S.o.s

(Lara ) #1

Hello there,

31 y.o. female currently starting week two of a ketogenic diet (or so I think). In the past my weight has yo-yoed, and since starting a new job i have continuously gained a significant amount of weight. I love exercise but my job does not afford a great deal of work out time. Also I am a carb whore, i absolutely love carbs, but since my weight gain and recent baked good binges I need a change.

I have so many questions, I’ve looked up some of these online but wondering if you could help

Is it possible I’m not losing any weight yet? Is it possible to not enter ketosis if you dont eat enough fat?

Are diet soda/sugar free treats ok or no because of artificial sweeteners?

Any tips? So far the cravings haven’t been too bad, but im not sure if I’m doing this correctly.

Finally, is it normal to be soooo tired?

#2

Welcome!

Yes, normal to be tired especially if you’re used to eating a lot of carbs.

I’m a big advocate of exercise but 1) you don’t need it to get great success on keto and 2) you probably shouldn’t embark on an exercise program as you’re adjusting. So for now it’s no problem that you don’t have time for it. Once you’ve been keto for a while, you might actually start to crave more movement, and you’ll have the energy and bandwidth to consider it, but for now it’s probably best to keep your focus on eating well - keep your carbs low (20g or under), protein moderate and fat to satiety.

The nice thing about eating fat (besides the fact that it’s yummy and feels indulgent!) is that you’re encouraging your body to use it as a fuel. Eventually you’ll be able to tap into your own stores of fat and you’ll find that your appetite diminishes accordingly. But for now, be generous with the fat since that will help with your adjustment.

Some folks use diet soda but for the best start you should avoid artificial sweeteners - they can spike insulin. Insulin is what keeps your fat stores locked up and unavailable, so you’re looking to lower insulin levels (so no snacking! eat enough at your meals that you don’t even want to snack).

You’re looking for fat loss, not weight loss, so measurements and photos are probably better guides than the scale.

(Lara ) #3

Thank you so much!

(Roy D) #4

Lara, welcome to keto! Since it sounds like you are just beginning, a few questions/suggestions;

  1. Track your diet with an app such as “MyFitnessPal” (the free version works OK). (You may need to set this up on both your smart phone, and your computer for best results.) By entering your food intake, the app automatically tallies up your macros (fat/protein/carbs) so you can tell your overall intake. (An App helped me not only track carbs, but taught me where “hidden carbs” existed in the foods I was consuming)
  2. Target your macros to something similar to the following;
    5% carbs
    15% to 20% protein
    70% to 80% fat
  3. Limit your daily carb intake to 20 grams.
  4. Research “Keto Flu”. (Symptoms are being tired/fatigued shortly after beginning a keto diet (during transition from a “carb burner” to a “fat burner”), and are counteracted by salt (potassium, magnesium & sodium) intake. Some use simple bullion cubes to help.)
  5. The main key to enter ketosis is to limit carbs (not eat an abundance of fat). Limit the amount of daily carbs to 20g.
  6. A secondary factor to enter ketosis is to limit protein. (An excess amount of protein can result in a rise in blood glucose levels, which drives a rise in insulin, which makes weight loss more difficult).
  7. A good reference book is Dr. Jason Fung’s “The Obesity Code”. It’s a good explanation on how the keto diet works.
  8. On a keto diet, cravings should be minimal or none. This is a “eat when you’re hungry, stop eating when you are satisfied” diet. (View some of Dr. Eric Westman’s videos on YouTube for more info.)
  9. Concentrate on the diet, not the exercise. It’s been reported that exercise is only 20% of the solution whereas the diet is 80%. (I do find that exercise does help with reduction of stress, and to burn off excess energy that results from a keto diet.)
  10. Stress reduction is a contributing factor for the keto diet, which includes getting an adequate amount of sleep.
  11. With respect to artificial sweeteners, there is a measurement named the “Glycemic Index” (GI) that may help you understand which to avoid. Some people avoid sweeteners altogether, as this can trigger cravings for carbs. Info on this subject can be found here;

Ask if you have any questions on these items, and/or comment/be more specific your current approach so we can understand how you are applying the keto diet.

Above all else, remember Keep Calm and Keto On (KCKO)

#5

Welcome! Glad to hear you’ve started on the Keto WOE - I think you’ll love it once the hard bit at the start is over. Cheering you on!

(Stephanie Sablich) #6

Bahahahaha. You and me both, sister. Hang in there. I’ve flirted with the diet for a long time and recently settled into what I hope is going to be a long-term relationship. This forum is an AWESOME source of support and resources.

I’ve found that kicking things off with a day or two of eating a LOT of fat and pretty low carb (generally keto without tracking macros), and then a fast, and THEN moving into real keto with/macro tracking, works for me. But I’ve also got a lot to lose and I’m sure my insulin levels are astronomical.

Are there any recipes that you’ve found to excite you? Any meals you’re eager to try? I found that I started cooking a LOT more, just anticipating and being curious about new tastes and flavors.

Do you have a sense of the goals you have? Are you in this to lose weight, be generally healthier, change your relationship with food, etc? (I’m all of them, by the way). I think that sometimes helps when people are responding- tailored advice, as it were :slight_smile:

Welcome!

#7

Yeah, usually by fasting / not eating anything for a few days.

#8

Ketosis means our body is using fat for fuel. It does not mean it’s using our body fat, which is what many of us want. If we consume too much fat, our body will use that before tapping into its stored reserves.

High basal insulin levels also inhibit lipolysis. All foods stimulate it to some degree, carbs are the most insulinogenic and fats the least. But eating too frequently or too much can also hinder weight loss. Intermittent and extended fasting address this.

It is very possible to be in ketosis and not lose weight. Eating LC is a useful tool, not a magic bullet.

(Lara ) #9

Thank you all for the support and assistance!