New to Keto Diet


(Ashlea Terry) #1

I am on my third day and my clothes seem to be fitting a lot tighter than before. Is this normal? I have been trying to eat 98 grams a fat a day, less than 20 carbs, and 1300 calories. The hard part is the protein because there is protein in almost everything I have been eating (bacon, eggs, meats, cheeses). I am just worried that I am not doing the diet correctly and will end up gaining a bunch of weight instead of losing it. I want this as a way of life and want to be successful at it. Does anyone have any suggestions/comments for me, or any websites that would be beneficial.I really would just love any advice on eating, the diet, or anything else related to Keto. I would be forever grateful.
Also, is it better to take supplements while your on this diet, such as ketones?

Thanks,
Brooke


#2

You’re only on day three so I wouldn’t panic just yet :smile: Have you had a look at www.dietdoctor.com ? It has a wealth of information on keto including FAQs, science, recipes, testimonials etc… Much (most) of the information is free although some stuff is behind a paywall. If you need to reduce protein then you should make sure to use fattier cuts of meat. Some people find that cheese can be a weight loss staller as well but that varies from person to person. As to exogenous ketones - I wouldn’t bother unless you’re using keto to treat epilepsy or some such.

Welcome @Brooke & good luck :smile:

One other thought - out-of-whack electrolytes can impact water weight & bloating so I’d keep an eye on those at first.


(TJ Borden) #3

Why? Stop counting calories and your only fat goal should be to satiety. Stick to the basics:

  • 20 grams or less of carbs
  • moderate protein scaled to lean body mass
  • fat to satiety

As far as ketone supplements (exogenous ketones), it depends on what your goals are, but if your doing this to lose weight and/or correct metabolic derangement then no, exogenous ketones won’t do anything for you.


#4

Welcome! I find the exogenous ketones helpful for getting into ketosis. They don’t cause weight loss directly, but they make it easier to function without carbs as you ease in. When I’m not feeling fat fueled, I have the powder in place of breakfast. I’ve tried 3 brands and I think “Preferred Keto” has been the most effective.


(TJ Borden) #5

Exogenous ketones DO NOT put you into ketosis. A state of nutritional ketosis is when your body is producing ketones. Sure you’ll register ketones, but saying you’re in ketosis after taking exogenous ketones is like saying you ran a 5K after turning your treadmill on then sitting down to watch TV. Sure the machine will show 5K on the display, but you didn’t actually run it. Ketosis is a natural state to be in and with the absence of carbs, many people will actually start producing ketones in a matter of hours.

Plus, other than for a few specific medical conditions, ketosis ISN’T the goal. It’s a path to fat adaptation. For people trying to loose weight or inches and reverse metabolic derangement, fat adaptation is where the magic happens. The key to get there is a state of nutritional ketosis, which means you’re producing ketones, not just turning a pee stick purple.


(Lonnie Hedley) #6

But after I take them and pee on a piece of paper it changes colors!!! :joy::rofl::joy::rofl:


(shane ) #7

I am an outlier here and don’t believe that calories don’t matter.

I would say that for the first 2 to 3 weeks, I wouldn’t combine keto and a calorie deficit though. Eat to satiation while getting into ketosis. Once you get into ketosis, then you can dial your nutrition in tight and losing weight is going to be a breeze with the combination of tracking and keto.

When you get dialed in on your cals, keep your deficits small. .5 to 1 pound a week. Unless you have a bunch to lose. Then you can jump in for higher than a pound a week. The less you need to lose, the smaller your deficits should be.


(TJ Borden) #8

That’s not an outlier position. Of course calories matter, you can’t live without them. The issue is when someone tries to restrict calories based on what on online calculator tells them is their output instead of trusting their body to self regulate, which it can do once we cut out all the shit we were never mean to to eat from our diet.

Oh yeah, see that’s the problem. Your calorie output is a moving target that you have little to no control over. Trying to control a deficit is like me giving you a credit card and telling you “don’t go over the limit”, but you have no idea what the limit is. You’re taking shots in the dark…at a moving target. Even if you get lucky on one day, the target has moved again the next.

A consumed caloric deficit is necessary for loosing weight, but once you become fat adapted, the consumed deficit happens naturally as your body taps stored fat for energy.


(TJ Borden) #9

If that’s the goal, I think the money would be better spent on shots. You’ll still turn the stick purple, AND you’ll have a buzz. :rofl::rofl:


(Lonnie Hedley) #10

Yes, this is the goal, right?


(TJ Borden) #11

Shots it is


(shane ) #12

Taking shots in the dark. LoL Man, seriously, I am sure a dad bod and 20-25 percent body fat is no issue while not tracking cals. If you want to get lean, you better dial that in a little more than letting your body do it naturally.

Your body wants homeostasis. It doesn’t want to carry excess muscle or stay really lean without trying to make it that way.

If you want to get lean, you need to dial in your nutrition. Track, using a food scale even what you are consuming so you have an understanding of why and how you you are losing weight.

You seem to be the keto bully up in here that always chirps that no one should count cals. I am here to tell people that counting cals is not dumb.

Yes calories change from day to day, and I eat from day to day over my cals. When I gain weight I know why I gained.

11 weeks, 31 pounds. Steady calorie tracking and steadily heading into the teens for body fat numbers. All of which is done in a way that I can adjust on the fly, and have no confusion as to why my weight is what it is.


(Annalee Haley) #13

I honestly think the first few weeks should be focused on ‘cleaning out’, both the body and the pantry. Keep carbs low, read all labels, eat real foods and get used to the fact that animal fats are good for you and will help keep you full while your body undergoes a cleansing of glycogen stores. Will you experience cravings? Heck yeah. Eat more keto foods and get through it. I think it is more important to moderate protein after you detox from sugar, fake foods, and grain. Once you start reading everything with a label you will be surprised where carbs hide.


(TJ Borden) #14

So how do you measure your daily output to know what your deficit is, and once you find it, how do maintain a deficit without your metabolism adjusting to match your deficit.


(shane ) #15

I keep my diet to 12 week intervals. Never gain back what you can’t lose in 12 weeks. Bulk/Cut.

I am done bulking for strength reasons though. From here on out I plan to try to just maintain/recomp.

Meaning I will still track, and slowly over time try to bring back my lost metabolism by adding back calories and increasing my BMR over time.


(shane ) #16

This isn’t anything new either. Calories counting/Macro tracking is not taboo. Dom D Agostino’s podcast with Joe Rogan even mentions Avatar Nutrition and it’s macro tracker and how he has people tell him all the time how they can’t lose weight on Keto and he asks them what their macros are and how many calories they are eating and they don’t know. He concludes of course it isn’t working then, as these are key ingredients to know.


(TJ Borden) #17

I’m not saying you won’t lose weight by counting calories. You can lose weight by chopping your leg off too, it doesn’t meet at the healthy way to do it.

If calling out exogenous ketones as the snake oil they are for most people, and trying to prevent newbies from falling into a CICO mindset that has been long established as incorrect, makes me a bully. … I guess I’ll have to live with that.

It does seem ironic that I’m the bully yet you’re the only one name calling. I’ll take the dad bod comment as a compliment since I’m nowhere near that skinny yet.


(TJ Borden) #18

That doesn’t answer the question of how you measure calorie expenditure


(shane ) #19

I wasn’t aiming that at you. I am simply saying obtaining a dad bod of 20 -25 percent would be easy eating to satiation.

I think the term “healthy” is subjective.

You had a girl come in here and ask for advice about her macro set up and you immediately told her she doesn’t need to track calories, eat to satiation, etc.

Dude, some peoples satiation button is broken. Especially those who are over weight. People confuse thirst/boredom/ etc with hunger signals all the time.

Tracking what you eat is liberating in the way that it allows you to understand why the weight gain from day to day.

Hormones do have their place in all of this, so does the amount of food you put in your mouth. Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water. You can have both. Really, you can.


(Ashlea Terry) #20

Thank you so much. I will look on diet doctor and read some more. I also have been using some electrolyte stuff by mio that you put in your water and it has helped with the keto flu. I need to go buy some of those strips to make sure that I am in Ketosis. I eat under 20 carbs a day and use stevia organic to sweeten my coffee or fat bombs. I just want to make sure I am on the right track. Thanks
Brooke