While I am not there yet (my fat-loss seemingly takes forever), I basically maintain since many years, on/off keto (it’s not the same as someone who is thin already but maybe similar to the ones who are pleased with simply not being overweight anymore. I am borderline normal now). I am low-carb for life, I knew that 9 years ago, it was so much better than high-carb! I need it for my well-being. 100g net carbs is definitely out of question, I went below 80g when I went low-carb and realized it is a natural limit for me, it’s way better below than above but it’s way too much for me now, it doesn’t feel right and accidental overeating has a too big chance.
I lose fat if I eat little enough but if I eat less carbs, I eat less fat (unless I go crazy with my not satiating fat sources, added fat and cream) and much fewer calories… Keto was always good for maintenance but for losing when I am not very fat anymore, I need to go really low. I have a high-carb (and therefore very high-fat) past and I am prone to massive overeating if I consume much carbs. I have a hinch it’s not nearly as bad now but I don’t want to try (I probably would feel horrible before I could gain much fat).
But I focus on my health and well-being, first of all. I choose the way that gives me the most joy and best health. I should slim down on that woe somehow. But I am lucky, lowering carbs solves everything. So I keep that.
I sometimes do the opposite of the usual advice. When I started keto and clinged to it to get my fat adaptaton reward, I ate way more carbs than now and I had a way more variety in ingredients. It’s way better now. I don’t add things, I learn to enjoy what I have better through elimination. But I did add meat lately, that was cool and needed But the elimination is the important part, that triggered positive changes. Some of us do this: we get used to keto and realize we can go lower, deeper, stricter And it solves the problems that ketosis and fat adaptation alone couldn’t.
My body loves my ever lowering carb intake and if I add a significant amopunt of carbs, it complains. So no, I can’t add back carbs, only very temporarily and not without limits. I don’t have much energy to begin with but my energy plummets if I add “much” carbs and I often notice negative changes adding just a little. It varies a bit but there is a super strong correlation between sugars and my feelings, starches are better but they are bad too. It doesn’t matter that plant or animal sugars, lactose in abundance isn’t good either.
The size of the eating window may be changed after fat-loss too. I don’t want that, I prefer having a small one. I can add not satiating fat and eating enough that way without a higher level of satiation. But maybe my body will simply want more when there will be little fat to lose, that makes sense too. Eating enough is very easy for me, I don’t need serious changes, I do what feels right.
But who knows what future brings? My woe keeps changing… It changed drastically on keto. I just hope I am close now.
I don’t do serious exercise, just walking, hiking, cycling on a hilly area (not fast at all :D), weightlifting with my baby weights… I never noticed carbs would help me at this level, in the contrary.