Apologies if this has been posted already.. Starting Keto Diet

(Beth Phillips) #1

I have fibromyalgia and at the moment its the worst I’ve had it… I’m so tired after working full time I sometimes don’t have the energy to eat… I’ve been recommended the Keto diet but wondered if someone knew the answers to some of my questions at all please?

  • Spelt flour. Can it be used instead of soya flour and coconut flour? I’ve tried them before in looking for low gluten flours and they didn’t agree with me…
  • Sugar replacements. I generally use honey and unbleached sugar if I sweeten anything up, I don’t like the idea of chemically made sweeteners, are there any natural ones out there that I can use instead?
  • Granola. That’s okay to have isn’t it? I like having Granola and yoghurt snack… wondered if I can keep on with that…
  • might be a bit silly a question but… if I like the sound of a recipe but don’t like the meat I can swap it for what I do like can’t I?
  • what fruits are a no no?
  • sausages and black pudding are okay aren’t they? Like in a proper fry up with baked beans? Are baked beans a no no?

I’m normally an active person swimming miles, zumba and walking lots but when I got ran over 5 years ago and it caused my body to twist a little along with the fibro… I’m struggling and am hoping Keto will give me my life back and my body…

Thanks for listening and thanks in advance for any advice, answers etc.

B

#2

Hi Beth, and welcome. I’m sorry to hear of your fibromyalgia. I never had a diagnosis of it, but one of the reasons I initially came to keto myself is because of undiagnosed fatigue and the possibility of it being fibromyalgia-related. I was so demoralized by the lack of a solid understanding of what it was and the lack of any known effective treatment. I hope you’ll find success with keto. I have had some improvement, but I’m still in the early stages myself.

There are technically no “allowed” or “disallowed” foods. Some people will find that they have sensitivities to certain sweeteners, or dairy, or whatever, but this is a very individual thing. The only rules are:

  • carbohydrates no more than 20g per day (and it’s a good idea to track your intake at first, it’s far too easy to go over)
  • protein grams limited to about 0.8 to 1.5 g per kg of lean body weight (your weight that isn’t fat), and…
  • fat to satiety (lots of fat, compared to what you probably always have eaten).

Do not skimp on calories.

What you do with those 20 g of allowed carbs per day is up to you, but given that even non-carb-heavy foods have a few grams here and there, you’d run out of your carbs for the day if you eat pretty much any kind of grain or most fruits that aren’t berries. The visual guides at dietdoctor.com are good for getting a handle on this. (Speaking of dietdoctor.com, it’s an excellent all-around resource for anyone starting keto, check out the videos, etc. also.)

As for switching out meats, sure! Go for it! You won’t know if it tastes good until you try. In this vein, making your own food (vs. buying prepackaged “keto” foods) is key for many people to succeed.

One extra note that may or may not be helpful for you to know. While your body will start to make ketones for fuel within a few days, it will take 6 weeks or longer for the cells of your body to really start to optimize use of ketones for energy. In the middle stage, you may feel very fatigued. I started keto May 10 (third time, it’s the charm, I hear), and have only just been able to start exercising again even at the levels I was doing pre-keto. Coming from a place like you and I have, with fatigue having sapped our lives of enjoyment, this can be a hard pill to swallow. You just have to trust it and be committed to give it time, as your body slowly turns toward a better way to fuel itself. Some people do see big energy spikes early, but I didn’t, and you may not either. I hope being aware of that low energy phase will help you power through it.

Best of luck to you, Beth!

(Beth Phillips) #3

Thank you for that advice.

Has anyone subscribed to the monthly premium thing they offer?
I’m thinking a tailored meal plan might be a good start for me… there are quite a lot of things I can’t eat or don’t like…

#4

I haven’t subscribed, mostly because I was already well into doing keto for the third time when I found it. But I like that they don’t sell products or aren’t a money-making venture, the monthly fee goes to just keeping up the material they provide. If I were new to keto, I’d definitely try it out for at least a little while. There is so much advice online, a lot of it can be conflicting and therefore confusing. If I had to pick one source of complete information for someone starting out, that would be it.

I think success with keto is all about making it work for you. There are lots of standard foods that people associate with keto, like bacon and eggs, but I think it’s key to figure out what you’ll like. I found it only takes knowing 3-5 go-to options for each type of meal (breakfast, lunch, dinner) and 3-5 snack type options (though eventually you’ll be cutting out most/all snacks, as your meals become more satiating). Then you can experiment with new ideas, but always have your go-to’s that you can rely on.

Have fun with it! :smile: