Friends i need help

[bp52]

i have made the decision to try and do this, Dr said loose weight or die, my health is pathetic, any advice you can send my way i would appreciate. also can you eat smoaked sausage, silly question but i got a bunch in freezer… thanks

[ChrisW]

Congrats on taking the first step.

Smoked sausage is okay but sometimes can contain loads of filler which can raise the carb count. So eat in moderation. Best to stick to more unprocessed foods.

[David_Stilley]

You can eat them, just count the carbs that are listed on the label. We’re talking net carbs here. As a starting point I think this might help you

Keto Is This Easy

Keto is this easy (aka Keto for beginners) Quick Version This is for Phase One—the starter phase. It’s still not complicated later, but this is the really easy-to-explain version which will help you no end. Eat under 20g of carbs a day (usually 20g net when starting, but for some people 20g total carbs works better). Don’t worry about the scale. All it tells you is weight, it tells you nothing about body composition, even the “smart” scales. Eat plenty of good food—fat and protein—whil…

It’s pretty simple and an enjoyable way to eat that heals your body, burns your fat and without being hungry too. You can eat all the fatty meat and eggs that they used to say was unhealthy. Using real healthy oils is important. Coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil, lard and bacon grease, butter, any animal fat. Don’t use vegetable oils or seed oils as they really don’t come from vegetables. They a highly processed refined industrial oils that shouldn’t be part of your diet.

Good luck and stick with it to fix your health issues.

My results, 10 months, 205 to 162 lbs. pre diabetic status no more. I feel 30 years younger at 60. More improvements than this even, skin, energy, mood stability, etc.

[CarlKeller]

Welcome William.

You came to the right place and you chose the right way of eating. The link @David_Stilley posted is a really good place to start. In simplified terms, keto is restricting carbs (20 for best results), not calories and it’s easy as giving up starch and sugar while eating real food.

Please ask if you have any comments or concerns. We are here to help and cheer you on in your ketogenic journey.

[andesite]

Hi William! You are in good company here, most of us came to this forum in bad health and we’re all learning together. Good luck, enjoy your sausages, and keep reaching out to ask questions!

[Alecmcq]

William
You can do this!! Trust me, keto is the best diet you have ever been on. Forget hunger. You should never be hungry on keto. Just don’t eat carbs. Eat real food (not processed food). It is as easy as that. The weight will come off, and more importantly, your body will start healing itself. You just need to give it the right fuel: protein and fat, no carbs.

Welcome to the best journey you’ll ever make!

[Regina]

I didn’t have a lot of fat to lose, but my fasting glucose went from 97 to 77. My triglycerides went down to a normal level as well. This is about total body healing. Please stick with it and check in daily!

[SecondBreakfast]

Hi and welcome, bp! Really glad that you’ve made the decision to do this! A couple things to remember when starting this: It takes some getting used to, because withdrawal from carbs and switching fuel sources over to fat and protien, can make some folks feel sorta like they have a flu-type feeling. Just drink some no carb chicken broth, keeping your electrolytes up- and it helps a ton. Other thing to remember is to trust the process. Some days, you’re not gonna lose weight, but you’ll lose inches. So, take your measurements- chest, neck, waist, hips…and on the days that the scale doesn’t move…whip out ye old measuring tape and see what’s going on! That helps me tremendously.
Learning how to eat intuitively— like ignoring our “mealtimes” and just eating when we actually experience “hunger”. That was hard to learn, but once you get it, its like being freed from jail. You’re not tied to food and mealtimes with this way of eating. And, honestly, you’ll find that you don’t need to eat as often as you think. Fasting is awesome. Once your body becomes fat adapted, that is, used to eating its own fat, you really don’t miss food all that much during an extended fast.

I know this is sort of fragmented and rambling, and I apologize. (I’ve done about 10 chores since I started typing earlier.) Energy levels are through the roof right now. =) I guess that’s a good problem.

If you have questions or issues, just ask! Everyone here is incredibly helpful and supportive. Just keep your eyes focused on the goal, and trust the process!
Andrea

[Rclause]

First I would like to say that the community here is the best. Just look at the replies here without any negativity and all helpful. @bp52 it will take awhile to settle in so be patient and stay the course. After a few weeks or months you will start to feel like you are on auto pilot and this well become very natural. You will start asking yourself “why didn’t do this sooner?”

[Jennibc]

All good info above but I want to add success on this is in a large part how we choose to view it - there is a mental component. What has worked for me is to focus on what I am gaining rather than what I am giving up and that will help you get through the carb withdrawal that you are likely going to experience the first week or so. Just know that you WILL get through it, it WILL pass.

I had about 7 or 8 days where I felt cranky, tired, run down etc. But then I woke up one morning and felt better than I had in almost 30 years. That is not an exaggeration. I had more energy and more mental clarity than I had in decades. That is what you will be gaining. Imagine how wonderful that is going to feel. That will help you.

Instead of focusing on the number on the scale, as not everybody loses as quickly as others do, focus on the improvements in overall health and well being.

Think about a year from now and about how you will likely be down several sizes and how great that is going to feel. Last summer I walked into the regular size section at Macy’s for the first time in over 20 years. I had a lump in my throat. (Now, I’d like to add that I probably could have been there the year earlier because I was in a 14 at that point but didn’t realize they had them in the regular section as people are getting heavier because of this standard american diet, but I digress).

I really liked reading The Case Against Sugar because it made me realize that processed sugar is more of poison than a food. When you think of sugar as poison it’s easier to give up.

Other books I love are The Willpower Instinct which explains how willpower is really different than what we have believed it to be - it’s not a question of just powering through and there are techniques that can be employed to be able to exercise it more readily. Also, The Power of Habit is a good one.

Good luck and reach out for support anytime. There are people on this page that have lost over 100 pounds (including me!) It’s doable, you just need to be consistent, let go of shame, exercise self compassion, and recognize we all lose at different rates. Additionally, we all have different foods we can and can’t have for this to work, so you will at times have to tweak what you are eating, so get ready for that. You got this!

[Katiekate]

Look at the package. If there is corn syrup, modified corn starch (sneaky way of saying sugar) … then avoid it.

Mixing protein and carbs. Or fat and carbs (even good fats) will make your insulin response 6x greater.

I think that getting started is the hardest part. Look at the list on ingredient on everything you have…sugar, sugar, sugar. Called fructose, glucoses, corn syrup, etc…etc. almost everything!!!

I began with a full week of NO CARB. Break that sugar habit as rapidly as I could. No milk…but you switch to heavy cream. Then I only allowed 20g of carb a day. I really pick and choose… only 20g … hummmm…not wasting it on a single slice of bread!

But, remember…if you are hungry you are doing it wrong, I made a lot of roasted chicken and turkey legs…I love them cold. Boiled eggs. Egg cups, roast beef rolled up around a cheese stick. Any time I was hungry…grab one.

One word of warning…you could experience issues with electrolytes being off balance. Especially potassium, sodium, magnesium. Take supplements or buy the pedilyte.

[Janie]

Going keto was the best thing I EVER did for my health! I did it to lose weight but the health benefits are better than the weight loss.

It takes time to adjust and the carb withdrawal and sense of loss you feel when you can’t stuff yourself with bread and pasta 24/7 is very real. It gets better and the cravings diminish over time.

Just keep in mind that so much of what you have been told by the “experts” were bought and paid for ads by the food industry. “breakfast is the most important meal” - yeah, kids need breakfast but not sugar cereal but that is the easiest to serve for working moms. “saturated fat and salt are bad for your health”… so they can sell you their inflammatory seed oils and sugar.

I never gave up butter all these years but I still limited it and felt a bit guilty. Not anymore. Enjoy your bacon, real butter, full fat sour cream in sauces, etc. No more bland steamed green beans without butter or bacon grease and garlic salt.

There is a local steak place we go to that the only carb-friendly veggie besides the sautéed mushrooms are the unseasoned green beans with no fat. Blech. I just ask for extra butter for the rolls (that we don’t eat) and slather them down and salt and pepper heavily.

[Janie]

I highly recommend reading Dr. Fung’s The Obesity Code. It explains why low calorie diets fail and how critical insulin response is when it comes to diabetes, health and losing weight in general.

It was like a cartoon light bulb going on over my head!