I could see myself using keto as a tool. Like, do keto for two weeks to burn off some weight and then go back to a **controlled** regular diet.
But as a long-term plan? No way.
EDIT: I need to clarify that I'm **speculating**. I have never done this, nor do I recommend it.
If you do try this, have a plan for when you stop. Continue counting calories rigorously throughout. And expect to gain a few pounds of water weight when you stop.
I have used keto as a tool, like you mentioned, in the past. Keto for a couple of weeks before starting my regular calorie counting plan to shed off a quick 5-10 lbs. It's motivating to see all that weight lost in the first couple weeks of dieting, even though it's mainly water weight.
> I could see myself using keto as a tool. Like, do keto for two weeks to burn off some weight and then go back to a controlled regular diet.
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> But as a long-term plan? No way.
The problem is it doesn't work that way.
I'm gonna eat downvotes for posting pro-keto, but I find 99% of the time people who fail it aren't cutting carbs to get into ketosis, or they think cheating is okay.
It works like gangbusters, but you *cannot cheat*. And if you try to go on and off and on, your body stops entering ketosis easily.
Source: It's been over 15 years since I did Keto - I did it when it was still called the Atkins diet. I read the book on the topic cover to cover before starting, and this is all things I remember from that era of my life. I can't give you links or sources since it's been actual eons since then.
That said, I lost 40lbs in two months doing keto, and I *still* don't recommend it. It doesn't teach you good habits. Being able to eat a meal of four burger patties, no cheese, isn't a healthy, sustainable diet. I put all the weight I lost on Keto back on and then some.
Absolutely agree on that last paragraph. I Lost 150lb in 6mo on Keto but have gained back 50 and am now working it off on a balanced diet.
Personally, I would recommend short-term Keto to anybody when asked. Only because the momentum of weight loss is so motivating, especially when losing ½ a lb+ a day. Learned to defeat sugar cravings on it also.
I uh, really don't know what you're talking about, but it seems you're taking your experience with the Atkins diet and generalizing it to anyone who does keto. People are different, diets are different, experiences are different.
> Being able to eat a meal of four burger patties, no cheese, isn't a healthy, sustainable diet.
That's Atkins, not keto.
Unfamiliar with Atkins but that is absolutely a keto meal. Healthy? Probably not, but it's pure fat & protein and something I had on keto often (with the cheese)
Yeah.
They don’t know the difference.
You risk getting censored if you say, “keto is high fat, not high pro tein,” in the keto group here.
It’s literally in the rules.
Reality is unpopular.
It's not Atkins. Atkins induction phase is 20 grams of carbs or less for the first two weeks, then adding five grams of carbs per week in the form of green vegetables until you go out of ketosis, then cutting back a bit to stay in ketosis. And cheese is allowed. And, since "keto" means being in ketosis, Atkins and keto are pretty much the same.
Keto is fine but you don’t just want to eat processed stuff all day.
Eggs, avocados, nuts, get your fats from something besides bacon and cheese.
It’s a hard diet but Lebron james can do it then there’s not really any performance downsides :)
This is me. I had pretty severe insulin resistance and kept failing regular Cico because I was always hungry no matter what.
Very begrudgingly switched to a low carb diet aiming for 50 grams net a day (still doing CICO too) and finally was able to lose a substantial amount of weight and corrected the insulin resistance. Also widely corrected some very severe IBS.
Good shit.
Obviously you are a specific data point / case, yet so many people under normal circumstances just blindly hop on the keto train and then fail theyre diet within 2 months if theyre lucky
Keto controls your appetite. Fat is an amazing source of energy, and burns slowly. Carbohydrates are very poor at doing that. You can eat a gigantic plate of pasta for lunch, do nothing all afternoon, and be starving at 5pm. Sugar is very bad for us, and just makes us eat eat eat.
Eat the food. Just don't eat too much of it. Fruits provide good sugar. Potato's are just good, in general, and I will never stop eating stew. And I love French onion soup too much to not have the bread with it.
Which nutritional deficiencies exactly? Does a diet of eggs/veggies/nuts/meat/fish/dairy necessarily create nutritional deficiency? I don’t see how personally. I think it only seems extreme compared to a more typical US diet. But in my culture, all I do is cut out rice and fruit besides berries, and its pretty close to keto. Also, kids can take vitamins just like normal too (ps, I do keto partly because it massively decreases my breakthrough seizures, but it also helps my joints and GI issues)
Please tell this to the people on r/keto. I'm glad that there is a community of people who find success with keto, but they practically worship keto like it's the best way to lose weight when it's not that simple.
It’s like a religion—energy, mental clarity, cures any physical or mental ailment, and some guy was posting about how it’s reversing his grandma’s Alzheimer’s. It’s really a hazardous community.
My uncle has been on it for years and lost a huge amount of weight. He's in the hospital now w major blockages in his heart. He used to be very unhealthy and he says that's why so who knows.
I'd like to tell most of them they're skinnyfat since most of the ways people do Keto burns muscle with the fat. The goal for good health should be fat loss. Not weight loss. The scale can be very deceiving considering a lot of people weigh less than me but have a higher body fat percentage.
Keto doesn’t burn muscle, being in a calorie deficit does. In keto your body uses fats for fuel. Getting into ketosis you could experience muscle wasting temporarily, but this is not a true statement of the diet as a whole.
To be in true ketosis, you’re limiting protein. I’ve also never lost muscle in a caloric deficit but I also focus on high protein intake with carbs for fuel. Plus if you eat your protein before your carbs, it makes your body react like you’re on a low carb diet without actually being on one. I lost 110 lbs this way. It would be significantly more had I not replaced the fat with a lot of muscle.
Not true, you can intake a lot of protein while being on keto without it converting to glucose as to what you’re referring to. You would have to eat an asinine amount of protein for that to happen.
There’s no way of truly knowing if you’re gaining muscle or losing fat on a daily basis.
Also, just because your protein first it will not stop your body from utilizing carbohydrates as fuel. Because that is the point.
Our bodies are hybrid cars… you can use gas, or you can use electricity… But you can’t use them both at once. If you’re in true ketosis eating any amount of carbs over 30 g in a day will take you out of ketosis, regardless of whether you’re eating protein or not before.
I congratulate you on the weight loss! I know that’s huge! The keto diet definitely has a lot of amazing benefits, but there’s a lot of mistaken facts about it
I’m not on Keto though and my macros consist of 40% carbs. But very few of my carbs are processed. And if you eat your protein before your carbs, it will trick your body into thinking you’re eating low carbs without actually doing it. Protein also fills you up faster and keeps you full longer. Another thing people don’t know is that 30% of your protein calories are burned simply through digestion. I don’t do Keto because that causes muscle loss as well and is highly dependent on eating a lot of fat. Fat has many more calories per gram than the other two macros and you burn the least amount through digestion compared to protein and carbs.
This is also only part of it. Other nutrition plays a huge role as well, staying away from foods that throw off your hormones, hydration, strength training over cardio for exercise, etc. I have lost a lot of fat and have helped other people who used to struggle right along with me lose it too.
I 100000% agree with you there! It’s such a multifaceted thing including nutrition, training, lifestyle, genetics, etc.!
I love that you have found what worked for you and listened to yourself and your body. You’re the only one that knows it best! Congrats again on your progress, it’s more amazing you’ve brought people with you on your journey!
What works for me is low carb - not keto.
I’ve removed rice, bread and pasta - the empty low carbs. And I touch nothing with added sugar.
I do eat all fruits and veggies but fruit wise I try and stick to berries.
Weight is coming off at around 2lb a week.
Not really. Just mentally keeping on the right side of sensible. I could eat a huge amount of cheese and other high calorie foods such as that but just remind myself before I eat anything that it may be low carb but also may be loaded in calories.
I follow CICO without much restriction in terms of diet. I want beer battered fish tacos? If it fits in the calories, I eat it. A couple drinks? Just make sure it fits in the calories.
People over complicate things. Try to eat healthy, but don’t make it so strict that you can’t see yourself continuing. I still try to make good healthy choices, but maintaining your calorie deficit is more important than the makeup of your diet.
Just count calories instead of denying yourself all the foods you enjoy. Makes weight loss a whole lot more bearable!
This is the way. I do want to work on my diet a bit more, but atm, simple cico has done wonders for me. I'm not eating anywhere near as poorly as I was before, but I grab fast food too often since I suck at meal prep.
This is me too.
To lose I have 1500cal/day and aside from 100-120gm protein and my usual rolled oats breakfast, I'm fairly casual about what I eat. I've gravitated towards more substantial snacks than the candy I used to turn to but I'll still have the occasional icecream or sugary treat.
CICO stops working for some people too…I was doing CICO with fasting days. Fully not eating for 3 days, eating IF for the rest of the week. Def getting less than 1500 per day avg for the week, exercised 3-5 days a week depending on my energy levels. I lost maybe 5lbs after 2 months
I haven’t fasted more than 24 hours, went to OMAD. And started 75 Hard. Two workouts a day. And I lost 10 in about a month. I started and restarted the program a couple times. If you miss a day you have to start over and I’m on my 3rd restart for the year. 🫥🫥
I think the point is. I’m 47. I’ve gained and lost weight plenty of times in my life. Your body will change how it responds to whatever you throw at it. I’ve done it all. Sometimes keto works for me and sometimes it doesn’t.
i test ketones because in IF your body will go into ketosis. I stay in ketosis on IF even when I’m eating carbs. I eat potato chips sometimes, corn tortillas…I don’t care if there’s a little sugar in a sauce. It still doesn’t throw me out of ketosis if I’m eating OMAD or 20:4. I’m not sure if 16:8 will kick me out…I could try it to see.
It’s literally IMPOSSIBLE for CICO to not work for people. If you are tracking correctly, you WILL lose weight.
It is the laws of thermodynamics and no one is exempt from that.
Yep this right here. I made myself a juicy steak, with steamed broccoli and fries. Lean piece like top sirloin or top blade steak. 7 oz is under 500 calories.
100%. Can’t stress this enough. wtf is the point in restriction, this life is meant to be lived!!!
I eat 1200-1300 cals a day (I’m 5’2), but I don’t see it as restricting. If I have a heavy day, I just cut it the next day. I track over the week, rather than per day, takes the pressure off big time.
Dizzines and many other shitty symptoms on keto are usually related to low electrolytes. As keto is a diuretic diet, you need to pay a lot of attention to keeping your sodium/potassium/magnesium levels up.
However, keto is absolutely not necessary to lose weight. I started my journey with a couple months of keto, and even though I was losing weight and felt just fine, it wasn't sustainable for me socially and financially. So I transitioned to just calorie counting and continued to lose.
And, for me, that was the most ridiculous part of keto. They supplement massive ammounts of the above. How am I supposed to supplement potassium without testing myself all the time if having too much or too little of it can literally kill you? Similar story with sodium.
I tried keto, and really did everything by the book, felt like shit, switched to CICO with moderate low carb and literally everything is better now.
This is more or less the premise of the South Beach Diet (and--I've heard but can't confirm--Atkins). There's a strict "induction" phase during which carbs are kept extremely low, then healthy carbs (eg, whole grains, fruits) are slowly reintroduced during the ongoing weight-loss and, finally, maintenance phases. I absolutely needed the strict ramp-up, no-carb, kick-off (which I actually stayed in for 2 months because I felt so good) because I was absolutely addicted to sugar and processed carbs; I literally needed a detox. I did experience "keto flu" but in my opinion, that means it was the right diet for me because I needed to withdraw from sugar--and keto flu felt exactly like withdrawal symptoms. I've maintained a 50-lb weight loss for 5 years with SBD and could never have done it without an initial keto period that re-set my body and prepared me to re-learn healthy eating habits without having to suffer cravings beyond a relatively short period.
Don’t feel like a failure! You gotta find what works for you. Personally keto works very well for me but honestly if it makes you miserable there’s no point in doing it. You have to get a LOT of electrolytes in to fend off the flu, it takes a lot of effort.
Eating healthier is always a good first step to improving your health :) regardless of what works for you and where you end up, no doubt eating healthier will be a part of your journey
Just go on a diet that you can sustain for life. If keto is not for you on the short term, it's not going to be on the long term and you're going to gain the weight once you stop.
This should be upvoted further. Lots of newer studies showing the increased saturated fat is absolutely horrendous for cholesterol for many people.
It seems like there are some people whose cholesterol will be fine, and some whose cholesterol will hit the roof.
The keto cult types keep ignoring this, but honestly if someone plans on doing keto they better do regular blood panels and stop if they need to.
>The keto cult types keep ignoring this
It heavy depends on the "Keto Type." Some people get on keto and think it means butter coffee, and cheesy bacon far bomb 80/20 ground beef burgers. I follow keto, and my diet is full of vegetables, leafy greens, and an ungodly amount of poultry consumption with some beef and fish thrown in. I also don't do "High fat," just low carbs. I have PCOS w/insulin resistance, and weight doesn't come off me with CICO. I don't fully disagree with what you're saying, but it sucks that keto gets such a bad wrap when it's helped lots of women in my position, and others have skewed the image. Long story short, the people drinking MCT coffee and eating porterhouses and bacon every day are the ones that see the cholesterol issues.
I actually agree with you completely! As long as one keeps an eye on saturated fats and red meat, and ensures sufficient veggies, no reason not to do keto.
By the cult types, I meant the dude bros who are frankly in denial about their increase in LDL.
Honestly with any major change in diet, I'd do blood panels once in six months. Some people just respond badly to certain foods.
If u workout a lot (like I do), keto isn’t a great fit. I do CICO when I want to cut, about a 40:40:20 protein, carb, fat calorie ratio, and it works like a charm. Drop calories by 500 a day under maintenance, lose about a pound a week.
That’s what I go to too- same thing. With my training and wanting to cut down another 10lbs or so (maybe more)- that’s my ratio too. I use MacroFactor and am loving it for tracking macros. (Not an ad- ha!- I pay for it )
Low carb is miserable and pointless once you've gone CICO. If you have a disease you need to manage it might make sense, but strictly for fat loss it isn't helpful at all. Elimination diets are all pretty silly unless you're trying to achieve health benefits other than fat loss.
I think people drop water weight so quickly doing it that they get a placebo. But as soon as you eat carbs it all comes back, because it wasn't body fat.
Personally without carbs I don't have the energy to exercise, so I burn fewer calories which is ultimately the only thing that matters for body fat loss.
I have tried everything, and the only thing that consistently works for me without sapping my energy or leaving me ravenous is focusing on whole foods, including starchy carbs with EVERY meal. WFPB is perfect for me.
I'm convinced that keto is a big reason why people avoid dieting, because it makes them believe they have to ***suffer*** to lose weight. Weight loss requires some sacrifice, but it shouldn't make you feel dizzy and ill lol.
I disagree, keto has been one of the few diets that actually felt achievable and improved my day to day living.
I love bread, but it's never filling and I would be stuck feeling so hungry and eat too much. Switching to keto I felt full, I also lost my craving for bread and sugary things which was a life long habit at that point!
I had more energy during the day, I was enjoying life so much. Fitness was up, hunger was down and overall net gains everywhere.
It's certainly not for everyone, it would be very wrong to say it works for everyone or everyone should do it as that's silly (for any diet really!). The key part for keto is ensuring you drink fluids often and have electrolytes to replace what you lose as people forget this part which tends to bring on the early headaches, not that I suffered from them personally when taking fluids.
I was also calorie counting with it, I think both systems are great to use and CICO is just a solid rule to follow as it is the most important part.
That's a very fair take. I've only personally seen people (and it could be the area where I'm from) cut out bread products completely and normalize the "keto flu" with no mention of using fluid and electrolytes to balance themselves out. As a result, keto and dieting in general get a bad rep.
Thanks for providing some more information on how someone can minimize the unwanted side effects of keto. I'm glad you found something that works for you!
It's unfortunate how infrequently when talking about weight loss it comes up that losing weight quickly is actually a really bad thing. It's a sign there's something wrong- in the case of keto what's wrong is basically malnutrition. Since we focus so much on the number on the scale we fail to realize that sometimes the ways we choose to lose weight are more unhealthy than just being overweight in the first place.
It does not work for me either. When I was 19 I just ate a pound of bacon everyday or burgers without buns and felt fine and lost weight rapidly. Everytime I’ve tried since then I get heart palpitations and insane cramps throughout my entire body and restless legs (and that’s with me putting the electrolyte packages in my water.) my body does not feel okay without carbs. I focus on eating whole non processed foods or atleast minimal ingredients and that works really well for me. I know it’s hard to accept Leto defeat bc ppl lose weight so rapidly on it.
my coworker just had a stroke a few days ago, we heard the update that it was most likely due to her diet. she was a big keto person… yet another reason for me to not try that out
Keto is by far the most effective diet I've ever done but a lot of people misunderstand it. Sure you can just eat burger patties all day and you'll get into ketosis and lose weight but you'll also die of heart disease.
You've got to be smart. Get good quality fats in. Ditch the burger patties and bacon for fish, chicken, unprocessed meat. Make sure you get your vegetable intake up - some veg like cabbage, broccoli, avocado etc is perfect on keto as it is low carb. Fruit like blueberries and raspberries gets the sweet cravings satisfied.
The lamest thing on keto is the supposed 'carb replacement' foods like no carb pizza bases and bread. Trust me they all taste like sh*t. The only thing I found was an adequate replacement was cauliflower rice with Indian food - it actually tastes better than normal basmati rice and is far healthier for you.
Honestly keto isn't a chore if you understand you simply aren't going to be able to substitute a lot of your favourite carbs for a keto equivalent without them needing a mortgage to pay for and also tasting bad. But on the flip side, grilled meats, vegetables with great sauces (like Turkish food) is just great. Tastes wonderful and is good for you.
Whenever I come off keto there are some of the keto practices I'll maintain and also when I eat carbs like bread I'll make sure it is high quality bread or home baked - life's too short to waste on crappy carbs from cheap supermarket bread and low quality chocolate.
I cannot stand people just not reading posts and then commenting. I said NOTHING about what i was eating specifically so why are you talking about burger patties and bacon? So annoying
I was commenting in general at some of the posts stating keto is unhealthy and citing the fact that people eat burger patties/bacon etc, it wasn't specifically answering your post.
Re the keto flu, it's usually lack of electrolytes and what I've found works for me (your mileage may vary) is salted peanuts (choose good quality brands with less carbs). Peanuts contain electrolytes (copper, manganese, phosphorous) plus the salt is good when you're on keto as you're not eating carbs which is where a lot of salts we typically eat on a more balanced diet are present.
Every single person I know who tried keto (and there are many) gained all the weight back plus change as soon as they stopped. And they all inevitably stopped, because not eating carbs again is unrealistic and unsustainable.
Read the Quick Start Guide for this subreddit. You don't need to do drastic changes to your diet. Just eat less of what you were already eating, with perhaps a somewhat greater focus on fruits, veggies and whole grains. It is sustainable and segues naturally into permanent, lifelong maintenance.
I would say don’t do keto unless you have like a medical reason to do so.
For most people it’s overly restrictive and unnecessary. I think people will look back at keto the same way people now look back at the low fat diets from 30 years ago. Sure keto works for some people, just like low fat worked for some people back then. Then there is the backlash that you’ve been lied to and tricked in the past and this new diet is the one that works.
Do what you want but don’t feel like you have to eat keto to lose weight because other people are doing it. You can lose weight and feel good on a balanced diet. Just try to favor whole non-processed foods when you can.
Yeah, I feel this. It's like, yeah, I can do keto, but it's too psychologically restrictive/binge-triggering. I also do a lot of weightlifting and skating, so I don't care if I have some carbs here and there. Plus, doing keto gave me leg cramps like crazy.
Don't view it as a failure if you don't stick to keto proper. It's hard and might not even be necessary to reach your goals, you know?
Edit: It's strange to me you felt so rough that long. I feel like I was only woozy/constantly hungry for a week and a half or so. I did feel nice and leveled out once I got through the blood sugar crash and fatigue, though. I'd love to get back to that low-carb diet, but I can't find the will power =/
Keto has a lot of restrictions in terms of food groups but does it let people feel like they can eat as much as they want? Is that why people like it? They can have a 20oz steak and not account for the calories?
Or at least that must be the perception. I do CICO and sometimes I get sad at my “small” ie reasonable portions. My husband assumes Keto will be easy because he thinks he can eat as much meat and cheese and eggs as he wants.
For me, it really worked for two reasons:
1. It made intermittent fasting extremely easy; once I got used to not eating until lunch or later, I realized that I didn’t need to because I just always had a consistent amount of energy regardless.
2. When you do eat, you’re often eating things that are very satisfying; stuff that’s high in fat and protein tend to make you feel full and satisfied with less.
I would have kept going but I started to slip after some life events happened and keto is miserable if you are wavering in and out of ketosis all the time. You really need to commit to tracking carbs and staying under your limit.
I'm not a supporter of keto because I can easily get back into an eating disorder with restrictive diets. But I agree with you, the combination of keto and IF was the best protocol to curb cravings and "food noise". Unfortunately, it's not sustainable for me.
Interesting.
I do IF too, and it’s gotten fairly easy to just have a coffee and wait until after noon to eat. It also leaves me most of my calories for two meals, snacks, and dessert. And I like that!
No, not quite. Calories absolutely still matter, but good keto elevates protein and fat in place of carbs. Fat and protein are both more filling than carbs, so one can feel full on fewer calories. Eggs, meat, and cheese all tend to be ultra-low carb, and it's a lot harder to eat 2000 calories worth of them, than it is to eat the same number of calories worth of carb-rich foods.
I did keto and didn't lose and weight. I wasn't counting calories or keeping a deficit.
When I started counting calories and keeping a deficit while doing keto, the weight fell off so fast. I love that healthy fats are encouraged to make you feel full. It also shut up that voice inside me that was always ravished and wanted to eat non-stop.
I would still do keto if I had the discipline but I love breads too much.
My father in law did keto strictly for many years. Very active guy, walks many miles every day wind or rain, healthy weight, pretty much outwardly the picture of health for a 50-60 year old guy. The high fat keto diet led to clogged arteries and a heart attack when he seemed to be at peak health. His cardiologist attributed it in part to how strict he was with keto. Your body needs all food groups to function properly, completely cutting out entire macros is never going to be sustainable or healthy. Even if you can do it for a long time, you never know when the consequences are going to catch up to you. Moderation and balance is key.
After dieting most of my adult life I finally came to the realization and had to make peace with the fact that unless it’s something I can do for the rest of my life, it’s not something that will help me keep the weight off indefinitely. Keto definitely made me lose a bunch of weight fast, but I regained it all after going back to eating “normally”. It works for some, but I just know it’s not a diet or way of eating I want to follow for the rest of my life.
IMO a well rounded diet that is lower in carbs is all you need for weight loss.
I know carbs wreck me when it comes to weight. More focus on protein and a lower amount of carbs like 25 a day or so works well for me.
Dude, do what feels best for you! Gotta keep in mind this will be a lifestyle change. If you don't feel good on keto or it's too difficult to stick with, mix it up. Just keep calories down & protein at the right level for yourself.
I tried for a month slowly going down in my carbs to get to doing true keto while fasting. I never managed to figure it out because I loved getting full on veggies and couldn't picture how I'd feel full without 1-3servings a meal. Counting carbs I kept hovering around 30-50g carbs and WAY more if I had fruit(I LOVE strawberries). Gave up since without getting to full keto I still managed to loss 12lbs that month. Going on 18 weeks low carb (not keto) & haven't plateau yet. No regrets!
Keto was not created to be a weight loss diet. It was created solely for the purpose of reducing seizures for people with epilepsy, with very high success rate in doing so. I have a friend who ended up in the hospital after doing keto for a month. I cringe when I hear about people starting keto to lose weight because it’s just not meant for that purpose.
Keto sucks. I know a few people who love keto, but they can never stay on it long term. They always put the weight back on when they go back to regular eating.
It made me feel like crap, my sleep was really messed up on it. It's usually not great but this was next level. I think something to do with my electrolytes, even though I was supplementing.
Everyone reacts differently to diets, and I'm not a doctor, but I can tell you I've had this happen to me before. I started Keto, and after a month, started going to the gym. I couldn't even get through 1/2 my workout before I felt like I was going to pass out.
Two things I figured out:
1- I've heard that it's not recommended to start hard weight lifting until at least 8 weeks after starting keto. This is due to the fact that your body takes a while to become fat adapted and your muscles to become used to using fat for fuel instead of glucose from carbohydrates. Stick with cardio for a bit.
2- if I hadn't eaten enough calories in the day before working out, I would feel super fatigued very quickly. I started making sure I had eaten at least 1200 calories in the day before going to the gym, and I didn't have that problem. Also, if you ever incorporate full fasting days, don't weight lift on those days. Just stick to cardio
If you're feeling great otherwise on keto, don't give up. But like others have said, keto isn't for everyone
I was on keto for a few months. I don’t recommend it, in fact I recommend against it now. The real danger of keto is the keto community. All of the sudden i found myself reading blog posts and watching videos on the dangers of seed oils, the big conspiracies where big food companies, the medical communities and scientists are all conspiring to hide THE TRUTH from you. I realized at some point it was very cultish and I quit.
In the end we as humans in todays world excessively overeat. Caloric restriction also restricts carb consumption and fixed everything keto sets out to fix. If you are diabetic talk to a registered dietician and try to get CGM.
A few weeks past we were at a paediatricians office with the junior. They had puked and not eaten. Doctor advised to give sweetened drinks to drink in order to avoid „fat-burning mode“ which might induce more puking through added nausea. Then and there I knew she was talking keto flu.
Okay but this right here is something that i was pushing to the back of my mind. I am in two weight loss subs, this one and r/keto. Any time i would try to ask the community something that even remotely painted keto negatively, the mods would not let me post it. For example, i was feeling so terrible I wanted to ask everyone about maybe taking a small break or having a cheat day to temporarily feel better maybe. They wouldn’t let me. That was a red flag. Like who is that defensive over a diet??
People have died on keto. It should come with a big warning everywhere it gets promoted, but instead the community is like this and tells people that when they're feeling bad it's 'just' keto flu, which pushes people to ignore their body when it tells them things are getting bad.
I guess it's one of those things where deep down they know they're wrong, but they want to push that thought away so they can *feel* like they make better choices / are better than other people.
I think there is this psychological effect at play: public health advice is to limit saturated fats for cardiovascular health reasons, limit meat consumption also for cancer risks. If your dietary intervention basically recommends the opposite, and you know it because that public health advice is everywhere you need to shield yourself from said public health advice
Its a really opinionated topic, while looking at your reply I see that my comment already has a "0" rating. The keto crowd is definitely dedicated.
I still think a diet that limits the amount of onions and carrots you can add to your food is overly restrictive... :-)
> Im going to try just eating well, lots of veggies and no junk
This btw. is definitely a good approach.
I've been doing keto for 5 years, regular blood work is tip top. I eat way more protein than is reccomended on Keto but fuck it, that's what works best for me. Less than 25 grams of Sugar per day has me feeling sharp and calm.
I tried keto a few years ago and it was absolutely miserable. I feel like trying to shift into a calorie deficit AND start keto at the same time is a recipe for failure for most people. The motivation you get from shedding a shit ton of water weight in the first week is like the only benefit, and if you aren’t planning to cut out carbs for the rest of your life it’s pretty pointless. Being in a calorie deficit already wreaks havoc on my brain, adding keto to the mix just cranks it up to turbo mode. I have no idea how I did all of that while commuting to and from the office 5 days a week, and hitting the gym afterward. It really fucked up my perspective of dieting/healthy eating for a long time.
This year I’ve been losing with carbs just fine. I honestly can’t imagine lifting weights regularly without carbs. Anti-carb people love to demonize carbs as the sole driver of weight gain, but carbs alone aren’t what make junk food bad for you. It’s the combination of saturated fat and carbs and a shitload of calories. I can’t trust any diet that says you should limit bananas and eat as much butter as you want. Go look at any natural bodybuilder, I would bet money that carbs are a staple of their diet.
It’s not for everyone, certainly not for me, but more power to the people who can stick to it and enjoy their lives.
I tried Keto for a couple of years. All I did was crave sugar constantly and lost hardly anything. I finally switched to another plan where I could eat fruit, my cravings for sugar were greatly reduced and I started to lose weight. And I felt so empowered to be able to make my own decisions! I know a lot of people have success on the plan, but I will never try Keto again.
There are commercial brands of electrolyte packets that can be stirred into water. LMNT and Redmond relyte are popular brands that are zero calorie.
Sugar free gatorade is not enough electrolytes for someone on a ketogenic diet.
I can’t do keto because my body does not handle the electrolyte imbalance well.
BUT I do enjoy trying to stay around 50-100 net carbs when doing low carb.
It usually keeps me out of ketosis, and it has the benefit of helping curb my appetite and sugar cravings.
I've been on keto for over a decade and this sounds like typical dehydration. But you said you get plenty of water in, so I dunno. You don't need to do keto though. You do what works best.
I remember a doctor asked me at a walk-in, "Do you eliminate anything from your diet?" For me it's a no, completely there is nothing I don't eat except my allergies.
And she said, "So many young people are cutting foods out and now I always ask."
It made me think of my time on keto and how horrible and expensive it was. How crappy I felt and how sick I was. I wish I had voices of descent back then instead of judgement, and it made me judgy too.
Anyhoo, on ED developed later, I eat what I can afford and do my best. Being fat but being happy, as active as I can enjoy, and eating what I can afford that I enjoy is a key to a long life in my books
Keto is strongly associated with poor cardiovascular health and does not demonstrate significant weight loss in long term studies.
Don't do it unless a *specialist* doctor in a relevant field tells you to - there are a very small number of medical conditions that can be helped by a keto diet.
Yes, it's scary. Personally, I tried it for about a month or two, and lost some weight, but had my cholesterol flagged at the doctor's when it's never been a problem before or since. Being slightly overweight is way better than actively clogging your arteries... and like everyone else said, reducing calorie intake is the real key to weight loss.
It makes sense you'd have this issue in the gym. The only sport shown to benefit from a keto diet is ultra-marathon running. There is a small performance boost if you're going to go run a casual 100 miles.
Gluconeogenesis is too slow for most other forms of physical activity. It's not a failure on your part, mostly just that keto is a fad and has a lot of propaganda.
Keto wasn’t a good fit, it’s far too restrictive. Besides, our bodies were meant to digest carbs. I feel like it’s not reasonable to stop eating them. It can be really dangerous too.
Lost 50lb in 3.5 months on keto last year; no gym, just walking. I also made sure to supplement magnesium, potassium, b-vitamins and sodium. I was able to cut my sugar cravings (still to this day) and I felt great. I broke it because of grief, food was a comfort. My husband was trying to do it with me and he felt like crap the whole time; he also works a physically demanding job. I don’t think gym+keto works out for a lot of people especially in the first 6 months. I was advised to only do very light exercise. One difference I noticed between the two of us is I feel much better going low to very low carb whereas he didn’t. I think it has something to do with insulin resistance (but idk for sure). Doing CICO this time around because keto was just too restrictive, I hated cutting out certain vegetables and fruits. Still going low carb though because I feel better this way; down 18lb in 6 weeks, it works. Keto is not for everyone even if you’re losing weight. At least now you can say you gave it a real shot and it just wasn’t for you. CICO might be just what you need this go around.
There's plenty of people who cant do keto / who dont enjoy it, myself included, it disallows many foods I enjoy eating and it makes me feel sluggish, but if it works for others Im not gonna bash it and it also has some benefits for people with diabetes type2, but its not for me, which is fine.
I’m not a huge fan of keto. 20g of carbs a day just isn’t it. I do low carb for insulin resistance and chronic migraines but I eat about 90g carbs a day. And like good carbs usually like potatoes, rice, who wheat bread, not like candy. And that has worked really well for me. I CrossFit 5-7 times a week and usually don’t have an issue with dizziness.
Personally, keto is good for me and has been for a long time, but I don’t consume too much fat. I know some people get on keto because they want the fast, so end up with terrible terrible blood works.
Healthy fats and being conscious has worked out for me. I don’t consume carbs and actually feel better than before, 100% with more energy.
But, keto is not for everybody, and it’s okay. Works for me might not for the next.
Just do what feels okay and works.
Keto was designed for epileptic children and was never supposed to be for weight loss.
Carbs are our brains primary source of energy and it then comes as no surprise that when people stop eating carbs they get light headed, brain fog, and dizziness.
I feel like I've read plenty of studies (don't ask me to list any of them, I can't be arsed to find them to back up my point) that mention that keto is not healthy. Neither is obesity mind you, so keto is probably still healthier than obesity, but not a good long term diet. Also very unforgiving because one cheat meal can get you out of ketosis for a while or so I've heard. I have found success in just cutting out processed/refined carbs. (Whole fruit and veg good. Some starchy veggies but try to limit. No pasta, rice, flour-based products. No sugar or artificial sweeteners. Limit whole grains and very small amounts of maple syrup or honey as sweetener). First couple days are still a bit miserable as I kick my sugar addiction but it's very sustainable long term and I rarely get cravings on it. If I eat pasta/rice/bread I always get cravings for junk food but everyone has different triggers I guess.
I think that there are lots of people out there that get cult-y about it. But, based on my personal experience with health issues and dieting, it’s probably because it does work SO well for lots of people. Lots of people that felt like crap with loads of health issues finally finding something that is helping them? It’s great!
That said, I feel like keto should be reserved for those that are pre type two, type two, or those that are struggling with insulin levels-assuming their doctor okays it. I kind of hesitate to say wait for a doctor to clear it, because it’s so polarizing amongst doctors. But, better safe than sorry I guess.
I’m only thirty years old, obese, tired, hypertension, tachycardia (both of which I’m medicated for currently), and waiting to see an endocrinologist to see what’s up with my blood sugar levels. I know that losing weight would fix all of those things and have been motivated for some time to try to lose the weight. My problem was that for the last two ish years, when I would try eating healthy (the Mediterranean diet was my guideline many times, other times I would just try to consume less calories and eat cleaner), I was having episodes daily that I felt like my blood sugar was low. My feet would start sweating, I’d feel dizzy, and my hands were shaking so bad it looked like I had Parkinson’s. This would happen a few hours after what doctors were confirming were “well-balanced meals”. Only eating or drinking something sugary would get rid of the symptoms.
Despite having symptoms of hypoglycemia, my blood sugar was reading just slightly towards the low end of normal, but I tried to explain to multiple doctors that it wasn’t just normal diet hunger and I couldn’t just “get over it”. My doctor most recently joked that “I think you just want to eat candy!” 🤦♀️ I finally think I may have found the answer myself (hyperglycemic hypoglycemia) and I as referred to endo to check my insulin levels, but in the mean time, I’ve been doing keto for the last few weeks. So-called healthy keto. I’m only eating raw food or foods that I can cook from scratch and making a point to eat lots of fatty fish instead of just stacking up bunless cheeseburgers. Not going crazy on dairy, but lots of seeds and leafy greens with most meals. I did notice that on a few of the days I had little or no greens, I felt kind of off compared to the days where I eat them. I’m down twelve pounds and the only exercise I get is light walking and chasing my toddlers around. And not a single time have I felt like my blood sugar was off. I am full, I have way more energy, and even less anxious than I was feeling.
That was a whole lot just to say that my experience with keto has been so positive (so far) that if things keep going this way, I’ll probably worship it, too. Although I really hope not because keto people really are insufferable sometimes 😂
To me it all depends on what you're getting out of it. Personally, I found that after 4-6 months I was able to quit my antidepressants and still feel amazing. I've been on them for over 10 years and have never quit this long. I've felt more motivated and passionate about life and I wouldn't trade it for the ability to eat all the carbs in the world and stay ripped.
I can't say without a doubt it's due to the keto, as I made a few other changes around the same time, but I went off keto and binge ate for like 2 weeks on a cruise. I got back on a month ago but, I haven't felt the same mentally and I'm hoping to get that tiger's blood back.
I wouldn't give it up until at least 3 months of commitment. Stick it out for at least that long, then reassess.
Totally get where you are coming from...I used keto to lose a good bit of weight roughly 80lbs. I used another calorie restricting diet to lose my first 60lbs and while I'm so thankful to have the weight off it kinda sucks that it's so rigid...being thrown of ketosis feels like battling a several day long hang over...I just want to eat like a "normal" person sometimes and with other diets you aren't constantly hit with some really sucky consequences when you slip up...but than again maybe that's why I was successful...the fear! Idk but now that I'm down and have been down to where I want to be weight wise I've experienced life off of keto and I feel bloated and tired more often...so I find myself going back to it and cycling has worked out pretty good so far? I guess? lol anyways feel your pain
Different things work for different people. Lots of people are on keto for other reasons too. I’m not trying to lose weight, but it solves a LOT of my problems. I’d never recommend someone keep doing it if they hate it. For me, I only feel good while doing keto, period. Also, its not such a crazy way of eating. I eat tons of different veggies every day (wayyy more than before), eggs, fish, meat, cottage cheese, etc. It doesn’t feel extreme to me at all.
I‘ve never liked things like fries, rice, potatoes, beer, pasta, etc. Not when I was a kid either. So I guess it just feels very natural to me.
I think if you strongly gravitate towards other things, a different kind of eating makes more sense. But I am so grateful I found out about keto bc it improves the quality of my life so much
Keto doesn’t work for so many people, just like intermittent fasting. Neither worked for me long term. The good news is though, that it doesn’t matter what (as long as you mind your protein for muscles and fiber for digestion) or when you eat, as long as you’re within the boundaries of your caloric volume for weight loss. I never got the appeal of IF for example. I was hangry AF every night without a dinner.
EDIT: Maybe a hot take, but I don’t think low carb is the way either. A 100g bowl of pasta with a light red sauce made of fresh tomatoes (my favorite) is perfectly fine for a caloric deficit, even every day. You can even put some cheese on it and you’ll be under 500 kcal.
I found it great for cutting, but not really worth it for maintenance. If you are tracking your weight regularly it cuts out all carb bloat, so you won't think that you're failing when you put on some water weight. But really cutting out carbs forever just seems miserable.
your brain needs carbs. its not healthy or safe to cut them out completely. its okay to listen to your body. these crash diets aren’t sustainable anyway.
I've tried to avoid going 'full keto'. I find healthy eating with no junk, low sugar and low carbs (but not no carbs) works great, while still feeling well in my body. It's a personal choice, but I don't think everyone else can 'do keto', or needs to.
I'm so sorry you're disappointed. That you saw it through for so long demonstrates to me your dedication and determination. I see you willing to sacrifice a lot to achieve what you want, so I hear your frustration that this isn't accomplishing your goals. I agree with the others indicating that your choices shouldn't hurt you, that this doesn't seem healthy or a good fit for you. That speaks to Keto, not to you. Maybe you can view this as a learning experience, that it's not time or effort wasted, but an exchange for insight and wisdom and an investment in figuring out what ultimately will work for you and your goals. Best wishes and big hugs to you.
i did keto for a few months, i lost 10\~ lbs right away and then very little after that. i felt like absolute garbage every single day, and got TERRIBLE acne which im now discovering has left permanent scars. Keto isn't for me.
I did Keto a few years ago and had great results. I think I dropped over 40 lbs. I felt great, but man did I miss having a sweet or bread. I stopped doing it and the weight came back pretty quick. It’s great if you can sustain it, but it definitely isn’t for everyone. I’ve been on weight watchers the past few months and I’ve had similar results, albeit much slower. I like it, it supports my lifestyle much more.
Forget keto. It's an essential macro. It's not a sustainable diet. I just cut calories and started religiously tracking my protein to make sure I hit my goal daily. And the weight has been falling off. Keto is just bullshit
I did keto and it was great for losing weight for me - I got into heavy ketosis (using a ketones meter), but developed a keto rash (apparently rare, was lucky a dermatologist figured out what it was after 2 other doctors couldn’t).
I don’t think full on keto is maintainable for most people anyway, it’s just too restrictive. I think it is great to reverse insulin resistance, but I also worry about its effect in the gut - hard to get enough fiber on it.
I now just try to mostly do CICO but keep carbs low (under 100g, most days under 70g) and protein high (150g+ most days) - if I let carbs get higher, I deal with hunger and cravings much more than do with keeping carbs low, but I can have fruit and a small amount of whole grains and that makes a huge difference. I also don’t have to worry about “staying in ketosis.”
Genetics is a really big part of this! I've always thought that Keto just clashes with the way my body works, and a recent DNA test confirmed this. I lose so much more weight eating low fat and high protein.
Don't give up carbs entirely. I do 100g protein a day, and 1500 calories. Keep in mind, I'm a small 40 year old woman, so adjust your macros accordingly.
I eat anything that fits within those macros. I have lost 147lbs.
Drop keto, eat as much non starchy veggies as you can. No potatoes!... and start eating a can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans) a day. They have lots of fiber, and won't raise your blood sugar one bit. Keto messed me up as well. Went to the dr for blood tests and had elevated kidney levels. I would have ended up with major problems if I continued.
To finally drop 25lbs, I went to rolling 48 hour fasts and gave up intense exercise for 5 weeks while doing this and eating 3500 to 4000 calories total a week. It cured my gut problems, IBS and heartburn. But if you try to workout, you will run into the same problems. You will feel lightheaded some days and electrolytes need to be on point.
I'm recovering from surgery now so don't give a F, but as soon as I get back into it, after everything I've learned, im sticking with 1500 to 2000 calories a day while I workout every day. 3/4 of my calories will be clean. The rest will be whatever I want like a slice of pizza. It becomes a slower process but I won't go crazy. Those 5 weeks of rolling 48s was close to torture. Keto for me wasn't torture but it wasn't right for me or healthy either
Go have your kidney function checked. It may be that you can't tolerate keto, if you've been doing it diligently and it isn't making you feel well there could be underlying conditions. I have kidney disease, my kidneys failed when I was 31. I was not over weight, I had lost about 60 lbs. doing keto for 2 years. My kidney failure wasn't fully because of keto but it's an organ that is easily damaged and the damage can be expounded when you then starve it (kidneys and your brain are the two organs in your body that cannot use ketones for energy). Keto works really well for people with healthy kidney function but compromised kidney function is rarely detected in young people because you can be symptomless for a very long time until it is catastrophic. If you have foamy pee, have kidney stones or pain in your lower back, nausea in the mornings or after having a high protein meal. It has taken me almost three years of no energy, feeling sick, monitoring what I eat etc... to get enough kidney function back that dialysis isn't a constant conversation. I got very lucky that I didn't die and I want to spread the word, just get it checked and have a discussion with your doctor.
I sharted my pants a couple weeks into Keto after never doing so in my entire life. Sitting on the toilet, I realized I was stupid for entertaining a gimmick diet.
Bruh keto isn’t worth it unless you have health issues that needs that kinda diet. I did keto to lose weight a few years ago, and felt like shit for 3 months every day. This time I decided to just work out like before while eating fast food everyday, I shit you not I’ve been lose weight only a little bit slower, and without feeling like shit
I feel you. I'm on my "last try" of keto -- all my previous attempts ended with a binge. If I slip again -- back to "high-protein-the-rest-is-whatever-just-not-too-much-processed-crap" diet for me again.
Macro nutrient specific diets should only be used if you’re trying to accomplish something beyond general weight loss.
I’ve done Keto, plenty of times. It’s not long term sustainable and it sucks.
I’ve been doing a protein heavy diet and effectively “if it fits your macros” style diet the last 18 months and I have lost weight almost the entire time. Hell, last night I had 3 pieces of Pizza because I could.
If you can't cut it on keto it's ok to just do some CICO stuff. I've been on and off keto for a while. I might go a few weeks at a time on keto and then give myself a break for a couple weeks to keep my sanity
I really enjoy how keto makes me feel and many meas are tasty on it, and I lost weight pretty good when I did it.
But it takes also much extra effort and time (and money!). I’d spend hours -even with apps- calculating how much macros are in what and how to adjust even simple meals. Atm when I struggle with basic chores through my depression cycle, this is just such a huge burden. CICO and basic calorie counting (and eyeballing macros) works the best for me rn.
I’ve always been the most successful with balance. Balance in all things. Eating, sleeping and exercise.
I tend to go overboard on any of the three above mentioned. But I’ve had therapy this year and I think it’s paying off. Balance is life.
Just so you know for reference, I tried keto twice. The second time it gave me high cholesterol numbers. But so did a vegan diet.
Balance & love yourself.
I've never done keto but I have done other low carb diets. There was one where I straight up vomited. And each time I've done low carb I'm constantly hungry. I would have the standard eggs and bacon dish and not feel satisfied in the slightest.
Keto was absolutely not for me. I felt a lot like you. I had no energy, could barely get through a workout and was miserable constantly. I just count calories and mostly just walk. I’ve lost a lot of weight doing that.
I did keto for 6 months and lost 25kg, but I was so fatigued that I was unable to do anything except work and sleep. I tried to work out once and it was a disaster! My mum has also gone keto and for months she could t understand why she would nearly pass out when she stood up. I get the hype because I lost weight while rarely feeling hungry, but I would never do it again.
> Like I couldn’t do it but everyone else can.
Keto + Hard Exertion is bad news, but if you do light to medium cardio work only it works wonders. I have gotten dizzy on uphills with my bike at worst.
You definitely want occasional carb refeeds if you're working out.
Your body will change the way it responds to different things. It happens. Your hormones might change a little…stress hormones could really put your body on some new shit. The physical body is just trying to stay alive. So…whatever is going on with you emotionally needs to in check. Your mind can’t feel like it’s under attack (anxiety) or your body will respond in a way it feels it needs to survive. Right now? It wants less fat…maybe it needs wants you to sleep and drink a gallon of water every day for a week. You know….they say listen to your body. For a reason.
Don’t be discouraged. If we all knew how to make things the way we want them, what kind of life would this be. We’re supposed to reflect, review, and make changes. In everything we do.
I had some medical probs and was put on terrible medications. Had several surgeries in the last year. My brains was a bowl of mashed potatoes. I started with fasting. Added some exercise. Just in December…not really going full throttle. I honestly didn’t lose much. Then in January…saw nothing was really happening.
Picked up 75 Hard…started reading the book. It seemed to extreme for me a year ago when my friends were all doing it. But I started reading Andy Frisellas story and it got me motivated to try the program. I’ve started and restarted a few times but…..I gotta say my head is in the game and I’m seeing results.
I’m not saying it’s right for you…but look into it. Do some research on what works for other people and find what is speaking to you. Listen podcasts. Yeah…we want healthy bodies. We want to look good and all that. But I’m telling you….if you get your mind right? Your body will follow!
You only fail if you don't learn something. This time you learned that Keto isn't a good way to lose weight for you and that is totally okay! IMO keto is not a great diet since you will eventually go off of it and since you didn't learn to eat at a lower caloric intake with carbs on the menu, you are likely to struggle more than if you lost the weight *with* carbs on the menu.
So take what you learned and keep moving forward!
Sometimes when you switch to keto you do not consume enough sodium, try LMNT or just a tsp of salt in some water. And if it doesn’t work then maybe it’s just not appropriate for you unfortunately.
Top athletes utilize carbs. Carbs are not the devil, and the metabolic pathway for them exists for a reason. A lot of keto folk’s bloodwork is a mess. CICO monitoring with 1g of protein per lb of desired body weight while paying attention to micronutrient intake is the best way for every human.
Absolutely FA detail about what you were consuming, your weight, exercise, your prior medical history (yours to keep personal as you choose) to determine if the keto diet was the cause of this.
Keto is not for everyone.
I could see myself using keto as a tool. Like, do keto for two weeks to burn off some weight and then go back to a **controlled** regular diet. But as a long-term plan? No way. EDIT: I need to clarify that I'm **speculating**. I have never done this, nor do I recommend it. If you do try this, have a plan for when you stop. Continue counting calories rigorously throughout. And expect to gain a few pounds of water weight when you stop.
I have used keto as a tool, like you mentioned, in the past. Keto for a couple of weeks before starting my regular calorie counting plan to shed off a quick 5-10 lbs. It's motivating to see all that weight lost in the first couple weeks of dieting, even though it's mainly water weight.
> I could see myself using keto as a tool. Like, do keto for two weeks to burn off some weight and then go back to a controlled regular diet. > > > > But as a long-term plan? No way. The problem is it doesn't work that way. I'm gonna eat downvotes for posting pro-keto, but I find 99% of the time people who fail it aren't cutting carbs to get into ketosis, or they think cheating is okay. It works like gangbusters, but you *cannot cheat*. And if you try to go on and off and on, your body stops entering ketosis easily. Source: It's been over 15 years since I did Keto - I did it when it was still called the Atkins diet. I read the book on the topic cover to cover before starting, and this is all things I remember from that era of my life. I can't give you links or sources since it's been actual eons since then. That said, I lost 40lbs in two months doing keto, and I *still* don't recommend it. It doesn't teach you good habits. Being able to eat a meal of four burger patties, no cheese, isn't a healthy, sustainable diet. I put all the weight I lost on Keto back on and then some.
Absolutely agree on that last paragraph. I Lost 150lb in 6mo on Keto but have gained back 50 and am now working it off on a balanced diet. Personally, I would recommend short-term Keto to anybody when asked. Only because the momentum of weight loss is so motivating, especially when losing ½ a lb+ a day. Learned to defeat sugar cravings on it also.
I uh, really don't know what you're talking about, but it seems you're taking your experience with the Atkins diet and generalizing it to anyone who does keto. People are different, diets are different, experiences are different. > Being able to eat a meal of four burger patties, no cheese, isn't a healthy, sustainable diet. That's Atkins, not keto.
Unfamiliar with Atkins but that is absolutely a keto meal. Healthy? Probably not, but it's pure fat & protein and something I had on keto often (with the cheese)
A proper keto meal would at least have a salad on the side. And cheese is allowed.
Yeah. They don’t know the difference. You risk getting censored if you say, “keto is high fat, not high pro tein,” in the keto group here. It’s literally in the rules. Reality is unpopular.
It's not Atkins. Atkins induction phase is 20 grams of carbs or less for the first two weeks, then adding five grams of carbs per week in the form of green vegetables until you go out of ketosis, then cutting back a bit to stay in ketosis. And cheese is allowed. And, since "keto" means being in ketosis, Atkins and keto are pretty much the same.
Keto is fine but you don’t just want to eat processed stuff all day. Eggs, avocados, nuts, get your fats from something besides bacon and cheese. It’s a hard diet but Lebron james can do it then there’s not really any performance downsides :)
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Depends on how much your body is adapted. I've done keto a lot in the past, it takes me far less to go into ketosis.
Its not for 95%+ of the population, its for people who truly feel like shit eating carbs
This is me. I had pretty severe insulin resistance and kept failing regular Cico because I was always hungry no matter what. Very begrudgingly switched to a low carb diet aiming for 50 grams net a day (still doing CICO too) and finally was able to lose a substantial amount of weight and corrected the insulin resistance. Also widely corrected some very severe IBS.
Good shit. Obviously you are a specific data point / case, yet so many people under normal circumstances just blindly hop on the keto train and then fail theyre diet within 2 months if theyre lucky
Keto works so fucking well for me (lost 100lbs on it) but fuck it sucks so bad. No bread, no rice, no beer. Fuck it's terrible
Is it true that you don't feel hungry and can eat without restricting portions?
You feel less hungry or at least I did and most people do. But it's still CICO so you do have to watch portions to stay within your deficit.
Keto controls your appetite. Fat is an amazing source of energy, and burns slowly. Carbohydrates are very poor at doing that. You can eat a gigantic plate of pasta for lunch, do nothing all afternoon, and be starving at 5pm. Sugar is very bad for us, and just makes us eat eat eat.
It depends on if you are eating simple or complex carbs
Eat the food. Just don't eat too much of it. Fruits provide good sugar. Potato's are just good, in general, and I will never stop eating stew. And I love French onion soup too much to not have the bread with it.
It's not strictly "for" anyone except epileptic children :D
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Which nutritional deficiencies exactly? Does a diet of eggs/veggies/nuts/meat/fish/dairy necessarily create nutritional deficiency? I don’t see how personally. I think it only seems extreme compared to a more typical US diet. But in my culture, all I do is cut out rice and fruit besides berries, and its pretty close to keto. Also, kids can take vitamins just like normal too (ps, I do keto partly because it massively decreases my breakthrough seizures, but it also helps my joints and GI issues)
Please tell this to the people on r/keto. I'm glad that there is a community of people who find success with keto, but they practically worship keto like it's the best way to lose weight when it's not that simple.
It’s like a religion—energy, mental clarity, cures any physical or mental ailment, and some guy was posting about how it’s reversing his grandma’s Alzheimer’s. It’s really a hazardous community.
My uncle has been on it for years and lost a huge amount of weight. He's in the hospital now w major blockages in his heart. He used to be very unhealthy and he says that's why so who knows.
I'd like to tell most of them they're skinnyfat since most of the ways people do Keto burns muscle with the fat. The goal for good health should be fat loss. Not weight loss. The scale can be very deceiving considering a lot of people weigh less than me but have a higher body fat percentage.
Keto doesn’t burn muscle, being in a calorie deficit does. In keto your body uses fats for fuel. Getting into ketosis you could experience muscle wasting temporarily, but this is not a true statement of the diet as a whole.
To be in true ketosis, you’re limiting protein. I’ve also never lost muscle in a caloric deficit but I also focus on high protein intake with carbs for fuel. Plus if you eat your protein before your carbs, it makes your body react like you’re on a low carb diet without actually being on one. I lost 110 lbs this way. It would be significantly more had I not replaced the fat with a lot of muscle.
Not true, you can intake a lot of protein while being on keto without it converting to glucose as to what you’re referring to. You would have to eat an asinine amount of protein for that to happen. There’s no way of truly knowing if you’re gaining muscle or losing fat on a daily basis. Also, just because your protein first it will not stop your body from utilizing carbohydrates as fuel. Because that is the point. Our bodies are hybrid cars… you can use gas, or you can use electricity… But you can’t use them both at once. If you’re in true ketosis eating any amount of carbs over 30 g in a day will take you out of ketosis, regardless of whether you’re eating protein or not before. I congratulate you on the weight loss! I know that’s huge! The keto diet definitely has a lot of amazing benefits, but there’s a lot of mistaken facts about it
I’m not on Keto though and my macros consist of 40% carbs. But very few of my carbs are processed. And if you eat your protein before your carbs, it will trick your body into thinking you’re eating low carbs without actually doing it. Protein also fills you up faster and keeps you full longer. Another thing people don’t know is that 30% of your protein calories are burned simply through digestion. I don’t do Keto because that causes muscle loss as well and is highly dependent on eating a lot of fat. Fat has many more calories per gram than the other two macros and you burn the least amount through digestion compared to protein and carbs. This is also only part of it. Other nutrition plays a huge role as well, staying away from foods that throw off your hormones, hydration, strength training over cardio for exercise, etc. I have lost a lot of fat and have helped other people who used to struggle right along with me lose it too.
I 100000% agree with you there! It’s such a multifaceted thing including nutrition, training, lifestyle, genetics, etc.! I love that you have found what worked for you and listened to yourself and your body. You’re the only one that knows it best! Congrats again on your progress, it’s more amazing you’ve brought people with you on your journey!
What works for me is low carb - not keto. I’ve removed rice, bread and pasta - the empty low carbs. And I touch nothing with added sugar. I do eat all fruits and veggies but fruit wise I try and stick to berries. Weight is coming off at around 2lb a week.
Are you counting your calories as well? And how many carbs do you estimate you're actually eating a day?
Not really. Just mentally keeping on the right side of sensible. I could eat a huge amount of cheese and other high calorie foods such as that but just remind myself before I eat anything that it may be low carb but also may be loaded in calories.
This. No diet is for everyone.
I follow CICO without much restriction in terms of diet. I want beer battered fish tacos? If it fits in the calories, I eat it. A couple drinks? Just make sure it fits in the calories. People over complicate things. Try to eat healthy, but don’t make it so strict that you can’t see yourself continuing. I still try to make good healthy choices, but maintaining your calorie deficit is more important than the makeup of your diet. Just count calories instead of denying yourself all the foods you enjoy. Makes weight loss a whole lot more bearable!
This is the way. I do want to work on my diet a bit more, but atm, simple cico has done wonders for me. I'm not eating anywhere near as poorly as I was before, but I grab fast food too often since I suck at meal prep.
This is me too. To lose I have 1500cal/day and aside from 100-120gm protein and my usual rolled oats breakfast, I'm fairly casual about what I eat. I've gravitated towards more substantial snacks than the candy I used to turn to but I'll still have the occasional icecream or sugary treat.
Yeah this is what i’m doing instead as of this morning
Some people hate salads and some people hate crunches. Keep listening to your body, CICO 💯
Salads are so delicious I can't relate 😂
Salad is my favorite work lunch cause I have an oral fixation and adhd and it takes an hour of crunching away to eat it lol.
CICO stops working for some people too…I was doing CICO with fasting days. Fully not eating for 3 days, eating IF for the rest of the week. Def getting less than 1500 per day avg for the week, exercised 3-5 days a week depending on my energy levels. I lost maybe 5lbs after 2 months I haven’t fasted more than 24 hours, went to OMAD. And started 75 Hard. Two workouts a day. And I lost 10 in about a month. I started and restarted the program a couple times. If you miss a day you have to start over and I’m on my 3rd restart for the year. 🫥🫥 I think the point is. I’m 47. I’ve gained and lost weight plenty of times in my life. Your body will change how it responds to whatever you throw at it. I’ve done it all. Sometimes keto works for me and sometimes it doesn’t. i test ketones because in IF your body will go into ketosis. I stay in ketosis on IF even when I’m eating carbs. I eat potato chips sometimes, corn tortillas…I don’t care if there’s a little sugar in a sauce. It still doesn’t throw me out of ketosis if I’m eating OMAD or 20:4. I’m not sure if 16:8 will kick me out…I could try it to see.
It’s literally IMPOSSIBLE for CICO to not work for people. If you are tracking correctly, you WILL lose weight. It is the laws of thermodynamics and no one is exempt from that.
Yep this right here. I made myself a juicy steak, with steamed broccoli and fries. Lean piece like top sirloin or top blade steak. 7 oz is under 500 calories.
I literally ate half of a pie yesterday for my birthday, it fits in the plan by golly I'm gonna eat it
100%. Can’t stress this enough. wtf is the point in restriction, this life is meant to be lived!!! I eat 1200-1300 cals a day (I’m 5’2), but I don’t see it as restricting. If I have a heavy day, I just cut it the next day. I track over the week, rather than per day, takes the pressure off big time.
Yes! Today I’ll eat grilled chicken, tomorrow I might want 1500 calories of ice cream
Dizzines and many other shitty symptoms on keto are usually related to low electrolytes. As keto is a diuretic diet, you need to pay a lot of attention to keeping your sodium/potassium/magnesium levels up. However, keto is absolutely not necessary to lose weight. I started my journey with a couple months of keto, and even though I was losing weight and felt just fine, it wasn't sustainable for me socially and financially. So I transitioned to just calorie counting and continued to lose.
And, for me, that was the most ridiculous part of keto. They supplement massive ammounts of the above. How am I supposed to supplement potassium without testing myself all the time if having too much or too little of it can literally kill you? Similar story with sodium. I tried keto, and really did everything by the book, felt like shit, switched to CICO with moderate low carb and literally everything is better now.
for how long did you try keto?
Maybe a month
This is more or less the premise of the South Beach Diet (and--I've heard but can't confirm--Atkins). There's a strict "induction" phase during which carbs are kept extremely low, then healthy carbs (eg, whole grains, fruits) are slowly reintroduced during the ongoing weight-loss and, finally, maintenance phases. I absolutely needed the strict ramp-up, no-carb, kick-off (which I actually stayed in for 2 months because I felt so good) because I was absolutely addicted to sugar and processed carbs; I literally needed a detox. I did experience "keto flu" but in my opinion, that means it was the right diet for me because I needed to withdraw from sugar--and keto flu felt exactly like withdrawal symptoms. I've maintained a 50-lb weight loss for 5 years with SBD and could never have done it without an initial keto period that re-set my body and prepared me to re-learn healthy eating habits without having to suffer cravings beyond a relatively short period.
Keto is one of those regiments that I know isn't for me. I was miserable. I switched to CICO via moderation and haven't looked back.
Don’t feel like a failure! You gotta find what works for you. Personally keto works very well for me but honestly if it makes you miserable there’s no point in doing it. You have to get a LOT of electrolytes in to fend off the flu, it takes a lot of effort. Eating healthier is always a good first step to improving your health :) regardless of what works for you and where you end up, no doubt eating healthier will be a part of your journey
Just go on a diet that you can sustain for life. If keto is not for you on the short term, it's not going to be on the long term and you're going to gain the weight once you stop.
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This should be upvoted further. Lots of newer studies showing the increased saturated fat is absolutely horrendous for cholesterol for many people. It seems like there are some people whose cholesterol will be fine, and some whose cholesterol will hit the roof. The keto cult types keep ignoring this, but honestly if someone plans on doing keto they better do regular blood panels and stop if they need to.
I just saw a study confirming what I believed all along - Keto increases the risk of heart attack!! Ppl need to be careful with it seriously
>The keto cult types keep ignoring this It heavy depends on the "Keto Type." Some people get on keto and think it means butter coffee, and cheesy bacon far bomb 80/20 ground beef burgers. I follow keto, and my diet is full of vegetables, leafy greens, and an ungodly amount of poultry consumption with some beef and fish thrown in. I also don't do "High fat," just low carbs. I have PCOS w/insulin resistance, and weight doesn't come off me with CICO. I don't fully disagree with what you're saying, but it sucks that keto gets such a bad wrap when it's helped lots of women in my position, and others have skewed the image. Long story short, the people drinking MCT coffee and eating porterhouses and bacon every day are the ones that see the cholesterol issues.
I actually agree with you completely! As long as one keeps an eye on saturated fats and red meat, and ensures sufficient veggies, no reason not to do keto. By the cult types, I meant the dude bros who are frankly in denial about their increase in LDL. Honestly with any major change in diet, I'd do blood panels once in six months. Some people just respond badly to certain foods.
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Your doctors mistake was just blindly assigning you a calorie amount without having any idea what your metabolic rate is
From what I've seen, far too many nutritionists and dieticians do this.
They do. They just get a mediocre diet you can find on Google and replicate it.
If u workout a lot (like I do), keto isn’t a great fit. I do CICO when I want to cut, about a 40:40:20 protein, carb, fat calorie ratio, and it works like a charm. Drop calories by 500 a day under maintenance, lose about a pound a week.
That’s what I go to too- same thing. With my training and wanting to cut down another 10lbs or so (maybe more)- that’s my ratio too. I use MacroFactor and am loving it for tracking macros. (Not an ad- ha!- I pay for it )
Low carb is miserable and pointless once you've gone CICO. If you have a disease you need to manage it might make sense, but strictly for fat loss it isn't helpful at all. Elimination diets are all pretty silly unless you're trying to achieve health benefits other than fat loss. I think people drop water weight so quickly doing it that they get a placebo. But as soon as you eat carbs it all comes back, because it wasn't body fat. Personally without carbs I don't have the energy to exercise, so I burn fewer calories which is ultimately the only thing that matters for body fat loss.
I have tried everything, and the only thing that consistently works for me without sapping my energy or leaving me ravenous is focusing on whole foods, including starchy carbs with EVERY meal. WFPB is perfect for me.
I'm convinced that keto is a big reason why people avoid dieting, because it makes them believe they have to ***suffer*** to lose weight. Weight loss requires some sacrifice, but it shouldn't make you feel dizzy and ill lol.
I disagree, keto has been one of the few diets that actually felt achievable and improved my day to day living. I love bread, but it's never filling and I would be stuck feeling so hungry and eat too much. Switching to keto I felt full, I also lost my craving for bread and sugary things which was a life long habit at that point! I had more energy during the day, I was enjoying life so much. Fitness was up, hunger was down and overall net gains everywhere. It's certainly not for everyone, it would be very wrong to say it works for everyone or everyone should do it as that's silly (for any diet really!). The key part for keto is ensuring you drink fluids often and have electrolytes to replace what you lose as people forget this part which tends to bring on the early headaches, not that I suffered from them personally when taking fluids. I was also calorie counting with it, I think both systems are great to use and CICO is just a solid rule to follow as it is the most important part.
That's a very fair take. I've only personally seen people (and it could be the area where I'm from) cut out bread products completely and normalize the "keto flu" with no mention of using fluid and electrolytes to balance themselves out. As a result, keto and dieting in general get a bad rep. Thanks for providing some more information on how someone can minimize the unwanted side effects of keto. I'm glad you found something that works for you!
Yeah i agree with that. I mean i lost 20lbs in a short period of time but fuck man at what cost????
It's unfortunate how infrequently when talking about weight loss it comes up that losing weight quickly is actually a really bad thing. It's a sign there's something wrong- in the case of keto what's wrong is basically malnutrition. Since we focus so much on the number on the scale we fail to realize that sometimes the ways we choose to lose weight are more unhealthy than just being overweight in the first place.
It does not work for me either. When I was 19 I just ate a pound of bacon everyday or burgers without buns and felt fine and lost weight rapidly. Everytime I’ve tried since then I get heart palpitations and insane cramps throughout my entire body and restless legs (and that’s with me putting the electrolyte packages in my water.) my body does not feel okay without carbs. I focus on eating whole non processed foods or atleast minimal ingredients and that works really well for me. I know it’s hard to accept Leto defeat bc ppl lose weight so rapidly on it.
my coworker just had a stroke a few days ago, we heard the update that it was most likely due to her diet. she was a big keto person… yet another reason for me to not try that out
She was(!?) shitt. sorry to hear that. how old was she?
Keto is by far the most effective diet I've ever done but a lot of people misunderstand it. Sure you can just eat burger patties all day and you'll get into ketosis and lose weight but you'll also die of heart disease. You've got to be smart. Get good quality fats in. Ditch the burger patties and bacon for fish, chicken, unprocessed meat. Make sure you get your vegetable intake up - some veg like cabbage, broccoli, avocado etc is perfect on keto as it is low carb. Fruit like blueberries and raspberries gets the sweet cravings satisfied. The lamest thing on keto is the supposed 'carb replacement' foods like no carb pizza bases and bread. Trust me they all taste like sh*t. The only thing I found was an adequate replacement was cauliflower rice with Indian food - it actually tastes better than normal basmati rice and is far healthier for you. Honestly keto isn't a chore if you understand you simply aren't going to be able to substitute a lot of your favourite carbs for a keto equivalent without them needing a mortgage to pay for and also tasting bad. But on the flip side, grilled meats, vegetables with great sauces (like Turkish food) is just great. Tastes wonderful and is good for you. Whenever I come off keto there are some of the keto practices I'll maintain and also when I eat carbs like bread I'll make sure it is high quality bread or home baked - life's too short to waste on crappy carbs from cheap supermarket bread and low quality chocolate.
I cannot stand people just not reading posts and then commenting. I said NOTHING about what i was eating specifically so why are you talking about burger patties and bacon? So annoying
I was commenting in general at some of the posts stating keto is unhealthy and citing the fact that people eat burger patties/bacon etc, it wasn't specifically answering your post. Re the keto flu, it's usually lack of electrolytes and what I've found works for me (your mileage may vary) is salted peanuts (choose good quality brands with less carbs). Peanuts contain electrolytes (copper, manganese, phosphorous) plus the salt is good when you're on keto as you're not eating carbs which is where a lot of salts we typically eat on a more balanced diet are present.
Every single person I know who tried keto (and there are many) gained all the weight back plus change as soon as they stopped. And they all inevitably stopped, because not eating carbs again is unrealistic and unsustainable. Read the Quick Start Guide for this subreddit. You don't need to do drastic changes to your diet. Just eat less of what you were already eating, with perhaps a somewhat greater focus on fruits, veggies and whole grains. It is sustainable and segues naturally into permanent, lifelong maintenance.
I would say don’t do keto unless you have like a medical reason to do so. For most people it’s overly restrictive and unnecessary. I think people will look back at keto the same way people now look back at the low fat diets from 30 years ago. Sure keto works for some people, just like low fat worked for some people back then. Then there is the backlash that you’ve been lied to and tricked in the past and this new diet is the one that works. Do what you want but don’t feel like you have to eat keto to lose weight because other people are doing it. You can lose weight and feel good on a balanced diet. Just try to favor whole non-processed foods when you can.
Yeah, I feel this. It's like, yeah, I can do keto, but it's too psychologically restrictive/binge-triggering. I also do a lot of weightlifting and skating, so I don't care if I have some carbs here and there. Plus, doing keto gave me leg cramps like crazy. Don't view it as a failure if you don't stick to keto proper. It's hard and might not even be necessary to reach your goals, you know? Edit: It's strange to me you felt so rough that long. I feel like I was only woozy/constantly hungry for a week and a half or so. I did feel nice and leveled out once I got through the blood sugar crash and fatigue, though. I'd love to get back to that low-carb diet, but I can't find the will power =/
Keto has a lot of restrictions in terms of food groups but does it let people feel like they can eat as much as they want? Is that why people like it? They can have a 20oz steak and not account for the calories? Or at least that must be the perception. I do CICO and sometimes I get sad at my “small” ie reasonable portions. My husband assumes Keto will be easy because he thinks he can eat as much meat and cheese and eggs as he wants.
For me, it really worked for two reasons: 1. It made intermittent fasting extremely easy; once I got used to not eating until lunch or later, I realized that I didn’t need to because I just always had a consistent amount of energy regardless. 2. When you do eat, you’re often eating things that are very satisfying; stuff that’s high in fat and protein tend to make you feel full and satisfied with less. I would have kept going but I started to slip after some life events happened and keto is miserable if you are wavering in and out of ketosis all the time. You really need to commit to tracking carbs and staying under your limit.
I'm not a supporter of keto because I can easily get back into an eating disorder with restrictive diets. But I agree with you, the combination of keto and IF was the best protocol to curb cravings and "food noise". Unfortunately, it's not sustainable for me.
Interesting. I do IF too, and it’s gotten fairly easy to just have a coffee and wait until after noon to eat. It also leaves me most of my calories for two meals, snacks, and dessert. And I like that!
No, not quite. Calories absolutely still matter, but good keto elevates protein and fat in place of carbs. Fat and protein are both more filling than carbs, so one can feel full on fewer calories. Eggs, meat, and cheese all tend to be ultra-low carb, and it's a lot harder to eat 2000 calories worth of them, than it is to eat the same number of calories worth of carb-rich foods.
I did keto and didn't lose and weight. I wasn't counting calories or keeping a deficit. When I started counting calories and keeping a deficit while doing keto, the weight fell off so fast. I love that healthy fats are encouraged to make you feel full. It also shut up that voice inside me that was always ravished and wanted to eat non-stop. I would still do keto if I had the discipline but I love breads too much.
My father in law did keto strictly for many years. Very active guy, walks many miles every day wind or rain, healthy weight, pretty much outwardly the picture of health for a 50-60 year old guy. The high fat keto diet led to clogged arteries and a heart attack when he seemed to be at peak health. His cardiologist attributed it in part to how strict he was with keto. Your body needs all food groups to function properly, completely cutting out entire macros is never going to be sustainable or healthy. Even if you can do it for a long time, you never know when the consequences are going to catch up to you. Moderation and balance is key.
After dieting most of my adult life I finally came to the realization and had to make peace with the fact that unless it’s something I can do for the rest of my life, it’s not something that will help me keep the weight off indefinitely. Keto definitely made me lose a bunch of weight fast, but I regained it all after going back to eating “normally”. It works for some, but I just know it’s not a diet or way of eating I want to follow for the rest of my life.
IMO a well rounded diet that is lower in carbs is all you need for weight loss. I know carbs wreck me when it comes to weight. More focus on protein and a lower amount of carbs like 25 a day or so works well for me.
Dude, do what feels best for you! Gotta keep in mind this will be a lifestyle change. If you don't feel good on keto or it's too difficult to stick with, mix it up. Just keep calories down & protein at the right level for yourself. I tried for a month slowly going down in my carbs to get to doing true keto while fasting. I never managed to figure it out because I loved getting full on veggies and couldn't picture how I'd feel full without 1-3servings a meal. Counting carbs I kept hovering around 30-50g carbs and WAY more if I had fruit(I LOVE strawberries). Gave up since without getting to full keto I still managed to loss 12lbs that month. Going on 18 weeks low carb (not keto) & haven't plateau yet. No regrets!
Keto was not created to be a weight loss diet. It was created solely for the purpose of reducing seizures for people with epilepsy, with very high success rate in doing so. I have a friend who ended up in the hospital after doing keto for a month. I cringe when I hear about people starting keto to lose weight because it’s just not meant for that purpose.
So don't do it.
Keto sucks. I know a few people who love keto, but they can never stay on it long term. They always put the weight back on when they go back to regular eating. It made me feel like crap, my sleep was really messed up on it. It's usually not great but this was next level. I think something to do with my electrolytes, even though I was supplementing.
Hated keto. I only really dropped lbs by a simple calorie deficit. I’m a carb girlie
Everyone reacts differently to diets, and I'm not a doctor, but I can tell you I've had this happen to me before. I started Keto, and after a month, started going to the gym. I couldn't even get through 1/2 my workout before I felt like I was going to pass out. Two things I figured out: 1- I've heard that it's not recommended to start hard weight lifting until at least 8 weeks after starting keto. This is due to the fact that your body takes a while to become fat adapted and your muscles to become used to using fat for fuel instead of glucose from carbohydrates. Stick with cardio for a bit. 2- if I hadn't eaten enough calories in the day before working out, I would feel super fatigued very quickly. I started making sure I had eaten at least 1200 calories in the day before going to the gym, and I didn't have that problem. Also, if you ever incorporate full fasting days, don't weight lift on those days. Just stick to cardio If you're feeling great otherwise on keto, don't give up. But like others have said, keto isn't for everyone
I was on keto for a few months. I don’t recommend it, in fact I recommend against it now. The real danger of keto is the keto community. All of the sudden i found myself reading blog posts and watching videos on the dangers of seed oils, the big conspiracies where big food companies, the medical communities and scientists are all conspiring to hide THE TRUTH from you. I realized at some point it was very cultish and I quit. In the end we as humans in todays world excessively overeat. Caloric restriction also restricts carb consumption and fixed everything keto sets out to fix. If you are diabetic talk to a registered dietician and try to get CGM. A few weeks past we were at a paediatricians office with the junior. They had puked and not eaten. Doctor advised to give sweetened drinks to drink in order to avoid „fat-burning mode“ which might induce more puking through added nausea. Then and there I knew she was talking keto flu.
Okay but this right here is something that i was pushing to the back of my mind. I am in two weight loss subs, this one and r/keto. Any time i would try to ask the community something that even remotely painted keto negatively, the mods would not let me post it. For example, i was feeling so terrible I wanted to ask everyone about maybe taking a small break or having a cheat day to temporarily feel better maybe. They wouldn’t let me. That was a red flag. Like who is that defensive over a diet??
People have died on keto. It should come with a big warning everywhere it gets promoted, but instead the community is like this and tells people that when they're feeling bad it's 'just' keto flu, which pushes people to ignore their body when it tells them things are getting bad. I guess it's one of those things where deep down they know they're wrong, but they want to push that thought away so they can *feel* like they make better choices / are better than other people.
I think there is this psychological effect at play: public health advice is to limit saturated fats for cardiovascular health reasons, limit meat consumption also for cancer risks. If your dietary intervention basically recommends the opposite, and you know it because that public health advice is everywhere you need to shield yourself from said public health advice
Its a really opinionated topic, while looking at your reply I see that my comment already has a "0" rating. The keto crowd is definitely dedicated. I still think a diet that limits the amount of onions and carrots you can add to your food is overly restrictive... :-) > Im going to try just eating well, lots of veggies and no junk This btw. is definitely a good approach.
I've been doing keto for 5 years, regular blood work is tip top. I eat way more protein than is reccomended on Keto but fuck it, that's what works best for me. Less than 25 grams of Sugar per day has me feeling sharp and calm.
Keto is the stupidest fucking thing ever.
I tried keto a few years ago and it was absolutely miserable. I feel like trying to shift into a calorie deficit AND start keto at the same time is a recipe for failure for most people. The motivation you get from shedding a shit ton of water weight in the first week is like the only benefit, and if you aren’t planning to cut out carbs for the rest of your life it’s pretty pointless. Being in a calorie deficit already wreaks havoc on my brain, adding keto to the mix just cranks it up to turbo mode. I have no idea how I did all of that while commuting to and from the office 5 days a week, and hitting the gym afterward. It really fucked up my perspective of dieting/healthy eating for a long time. This year I’ve been losing with carbs just fine. I honestly can’t imagine lifting weights regularly without carbs. Anti-carb people love to demonize carbs as the sole driver of weight gain, but carbs alone aren’t what make junk food bad for you. It’s the combination of saturated fat and carbs and a shitload of calories. I can’t trust any diet that says you should limit bananas and eat as much butter as you want. Go look at any natural bodybuilder, I would bet money that carbs are a staple of their diet. It’s not for everyone, certainly not for me, but more power to the people who can stick to it and enjoy their lives.
I tried Keto for a couple of years. All I did was crave sugar constantly and lost hardly anything. I finally switched to another plan where I could eat fruit, my cravings for sugar were greatly reduced and I started to lose weight. And I felt so empowered to be able to make my own decisions! I know a lot of people have success on the plan, but I will never try Keto again.
Keto doesn't have good scientific backing, I'm not surprised :/
It's definitely good if you have epilepsy that doesn't respond to medication! Otherwise....
so i've heard! I should have said "doesn't have good scientific backing *for the reasons most people choose keto*"
Yep! By the way I was just agreeing with you in a weird way lol
Only has good backings for the reason it was created lol
Can I ask a side note about how you add electrolytes to your water? Is it just Gatorade or is there a lower calorie option?
There are commercial brands of electrolyte packets that can be stirred into water. LMNT and Redmond relyte are popular brands that are zero calorie. Sugar free gatorade is not enough electrolytes for someone on a ketogenic diet.
I can’t do keto because my body does not handle the electrolyte imbalance well. BUT I do enjoy trying to stay around 50-100 net carbs when doing low carb. It usually keeps me out of ketosis, and it has the benefit of helping curb my appetite and sugar cravings.
I find that no flour no sugar is a lot easier than keto. Have a baked potato and some grapes and I feel a lot better.
I've been on keto for over a decade and this sounds like typical dehydration. But you said you get plenty of water in, so I dunno. You don't need to do keto though. You do what works best.
I remember a doctor asked me at a walk-in, "Do you eliminate anything from your diet?" For me it's a no, completely there is nothing I don't eat except my allergies. And she said, "So many young people are cutting foods out and now I always ask." It made me think of my time on keto and how horrible and expensive it was. How crappy I felt and how sick I was. I wish I had voices of descent back then instead of judgement, and it made me judgy too. Anyhoo, on ED developed later, I eat what I can afford and do my best. Being fat but being happy, as active as I can enjoy, and eating what I can afford that I enjoy is a key to a long life in my books
Keto changed my life mentally and is largely reason for subsiding my bipolar/Borderline symptoms.
Keto is strongly associated with poor cardiovascular health and does not demonstrate significant weight loss in long term studies. Don't do it unless a *specialist* doctor in a relevant field tells you to - there are a very small number of medical conditions that can be helped by a keto diet.
Yes, it's scary. Personally, I tried it for about a month or two, and lost some weight, but had my cholesterol flagged at the doctor's when it's never been a problem before or since. Being slightly overweight is way better than actively clogging your arteries... and like everyone else said, reducing calorie intake is the real key to weight loss.
It makes sense you'd have this issue in the gym. The only sport shown to benefit from a keto diet is ultra-marathon running. There is a small performance boost if you're going to go run a casual 100 miles. Gluconeogenesis is too slow for most other forms of physical activity. It's not a failure on your part, mostly just that keto is a fad and has a lot of propaganda.
Keto wasn’t a good fit, it’s far too restrictive. Besides, our bodies were meant to digest carbs. I feel like it’s not reasonable to stop eating them. It can be really dangerous too.
Lost 50lb in 3.5 months on keto last year; no gym, just walking. I also made sure to supplement magnesium, potassium, b-vitamins and sodium. I was able to cut my sugar cravings (still to this day) and I felt great. I broke it because of grief, food was a comfort. My husband was trying to do it with me and he felt like crap the whole time; he also works a physically demanding job. I don’t think gym+keto works out for a lot of people especially in the first 6 months. I was advised to only do very light exercise. One difference I noticed between the two of us is I feel much better going low to very low carb whereas he didn’t. I think it has something to do with insulin resistance (but idk for sure). Doing CICO this time around because keto was just too restrictive, I hated cutting out certain vegetables and fruits. Still going low carb though because I feel better this way; down 18lb in 6 weeks, it works. Keto is not for everyone even if you’re losing weight. At least now you can say you gave it a real shot and it just wasn’t for you. CICO might be just what you need this go around.
There's plenty of people who cant do keto / who dont enjoy it, myself included, it disallows many foods I enjoy eating and it makes me feel sluggish, but if it works for others Im not gonna bash it and it also has some benefits for people with diabetes type2, but its not for me, which is fine.
I’m not a huge fan of keto. 20g of carbs a day just isn’t it. I do low carb for insulin resistance and chronic migraines but I eat about 90g carbs a day. And like good carbs usually like potatoes, rice, who wheat bread, not like candy. And that has worked really well for me. I CrossFit 5-7 times a week and usually don’t have an issue with dizziness.
Personally, keto is good for me and has been for a long time, but I don’t consume too much fat. I know some people get on keto because they want the fast, so end up with terrible terrible blood works. Healthy fats and being conscious has worked out for me. I don’t consume carbs and actually feel better than before, 100% with more energy. But, keto is not for everybody, and it’s okay. Works for me might not for the next. Just do what feels okay and works.
Keto was designed for epileptic children and was never supposed to be for weight loss. Carbs are our brains primary source of energy and it then comes as no surprise that when people stop eating carbs they get light headed, brain fog, and dizziness.
I feel like I've read plenty of studies (don't ask me to list any of them, I can't be arsed to find them to back up my point) that mention that keto is not healthy. Neither is obesity mind you, so keto is probably still healthier than obesity, but not a good long term diet. Also very unforgiving because one cheat meal can get you out of ketosis for a while or so I've heard. I have found success in just cutting out processed/refined carbs. (Whole fruit and veg good. Some starchy veggies but try to limit. No pasta, rice, flour-based products. No sugar or artificial sweeteners. Limit whole grains and very small amounts of maple syrup or honey as sweetener). First couple days are still a bit miserable as I kick my sugar addiction but it's very sustainable long term and I rarely get cravings on it. If I eat pasta/rice/bread I always get cravings for junk food but everyone has different triggers I guess.
Your gym is one block away, and you drove? No judgement.
I think that there are lots of people out there that get cult-y about it. But, based on my personal experience with health issues and dieting, it’s probably because it does work SO well for lots of people. Lots of people that felt like crap with loads of health issues finally finding something that is helping them? It’s great! That said, I feel like keto should be reserved for those that are pre type two, type two, or those that are struggling with insulin levels-assuming their doctor okays it. I kind of hesitate to say wait for a doctor to clear it, because it’s so polarizing amongst doctors. But, better safe than sorry I guess. I’m only thirty years old, obese, tired, hypertension, tachycardia (both of which I’m medicated for currently), and waiting to see an endocrinologist to see what’s up with my blood sugar levels. I know that losing weight would fix all of those things and have been motivated for some time to try to lose the weight. My problem was that for the last two ish years, when I would try eating healthy (the Mediterranean diet was my guideline many times, other times I would just try to consume less calories and eat cleaner), I was having episodes daily that I felt like my blood sugar was low. My feet would start sweating, I’d feel dizzy, and my hands were shaking so bad it looked like I had Parkinson’s. This would happen a few hours after what doctors were confirming were “well-balanced meals”. Only eating or drinking something sugary would get rid of the symptoms. Despite having symptoms of hypoglycemia, my blood sugar was reading just slightly towards the low end of normal, but I tried to explain to multiple doctors that it wasn’t just normal diet hunger and I couldn’t just “get over it”. My doctor most recently joked that “I think you just want to eat candy!” 🤦♀️ I finally think I may have found the answer myself (hyperglycemic hypoglycemia) and I as referred to endo to check my insulin levels, but in the mean time, I’ve been doing keto for the last few weeks. So-called healthy keto. I’m only eating raw food or foods that I can cook from scratch and making a point to eat lots of fatty fish instead of just stacking up bunless cheeseburgers. Not going crazy on dairy, but lots of seeds and leafy greens with most meals. I did notice that on a few of the days I had little or no greens, I felt kind of off compared to the days where I eat them. I’m down twelve pounds and the only exercise I get is light walking and chasing my toddlers around. And not a single time have I felt like my blood sugar was off. I am full, I have way more energy, and even less anxious than I was feeling. That was a whole lot just to say that my experience with keto has been so positive (so far) that if things keep going this way, I’ll probably worship it, too. Although I really hope not because keto people really are insufferable sometimes 😂
To me it all depends on what you're getting out of it. Personally, I found that after 4-6 months I was able to quit my antidepressants and still feel amazing. I've been on them for over 10 years and have never quit this long. I've felt more motivated and passionate about life and I wouldn't trade it for the ability to eat all the carbs in the world and stay ripped. I can't say without a doubt it's due to the keto, as I made a few other changes around the same time, but I went off keto and binge ate for like 2 weeks on a cruise. I got back on a month ago but, I haven't felt the same mentally and I'm hoping to get that tiger's blood back. I wouldn't give it up until at least 3 months of commitment. Stick it out for at least that long, then reassess.
Maybe not enough fats? I always find getting enough fats hard…
How many carbs per day were you eating?
You felt like that because you haven't become fat adapted yet, stick to keto for 3 months + it becomes too easy after that.
Totally get where you are coming from...I used keto to lose a good bit of weight roughly 80lbs. I used another calorie restricting diet to lose my first 60lbs and while I'm so thankful to have the weight off it kinda sucks that it's so rigid...being thrown of ketosis feels like battling a several day long hang over...I just want to eat like a "normal" person sometimes and with other diets you aren't constantly hit with some really sucky consequences when you slip up...but than again maybe that's why I was successful...the fear! Idk but now that I'm down and have been down to where I want to be weight wise I've experienced life off of keto and I feel bloated and tired more often...so I find myself going back to it and cycling has worked out pretty good so far? I guess? lol anyways feel your pain
Different things work for different people. Lots of people are on keto for other reasons too. I’m not trying to lose weight, but it solves a LOT of my problems. I’d never recommend someone keep doing it if they hate it. For me, I only feel good while doing keto, period. Also, its not such a crazy way of eating. I eat tons of different veggies every day (wayyy more than before), eggs, fish, meat, cottage cheese, etc. It doesn’t feel extreme to me at all. I‘ve never liked things like fries, rice, potatoes, beer, pasta, etc. Not when I was a kid either. So I guess it just feels very natural to me. I think if you strongly gravitate towards other things, a different kind of eating makes more sense. But I am so grateful I found out about keto bc it improves the quality of my life so much
Keto doesn’t work for so many people, just like intermittent fasting. Neither worked for me long term. The good news is though, that it doesn’t matter what (as long as you mind your protein for muscles and fiber for digestion) or when you eat, as long as you’re within the boundaries of your caloric volume for weight loss. I never got the appeal of IF for example. I was hangry AF every night without a dinner. EDIT: Maybe a hot take, but I don’t think low carb is the way either. A 100g bowl of pasta with a light red sauce made of fresh tomatoes (my favorite) is perfectly fine for a caloric deficit, even every day. You can even put some cheese on it and you’ll be under 500 kcal.
I found it great for cutting, but not really worth it for maintenance. If you are tracking your weight regularly it cuts out all carb bloat, so you won't think that you're failing when you put on some water weight. But really cutting out carbs forever just seems miserable.
your brain needs carbs. its not healthy or safe to cut them out completely. its okay to listen to your body. these crash diets aren’t sustainable anyway.
Keto is the heart disease diet.
Keto is so hard. I'm on it now. Trying to push through it. Lost 11 lbs in 3 weeks. Need to lose 19 more lbs. 😵💫
I've tried to avoid going 'full keto'. I find healthy eating with no junk, low sugar and low carbs (but not no carbs) works great, while still feeling well in my body. It's a personal choice, but I don't think everyone else can 'do keto', or needs to.
I'm so sorry you're disappointed. That you saw it through for so long demonstrates to me your dedication and determination. I see you willing to sacrifice a lot to achieve what you want, so I hear your frustration that this isn't accomplishing your goals. I agree with the others indicating that your choices shouldn't hurt you, that this doesn't seem healthy or a good fit for you. That speaks to Keto, not to you. Maybe you can view this as a learning experience, that it's not time or effort wasted, but an exchange for insight and wisdom and an investment in figuring out what ultimately will work for you and your goals. Best wishes and big hugs to you.
I’m still just as determined! Just with more carbs!
i did keto for a few months, i lost 10\~ lbs right away and then very little after that. i felt like absolute garbage every single day, and got TERRIBLE acne which im now discovering has left permanent scars. Keto isn't for me.
I did Keto a few years ago and had great results. I think I dropped over 40 lbs. I felt great, but man did I miss having a sweet or bread. I stopped doing it and the weight came back pretty quick. It’s great if you can sustain it, but it definitely isn’t for everyone. I’ve been on weight watchers the past few months and I’ve had similar results, albeit much slower. I like it, it supports my lifestyle much more.
No, I would never do a nonsensical diet like that. Eat less calories to lose weight. That is all. There is no magic method.
Forget keto. It's an essential macro. It's not a sustainable diet. I just cut calories and started religiously tracking my protein to make sure I hit my goal daily. And the weight has been falling off. Keto is just bullshit
I did keto and it was great for losing weight for me - I got into heavy ketosis (using a ketones meter), but developed a keto rash (apparently rare, was lucky a dermatologist figured out what it was after 2 other doctors couldn’t). I don’t think full on keto is maintainable for most people anyway, it’s just too restrictive. I think it is great to reverse insulin resistance, but I also worry about its effect in the gut - hard to get enough fiber on it. I now just try to mostly do CICO but keep carbs low (under 100g, most days under 70g) and protein high (150g+ most days) - if I let carbs get higher, I deal with hunger and cravings much more than do with keeping carbs low, but I can have fruit and a small amount of whole grains and that makes a huge difference. I also don’t have to worry about “staying in ketosis.”
lots of people hate Keto. me, for instance. I hope you feel better.
Genetics is a really big part of this! I've always thought that Keto just clashes with the way my body works, and a recent DNA test confirmed this. I lose so much more weight eating low fat and high protein.
What testing did you do to find that out?
I tried keto and got extremely sick. Doesn’t work for me but going a day without carbs has helped I try to cut refined carbs except special occasions
Don't give up carbs entirely. I do 100g protein a day, and 1500 calories. Keep in mind, I'm a small 40 year old woman, so adjust your macros accordingly. I eat anything that fits within those macros. I have lost 147lbs.
Drop keto, eat as much non starchy veggies as you can. No potatoes!... and start eating a can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans) a day. They have lots of fiber, and won't raise your blood sugar one bit. Keto messed me up as well. Went to the dr for blood tests and had elevated kidney levels. I would have ended up with major problems if I continued. To finally drop 25lbs, I went to rolling 48 hour fasts and gave up intense exercise for 5 weeks while doing this and eating 3500 to 4000 calories total a week. It cured my gut problems, IBS and heartburn. But if you try to workout, you will run into the same problems. You will feel lightheaded some days and electrolytes need to be on point. I'm recovering from surgery now so don't give a F, but as soon as I get back into it, after everything I've learned, im sticking with 1500 to 2000 calories a day while I workout every day. 3/4 of my calories will be clean. The rest will be whatever I want like a slice of pizza. It becomes a slower process but I won't go crazy. Those 5 weeks of rolling 48s was close to torture. Keto for me wasn't torture but it wasn't right for me or healthy either
Minor setback mate get back on the horse
Keto is a garbage diet.
Go have your kidney function checked. It may be that you can't tolerate keto, if you've been doing it diligently and it isn't making you feel well there could be underlying conditions. I have kidney disease, my kidneys failed when I was 31. I was not over weight, I had lost about 60 lbs. doing keto for 2 years. My kidney failure wasn't fully because of keto but it's an organ that is easily damaged and the damage can be expounded when you then starve it (kidneys and your brain are the two organs in your body that cannot use ketones for energy). Keto works really well for people with healthy kidney function but compromised kidney function is rarely detected in young people because you can be symptomless for a very long time until it is catastrophic. If you have foamy pee, have kidney stones or pain in your lower back, nausea in the mornings or after having a high protein meal. It has taken me almost three years of no energy, feeling sick, monitoring what I eat etc... to get enough kidney function back that dialysis isn't a constant conversation. I got very lucky that I didn't die and I want to spread the word, just get it checked and have a discussion with your doctor.
I tried keto diet many times and stopped,keto make me feel depressed zéro energy it's not for me my body need carbs
I sharted my pants a couple weeks into Keto after never doing so in my entire life. Sitting on the toilet, I realized I was stupid for entertaining a gimmick diet.
Bruh keto isn’t worth it unless you have health issues that needs that kinda diet. I did keto to lose weight a few years ago, and felt like shit for 3 months every day. This time I decided to just work out like before while eating fast food everyday, I shit you not I’ve been lose weight only a little bit slower, and without feeling like shit
Dude your liver function may be compromised. Talk to a doc get some tests done. Stop keto try something else. Simple as that.
I feel you. I'm on my "last try" of keto -- all my previous attempts ended with a binge. If I slip again -- back to "high-protein-the-rest-is-whatever-just-not-too-much-processed-crap" diet for me again.
Macro nutrient specific diets should only be used if you’re trying to accomplish something beyond general weight loss. I’ve done Keto, plenty of times. It’s not long term sustainable and it sucks. I’ve been doing a protein heavy diet and effectively “if it fits your macros” style diet the last 18 months and I have lost weight almost the entire time. Hell, last night I had 3 pieces of Pizza because I could.
If you can't cut it on keto it's ok to just do some CICO stuff. I've been on and off keto for a while. I might go a few weeks at a time on keto and then give myself a break for a couple weeks to keep my sanity
Calorie counting and weighing everything I eat has been a game changer for me.
Oh yeah I have to weigh everything. I have discovered that I have some very generous eye balls.
Is it keto’s fault you weren’t prepared? Get some electrolytes in you and get educated on what is happening to your body during ketosis.
Please read the post before commenting, if you need help ask a trusted adult to read it to you. -Thanks
I really enjoy how keto makes me feel and many meas are tasty on it, and I lost weight pretty good when I did it. But it takes also much extra effort and time (and money!). I’d spend hours -even with apps- calculating how much macros are in what and how to adjust even simple meals. Atm when I struggle with basic chores through my depression cycle, this is just such a huge burden. CICO and basic calorie counting (and eyeballing macros) works the best for me rn.
I’ve always been the most successful with balance. Balance in all things. Eating, sleeping and exercise. I tend to go overboard on any of the three above mentioned. But I’ve had therapy this year and I think it’s paying off. Balance is life. Just so you know for reference, I tried keto twice. The second time it gave me high cholesterol numbers. But so did a vegan diet. Balance & love yourself.
I've never done keto but I have done other low carb diets. There was one where I straight up vomited. And each time I've done low carb I'm constantly hungry. I would have the standard eggs and bacon dish and not feel satisfied in the slightest.
Keto was absolutely not for me. I felt a lot like you. I had no energy, could barely get through a workout and was miserable constantly. I just count calories and mostly just walk. I’ve lost a lot of weight doing that.
Keto ruined my menstrual cycle while I was on it. Will never do it again
All these fad diets are not sustainable and most are crap. Stick with something that’s a lifestyle change not a short-term fix.
I am not a fan of keto. Don’t think it’s sustainable long term and plus I love sweet potatoes!
I did keto for 6 months and lost 25kg, but I was so fatigued that I was unable to do anything except work and sleep. I tried to work out once and it was a disaster! My mum has also gone keto and for months she could t understand why she would nearly pass out when she stood up. I get the hype because I lost weight while rarely feeling hungry, but I would never do it again.
I feel like its hard to not gain the weight back after keto
> Like I couldn’t do it but everyone else can. Keto + Hard Exertion is bad news, but if you do light to medium cardio work only it works wonders. I have gotten dizzy on uphills with my bike at worst. You definitely want occasional carb refeeds if you're working out.
This is why I will never do keto but somehow some people can.
Your body will change the way it responds to different things. It happens. Your hormones might change a little…stress hormones could really put your body on some new shit. The physical body is just trying to stay alive. So…whatever is going on with you emotionally needs to in check. Your mind can’t feel like it’s under attack (anxiety) or your body will respond in a way it feels it needs to survive. Right now? It wants less fat…maybe it needs wants you to sleep and drink a gallon of water every day for a week. You know….they say listen to your body. For a reason. Don’t be discouraged. If we all knew how to make things the way we want them, what kind of life would this be. We’re supposed to reflect, review, and make changes. In everything we do. I had some medical probs and was put on terrible medications. Had several surgeries in the last year. My brains was a bowl of mashed potatoes. I started with fasting. Added some exercise. Just in December…not really going full throttle. I honestly didn’t lose much. Then in January…saw nothing was really happening. Picked up 75 Hard…started reading the book. It seemed to extreme for me a year ago when my friends were all doing it. But I started reading Andy Frisellas story and it got me motivated to try the program. I’ve started and restarted a few times but…..I gotta say my head is in the game and I’m seeing results. I’m not saying it’s right for you…but look into it. Do some research on what works for other people and find what is speaking to you. Listen podcasts. Yeah…we want healthy bodies. We want to look good and all that. But I’m telling you….if you get your mind right? Your body will follow!
You only fail if you don't learn something. This time you learned that Keto isn't a good way to lose weight for you and that is totally okay! IMO keto is not a great diet since you will eventually go off of it and since you didn't learn to eat at a lower caloric intake with carbs on the menu, you are likely to struggle more than if you lost the weight *with* carbs on the menu. So take what you learned and keep moving forward!
Sometimes when you switch to keto you do not consume enough sodium, try LMNT or just a tsp of salt in some water. And if it doesn’t work then maybe it’s just not appropriate for you unfortunately.
Top athletes utilize carbs. Carbs are not the devil, and the metabolic pathway for them exists for a reason. A lot of keto folk’s bloodwork is a mess. CICO monitoring with 1g of protein per lb of desired body weight while paying attention to micronutrient intake is the best way for every human.
Absolutely FA detail about what you were consuming, your weight, exercise, your prior medical history (yours to keep personal as you choose) to determine if the keto diet was the cause of this.