Ketogenic Survival Guide for Beginners

newbies
startingout
beginning

(David) #41

Hear Hear. Lead by example, and then take a few people behind you to get changes implemented elsewhere.


(Wendy Peterson) #42

Maria Emmerich suggests not counting net carbs but total carbs. However if I eat veggies it’s really easy to go over the recommended under 50g per day. So I guess I’d like tonnnow how many “servings” of veggies should I be eating in a day? The non starchy kind of course :wink:


#43

Hi @Wendy_p, it really does come down to the individual. Many people who follow Keto limit their carb in take to no more than 20 grams per day and so vegetables are accordingly limited. Given that Keto is almost the opposite of standard western recommended diets, the reference to “serves” is not a typical measure we use. For comparison, if it assists, I normally have only about one serve a day (eg. three broccolini stems with salt and butter) as a side with my main meal.


(Ellie Green) #44

Awesome post. I’ve been doing this for almost 3 months, my keto rash is almost gone and I’ve only had 4 menstral cycles this past 6 weeks. Will I ever start losing the extra weight? I have about 15-30 lbs I’d like to rid myself of but it just doesn’t seem to be happening.


(David) #45

Have you noticed other benefits?

More energy? more alert? Less hunger/snacking? Clothes fitting differently.


(Ellie Green) #46

No change in my measurements but I do have more energy and I’m more productive. I don’t think my house has ever been this clean. :slight_smile:


(Jameela Frierson) #47

Hello, I started my Keto diet 7 days ago. I am a diabetic. I have taken less insulin since I have started. I just checked my levels and discovered that my Ketone level is above 8. Is this dangerous for me and does this mean I need to eat more carbs and/or slow down on the Keto shakes and coffee.


(Ellie Green) #48

No worries. Your measurements are of ketones your body isn’t using. It’s great that you’re producing ketones but your body isn’t fully utilizing them yet. Give it some more time and I bet your number will decrease. Keep and keto on.


(Marla Cristina) #49

Hi there, this is my first post and first time using a forum. YAY!

I started doing Keto last month and saw awesome results right away. In fact, I lost 12lbs in 16 days. Needless to say, I fell in love with the idea of this lifestyle and I even recruited my mother to do it too. Now she’s lost 10lbs in 2 weeks. That said, after those first two weeks, I hit a wall. I NEEDED carbs and sugar. I listened to my body started incorporating some of those non-ketogenic foods into my diet. Now almost a month in, I’ve still maintained a somewhat keto mind set with many cheat days or meals. I gained 5lbs back which is discouraging but I’m ready to try again.

At this point, I’m trying not to be overwhelmed but I’m kind of overwhelmed. I’m tired of food and eating. It seems like such a process to think about what I should and shouldn’t eat and creating combinations of foods for each meal that will be ketogenic. I’m exhausted! Help!

I’m also overwhelmed with MCT, collagen peptides, blah blah blah. Seems complicated and pricey!

I liked reading some of the tips on here about keeping things simple and I’m going to try that again.That’s how I started and lost the weight the first time. BUT, I just get sooo tired of eating the same things! I’m afraid this isn’t sustainable for me, the girl who LOVES french fries, bread, chocolate, and ice cream!

Any advice?


(KCKO, KCFO) #50

You hit and wall and needed electrolytes replaced, not carbs and sugar. Reread the part about Keto Flu in the original post here. Highlights below:

I’ve not touched MCT oil, I use coconut oil. Sodium and fats are your best friends. The recipe threads here are excellent sources on ideas of what to eat. There are a few threads on what did you eat today that are good sources of ideas too.

Sugar is an addictive substance, you need to get off that ASAP.

Keep calm and keto on.


(Andrea Johns) #51

If you are type 1 diabetic you should check with your Dr on your ketone number.


(Lisa) #52

I am new here too (first post). I started keto about a month ago and have lost 4kgs.
As for food, i downloaded a pile of ibooks on keto recipes. There is so much you can make. I follow a few ladies on instagram (just search keto). There are fat head dough recipes that are awesome and you can make cauliflower mash, bread sticks from the fathead dough and so much else. The internet is your friend with this stuff.


(Lelayna Hernandez) #53

Hi,
This is my first post here, I started keto 5 days ago and so far so good. I am no longer hungry between meals and have lost any and all desire to snack. Overall I have more energy. I am looking forward to hopefully losing some weight, I have about 70lbs that I am looking to drop. I was wondering if any one else here is hypothyroid? Typically it is VERY difficult for me to lose weight but I am optimistic and am hoping for the best.


(Carol Orrell) #54

I have Hashimotos hypothyroidism. Under control for 20 years. I was paleo for about 4 years and using a personal trainer for high intensity interval training. Lost 35 lbs over 3 years. I went keto about a year ago. Just lost a few pounds more but body composition improved (15% body fat), my thyroid function improved so thyroid dosage reduced, and my fasting glucose came in this week at my annual physical at 52. My doc who is a functional medicine doc was ok with it being that low. And did I mention I am 69?


(Alisha Barton) #55

Hi! I just started a new keto journey and im going to be documenting my weight loss, tips and what i eat via youtube :slight_smile: heres my first weekly weigh in if anyone wants to follow along! Week 1 Weigh In


(Ms Hanson) #56

Thxnks, great synopsis of Keto for Noobs. Much appreciated.


(Dennis Edward) #57

Thanks for this detailed explanation.


#60

thx i really needed to read this now!


(Scott) #62

My very first post! Thank-you for accepting me with my also very first question! I need to share that I am on a Keto-Leaning Diet, not a strict. So I “modify” at times…occasionally have the burger AND the bun(!) I know…shame, shame, shame. But I truly have been enjoying the fat, and knowing that that does not MAKE us fat, but allows us to enjoy it.

Success Story ~ I lost 17 lbs in two years, and 3 inches off my waist.
Concern ~ My LDL went up.

Question ~ Will more aerobic exercise “take care” of this sad numeric for me! My wife and I just had a comprehensive blood test, and this was the only “marker” that went South for me. I’m pretty sad today about this. I’m hoping that just a little TWEEK like biking, running, NordicTrack Ski machine 20-25 minutes per day might help?

Thank-you!!

Scott


(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #63

Welcome to the forums!

To answer your concerns, if you’ve been keto long enough to reduce your insulin-resistance, then your carb tolerance is probably a little higher than it was originally. But don’t take that for granted, because keto is like showering—if we stop doing it, we stop getting the benefits, lol!

As for your LDL, I won’t bore you with all the reasons not to worry about it. But the key number is the ratio of triglycerides to HDL. In American measurements, you want a ratio of 2.0 or less; in measurements used elsewhere, you want 0.9 or less. If you are really concerned about your cardiovascular risk, ask your doctor to order a CAC (coronary arterial calcium) scan, which is a direct measure of the condition of your arteries. Cholesterol is at worst a marker for cardiovascular risk, not a cause of it.

Especially if the rest of your blood work looks good, there is no reason to be concerned about cholesterol. Unless of course, you are a statin manufacturer, in which case you want every one to be worried, so they’ll buy your product, lol!

If you want to learn more about the ketogenic diet and how it works, an easy way is to go on YouTube and look for talks given by Dr. Stephen Phinney, or his research partner, Prof. Jeff Volek. They have done a lot of the original research on the ketogenic diet. As for cardiovascular risk, Dr. Malcolm Kendrick, a cardiologist, and Prof. David Diamond, a neurophysiologist, both have videos about cholesterol and statin use. They are sceptics about cholesterol and our fear of it. Two science journalists who are familiar with the relevant research on keto in general and fat in particular, and who and have good lectures summarising what they learned are Gary Taubes and Nina Teicholz. (They have also written some excellent books, but start with the videos first.)

We look forward to having you around these forums. Keep us posted on your progress.