Keto women over 50

[grace2166]

Hi Maura, yes having a support system is very important and is something I just don’t have IRL. I do pretty well at eating keto, I just have to get better at fasting and get my glucose down. Its been high way too long and I know that if I keep this up, bad things are going to happen.
I live in PNW too, near Bremerton.
I know how to fix this, thanks to all the research I have done, and I’m convinced that keto is the way for me. I hope someday to be telling my success story but right now I struggle to do what I know I have to do.

[Victoria_McCoy]

You’re still welcome here, Aimee!

[ladylyssa]

Aw, thanks!

[Grannypants]

I am so happy to find this forum. I started keto a couple of weeks ago with fits and starts. Now I am recording my food with an app. I had good energy and my focus was so much better at first. I am having a major issue though. I went swimming for about 20 minutes on two occasions a couple weeks apart and this totally floored me and it has taken a week to recover - no energy, can’t hardly get off the couch, everything seems like a huge effort. I wasn’t tracking my electrolytes and I picked up some tips, but does anyone have any advice? I want to lose weight, but my main goal is to be stronger and to be able to be active again. This feels like a set back. I have increased my carbs to 60gr to see if that will help. I have always been able to push my body when I’ve needed to and not pay such a high price. I don’t want to to go back to carbs, but I love swimming and want to get back into mountain biking. I work a ton of hours, so I know I’m not in great shape. There are so many things to track, I feel like I keep missing important information.
Thanks for creating this thread, I have learned a lot from the posts.
Danielle

[arios95]

I started Keto/IF May 18 and last week I took a blood test with my NMD hoping my numbers would look good. I am still losing fat and Fasting between 36 and 48 hours a few times a week. My HDL is 47, MyTG 119, ratio 2.5. My LDL is 131 and total cholestrol is 191.

My real concern is my hsCRP is 7.4!!!

Last year my total cholestrol was 264 - HDL 56 and TG 119 so last year I had better ratios. I dont cheat with carbs or starches except I do drink wine. My BMI is 26.4 and I am hypothyroid…

My NMD is having me take Fish Oil, Folate 5mg/day, milkthistle, CoQ10, Vitamin C 1000mg, and Nature Thyroid. Im guessing the wine has gotta go.

She has me down for another test in 3 months - she thinks ill be at a stable weight by then. Ive lost 13 pounds so far. She also wants me to increase my carbs to 30 grams daily, but ok with the fasting.

[VirginiaEdie]

Your body needs to get used to burning fat for fuel. This is called getting fat adapted. It takes time. Some people take longer than others and age does seem to play a part in that, unfortunately.

I was 51 when I started keto. It took me about eight weeks to start getting fat adapted and my endurance started improving from there.

[Jenny965]

(I may have posted in the wrong forum previously)
Hi. My name is Jenny, I am 53, have high blood pressure, hypothyroidism, my HGBA1C% 5.2 and I weigh 215 lbs. I have been pretty active, but recently my back and knees hurt, and have not been able to workout like I am used to. I just started the keto diet 3 days ago, and I am already a little discouraged. For some reason I thought this diet included unlimited meats. I went over my protein grams by triple yesterday, doubled my fat grams, and only ate 14 of my 18 grams of carbs. Today I decided to fast and haven’t eaten in 26 hours. I am trying to go until tomorrow around 4 before I eat again. I am trying to decide if I should have a eating window, (like 4-7) or spread my meals out all day. I guess I will see how I feel tomorrow, and go from there. I think the biggest problem I will face is keeping within my protein macros. I LOVE TO EAT! and I love to feel full. That’s why I am considering the “eating window”. Are there others out there that have had success with the intermittent fasting? Thank you for your help, and experience!

[fetching]

I just turned 55 and have been on Keto since May 5. I had uterine cancer 5 years ago and put on 20+ lbs after my hysterectomy. I started Keto to try to reverse Fatty Liver Disease with NASH, and also my numbers show I am pre type 2 diabetic. I started Keto at 197.7 lbs and today I weigh 182.8. At first the weight came off fast and then it slowed down and plateaued here and there. I feel better on Keto than I have on other “diets” and I believe Keto, or perhaps to a similar degree at some point, low carb, is the best WOE for me.

[fiddlebanshee]

I guess I never posted in this thread. Hi, I’m Jo and I am 58 y/o. I had a hysterectomy (uteris only, I still have my ovaries) at age 50 and have slowly gotten into menopause since then. I lost about 40 lbs (from 195 lbs to 155 lbs) during the early 2000s with Ann-Louise Gittleman’s fat flush diet, which was a low carb low fat highish protein calorie restricted diet. I was alway hungry on that diet, and felt deprived.

At some point I could not keep up the motivation and dropped out. However, I did keep some of the good habits of eating only non-processed carbs and not in excess. I kept eating at a caloric deficit but was gaining steadily and my sweet tooth returned resulting in more and more “cheats” of pastries and other sweets during the day at work. First once a week, then once a day, and eventually more than a few a day during a time of high stress at work. I got into a brainfog that dropped my efficiency at work to an all time low.

Fast forward to March of this year. I went to a new holistic dr. mainly because I needed a refill for a blood pressure med. I was in a total denial about my sugar addiction. She weighed me in at 184 lbs, and told me to lose weight by doing a 2 day drinking heavy cream only fast at a quantity of a quart day and then gave me a list of lowish carb foods to eat. No explanation as to why or what. I couldn’t do a quart a day of heavy cream, did about half of that and was totally full. I started researching high fat diets and stumbled across keto. Listening to the dudes podcast convinced me to try this in a little bit more well documented way. I started on April 1.

As of today I have lost 18 lbs. The first 8 in the first week, the rest with stalls, plateaus and wooshes. I’ve learned to trust the process and not be obsessed with the numbers. I tracked everything that went into my mouth for the first 2 months and, after I had learned what to avoid and what to eat by seeing the numbers every day, I decided I would not track any more and trust my instincts. I still weigh everyday but I am no longer even recording. It’s just a habit at this point. I also started incorporating fasts.

Results? Night sweats – greatly reduced. Blood pressure down from 180/100 to 130/90 and off bp meds. This is still going down as I am getting more fat adapted. Energy levels up dramatically. Endurance when hiking dramatically improved. No longer out of breath walking up hills. Sometimes I take the stairs to my office on the 11th floor because I need to get an outlet for that physical energy that I feel. My colleagues are increasingly thinking that I am out of my mind. As a matter of fact my mind has never been as focused as during KETO.

Recent bloodwork also showed that I have the APOEe4 gene. So yea, this is me on KETO for the rest of my life. And it is a future that I embrace with enthusiasm and confidence, looking forward to energizing and cleansing fasts, fueled by scrumptious high fat meals.

[buxomlass]

She weighed me in at 184 lbs, and told me to lose weight by doing a 2 day drinking heavy cream only fast at a quantity of a quart day and then gave me a list of lowish carb foods to eat. No explanation as to why or what. I couldn’t do a quart a day of heavy cream, did about half of that and was totally full. I started researching high fat diets and stumbled across keto.

I’m seeing this as a challenge … a challenge I’m up for!

[Regina]

She weighed me in at 184 lbs, and told me to lose weight by doing a 2 day drinking heavy cream only fast at a quantity of a quart day and then gave me a list of lowish carb foods to eat.

Oh I could so totally do that!

[Jenny965]

Hi again,
I ended the fast at 46 hours. The hunger was not that bad, and I broke the fast with a cobb salad. Within 15 minutes, I really had to use the facilities! Gone several times since then. Is this normal???
I finished all my macros by 7pm and now I am prepared to go until 4pm tomorrow. It was really hard to juggle the percentages for my macros. Although I was under by 2grams on carbs, right on for fat (112g) ate 83g of protein out of 90g, and under calories by 11, this juggle will be my biggest challenge for this way of eating. Is it okay that I am under proteins by 7g? Seems like a lot. Also how could I eat those proteins with out now going over fat and calories?

[Jenny965]

Thank you for the inspiration!

[mtncntrykid]

Gone several times since then. Is this normal???

Most people that do extended fasts deal with this situation in the beginning as they trial and error the find the best foods for them personally to re-feed with. You have to start your digestive tract again and it will be easier with certain foods than others and it is an individual thing. My suggestion for your next time would be to go slow and introduce a small portion of something then an hour later a little more. This gives the digestive tract time to wake up and get the motor started and might help keep you from …you know.

[Jenny965]

Makes sense. Thank you very much for your help.

[Victoria_McCoy]

Being under on protein and carbs is never an issue as long as you’re eating to satiety. Also, it’s very common for your digestive system to go a little sideways when you refeed after a longer fast. Sometimes it helps to start with something smaller an hour before you have that meal - a few olives or an avocado? But I usually try to be at home when I first refeed after a longer fast for this reason!

Sounds like you are doing great, Jenny! Try not to sweat the macros too much. The big thing is not to eat too many carbs or too much protein (if you have insulin resistance issues - excess protein isn’t always an issue for everyone). Are you using an app? The apps can be a great help at the beginning, but as you keep learning you’ll find what is best for your body and your goals so you can personalize those guidelines.

[Dianna1]

I am 55 and began Keto on June 1 2018. I have lost 3 only. I have about 15 pounds to lose and find that there may not be any diet except fasting that gets me to my goal weight. Any ideas please. I enjoy Keto but I’m afraid the calories are too high to lose.

[Dianna1]

I can totally relate to you. Can you elaborate on your diet plan? I need some pointers.

[SondraRose]

I am a Keto Carnivore to maintain, but I need to eat meat/seafood only (no eggs, cheese, heavy cream, or extra butter) to drop body fat. Or I can fast for 3-5 days.

[Tami4]

Enjoying this thread. I’m hypothyroid, too, and will be 50 in June. It’s been an interesting ride. My blood says I’m in ketosis, but my hunger levels don’t. My body and clothes say I’m losing weight, but my scale doesn’t. My energy levels and digestion say I’m getting the benefits but my energy level and sleep do not.
I’m remaining calm and continuing on. I dont count or measure, I just eat as few carbs as possible, and that still works out to near 20 with incidentals like those in cheese, bacon, coconut milk, etc.
I feel better than I did even with all this so I’m keeping on keeping on. But it’s a trip

I have been hypothyroid for over 25 years. I have also spent my life either being on a diet or knowing need to start one. I am now 60 years old and conventional low fat diets have completely stopped working for me. I started keto April 17 and initially lost about 11 lb, but then stalled. I started reading that weight loss with hypothyroidism is especially hard and may require OMAD in order to for weight loss to continue. I found TMAD pretty easy and OMAD was doable, but required a lot of effort. I did OMAD intermittently for awhile to get used to it and then slipped into OMAD pretty easily. As of today, I have lost 23 lb! I’m pretty happy with that, although I am hoping for more. My goal is at least 50 lb total, so I’m almost halfway there. And I’m more than willing to accept keto as a lifestyle change so I don’t have to go on any more “diets” to help me get to a healthy weight. Good luck!