To ask your experience of a keto diet?

[Atticusblame]

Just started this today. It's basically a very low carb diet. I have low carbed before, but not quite to the keto extreme.

Has anyone found it works well for them? And how long is it until results show? And what alcohol can I drink on it?

To all those who say to eat less and move more.

It isn’t as simple as that.

I was on another thread and there was a group of us who couldn’t shift the weight despite sticking to a low calorie diets and having reasonably active lifestyle.

Watching a few YouTube videos one evening on why I couldn’t shift the weight

Turns out Cortisol levels (especially in menopause) can rise (they are apparently kept in check through oestrogen but after the menopause with no oestrogen there is nothing to keep the Cortisol levels in check) and can interfere with insulin levels which means losing weight is virtually impossible

Or that was what I took away from the videos.

atticus no not noticeable less healthy but I do worry about all the fatty meats he eats and his heart and arteries, he isnt eating a healthy balanced diet.
He does however do it really quite strict and not allowed more than 10g of carbs or a very very small amount of sugar.
I am a believer in, if you are able bodied and no other issues, a balanced diet and exercise is best. I understand in some cases it's harder than others though and not the preachy type about it.

With regards to expense I think it's like anything it depends the quality of the goods you buy.
You will probably find initially it may cost more, but once you get into.the swing of your menus it will be easier to balance it back out.
I was buying really good steak to start but he prefers Belly pork for the fat, so cheaper.
I was buying good chicken breasts, he prefers chicken thighs, so cheaper...you will get your own balance though

I would agree, this way of eating is clearly more expensive than padding out a meal with pasta/rice/potatoes, and restricting the amount of meat/seafood/fish/vegetables in that meal as that is the more expensive part of the meal

So today I had a large tuna mayo salad for lunch, I never eat breakfast and I had a cheese, chorizo three egg omelette for dinner, with a side salad, dressed with olive oil and balsamic (I'm well into keto so can have balsamic) I'm not remotely hungry. I also did forty five mins of cardio today

Tomorrow I'll have a chicken casserole, chicken thighs, peppers, mushrooms, roasted in olive oil, garlic and chilli, for dinner, and likely a veg on the side. No idea what I'll have for lunch, will see how I feel. My husband will have the same dinner, but with potatoes.

On Friday I will make a bolognaise for dinner, and eat it with cheese on top and a side salad, yum. My husband will have pasta with his.

Saturday we normally go out for dinner, and I like steak, mushrooms and a Greek salad with feta and olives at our local pub. However whatever I have they have no issue substituting the carb element for a dressed salad or vegetables.

On Sunday I'm doing a roast beef, I also do a broccoli cheese, and garlic mushrooms. Potatoes for husband.

Another fave meal is roasted salmon fillets with stir fried veg.

Lunches, tend to be salads, with either meat, (salami, ham etc) cheese, egg mayo or hard boiled eggs, tuna, olives etc. If you like soup then home made soups are easy to make low carb.

I don't tend to snack as I don't feel hungry but you can eat,, olives, cheese, meat, cucumber, full fat Greek yoghurt etc,

For me, I don't see why my diet would be healthier if I threw some pasta, potatoes or rice in there. 🤷‍♀️

Booze, I drink on a sat night when we go out and I tend to drink either dry white wine, something like Pinot, or vodka and Diet Coke.

Biwis boot camps are great for recipe advice, I'm not in boot camp, because I'm well into keto and know what To do to either maintain or drop weight. I also work out six days a week, so clearly don't lack energy. I'm currently bringing myself back down to a ten from a twelve as I had a rather sociable eat what ever summer.

As for evangelical, I think if people find something that's easy to stick to, helps them loose weight and be healthier, gives them more energy and kills the cravings to over eat, then they are going to try to help others.

I have a friend who does slimming world. In all honesty I find the recipes bland as it's all fat free. But she's evangelical about sin free stuff and loads of buzz words. It works for her, it wouldn't work for me. I think whatever works for you.

But is it more expensive than padding a meal out with carbs like pasta, rice or potatoes, yes clearly.

I've actually found this way of eating cheaper. No biscuits/crisps/fruit etc. Cheaper cuts of meat, using chicken thighs instead of breast etc.
I love keto. Been doing it since May. Lost 2 stone, has dramatically reduced my sweet cravings, feel fuller for longer, less hungry and food much more satiating. My mood and energy is much more stable too.
I fill up on good fats like avocados, olive oil, nuts etc.
It helps that I enjoy cooking and experimenting. I've made keto brownies, pies using almond flour etc

That's a good point, I was thinking about it last night after I posted. As you eat less and don't tend to snack, then the cost balances itself out,because you're no longer buying all the crap junk.

Meant to say OP the place I've lost the most inches was my stomach. I had an early menopause and over a couple of years went from slightly pear shaped to definitely apple. My waist line used to get me down so much and I was constantly in to big baggy tops to hide it. I'd tried lots of things to loose weight and keto was the only thing that reduced my waistline

It must be hard to do if vegetarian or vegan I would think

Yes I find it is better value and less wasteful too. We do litter picking and the top litter items are fag packets, scratch cards, cans, energy drink bottles, crisp/confectionery packaging.
I think when I’m on the carb/insulin rollercoaster I also tend to make bad decisions about food and buy too much or order too much in restaurants.
You don’t get hungry on low carb in that OMG I MUST EAT NOW feeling.

@tigger001

You might like to read this

Especially point 4 - low carbing isn't an unhealthy way to eat at all.

(I can't specifically argue for the Keto diet simply because I don't know enough about it, but the general principles apply)

I don't think it is an unhealthy way of eating, as long as you do it 'right', but I do think the people who dabble are probably not eating a great diet. A lot of fatty meat, cream, cheese and alcohol all week, then a spectacular fall off the wagon at the weekend. I actually think if you do that for long enough it is very unhealthy.

Veteran low carbers like the fabulous BIWI and others on this thread are probably a lot healthier than your average person, including me!

Well as with anything it could be healthy or unhealthy- 'dirty' keto doesn;t sound great. Also a vegan diet can be very unhealthy as well. Just because you are restricting a food group does not make it healthy. Carbs can vary a lot - low GI and high GI. To tar all with the same brush is a bit extreme.

I think it works for some people more than others. I know a lot of people who have lost a lot of weight on it and feel fantastic. They are real walking adverts for it. They definitely have more energy and more concentration and sparkle. So i'ts worth a shot.

It puts me in a filthy temper, and as filthy temper is an issue I have spent my life trying to control I'd rather be fat and sweet natured than a thin bitch from hell.

It’s great for me, I lose quickly, feel great and it sorts out my bowel issues (mild but annoying).

It is expensive and somewhat tedious however.

Be aware that you still have to calorie count, you can’t eat 5000 calories, be low carb and lose weight - you need to restrict calories but you can eat fat which is the biggest difference from a ‘normal’ low carb diet.

I can honestly say I've never calorie counted on low carb, but that's because as it's a natural appetite suppression there is generally no need.

I don't get why people say it's tedious though, @ActualHornist! There are lots of fabulous meals you can make. A quick look at the recipes in the Bootcamp Topic will prove that!

That does mean, however, that you need to be prepared to cook your own meals; reliance on ready meals will be tedious as it's very hard to find any that are low carb.

It puts me in a filthy temper, and as filthy temper is an issue I have spent my life trying to control I'd rather be fat and sweet natured than a thin bitch from hell.

Amen sister.

Also, YY to vegan diets being as healthy or unhealthy as you choose to make it. When I did veganuary, I remember someone saying to me, when I had a vegan friendly, alcoholic drink, "alcohol? Hahaha, that's not very VEGAN is it" ? As if by going vegan, I was being magically on a health kick. Nope!

Interesting point up thread from the pp who said they had tried living on a similar diet to Syrian refugees, which is low fat, high carb, having a similar result to LCHF. I think that's right and the danger comes from a diet high in fat AND carbs. Lower fat, higher carb can also be healthy. I don't think it's a one size fits all at all.

You don’t have to calorie count, that’s a huge part of the appeal.

@BIWitch it can get tedious because I like variation in my diet that includes pasta, rice, potatoes.

The only ready meal we eat is pizza, yes I can make a keto pizza but it’s just another pain in the arse to remember to buy all the ingredients.

It’s also tedious preparing a delicious family meal when you can’t eat most of the components. Or having to prep your own lonely meal when everyone else is having a lasagne.

Lamb tagine is gorgeous but it lacks something without the couscous and dried apricots.

it can get tedious because I like variation in my diet that includes pasta, rice, potatoes

Well i think that means it's not the woe for you personally as the whole point of it is you don't eat those things. It's like saying I find slimming world tedious because I prefer to vary by diet by eating crisps ice cream and chocolate, with some nice goose fat roasted potatoes thrown in for good measure.

There are clearly a multitude of meals you can make, but if you want to eat a Carby diet then it's not for you.

Isn't it more accurate to say I don't like this way of eating as I like carby food too much?

You don’t have to calorie count, that’s a huge part of the appeal.

That's a relief! I haven't been calorie counting at all, but I can't see how I could be under the 1200 calories that I have when I use My Fitness Pal with this diet.

FFS @Bluntness100, in my opinion it can be a tedious way of eating. Because you are restricting carbs. Any restrictive diet becomes tedious at some point.

@Atticusblame re calorie counting - you don’t need to be super strict with it, but things like belly pork can be really high in calories - you will lose slower or not at all if you’re regularly consuming 2000+ calories.

It's like saying I find slimming world tedious because I prefer to vary by diet by eating crisps ice cream and chocolate, with some nice goose fat roasted potatoes thrown in for good measure

No, it's like saying I don't like SW, because I enjoy olive oil, butter and cheese. Comparing pasta and bread to ice cream and chocolate is a load of bollocks.

Op, no you don't need to calorie count, I've used this to maintain my weight on and off for years now and I've never done so. As your appetite diminishes you naturally eat less, thus negating the need.

Actualhornet you seem very het up for some reason? You don't like the woe , you like eating high carb food, and feel it's tedious if you can't, we get it, like I don't like calorie counting or slimming world. Not every thing can work for every one.