New to Keto, might need some insights

#1

Started taking on this Keto diet roughly 2 weeks ago. I took a break from it March 7/8th for my 30th birthday. Had some ice cream cake, non diet pop. Got back on it shortly after. Been using a Keto app to track carb, fat, protein and calorie consumption. Me and my girlfriend are doing this together so our meals are based off Keto meals we find online. Im a picky eater which makes this somewhat tough but I tend to not be able to fulfill my calorie needs and often cant quite fulfill the fat intake. Ive been struggling to find things to make snacks with. And mentally having a tough time understanding the foods I can eat, almost seems to good to be true!

Some quick information
30 years old, 255lbs, play recreational hockey, try to make it to the gym 1-2 times a week, and snowmobile when I have time. So I try to stay reasonably active.
Through the day I tend to live on cheese and meat. Sliced garlic ham sausage with sliced cheddar cheese and sometimes sliced up dill pickle.
Pepperoni and cheddar sticks
or just melted cheddar in the oven to make “chips”
I try to avoid my one energy drink I like (Monster Absolute Zero ((5g carb)) no sugar)
I try to limit my diet pepsi intake as well, as it seems to hold me out of a deeper ketosis from what ive seen lately.
I drink minimum 2L of water a day right now
I take MCT oil from Kiss my Keto
I fight cravings left and right for sweets but have no issue staying away. Im just curious if anyone has some tips for getting right into ketosis and maintaining. I want to give this a full effort and reap as much benefit as I can. Summer is approaching and there are some new hobbies I want to take up and be in prime shape for next hockey season.

All help is appreciated!! Thank you!

#2

Sounds like you are reflecting on how you can improve, stay away, etc. Two weeks is very young, the best thing to do is to keep reflecting on what you are doing, and to improve it. If you like to track, track, if not you can do lazy keto.

Don’t get hung up on the scale nor on keto sticks. They can lie. Just cutting all sugar and carbs will change your life over time. So as they say, keep calm and keto on. Peruse the threads for lots of hints and talk about how to think about keto, what to do and how to do it.

Sounds like you made a really good start!

AR

#3

It actually sounds like you’re doing great and have a good grasp of what to eat and what to avoid. There is another thread here where people share their favorite YouTube channels for keto inspiration (Headbanger’s Kitchen has some amazing recipes). They’ll entertain you and you’ll broaden your scope of keto recipes.

#4

I really had to obnoxiously slather my food in fat to feel better, kick cravings and see body comp changes. Like slather. Butter is THE. BEST (tasting) but meat fat helps, too.
You could try upping fat and see what that does for cravings? I see fat in your food incidentally but not added. Do you add?

#5

I add a little with the mct oil capsules, and I tend to shred some cheese on everything. Almost to the point maybe ill be consuming to much dairy.

#6

I am wondering though, I stick to around 30g net carbs per day, typically right on point or under given estimates of the meals and using an app. But I always read about sticking to 20g. Is that pretty critical?
Also noticed my energy level feels like its up a little, but my endurance is way down as well as my recovery time from physical activities is quite a bit longer. I went out snowmobiling yesterday for a few hours and half way through our ride I could barely keep my machine in check, and then today I feel as though I was riding the mountains all week. Or this this something that will bounce back once my body adapts a little better?

(Stephanie Sablich) #7

For some people, they can achieve ketosis with 30g net per day… but many people cannot. A big thing you’ll see here is “N = 1,” meaning that what works for your body is legitimate. Do you know if you’re actually in ketosis? I’m curious about where those carbs are coming from- given what you listed, there aren’t a ton of carbs there. If you’re reducing carbs that much AND not eating enough fat, your body has no idea what is going on, will hold on to weight, and you’ll be tired.

Artificial sweeteners can have an effect on your insulin levels- I know they’re really hard to get away from, but I honestly think that it’s harder to try to navigate those cravings (and detrimental if insulin is a concern) than it is to simply avoid them for a while.

Are you actually hungry throughout the day? When you mention “snacks,” that indicates (to me) that you’re probably not eating enough at actual meal times. A LOT of ketoers (myself included) incorporate both intermittent fasting (IF) and extended-day fasting (EF) into their routine, which really helps. If you’re constantly eating (even if you are eating “keto foods”), your insulin level is going to be consistently high, with no time in between. Insulin controls weight- it is literally a hormone that makes you gain weight.

Just some initial thoughts! Good luck with your journey :slight_smile:

(CharleyD) #8

This isn’t such a bad thing as long as you keep your carbs low and get sufficient (for your needs) protein. Remember that Krispy Kreme you had a decade ago? It’s now on the ready line :sunglasses:

Keep exploring foods! This was the fun part for me. I ain’t a foodie but the first time I baked keto bread and a fathead pizza was pretty rewarding and made me want to learn.

(Chris W) #9

When I first started there was a little, no, a lot of stuff to figure out. I measured ketones on Nov 1 so I consider that my start date even though I had changed my diet a bout a week earlier. I started to feel really good around the 2nd week, I was 247 and 31% BF, I dropped 10% of my body weight in 10 days or thereabouts. My advice is ditch the monster and diet Pepsi, go through the withdrawals unless you are a coffee person. Before I started I was drinking hot water with lemon, once I started I also added coconut oil and MIO (some people react negatively to it) and that replaced what little soda I was drinking. If you are a coffee person try adding the coconut oil to it, or butter. Then you are getting extra fat and helping with cravings, soon they will disappear and your energy will become constant no more ups and downs. Once you hit fat adaption you will start to loose your hunger hopefully. Sausage is good but, cheese is mostly good, I was in a snacking mode for the first few weeks as that is what my body was used to. Once I realized that was counter productive and I was eating more than my macros by a long way I stopped the snacking. It took a few weeks to get to the point were I only eat in a window daily, normally I workout in the morning when I wake up eat a late breakfast and then sometimes lunch and prepare my dinner(I work second) . I can easily control my macros that way with a feeding window. It will get easier if stay away from the carbs and use the KISS method and find some simple easy foods like you have.

#10

It took 4 days after my binge on my 30th bday but teating yesterday I am between 1.5-3.0 so I am in Ketosis again finally. I get some carbs from cut up garlic sausage and cheese slices with or without pickles, also meat and cheese sticks from a store (pepnched). Sometimes a monster energy absolute zero, then it’ll be primarily what we cook for supper from recipes, be it the vegetables or the entire mix.
Sometimes I am hungry and make a snack of sort other times it’s from sheer lack of consumption and just trying to get a little more in. I believe most days I’m probably around 24-27g net carbs.
I won’t say for sure but I may be down 4lbs and maybe some size, and I tend to feel good in all honesty, just want to keep on the right track from the start and get a good handle on this.

#11

I’m trying to phase out the Diet Pepsi and monster for sure. I know they need to go. I’m actually not a coffee person, had all of 1 cup in my life, non smoker as well, and I don’t drink alcohol or use recreational drugs.
Can a person eat to much cheese? It’s a crazy how much I eat.
As we speak I’m at the gym working out on an empty stomach, from what I’ve read its a good thing.

I’ll try eating in windows, should be easy with my job. I run a company in the oilfield, so I’m gone 10+ hrs a day and 90% of the time there isn’t a place to get anything, just what you bring. Sometimes it’s driving in a truck most of the day sometimes it’s wrenching and stairs all day.

I appreciate all the help people. Just looking to get a good balance going.

(Chris W) #12

I work at a cheese processor(packaged from bulk production), I have access to cheese 24/7 yes you can have too much just like anything else. I am pretty similar, hate coffee, don’t smoke, I do drink but very infrequently and I enjoyed the flavors not the being drunk part, which is a a lot easier to accomplish on keto.
Do keep track, I buy cheese sticks as well, that way I can keep track of the macros easier. If I cut into a 8 oz block of cheese esp cheese I have smoked I will find it gone too quickly. And then I tend to eat the same afterwards anyway so I tend to overeat past my macros. I created a real simple spreed sheet which contained the real portion size and its fat, protein and carb content. I worked with that during the first month and it gave me a really good understanding of my limits. And like I said after a while you will just not be as hungry, I have more than once not eaten for a whole day and realized it when I go to bed still not hungry. Just keep drinking the water you will need a a lot.
Some other things I like to eat are spinach(cooked and raw), cauliflower(cooked and raw), salmon patties(no breading), asparagus, brussel sprouts roasted under the broiler, 80/20 hamburger(don’t drain the grease), brats, bacon, guacmola, heavy whipping cream(HWC), sour cream, green onions, bone broth(great for fasting), almonds, pecans, walnuts, pork rhinds. I put some form of fat on all my vegetables, be it butter or bacon grease let no grease go to waste, it may sound odd now but it will not soon. I also supplement protien powder with ice, cocoa, peanut butter, HWC and almond/coconut milk to make shakes when I am in a rush. And then there is the fat bombs…

If you have not I would encourage you to get a blood work up done, you might be very surprised in a few months the difference. I started to loose weight, that has transformed to become lean(10% BF), and stay feeling good. I am half way there in only 4 months, it will get easier.

(CharleyD) #13

I ate plenty before keto and only eat more now! I discovered Kerrygold’s cheddar, and oh my stars and garters is it fantastic. One $3-5 block is pretty satisfying to me now. Try Dubliner, Ballyshannon, Berliner, if you’re into sharp cheddar.

The only concern is if you’re Casein intolerant and it causes inflammation. Check this thread if you’re worried, but I’m afraid only with DNA sequencing or an elimination diet will you really answer your question if there’s too much dairy for you.

#14

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This is how today breaks down for me. Somehow I haven’t had virtually any carbs. Need to make up some fat though however.

#15

I have a few more questions now especially with how I’ve been feeling.

I seem to be a little low on energy and my body isn’t recovering from workouts or hockey games as quick.
I seem to be lacking a little stamina, even days where I feel great, I get into a hockey game and half way through I’m exhausted and I’ll even be a bit more sore than usual and it tends to last an extra day.

I continue to pee on sticks and I’ve never had them as dark as they have been which has been great, I did a 24 hr fast just because why not. It didn’t go well, I was feeling pretty beat, I had played hockey and got home at midnight only to get a call out for work at 4am.

What can I do or am I missing here to help my body out with these issues?

I feel like I’m in a good place transitionally. I am not as hungry or want to eat as often and I want to be moving a lot more. And the scale is showing positive signs albeit I won’t take that as gospel.

(Jay AM) #16

It is very common to experience workout stamina and recovery problems in the beginning. Most people will be weaker than usual. You have depleted the glycogen stores in your muscles and your body is still trying to figure out this whole fat burning for energy thing.

There are 2 stages of keto. Stage one is production of ketones and some uptake of ketones for energy. It happens quickly, usually within days. Stage two is production and efficient use of ketones and fat adaptation. It takes 6-8 weeks to get to for most people and it’s the level where you’ll feel the best once you reach it.

In the meantime, reduce your workout load and save your stamina for things like hockey or fun stuff and not the gym. Take maybe a week off, or, just go with a reduced load in general and take extra rest. Make sure to hit your protein goal and make sure you’re intaking extra electrolytes (sodium, potassium, magnesium). A lot of people also add calcium and zinc.

Pee strips measure the amount of ketones your body is dumping. You want your body to use ketones. The goal with the strips is not to get the darkest mark, it’s to get the lightest mark while still staying under 20g of net carbs. If you are under 20g of net carbs and seeing light on the pee strips, your body is probably being efficient about ketone use.

Don’t worry about intermittent fasting right now. Give yourself at least a couple more weeks before you start a full on IF schedule. Try to reduce snacking and get your macros from meals. Eating causes insulin spikes so, the more often you eat, the more spikes you get and it isn’t desirable. Try doing 3 meals, then 2, then 1. Making sure to get what you need in them. But, if you are starving and need to snack, just do it and make it high fat like fat bombs.

(Chris W) #17

Wait it out until fat adaption kicks in, I lost a lot stamina for about 4 weeks. Once fat adaption kicked in those issues went away and my LISS energy went to 100% all the time. Not sure how you will do with hockey but i have not had issues with short term lifting about 1/2 an hour every day followed by LISS on the cycle.

And yes hold off on the fasting for that as well.

#18

Awesome thanks for the great advice. I’ll cut down on gym time and stick primarily to core workouts. I bought some Himalayan salt to add to help with my sodium and hopefully help these achy muscles that don’t want to recover. I typically eat twice a day as is so it’s not bad, typically a light snack around 11-noon and supper around 5-6 and that’s it. Thanks for the help!!

#19

Ok great to know I’m not the only who suffers(suffered) from the lack of stamina. Hockey is definitely a chore and playoffs are coming up mid April so I’m hoping to have some more drive by then! I’ll definitley not fast for a while, and keep going as I am while tweaking my meals and trying to get some sodium and such in. I appreciate the help!!

(Chris W) #20

Aches can be from one of the holy trinty as I like to call them, salt potassium or magnesium. If you are eating spinach or leafy greens you cover the later two, salt well get used to adding salt to everything and when you think you have enough add some more I put salt in my water as well. Salt can cause a temporary lack of power sort of like hitting the sugar or caffeine wall as well. Potassium you need to be careful of, too much or too little will cause heart issues. I started to supplement potassium when I noticed I needed a lot more salt on harder days or if I had not had leafy greens much. And magnesium I was good until the last week when i did my 72 hour fast and I noticed I was cramping towards the end.