Ok let me make I am on the right track?

[Momma-Bear]

Hi again all you fat busting beauties and gents. I have and probably will continue to have questions. Just want to do everything correctly or else it seems kind of like mild potential torture (I am looking forward to the process so it will be like the good kind of torture)

So I bought some keto approved foods, made a meal plan, ordered a bunch of supplements, a pretty near scale, and the ketone/glucose monitoring stuff. I have 20 hrs of my kickstart 48 hr fast. I will be attempting to do a schedule of 36/12 from then on with maybe a few 4 or 5 day fasts peppered in to keep things interesting. So here are my current questions, thank you for your time and experience.

#1 I got coconut oil, I have seen a couple teaspoons in coffee or tea to help with fat levels and satiation. I have seen 2 different opinions on this. Can I do it on fast days or will it break my fast? Can I use it more than once a day, is there a limit on it? I am worried my fat intake won’t be high enough, so this was just a thought.

#2 Do I need to take the electrolytes on top of putting salt on stuff? Is there too much salt? Is there a way to know if I am getting enough?

#3 Does plain green tea break the fast? Are capsule alternatives just as effective as the drink?

#4 I got some collagen, but also elected to get the prenatal vitamins instead of the regular multivitamin? It also has collagen I believe, yet again I ask of you, is there a threshold on this I need to be aware of?

#5 How often do I test my blood? Is there a procedure I go through? Would I want to check my ketones more frequently to make sure I am in a ketogenic state?!

#6 what if I am just not hungry, do I need to force myself to try and eat my goal of 1500 calories? Or should I just listen to my body?

#7 when I get to my goal weight do I continue on the same schedule or modify my program?

This is me at my lowest weight in 2015, I have tons of these pics which makes me equal parts sad and happy…it also works as a goal incentive. I kept all my clothes from back then so I WILL get back to those jeans, so help me

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[Janie]

I’ll try to answer some of your questions. I’ve been keto almost 2 years and lost 40 lbs. Been maintaining around 9 months. My responses are based on my personal experience so YMMV

#1: Only use as much as needed to not be hungry between meals. If I drink a fatty coffee in the morning I’m not usually hungry until lunch. I only drink water and black coffee when I fast but I am not fasting to lose weight - I am fasting to shrink the loose skin. If a bit of coconut oil in some green tea helps extend your fast, then go for it!

#2: On salt. Headaches or feeling lousy? Eat more salt. Loose stools? Too much salt. Electrolytes if you are having other issues such as leg cramps.

#3: Not in my book but some purists say water only. I can’t fast w/o my caffeine.

#4: Collagen is optional but I just ordered a new tub after stopping it for 2 months. I really think it helps my skin.

#5: No need to test at all, unless just curious. I didn’t test the first 9 months when I lost most of my weight. I like to test when doing a 72-hr fast just to see my glucose drop and ketones rise.

#6: Lots of debate on this! If I am not hungry I don’t eat. You could slow your metabolism down by eating too little. Mine is crap from years of yo-yo dieting so I just deal with it.

#7: I eat basically the same on maintenance as I did when trying to lose weight but occasionally have carbier meals that I avoided in weight loss mode. I go right back on keto the next day and am back into ketosis pretty quick.

I came for the weight loss and stayed for the health benefits. I’ll never go back to eating a SAD diet. Ever. I feel so much healthier now.

[Shinita]

#1 and #3: If you fast, you basically don’t consume calories but there’s everything between pure water and up to 50 kcal. If fat-loss is your goal and not autophagy, it’s not that important. I consume a few kcal at most (I need my tea or coffee, most of us fasters consider it okay), fatty coffee would help me nothing but whatever floats your boat. Don’t do it just because you’ve read it’s good, try it for yourself. A lot of advice don’t work in my case, I always experiment and see what’s best. You don’t actually need a high fat intake per se but usually that’s a good idea IMO (but don’t try to eat certain percents, our body and keto doesn’t work like that). I consider fatty protein sources or some butter a tastier choice but if drinking coconut oil in tea or coffee really helps and doesn’t disgust you, do it.

#2: You already got a good answer.
Some people don’t need to worry about sodium in normal circumstances, others slip salty water all day…
I wouldn’t worry about too much salt, you need more on keto and it’s hard to eat super much. Salt your food, drink enough water, that sounds right. I never ever saw any number for upper salt intake but the recommended lower amount is already pretty much salt unless you eat a lot of heavily salted food.

#4: I don’t know that.

#5: I never do. If you consume under 20g net carbs, you are in ketosis, it’s a safe limit. It’s way tougher with a bigger number so beginners are advised to be there. You probably feel more or less different when in ketosis but they vary from person to person so it’s possible you don’t have any idea if you are in ketosis unless you know you must be (or definitely aren’t) due to your carb consumption.
But you have your stuff, you will use it, it’s fine but don’t worry if you don’t have much excess ketones, maybe your body work effectively and that’s why.

#6: That is where we people are different and there is no single right way for everyone. Listening to your body is usually great but doesn’t always work. Some people end up seriously undereating on keto and it’s surely not right. I would ensure I can eat enough without force. The accidental low-calorie day (or even a short fast) is fine but if you just can’t eat enough for an extended time, you should need to change something. Your food choices or timing, even the number of meals if necessary… Hopefully something will help. Most people don’t get satiated the same using different food. Many of us nearly always can have room for our favorite snacks…

#7: Whatever works for you. Some people stay on keto, some people don’t but going back to the old, possibly bad diet that made one fat is a bad idea. If you can, eat maintenance calories (or more if bulking is your goal), keto is good for maintenance and bulking for many and it’s fine for a long time if one is compatible with it (I mean, feels right, physically, mentally. it’s not for everyone for sure).
But if you have big problems with eating enough, no matter what you do or keto feels wrong or you just aren’t committed enough and you feel about as fine on simple low-carb, that’s an option too.
I always eat my usual keto food, even on my way carbier days, I just eat other things too or use other amounts. My usual food is great and works for me, why to change it drastically? But it’s up to you, you know yourself and your body.

It totally shouldn’t be a torture. If you ate drastically differently before, it easily might be tough in the beginning (maybe really bad, that’s why I did low-carb first) but maybe it will be a relief for your body. It probably will be better later, you probably find great recipes that help a lot longer term… Good luck!

[Janie]

Just to add here. I have MCT oil but prefer the taste of butter in my morning coffee. I still have a lot of the oil left over from when I bought it in the beginning and just make salad dressing out of it.

I recently picked up a small tub of the powdered MCT oil because it’s a lot less messy to pack when I travel for my job

You don’t need any special food to do keto. Just eat real food, carbs < 20 and you are good to go. Simple.

I still like my sweetener in my coffee so I pack Truvia in my backpack. When I get to my hotel I go to the local grocery and pick up heavy cream and Kerrygold butter. I usually use all the cream but bring half the butter back. Doesn’t have to be refrigerated so no biggie.

That’s for domestic travel. Overseas it is more problematic because A) I have no car and B) none of the hotel rooms have fridges like in the US. So, I drink my coffee black with no fat and my Truvia.

More than you asked but keto is more flexible than you think at first. Once you become fat-adapted and your hunger diminishes you will think it is a miracle! I can go all day w/o eating… or 3 days if a deliberate fast and I don’t expire!!

[Momof5]

All the replies you have above are excellent! Welcome to the forum, Kimbrie =). I will answer your questions as well, even though I think the previous answers are great!

1. I was using coconut oil early on in coffee and tea, but not during fasting, unless you want to do a Fat Fast. For Autophagy it is probably best if you can stick to water or plain water or tea. If it is just for weight loss, I think that adding some if it helps you fast longer is fine.

2. I eat Pink Himalyan Salt daily (2 tablespoons and drink water with it, as I don’t personally like drinking salted water). I also take Magnesium Citrate tablets daily (3 of them). I take more salt when I am fasting then that, 3tbspns usually.

3. I drink plain tea, or green tea or herbal tea when Fasting, once in a while coffee, but I am not a big coffee fan, so I don’t have it often.

4. I take a Senior Women Multivitamin daily, whether it is a eating day or a fasting day. I have never bought or used Collagen.

5. I have never tested my blood or used any of the Pee strips either.

6. If you are doing a Fast, and are not hungry and want to prolong it, then listen to your body. BUT don’t be like me and not eat enough on eating days! I made the mistake of fasting a lot, and not eating enough on eating days and it made me stall for 2.5 months and not lose any weight. I have a history of anorexia/bulimia/laxative abuse/diet pill abuse and Yo-Yo dieting, so I was on a dangerous ledge back there, so be careful with this. Fasting is awesome, I love it, but make sure that on your eating days that you are eating enough calories.

7. I suggest you do Keto for life, and think of it as a lifestyle, not a diet.
   You can be a little more lax on Maintenance, if you mostly keep to the 20 grams of carbs or less most of the time, but go over some days and keep track how your body is reacting. Some people find at Maintenance they can handle 30 grams or even a bit more, but all of our bodies are unique so we have to see how our bodies react at that time. The best way is to experiment, if you do eat a bit more, and nothing bad happens (like aches and pains returning, out of ketosis, or you gain weight, then cut back again). If on Maintenance you go go off plan on occasion for special holidays, birthday’s, etc. just get right back on track the next day so that you don’t go wild and gain a bunch of weight back!

Personally I got rid of all artificial sweeteners in June, as my body cannot handle them, but lots of people still have them, and they don’t bother them. You just have to see how your body reacts to things!

Best wishes and please do not hesitate to ask us anything you are curious about; or if you are having any trouble, as we all want you to succeed and are here to help!