460 pounds & first day on Keto

#1

Greetings, would like to thank you all for such a great community here, I’ve learned a lot.

I had 2 transitional days where my only carbs there from fruits and veggies. I wasn’t tracking macros but i’m sure i was way over on protien and carbs.

Today was my first day tracking, the Carb Manager app gave me my macro targets. It wanted i think 31 grams of carbs per day, but i changed that to 20 as per advise on the forum.

I have a question, I didn’t eat enough to hit my target fat and protien, is that okay? Below are my numbers. I think it’s okay, I felt full and I also didn’t want to force feed myself. Do you think the numbers are a good start towards getting myself into ketosis? I skipped breakfast to try and have a 12-14 hour fast, I plan to do this most days.

I’m a 40 year old male btw if that matters, from Toronto Canada

Thank you

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#2

G’Day @Jabba & welcome. You don’t need to hit your fat target if you’re not hungry but it is a good idea to make sure you’re getting sufficient protein. 1 gram per kilogram of reasonable desired bodyweight is a good place to start.

#3

Hey @Jabba, glad you’re here!

We have a nice introduction to keto, that might be helpful to read.

I would say, starting off, just work at keeping your carbs low, and eat when you’re hungry. Try not to stress out too much about hitting your macros.

After you’ve been doing it awhile, and become fat adapted, you can start focusing more on hitting those macros, and adjusting your diet to see the desired results you want.

For now, KCKO. :wink:

(Stickin' with mammoth) #4

What Darren said.

The first month or so is all about adjusting to this new way of being in the world. You’re literally gonna turn your mind, your body, and your beliefs about health completely around. That’s a big fuckin’ deal, so give yourself credit for having the cojones to make this move in the first place. Don’t worry if you have to make the same move over and over, nobody gets it perfect on the first try. You’re playing the long game.

Keep it simple:

  1. Listen to your body, take it seriously. You know more about you than your doctor does.

  2. Keep it as close to 20 g of carbs a day as you can.

  3. Eat when you’re hungry, drink water when you’re thirsty.

Got questions? You’re in the right place.

#5

Welcome to our side :slight_smile: don’t be afraid of mistakes, we all made them and probably still do, don’t give up - if something feels off, try to figure out what it is, adjust and KCKO. Be strong for yourself and find the inspiration to continue here, we’re all in the same boat :slight_smile:

Don’t forget about electrolyes :slight_smile:

#6

Good luck, at the start the main thing for me was under 20 carbs, don’t worry about anything else and you will be fine, In a month or so, you can start looking at macros, calories, etc. But just keep your carbs under 20 to start until you become fat adapted.

#7

Under 20? So i should stop at 19 today?

And we are talking net carbs right?

(Cary) #8

You’ll have to see what works best for you…Total or net carbs. I think most will tell you total carbs and that’s what I go by. However everyone is different. Some can stay in Ketosis with 50g of carbs, for me that’s not the case. I keep to 20 max.

#9

Hmmm I see. I spent a lot of time trying to find foods high in fiber because i thought I needed it. One avocado and I’m nearly at my max if you count the fiber, yet i think I read on here them telling you to eat avocados.

I wasn’t planning on getting any test strips or blood monitor, I was thinking to just keep my net carbs at 20 per day and I thought I’d be good, but now I don’t know. I really want this to work, I think this diet is well suited to me.

#10

I use net carbs for real food: veggies, meats, eggs, etc…

Foods that have been processed, baked goods, etc - total carbs

(Karim Wassef) #11

Welcome!

For me, it was important not to be in a caloric deficit. Stay satiated. The first phase is about adaptation, not weight loss and if you reduce your energy intake, the body will start to push back. I needed to get creative to get enough fat in, but I think it helped me adapt better. Protein was not as important, as little as 0.7g/lb of lean mass (not total mass) was enough for me. Keeping net carbs under 20 was a hard and fast requirement. Also keeping salts and electrolytes up and hydrating is key - Sodium, Potassium, Magnesium…

That’s what worked for me. I started at 255, so you’ll have to figure out what works best for you over time too.

(Ken) #12

You’re right where I was when I started, about the same age and weight. Here’s a few points.

Carbs are not needed. Do not think you need to consume any. At this stage they should only be incidental, like the few contained in fibrous veggies if you choose to eat them.

When you eat, follow the macro. Eat at least 60% fat. More is fine. Eat two thirds meat to one third fat, by weight.

It’s ok to eat less as far as amounts and calories as long was you follow the macro.

Only eat when actually hungry, eat enough to be sated and stop. Do not eat according to a schedule, and do not eat amounts determined by calculators.

If in doubt, eat more fat.

#13

Welcome, and congratulations as you start your second day!

(PSackmann) #14

Hi Jabba, and welcome!

I use net carbs and haven’t had any issues, I like vegetables and want to be able to eat as many of them as I reasonably can. Pay attention to how your body is feeling, and don’t be afraid of eating fat and/or protein to combat your sugar and carb cravings.

#15

You don’t really need the strips and counting and tracking. Get used to eating only non-starchy vegetables for your carbs. Use your app to learn where carbs are unexpectedly hidden, rather than to make sure you’re hitting macros. Nobody really knows what macros are right for them until they try, and it changes both over time and depending on what you do on a specific day. The only rule you need to follow is very low carbs (and add salt, magnesium and protein as your body demands).

After you get used to that, you can start tweaking, tracking, wondering, stressing out over nothing… But remember that stress works against you. Make sure to learn how to feel good about eating before you fall into that trap.

The people here have lots of great advice for people who have already gotten started. But I wouldn’t start looking into the vast amount of helpful details before getting used to eating well on almost no carbs. Or you could research without experimenting during your first 4-6 weeks on keto. It often takes the whole first month just for your body to get used to a very different diet and start to fix the hunger and satiation signals.

(Retta Stephenson) #16

Hey there Jabba! I wanted to welcome you to the best place EVER to get going to a new you. These guys are the best, and will have lots of advice and answers.

I only have two things to offer.

  1. Don’t let it get too complicated. 20 net carbs: bingo. Eat if hungry: bingo. Stop eating if no longer hungry: bingo.

  2. Never, ever, EVER quit. There will be days you are all fired up. Great. There will be days you “feel” less than enthusiastic. So what. Do it anyways, and soon the enthusiasm will return. Trust me… been there. Why do I know? Because several years ago I, too, was 460 pounds! Yup, that was my start weight too.

Now I am sitting right at 261 pounds, with around 70 to go to reach my goal. You will most likely get there faster than it’s taking me, since you are a younger male, and I’m an older gal!

So hang in there, and KCKO (keep calm and keto on). I know without a doubt you can DO this!!
My best to you, Jabba,
Retta

(The amazing autoimmune 🦄) #17

Welcome I started out at 406. I have lost a bunch of weight. If you have any questions feel free to ask on my thread or PM me.

Also don’t worry about anything but the carbs the first two weeks. Only after you are over your carb withdrawal start thinking about protein and all the other details etc.

(mole person) #18

Twenty net carbs is absolutely fine as a starting point, you probably will never need to go lower. Most people lose well at this level. Further, it’s low enough to get you into ketogenesis, and fat adapted if you hold it successfully for the first six weeks.

What you did looks perfect. Carbs below 20 net, and eat only until you a satisfied. If you don’t lose weight then you can revisit your macros later but this is not the time. Most people will lose weight doing what you are and it’s counterproductive to make the switch to this woe harder than it already is.

Do remember, however, to look for carbs everywhere. Condiments, cheeses, even eggs. Count them all and look at every label for them. As someone said above, do not trust the “net” amount on any proccessed food. If it has a label, such as an Atkins bar then go with total carbs.

Good luck and congratulations on making this big change for your health! :hugs:

Oh, and don’t forget you will need way more salt than before. Also, stay very well hydrated.

(Consensus is Politics) #19

I wanted to get into the groove as fast as possible when I started. So I went zero carb, as much as possible. Neither did I count anything. I didnt count calories or macros. I knew roughly what my fat to protein ratio should be, so I did that. Roughly 75% fat to 25% protein. I knew about how much protein I needed to eat, snd then at the rest as fat, if I was even hungry.

It took me 14 days to go from 245 pounds to 205 pounds. Yep, fourty pounds in two weeks! It was pointed out to me by someone on the forum here that it’s equal to 18% body weight lost. Its been almost 1 1/2 years now. I’m now at 190 pounds as of 6 am this morning. I dont try to lose weight, I’m never hungry. I do eat as much as I want (I tried to push myself to eat more, just because, and nearly had it all come back up. So I no longer try to clean my plate. I just save it for the next day.

I did notice in your first post, you said you were eat ‘x’ number of fruits and veggies. I seriously suggest you drop all fruits. Except avocado. Its a good fat source, as well as potassium. As far as veggies go, omly eat leafy greens. Dont eat any veggies that come from the roots of the plant, very starchy.

I didnt see anything about diabetes in your post. Had tou done an HbA1c test? If you havnt done one, make it a priority. Everyone should get one done at least once a year. Diabetes blind sideed me. I had to go to the ER with a BG level of 594 (600 considered deadly). I didnt even know I was even close to having diabetes, not to mention having it take me to deaths door, knocking loudly.

One more thing about fruit. The main reason to stay away from it isnt because of its sugar content. Its mostly because its sugar is in the form of fructose. Frutose from any source should be avoided like the plague. Your body cant readily use it as energy, it has to be stored as fat first, then it can be converted to energy from there. Besides that, the nutritional value of both fruits and vegetables have been greaty over exaggerated.

I’m sure you’ve heard this by now too, supplementing your salt! Talk about the charlie horse from hell. Muscle cramps in the shin! That go down to the top of your feet, that curl your toes BACKWARDS!! :confounded:

Keeping insulin low is key to Ketogenics. That has a side effect of the kidneys allowing large amounts of salt to just flow right out. The daily recomended amount for a Ketonian is 3x higher than a Carbonite. You will also probably want to supplement other electrolytes as well. Salt, potassium, magnesium, et. al. are used up a bit faster in us ketonians. Salt extremly fast. Part of getting accustomed to keto is whats known as Keto Flu. Its part carb withdrawl, but in my opinion it’s mostly electrolytes deficiency. One of the best things to do when you begin to feel hungry is put about an 1/8 teaspoon of salt under your tongue. Same with other cravings you might have from carb withdrawals. Most of the time a little salt will fix the issue.

(Andi loves space, bacon and fasting. ) #20

Welcome! Congratulations for getting yourself here and opening up with a big dose of honesty, and for having the courage to reach out and start asking questions. One of the important things to remember is that there’s an army of people her rooting for you!!! So don’t forget to post anytime you have a question, concern or for any reason whatsoever.

This^^!!! It takes a leap of faith to start pouring oil over your food, add whipping cream in your coffee and cook with big chunks of butter and coconut oil. I’d been made to think that bacon was “bad” my whole life, but here’s a way of eating (WOE) in which people lose weight, turn their T2D around by eating … bacon!!! :bacon: Imagine that! It really takes a bit of time for your brain to embrace all of this. Your body will embrace it sooner :slight_smile: