Brand new but excited

(Jan) #1

Hi, I’m new to Keto. I’m 58 and all my life I’ve been unable to gain weight (due prob to high metabolism) hit my fifties, and the menopause and I’ve suddenly gained 15kg in two years, and my diet hasn’t changed at all, just my metabolism I guess. It’s so disheartening, but after doing a lot of research about Keto, I think this may be for me. Has anyone any tips to get started please. Thanks in advance

(Marianne) #2

Welcome.

Keep the carbs below 20g/day, and even lower if you can. Go to ketokarma.com and use their free calculator to get your fat and protein macro. Make a simple database of the fat, carb and protein macros in the foods you will eat most commonly (different meats, cheese, bacon, pepperoni, cream, veggies, mayo, eggs, etc.), and then plan your meals to meet or exceed the protein and fat macro, and keep the carb macro under 20.

I always suggest when starting to eat three meals a day, even if you never did. It will help your body acclimate to your new way of eating, alleviate hunger and cravings and prevent wanting to snack. After 2-3 weeks, you probably won’t want to eat as much or as often. You can do one or two meals a day, or 16:8 eating window, etc. Drink lots of water, a couple of glasses of which are salted.

Try not to weigh yourself too much, don’t count calories, and enjoy your eating and your meals. I’d suggest shopping at big discount clubs (Sam’s, BJs, Costco, etc.). Buy meat in bulk, take home and package in individual servings, and freeze. My husband and I generally eat one meal a day now that consists of a nice piece of meat (all kinds of pork is a favorite), and a simple vegetable in butter and maybe some bacon grease.

Best to you!

(Jack Bennett) #3

Welcome! :grinning:

This is a great post to start with, to keep things simple at first.

(mole person) #4

I was in a very similar place. I had never been a person who could gain any weight until I turned 50 when it suddenly started piling on alarmingly. Keto worked tremendously well and you’ve already had some good advice on how keto works and how to begin it. However, since your story sounds like mine I’ll mention that I was able to lose the first 5 kg extremely easily with a very “lazy keto” diet. This may work for you as well and is far less restrictive and you might like it at least as a transition. It may also be all that you need.

Basically I never counted carbs at all. I just stopped eating all grains, products made from flour, starchy vegetables, beans and peas, fruit, and anything with any sweeteners natural or artificial.

Eat as much meat, eggs, and any veggies not listed above as you like. You can eat dairy and nuts and seeds as well but don’t get carried away with those. Try to eat high fat cuts of meat.

On this diet I lost about a third of my weight eating as much of those foods as I liked. After a while it slowed down and I began tightening up various things.

It’s just an option. Going full keto is great, but some people really struggle with the counting and measuring at first so this is a way to start that can work for many.

(Jan) #5

Thanks so much for the advice, and taking the time to reply

(Jan) #6

Thanks so much for your reply

(Paulene ) #7

Welcome Maria (EDIT: I mean @Janette… I got lost in the forum. :grimacing:) . You have good reason to be excited - you have found a great way to eat healthy and delicious food and lose weight without feeling hungry! It IS exciting.

This diet can be as simple or as complex as you like. If you like to measure, record and work to targets, there is plenty in Keto to get you excited. If you like a simple plan and no-fuss approach, low carb has got it for you. Ultimately, you will lose weight and be healthier whichever approach you choose but the journey will be different.

I started counting carbs and fussing about macros but as I’m not a small detail person, the novelty wore off pretty quickly and I now use the approach that @Ilana_Rose describes. However, the first few weeks of measuring and recording did help set some good boundaries and knowledge, which I continually refine by reading this (and other) forums.

I believe the key to long-term suitability is to integrate low-carb into your existing way of life rather than changing your way of life. I work as a change manager and I find that large radical changes are difficult to sustainable unless there are VERY compelling reasons e.g., job or life threatening. I may be being presumptions, but your situation doesn’t sound life threatening, so rather than completely and radically changing what you eat (e.g., from vegetarian to carnivore. :grinning:.) consider modifying recipes that you already use so that they are low carb, and introduce new low carb recipes that you think you’ll love. But, as the others have said, you do have to get rid of the obvious carb heavy foods:

This is what is personally working for me:
1-2 meals per day (min 18:6 IF).
My version of BulletProof Coffee for breakfast (coffee+cream+MCT oil, no butter)
Eat until I’m satiated, not more and not less.
I love salads so do not restrict salad greens and low carb veges at all - I have BIG bowls of salad with meat, nuts, cheeses and full-fat dressings. Yum.
I avoid ‘fake’ sweeteners unless I’m REALLY desperate for a sweet hit - I’m trying to retrain my palate.

I have quite a bit to lose (in excess of 35kg/75lb) but I am losing about 1-2 lbs a week - not in a steady line, mind. Goes up and down (every 4 weeks :roll_eyes:).

Good luck with your journey.

(Jill F.) #8

Welcome @Janette ! So glad you are here! I struggled to keep weight on too until I hit 20, and it has been a struggle ever since then. I started keto 1 year ago and have lost 40 pounds and feel amazing! I have about 10 more to go, and I have found as long as I stick to under 20 carbs a day I lose pretty consistently.

Dont make it really complicated like others have said, just stick with fatty meats, eggs, green veggies and cut out the obvious carbs like sugar, bread, pasta, crackers, etc. Be sure to take in enough salt so you dont feel like death! The keto flu hit me hard when I started because I didnt do this.

Come here often for advice and support, and any topic you need answers to use the search feature, you can find just about anything!

(Jan) #9

Thanks so much Paulene, extremely helpful :blush:

(Jan) #10

Thanks so much. What a great forum, I’m so glad I found it

(Marianne) #11

So true.

Keto is very versatile and flexible. Honestly, there really isn’t much mystery to doing it unless you want to get into heavy duty study of the scientific stuff. Keep the carbs under 20g/day, and lower if you can. Eat clean - meat and a veggie.

I prefer to proceed very simply - no cooking other than pan searing, per se, no tracking, no weighing (myself or my food), no calorie counting, no elaborate recipes - mainly a piece of meat and a vegetable, or eggs/bacon, tuna/chicken/egg salad, etc - all simple foods to make.