Went Full Keto Last Week. Any Others?

[edger]

You’ll love it. The first few weeks the weight seems to literally melt off. You’ll eventually reach a sort of equilibrium, but when augmented with exercise (obviously), it’ll continue to go away. You’ll sleep better, have more energy, and be in a seemingly better mood.

A few nuggets of wisdom:

Pork rinds are your friend - not just as a snack - as bread crumbs, breading for fried/baked meats, “chips” for dip, etc.

Mustard/Mayo/hot sauce typically have 0 carbs - they donated all of theirs to ketchup.

Pickles, pickles, pickles.

Keto bread/buns, while pricy, will scratch the itch. There will be an itch.

The ‘keto flu’ is real, but it’ll pass in a day, or two, and then you’ll feel incredible.

If you decide to come off of it, ease your way back into carbs.

Good luck and good on you for making the decision to commit to better health!

Thanks! Your assessment of the diet is spot on. We’ve been making good use of pork rinds too. We’ve found that moderating one’s consumption of carbs is pointless without the presence of ketosis. Thanks again for the generous post.

 

[edger]

A bastardized version is what I've used to lose about 145 pounds (~65kg) since October, 2019. I say bastardized because a lot of the keto resources I looked at had guidelines and restrictions that I felt were superfluous to the weight loss, though they might be beneficial in some other way. For example, I saw some suggestions that only grass fed meat counted as keto, or that diet soda wasn't keto. Maybe not, but I didn't give a shit. Net carbs are net carbs whether they come from processed foods or not. It might be a decent suggestion, but irrelevant to the weight loss which was my goal for getting on the diet. I did avoid sugar alcohols and things like sugar-free candies and sweets, though.

My basic version was: <20g net carbs per day. For those few carbs, I tried to use them on greens and veggies. Broccoli, asparagus, salads, spinach, chard and collard greens, etc. Some nuts as well. I did that religiously until about September, 2020 when I started taking weekends off the diet. I also exercised like a mofo. First at the gym, and then after they got closed because of the virus, I started running/walking. Lately, I've mixed in some body weight exercises for strength training. Pushups, planks, leg lifts and an crunches, etc. It all helps, and I think it's been extremely beneficial for my mental heath as well.

Like @CoffeeAndBourbon said, this is really the only type of diet I've had success with. I think because it includes a lot of fat, it kept me from ever feeling too hungry.

Good luck!

Great post! I want to lose the weight as I have the classic case of all my weight in the stomach area. Very risky. My object overall was to get healthier in general. Reduce inflammation and get better blood readout. Thanks again!

 

[Chasing Embers]

Diabetic?

I have to take in 4000+ calories per day to maintain a weight of 120lbs. Diets would be my end.

 

[edger]

I did keto many years ago and it does work. Will you be able to do that for life? I wouldn’t bet on it. Most diets work. But the yo yo effect is almost inevitable.

Here’s something that works that you may find easier to stick with... eat until your full and eat whatever you want, without guilt. But, only eat once per day. You choose what time of day, but only one meal. Make it a balanced, healthy one but have a slice of pie and ice cream for dessert if you want.

No. you won’t “overeat” You’ll feel full long before you exceed your calories. It’s very hard to eat 2500 calories in one sitting.

The rest of the day enjoy coffee, smoke your pipe... but take in no calories until it’s time to eat again.

The 23 hours that you’re in a fasting state, your body will run on fat stores.

You’re giving your body a rest. Your sugars will not be spiking, except at your mealtime. Once.

You won’t starve. Your system will regulate, you’ll sleep better, digest better, feel better and you will lose a healthy 1-2lbs per week.

Hershel Walker has been doing this his entire life. The man’s a beast. He eats a late lunch daily.

Do we need to be eating three or four or six meals per day? Waaaay too much food. No wonder people are obese.

Edgar
Keto works. Sugar is an addiction. After 3 days you won’t “crave it”. I remember having my first beer after months of keto (Adkins) and it was the most delicious beer I’d ever had. That’s because I was able to taste how truly sweet that beer was.

I just think it’s too extreme as a long term lifestyle change. Your body needs both protein and carbs.

One meal a day is easier. You can have any food you like. Good luck ?

Thanks much. Fasting with Keto is quite popular. Happily (or not) at 71 I’m less concerned about long term!

 

[edger]

I'm really interested in your journey.... I need to get up and do it too. Looking to lose 40lbs and just be healthier for myself and my family.

Check out: The Case For Keto by Gary Taubes. It will change your mind re the std American diet. Come on along!

 

[edger]

You counted me out forever at no beer. Couldn't do that to my well being.

Well being is the very point! A good malty scotch might do the trick.

 

[BarrelProof]

I have to take in 4000+ calories per day to maintain a weight of 120lbs. Diets would be my end.

Holy cow. I think that'd have me in a new weight class in a matter of weeks!

 

[edger]

One of the few "diets" I think I could actually make work.

Try it. I will admit it seems counter intuitive next to the recommendations we’ve been getting for the last 70 years or so. The newer science just makes sense.

 

[danimalia]

Great post! I want to lose the weight as I have the classic case of all my weight in the stomach area. Very risky. My object overall was to get healthier in general. Reduce inflammation and get better blood readout. Thanks again!

The good news is even with my bastardized version, with some diet sodas and processed foods (linguicia and eggs is a regular breakfast staple), my lab work all came back in healthy ranges. When I started I had fatty liver and cholesterol issues, so that was a major triumph. Keep up the good work and I'm confident you'll be happy with the results. It is hard, but mostly a joyous journey, with a positive feedback loop of looking and feeling better which provides motivation to keep plugging away.

 

[gervais]

I hate to be that asshole who rains on this parade, but you don't have to make such a drastic change to your life like going into ketosis to lose weight. Alteration of your diet and excersising is a more sustainable way to be healthy for the long-haul. I wouldn't ever want to have such a restrictive diet that I couldn't go to a friend or family members house and turn down a nice home cooked meal because it had a processed carb in it. Why not just start eating fruits and vegetables, lean meats and less processed carb such as sprouted grain breads and sweet potatoes, etc? Then again, Ive never suffered from obesity and I am very active, so I suppose I can understand ones reason to jump on a bandwagon where you lose alot of weight really fast if you are really overweight. I know alot of people who have jumped on the keto train and praised it and pushed it onto others like a Jehovahs witness. I'll just say that they all couldn't sustain the diet in the longrun and have since gained the weight back. I hope all of you that are on your keto journey are happy and healthy, and able to stick to it, if it's making you feel better! This is just my 2 cents, and you know what most people do with pennies....

 

[edger]

I hate to be that asshole who rains on this parade, but you don't have to make such a drastic change to your life like going into ketosis to lose weight. Alteration of your diet and excersising is a more sustainable way to be healthy for the long-haul. I wouldn't ever want to have such a restrictive diet that I couldn't go to a friend or family members house and turn down a nice home cooked meal because it had a processed carb in it. Why not just start eating fruits and vegetables, lean meats and less processed carb such as sprouted grain breads and sweet potatoes, etc? Then again, Ive never suffered from obesity and I am very active, so I suppose I can understand ones reason to jump on a bandwagon where you lose alot of weight really fast if you are really overweight. I know alot of people who have jumped on the keto train and praised it and pushed it onto others like a Jehovahs witness. I'll just say that they all couldn't sustain the diet in the longrun and have since gained the weight back. I hope all of you that are on your keto journey are happy and healthy, and able to stick to it, if it's making you feel better! This is just my 2 cents, and you know what most people do with pennies....

You're not being an asshole at all, and thanks for the good wishes. Your comments are illustrative of the tension between the "old" science and the "new". I just used quotes because the new science has been around for a long time actually.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

My grandfather used to talk about how bread was really only necessary back when we had to really work had all day in the fields. Now, except for extreme athletes, no one should be eating that much carbs.

Yep, vegetables are stupid. JK

 

[gamzultovah]

I’ve done Keto most of my life. It is a standard body builders diet (or what used to be know as the Atkins Diet back in the day as well). Works great and has always kept me feeling my best. At 56 I can outwork most 36 year olds. Keep it up, you won’t be disappointed with the results.

 

[Ryszard]

I used to drink too much and that lifestyle went hand in hand with unhealthy eating habits. I would eat fatty food and meat most days and I'd feel like crap afterwards. My blood levels were bad, high blood pressure starting to set in. Due to the pandemic and bars shutting I seriously cut back on my drinking habits and lost almost all appetite for meat in the process. I was never much of a steaks person, but I did fancy the occasional burger or kebab. Having switched to almost exclusively plant-based I feel more active than ever and most of my health problems have resolved since according to the doc. I wouldn't call myself a vegan, I still eat what I like and drink what I like.

Whatever the diet is, if it helps you then it is the right path you're walking on.

 

[saltedplug]

I'm trying to accommodate to dentures, which would seem an eternity, and I confess I'm a fatso. When I do get the proper use of these dental prostheses, I plan to eat that which I have not been able to eat for some 8 mos., commencing first, naturally, with an all-salami diet, followed closely by steak, chops, and all of which accompanied by rasher upon rasher of bacon.

When this is done, I will gird my lions for the battle of the mid-male bulge.

 

[danimalia]

I used to drink too much and that lifestyle went hand in hand with unhealthy eating habits. I would eat fatty food and meat most days and I'd feel like crap afterwards. My blood levels were bad, high blood pressure starting to set in. Due to the pandemic and bars shutting I seriously cut back on my drinking habits and lost almost all appetite for meat in the process. I was never much of a steaks person, but I did fancy the occasional burger or kebab. Having switched to almost exclusively plant-based I feel more active than ever and most of my health problems have resolved since according to the doc. I wouldn't call myself a vegan, I still eat what I like and drink what I like.

Whatever the diet is, if it helps you then it is the right path you're walking on.

I used to be a heavy drinker, and while I have always been overweight my weight had really ballooned in the years since I quit. It was kind of like my weight issues took a backseat to getting my life straightened out from the damage my addictions had created. Then I was able to tackle the weight issue subsequently. I hope I can keep the weight off, but I suppose that like my abstinence from alcohol and drugs, it's gonna be a lifetime of staying on top of things.

 

[saltedplug]

The bad news is that you're an addict. But you got sober. Now sober, the bad news is that you will always be an addict. But the sobering accounts from those who have recommenced that hell ls that nobody comes back in less than broken.

Relapse is optional. Sober, you can live. Good luck!

 

[mso489]

Congrats on having a plan to shed unwanted pounds. U.S. food marketing and over dependence on cars for transport makes it difficult to stabilize a healthy weight. Best luck.

 

[edger]

Thank you all very much. This is why I value this forum so much!

 

[tavol]

I did keto for 7 months or so several years ago and lost over 80lb, the whole time I was eating less than 20g of net carbs. It's a clever diet that 'tricks' the body into eating less and for me it worked, I was never hungry or lacking in energy so never wanted to cheat. However, in the end I found it completely unsustainable as I got incredibly bored with the lack of variety, the large consumption of animal products and the constant feeling of being cold in the winter.

I then jumped around having period of eating paleo, being veggie, intermittent fasting and even went vegan for several months. I slowly came to realise that it didn't matter what I ate, how I ate it or when I ate it but it was all about how much of it I ate. I've kept the weight off for several years now by eating a 'standard' healthy diet and exercise.

Snacks and snacking is the work of the devil! I have a theory that the massive rise in obesity coincides with the food industry selling the concept of the snack.