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Keto anyone?

Hello - I'm new here, first time logging on. I'm just wondering if anyone has done the keto diet and had success? My husband and friends know people who have dropped 20+ pounds on this diet. I've lost 5 in 6 weeks. I'm getting frustrated because I am working so hard to lose another 15.

 

Does anyone have any tips or suggestions on how to be successful at losing weight while eating healthy and working out? I'm even turning down pizza...and that is hard. I'm doing everything that I can but I'm just not satisfied with the time it is taking me to lose weight.

 

Thanks in advance!!

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You are definitely going for nutritional ketosis! Most of my reading focuses on net carbs (total carbs less fiber) allowing for a good intake of low glycemic vegetables. I will continue to refine my intake; I use the Fitbit Premium subscription to track calories and macronutrients a little more closely than the Fitbit app. I use my fit bit to track exercise and calories and was hesitant to add another app.:)

I have spoiled myself by including a couple ounces of high quality cheese regularly and have probably eaten far more 85% cacao dark chocolate than anyone would suggest. That aside, I am happy with my results!

Like you, I have never felt more focused or slept better!

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If you do some reading, you will find that the brain is not glucose dependent. The brain can easily adapt to a state of nutritional ketosis. The real story about our body is that there is no such thing as an essential carbohydrate! Reading the books I referenced in an earlier post will give you an new look at the ketogenic lifestyle. Dr Perlmutter is a well-known neurologist who believes that the solutions to many of our ailments and chronic conditions lie in our stomach! Dr Mercola is a visionary naturopath who called out grains and sugars as highly inflammatory way before most doctors; he also talked about vitamin D deficiencies as a national challenge. I heeded his warnings on vitamin D early on, but did not pay enough attention to his warnings on grains and sugar; I feel I might have avoided my heart attack if I started a ketogenic lifestyle earlier. 

 

A good reference from nature: If you feed a pig fat, it gets thin; if you feed a pig grain, it gets fat!

 

There was a story on Google just today news about a study with older mice on the ketogenic diet; it stated that there were findings of better memory and a slowing of the aging process. What was the solution that the scientists were considering? They wanted to develop a drug to mimic the results so that people would not have to live on a "restrictive" diet. Just what you would expect from our medical establishment! I do not find the lifestyle restrictive; I am happier to be free of cravings for unhealthy foods! 

If you focus on making sure you are getting enough fat and pay attention to mineral intake, I feel you might avoid the brain fog. 

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@ARcycler17 wrote:

 

A good reference from nature: If you feed a pig fat, it gets thin; if you feed a pig grain, it gets fat!

 

There was a story on Google just today news about a study with older mice on the ketogenic diet; it stated that there were findings of better memory and a slowing of the aging process. What was the solution that the scientists were considering? They wanted to develop a drug to mimic the results so that people would not have to live on a "restrictive" diet. Just what you would expect from our medical establishment! I do not find the lifestyle restrictive; I am happier to be free of cravings for unhealthy foods! 

If you focus on making sure you are getting enough fat and pay attention to mineral intake, I feel you might avoid the brain fog. 


@ARcycler17 - Great line about the pig.  It seems that the field of animal husbandry is more advanced in their understanding the mechanisms of weight gain relative to caloric intake than our esteemed medical establishment.

 

Mineral intake to avoid brain fog -- primarily sodium?

 

(Tangent: Anecdotally, it seems that people not only thrive on High Fat Low Carb eating, but also  on McDougall's Low Fat Vegetarian eating.  These seem to be polar opposites of each other, but the one common thread they share is the avoidance of highly refined flours and sugars.  Hmm.)

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@Daves_Not_Here wrote:

it seems that people not only thrive on High Fat Low Carb eating, but also  on McDougall's Low Fat Vegetarian eating.  These seem to be polar opposites of each other, but the one common thread they share is the avoidance of highly refined flours and sugars.  Hmm.)

The most important factor for diet success, even before calories, is adherence: people will "thrive" if they can stick to the way of eating they chose, and that way of eating is compatible with their goal (whether it is to drop weight, or maintain it at a healthy level). One commonality I would find between HCLF and McDougall (low fat, low protein, most carbs from starch and veggies) is that they are very restrictive and demonize large categories of foods. I would think that for most people it would make it harder to adhere to them in the long term, unless you are extremely motivated and convinced/brainwashed by the approach you chose.

Dominique | Finland

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The brainwashing you are talking about has been done by big agribusiness and the USDA. Back in the 1970's, there was a lot of propaganda demonizing fats and this continued when the government developed the food pyramid. In response, the food industry developed highly processed low-fat foods with government-subsidized low cost grains and sugars. The result has been a massive increase in the incidence of obesity and diabetes. 

I will grant to you that not all people react similarly to a certain diet, but in my case I thoroughly researched this lifestyle by reading numerous books and tons of links to articles and in-depth videos. I have found a lifestyle that has delivered amazing results over more than 18 months with regular review of my full bold panel showing continued improvement.

If your diet works for you, that's fine, but please refrain from judgmentally calling a ketogenic lifestyle no more than a case of brainwashing. 

 

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@Dominique wrote:

@Daves_Not_Here wrote:

it seems that people not only thrive on High Fat Low Carb eating, but also  on McDougall's Low Fat Vegetarian eating.  These seem to be polar opposites of each other, but the one common thread they share is the avoidance of highly refined flours and sugars.  Hmm.)

The most important factor for diet success, even before calories, is adherence: people will "thrive" if they can stick to the way of eating they chose, and that way of eating is compatible with their goal (whether it is to drop weight, or maintain it at a healthy level). One commonality I would find between HCLF and McDougall (low fat, low protein, most carbs from starch and veggies) is that they are very restrictive and demonize large categories of foods. I would think that for most people it would make it harder to adhere to them in the long term, unless you are extremely motivated and convinced/brainwashed by the approach you chose.


 

@Dominique - I'd like to challenge some ideas, hopefully in an agreeable and constructive way.

 

As to the notion that demonizing a large category of foods is problematic, I would suggest that for the last 40 years we have demonized the category of fat, particularly saturated fat.  And, the general public has been brainwashed to accept a causal connection between saturated fat and heart disease.  "Brainwashed" is the appropriate descriptor as people dogmatically hold the view without any ability to describe the mechanism of action.  Ask an anti-Atkins bigot how or why exactly saturated fact causes heart disease, and the typical answer is neither a considered response nor intellectual curiosity, but rather a tantrum.  (In contrast, ask a keto proponent why their regimen works, and at least they can offer some hypotheses that can be tested and falsified).

 

In other words, we already have an entire healthcare establishment and general public that accepts brainwashing and the demonization of an entire macro-nutrient. 

 

As to the idea that certain regimens are hard to adhere to, I find it hard to limit my spending to within my income; however, to suggest that it's too hard to adhere to and that I should just be content to accumulate consumer debt makes as much sense as suggesting I follow an easy dietary regimen that leads to obesity.  I am looking to improve my health and longevity and adhering to an inexpensive, available dietary regimen that does so seems a small price to pay.

 

Full circle - I don't accuse the increasingly obese public of gluttony and sloth, I accuse the healthcare establishment in whom they trust of hidebound incuriousity and exploitive violation of that trust.

 

Hope I don't sound grumpy, but I find the healthcare establishment to be completely unhelpful in mitigating the obesity epidemic from which they financially benefit. 🙂 

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Well I am glad to learn that we are on closer ground than I realized. I understand your concern over the expense of a high quality diet. As a heart attack survivor, nothing is more important to me than quality of life. I do not want to spend one day on this earth without quality of life. To afford better foods, I rarely dine out and I focus on having good satisfying foods like avocadoes, macadamia nuts, pecans and dark chocolate. These foods pack a ton of calories in small portions! There are very few mornings that I don't enjoy an ounce of nuts. Rather than buy coffee at McDonald's or Starbucks, I make it at home or wait until I get to the office and add a tablespoon of Irish butter and MCT oil to the coffee for a smooth, rich brew.

I am still learning and also realize that endurance cycling is not the best exercise regimen for longevity, but I love the sport! That is another element of my life I will have a tough time giving up!

Before starting this lifestyle and dropping 30 lbs, I had considered limiting my rides to metric centuries. I had also given up thoughts of an arduous mountain climb a couple hours from my home.  Earlier in the summer, I climbed that mountain with ease and completed a long century plus ride. What a boost to my confidence and well-being! Good luck to you! 

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@ARcycler17 wrote:

...I  understand your concern over the expense of a high quality diet. As a heart attack survivor, nothing is more important to me than quality of life....

 

I am still learning and also realize that endurance cycling is not the best exercise regimen for longevity, but I love the sport! That is another element of my life I will have a tough time giving up!

 


@ARcycler17 - Actually, I only brought up the need to limit spending as an parallel analogy to illustrate that we ought not avoid healthy practices merely because they may be difficult to adhere to.  My point is that it's easier to just spend money without constraint, but better to live within your means.

 

Also, not to be so contrary, but I believe cycling is great for longevity - see the linked article below that claims a study found Tour de France riders live an average of 6.3 years longer than the general population, and in spite of widespread doping.  Of course, they are not counting increased rate of getting squashed by a texting teenager in a Camry, so you and I need to be careful out there!

 

http://www.velonews.com/2013/09/training-center/study-tour-de-france-riders-live-longer_301388

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@ARcycler17 wrote:

 

I am still learning and also realize that endurance cycling is not the best exercise regimen for longevity, but I love the sport! That is another element of my life I will have a tough time giving up!

 


Can you elaborate on what is wrong with endurance cycling? 

Len

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@lennythek - I was waiting for @ARcycler17 to reply as to cycling longevity as he had originally contended there was an issue.

 

My opinion is that, assuming you don't get run over by a truck, cycling extends longevity as demonstrated in the increased lifespans of competitive cyclists.  It's a godsend for old folks like me.  Once you get some base conditioning in (primarily to toughen up your butt), you can go out for a casual 4 or 5 hours on a Sunday morning, stop for coffee and breakfast at your leisure, and end up burning nearly the same calories as a marathon runner, without any of the pounding on your joints.

 

And if you ride in a group, there is a lower risk of getting squashed by the aforementioned truck.

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Thanks Strider
I am older (67) and overweight- I am up to 30 miles over 3 hours and plan to continue building. Arccycler's comment was bothering me.

Len

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I am an avid cyclist and will never change, but if you are thinking that endurance exercise is good for your health, you might want to research High Intensity Interval Training. Dr Al Sears has a program called PACE and Dr Mercola has a program called Peak Fitness.  It is hard to argue against the case they make for the benefits of their programs. Please note that any new exercise regimen should be evaluated with the advice of your doctor. For myself, if I did not so thoroughly enjoy the spiritual and psychological elements of cycling, I would be considering these programs. 

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Hi there! I'm trying to lose around 20/25 lbs, and I've been on Keto for about a month and a half. As of this weekend I'm down 10 lbs. My weight loss seemed to get stuck for a while at 5 lbs, which is pretty much just the initial water drop, then eventually started up again - probably when my body finally got settled into ketosis.

 

If your weight loss seems to be stalled, what do your macros look like? Looking back at mine, they've pretty consistently stayed around 85/12/3. Sometimes the fat/protein will vary slightly but the carbs mostly stay between 1 and 5, and have never exceeded 9. Since you're finding it difficult to resist pizza, I'm wondering if you've got your fat intake up high enough - it seems those cravings should be gone by now!

 

Are you testing your ketones in any way? I've been using urine test strips to make sure I'm 'in the zone'.

 

Have you tried supplementing with exogenous ketones? For the first month I used Perfect Keto Base almost every day, twice a day. It's expensive, but if you're having trouble staying in ketosis it might help. I got the chocolate sea salt flavor and if you decide to try it be warned - it is definitely an acquired taste. I found the only way I could tolerate the sweetness was to mix it with slightly less water then add a tablespoon or two of heavy cream, and even then had to chug it down like medicine.

 

Anyway, hope at least some of this helps ~ and good luck! 🙂

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I'm struggling a bit trying to exercise with low carbs in my system and have some questions for @ARcycler17 -- rather than hijacking this thread, I'll start another in the Get Moving section.

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I will look for the post. I have to admit I feel I have generally been on a modified ketogenic diet. I started the diet by cutting out grains and processed sugars altogether and increasing healthy fats. About two months into the diet, I starting tracking calories and confirmed my feeling that I had been close to 70% healthy fats. I have never approached anything close to 50 total grams of carbs. When I was losing weight, I was consuming less than 1800 calories a day, but I felt sluggish at the end of a 25 mile ride. Once I reached my desired weight, I increased my daily intake to 2200-2300 average daily and went higher on days with long rides. Early on I was happy to give up the speed for the overall results in weight loss and increased focus; I definitely feel better with the increased calories now! Just recently I have been experimenting with stepping up fat intake a little more and plan to purchase a glucose and ketone monitor. I have been cutting back a little on dark chocolate and adding more Irish butter and MCT oil. I am experimenting by trying to get close to 50 net grams of carbs daily. I have a century ride in two weeks so that should be a good test. 

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@ARcycler17 - thanks -- I'm afraid I'm trying to chase 2 rabbits - weight loss and increased fitness.  I probably should focus on one at a time - get the weight off while exercising lightly, and then step up exercise intensity once I'm at target weight.

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That strategy worked well for me. I will relay another story: about two months into the diet, I tried a 50 mile organized ride. Things were going well until about the 42 mile mark when my body started to feel like it was an engine with a governor applied. I was dropped by the two riders I was with and slowed significantly on the last few inclines. This was still nothing like bonking; other than not being able to increase intensity, I really did not feel bad. My rides this year have been totally different. I finished my last century with energy to spare and dropped the riders I was with. More importantly, after refueling, I felt fantastic the next day. In the past, I have felt the effects of centuries for a couple days. 

I am committed to this lifestyle. 

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@ARcycler17 - encouraging to hear -- I'm having some initial success with light workouts, but will post further updates to the other thread.

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@Shaede wrote:

 

 

Are you testing your ketones in any way? I've been using urine test strips to make sure I'm 'in the zone'.

 

 


@Shaede : have you heard of the keto meter by Dr. Michel Lundell?  His company Ketonix sells a breath analyzer for ketones.  I just got one and have started to take some readings... I'm going to use it to track how different foods affects my nutritional ketosis. 

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I have never tested ketones and only check fasting blood glucose quarterly. I have really just been letting my body let me know how I am doing. I feel strongly that Organic Better than Bullion Chicken Broth before bike rides is helpful!

On another note, I just has a DEXA scan done and it confirmed what my Fitbit Aria has been logging: a steady drop in body fat. I think that endurance cycling might cause my body to conserve some fat, but all in all I am happy with my results.

Tracking ketones more closely for overall performance might be the next step in my journey. I am interested in testing ketones and will check out that breath analyzer. Thanks

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