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I've been doing Keto since Feb 25 2016. My primary goal when switching over was weight loss, which turned out to be easy. I'm 25, male and was experiencing grow

by rotwoof 10y ago

I've been doing Keto since Feb 25 2016. My primary goal when switching over was weight loss, which turned out to be easy. I'm 25, male and was experiencing growing health complications related to obesity. I've lost well over 60 lbs since making the switch despite the fact that I maintain a primarily sedentary lifestyle though I now work out weekly as well as take bi-daily walks. There are downsides though. It's not cheap, it's restrictive and it requires you to build a fairly sizeable knowledge base in order to successfully maintain the diet and your own health. For instance your body consumes more water in order to burn fat stores which leads to the body burning through electrolytes more rapidly. It is very common to supplement electrolytes every day. It is common to drink broth while on Keto in order to cover the daily salt intake requirements of Keto, ~5000-7000mg every day on top of normal dietary salt intake. Failure to cover the daily electrolyte requirement will lead to muscle cramps and more severe symptoms brought on by electrolyte deficiency in the body. Prior to supplementing magnesium I experienced leg cramps and quickly realized what was going on. However there are significant health benefits. Weight loss, improved mental clarity and better energy levels throughout the day, as well as less need for frequent meals are positive effects that a lot of people experience on Keto. It is also a useful tool for reversing lifestyle diseases such as diabetes type 2 and pre-diabetes. When it comes to the stuff you "have to give up" while on Keto it's mostly a case of strict moderation rather than completely cutting things out. The things you do try to cut out though like bread, sugar, potatoes, pasta, corn-syrup etc have good alternatives available in most grocery stores. You can bake bread out of almond flour, make pasta out of almond flour (or have someone make it for you), replace potatoes with sweet potatoes and so on. If you're thinking that keto sounds like it's too much hassle please leave me a reply and I'll gladly talk about whatever you're unsure about.

abandonliberty 10y ago
Do you have some resources you'd recommend to get started?
- rotwoof 10y ago
  I first started learning about keto on reddit - reddit.com/r/keto (although I initinally learned about it elsewhere) In the sidebar on the right there are two very useful sections labeled "useful links" and "related subs". I personally recommend the ketoscience, ketogains and ketorecipes subreddits depending on your goals. I guess I can't leave out ketoxx either if you're a girl. In addition to that I recommend reading anything written by Dom D'Agostino who is widely considered the #1 authority on the ketogenic diet. Also read Mark Sisson's books. And finally I recommend Joe Rogan Podcast Ep. 752 - Mark Sisson. Rogan can be somewhat of a pothead/hippie but if you can look past that his guests are often very informative.
- cschmidt 10y ago
  I liked Why We Get Fat, by Gary Taubes as background https://www.amazon.com/Why-We-Get-Fat-About/dp/0307474259 https://www.amazon.com/Why-We-Get-Fat-About/dp/0307474259 then, as others have said, reddit.com/r/keto is good for "how to"
- whistlerbrk 10y ago
  I used Ferris' 4 Hour Body, and did a cheat day and then learned more from resources online. Highly recommend. Lost 19 lbs in 9 weeks with a cheat day on keto.
SiddarthaBuddha 10y ago
You eat sweet potatoes and stay in ketosis? Those are full of carbs. I have been keto for about a year and would love to eat sweet potatoes.
- jobu 10y ago
  The digestibility of the carbs in sweet potatoes is highly dependent on the way they're cooked. Boiling them leads to a fairly low glycemic index and glycemic load, whereas baking them essentially turns them into candy: http://www.livestrong.com/article/295025-the-glycemic-index-for-sweet-potatoes/ http://www.livestrong.com/article/295025-the-glycemic-index-...
  - rotwoof 10y ago
    It is also possible to reduce the glycemic index of food by ingesting acetic acid (apple vinegar). See: http://www.jbc.org/content/135/1/157.full.pdf http://www.jbc.org/content/135/1/157.full.pdf TL;DR Apple cider vinegar will decrease the glycemic index of food by interfering with carbohydrate digestion.
    - cbr 10y ago
      Acetic acid is vinegar, not apple cider vinegar in particular.
- rotwoof 10y ago
  I should probably have specified that when it comes to foods like that which are high in carbohydrates I won't eat a significant amount or I'll get knocked out of ketosis just like everyone else would. I rarely eat foods that are primarily carbohydrate based since that defeats the purpose of going keto, but if I do I try to find alternatives (sweet potato replacement for regular potatoes) and even then I severely restrict the amount that I eat. Sweet potatoes have important nutrients in them like beta-carotene, vitamin A, manganese and copper. It is as far as I'm aware always preferable to get vitamins and minerals directly from your diet rather than supplementation. See http://www.yummly.com/recipe/Low-Carb-Potato-Salad---paleo_-vegan-1627188?prm-v1 http://www.yummly.com/recipe/Low-Carb-Potato-Salad---paleo_-... for an example of a keto friendly sweet potato salad. For me at least it's important to get creative with what I eat. Staying Keto is a long term goal for me and while I started off doing Keto as a means to lose weight the immediate health benefits convinced me to stay Keto for the foreseeable future. While it's possible to do keto off nothing but cheese, bacon, avocadoes, eggs and low-carb greens such as spinach and broccoli it can get boring. As long as my body stays in ketosis and I'm covering my body's nutritional needs I believe strict moderation rather than completely cutting all carbs is an acceptable way to diet. While it is completely possible to eliminate all carbs from your diet it is not requisite for staying in ketosis, though you of course do not have much margin for error before you knock yourself out of ketosis. Good news is it's much easier to get back into ketosis if you overshoot your daily carb allowance compared to the initial adaption period where you have to be very strict in order to adapt your body to keto. For people who are dealing with insulin resistant type health conditions like diabetes type 1, 2 or even pre-diabetes there might be entirely different dietary requirements and a very strict emphasis on eliminating all carbs may be appropriate. When it comes to carefully managing health conditions with potentially severe health ramifications that's something which requires cooperation with a physician. For most people, as long as you stay beneath the protein and carb limit you're completely fine.
tolmasky 10y ago
Is something like Ensure allowed on keto? Its awfully convenient mid day.
- rhinoceraptor 10y ago
  You want to maintain a healthy amount of fat, usually 50-70% of calories from fat. If you eat too much protein, it is converted to glucose and you won't reach higher levels of ketosis.
  - anon12345690 10y ago
    Protein is a big scale that varies a lot - if you're working out or need it to sustain your muscle mass, then it's fine. It's the leftover protein that becomes a problem.
- SiddarthaBuddha 10y ago
  Check out Keto Chow. https://www.thebairs.net/ https://www.thebairs.net/ I have no affiliation with them and don't drink it often but I can tell you that it tastes awesome.
  - jtmarmon 10y ago
    tried it, tastes like garbage in my opinion. tried like 3 flavors
    - SiddarthaBuddha 10y ago
      wow. it is literally one of the most delicious things I've ever consumed. Interesting how significantly tastes can differ.
- nkw 10y ago
  > Is something like Ensure allowed on keto? Its awfully convenient mid day. A regular Ensure looks to have around 15g of sugars per serving, so it would not be conducive to a keto-type diet. For similar convenience there is a product called Ketochow - https://www.thebairs.net/ https://www.thebairs.net/ which I've found quite tasty.
lopatin 10y ago
I also lost a bunch of weight on keto after several failed attempts at simply cutting calories. 235 lbs to about 185 and it all happened pretty rapidly (about half a year) considering I barely exercised. Lots of salads, chicken breasts, eggs & bacon, lettuce wraps, and quest bars. Regular coffee though, never was a fan of throwing butter in there. I mean I did do light cardio on and off, but I think it was mostly the diet that did it for me. Tried to stay under 20 daily grams of carbs.
- catdog 10y ago
  > I mean I did do light cardio on and off, but I think it was mostly the diet that did it for me. Most likely. The amount of calories burnt by exercising is surprisingly low. Unless you really do a lot of it simply eating a bit less may be easier, esp. because you get hungry after exercising which easily leads to more intake than you have burned before.
  - JimboOmega 10y ago
    That being the case, isn't exercise still very important to overall health - even if you're at a healthy weight? (Personally, I've never had any weight problems regardless of diet, but regular exercise makes a big difference in how I feel.)
    - rotwoof 10y ago
      Exercise is incredibly important for our health. It mitigates or even reverses ailments tied to lifestyle choices. To use myself as an example I have a bad shoulder as a result of stupid amounts of online video games (MMOs...) and every Thursday for the past two months I have specifially worked out the muscle group that's causing me pains in my right shoulder. And what do you know, after the initial muscle soreness goes away I feel slightly better and less sore. If I stop my regular exercise, the pain comes back. I used to suffer from depression and anxiety. Meds didn't really help and I changed my lifestyle around. It helped. I do agree with you, exercise as well as diet is incredibly important if you want to feel normal.
    - 10y ago
mixmastamyk 10y ago
Replacing some meat with veggies, flax seeds, and olive oil can help cost-wise. Trader Joes has olive oil from about $7 a liter.
dave_sullivan 10y ago
Has there been any more research into the long term health effects of Keto? I tried it years ago, but found it to be more of a pain than it's worth (I seem to have better luck with intense exercise 3x per week and avoiding sugar). And it seems like tons of meat and cheese is actually bad long term, in the sense it clogs your arteries or increases cancer risk. Atkins did not look like he was in good shape inside when he died. It strikes me as a body hack that bypasses a lot of bodily processes evolution may have counted on as we developed. But it seems like we know a fair amount about the chemistry and processes involved, so I'm curious.
- nathanaldensr 10y ago
  If by "meat and cheese" you mean "saturated fat," that myth has been thoroughly debunked. http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/early/2010/01/13/ajcn.2009.27725.abstract http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/early/2010/01/13/ajcn.2009...
- rotwoof 10y ago
  >And it seems like tons of meat and cheese is actually bad long term, in the sense it clogs your arteries This is an inaccurate conclusion based on old studies where the subjects underwent a high-carbohydrate high-fat diet. Recent studies on ketogenic diets (low-carbohydrate, medium-protein, high-fat intake) shows that dietary fats and dietary cholesterol barely make any sort of impact on the subject's cholesterol. Rather it is dietary carbohydrates and genetics which are the primary contributor to raised cholesterol and arterial blockage. When it comes to arterial blockage, studies have found that there is no significant correlation between high dietary fat intake and cardiovascular disease. >or increases cancer risk Keto is primarily a high-fat diet, not a high-protein or high-carb diet. Studies have showed that a sugar found in red meats called Neu5Gc is primarily correlated with inflammation in the body and the development of certain cancers. If you're on keto you're less likely to develop cardiovascular disease, and while there is not enough data yet to draw a scientific conclusion preliminary research indicates that individuals who follow keto are at less risk of developing cancer due to restricting sugar intake. See: https://www.reddit.com/r/ketoscience/search?q=cancer&restrict_sr=on&sort=relevance&t=all https://www.reddit.com/r/ketoscience/search?q=cancer&restric... All of these posts link to multiple, verified studies which go into details about what I just said.
uhtred 10y ago
Not aiming this at you but just people in general, but I'm pretty sure one could lose weight in a much healthier way by just eating a balanced diet (eating REAL food, not processed junk), not overeating, cutting out as much added sugar as possible (under 30g a day is recommended) and getting a little light exercise regularly. Sorry but I hate these fad diets.
- wyager 10y ago
  > cutting out as much added sugar as possible Why do you count this separately from "not overeating"? The important thing is to be calorie-negative to lose weight.
  - tzs 10y ago
    Foods with a lot of added sugar tend to be foods that aren't very good at keeping you feeling full, so if you have too many of them in your calorie-negative diet you can easily find yourself quite hungry so often that it takes a lot of willpower to stay calorie-negative...maybe more than you have and the diet falls apart.
- cschmidt 10y ago
  Keto isn't a fad diet at all, if a fad diet is one that you do for a while to drop weight quickly. I've been on Keto for about two years now, and plan to eat this way for the rest of my life. I've gone from 235 to 180. Going from 245 to 235 took forever on a "normal" low fat diet. My A1C and cholesterol have greatly improved.
  - gnaritas 10y ago
    He said eat normal and healthy, not eat low fat; low fat is also a fad diet. And yes, keto is a fad diet with no empirical evidence to support its claims, testimonials are not evidence. There was actually a recent scientific study done and it found keto claims lacking. I've done keto, I'm well aware of what it is, but the weight loss is far more likely to come from eating less than from not eating carbs because it's fucking hard to consume a lot of calories once you cut out carbs so most people on a keto diet are actually on a calorie restricted diet as well which is why they're losing weight. You want to lose weight, don't eat anything in a box, buy fresh whole food, plenty of veggies and fruits, and meat, cut out sugar, and it'll happen automatically. We're fat because of processed foods that have far too many calories in far too small a bulk that makes overeating so easy you don't even know you're doing it.
deleted 10y ago
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DigitalJack 10y ago
I don't disagree with what you've said, with maybe the exception of the amount of salt... That's a lot. I'll periodically eat a pickle or have some garlic stuffed olives and that works for me. People should probably supplementing magnesium regardless, but in tablet form it can cause diarrhea. I'm replying mainly to raise the point that, in my experience, there are people who can moderate successfully, and there are people that it is better to abstain completely. I fall into the latter. I will fall off the wagon if I don't abstain from the "forbidden fruits." My wife on the other hand is very capable of moderation. I simply am not, and I suspect I'm not alone. So it's good to know why type of person you are in this regard.
- johnward 10y ago
  I definitely am with you. If I'm eating any carbs then I'm eating all the carbs. If I'm on keto I don't crave those foods anymore.
- ddmf 10y ago
  If there are bad snack items available, I will eat as many as I can stuff into my facehole as quickly as I can. I have no willpower. The best way I've found to combat this is to not buy bad snack items.
xenihn 10y ago
My biggest problem with keto was issues with getting enough potassium. There's no easy way to supplement it in the US, unless you get a prescription for supplements. I tried using No Salt, but I hate the taste. Lite Salt was tolerable, but I'd end up exceeding my recommended amount of daily sodium.
- mtreis86 10y ago
  I use no-salt, but not as a salt substitute. I just add it to water and coffee. Not enough to taste.
- heimatau 10y ago
  Potassium is easy to get [1]. If you don't want to supplement with a vitamin/power, you can just eat a potato. Although that would go against 'keto diet'. I'm doing a IF (intermittent fasting) diet and I'm not restricted, so I could eat them if I wanted. IF is similar to keto, both put the body into a ketosis state. [1] - All you need is one teaspoon a day. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ENSA93S/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ENSA93S/ref=oh_aui_sear...
  - xenihn 10y ago
    That product looks great, thanks for the link. I'll probably end up using it even if I don't try keto again :) I'll also check out IF.
- jpindar 10y ago
  What? Amazon lists dozens of types of potassium supplements.
heimatau 10y ago
I've been doing Intermittent Fasting [1] for about 2-3 months now. I didn't realize the electrolytes issue when the body switches into ketosis. One thing I LOVE about IF is that my cravings have naturally leaned me in these directions. 1) I've been drinking more Gatorade because I craved it. 2) I've added salt, mayo, cheese to my sandwiches to 'make it taste better' even though prior to this diet, I'd have a fairly bland sandwich (no mayo, salt, cheese). 3) I also tend to crave high fatty/protein foods. Like burgers. (I don't tend to crave bad foods for me, Nutella might be bad...but it's keto-friendly. And I only eat it in moderation.) I also added magnesium to my diet due to my nerves becoming unsettled. It's remarkable. The things you suggest, my body has pushed me in the direction of your suggestions. One thing I noticed, is that I crave more Gatorade and now I know why. At first, I thought it was one of those 'unhealthy' cravings that pop up from time to time but...I think you're right, that my body needs it to aid in burning fat. [1] - I know this is about a Keto diet. But IF (Intermittent Fasting) showed a lot of promise after I did a bunch of research on it and it's fairly similar to Keto but without restrictions. It's more convenient for my lifestyle (it exercises my willpower on fast days/times, quicker meals, condensed feeding times). Namely, in my research, IF showed similar benefits as Keto but without the added hassle of changing the entire diet and learning a new menu. It also simplified mealtimes. I do a hybrid of two different IF diets. 1) Saturday through Wednesday, I eat 'normally' without going overboard with foods. Also during this five day stretch, I only eat between 10am-3pm, so I'll be fasting from 3pm to 10am (19 hours every day). I'll eat ~3000 calories in that 5 hour window. 2) Thursday and Friday I eat only ~700 calories. I don't 'count', I just estimate one meal and it's eaten between 10am-3pm. Heck, even Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) used IF to get ripped. http://www.vox.com/2014/12/22/7403247/wolverine-diet-hugh-jackman http://www.vox.com/2014/12/22/7403247/wolverine-diet-hugh-ja... P.S. I'm 29. Lost 30 lbs (in 2-3 months). I have 40 lbs more to go. I might get there by the new year. I hope the info is helpful as it has been for me.
- collyw 10y ago
  I have been impressed with the effects of IF as well, though my problem is that I am naturally skinny, and it was difficult to keep my weight up, so I do it some times. (I stop when I am planning on exercising more during the seasonal outdoor that sports I do). I notice that when I am doing it, I crave the really fatty parts of steaks, which I used to avoid.
teknoxjon 10y ago
I know it's mentioned in the article for long term but for the first couple weeks was there any difference in brain functioning? I'm not talking about anything severe, but if you have a job where you are using a lot of brain power, I'd imagine very low carb diet seems to be a little counter-intuitive. Like the article said the brain gets energy from ketones but is it the same amount/enough energy as regular carbs? Do you feel slightly slower, possibly more tired when performing longer challenging tasks? I've dieted very strictly before with a lack of carbs but also a huge deficit of calories and couldn't think nearly as quick. I agree lack of calories was the primary reason for this but it also seems very low carbs could contribute to constraining optimal brain output.
- rotwoof 10y ago
  If anything it's easier to stay mentally alert for longer periods of time on Keto. The body manufactures enough glucose to supply the brain with what it needs on its own, the remaining nutrient needs are covered by ketones which are produced in the liver. If you have any significant stores of body fat (15-18% body fat is the ideal for males, ~18-20% for females) your body is expending those fat stores in order to supply itself with the energy it needs. This makes it easier to stay calorie-deficient while on keto. During the past 7 months I've easily stayed calorie-deficient 80% of the time or more. I never go hungry, I eat whenever I'm hungry, I eat until I'm full and when I tally up the calories that usually puts me at or below 1500 daily calories. Now this was the weirdest part of keto for me: When I'm doing intermittent fasting regularly I experience the most significant cognitive improvements.
- cableshaft 10y ago
  There's something called 'keto flu' where for the first week or two you can feel a little off while adjusting, but afterwards you have plenty of mental energy, as long as you keep your electrolytes up. All previous diets for me failed because I always felt like I couldn't think and do my job and needed to flood my system with calories in order to keep going... on keto I haven't had that feeling even once.
- DrScump 10y ago
  When I first went keto, I didn't experience any brain fog, but what was distinctly different was that I had a crazy amount of nervous energy, slept really well for the first time in years, and felt refreshed on 4-5 hours' sleep for the first couple of weeks. I lost 13 lbs. (probably 90% fluids) in the first 2 days... then nothing more for a month.
angryteabag 10y ago
What is your daily carb limit? Why sweet potatoes, they have more carbs than regular potatoes. How do you achieve an adequate fiber intake?
- rotwoof 10y ago
  20 grams. Sweet potatoes have important nutrients. I do not eat significant amounts of sweet potatoes, and only eat them for the nutrients. A typical meal with sweet potatoes in them has far less than 100 grams of sweet potatoes in total. There's also things you can do to interfere with carbohydrate metabolization such as ingesting apple cider vinegar which contains acetic acid. See: https://www.reddit.com/r/ketoscience/comments/53kejq/acetic_acid_vinegar_is_ketogenic/ https://www.reddit.com/r/ketoscience/comments/53kejq/acetic_... I eat greens with fiber as well as psyllium seed husks. Broccoli and avocados are staples in my everyday diet.
vram22 10y ago
What are some good links to learn more about it? And what's the difference between keto and paleo? Just asking out of interest.
- choicewords 10y ago
  https://www.reddit.com/r/keto/wiki/keto_in_a_nutshell https://www.reddit.com/r/keto/wiki/keto_in_a_nutshell
  - vram22 10y ago
    Cool, thanks.
poppysan 10y ago
Not to nit-pick, but Sweet Potatoes are not Keto friendly. They will knock you out of ketosis pretty quick, even if you are keto-adapted. A better alternative is cauliflower. It can be used in most of the same places as potatoes, but is an acquired taste for some. Edit: There are 27g of carbs in a sweet potato. That's more than my entire daily allowance on Keto.

by rotwoof 10y ago

abandonliberty 10y ago

Do you have some resources you'd recommend to get started?

rotwoof 10y ago
I first started learning about keto on reddit - reddit.com/r/keto (although I initinally learned about it elsewhere) In the sidebar on the right there are two very useful sections labeled "useful links" and "related subs". I personally recommend the ketoscience, ketogains and ketorecipes subreddits depending on your goals. I guess I can't leave out ketoxx either if you're a girl. In addition to that I recommend reading anything written by Dom D'Agostino who is widely considered the #1 authority on the ketogenic diet. Also read Mark Sisson's books. And finally I recommend Joe Rogan Podcast Ep. 752 - Mark Sisson. Rogan can be somewhat of a pothead/hippie but if you can look past that his guests are often very informative.
cschmidt 10y ago
I liked Why We Get Fat, by Gary Taubes as background https://www.amazon.com/Why-We-Get-Fat-About/dp/0307474259 https://www.amazon.com/Why-We-Get-Fat-About/dp/0307474259 then, as others have said, reddit.com/r/keto is good for "how to"
whistlerbrk 10y ago
I used Ferris' 4 Hour Body, and did a cheat day and then learned more from resources online. Highly recommend. Lost 19 lbs in 9 weeks with a cheat day on keto.

SiddarthaBuddha 10y ago

You eat sweet potatoes and stay in ketosis? Those are full of carbs. I have been keto for about a year and would love to eat sweet potatoes.

jobu 10y ago
The digestibility of the carbs in sweet potatoes is highly dependent on the way they're cooked. Boiling them leads to a fairly low glycemic index and glycemic load, whereas baking them essentially turns them into candy: http://www.livestrong.com/article/295025-the-glycemic-index-for-sweet-potatoes/ http://www.livestrong.com/article/295025-the-glycemic-index-...
- rotwoof 10y ago
  It is also possible to reduce the glycemic index of food by ingesting acetic acid (apple vinegar). See: http://www.jbc.org/content/135/1/157.full.pdf http://www.jbc.org/content/135/1/157.full.pdf TL;DR Apple cider vinegar will decrease the glycemic index of food by interfering with carbohydrate digestion.
  - cbr 10y ago
    Acetic acid is vinegar, not apple cider vinegar in particular.
rotwoof 10y ago
I should probably have specified that when it comes to foods like that which are high in carbohydrates I won't eat a significant amount or I'll get knocked out of ketosis just like everyone else would. I rarely eat foods that are primarily carbohydrate based since that defeats the purpose of going keto, but if I do I try to find alternatives (sweet potato replacement for regular potatoes) and even then I severely restrict the amount that I eat. Sweet potatoes have important nutrients in them like beta-carotene, vitamin A, manganese and copper. It is as far as I'm aware always preferable to get vitamins and minerals directly from your diet rather than supplementation. See http://www.yummly.com/recipe/Low-Carb-Potato-Salad---paleo_-vegan-1627188?prm-v1 http://www.yummly.com/recipe/Low-Carb-Potato-Salad---paleo_-... for an example of a keto friendly sweet potato salad. For me at least it's important to get creative with what I eat. Staying Keto is a long term goal for me and while I started off doing Keto as a means to lose weight the immediate health benefits convinced me to stay Keto for the foreseeable future. While it's possible to do keto off nothing but cheese, bacon, avocadoes, eggs and low-carb greens such as spinach and broccoli it can get boring. As long as my body stays in ketosis and I'm covering my body's nutritional needs I believe strict moderation rather than completely cutting all carbs is an acceptable way to diet. While it is completely possible to eliminate all carbs from your diet it is not requisite for staying in ketosis, though you of course do not have much margin for error before you knock yourself out of ketosis. Good news is it's much easier to get back into ketosis if you overshoot your daily carb allowance compared to the initial adaption period where you have to be very strict in order to adapt your body to keto. For people who are dealing with insulin resistant type health conditions like diabetes type 1, 2 or even pre-diabetes there might be entirely different dietary requirements and a very strict emphasis on eliminating all carbs may be appropriate. When it comes to carefully managing health conditions with potentially severe health ramifications that's something which requires cooperation with a physician. For most people, as long as you stay beneath the protein and carb limit you're completely fine.

tolmasky 10y ago

Is something like Ensure allowed on keto? Its awfully convenient mid day.

rhinoceraptor 10y ago
You want to maintain a healthy amount of fat, usually 50-70% of calories from fat. If you eat too much protein, it is converted to glucose and you won't reach higher levels of ketosis.
- anon12345690 10y ago
  Protein is a big scale that varies a lot - if you're working out or need it to sustain your muscle mass, then it's fine. It's the leftover protein that becomes a problem.
SiddarthaBuddha 10y ago
Check out Keto Chow. https://www.thebairs.net/ https://www.thebairs.net/ I have no affiliation with them and don't drink it often but I can tell you that it tastes awesome.
- jtmarmon 10y ago
  tried it, tastes like garbage in my opinion. tried like 3 flavors
  - SiddarthaBuddha 10y ago
    wow. it is literally one of the most delicious things I've ever consumed. Interesting how significantly tastes can differ.
nkw 10y ago
> Is something like Ensure allowed on keto? Its awfully convenient mid day. A regular Ensure looks to have around 15g of sugars per serving, so it would not be conducive to a keto-type diet. For similar convenience there is a product called Ketochow - https://www.thebairs.net/ https://www.thebairs.net/ which I've found quite tasty.

lopatin 10y ago

I also lost a bunch of weight on keto after several failed attempts at simply cutting calories. 235 lbs to about 185 and it all happened pretty rapidly (about half a year) considering I barely exercised. Lots of salads, chicken breasts, eggs & bacon, lettuce wraps, and quest bars. Regular coffee though, never was a fan of throwing butter in there. I mean I did do light cardio on and off, but I think it was mostly the diet that did it for me. Tried to stay under 20 daily grams of carbs.

catdog 10y ago
> I mean I did do light cardio on and off, but I think it was mostly the diet that did it for me. Most likely. The amount of calories burnt by exercising is surprisingly low. Unless you really do a lot of it simply eating a bit less may be easier, esp. because you get hungry after exercising which easily leads to more intake than you have burned before.
- JimboOmega 10y ago
  That being the case, isn't exercise still very important to overall health - even if you're at a healthy weight? (Personally, I've never had any weight problems regardless of diet, but regular exercise makes a big difference in how I feel.)
  - rotwoof 10y ago
    Exercise is incredibly important for our health. It mitigates or even reverses ailments tied to lifestyle choices. To use myself as an example I have a bad shoulder as a result of stupid amounts of online video games (MMOs...) and every Thursday for the past two months I have specifially worked out the muscle group that's causing me pains in my right shoulder. And what do you know, after the initial muscle soreness goes away I feel slightly better and less sore. If I stop my regular exercise, the pain comes back. I used to suffer from depression and anxiety. Meds didn't really help and I changed my lifestyle around. It helped. I do agree with you, exercise as well as diet is incredibly important if you want to feel normal.
  - 10y ago

mixmastamyk 10y ago

Replacing some meat with veggies, flax seeds, and olive oil can help cost-wise. Trader Joes has olive oil from about $7 a liter.

dave_sullivan 10y ago

Has there been any more research into the long term health effects of Keto? I tried it years ago, but found it to be more of a pain than it's worth (I seem to have better luck with intense exercise 3x per week and avoiding sugar). And it seems like tons of meat and cheese is actually bad long term, in the sense it clogs your arteries or increases cancer risk. Atkins did not look like he was in good shape inside when he died. It strikes me as a body hack that bypasses a lot of bodily processes evolution may have counted on as we developed. But it seems like we know a fair amount about the chemistry and processes involved, so I'm curious.

nathanaldensr 10y ago
If by "meat and cheese" you mean "saturated fat," that myth has been thoroughly debunked. http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/early/2010/01/13/ajcn.2009.27725.abstract http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/early/2010/01/13/ajcn.2009...
rotwoof 10y ago
>And it seems like tons of meat and cheese is actually bad long term, in the sense it clogs your arteries This is an inaccurate conclusion based on old studies where the subjects underwent a high-carbohydrate high-fat diet. Recent studies on ketogenic diets (low-carbohydrate, medium-protein, high-fat intake) shows that dietary fats and dietary cholesterol barely make any sort of impact on the subject's cholesterol. Rather it is dietary carbohydrates and genetics which are the primary contributor to raised cholesterol and arterial blockage. When it comes to arterial blockage, studies have found that there is no significant correlation between high dietary fat intake and cardiovascular disease. >or increases cancer risk Keto is primarily a high-fat diet, not a high-protein or high-carb diet. Studies have showed that a sugar found in red meats called Neu5Gc is primarily correlated with inflammation in the body and the development of certain cancers. If you're on keto you're less likely to develop cardiovascular disease, and while there is not enough data yet to draw a scientific conclusion preliminary research indicates that individuals who follow keto are at less risk of developing cancer due to restricting sugar intake. See: https://www.reddit.com/r/ketoscience/search?q=cancer&restrict_sr=on&sort=relevance&t=all https://www.reddit.com/r/ketoscience/search?q=cancer&restric... All of these posts link to multiple, verified studies which go into details about what I just said.

uhtred 10y ago

Not aiming this at you but just people in general, but I'm pretty sure one could lose weight in a much healthier way by just eating a balanced diet (eating REAL food, not processed junk), not overeating, cutting out as much added sugar as possible (under 30g a day is recommended) and getting a little light exercise regularly. Sorry but I hate these fad diets.

wyager 10y ago
> cutting out as much added sugar as possible Why do you count this separately from "not overeating"? The important thing is to be calorie-negative to lose weight.
- tzs 10y ago
  Foods with a lot of added sugar tend to be foods that aren't very good at keeping you feeling full, so if you have too many of them in your calorie-negative diet you can easily find yourself quite hungry so often that it takes a lot of willpower to stay calorie-negative...maybe more than you have and the diet falls apart.
cschmidt 10y ago
Keto isn't a fad diet at all, if a fad diet is one that you do for a while to drop weight quickly. I've been on Keto for about two years now, and plan to eat this way for the rest of my life. I've gone from 235 to 180. Going from 245 to 235 took forever on a "normal" low fat diet. My A1C and cholesterol have greatly improved.
- gnaritas 10y ago
  He said eat normal and healthy, not eat low fat; low fat is also a fad diet. And yes, keto is a fad diet with no empirical evidence to support its claims, testimonials are not evidence. There was actually a recent scientific study done and it found keto claims lacking. I've done keto, I'm well aware of what it is, but the weight loss is far more likely to come from eating less than from not eating carbs because it's fucking hard to consume a lot of calories once you cut out carbs so most people on a keto diet are actually on a calorie restricted diet as well which is why they're losing weight. You want to lose weight, don't eat anything in a box, buy fresh whole food, plenty of veggies and fruits, and meat, cut out sugar, and it'll happen automatically. We're fat because of processed foods that have far too many calories in far too small a bulk that makes overeating so easy you don't even know you're doing it.

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DigitalJack 10y ago

I don't disagree with what you've said, with maybe the exception of the amount of salt... That's a lot. I'll periodically eat a pickle or have some garlic stuffed olives and that works for me. People should probably supplementing magnesium regardless, but in tablet form it can cause diarrhea. I'm replying mainly to raise the point that, in my experience, there are people who can moderate successfully, and there are people that it is better to abstain completely. I fall into the latter. I will fall off the wagon if I don't abstain from the "forbidden fruits." My wife on the other hand is very capable of moderation. I simply am not, and I suspect I'm not alone. So it's good to know why type of person you are in this regard.

johnward 10y ago
I definitely am with you. If I'm eating any carbs then I'm eating all the carbs. If I'm on keto I don't crave those foods anymore.
ddmf 10y ago
If there are bad snack items available, I will eat as many as I can stuff into my facehole as quickly as I can. I have no willpower. The best way I've found to combat this is to not buy bad snack items.

xenihn 10y ago

My biggest problem with keto was issues with getting enough potassium. There's no easy way to supplement it in the US, unless you get a prescription for supplements. I tried using No Salt, but I hate the taste. Lite Salt was tolerable, but I'd end up exceeding my recommended amount of daily sodium.

mtreis86 10y ago
I use no-salt, but not as a salt substitute. I just add it to water and coffee. Not enough to taste.
heimatau 10y ago
Potassium is easy to get [1]. If you don't want to supplement with a vitamin/power, you can just eat a potato. Although that would go against 'keto diet'. I'm doing a IF (intermittent fasting) diet and I'm not restricted, so I could eat them if I wanted. IF is similar to keto, both put the body into a ketosis state. [1] - All you need is one teaspoon a day. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ENSA93S/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ENSA93S/ref=oh_aui_sear...
- xenihn 10y ago
  That product looks great, thanks for the link. I'll probably end up using it even if I don't try keto again :) I'll also check out IF.
jpindar 10y ago
What? Amazon lists dozens of types of potassium supplements.

heimatau 10y ago

I've been doing Intermittent Fasting [1] for about 2-3 months now. I didn't realize the electrolytes issue when the body switches into ketosis. One thing I LOVE about IF is that my cravings have naturally leaned me in these directions. 1) I've been drinking more Gatorade because I craved it. 2) I've added salt, mayo, cheese to my sandwiches to 'make it taste better' even though prior to this diet, I'd have a fairly bland sandwich (no mayo, salt, cheese). 3) I also tend to crave high fatty/protein foods. Like burgers. (I don't tend to crave bad foods for me, Nutella might be bad...but it's keto-friendly. And I only eat it in moderation.) I also added magnesium to my diet due to my nerves becoming unsettled. It's remarkable. The things you suggest, my body has pushed me in the direction of your suggestions. One thing I noticed, is that I crave more Gatorade and now I know why. At first, I thought it was one of those 'unhealthy' cravings that pop up from time to time but...I think you're right, that my body needs it to aid in burning fat. [1] - I know this is about a Keto diet. But IF (Intermittent Fasting) showed a lot of promise after I did a bunch of research on it and it's fairly similar to Keto but without restrictions. It's more convenient for my lifestyle (it exercises my willpower on fast days/times, quicker meals, condensed feeding times). Namely, in my research, IF showed similar benefits as Keto but without the added hassle of changing the entire diet and learning a new menu. It also simplified mealtimes. I do a hybrid of two different IF diets. 1) Saturday through Wednesday, I eat 'normally' without going overboard with foods. Also during this five day stretch, I only eat between 10am-3pm, so I'll be fasting from 3pm to 10am (19 hours every day). I'll eat ~3000 calories in that 5 hour window. 2) Thursday and Friday I eat only ~700 calories. I don't 'count', I just estimate one meal and it's eaten between 10am-3pm. Heck, even Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) used IF to get ripped. http://www.vox.com/2014/12/22/7403247/wolverine-diet-hugh-jackman http://www.vox.com/2014/12/22/7403247/wolverine-diet-hugh-ja... P.S. I'm 29. Lost 30 lbs (in 2-3 months). I have 40 lbs more to go. I might get there by the new year. I hope the info is helpful as it has been for me.

collyw 10y ago
I have been impressed with the effects of IF as well, though my problem is that I am naturally skinny, and it was difficult to keep my weight up, so I do it some times. (I stop when I am planning on exercising more during the seasonal outdoor that sports I do). I notice that when I am doing it, I crave the really fatty parts of steaks, which I used to avoid.

teknoxjon 10y ago

I know it's mentioned in the article for long term but for the first couple weeks was there any difference in brain functioning? I'm not talking about anything severe, but if you have a job where you are using a lot of brain power, I'd imagine very low carb diet seems to be a little counter-intuitive. Like the article said the brain gets energy from ketones but is it the same amount/enough energy as regular carbs? Do you feel slightly slower, possibly more tired when performing longer challenging tasks? I've dieted very strictly before with a lack of carbs but also a huge deficit of calories and couldn't think nearly as quick. I agree lack of calories was the primary reason for this but it also seems very low carbs could contribute to constraining optimal brain output.

rotwoof 10y ago
If anything it's easier to stay mentally alert for longer periods of time on Keto. The body manufactures enough glucose to supply the brain with what it needs on its own, the remaining nutrient needs are covered by ketones which are produced in the liver. If you have any significant stores of body fat (15-18% body fat is the ideal for males, ~18-20% for females) your body is expending those fat stores in order to supply itself with the energy it needs. This makes it easier to stay calorie-deficient while on keto. During the past 7 months I've easily stayed calorie-deficient 80% of the time or more. I never go hungry, I eat whenever I'm hungry, I eat until I'm full and when I tally up the calories that usually puts me at or below 1500 daily calories. Now this was the weirdest part of keto for me: When I'm doing intermittent fasting regularly I experience the most significant cognitive improvements.
cableshaft 10y ago
There's something called 'keto flu' where for the first week or two you can feel a little off while adjusting, but afterwards you have plenty of mental energy, as long as you keep your electrolytes up. All previous diets for me failed because I always felt like I couldn't think and do my job and needed to flood my system with calories in order to keep going... on keto I haven't had that feeling even once.
DrScump 10y ago
When I first went keto, I didn't experience any brain fog, but what was distinctly different was that I had a crazy amount of nervous energy, slept really well for the first time in years, and felt refreshed on 4-5 hours' sleep for the first couple of weeks. I lost 13 lbs. (probably 90% fluids) in the first 2 days... then nothing more for a month.

angryteabag 10y ago

What is your daily carb limit? Why sweet potatoes, they have more carbs than regular potatoes. How do you achieve an adequate fiber intake?

rotwoof 10y ago
20 grams. Sweet potatoes have important nutrients. I do not eat significant amounts of sweet potatoes, and only eat them for the nutrients. A typical meal with sweet potatoes in them has far less than 100 grams of sweet potatoes in total. There's also things you can do to interfere with carbohydrate metabolization such as ingesting apple cider vinegar which contains acetic acid. See: https://www.reddit.com/r/ketoscience/comments/53kejq/acetic_acid_vinegar_is_ketogenic/ https://www.reddit.com/r/ketoscience/comments/53kejq/acetic_... I eat greens with fiber as well as psyllium seed husks. Broccoli and avocados are staples in my everyday diet.

vram22 10y ago

What are some good links to learn more about it? And what's the difference between keto and paleo? Just asking out of interest.

choicewords 10y ago
https://www.reddit.com/r/keto/wiki/keto_in_a_nutshell https://www.reddit.com/r/keto/wiki/keto_in_a_nutshell
- vram22 10y ago
  Cool, thanks.

poppysan 10y ago

Not to nit-pick, but Sweet Potatoes are not Keto friendly. They will knock you out of ketosis pretty quick, even if you are keto-adapted. A better alternative is cauliflower. It can be used in most of the same places as potatoes, but is an acquired taste for some. Edit: There are 27g of carbs in a sweet potato. That's more than my entire daily allowance on Keto.