Newbie Keto Progression-what's your take?

(Tj Slattery) #1

So I am 10 days in and getting the fundamentals down, 20 g carbs, high fat, moderate protein. Took a bit of adjustment for me to get the “stinkin thinkin” of CICO turned around, and I am still working on the eating more fat when hungry. That’s a shift for me.

So I bought some keto stix to give me an idea if it was working, the scale says so, but I wanted another way to verify. I understand they are the least accurate measurement, but for me its a start, and they have color, so that is a bit of reassurance for me that I am in ketosis.

I keep reading about this WOE from every source I can find, but am curious why such the focus on fasts? I understand if you plateau and want to jumpstart or something but other than a max of 24 hours, I really don’t get it. Could someone explain that to me a little.

Also about a week ago I started to get a pretty uncomfortable skin condition, you know, like the ones jock’s get. I thought it was because of my renewed focus in the gym, but after a few days of not going away, I thought, huh? Could this be related to how I am eating and yep, I found some info on the Keto Rash, so another question- what’s the most successful way to get rid of it? I don’t want to increase my carbs, but it is rather uncomfortable.

So any thoughts about the fast, and the dang rash?

Also curious if this is similar to anyone’s else’s journey’s beginning? Appreciate the feedback!

#2

Don’t sweat it, fasting isn’t for everyone. I found myself falling into IF by accident rather than design as a result of just eating when I’m hungry. I haven’t tried an extended fast and, to be honest, at this stage it doesn’t interest me. Others swear by it, so maybe in the future. Just keep doing what works for you.

Fortunately I didn’t suffer from Keto rash, so can’t help you with that one.

The first 2 weeks are the hardest and sounds like you’re doing well. There’s a lot to read and digest on LCHF, but if there’s one key take away that I’ve learned from Keto its simply this: just listen to your body.

Everyone is different and therefore what works well for some may not work so well for others. As our favourite 2 Dudes always say, you’re an experiment of one. N=1 and KCKO!!

(Human) #3

It mostly for t2 people as it really gets the insulin down and improves insulin sensitivity. This video explains it well, it goes on a bit but you get the general idea after about 5 mins, then the idea gets repeated again and again as different analogies.

(Mirissa Joy Beavers) #4

OMG I totally got the keto rash and didn’t realize that’s what it was until just now :joy::joy::joy:
I just used Vaseline and it finally went away. How funny!!

#5

It is just something most people seem to fall into after a while. A fast can be anything really from a shortened daily eating window - many people just eat one or two meals a day for example - to an extended fast of multiple days. I wouldn’t concern yourself with it at all. One day you might find yourself thinking, “I really don’t feel like breakfast, I think I’ll just skip it”. Then you might do the same for lunch another day, and so it goes one. You may never want to eat less than your 3 square meals a day thank you very much and you can keep your fasting malarky! That is fine too. This is your adventure and it leads wherever you want it to.

(Scott Shillady) #6

The difference between calorie restriction and fasting, by Jason Fung

This is a great article about the power of fasting.

#7

You don’t have to fast. When I first started listening to the podcast, I had already been keto for a few months. All the talk of extended fasts sounded f’ing crazy to me, so I just pretty much ignored it. It’s totally not necessary and not recommended when just starting out so don’t worry about it. I did get into intermittent fasting by skipping breakfast. I’m not a big egg eater, so just drinking coffee with cream for breakfast works super well for me. You can try that if you get burnt out on eggs or just feel too lazy to make breakfast. Again, not required at all.

Here’s a post on dietdoctor.com with some info and suggestions for keto rash. https://www.dietdoctor.com/keto-rash-people-itch-low-carb

(Jennie) #8


Another admin posted this elsewhere and when I went looking for help/info on a rash, I found your post too and thought I’d pass it along.

I heard via a Facebook group that @richard has a theory about keto and candida rashes? If this is the case, I’d love to hear the theory.

Hope this helps @Tj_Slattery!

(I want abs... olutely all the bacon) #9

For keto rash, Richard’s discussion on possible candida connection
https://m.facebook.com/groups/1595453080771766?view=permalink&id=1707365772913829

Link to post on teetree oil working
https://m.facebook.com/groups/1595453080771766?view=permalink&id=1707896669527406

(Daryl G Jackson ) #10

Started 12/25/17 5’9" 205 pounds. Today I weigh 190. Doing intermittent fasting 6 hours eating, 16 fasting. My next bio numbers will be done in February, my doctor did say watch my carbs, she is young and probably will be delighted with my weight loss and improved bio numbers. I do have a gout attack from eating beef, so until fat adapted I am staying mostly away from beef, it’s my left knee, ugh. I can still walk and work it’s just painful to the touch. Otherwise it’s been two weeks and 15 pounds woo hoo! I have done low carb diets since the early 90s, but before reaching weight goals I usually got nervous about kidney damage and heart disease, keto is changing my life.

(Cruzer) #11

My experience: Started August 21 this year, and have lost 30 lbs. First month was tough figuring out what to eat but have since fallen into a pattern. Eating veggies is tough for me so eating this way is easier. I have fallen off the wagon a few times, but it usually feels bad enough that I want to get back on the wagon. I haven’t done any exercise but I’m getting to the point where I think I need to. I’ll probably start with walking and try to find something to build muscle, but I’m not a big fan of exercise. I can’t really complain, this seems to work for me and I feel much better after losing the 30 lbs. I still have at least 30 more to go…

#12

I think many people find LCHF/ keto while trying to lose weight, and people with weight they really want to lose can commit to things like fasts because fasts work without dispute for many people. It’s liberating to so many people and also is becoming much less taboo to talk openly about which is great.

Personally I tried a 3… 5 then 7 day fast over 2 months of keto and each time consistently lost weight that has stayed off as I continue with my keto WOE. Before Keto I never would have considered deliberately skipping a meal.

I think fasting may have helped me become fat adapted sooner. I will echo the above posts though - just listening to your body and doing your best to follow keto to become truly fat adapted is the primary first milestone for newbies… But as you advance, more options start to come available as you try things out.

Fasting is just another tool. For me, i find it helped bust through a couple plateaus and also really understand alot about my own hunger (mostly habitual or out of boredom). Fasting was an eye opening experience. The weight loss was just kind of a nice bonus, and keto is still the primary reason I’m getting healthier on all fronts. Good luck on the journey!

#13

I think the main benefit of fasting beyond the weight loss is that it breaks the automatic eating cycle. You stop eating because of habit. It helps get you to one or two meals a day and no snacks which is important to reduce insulin. The whole grazing pattern is gone

As for the keto rash, I treated it like it was candida. Took a probiotic. I did get a little rash whenever I sweated. I think it is the ketones in the sweat that irritated my skin. It eventually stopped but the potential is there. The interesting thing is that I often get rashes when on Sad, I never get them on moderate carb (75g - 150g carbohydrate per day) but seem to still sometimes get them on keto but they do not bother me the same way they did a few months ago but may again in the summer or autumn

(Daryl G Jackson ) #14

I know fasting isn’t for everyone, but I won’t say it’s not necessary to break a plateau or just when one feels like it. Sometimes while working, OTR team truck driver, I will start my day with a keto coffee or a low carb bagel, that may be at 12 or 1, and my next meal may not be until 6 or 7. I may chew sf gum, have a snack of macadamia nuts or some thing fattish mid day. Let me tell you of a back story about fasting and myself. I read a book by Dr. James Johnson who is the founder and expert in the Alternate Day diet where one eats 500 calories on fasting days and don’t go crazy all other days, with Saturday being a free day. I was at 213 then and actually got down to the lower 190s doing ADF. My point is you can fast like Carl with just one bulletproof coffee when hungry, or like Richard, a cup of broth. OR you could just eat when hungry, for some keto ers that is 3 meals and snacks, for others it’s 1 meal with a few snacks. Even if one ate limited keto food every other day, they will lose weight, if one does intermittent fasting it proves to be a great tool. It’s up to the individual to use what tools used to what goals are determined and accomplished. There should be daily goals and future goals for best success. We buy our food and pre make it for our trips. Sometimes we split a subway chopped salad or eat a breakfast or low carb meal at Dennys, but mostly we eat on the truck. I am at 190 now as I started at 205 December 5th 2017. I have not weighed in about 6 days so I hopefully will be under 190.