DIS-couraged

(Roy D) #8

Are you using something like MyFitnessPal on your smartphone/computer to track your food intake? This App helped me learn where carbs exist in foods that I didn’t realize.

One item many discover is to avoid milk. (Mild contains lactose, a sugar.) cheeses (in moderation) are OK, as is Heavy Whipping Cream (HWC).

One sure way to tell if you are in ketosis is to measure your ketones. An inexpensive approach is to use pee strips (but this approach has limits on accuracy over time.) A better approach is to obtain a blood keto test meter (Keto MoJo are overall less expensive, Abbott Precision Xtra is another choice.) (When buying a blood meter, make sure to review the recurring price of the test strips.) A breath meter is a third way to go, but I believe is the most expensive.

(back and doublin' down) #9

Curious about your reasons to join this WOE? What do you want? Are you going this alone, going against (or with) what others are doing at work or in your social network?

Often, it’s not about the food, it’s about the mindset.

(Maria W) #10

I am literally every newbie on this board, I did the same thing, lemon water and salt!

Currently I’m using magnesium citrate tablets and supplementing with additional salt and nu-salt (potassium) but I’m fasting. There is a recipe on here search Zorn keto-aid. I’m also new to this but I find MCT/coconut oil to be really helpful for hunger suppression and energy.

I think more seasoned keto’ers don’t need the MCT oil training wheels though?

(Roy D) #11

I found the Phinney and Volek books to be good reads that contains high levels of technical detail, but found The Obesity Code (by Jason Fung) to be a more practical book for the application of a keto diet for weight loss. (My impression was Phinney and Volek wrote their book for medical professionals, with the focus of the books on athletic performance.) I don’t recall Phinney and Volek discussing the important topic of Intermittent Fasting (IF).

IF addresses the problem of Insulin Resistance (IR). Insulin is sometimes referred as “the fat storage hormone”. IF allows insulin levels to drop, which (along with a keto diet) allows the conversion of body fat into blood glucose to occur more easily. (Elevated insulin levels may be preventing your body from accessing your body fat, which in-turn may be the cause of your low energy levels.)

Some videos address IF by advising no snacks between meals. If hunger occurs between meals, increase the amount of fat consumed at mealtime. Some approaches define “eating windows” of a pre-defined time period. An 8 hour (or 6 hour, or 4 hour) eating window is not uncommon. (I.e., for an 8 hour eating window, only eat 2 or 3 meals between the hours of 10:00 am and 6:00 pm, with no snacks between meals).

Below is one of many videos on IF.

Best of luck, keto on.

P.S. The other good book I found to understand the mechanics of weight gain is Gary Taube’s book “Why we Get Fat” (although I think Jason Fung’s book is more practical on the approach on how to loose weight).

(Roy D) #12

I’ve been doing Keto for ~ 2 years now, with a substantial amount of weight loss. I typically find without MCT and CoConut oil, my diet contains too much protein, and not enough fat. I find MCT oil (in Bullet Proof Coffee), and coconut oil (in fat bombs) really helps me elevate my fat to protein ratios to stay satisfied and not over consume protein.

(Ron) #13
#14

Try not to get discouraged. Are you checking your blood sugar during the day at all? I started the keto plan about 2.5 weeks ago and have lost 10# so far. I have had several days where I had no weight loss and then gained 0.5#, which lasted several days, and then I suddenly lost several lbs. But most importantly for me, I see my daily blood sugars dropping, and I have started reducing the amount of insulin I take. Plus, I know I have lost inches, as my clothes are fitting more loosely, especially in the waist. I didn’t know about the electrolytes replacement either; just found out about that earlier today! Hang in there!

(Scout) #15

This is all very helpful. Mostly to know what others have done and are doing! I have not been doing official food plans because it just seems like too much work (sigh) but that may be part of the problem. I read the article on Ketogasm about getting stalled and then thought maybe I was consuming TOO much fat and got confused. It was really interesting because it sis shed light on the fact that even in heavy cream and eggs there are trace carbs. I typically have two big cups of BPC in the morning with ghee and heavy cream. Then for lunch I will have an arugula salad with lemon olive oil dressing and a piece of this frittata from Diet Doctor (my piece is 1/12th of the whole recipe, then for dinner, steak, tuna or salmon and arugula salad. Maybe a pack of pork rinds in there and a teaspoon of the amazing Philospher’s Stoneground coconut butter. I do the frittata with lots of spinach and the salads with each meal because I want to get my greens but it’s just arugula lemon and olive oil with some garlic. What holes do you see in this plan? Obviously i need more variety eventually but I’m kind of a “serial eater” and the frittata works because it’s so easy and I can just pull it out of the fridge. I’m obviously missing something here. I do use kept sticks and have been solidly in ketosis for a couple of weeks except for yesterday and today.

(Scout) #16

I have not been doing official food plans because it just seems like too much work (sigh) but that may be part of the problem. I read the article on Ketogasm about getting stalled and then thought maybe I was consuming TOO much fat and got confused. It was really interesting because it sis shed light on the fact that even in heavy cream and eggs there are trace carbs. I typically have two big cups of BPC in the morning with ghee and heavy cream. Then for lunch I will have an arugula salad with lemon olive oil dressing and a piece of this frittata from Diet Doctor (my piece is 1/12th of the whole recipe, then for dinner, steak, tuna or salmon and arugula salad. Maybe a pack of pork rinds in there and a teaspoon of the amazing Philospher’s Stoneground coconut butter. I do the frittata with lots of spinach and the salads with each meal because I want to get my greens but it’s just arugula lemon and olive oil with some garlic. What holes do you see in this plan? Obviously i need more variety eventually but I’m kind of a “serial eater” and the frittata works because it’s so easy and I can just pull it out of the fridge. I’m obviously missing something here. I do use kept sticks and have been solidly in ketosis for a couple of weeks except for yesterday and today.

(Scout) #17

Thank you. Also, I secretly hate you. :slight_smile: Well done! That’s so awesome. I thought that was going to be the path for me because I took off a couple of pounds in the first couple of days and I thought it would be smooth sailing from there but it actually went back on and I stalled at my starting weight. I don’t “need” to lose weight–I’m 5’5" and 134lbs but for me I do. I really want to at least be in the 120’s. I’m just uncomfortable now. Too much wining and dining! I am not checking my blood sugar–the thought of sticking that needle in my finger gives me the heebie jeebies but maybe I should start.

(Ellie) #18

You don’t seem to be eating a lot of food!
If you are having 1/12th of that frittata recipe, that is very little. The recipe is using 8 eggs and serves 4. Personally if I was having it as a main meal I would eat half of it, with mayo and a bit of the salad as well. (and probably bacon on top!)
Depending on your serving size of dinner, I would say that you are eating too little.
Are you hungry between meals? How do you feel generally?
I would eat more at meals and drop the snacks. As a rule of thumb, if you are hungry between meals then you aren’t eating enough. As you become fat adapted, your satiety signal will reduce and you will naturally eat a bit less without getting hungry.
Edited to add - do you have a history of dieting or calorie restriction? If so be patient as you will have to heal your metabolism before you see weight loss, especially with only a few pounds to go.

(Scout) #19

Not sure what a WOE is but the reason for doing this diet is a combination of things–weight loss (I’d like to take off 5-10lbs) and a real interest in the effects of ketogenisis on the body (and mind). I find some of the research–from athletic performance to cancer treatment–to be fascinating and the idea of training the body to burn its existing fat stores rather than be dependent on an ever incoming stream of carbohydrates to be very interesting. I’m not doing it with any one but my other half generally eats this way so it’s easy at home and I work form home so that part is easy too–except for the fact that it’s not! :frowning: To your very apt mindset comment, that’s a good reminder. I started this really excited and now I’m just kind of forlorn and feeling like it’s not “working.” Maybe if I approach it with more curiosity and beginner’s mind and recognize that not getting this “right” off the bat while I explore it, would be a more helpful way to go.

(Roy D) #20

This forum has a list of acronyms posted at the following location (or use the search feature for “WIKI Acronyms”);

(Ron) #21

@paylork

#22

LOL! I am jealous that you weigh so much less than I do! It definitely takes time and you do need to make sure you are eating enough calories, especially fat calories. So do make sure that you are consuming fat. it seems very counterintuitive to eat fat, which I still have some issues with, but it makes sense that if you want your body to burn fat, you have to consume fat. Think of it as a process, as a lifestyle change, and not a diet. For me, while I am happy losing weight, the most important thing is reducing my daily blood sugars, which were averaging over 200 a month ago. I am now below 120 most of the time I check, and I am testing 3-4 times a day. Stick with the program and I think you will find that you have success! Best of luck! Feel free to ping me anytime you need encouragement. :smiley:

(Leslie) #23

I think that you are getting some really great advice in this thread and as such am not going to add anything on the keto way of eating(WOE).
What I am going to do is ask you to reevaluate you goals.
I see here that you have listed a number of things related to overall health and longevity
Excellent! These should be everybody’s goal, improved long term health and longevity
That, however, has nothing to do with weight loss

It is my opinion that you do not need to lose any weight
That is not to say that you do not have fat to burn
These are two different topics

One of the great things about repairing a deranged metabolism is that along with burning excess body fat, we may build very crusical lean mass such as muscle and bone
What this means is that the scale doesn’t change but we are healing and improving in our overall health

The scale is a big fat liar. Don’t listen to it
Be more concerned with how you feel, how you sleep, how your stamina has changed, what your skin looks like, your memory and ability to concentrate and learn

Keto is not about weight loss
This is not a diet
Keto is a way of life that changes everything
It’s permanent and curative
Most of its effects are not seen for months

I hope you find this helpful
Keep calm and keto on

(Scout) #24

What a great response, Leslie. Thank you so much for this framing. (I might need it again in two months!) I love the part about it changing everything. I don’t know what that means but I’m curious to find out.
Thank you.

(back and doublin' down) #25

NSVs (Non Scale Victories) are something I never really considered on the list of diets over my years.

Just this week I noticed that my nails are no longer splitting or breaking off. I have the healthiest, longest natural nails I have ever had in 54 years! (that’s including those 18 months on prenatal vitamins) My list of NSVs grows every week. And there’s several threads here about them if you need a little help staying focused.

(Sharon) #26

I found that I need to use a Cronometer, it is free on Dr Mercola website. I could see where my carbs were really coming from. I was very surprised. The Cronometer is so easy to use and gives me so much information.

(Linda) #27

About the Cronometer, thanks for that! I’ve just been guessing.