Good morning,
I’m 46 years old. Due to severe scoliosis, I had total back reconstruction in 2014. I farmed and was a licensed plumber all my life. Due to inactivity and plain eating bad, I swelled up to over 300lbs! I am sore, aching, and hurting more than normal. I do not like taking all these pain meds at all. So I started researching the keto way of life. I’ve watched all of the Butter Bob, Dr Berry, Dr Berg, and alot of the 2 keto dudes. I started in November and I’m down to 298lbs from 318lbs. My confusion comes from ( I’m a very simple person ) protein as in meat vs vegetables. I’ve been doing the cabbage, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, leafy greens so far, with added meat deep fried in lard or fried in bacon grease, butter, or olive oil. The amount of information is staggering and hard to sort out. I’m the all in kind of person and give my all in everything. Just want and need to know what I’m doing is right? Need to change? Need to add? Need to start over? By the urine strips, I’m in moderate ketosis. Have had the keto flu, and last week had what appeared to be keto rash. Any help or advice to help me down the right path of fat loss and a healthier life will be greatly appreciated! I’d like to be around 200lbs or so. It’s where I stayed most of my life, but maybe I was too fat there too!
Confused and need help
Sounds like your on the right track, keep carbs under 20g and eat moderate protein and fat. You don’t need an excessive amount of added fat since you have fat to lose. Keep it simple and eat clean. Patience is your friend. Any other questions just ask…
Sounds like you’re doing just fine. Carry on as you are and if you hit a stall, then look at what could be changed.
So, is it better to do just an amount of fatty meat with added fat? Or the vegetables with added fat? What seems to work best for everyone for fat loss?
While becoming fat adapted, you can add fat to both. I found, early on, that adding too much cheese to excessively buttery fried meat was a bit much (too rich). It was easier to add a little extra olive oil to a salad or butter to sautéed spinach.
After you are fat adapted (6+ weeks) is where you’ll want to cut back on these extra fats to allow for your body fat to be burned. Just remember to not cut back too much too fast and to cut back unevenly (i.e. don’t cut back the same amount per day) so the body keeps up the fat adaptation and does not move into calorie restricted mode (slowing metabolism).
That’s exactly where I’m getting lost. Is in the amount of added fat in either meat or vegetable. Suppose I’m making it harder than it should be really. All the reading and research has so many conflicting results. Shew, it’s overwhelming, for me anyway
I do both as I think most people here also do. There are 2 stages to keto. The first stage when you don’t need to skimp on fats so you can teach your body to use fat for fuel and the second stage, when you are fat adapted and can cut back some on fats (use leaner meats and lower how much oil you are using when you coook) so you can let your body use body fat instead ingested fat, for fuel.
Don’t get too far ahead of yourself. You should not worry so much about too much fat or oil at this stage. You are still training your body. The most important thing is to keep carbs under 20 net carbs per day and to not starve yourself.
I try to the best of my knowledge to stay under 10 carbs a day. I fast 20 - 24 hours every day. Think I’ve not been consuming enough fat really.
Do you feel hungry? If not don’t worry! If you omad and are staying under 10 carbs a day you are doing fine.
Yes. Some days at the 18 hour mark I feel like I could eat the whole cow!
Since your still new, maybe eat two meals instead of one. Just eat when hungry and stop when full.
The real key, especially early on, is to make sure your carbs are under 20g, you eat until you’re full, and you keep your salt/electrolytes up.
IMO, 10 is kind of low. It doesn’t give you much room to eat vegetables and those are key to getting good nutrients in your body. Ten is especially low since you are dealing with hunger issues. You don’t have to do 20 like most of us here do, but I think it will help your transition better. The first week is always the hardest… later you could consider going back down to 10. Your choice.
Btw, I’m talking about net carbs when I say 20… which translates to roughly 30-35 total carbs. Slightly more than half the people here count net carbs and the others do total carbs.
Well, of the people who voted in that poll, anyway 
As Carl says, unless there’s a good reason for really cranking the carbs down, under 20 works fine and gives you more flexibility making things easier. Ketosis is, for most people, a binary state - you’re either in or your out. Being further in doesn’t really help anything.
I’m over a month in. I count net carbs too. Most of my carbs are vegetable carbs.
Well, isn’t that a bit LOL in isolation. “Ah, the glorious flexibility of 20 WHOLE GRAMS OF CARBS!”
I really believe I wasn’t doing enough fat if that makes sense? Going to eat more fat for the next week, watch my protein, and see how that goes