Protein Challenge

(Kristen Quinn) #21

Chris, because the Keto weigh is so new to me I feel I need the guides in order to create a strong foundation. And of course I want to do things to the mark so that I don’t have to change bad/incorrect habits later.

(Kristen Quinn) #22

Is the feast vs fasting part of Keto? I’m assuming I am not even close to this phase as today is only Day 6 and I cannot stop dreaming about apples.

#23

I’m fairly new, too, and I had the same issues you’re describing - especially going over on protein and being quite hungry.
I was so confused how to “eat more fat” at the end of the day when I’d already gone over on everything else. I understood adding more fat to your meals, but what happens when it’s the end of the day, you’re still hungry, and you’re maxed out on macros?
I just learned to eat more fat at meals, to the tune of forkfuls of butter with my foods. I kinda winced at doing that (so many calories! So much saturated fat! blah blah bla) but I trusted the process and did it - and eventually learned to really love it. It does taste delicious!
When I needed more fat at the end of the day, I would put butter on a piece of cheese. Yes, cheese has protein but I had to eat and that did the trick. Another thing I learned to love was Ghee. It’s expensive, and it’s clarified butter and to me, eventually, it had a sweet taste to it. I would take a spoon and put mostly ghee, and some coconut butter (1g carb per T but whatever) and eat that and it started to taste like dessert! And it took the edge off the hunger
Last thing I noticed and might help you (I could relate so much to your post and hope some of this is helping) is that fat DOES satisfy a lot, but it takes time. I don’t feel full from fat right away but if I just stop, do something else, and check back in with my hunger I noticed it was gone. So fat took a while to “register” with my body. Once I got that, I was on a roll.
Going over on protein (or fat) when you’re starting is no big deal. I needed LOTS of fat, food and protein before I adapted. I just went with it

(Chris W) #24

You do need the guides, at least I did. I made a spread sheet which I used with the everyday foods I ate for about the first month to month and a half. Once I was used to portion size and type of food I could make on the fly decisions a lot better esp when I am not in my normal eating realm like a new restaurant of away from home. Normally for me I would eat the 1 to 2 meals before I made my dinner for work at noon, at which point I could easily do my math based on the spreadsheet and then I stayed within my macros. My only issue is that when I lost weight I did not readjust as quickly as should so I sometimes over ate, I was trying to eat to my incorrect macros.

At some point you can fast as part of keto, it is by no means required, but some people me included needed to switch things up. Your body can get used to level of nutrition and it will slow down the metabolism there by slowing your weight loss if that is your goal. Fasting for me has been a gradual process as I was saying to Renee it should be thought about in a few months IMHO after being fully fat adapted and any possible medical issues aside. One way to think about your body’s metabolism is that it is a fire contained in a fire place. I am working on a boiler analogy but I am afraid people would not understand at any rate if you through a lot fuel into the fire (fat) the fire does not burn faster or hotter right of way. Instead over some time it grows hotter and burns faster. When you first start keto there is a large pile of fuel in the fire(body fat) for many people and it starts to take off and burn better like you have opened a damper(insulin level). Sooner or later the fuel(body fat) has burned down, the fire had slowed down and starts to slow its rate of burning( metabolic rate ), it is happy to just burn at that lower level. When you stoke the fire and add more fuel(fat) the level at which it is burning increases and takes off faster again for a while. You then don’t have stoke it for short time(fasting) and it burns down rather rapidly. Its not perfect but I think it grasps the concept.

(Kristen Quinn) #25

Incredibly helpful, indeed. I am so grateful to have found this forum with so many keto experts willing to take time and forge the way. To be honest, I’m pretty proud to have made it to day 6 but more so because I can actually feel this Keto plan being the perfect one for me! How empowering considering all the diets out there.
I need to disclose that when I prepped to be Keto I bought a “Starter Kit” that is basically meal replacement shakes and BHB. Are these necessary? Useful? A waste? The BHB drink is way too sweet so I water it down until I can tolerate it. The meal replacement shakes are 8oz so my body wants that PLUS the meal, lol. Obviously this approach is not working for me just yet.
Also, are exogenous ketones necessary?

I am using keto strips and yesterday was the first day [day 5] that my urine showed “SMALL” amounts of ketos. Slowly but surely.

I’m going to start simply adding butter and such to my meals and see how that goes. Thank you, ketoteacher1 [and everyone]!

(Rob) #26

No - utter waste - probably counter productive

No - another utter waste - also counter productive

Eat proper food, restrict carbs, moderate protein, eat fat.

#27

I only track fat to make sure I’m getting enough

#28

Yesterday I needed something but was trying to save my remaining protein for dinner so I had a tablespoon each of cream cheese, butter and heavy cream with a lil vanilla and sucralose. Definitely doing that again

#29

Cream cheese is a dream! It tastes sweet to me now. Keto problems :slight_smile:
And, yes, what the other said. You do not need exogenous ketones - your body will make them when you restrict carbs. And the starter kit? What’s in it? Just curious. Butter and bacon were my “starter kit” lol

(KCKO, KCFO 🥥) #30

That is a sure indication you are not fat adapted yet. It can take a while. Some need a couple of weeks, some a couple of months or even longer. The lower you keep your carbs, the sooner your body will switch over to fat burning. And you will feel much more in control of your hunger because it won’t be bugging you all day long.

The best advice I ever got was eat low carb, moderate protein, and fat to satiety. Don’t worry about calories at this point. Your fat can come from avocados, oils, butter, fatty meats, it is all good.

Try not to stress out about hitting certain numbers, because the stress is bad for weight loss.

Good luck sorting yourself out.

(Kristen Quinn) #31

Thank you, Rob. Lesson learned.

(Kristen Quinn) #32

That sounds delish! Thank you for sharing LindsaySue!

(Cynthia) #33

It IS a good life, and so much simpler when you don’t feel the need to eat all of the time!

(Kristen Quinn) #34

Ketoteacher1, it was a Ketogenix Starter Kit to give you meal replacements and BHB for 30 days. Thanks to everyone’s guidance I bought myself lots of butter and cream cheese today. Went so far as to spread butter on my cheese and salami roll ups. I added a little fresh basil, too. Baby steps.

#35

Yummy! That sounds good :slight_smile: I now eat ghee out of the jar. it’s just clarified butter but it tastes sweet to me at this point. Who even am I anymore? Gotta admit, I’m scared for my next cholesterol test, but keeping the faith

(Consensus is Politics) #36

I agree. Stay away from exo-ketones. You want the benefit of your body producing ketones, if you supplement ketones, your body may lower its own production of them, to me, this means burning less fat. I could be wrong, that’s just the sense I get from it. Similar to using a corticosteroid cream. It has its uses. But if you used it everyday two things (that I know of) happen. The area you are treating gets weak skin, and you body stops producing it on its own.

That’s not to say they, exo-ketones, have no value. But in the form of just strait up diet, they aren’t going to be helpful. Then there’s also the whole left and right molecule thing. Like Olestra did back in the 1980’s or 90’s. A fat molecule that couldn’t be digested. The body didn’t like having it in there. Was the cause of many an embarrassing moment from what I hear. Anal leakage. Not a fun thought. (Side note: I’ve notice a lot of drug adds declaring side effects, one of which is anal leakage. Sorry, can’t help myself, makes me laugh. I have standing in this, Ive been caught off guard by one of those moments where it wasn’t gas. Murphy’s law applies there as well. Worst possible time. In the middle of an ICT (integrated combat turn) in MOP 4 (full chemical gear, gas mask etc) under an F-4 Phantom II Wild Weasel. Uncomfortable doesn’t begin to express it. But I can look back now and laugh at myself.