Keto observations

(Bill C) #21

Funny, how some wish to characterize things. I undertake activities to control weight and try to impart what has worked for me.

(Mike W.) #22

Just curious. How many calories would you be burning in the same amount of time sitting, as you are swimming?

(Bill C) #23

This is just a guess but my BMR is 1778. So I think if you divide that number by 24 that would give you an approximation. On Cronometer they list 3 things that determine the number of calories one burns; BMR, activity level and burned calories.

(Bill C) #24

No, for me, based on what Cronometer determines, shows it as about 765 calories for my height and weight.

(Bill C) #25

Crickette, as Stacey and many others have stated, different things work for different people. Study after study has shown that caloric intake is much more important than the way you divide your macros. I have experimented and found that my macro breakdown is roughly 50% fats, 30% carbs and 20% proteins. For me, I can hit my goals pretty easily and maintain it.

Are you aware you can eat a slice of watermelon and exceed all your carbs that are allowable under a strict keto diet? More carbs after an intense work out are not bad for you.

(Brian) #26

Yup. Just did that last night. Used the watermelon as a meal.

I have a garden. And I have a friend who loves watermelon. I wanted to grow a nice watermelon to share with him. Had one about a month ago and it was just a little less than ripe, good but not great. Took him the second one yesterday afternoon and it was really good. Five of us got busy on that watermelon and enjoyed it thoroughly. That was all that my wife and I had for supper.

It was a social occasion and a time spent with dear friends where we could share something that was definitely not keto. But it was something we needed to do. My friend is up there in years and I’m not sure how many more watermelon seasons he’ll have to share with us.

Interestingly, the weight was down about 3 pounds this morning from where it was yesterday morning. I know I can’t put too much emphasis on any individual weight reading but it was not up.

So today, I keto on. Life is too short to stress over every gram of carbs.

:slight_smile:

#27

With all due respect, this is exactly what many studies have shown not to be true.

I’m all for people doing what works for them and gets them the results they want. I also wouldn’t say calories don’t matter at all. I respect that you obviously care deeply about your health and are doing a great deal to take/keep control of it. But if you don’t believe the basic premise of the ketogenic WOE (that many chronic diseases are hormonal in origin, that excess weight is a symptom of these hormonal derangements, and that macros- not calories- are what cause these hormonal derangements), I just wonder what the purpose of posting to Ketogenic Forums is. I am not saying this to obnoxiously discourage participation, but you can go anywhere else in the world and be among people who think calories are all that matter.

Yes, and watermelons are basically just large blobs of sugar water, and that’s why no one really needs to eat them. :smiley: You have metabolic flexibility, no doubt aided by your intense exercise (and kudos for that) but possibly also due to other personal factors, and that’s great for you. You can do more carbohydrates. But that doesn’t mean “calorie intake matters much more than macros”, for weight loss or for anything else.

(KetoQ) #28

Bill –

Good point. I’m very active as well, walking 3-6 miles/day + hit gym for weight training 3-4x per week. I’m 50+ lbs down over 3+ months and average 50g of carbs per day. Furthermore, I do a 60 hour fast per week as well, so the days I do eat, I range from 60-90g carbs per day.

I’ll likely cut the carbs in the fall as some of those extra carbs are seasonal fruit like peaches and strawberries, as I’ve managed to eat them in moderation over the summer, and use them as a dessert/cheat. I completely stay away from the starchier carbs like bread and oatmeal. But I can see how your activity level gives you a bit more flexibility in your diet, as it has for me.

I also think the extra carbs are of benefit for people who are doing serious weight training or serious workout days as you describe. I’m also not afraid of eating 2500-300 calories a day if I feel I need to eat that much, as long as they are from keto friendly foods.

Q

(Doug) #29

Bill, I think that is more applicable to people who are metabolically healthy and don’t have hormonal disruption of things. Once the viscious cycle of insulin resistance (to pick a really prominent problem) is underway, the macros can loom large.

(KetoQ) #30

Crickette –

You are so obsessed with them that you will exercise 1600 calories a day just to eat them.

You can also turn that around and say that some people are so obsessed with avoiding exercise that they will eat 20g carb or less.

Eating a healthy diet – ketogenic or another – is absolutely critical, but it ideally should be combined with fitness – and other factors – for a holistic health approach.

Over the past 10 years, I’ve seen the inside of a number of senior care facilities, and the people who need help doing many things to help doing nearly everything – and conversely, I spend a lot of time on biking and hiking trails, and see some amazingly active and fit seniors – who I hope I can be like if I reach 75-80 years old.

Weight loss and exercise, and more specifically, strength training, are important. If you ignore it, the bill begins to come due in your 50’s with reduced mobility. And you don’t necessarily have to be overweight to not be able to get out of a chair or properly clean yourself.

Weight training and muscle development and maintenance can have a huge impact on quality of life for people who are 65+.

Q

(Bill C) #31

Completely agree. Had a whole slice myself yesterday. I think it was something like 44 grams of carbs. I love watermelon, too. Life is too short not to have some when the season is here. I have read that if you have an intense workout it is actually healthy to give your body more carbs (carb cycling). So, no, I don’t sweat the minuscule amount of carbs either.

(Bill C) #32

I think you are right. For those with diabetic issues among other things the keto diet is very helpful. I have listened to Phinny and Volek extensively and am a firm believer in what they are doing. The food pyramid is wrong but my only point was that I think many reasonably healthy people don’t need to obsess over tiny amounts of carbs.

(Bill C) #33

I agree, Q. Diet is maybe 80% of the weight battle with exercise being equally important but less impactful on weight. I do planks and bench press as well, just to maintain muscle and strength. What’s the point in being skinny as a rail and frail? This should be about overall health. Taking and keeping off the weight is huge part of maintaining health.

(Doug) #34

Definitely. Dr. Fung gives the example of some people around the world who eat very high carbohydrate; sometimes 80 or 90 percent. They tend not to snack or ‘graze’ frequently, often just eating one main meal per day. This keeps the average insulin level in a healthy range, for the most part.