Already Nervous

newbies
(Rey Rogers) #1

Hey you guys!

I started Keto yesterday. I’m a 5’7 263 pound female.
I’m lightly active and spend most of the day on my feet at work.
I guess I’m just incredibly worried that Keto will make me gain weight/fat instead of lose it. I’m already heavy enough and don’t want to make it worse considering my starting weight.
I’ve started my carb limit at 25 a day and I’ve stuck to it or under it both yesterday and today. My only obstacle is that I’m a vegetarian, and will remain a vegetarian, so I have a limited amount of options for consuming fats.

I guess I just have questions I could really use answers/reassurance for from people more experienced than I am.

  1. Were you skeptical when you first started?
  2. How much cheese should I reasonably consume day to day?
  3. Is it normal to gain weight the first week or two?
  4. Does this actually work?

I’m ready to create a new and better lifestyle for myself, and to feel more confident in my body image and physical health, so any tips or reassurance will be much appreciated!!

(squirrel-kissing paper tamer) #2

Welcome. I think you’ll be more challenged not eating meat (lowest carb count of all the foods) but with decent planning, keeping carbs low and not snacking, you could be successful.

I think if I was doing keto vegetarian (was vegetarian before starting) I would use the power of timed eating v. eating more meat to help manage insulin levels. Read as much as you can, understand how your body works, pay attention to how you personally feel and keep a journal.

We’re her to help!

No, I have previously done the Atkins diet with great success.

Whatever fits into your daily carb count, assuming dairy doesn’t negatively affect you.

Most people lose water weight and/or fat their first couple of weeks. Most do not gain.

Absolutely!

(Susan) #3

Welcome to the forum, Rey =).

  • Were you skeptical when you first started?

I wasn’t because I have tried tons and tons of diets over the years and all of them always worked at the beginning, so I expected Keto to work as well, but I soon found out how awesome it was and how it was a way of eating, not a diet!

  • How much cheese should I reasonably consume day to day?

This all depends on you as a person, as @PetaMarie said above – if you can work it into a 20 net grams a day Keto plan, and it doesn’t cause cause trouble for you that is great! (Some people love it and eat it daily, some have found it causes them to stall or not gain weight when they use dairy, so it is an individual reaction -you might be fine and be able to eat it daily).

  • Is it normal to gain weight the first week or two?

Almost everyone loses for the beginning -sometimes surprisingly a lot at the beginning -some of this is water weight, so don’t get over excited and expect that rate of weight loss to continue, or you will get frustrated… but it is usually quick at the start.

  • Does this actually work?

It definitely works!! We all love this way of eating, and if you stick with it, I am sure that you will too!!

You can download a Free food tracker to keep tabs on what you are eating: I use cronometer.com and it works well. Lots of foods have sneaky carbs, and if you are new to Keto especially it is sometimes hard to know what is okay, what isn’t, so this is a great free resource. I find it handy and helpful to keep tabs on all my food so I know how many carbs/proteins and fats I am eating.

After years of yo-yo dieting for me, I am so mega happy that I found Keto, it is amazing. I haven’t felt this healthy and regenerized in years =). As you read a lot of threads on this forum, you will see all the amazing NSV’s (non scale victories) that most of us have had on Keto as well as the all the weight loss.

Personally I am 55, 5 foot, 2 inches, a mom of 5 kids, grandma to 2, and I have lost 53 pounds so far on Keto, since February. I was 293 and I am currently at 240 (with a goal of somewhere around 130ish or a bit less (that is a long way away but slow and steady wins the race and I am enjoying the journey =). This is the most awesome forum on the net, and you will find lots of friendly advice, encouragement and ideas for success =). So, if you have any questions, just ask, and you will receive a lot of personal experience stories and ideas for you to explore and find the perfect keto eating style for you. Best wishes in your Keto journey.

Basic Keto is just: keeping carbs at 20 net grams or less, no sugar, adequate Protein (as a vegetarian you would know these choices better then me, perhaps Eggs and Cheese I am guessing?), adequate healthy fats, (butter, EVOO), drink enough water and keep your Electrolytes up so you don’t feel sick, and you should be good =). Your body will suffer Carb and Sugar withdrawal so keeping your electrolytes up is important =).

You could do a forum search on what Keto Vegetarian people eat, there are a few others I have seen on the forum.

All the advice above about being a Keto vegetarian that @PetaMarie gave you is excellent. I have never been a vegetarian so I am not knowledgeable for advice on that bit. I wish you all the best though!!

(Robert C) #4

It definitely does work and can technically be done vegetarian.

Start out simple - eggs scrambled in a pan of hot coconut oil, adding EVOO that was infused with your favorite spice and then some cheese on top. Do vegetables starting with leafy greens to avoid carbs and maximize nutrition. Spinach, EVOO and a really small amount (quarter teaspoon) of an organic salad dressing mix shaken up together is also quick and easy. Coffee with MCTs, coconut oil and/or ghee is another way to get fat in without carbs (this is important if you are going over on carbs adding cheese to dishes - cheese ups fat but most up carbs pretty quickly - making you skip vegetables to stay under your limit of 25).

Also, for real whole vegetables, use “net carbs” to not limit yourself too much.

Weight changes in the beginning are overshadowed by water weight.
You could lose 12 ounces of fat and add 4 pounds of water (your body just adjusting the water it holds to the dietary change) so the scale reads 3.25 pounds higher (with a fat loss).
You could add a pound of fat and lose 4 pounds of water so the scale reads 3 pounds lighter (even though you gained fat).

It is best to wait until you are fat adapted and eating a consistent diet before letting the scale tell you anything about how effective keto is.