New and not in ketosis yet?

(freddy ) #1

hi there, i’m new to this keto thing. five days in and not in ketosis?
doing under 20 carbs a day. after reading to the point of ad nauseam, the only thing i can maybe think i’m doing wrong is not consuming enough calories? (900 – 1100 a day currently).
….otherwise, how does one consume higher amounts of calories without going way over on the carbs or protein? any insight would be greatly appreciated!
thx

(LeeAnn Brooks) #2

Not sure if that’s why you’re not in ketosis yet (how are you sure btw?), but that is way too low in calories no matter what.

Try adding more fat via butter, oils, mayo… eat meat so high in fat like tuna, chicken thighs with skins on, pork belly and higher fat needs like flank steak. Top all with the fats above. Make sure all veggies are cooked in fat and/or smothered in it after cooking. Bacon and eggs are your best friends, especially if the eggs are cooked in bacon grease.
If you can handle dairy, hard cheeses are great. Softs aren’t bad either but tend to have a bit more carbs, so just watch the carb content.
A handful of macadamia nuts will push those fat and calories up.

Just to name a few.

And welcome to the forum.

(freddy ) #3

thx for the response LeeAnn. to measure level of ketosis i’m using those ‘test strips’. not overly accurate i know, but better than nothing! after these several days the only thing that may be a sign of possible ketosis is i have no hunger between meals…even at 900 - 1100 caloriess a day - and i have actually lost weight, 6 lbs since july 5. i haven’t experienced the keto ‘flu’ at all, and with the test strips being negative i just hope that this drastic life style change (for me anyway!) will not be in vain.
…my target of cal intake is 2100 according to the keto calculator, so i will up the calorie intake. i’ll try your suggestions for uping the fat, without killing the carbs!
results to follow! thx LeeAnn :slight_smile:

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #4

By eating more fat.

Don’t be afraid of fat, fat is your friend. Eat fat until you are satisfied. You may overeat for a week or two, but when your satiety signaling kicks in, you’ll find yourself eating at a reasonable level that allows both your dietary fat and your excess stored fat to be metabolized. This is the essence of a ketogenic diet: carbs under 20 g/day, protein at a reasonable level, and fat to satiety.

(Lillian Somner) #5

They can take lipid enzymes, enzymes that help breakdown fats. They should do that Leto or no Leto. They may not be able to tolerate as much fat as keto recommends.

(Deb) #6

It can take up to a week or more to get into ketosis and even then, without knowing the actual true measurement, you may not know. You can get get meters pretty cheap now. It’s well worth it.

(freddy ) #7

hey guys, skinnyjeans13 was correct! it did take me about six days to reach ketosis. thus far i’m seeing tangible results; weight loss, never really feeling hungry and i have a lot more energy.

i still have one very difficult thing to figure out. can anyone give me examples or a simple meal(s) that will hit my fat target and not go over the 20g carbs? currently i’m eating…

BF: 5 strips bacon, 2 eggs
lunch: approved veggie with 2 tbs butter with chicken leg/thigh
dinner: chicken/tuna/port tenderloin etc and a veggie, if it doesn’t take me past me carb limits (it almost always does…)
snack: peanut butter
cheddar cheese 1 oz

i’m a creature of habit and don’t do fancy recipes and such, so bare bones basic foods that satisfy the macros is what i’m looking for!! any ideas would be welcome and appreciated!!

:slight_smile:

o, btw, here are my target macros…

protein 75
carbs 20
fat 197
cals 2100

(Allie) #8

If what you’re doing is getting the results you want then don’t feel you have to change it just to reach a number. Everyone has different tolerances. If it stops working, that’s when you’ll need to look at it.

(freddy ) #9

…so, you’re basically saying that staying at my carb limit (somewhat) regardless of the other macros is ok? the main culprit for me is finding enough fats (most in any one day has been 63%) and the protein. i’ve read that going over the protein limits isn’t a good thing for one’s success, what have you found the case to be?

(LeeAnn Brooks) #10

What veggies are you eating that are putting you over on carbs? Are you counting total or net carbs?
I don’t see anything there that should make it that high unless you’re doing really carby veggies.

(freddy ) #11

i’m using the app cronometer to track what i’m doing. i’ve got it set for net carbs Including sugar and alcohols

veggies are grn beans, broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts. (what else is there…i’m not very worldly!!!)

for example, this is today’s food itinerary, with the % of macros below.
Bacon, Pork
5
slice - 6" long
187.2

Fried Eggs, Whole Egg
2
large
201.81

Chocolate Coconut Fat Bombs
2
Serving
296

Butter, Salted
3
tbsp
305.17

Peanut Butter, Unsalted
2
tbsp
192.85

Green Beans, Cooked from Frozen
2
FDA Serving Size
47.6

Pork Roast, Tenderloin, Fresh, Visible Fat Eaten
4
oz
192.78

Cheddar Cheese, Natural
1
oz
114.53

macro totals from the above:

103% protein
87% carbs
and only 65% of fats?

when i try to up the fat, it seems to always take me above both the protein and carb limits. (i never want to go over 20g carbs, period!!)

#12

Welcome Freddy,

I think for some of us, it takes a real conscious effort to get the fats up in the early stages. The easiest way I’ve found is to always serve myself a few tablespoons of butter along with meals and add a little sliver to eat bite. Even if I cook with a lot of fat, it’s hard to mop up the melted fat or oil effectively enough, so a sliver of solid butter for each bite works well and tastes pretty darn good. I’m sure others will have good ideas too, we all develop our own tricks.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #13

Fat is not magical, it’s just the one macronutrient of the three that stimulates insulin the least. If you are eating to satiety, then you are fine. Can you go hours between meals without hunger pangs? Do you sometimes forget to eat? Then you are fine.

Too much protein will increase your insulin level more than is desirable (too little, and you will starve to death), so you don’t want to really overdo it. But the expert recommendations cover a fairly wide range, so my take on it is that there is some wiggle room. Don’t stress out about it. And if you find yourself feeling cold and lethergic, you need more protein.

The hard and fast rule is carbohydrate. It pays to treat 20 g/day as a hard limit. That said, everyone’s actual tolerance is different, and your body might be fine with more than 20 g/day. Try to keep it as low as possible, however. A nice way to get in more fat (if you want and need it) would be to ditch the veggies and eat salad with a high-fat dressing (I favor blue cheese, yum!).

(freddy ) #14

good idea! i’ve been putting the butter with the veggies, and it is tough to get the full tablespoons consumed. well, this wasn’t exactly like brain surgery!! more butter equals more fat. dah. i just wasn’t sure on how to consume all that butter!

so, i just plugged in various amounts of butter to todays menu, and aside from increasing my fat, i took a hit on the calories! however, i’m not going to stress about the cal numbers, as long as they don’t become ridiculously high.

thx callisto, this will be my fail safe plan!