The Ketogenic Diet??

I have spent a few weeks researching the Keto diet, and have been on it three days now.

Basically, this is how I eat if I am not trying to eat "correctly". I mean, for most of my life I was slim and naturally muscular, and that only changed when I started forcing myself to eat more fruits (I don't like many, HATE citrus fruits, only like berries), and grains. The french insist on bread between every bite, and wherever you go, crap like rice and potatoes end up on your plate, and you have to soak them in sauce to make them palatable....

If I have a choice between a doughnut and an omelette, the omelette wins, hands down.
I hate when others want to serve me a bit of roast, because I have to ask out loud "Um, the piece with the most fat on it, please..."

So, you can imagine I was happy to see there is a diet which is appropriate to my tastes, and that so many claim is good for your health, and you can even lose weight easily with it! I like having an excuse for that fatty piece of meat.

But I retain a bit of critical thinking, I know it might be another stupid fad. I am planning on having my doctor keep up blood and urine tests to survey my health.

Third day, I am LOVING meal times, and this morning I feel considerably less bloated, my stomach is visibly less bloated, and mentally I feel great.

But I am curious- have any of you eat this way? What has been your experience with it, good and bad?

I am apprehensive about the "flu" symptoms most describe coming up, and the loss of energy during heavy workouts.
I haven't had any hint of constipation, which is actually new for me.

I'm just curious to hear other peoples experience with this eating lifestyle, if any of you have.....

a reply to: Bluesma

I'm like you. My body operates better on meat and fat. My cholesterol is lower when I eat mostly meat and fat. Some of us are just made that way.

originally posted by: Ksihkehe
a reply to: Bluesma

I'm like you. My body operates better on meat and fat. My cholesterol is lower when I eat mostly meat and fat. Some of us are just made that way.

My cholesterol is sometimes a bit on the higher end of normal levels, so one time I decided to try eating no cholesterol for one month. I was going to go on a medicine soon that would make it important to keep that down, so I was preparing.

My cholesterol levels shot through the roof! (both kinds)

I remember I was so frustrated I actually cried, because I'd suffered so much deprivation for nothing...

I'm better off eating it.

My husband, however, is totally different. He craves a lot of fruit and if he eats like me, his blood pressure and cholesterol goes up. I have naturally low blood pressure that doesn't seem to be effected by diet (so far).

I think there is no diet that is perfect for every body, it might be about finding what is right for you as an individual.

a reply to: Bluesma

i did it... lost 30 lbs in 2 months...

the hardest part is staying away from sugar...

but it works and its worth it if you can do it....

No bread, no carbs... no sugar, just protein

and you can still drink beer

40 grams of carbs a day. it's hard at first but once you get used to it you eat like a king.

In 1921, Rollin Woodyatt reviewed the research on diet and diabetes. He reported that three water-soluble compounds, β-hydroxybutyrate, acetoacetate and acetone (known collectively as ketone bodies), were produced by the liver in otherwise healthy people when they were starved or if they consumed a very low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet. Russel Wilder, at the Mayo Clinic, built on this research and coined the term ketogenic diet to describe a diet that produced a high level of ketone bodies in the blood (ketonemia) through an excess of fat and lack of carbohydrate.

I copied that from Wikipedia. I had to figure out my own way with food, I was getting an acetone/ammonia like taste/smell in the back of my throat every time I exerted myself. I was wanting to get back into an exercise program and the dizziness that went with the taste/smell made it impossible until I figured out to do the opposite of what the studies said.
Everyone kept saying I needed more carbs, it made it worse. After much research and experimenting, it turned out I needed more protein, less carbs. I think it was called catabolism, muscle burning away instead of building.
Good healthy fats (avocados, olive oil, nuts, seeds, eggs), proteins (meats, eggs, nuts, seeds, whey powder, etc). Veggies and whole grains only if there's protein with the meal as well. Protein at every meal. Also it seems good fats help your weight normalize. Sugary stuff makes for bigger bellies, most carbs digest like sugars....

originally posted by: Akragon
a reply to: Bluesma

i did it... lost 30 lbs in 2 months...

Oh yay! Happy to hear some positive experience!

I am actually able to keep my total calorie intake pretty low, because I just feel more content when I've had more fat.
I can't believe how well my digestion is- makes me think carbs might have been the cause of a lot of problems and I didn't know it.
I don't like beer... but tonight, the family opened a very nice and expensive wine, and I sighed a bit....

originally posted by: PLAYERONE01
40 grams of carbs a day. it's hard at first but once you get used to it you eat like a king.

I'm only allowing a maximum of 20 grams a day, but so far, I'm not missing them.

I finally joined just to answer this post. If you go to Reddit.com, there is a very active subgroup 'keto'. Explanations as to the biochemistry of it, before/during/after pics, recipes, etc. It's very helpful to keep on track. There are also dozens of videos on YT explaining the whys and wherefores. It's not fringe anymore, but accepted by all but the most obtuse and ill-informed medical professionals.

I'm quite sure humans were never meant to metabolize the massive amounts of sugar and wheat/flours that are in our 'normal' diets now; and also that mild ketosis was the norm. All those times your ancestors couldn't find a berry bush or it wasn't in season, or a hunt was unsuccessful, we had to rely on our fat stores to survive. And I would think that the usual diet was mostly year round meat and supplemented with a very small amount of carbohydrates.

I know from personal experience I function far better in ketosis than I do with any carb intake over 20 grams a day. After about 40 grams a day, my appetite goes out of control and I might as well be a sugar and especially chocolate addict. They hit my brain just as strongly as less legal drugs might.

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a reply to: SentientCentenarian

Thanks for joining the site and participating!

Ever since I can remember, I have known that eating carbs in the morning (toast, cereal...) would cause me to feel terribly hungry all day and not be able to stop eating. I even told my doctor this once but he waved it off as my imagination.

Eventually I found that eating an egg in the morning, or protein powder, would keep me from going into that non-stop eating phase. I really think this is what is correct for my body.

I'm actually spending a lot of time on the net researching, because it can get a bit complicated (like the question of total carbs vs. net carbs...).

And I am worried about the possible flu like phase many speak of going through- I do not want to deal with that.....

Thanks for the referral!!

About 10 years ago, I found low carb...and lost about 30 pounds on it.
Off and on since then I have limited my carbs to 40 [roughly] per day.
Right now I am on 30-50 a day...with a good amount of fiber including chia seeds.

I find my body is happiest limiting carbs.
And, last year I found most of my gas/digestive issues were related to gluten....so another reason to keep my carbs down.
Gluten free foods are not low carb, so I had to rethink my eating habits again.

It's very hard for me to limit carbs....since like Lays' chips I cannot eat just one.
A few months ago, my husband decided to cut way back on sugars...and to eat healthier carbs...ie oatmeal.
While I cannot join his healthy carbs routine....the cutting back on sugars has helped me a lot to curb those carb impulses.
It was the missing link in my diet....i would always find a way to add fruit to my carb numbers....
Those sugar carbs were causing bloat.

a reply to: Bluesma

Hello! I've started using a fiber (weirdly) based sweetener called Kakato; it's available on Amazon. Almost zero carbs and the measurement conversions are just slightly less than regular sugar would be for baking, etc. I supplement it in some recipes like drinks with stevia to make a cannister last longer, it's a bit expensive. OTOH, I'm not buying cookies anymore

Two of my favorite recipes: 3 c. ground almonds or almond flour, 1/2 cup Kakato/stevia to taste, 1/2 tsp almond extract and enough water to make a damp paste. about 1/2 cup; I add it slowly; this results in a very low carb marzipan which I love; almonds are also a great source of tryptophan in the diet, necessary for both serotonin (the feel good neurotransmitter) and melatonin (the sleepy neurotransmitter) production. You can coat the marzipan with chocolate made from baking chocolate melted with a bit of coconut oil and stevia to taste. Keep it in the fridge, it will last for over a week. This is my night time snack.

Here's a great pizza crust recipe: 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella, 3/4 cup almond flour, 2 T. cream cheese (cubed), 1 egg, garlic salt; melt the cheese and cream cheese together, add almond flour and the egg and mush together. Spread out on a cookie sheet lined with parchment and sprinkle with garlic salt. Prick with holes. Bake 425 degrees (USA) for 8 minutes; check for bubbles and prick them; bake for total of 12-14 minutes and then add precooked sausage, sauce, more cheese, herbs, etc; all toppings have to be precooked as you then only send them back to the oven to melt/get hot. It's surprising how good this is, and really takes care of that pizza craving. The carb count is minimal, just the almond flour and whatever veggies you add, really.

a reply to: SentientCentenarian

Oh, I forgot to add - I had that same exact problem with a carby-breakfast. Hungry all day and sleepy! I'll have eggs or sausage sometimes but get sick of them; tried protein powders but couldn't digest whey that well. The answer has been pea protein powder shakes. Sounds gross but it's not bad if you add ice to it so it's real cold and you can gin it up with various flavored extracts; they somehow process the carbs out of the peas and just leave the protein. I know it's done in China but the peas are grown in the states, at least for the kind I buy, Summa brand. I called up and asked about it and the customer service was good. I like their taste best of the ones I've tried but YMMV on that. What I like best is it 'sits' well and I have what seems like extra energy after drinking it, like I'm getting some nutrient I was missing. No tummy issues with it like I'll always have to worry about with whey or anything with wheat protein.

I'm convinced that modern wheat is a poison and so is sugar. The only way to overcome the cravings for that brain-hit you get from them is to completely avoid the dang stuff.

a reply to: SentientCentenarian

Thanks for the recipes! I don't think Ill need any sweeteners... I have never been into sugar, and always kept away from sweet things so I don't develop a taste for it. But I have noticed my family is a bit irritated that they feel their pizza days are over because of me. If I can make my own version, then they'll feel freer to eat in front of me.

I'm in France, so some things in recipes are not possible to find. Cream cheese is one of those.But I can eperiment with other alternatives. I am finding there is stuff here too that won't be found on such sources of info, like paté! I realized yesterday I can totally eat liver paté as long as it doesn't have added sugars and preservatives.

Made quiche of leeks and salmon yesterday for the whole family, and just had to make sure not to eat the crust. I can totally live this way for the rest of my life!

originally posted by: Bluesma

I remember I was so frustrated I actually cried, because I'd suffered so much deprivation for nothing...

I'm better off eating it.

My husband, however, is totally different. He craves a lot of fruit and if he eats like me, his blood pressure and cholesterol goes up. I have naturally low blood pressure that doesn't seem to be effected by diet (so far).

I think there is no diet that is perfect for every body, it might be about finding what is right for you as an individual.

I believe it is largely genetic and medical science needs to catch up to what many of us have discovered. I can build muscle, reduce my cholesterol, and lower my blood pressure by restricting carbs to somewhere in the range of 10-15 a day. I can have days where I hit 40-60, but those have to be occasional. After I left pure protein behind I plateaued. I went back to meat for 3 meals a day and started losing weight again.

The food pyramid is not designed for everybody.

ETA: I'm more than happy to eat sausage for breakfast, baked chicken for lunch, and a rib-eye for dinner... hell, I eat like a king. I throw a salad in a couple times a week and have some strawberry or blueberry for snacks. How is that a bad diet?

a reply to: Ksihkehe

I was a little worried about what this would mean when I go out to restaurants. But it isn't turning out to be a problem. Went out to lunch with a girlfriend yesterday and had a huge green salad topped with duck breast and foie gras ... I was in heaven!

I'm losing a LOT of water though- the weight is coming off fast and I am sure it is water. I just did my usual run and have never sweated so heavily. So I am starting to salt the water I am drinking.

originally posted by: Bluesma
a reply to: Ksihkehe

I was a little worried about what this would mean when I go out to restaurants. But it isn't turning out to be a problem. Went out to lunch with a girlfriend yesterday and had a huge green salad topped with duck breast and foie gras ... I was in heaven!

I'm losing a LOT of water though- the weight is coming off fast and I am sure it is water. I just did my usual run and have never sweated so heavily. So I am starting to salt the water I am drinking.

Well, as much as I wish to hate that you are eating more like a king than I am... it works. I'm not sure I could afford your lunch. Were I back on the east coast I would be eating scallops, lobster, and cheap shrimp. Alas rural life leaves me with difficult choices.

Losing water happens. I've always been a heavy drinker... both, yes water and alcohol. You need to drink as much water as your body demands. That is always the case. If you cut out processed foods there will be a definite decline in the amount of sodium you consume. Nearly all things that are bought "ready-to-eat" are very high in sodium. Start using sea salt and your body will adjust.

a reply to: Ksihkehe

Well, where I am, things that are considered more pricey and rare are not the same. A big steak american style is harder to find and costs a lot. Lobster is completely out of the question because of cost - but I remember we used to go to Mexico and chow down on lobster for breakfast for just about nothing.
All depends upon where you are, what is available.

Last night we went out to a restaurant, and my hubby talked me into drinking a glass of wine. Man, I got wasted off that one glass! Found out that is normal if you drink while in ketosis. I don't know if it knocked me out of ketosis or not. Seems alcohol effects people differently on that score.

Sea salt is all that is used over here, but I am buying more salty mineral waters to drink.
My energy level is really what surprises me- I had begun to think of myself as someone who is just always tired, dragging myself around... suddenly I don't want a nap anymore. I wonder if my (normally too low blood) pressure went up?

I don't know if it is linked but I find myself wanting less coffee. I went from four cups a day to one. I just don't want more than one.

The hardest part of this so far? Others that scowl at me as they see me eat. Everyone is extremely sceptical when I explain. This diet hasn't become known over here, so people don't hesitate to start lecturing me on how bad fat is for the body and how you need glucose. It's just making me stubbornly determined to stick to it and show them otherwise.

a reply to: Bluesma

Hi, fellow-keto person here! I've lost 20 lbs since March, skin cleared up, and no more sluggishness. I have not had the first negative side effect.

And I am worried about the possible flu like phase many speak of going through- I do not want to deal with that...

From what I understand, the 'flu-like' symptoms are due to mineral imbalance? The keto subreddit that another member mentioned, has lots of info on that. One tip I picked up involves making 'bone broth.' Basically, to get bones from a butcher and boil them all day to make a sort of soup base. The more you boil them, the more minerals you leach out of the bones. (Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium, Phosphorus) Many people will just drink a cup of this in the morning. I used it in cooking. I need to start making it again because it's just super healthy! Either way, no issues whatsoever with keto flu.

Homemade Bone Broth