Keto women over 50

(Courtney ) #121

Hi, congratulations! You are doing great! Can you tell me how to ease into the fasts, how you did it? And do you have coffee or anything at all when you fast?

Thanks!

(Victoria Mc Coy) #122

Just found a new doctor this week. I have to drive 30 minutes to get to his office, but he understands and supports Keto and fasting as my way back to metabolic health. Could not sell my former doctor on the need to test fasting insulin, inflammation, etc, and was very disappointed by her dismissal of this approach as another fad diet, so I researched to find someone who could support me in this as well as with my general health needs. Glad I did it.

(Victoria Mc Coy) #123

I gave myself a month on the Keto diet before adding fasting. I believe that being fat-adapted made that leap much easier. Then I took about a month to work my way from intermittent fasting to a 36 hour fast.

In the third month I was able to extend my fasting to do several 2-3 day fasts. I also began working with a coach from the Intensive Dietary Management program (Dr Fung’s group). Since then during most weeks I fast 3-5 days with OMAD or 2MAD Keto diet on eating days.

I have used fats as ‘training wheels’ to get me through fasts in the early days, including Bulletproof coffee most mornings and sometimes half an avocado in the evening during my “baby-steps” phase. The IDM program provides lots of great information to support adaptation to fasting and I took advantage of lots of it and read all of Dr Fung’s books as well.

Now I’m able to fast with coffee, tea and water only, although I will add 2T Brain Octane Oil to my morning coffee when I wake up ravenous. It might not be the fastest or the most pure approach, but I get better at longer fasts and get healthier and leaner with each passing week. Also, I understand so much more now about how I can restore my metabolic health, that I have rediscovered hope and faith in myself - and that feels pretty great. :blush:

#124

I do the intermittent fasting daily, just 16/8 right now, but definitely have to have coffee and sometimes put some coconut oil in. I don’t know what OMAD is, or the other. I went into menopause so early at only 42. Don’t have a clue why. Nearly 60 and still having hot flashes. Drs are no help. At least not around here. And just the last couple days I’ve realized I’ve been sabotaging my keto with maltodextrin and possibly Ace-K in my drinks!!! Aaaarrrg!

(Victoria Mc Coy) #125

OMAD is short for one-meal-a-day. 2MAD means two-meals-a-day. There is a lot to learn in this new area of science, but it’s given me a real chance to get my metabolic health back, so I’m eager to learn! Wishing you the best on your journey. :sunny:

#126

Thanks so much. And when you said one meal a day… I could immediately hear Homer Simpson say “Doh!”. I sure hope I can adapt to this way of life as I see benefits already. Think I’ve now bounced back from all the maltodextrin and hidden Ace-K stuff. Feeling much more keto.

#127

Im still new to all this but have been in it for about a month and i find if i go over in my protein i stall out with the weightloss and i did a little reading and read that its easier for your body to turn to that extra protein for its fuel than your fat? Again, im new also but it seems to happen with me.

(Victoria Mc Coy) #128

You can! Lots of support and good info here, and the encouragement of others who’ve blazed the path before us! :sunny:

(Victoria Mc Coy) #129

You’re correct. That can happen. That’s why many of us believe that protein has to be more measured than fat when you’re trying to fix metabolic disregulation.

(Maile) #130

I’m 56 and I am pretty OCD in most things that I do including doing the ketogenic diet. I started about a year ago when I gave up skinny pop popcorn during a nutrition challenge at the gym. I only had about 8 pounds to lose was hoping for 10 but I got down to about 132-133 lbs (5’4” Athletic build). I ate a lot of skinny pop so that in itself made a big difference, but I pretty much ate a high-protein diet for the last year (Bacon, eggs, some veggies, nuts seeds lots of guacamole). When I looked more into the keto diet I realized I had it wrong… I needed to be higher fat, less protein. Undergoing elective eyes surgery where I wouldn’t be able to be very active for three weeks, I really studied the ketogenic diet with the intermittent fasting (Fung, Longo, Sisson). Because I was already pretty well fat adapted it was easy to do a 48 hour fast right off the bat. There was no keto flu just a slight headache and very severe backache the first day. I then would do a couple days of intermittent fasting (dinner at 6 PM and then a green smoothie at 2 PM the following day then dinner at 6 PM again). I would then fast again every 24 hours for two or three days (OMAD) then back to lunch and dinner. Over the last month I’ve done it probably 10 times with fantastic results. I obviously lost some muscle during this time and water loss, But my weight pre-surgery was 137 and here I am back to regular exercise building my strength back and weighingabout 125 to 127. I had my body fat measured with a whole logic machine which is considered the gold standard at 15.6%. That’s a solid 4% fat loss since I started. Yes some of my muscle came back about 3 pounds worth but I do work out in the morning in a fasted state; I have plenty of energy, my cardio is great. For me the time restricted eating has been great. I really like the MCT oil in my coffee with some Stevia, Himalayan sea salt, and a little bit of my chocolate protein powder… I know that’s not a true “fast“ with this in my coffee (2cups) but it doesn’t spike my insulin and I’m not really looking at the calories. I eat more nuts and recently started adding string cheese. I’ve had wine once or twice and some vodka sodas socially. The keto mojo meter has been a great investment as far as keeping me motivated and knowing that I truly am in high ketosis every day. Sunshine, hikes cardio and strength training has all helped. I honestly don’t think about food that much, I really am surprised about this as I’m an evening snacker normally. I don’t need a lot of variety with my food so I’ll eat a canned tuna with kimchi a lot of olives from Whole Foods and an avocado for dinner most nights. I will eat a steak occasionally. I haven’t eaten sweets in ages, Those cravings go away after a week or two once you make the commitment to rid them from your life. I don’t eat bread or chips or pasta or rice or cereal or grains. So I know that if people are willing to give up their carbs they will see improved health and immediate weight loss. My blood pressure is running 106/62. It’s not like it happened overnight I just slowly became low carb and I can’t even imagine going back to eat processed food lifestyle. Good luck! You can do this.

(Laurie) #131

Count me in!!

(Jacqui ) #132

Good for you Victoria. I’m also 60 years of age. I was doing really well on keto and feeling fantastic. Now I have just returned from 5 weeks holiday. I have put on a few kilos and I have to start all over again. I just want to get back into the Keto feeling of lack of cravings, hunger. I won’t go away again for a long time. Being healthy is more important to me.

(Sharon S ) #133

Me too.

(Sharon S ) #134

I am just starting on keto and was unaware that burning fat increased estrogen. I am a breast cancer survivor and the cancer was estrogen fed. Would this be harmful for me?

(Aimee Moisa) #135

Hi, is there a thread for Keto women just slightly under 50? (OH MY GOD I’M ALMOST 50!)

(Maura) #136

Having a support system can be enormously invaluable. I just turned 51 on June 18. Where in the PNW are you? I live with my wife and a very talkative Russian Blue cat in Tacoma, WA. I had lived in Seattle from 1990-2001 but I’m originally from the East Coast. My wife and I relocated to Tacoma from Atlanta, GA in 2015.

I’m a Type 2 diabetic and just started the Keto way of living in March of this year. I started full on, no taking small steps for me, no sir! Aaaaaand…I’ve fallen. I am so addicted to sugar, even with Type 2 diabetes…it’s been difficult.

Okay, I don’t want to write a novel here! I would be happy to join a support system if anyone else wants to.

(Maura) #137

You should research this on YouTube and other places.

(b vo) #138

I sure would check with your doctor but most of the advice I have seen is that losing weight will minimize breast cancer recurrences.

I can tell you that there is estrogen stored in your fat cells as have had to stop my HRT estrogen while on keto. I do not believe the estrogen from losing weight is anything near to the estrogen levels caused by drinking alcohol. I have seem studies stating alcohol can increase estrogen as much as 300%.

(Sharon S ) #139

Thank you ladies for your input. It has been most helpful. I had always heard and read that losing weight was beneficial in preventing cancer. I think I will go with that but will discuss it with doc next appt.

(grace elizabeth) #140

I’m not afraid to tell a doctor anything. I don’t even have one right now. Over the years I have never had one who helped me, only talked down to me, the only help they had was to write a prescription, which I won’t take. I know my health problems are from my diet and lifestyle and that is how they must be fixed. Finding this forum has been far more help to me than any doctor ever was.