Keto women over 50


(Jo) #463

I would be lying if I said I ate 7 salads a day haha I’m lucky if I eat 1. I am staying at 25, 20 and under 20 carbs some days the less carbs I eat the less sleep I get and it is causing some stress. On the upside, I do feel less brain fog! I’ll keep going, they say it gets better :neutral_face:


(Janelle) #464

Just a suggestion - I started taking Magnesium Citrate and it helps me sleep better and have regular BMs. It may not work for you but others say it helps for you. I like the Naturemade brand I can get at CVS or other drugstores.


(carol mclintock) #465

I have read the Mark Sissons book - I think the 6 week comment may possibly have been misunderstood. Sissons recommends to keep to nutritional ketosis for 6 weeks as a minimum and after that to decide whether to carry on with nutritional ketosis or move to a paleo approach, with the idea that you have had some metabolic and mitochondrial reset using this approach.

He also states that nutritional ketosis as opposed to lower ketosis levels are good for those with medical conditions rather than those with weightloss as their primary goal.


(Janelle) #466

I think he might be the only one saying this out of a lot of other experts who have only offered positive commentary on long term ketosis for most people (not all, but most). I guess it’s which expert you believe. I’ll state again that being in ketosis for 6 weeks did nothing for my insulin resistance, arthritis and other things. If there has been improvement, it took at lot longer than that.


(carol mclintock) #467

totally agree with you Janelle! I have been keto since June of last year and I feel that I still have a long way to go, especially in terms of insulin resistance. I do feel so much better but I know there is still a lot of work to do to get over the years of abusing my body with food.


#468

I’m back after a long hiatus since late September. I moved mid-October to a house that need a total kitchen gut. Between living without a stove for a time and being on the run with moving, followed by Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas, I fell completely off the keto wagon. Until after Christmas, I was maintaining my weight loss of almost 50 pounds and staying in the mid 120s. Then BAM! It all caught up to me and I’m back up to 138, and very unhappy about it!

So back on the keto wagon I go, with a few exceptions. I’d like to avoid the miseries of cramping muscles and thinning hair. It doesn’t seem logical that a healthy diet would cause electrolyte deficiencies. So I MAY add some starchier veggies at dinner only. Or I may not. Possibly a serving of berries for dessert. Either way, I want to keep my carbs low enough to stay in ketosis, since I feel best when I do. None of the dreaded hypoglycemia episodes, which for me is a huge benefit.

My insulin level when I started keto last year was 39. On keto, it dropped to 11. Now it’s back up to 24, which means my body is being overwhelmed by carbs again. My glucose levels are still normal, because my high insulin level is keeping it down. I have to stop my rising insulin levels immediately!

One of my main concerns, besides the constant fear of hypoglycemia, is that my liver was starting to show signs of metabolic syndrome and NASH. My levels now are normal, but they won’t be if I don’t get this under control.

So I’m back. Hope to get to “know” everyone on this journey again!


(Janelle) #469

Welcome back! How are you testing your insulin levels? Doctor? I requested one at a visit last week but haven’t gotten the results.


(Doug) #470

Good to see you again, Noapples. :slightly_smiling_face: I remember some great posts of yours.


#471

I’m looking forward to this part of my journey.

Btw, I’m just about to turn 49 this week. I figure I’m close enough for this thread. :slightly_smiling_face:


(Jennibc) #472

Just ran across this thread and Paxil is evil. It was the first antidepressant I was on - went on it in 1994 and I gained 60 pounds in a year! It was awful. Before it was over I had been on prozac, celexa, and zoloft too and was up a full 120 pounds. I finally stopped them all and am down 103. Medication free now for over 10 years. You will find on Keto, you don’t even need the drugs.


(Janelle) #473

Oh ladies. I was doing so well on my eyesight until 50. For the first time in years it’s changed so I had to get a new prescription. I was hoping for the magical NSV where my eyesight got better - nope - worse. There have been very few NSVs in my 4+ months and only about 18lbs lost. Not even a pant size yet but I guess it is better than nothing/gaining. No relief from arthritis, hair color change, heartburn, HBP. Nada (now someone will say, “give it time…”. I will, sigh).

I guess I’m trying to cram every medical thing into a two week stretch of time. This week it’s eye appt., mammo and a heart MRI/carotid check. Last week was physical/obesity specialist. Oh yes, I’m at the magical age where I’m eligible for the Shingrix vaccine - which is out of stock everywhere. I also GET to have a colonoscopy. Yea me!


#474

If you are myopic, I recommend checking into (edit to update website) https://endmyopia.org/ That is, if your minus prescription increased, it may be a matter of reducing your close up time. I’ve had improvements working on that. The biggest improvement was when I stopped using the same prescription (contacts and glasses) for distance as for computer and reading. I actually don’t need glasses to read my phone or a book. The second improvement happened from ceasing to over correct - I don’t need 20/15 or 20/10 correction in my life. But recently, I’ve been reading my phone way too much and not walking outside enough. I have also rid myself of my astigmatism correction in one eye and am just about to get rid of the other. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to find an optometrist who actually wants to help you improve your eyes, rather than just put corrective lenses on, which induce more myopia. They don’t really like me.

If it’s presbyopia that’s worsened, I’ve got nothing. That can be physiological with aging. I have no experience with that yet.


(Janelle) #475

By the way, I was not 300lbs overweight. I was 80lbs over normal BMI. My own twin (fraternal) sister is much bigger, less active and has normal BP and cholesterol. No artritis. Nada. I guess it just affects people differently.


(Janelle) #476

I am myopic. My near vision is still 20/20. The unfortunate thing is that if they improve your nearsightedness (that always confuses me) for distance, your near vision suffers. A few years ago, I went to multifocal contacts. It’s a balancing act but they work pretty well for me.


(Empress of the Unexpected) #477

We missed you!


#478

That’s because they fail to tell you to only use the distance glasses for distance, and not close up. Not even for computers. Only the correction for the proper distance should be used. Bifocals are OK for reading things where the eyes focus down. The problem is that many people sit in front of computer monitors. Again, they are using too strong a prescription for the short distance. I have two sets of glasses, rather than bifocals. One for my computer, the other for distance. (I have one in between for practicing active focus, but have really slacked off, and I need a new prescription anyway). And no glasses for things up to about 12 inches away.

Further, they should never have started off with a -1.00 to -1.50 cyl prescription when distance vision first started getting blurry. Instead, they should teach people about proper use of the eyes for close up. It’s the improper use that causes the ciliary muscle to spasm and leads to myopia. Many people have used better eye use practices to reduce (and even eliminate) their myopia. Jake, at endmyopia, is collecting a lot of research and hoping that one day there will be more.


#479

I asked my liver doctor to add it to my bloodwork. It’s really the key for me to keep track how I’m doing, health-wise.


#480

I missed everyone here too. Was wondering how you’ve been doing!


#481

Yours too!


(Kristin) #482

Hello all! Been keto since Oct 2017. I’m feeling great but weight loss stopped and reversed recently. I think it’s due to menopause and possibly weight lifting heavier. I’ve tried adding more carbs too so that might be it. I’m still in a healthy but high end of that range 5’4" and 140. I used to be 130 so that’s a significant change for my small frame. But I feel great and still fit in my clothes so there’s that. I started charting my meals again and am focused on high nutrient dense food choices. For women our age calories really do matter I think. I’m shifting focus off the number and on to what my body can do. Open to any input. Love this group!!