One month in

(Michelle) #1

So, here we are at the end of January 2017. I’m one month into the keto lifestyle and I love it. I started Keto this year in order to improve my health, disease prevention, and well, see how easy/hard it would be to stick to something for a lifetime. I’m still new, but here’s what I’ve noticed so far. Wondering what other newbies have noticed in switching to keto??

  • I took to it like a duck to water. No keto flu, no cravings at all. Easy to follow
  • I totally dig cheese, and I have cut back from the beginning days, but I still enjoy it
  • It’s easy to find something when you go out (i.e., cheeseburger - no bun) without disruption to the whole table
  • I have found my inner cook, because making your own keto food is just better (and fat head pizza is to die for)
  • I still buy way too much food, need to learn how to shop better
  • I find opposition from my friends at every turn (“that’s dangerous”, “when are you going to stop this, January is over”, “are you ever going to eat sweets again”, blah blah blah) . this is the hardest part. Explaining to people that I just don’t want sugary desserts or carbs again
  • I am steadily losing about a pound a week, which is perfect for me
  • My sleep has improved 180 degrees and I love it
  • Oh, found this forum and now surf this about 600 times a day. Very supportive and informative group here

Would love to hear from other newbies in their keto journey.

(Geoffrey) #2

I also started a month ago and I will never go back to a carb diet. I did go through the keto flu but it was gone after 2 days. I had more than enough weight to lose so currently it is falling off of me.

I do see people look at me weird and isn’t sure if it is healthy or not, and I am attempting to get my mom into it since she has heart issues. But she thinks saturated fats are super bad for you.

Its great to see others that are enjoying it and feeling better than before. This is an amazing lifestyle.

(Bart) #3

I can relate to almost everything you have noticed. (I am about 15 months in) I though had the keto flu incredibly bad, I mean terrible. At the time I did not even know I was doing “keto”, I just cut carbs out for triglyceride reasons. It was November 2015 and I chalked it up to having a cold. I had no idea that if I ate some carbs it would have went away, something I am grateful for. My weight loss was a little more dramatic the first couple months, but it settled down to where you are at. I really did not run into the friend issue. Mainly I did not even talk about it with people until they started asking me about how I managed to lose so much weight, at that point they were very interested in hearing what I had done. I think I did not tell anyone what I was doing until the two month mark and I was 40+ pounds down. I say, ignore them, you know what you are doing is healthy and in the long run you will have the last laugh. Other than that, I can relate completely with all that you have discovered.

#4

I’m not that new anymore, but I’ve noticed all these same things too.

We have a lot of social gatherings at our house. The first time my husband and I didn’t partake of dessert after a friend brought cake for another friend’s birthday, everyone looked at us like we were insane. Now they’re used to it. I also had a friend talk to us to express concern about our diet, but she never felt like she needed to worry when we were stuffing ourselves with sugar all the time.

I had someone leave half a cake behind recently and I froze it and brought it out again when people came over. I had no temptation and I found myself saying that I’d throw it away before I’d eat it myself.

(Osama) #5

1 month in myself, I haven’t weighed myself yet but my tight jeans are my loose jeans now. And food is no longer the most important thing to me. I find it much easier to eat one meal a day. It’s very liberating. I haven’t shared my food intake with alot of people so thats currently not an issue.

#6

I don’t eat birthday cakes either, and let people at the party deal with it and get over their prejudices…I don’t give a crap what they think anymore. And, to lighten the mood, I usually crack a joke like “how about I just sit on my slice of cake, because that’s where it will go, right on my ass!!”

(Oded Shopen) #7

I started on January first 2017 as well.

Didn’t have the Keto flu either. I think the body remembers. I tried this diet about 8 years ago (not exactly this but similar).

Lost a whopping 8 kg (17.5 pounds). Still, i understand women metabolism is different and slower at first, so your results are great.

Triglycerides and LDL are slight down (testing after 3 weeks). Hope this continues.

Uric Acid up. Hope this is reversed soon since it worries me.

Waist line improved. About 6-7 cm.

Started going to the gym again. Taking it real easy. But it’s fun. I also do the 7 minute workout on most weeknights.

Started cooking as well! My wife is super happy. Even started cooking for my kids better meals, they really enjoy it.

All in all, I love it. Don’t want to go back.

(Jason Barden) #8

I’m just over a week into keto. I’ve lost just over 10lbs and my blood sugar has drastically improved. First day was rough with the keto flu, but no issues after that. Still have carb cravings though - bad! It took all my willpower last night out to dinner with my family to turn down the cheesecake! Really looking forward to being fat adapted and hopefully diminished cravings for the sweet stuff.

(Luanne ) #9

I started 1/9/17 so I I just finished my 3rd week. I am really loving keto and so thankful for all the resources Carl and Richard as well as other ketoers point us to. Like you, I didn’t really experience keto flu. I made sure to drink broth whenever I felt a headache come on.

I have noticed a lot of things improve. One that amazed me is my vision. I use to have blurred vision even when wearing my glasses or contacts. Also, no more tingling in my hands. This is a little TMI but my hemorroids have gone away. I also do not obsess over my next meal like I use to.

I have experienced opposition from family members who are doctors. But my husband is doing this with me and my co-workers are supportive.

So far I have lost 7lbs and I am eating food that I love. Do not feel deprived at all! I am also able to wear jeans now. Although they are tighter than I would like. I have not worn jeans in 2 years (I refused to buy more).

I am so happy to have found the 2ketodudes podcast!

Good luck to everyone!!!

(Brenda Soderlund) #10

We started 1/1 also. No flu.

The first thing I noticed was the swelling in knees almost immediately went away. I can now get down in the floor to play with my granddaughter, and can get back up again! My husband has noticed less pain in his back.

He’s lost more weight than I have so far, but I do feel like this is something we can do forever. Now the we can make Carlshead Pizza and tacos, we only need to work on the pasta substitute and I know we’ll be ok. The food is very good and all the shared recipes and dinner photos help us figure out how to adapt.

I really appreciate this site with all the advice provided and links to videos and articles that help explain this WOE! That there is science behind it makes me feel better.

BTW I found this through the 2Ketodudes podcast. Thanks to Richard and Carl!

(Loraine Hansen) #11

Started January 14, 2017. Transition was super easy for me, coming from years of following the Primal Blueprint lifestyle. No “flu”, no more fatigue than usual (pretty similar to the fatigue I get from lupus), preparing food is easy, and I really enjoy the food. (It’s just stricter Primal). I eat much less every day than I used to. I don’t cheat and I’m not tempted. I’m very strict and careful with my meals and my lifestyle. I don’t get hungry. I’m sleeping sort of better. I put off kickboxing for 2.5 weeks as suggested. I went to kickboxing today and became very fatigued, very quickly. (SO disappointed!)

So . . . I’m not noticing any major changes. I’ve been listening to the podcasts and just finished “Non-scale victories” and “Epic Successes”. I am happy for those who experience these results, but wish they would happen to me too. On primal, I lost 40 lbs. over the course of a few months, nothing spectacular. But it’s worth continuing, since I have felt generally better on the Primal program.

I am doing ketogenic for a few specific reasons, (the same reasons I started the Primal Blueprint lifestyle), weight loss being one of the last results I care about. I am hoping to reduce the inflammation in my body that contributes to lupus flares, (I tried AIP for a few months-horrible experience-I don’t recommend it).

I want to increase my energy level, motivation, strength, stamina, happiness, positive outlook, (i.e., get Brenda Zorn-like, AND Richard Morris-like results!) I am a 54 year old female, not terribly overweight, diagnosed with SLE (systemic lupus) several years ago and been fighting it ever since. No signs of diabetes, pre-diabetes, heart disease, or anything like that. I’ve always done a lot of moving around, i.e., exercise; biking, walking, kickboxing, yoga, hiking. . .

I will continue eating / living this way, but would sure like some results soon! It’s kind of discouraging to not be getting the outstanding results I keep hearing/reading about. I don’t mean to be the complainer. Sorry. But maybe someone has some advice. Don’t ask me to do IF yet. I’m not ready for that.

(Bart) #12

Give it some time. You are only two weeks keto and switched over from an already healthy way of eating. Many of us went from a VERY unhealthy way of eating to keto so maybe the benefits were more noticeable at a faster rate.

(softail925) #13

Ditto, Michelle!

(Loraine Hansen) #14

Okay . . . but it’s so HARD to wait! I’m very determined and committed, so I often feel like my results should respond in kind. . .

(Michelle) #15

Hi Loraine - I hear you. I was so impatient in the beginning too… Come on body!!! Get fat-adapted already would you?? But, then I stopped all that nonsense, and let the process happen. It’s not overnight that your body starts to chug away on fat instead of sugar. I kept up my regular weight workouts and did feel more “burn” in my muscles, but now that’s going away.

Let me ask:

  • how much water do you drink?
  • are you seeing changes in your skin?
  • how are you measuring reduced inflammation?
  • what else are you doing to increase happiness and positive outlook? (I’m into this gratitude thing lately, so just wondering)
(Loraine Hansen) #16

My water intake is adequate. My skin is actually breaking out more. I measure my inflammation by how much pain I have or don’t. How well I can move. Whether I’m having lupus flares or not. How well I sleep and how fatigued I am.

To stay happy and positive, I pray and read scripture. I move around a lot, What some call Exercise and I call Fun. Yoga, biking and walking (when it’s not icy and cold outside), kickboxing, strength training. I read a lot. I spend quality time with my husband, who is also my best friend. I also acknowledge gratitude for all that I am blessed with To my Heavenly Father, my husband, my children. I’m constantly amazed at how much I am have and try to express that in my actions and words and feelings.

I am on two low doses of anti-depressants, and would like to eliminate them altogether. I’m down from max doses of four anti depressants from years ago. I got off those by living the primal blueprint and hormone replacement therapy over the past few years. I’ve been on these low doses for several years but it would be nice to eliminate them altogether. I’m nervous though because I really hate panic attacks.

The most important results I want to see are feeling rested, energy, strength, motivation, desire to expend energy like I’ve heard on the podcasts and to get off those pills I mentioned above. I haven’t felt those things yet. I didn’t think it would take this long.

(Michelle) #17

I do hope you see results soon and can hit your goals!! I think you are still early on in the Keto world, but coming from primal blueprint (which I’m not that familiar with) your body may still take time too adjust. I didn’t come from SAD, but I was totally a glucose burner. I have also been very strict and disciplined on this, so wanted it all to happen immediately.

I still don’t have unlimited amounts of energy, but I definitely feel less puffy and stuffed, if that makes sense. I don’t have lupus or some of the other things you are dealing with either.

Good luck to you!!! I hope you see results very soon. please check back often on how you are doing.

#18

This is great all! Encouraging thread.

Keep at it, your body will love you for it.

(Loraine Hansen) #19

Thank you for engaging and encouraging comments. FYI: Primal Blueprint is very similar to keto, in that I have not eaten grains or legumes, or much sugar, for about 5 years. I have, obviously, eaten more than 20 g of carbs/day on Primal. But you can go stricter Primal than I have in the past, which is 50 g of carbs/day which puts you in ketosis as well, not quite as low as ketogenic.

I will not give up. I have much to live for and want to enjoy every day that I can. I have suffered chronic, debilitating, systemic pain for years, with other, very difficult symptoms from lupus, including severe depression, anxiety and other mental ailments, and fat (I’ve lost 40 lbs over the past year, not on keto). So I know where I could be. Thankfully, for the past three years, I have been on medication for lupus that has allowed me to live relatively pain free and be able to do the things I love to do. I’m anticipating that the keto lifestyle will help get me even better than ever, including reducing the meds I’m on. I am simply doing all I can to be all I can, and I am grateful to my friend who introduced me to these podcasts and who encouraged me to listen when I didn’t really want to.

Thanks again for your responses. Keep in touch.

(Christine Benvenuti) #20

Hi there!

I am so excited for you!

I am also new to this WOE…as you said, it has not difficult for me at all. I am a self-taught chef, and enjoy the challenge of creating new recipes. I have had a touch of Keto Flu this week, but not horrible. The worst thing was a few days of being really cranky! Lol…I am not upset about that though. I have no doubt that my hormones are undergoing overhaul. Yippeeeeee!
The greatest thing that I noticed this week, is that I finally feel like my brain is receiving the signal that I have eaten. I asked my Dr. 2 years ago…I felt/knew that I had the ability to eat waaaaay too much, and not feel prompted to stop. She ignored it. I now know that my Leptin hormone was being weakened through so much carb/sugar intake. I actually, probably for the first time EVER, couldn’t finish my meal the other night!!! I am also already at only 2 meals a day. Bullet Proof Coffee is enough in the morning, and carrying me until around 1-2 p.m!!!
I am thrilled for all if us who have chosen better health!!!

Peace, KETO ON!