How Was Your Keto Experience?

[BlckGrl]

I want to try keto for weight loss how do I go about it what do I avoid? What are some mistakes you have made? Did you like keto?

[WhiteSteve]

It’s been pretty good for me. I’m realizing wheat products don’t sit well on me. Bread, pasta…. that’s what makes me fat. So I just eat meat and vegetables, usually. Cajun-seasoned broiled chicken breast and some kind of microwave-steamed vegetable and dinner is good to go in 15 minutes. I didn’t really miss the carbs. I also love nuts, and that’s what I ate most of the day, and it kept my fats high. Only issue I’ve had is that I currently play hockey 4-6 times a week, and it’s the most intense cardio workout I’ve ever had (plus it’s wicked fun, 2 hours of hockey is way better than 30 minutes on a treadmill, and a better workout to boot). So last summer when I was doing keto AND all that hockey, I started falling below 170 lbs, at 6’2. I’ve lifted weights for like 25 years but I just don’t get big, only stronger, and my build is kind of medium, but trending towards slim rather than broad. Like I’d have to SUPER jacked to weigh over 200 lbs at the same current level of body fat. I’m a pretty physical player, I play down low in front of the net and take a lot of beatings from defensemen trying to move me out of the zone. I can take it just fine, but I was really starting to feel like I was getting too light to successfully do it. So I started eating carbs again over the winter, haven’t totally cut them out again yet. I’m about 178 right now, 6.5-7% body fat (according to my scale). I lifted heavy and ate a lot all winter but nothing really changed. I think I just play so much hockey that I’m burning thousands of calories per day, like sometimes I play in the afternoon for two hours, and two more hours at night. And I can’t do much besides just guess how many calories I burned, so it’s hard to precisely manage. I just try to stay around the same weight and not increase my body fat over 7% (or whatever the true number is that the scale’s 7% translates to, I just know that’s around the threshold where I start to not feel as good about my physique).

But anyway, yeah, I found it to be very successful, and I was 42 when I did it, so at your age, it should be even more helpful, while you still have your youthful metabolism working in your favor too (enjoy it, you’ll miss it when it’s gone😂)

[Minerate]

I am currently doing it again after previously doing it about 4 years ago. In my experience, it is one of the easiest diets and the results are pretty noticeable. The first time I dropped about 65 lbs and ~13% body fat in 8 months and currently I've dropped ~35-40 lbs and lost ~5% body fat in 5 months. (I didn't exercise at all the first time, but am doing weights/light cardio this time... which shows how effective it is.) I did drop it after 8 months, trying to adjust to normal "diet" just watching what I ate and restricting calories... which did not really work that well.

Anyway, for some tips/tricks/advice.

1) Use a meal prep app - You NEED to track your macros (at least initially). This helped me out a LOT. I really like EatThisMuch, it does pretty well for weekly keto mealprep and has decent recipes.

2) In relation to macros, use an online calculator to determine what you need and limit net carbs to ~20-25g per day. This way you have some wiggle room if you eat slightly too many net carbs.

3) Bulletproof Coffee w. heavy cream is my go-to for breakfast. (~2T unsalted butter, 2T MCT or Coconut Oil, ~1/4c heavy cream and some sugar free coffee sweetener) It's about 700 calories, but gives a lot of the fat early on, bump your mental clarity and leave you feeling satisfied. ((Plus it tastes like a Frappuccino).

4) Many sites will say to avoid artificial sweeteners, but in moderation they are fine. There are some to watch out for, like Maltitol and aspartame, which are a bit worse since they can mess with blood sugar/insulin levels more. I personally use a lot of stevia, allulose and some ace-k / sucralose (two that some will say is "not keto", but I've have had no issues with).

5) Eating out is the biggest challenge, but there are some options that are usually pretty safe. Burgers (w/o bun & ketchup), BBQ (w/o sauce), Steak/Prime Rib, Salads (Caesar & Cobb w/o croutons being the safest), Omelets, Fajitas (w/o rice, beans, tortillas), Baked or Grilled Fish, taco salads (minus the shell).

[Minerate]

6) Atkins Shakes/snacks are pretty easy to find and good for a quick snack or traveling.

7) Make sure you get enough FAT in your diet, this will help keep you full, but still watch your macros.

8) I would recommend a multi-vitamin for the first several weeks, just for your body to get readjusted and make sure you're eating right.

9) Fish oil/Omega 3s, I always recommend it when starting diets, at least until adjusted. (I use liquid from Nordic Naturals, no fishy flavor)

10) Olive Oil, Coconut Oil/MCT Oil and Avocado Oil are some of the best for Keto.

11) Beware of "Junk" keto, there is a lot more stuff marketed for Keto now and while most of it is fine, some of it still has a lot of carbs despite being listed as Keto. (IE: Brownie Mixes, Keto Bars, Pancake Mixes, Keto Granola)

12) Avoid generic/cheap MCT oils. ((Brain Octaine is just C8 MCTs, which while more expensive, is worth it in my opinion). The MCT you want is primarily C8, although some C10 is fine. C6 can cause stomach issues and anything longer than C10 is very slow and inefficient to break down. (Although some C10/C12 can have perceived benefits).

13) Some keto sites heavily promote the "grass fed" butter/meat as the only sole option. It's not, there are some micronutrient differences, but nothing substantial in the long run besides a drain on my bank account. If you can get grass fed, great, if not, don't worry about it. (Grass fed meat in general for me tastes nasty/fishy... especially if ground into a burger or sausage.)

[Minerate]

14) Low Carb Dairy exists now, Kroger has a "Carb Master" line that is pretty decent and some brands (Like Halo Top / Rebel) have "ice cream" labeled by net carbs per pint. Yogurt is back in too if you want, some brands actually have MCT yogurt that is decent.

15) Learn how to calculate "Net" Carbs. Keto is not just "avoid carbs", it's managing "NET Carbs". The general equation is Total Carbs - Fiber - Sugar Alcohols = Net Carbs This is very important, as per FDA regulations sugar alcohols are included under total sugar, but often have it listed separately underneath for calculating what the net is.

16) Final and most important point: INFORM YOUR DOCTOR! Like most diets, any long term change can affect your body and you should be prepared for any unexpected issues as a result. I informed my doctor and we've compared my blood work from before and after. (In my case, my blood test results improved after starting keto. Cholesterol went down, HDL went up, LDL went down. Pressure went down/normalized)

So overall, yeah, I like Keto. It allows me to keep eating a lot of my favorite foods and still lose weight. Unlike other diets (I've done WW, Mediterranean, liquid diets, counting calories), I just don't get the hunger urges or fatigue on Keto that I do from the others. Plus any diet that encourages eating bacon, eggs, cheese, BBQ, and burgers is a win in my book. Add that plus all the new stuff being made for Keto, it just gets easier and easier.

[Minerate]

Had to chop that post up a bit to make it fit, but hopefully it helps.

[hellomellow7]

I’ve never been on exact Keto, but a lot of my diet includes keto recipes.
My diet is basically no dairy, no grains, no dairy, minimal to no sugar.
And it’s hard asf if your used to eating those things but working yourself down to 2 meals a day and a snack midday instead of a full meal definitely helps! As well as working at taking smaller portions. (This is crazy but if you use smaller dishes and fill it full it actually fills you up. Because a lot of us are visual so seeing big plate with what looks like small amount of food.. we feel more hungry.)

[Anonymous]

I tried it with intermittent fasting (1 month ) and with dry fasting (1 month ) with 2 hours of exercising , I experienced dizziness at first but then it went well , I lost 10 kgs , but then I regained them , and my cravings became worse than they used to be before dieting , I realized I shouldn't stop eating sugar all at once , I should start slowly

[BlckGrl]

Wow.

[admles]

Keto works wonderfully for my body, just make sure you get enough good fats.

Remember, diet and nutrition is a very individual thing, and what works for you may not work for someone else.

It took some time experimenting for me to fine tune keto for myself.

[abc3643]

My step-son swears by it.
I don't advocate it though because it is deliberately fucking with normal metabolic chemistry.

[BlckGrl]

That's true

[Dontaaaa]

I don't exactly know much about Keto diets, but I once went on a 500 cal restriction diet and it helped me get the results that I wanted back then.

I don't recommend if you don't wanna be wreckless about your health though

[Slartybartfast]

I only do keto when I want to get ripped, see my abs etc. Usually in the spring to get ready for summer beach time. Otherwise I eat a sensible and varied diet and exercise regularly.

[Shamalien]

damn yo eer1 talkn bout no grains, I live for dem grains! y'all killin me!

[Guy13]

Excellent but one has to be sensible.

[Guy13]

Not bacon or steak with obvious fat EVEN though the taste from fat flavors steak. No carbs, processed foods sugars (whether frozen, boxed, or liquid

[BlckGrl]

Thank you what was a go to keto meal you enjoyed?

[Guy13]

I cooked to eat healthy. Packs of 12-16 whole chicken breast hit 1.79 lb or 1/2 price Freeze or will Rot.-$75.00 purchase in freezer. Every McCormicks flavor seasoning in pan on top of stove. Plain for Caesar salad meat squares.
—Biggest thing for me was 1700 calories a day with 300 calorie burn from morning work out plus cleaning bath, weeds in yard, walking up/down stairs, vacuuming etc AFTER work… Metabolism steady burn 🔥…even when sleeping.
—My biggest meal became lunch. Sleep improved with no digestion while trying to sleep…Small soy and bean for 5:30- 6pm dinner

[dragoblack]

It's great! Not easy to achieve, but great