Trying the Keto diet...

[JulieL1]

I need to drop as much weight as possible by July 27!  I know weight loss is a life style change and if not treated as such, old habits will creep back in...   But, I have a pretty important event coming up that I want to look good for...  I am a children's book author and I am being hosted by The Museum of Chincoteague Island and I need to drop a few pounds quickly...   Anyone else try the keto diet?   I know it is not a diet for prolonged use, and that veggies and lean protein need to be the premise of my daily eating, along with minimal fruits...But if anyone has had significant success, I sure would love to hear from you!  Thanks!

[May77]

Hi Julie,
Firstly let me say you look amazing for 44ish. I too am on the keto eating plan. I started a few months ago and found it quite hard to become keto adapted. I'm finally there and have started loosing weight. For the first time I feel in control of my weight loss.
Can I suggest you try some C8 MCT Oil to help you get back into ketosis. It is quite expensive but well worth it.

[HillB2]

I have been ketogenic for 2 years now.

STILL WAITING ON FITBIT TO MAKE MACROS A GOAL OVER HERE!!

The way of life is NOT for everyone, and if someone is only looking for a quick weight loss it should be noted that unless a proper, long term, monitored reverse diet is completed, the weight will pack on twice as fast as before when carbs start being consumed. 

Ketogenic is based on a average percentage of macro diet. I, for instance, used a 6% carbs, 25% protein and 69% fat percentage while loosing weight, and now that I have been in maintenance for a while, I now sit at 6%, 34%, and 60%, respectfully. 

I did not start ketogenic because of a weight loss goal, but because my nutritionist recommended a major lifestyle change when, in my late 20's, I began developing food allergies and suffered from chronic migraines. He started me on a few books and since then I have maintained my literature on the subject and advocate it to anyone who is willing to make the change for life, not just for weight loss. Unlike many "diets", Keto doesnt focus on rapid weight loss-no matter how many people think it does!- it focuses on sustainability. It is one of the easiest commitments for lifestyle change in the long run, and highly flexible as you understand your own body. 

A few resources I would like to recommend to people before they get started, or if they are looking to understand any stalls or issues:

-KETO by maria and craig emmerich (this is not recipes, its a fantastic literature on the history and scientific breakdown of how food effects our bodies!)

-Ketogenic 6 ingredient cookbook by elizabeth jane

-Bacon and Butter by celby richoux (our personal favorite and "man focused" as my husband says)

a ketogenic calculator to help you see what your diet would look like, its a good idea to start at about a 15% deficit, don't worry, you'll still get a good "whoosh":

https://keto-calculator.ankerl.com/

a blood ketone meter (this is NOT NEEDED, but for those looking to commit to the lifestyle, it can help to determine which foods and drinks can throw your body out of metabolic ketosis. metabolic levels are from .5-4.5 ketones per mmol/L and prime benefits are gained in the 1.5-3.5mmol/L range. these benefits include (but not limited to) mental clarity, even energy, weight loss or maintenance based on intake, and in my case, only one migraine in 2 years. I recommend the KetoMojo brand ketone meter and it can be purchased on Amazon.

overall, Keto is not for everyone. Cheat days can offer bloating, medical grade gas, feeling lethargic and weight gain, so although it is ok to cheat, the first couple of times it can REALLY suck. it takes an average of 6 weeks to become fat-adapted. this is where your body stops looking for carbs and starts looking for fat to fuel basic human function. cheating even once in the first 6 weeks can derail everything. alcohol should be little to none until about the 2 month mark, and then slowly reintroduce things that are less harmful. realizing that a major staple in keto is the lack of legumes and gluten... beer is really hard on some people, even if it fits their macros! and if you cant give up bread, pasta, beer, fruit, and milk for life (excepting cheat days, if you so support them) then keto is NOT for you.

Although I closed down my old instagram for privacy reasons, I have a new one up where I suggest foods and drinks, and people can follow mine and my husbands journey. if you'd like, you are welcome to follow and I can recommend many influencers who are fantastic at showing the world what keto looks like. the handle is questionableyketocouple

I truly hope this information and resources can help some people and allow them to realize that Keto isn't meant to be a fad or a new hip diet, it's a lifestyle that should be entered into with education and flexibility!

(this is a copy/paste from another discussion that I did, but it is still 100% relevant.)

Also, What the Health was a good documentary, however, when considering the keto diet it may better benefit you to watch "The Magic Pill" (also on netflix) which is based on researching Ketogenic diet specifically, whereas What the Health is a generic overview that has no lifestyle focus or keto research to back up their specific programming. they have the support of the FDA, but many scientist have voiced that What the Health is not highly depictive of anything other than S.A.D (standard american diet)

[JulieL1]

Wow. Awesome post. Thanks!!

I had a freak spike to my triglycerides of 1200! And also a few other health concerns with slight sensitivity to wheat.

My dietician set my macros and so far am doing pretty good. It isn’t hard to stick to at all once u get onto the foods u can eat...

Thx again for the great information

Sent from my iPhone

[Dominique]

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@JulieL1 wrote:

I need to drop as much weight as possible by July 27!

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You wrote the above in late June 2017. Just out of curiosity: how much weight were you able to drop for your important event during the next four weeks? Did you adopt the keto diet for that? How have you been doing after that (i.e. during the past 12 months), in terms of life style, diet etc.?

[TangoArtist]

I’ve been on the Keto Diet for 68 days. I’ve lost as much as 14 pounds and plan to be on it at least through Thanksgiving and lose another 25 pounds. Highly recommend it. I’m no longer on diabetes meds and I’m reducing my BP meds. Go for it!

[TangoArtist]

Believe it or not, it’s the 70 to 80% fat portion of the keto diet that makes you lose weight. Strange but true.

[Daves_Not_Here]

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@TangoArtist wrote:

I’ve been on the Keto Diet for 68 days. I’ve lost as much as 14 pounds and plan to be on it at least through Thanksgiving and lose another 25 pounds. Highly recommend it. I’m no longer on diabetes meds and I’m reducing my BP meds. Go for it!

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Hi @TangoArtist - congrats on your success.  While I was not on diabetes meds, I was pre-diabetic and taking statins due to my poor cholesterol ratio.  At age 59, I have a family history of diabetes, heart disease and stroke.  Now, after 10 months on Keto, I'm off the statins, my HDL is way up, am no longer pre-diabetic, and my arteries are clear.  However, I don't consider Keto a "diet" that I am on or will go off - to me, it's part of a self-caring lifestyle.

You mentioned that you will stay Keto through Thanksgiving to lose 25 more pounds -- what happens then?  Will you continue, or revert back to your previous way of eating?

[Dominique]

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@TangoArtist wrote:

it’s the 70 to 80% fat portion of the keto diet that makes you lose weight

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Actually, it’s the caloric deficit that you are in that causes the weight loss (like with any other diet). The 70-80% fat portion is what provides satiety and makes the deficit easier to sustain. In other words, you are able to undereat without feeling hungry (whereas with some other ways of eating, you can overeat while still feeling hungry).

[Nora58]

Keto never worked for me and the oil powder and salt were of no scientific value so dropped those and bought better food.I did my macros over after I had my blood work done  and my BUN is at 33 which is due to Protein in my kidneys producing urea which then goes into my blood stream making and is  making me very ill so I have to cut my protein in half again to a 2 oz serving. My body will go into starvation mode I guess since I only have 30 lb to lose but this is the heaviest I have ever been at 140. seriously hoping It's enough protein to work.

[Dominique]

The ketogenic diet is high fat, moderate protein. Your high BUN level indicates that your kidneys are not working optimally, which can be caused by a number of factors. It’s possible even the moderate protein amount of the keto diet is higher than what your kidneys can handle, but it’s not the same as saying your high BUN level was caused by the diet’s protein.

At any rate, if keto is not working for you, there’s no point in sticking to it. People have been able to lose weight with many other ways of eating.

[JulieL1]

You look amazing yourself!   Thanks a bunch for the heads up on the oil!  I’m doing pretty well with all this but when I get out of ketosis I sometimes struggle to get it back!    

[Nora58]

I had my regular blood work done and it showed my urea at 33 in my blood. This means I have to cut my proteins in half and increase fluids to save my kidneys. I find the keto way of eating ,( it's not a diet)  very easy to to stick to as I never  have eaten processed food and don't bring flour or baked goods into the house so there are no sweets here ever. My mother and my brother were both diabetic and had arteries that were 98% blocked. I just did heart and lung test at Dartmouth and exceeded their expectations of a 61 year old by 81% so no health issues other than the protein must be lowered. Look at junk food as white gunk going into your arteries and shortening    your life. Good luck

[Alicat2104]

Keto for over three years here, all good.

Carbs below 20g, protein moderate (50 - 75g plenty for most women), and as much fat as needed to prevent hunger. It is not a low calorie diet, there should be no feelings of hunger or deprivation. 

[vintagechutzpah]

I'm doing it right now and I tell you, it works! 

However, I'm mindful as I love to eat. I do exercise daily in the gym which my fitbit tracks how many calories I'm burning. I also make sure to log in what I eat to make sure I'm on calorie deficit.

You might wonder it's just the calories in vs calories out what I'm doing but I've been on the whole food plant based diet but sadly, that didn't work for me as fast. What I lost in Keto for 2 months, it took 4 months in the whole-food plant based diet. I also gained all the weight fast when I stopped it. Not sure if I'm going to gain it all back when I stop doing Keto as I'm still doing it. 

What I can really assure you is that you're gonna lose weight fast when you do it right. 

[Daves_Not_Here]

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Uh@vintagechutzpah wrote:

... Not sure if I'm going to gain it all back when I stop doing Keto as I'm still doing it. 

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My concern is if you stop doing what you have found works for you, you may backslide.

[vintagechutzpah]

Are you vegan, by any chance? 

[Daves_Not_Here]

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@vintagechutzpah wrote:

Are you vegan, by any chance? 

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Touche'!

Hey @vintagechutzpah I sure sounded like one for awhile there!  My apologies to you for my previous post, which I've now edited beyond recognition.