So I love keto so far but I’m still worried that because I’m new and I may be making some mistakes. My only occasional treat that I have is Halotop peanut butter cup ice cream and Lilly’s Chocolate bars that are sweetened with stevia. However I’m afraid that this may not be has healthy as it seems because halotop uses stevia BUT it still has some sugar and the chocolate bar is high in carbs. Can someone please express their feelings about these things? I would love the feedback.
Another question I had was about using whole milk. I understand lactose is sugar, at the same time I love making iced matcha shakes with whole milk. It is my addiction. I like almond milk but not for this. Is this addiction holding me back? I love these matcha shakes therefore I’m not drinking a small amount and I sweeten them with sweetleaf stevia drops or truvia (stevia and erythritol). Is this okay for me to continue or do I have to suck it up and use almond milk instead?
Last one! What are your holiday tips? I usually cook for my family and therefore I have to make carb and sugar rich foods, which is fine. My problem is what to do when my family wants desperatly for me to eat like them. I don’t want to be rude but I also do not want to ruin my progress. Any tips?
Thanks for your time guys! hope to hear from you!
Been doing keto for a little over a month
Welcome to the forums!
There are no rules for keto, so if it works for you, it’s fine. If what you’re doing isn’t getting you what you want from the keto way of eating, then we can help you figure out what needs to change. The key is to keep your carbohydrate intake as low as possible (carbohydrate stimulates insulin secretion, and high insulin levels prevent your body from burning its stored fat). Figure out how much you’re eating and definitely keep it under 100 grams a day, preferably under 20 g. (The latter figure is low enough that even the most insulin-resistant people can be pretty sure of getting into nutritional ketosis.)
I drink whole milk, though not all that often. My understanding is that the lactose and galactose it contains are not nearly the problem that sucrose, glucose, and fructose are, so I just count them in my carbs and try to stay under 20 g for the day, even if I have to cut back elsewhere. I am fortunate to be of Northern European ancestry, so lactose intolerance is not an issue for me.
The best thing about keto is that we don’t need to fear fat in our diet. In fact, we eat a lot of fat, because it doesn’t stimulate insulin secretion and it is very satisfying. I don’t count calories, I simply eat till I’m not hungry. My body tells me when to quit, and I find that on keto I stop eating long before I’m stuffed; whereas when I was a sugar-burner, I would be hungry even when my belly was full to bursting.
One point to be aware of is that artificial sweeteners can cause insulin spikes for some people, and you may react differently to different sweeteners. If you ever feel you’re not losing weight the way you want to, you might cut the sweeteners out and see if that helps.
Lastly, you are entitled to take care of your health, regardless of what anyone else wants for you. Sometimes families can work against a member’s attempts to get better—it’s a complicated dynamic, but very real. They may or may not realize what they are doing. If you get static from your family, we can help you get through it.
@Emerymemories, what Paul said! This forum has been great, and the people, welcoming. Looks like we started about the same time! We can do this!
Aw thanks! I really appreciate the support! I wish you the best on your journey as well