crazy quick but completely fucked my cholesterol in the process. In the end it wasn't worth it because none of it was sustainable (keto vegetarian is even less fun). It did teach me some good recipes though. Spaghetti squash is now our "pasta" and we always have cauliflower for the numerous low carb uses it has. The weight blipped back up and now it is a much slower drop, but my diet feels normal, the low carb substitutes are reasonable and my cholesterol came back down. When I described the keto diet, my doctor looked at me like I was an idiot. His exact words were, "who told you to do that? Do you have a nutritionist?" and with my tail between my legs I had to say, "I read it on the internet." Keep that in mind and maybe run it by your PCP.

 

[Relix]

It drops weight quick, but it is not without negatives. I did it, lost 20 lbs crazy quick but completely fucked my cholesterol in the process. In the end it wasn't worth it because none of it was sustainable (keto vegetarian is even less fun). It did teach me some good recipes though. Spaghetti squash is now our "pasta" and we always have cauliflower for the numerous low carb uses it has. The weight blipped back up and now it is a much slower drop, but my diet feels normal, the low carb substitutes are reasonable and my cholesterol came back down. When I described the keto diet, my doctor looked at me like I was an idiot. His exact words were, "who told you to do that? Do you have a nutritionist?" and with my tail between my legs I had to say, "I read it on the internet." Keep that in mind and maybe run it by your PCP.

The cholesterol thing is my biggest worry right now.

 

[Jabronium]

I'm on day 5 myself, cutting after a few months of bulking. Only running a 10% calorie deficit and lifting 4 days/week, but since I'm a desk jockey at work I'm still only around 2000 cals/day. Haven't really had any of the flu, other than a pretty minor headache the last couple days. Been under 25g net carbs every day so far, getting about 30g fiber per day.

 

[Manoko]

I cannot freaking sleep. I have like a massive amount of energy, and I even Ran! About 400 meters today which is a first in a long time, so yeah laugh at me, and walked over 3 miles.

But I feel restless and can't sleep right now. Too much energy. Is this normal? Are these effects expected just 3 days in?

Sounds like your adrenaline/cortisol are too high which makes you feel restless and give you a false impression of having too much energy, while you're actually tiring yourself out.

Be careful.

 

[lcd]

Been doing keto/intermittent fasting since November and I'm down almost 40lbs. I have more energy, sleep better and generally in a better mood.

Any recomendations on keto snacks I can buy off Amazon?

I'd recommend Cello Whisps. They're 100% pure cheese and satisfy my cravings for crunchy cracker like snacks. I also use them in place of croutons in my Caesar salad.

 

[dickroach]

Any recomendations on keto snacks

pork rinds.

 

[Ultryx]

Good luck with keto. I've done it on three different occasions. It works, but I love my beers. It's easier for me to eat well and exercise.

 

[HammerOfThor]

pork rinds.

my man

 

[Wuiji]

I've been doing keto with a calorie limit of 2100 per day since the middle of January. I'm currently down 42lbs, with a steady weight loss per week of around 1.8/2lbs after big changes in the first couple of weeks. My diet is really simple and easy, I'm not bored of it yet.


Each morning I'll cook up a batch of diced chicken breasts. Around 360-400g raw, with 30-40g butter. Add in smoked paprika and whatever spices for taste. Add some diced peppers and spinach and then use that as a base for the rest of the day.


I'll take a portion of that and make a 2-3 egg omelette, with 30ml of heavy cream/double cream. Add some green beans or peppers for some extra carbs. That'll be one meal.

Then I'll split the rest into two portions and have that mixed in a bowl with some shredded lettuce, or spinach with rocket/arugula. Add some mayo or whatever if your fat content is a bit low.

Some nuts (almonds are great, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds are awesome) to snack on, cheese if needed. I rarely feel hungry and haven't struggled at all. I'll occasionally get some take out, and get some kebab meat with salad, or some chicken/lamb tikka with salad and a dollop of mayo.

If I keep going at my current rate, I should hit my target of around 200-220lbs in a year's time. I started at 360lbs.My clothes fit me better, my face shape has changed a bit and I generally feel pretty great compared to before.

Just make sure you drink plenty of water, and try to get blood tested regularly just to be sure you aren't fucking up your body. Also, get some broth, or electrolyte tablets to avoid getting 'keto flu'.

 

[BlueTsunami]

pork rinds.

The GOAT 🐐

 

[Bread]

I've been doing keto with a calorie limit of 2100 per day since the middle of January. I'm currently down 42lbs, with a steady weight loss per week of around 1.8/2lbs after big changes in the first couple of weeks. My diet is really simple and easy, I'm not bored of it yet.


Each morning I'll cook up a batch of diced chicken breasts. Around 360-400g raw, with 30-40g butter. Add in smoked paprika and whatever spices for taste. Add some diced peppers and spinach and then use that as a base for the rest of the day.


I'll take a portion of that and make a 2-3 egg omelette, with 30ml of heavy cream/double cream. Add some green beans or peppers for some extra carbs. That'll be one meal.

Then I'll split the rest into two portions and have that mixed in a bowl with some shredded lettuce, or spinach with rocket/arugula. Add some mayo or whatever if your fat content is a bit low.

Some nuts (almonds are great, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds are awesome) to snack on, cheese if needed. I rarely feel hungry and haven't struggled at all. I'll occasionally get some take out, and get some kebab meat with salad, or some chicken/lamb tikka with salad and a dollop of mayo.

If I keep going at my current rate, I should hit my target of around 200-220lbs in a year's time. I started at 360lbs.My clothes fit me better, my face shape has changed a bit and I generally feel pretty great compared to before.

Just make sure you drink plenty of water, and try to get blood tested regularly just to be sure you aren't fucking up your body. Also, get some broth, or electrolyte tablets to avoid getting 'keto flu'.

damn wuiji that's awesome man! good job

 

[Relix]

I don't really feel like doing fancy cooking. I was thinking of cooking a porterhouse or something and that's it. Many of the keto recipes I've found are way too fancy and complex. Any simple stuff?

 

[veryslowhand]

green olives as someone pointed are a great snack

 

[jcutner]

I don't really feel like doing fancy cooking. I was thinking of cooking a porterhouse or something and that's it. Many of the keto recipes I've found are way too fancy and complex. Any simple stuff?

http://cavemanketo.com/

Simple simple simple stuff
My bible

 

[led4lyfe]

Pork rinds are an excellent snack. Does a great job curbing whatever cravings I get....feels me up quick.

 

[Wuiji]

I don't really feel like doing fancy cooking. I was thinking of cooking a porterhouse or something and that's it. Many of the keto recipes I've found are way too fancy and complex. Any simple stuff?

Plenty of simple stuff, just use calorie counter like MyFitnessPal and play around with stuff. Generally just chuck a bunch of stuff into a hot pan with a load of butter and you're all set.

 

[gaiages]

I ignored people that told me to eat fiber when I was on this diet, and as a result I didn't shit for 6 or 7 days. I thought I was gonna need some kind of shit removal surgery, really started to panic... but when I finally made it, it came out normal

I don't go regularly anymore, despite daily probiotic intake... but I never feel constipated or anything, so I don't see a large problem with going less often. But yeah, fiber is quite important regardless.

I wouldn't do a keto diet unless there's some good reason to (can be good for obese people to lose weight fast if being obese is seriously life-threatening to them already, can cause problems in the long run) and you can & are willing to have a doctor supervise your short & long-term progress every now & then. For everyone else, a balanced diet that takes some care to keep portion sizes in check but doesn't demonize any one group of nutrition is far better than something so strict & potentially harmful.

I think a lot of people that have a healthy mindset about keto don't think carbs are the devil or anything, though some of the more... passionate people I've seen that have had major life changes do to keto seem to think so.

Point is, if anyone's remotely educated on nutrition (as they should be before trying ANY diet, but you know...), they shouldn't think of ANY of the marcos as the devil.

Any recomendations on keto snacks I can buy off Amazon?

I've found Quest bars to be a savior, just make sure to read the labels for which ones are lower in carbs.

Others also recommend the Costco equivalents, but those aren't on Amazon and I haven't been able to try them because membership and stuff.

Been doing keto/intermittent fasting since November and I'm down almost 40lbs. I have more energy, sleep better and generally in a better mood.




I'd recommend Cello Whisps. They're 100% pure cheese and satisfy my cravings for crunchy cracker like snacks. I also use them in place of croutons in my Caesar salad.

Goddamn that's expensive...

 

[Deleted member 17706]

Wasn't expecting to find an article on The Atlantic that more or less reflects my thoughts on the whole calories in/calories out dogma, but I did:

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2017/04/baths-and-calories/522756/

Looks like the author has penned several articles on the topic.

Choice quote:

A calorie is the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of a gram of water by one degree Celsius. The "calories" we talk about in food are the amount of energy released when that food is burned. Of course the first law of thermodynamics applies to humans, so if you take in less energy than you use, it's impossible to store that energy (as body fat). But the factors that go into energy balance are many. The body burns and stores energy from different foods in different forms at different times in different people in different ways.

That crudity leads to mistakes, like the idea that 200 calories of Skittles are in any way equivalent to 200 calories of salad. In that way, calories have been weaponized by marketers to claim their ingestible products are innocuous. As Coca-Cola has advertised, for one, drinking soda is fine as long as you exercise enough to burn off those calories. That's reasonable if it weren't also true that constant exposure to high-sugar foods changes the way our bodies store energy. It's like saying it's fine to insult someone as long as you follow it with a compliment.

 

[smokeandmirrors]

I cannot freaking sleep. I have like a massive amount of energy, and I even Ran! About 400 meters today which is a first in a long time, so yeah laugh at me, and walked over 3 miles.

But I feel restless and can't sleep right now. Too much energy. Is this normal? Are these effects expected just 3 days in?

when i was in full on ketosis i found i could sleep far less and have more energy than i did on a normal diet.

8 hours was my norm pre-keto, less than 6 during it and i had far more energy.

 

[HariKari]

Been wanting to try this, whats a good basic idea of what to eat/buy at the store to begin?

Wont be able to cut carbs entirely living in Japan due to rice and what not but can try for at least 2 of the three meals a day.

The whole point of keto is to get your body to switch over to fat for fuel instead of carbs. So you won't get a ton of benefit if you're still eating rice and whatnot. The goal is to induce ketosis.

Recommend combining keto with intermittent fasting for easy weight loss/maintenance.

 

[Skelter]

Be prepared to shit bricks for a while..

Eat a lot of veggies. Get that fiber. It helps A LOT.

 

[Relix]

Will a 8oz latte kick me out of keto?

 

[ZackieChan]

Will a 8oz latte kick me out of keto?

Get it with heavy cream instead of milk. I get an iced coffee with heavy cream. You can also do hot - hell, your Starbucks may have some Kerrygold butter to drop a couple pats into the hot coffee. Add some heavy cream and you've got keto coffee.
If you're making it at home, add some coconut or MCT oil, and butter. Put it in a blender and you're drinking bulletproof coffee.

 

[poutmeter]

Eat a lot of veggies. Get that fiber. It helps A LOT.

Second time keto'ing, and I still forgot this bit. The first week was a pain in the butt, literally!

 

[Relix]

I almost fucked up yesterday. Went out to eat with friends had a burger with no bun but found it there were some breaded onion rings on it. I ate it... And some potato chips but not all of them, just like 5. Had a Sip of a beer and ate one third of a pizza slice. I had 0 carbs the whole day so hopefully it didn't kick me out .

I am weak haha.

 

[Deleted member 17706]

I almost fucked up yesterday. Went out to eat with friends had a burger with no bun but found it there were some breaded onion rings on it. I ate it... And some potato chips but not all of them, just like 5. Had a Sip of a beer and ate one third of a pizza slice. I had 0 carbs the whole day so hopefully it didn't kick me out .

I am weak haha.

You're going to be fine, man! Indulge every once in a while.

I wouldn't be too worried about getting in or staying in ketosis. There's a huge personal threshold to that stuff, and it's unclear whether being in the state or not is actually important. What's more important is staying low carb enough that your body needs to use fat stores for energy.

 

[ZackieChan]

I almost fucked up yesterday. Went out to eat with friends had a burger with no bun but found it there were some breaded onion rings on it. I ate it... And some potato chips but not all of them, just like 5. Had a Sip of a beer and ate one third of a pizza slice. I had 0 carbs the whole day so hopefully it didn't kick me out .

I am weak haha.

The beer and pizza may have been a bit much, but yeah, you're not going to be perfect. The real problem with this is when you fuck up one day, then just give up or let yourself go.
I did a carb day yesterday because I was going to a VR party in LA and knew I'd be drinking. But today I'm back on the diet and will stick to it for at least another two weeks. Onward!

 

[HarryKS]

Is your hair dry OP?

 

[McLovin]

But I love to occasionally get them carbs! It's more for sustainability and personal enjoyment than any weight loss function.

Hey everyones different do what works for you. But it should be noted that there are lots of really good substitutes for carby things. Like fathead pizza(crust made out of cheese and almond flour), or keto baked goods(using almond flour and erythritol(sugar substitute)). With all those options out there I don't think the 2-3 days you lose are worth it to me. In the long run though you'll still lose weight. So if it helps you stay on it then do refeeds.

 

[McLovin]

I cannot freaking sleep. I have like a massive amount of energy, and I even Ran! About 400 meters today which is a first in a long time, so yeah laugh at me, and walked over 3 miles.

But I feel restless and can't sleep right now. Too much energy. Is this normal? Are these effects expected just 3 days in?

By any chance did you use coconut oil at night time? Its not that common but for me when I have coconut oil it gives me more energy then coffee. I made scrambled eggs one night with coconut oil and couldn't fall asleep until 3am.

 

[Relix]

By any chance did you use coconut oil at night time? Its not that common but for me when I have coconut oil it gives me more energy then coffee. I made scrambled eggs one night with coconut oil and couldn't fall asleep until 3am.

Hmm, using avocado oil most of the time

 

[Relix]

Bough ketosticks...

I am between 15 and 40 ketones. It was darker than fair but lighter than moderate ketones. I've been 11 days so far, lost 9 pounds. Feeling freaking great. Bought some natural stevia as well.

Is that a good spot to be regarding ketones at such time? I obviously need more but don't know where I need to get to. To the far end of the brown scale perhaps?

 

[Deleted member 17706]

Here's something worth reading about ketostix.

http://ketopia.com/why-you-need-to-stop-worrying-about-the-color-of-your-ketostix/

Pretty much, it's unlikely they are going to tell you anything useful. Don't worry about them at all.

 

[maven]

Here's my 2 cents, for what they're worth.

Firstly, good on you for making a change and taking your health seriously. Remember that your goal should be to find a sustainable way to improve and maintain your health. Don't be on a diet - just have a healthy diet.

While not the focus of the thread, exercise and sleep are also critical to your health. Don't neglect either.

Keto can be awesome (with some caveats). I eat keto most of the time these days, with good results. A ketogenic diet is one that promotes nutritional ketosis (as opposed to ketoacidosis, which is a complication of type 1 diabetes). Ketosis is (very basically) when your body preferentially uses fat as an energy source, breaking it down into ketones (amongst other things).

It's important to remember that low carb and keto aren't the same thing. A high protein diet is not necessarily ketogenic. Fat is the essential macro, because that's where the ketones come from. Once you have coaxed your body into preferentially burning fat, you will start to burn your fat stores, which leads to weight loss. Eating carbs triggers insulin release, which promotes fat storage (hence why it can be hard to lose fat on a low calorie, high carb diet). A lot of the benefits of keto eating stem from a reduction in insulin levels, which will help your blood pressure and blood glucose. Keto is also excellent for your cholesterol profile.

The two main issues with keto (imho of course): firstly, people often focus so much on fat that they forget about veggies and fibre. Don't do this. Secondly, not all fats are good for you. Consuming only vegetable oil is technically ketogenic, but not healthy. Butter, cream, grass fed meat, avocado, coconut, nuts, olive oil etc. Avoid vegetable / canola oil, margarine etc. That shit is poison.

Keto eating is only boring if you let it become so. You can make cauliflower "rice" and "mashed potato", zucchini pasta, nut meal pastry as carb replacements. Try to use fresh ingredients as much as possible. Anything that comes out of a packet has almost certainly had sugar added to it. Make your own sauces, mayo and salad dressings. It's not hard, and helps you dodge the hidden sugars.

If you're going to cheat (and you should sometimes), the frequency is more important than the amount. Frequent cheats (even if they're small) make it much harder to remain in ketosis. I try to be pretty strict during the week, then eat what I want on the weekends. You need to find what works for you. The longer I eat clean, the more I find myself avoiding carbs on the weekend, because I know they'll make me feel like shit.

Keep up the good work and keep us posted on your progress.