I’m not sure if anyone has said this already, but I would recommend intermittent fasting rather than calorie restriction. I’m not consistent with this, but I generally like eating two meals, one around noon as a first meal and then not eating until dinner and stopping eating before 7 or 8pm-ish. If you just eat until you are full at both meals you hopefully won’t feel hungry all the time and will be able to eat enough to keep your metabolism up. As far as intermittent fasting I would stay away from one meal a day. It’s hard to eat enough in that one meal and it could contribute to a slowed metabolism.
Show me what a 1000 calorie keto diet looks like
Elaine_B
(Elaine)
#65
So do you think a deficit is enough? I’m struggling to get carbs down to 20g per day but if I could get Ketosis with 50 or 100g I’d find it much easier
Momof5
(Susan)
#66
Most of us find 20 grams to be the maximum – I usually aim for 10 grams or less a day --I feel very guilty if I am even near the 20. I try to get most of my calories from protein and healthy fats, and have just a bit of vegetables for the carbs daily. Once you eliminate the Carbage, your cravings to it go down or go away drastically -it is only difficult for about 2 weeks or so =).
Good luck, you can do this =)).
Shinita
#67
You didn’t ask me, but I have an opinion (as usual). And experience.
I start with my usual, people are different and it’s very individual what works for someone.
To me, it’s all about calorie deficit and typically my energy intake too. It’s not the case for everyone, it seems but it should be somewhat close. Whatever, I don’t want to argue about things I don’t have enough information about, it doesn’t even matter if there are people with borderline unbelievable inner workings. But it’s pretty common that certain food items interfere.
So, one would think I could eat more carbs just fine. Nope because I eat WAY more when I eat much carbs, feel worse, have less energy, less control, waste food therefore money (I enjoy it but I eat without needing it, not good and not healthy).
Even ketosis isn’t enough for me, I need very very low-carb. It solves my eating problems and I feel way better then.
But I couldn’t do it right away. I needed my carbier times when I stopped losing fat at some (too early) point. Some people sacrifice other things. I sacrificed fat-loss for years. No regrets but now I should do that too…
It’s a keto forum. Most people go below 20g net carbs, maybe total… And most of us can’t stay in ketosis eating 50 or 100g net carbs. Some people can, especially if it’s 50g. My limit is around 45g as far as I know but I can’t lose any fat eating that much carbs long term, I get too hungry even if I choose my food items very well (except that I eat carby ones in big amounts).
So we should figure out what works for us for fat-loss, maintenance, bulking, and so on…
Pbash
#68
I am always hungry. Even when not on a diet. I feel like a bottomless pit most days. This is more true with keto, even when I was not limiting calories during that first week or two. If I can ignore my hunger for a while, it will eventually pass and I can go an hour or two without feeling hungry again. So, I absolutely have to count calories to let me know when I have had a sufficient amount.
Pbash
#69
My doctor has 20 net carbs as the weight loss phase and then up to 50 net carbs as maintenance phase. I have only been doing this for 4 months though so, just passing along the information.
Ruina
(Hyperbole- best thing in the universe!)
#70
If you limited calories for years, and then only didn’t limit calories for a week or two on keto, then you have not tested this hypothesis adequately. Some people take months to repair their motabolism after years of calorie restriction. If you haven’t given limited carbs, adequate protein and fat to satiation 6 months, then you haven’t tried keto. I know it is scary. Damned scary.
Think of it this way. You have fought your battles for years. Years. What damage can you do in six months that is worse than the years you have already fought? If all of us here are crazy people it will just take a few months more of miserable calorie restriction to get back to where you were. But if I thought that would happen I absolutely would not be typing this.
If counting carbs sounds like too much, then try carnivore. Again, for at least a month. A month may not be enough time (keto or carnivore) to lose weight, but hopefully is enough time (keto or carnivore) to experience enough non-scale victories to make it worth it. Be that lowered A1C or mental health benefits. Because no matter what way you try, there is damage to be repaired before you can see results. Search for Kelly Hogan on youtube.
But two weeks of calorie restriction after years of thinking eat less move more is right… No wonder you feel like this doesn’t work. It worked for your husband, with is man metabolism, much quicker. Well, we are more complicated. So give it more time to work.
Janie
(Jane)
#71
Only way to know is buy a ketone meter and measure your blood. Test strips are $1 each
Pbash
#72
What damage can I do in six months? Well, yesterday was my oldest’s birthday and I only counted carbs, no protein restrictions, didn’t eat until I was full but placed reasonable serving sizes on food. I woke up to two pounds of weight gain. So, I am pretty sure I can undo 4 months of weight loss in two weeks. I can go from overweight BMI to obese in under a week. I can’t imagine how bad it would get for me if I did that for 6 months. Sadly, I was still below carbs and still hungry. It was a “splurge” day though so, hopefully I can erase yesterday with lots of hard work. Weight wise, I just don’t have that much to play with. I am unsure what such a large weight increase would do to my a1c either.
Ruina
(Hyperbole- best thing in the universe!)
#73
One day is not the same as six months. In one day you can gain a lot of water weight. Even low carb. But you can’t fix your metabolism in one day. Fixing our bodies after years of calorie restriction takes time, and often includes some weight gain at the beginning. That’s what makes it scary. That doesn’t mean it won’t work if you give it that time. If you don’t eat until you are full, your body will never trust you to feed it enough to lose fat. I know that is a personification of biochemical processes, but it is an apt analogy.
Polly1
(Polly)
#74
@Pbash please do not try to restrict your calories whilst doing this. Give your body a chance to re-learn its own satiety signals by avoiding the carbs which for many of us drive insatiable hunger.
Don’t see 20g of carbs a day as a goal see it as the absolute outside limit and aim to limit carbs as much as possible whilst getting yourself comfortable with keto as a way to eat. Avoid processed foods. Avoid any packaged keto products. Avoid any sweeteners whether artificial or described as “natural”.
Base your eating on good sized portions of meat, fish, bone broth, eggs with some cheese if you tolerate it and a garnish of leafy greens. Do it for two months and see where it gets you.
CandyLindTX
(Candy Lind)
#75
Your doctor doesn’t sound like a true low-carb proponent. Anyone who knows anything about this way of eating knows you must eat enough calories to keep from being hungry, AND you have to eat enough to overcome the insulin barrier your body has created. You are insulin-resistant and pre-diabetic. And restricting calories at this point (when you are probably not fat-adapted) is self-defeating.
If you came into keto thinking it is a quick weight-loss diet, you can leave now with no hard feelings, only our sympathy. But KNOW THIS - there are a lot of things going on inside your body besides fat loss, and you have to give it time to make a ton of repairs where you’ve damaged things eating SAD (Standard American Diet). Give it a chance!
My personal experience, starting from 300 pounds but healthy enough to go to the Y 5 times a week for aerobics: I couldn’t lose ANYTHING, even at 1000 calories, because my metabolism was so screwed up. I am a sugar addict, and despite eating healthy non-processed foods most of the time, I couldn’t walk past that 500-calorie slice of chocolate fudge cake at the grocery. Yes, you read right. I would eat half of my 1000 calories in CRAP at least once a week.
I started eating keto, and watched calories as well as macros, but stalled after a while. Sound familiar? I started losing again after taking advice from this forum and increasing my caloric intake. That happened twice in 6 months. Why? Because my body was finally working to overcome what I called in another post the “Berlin Wall” of insulin resistance (search the forums to see my description). Sugar lost its hold over me early in the process, my biggest NSV (non-scale victory)!
All this to say, PLEASE don’t restrict your caloric intake at this point. Your goal at this point should be to eat to satiety without eating too many carbs (Most start at 20 grams to enhance ability to get into and stay in ketosis). Yes, too much protein may also slow your progress, because your body will make glucose out of the excess, but if you are adding fat to your proteins and low-carb veggies, and listen to your satiety signals, your macros should fall in line just fine. Hungry, cold, and weak are signals that you are not eating enough!
CandyLindTX
(Candy Lind)
#76
It’s your carb intake that affects your A1c, not your weight. If you replace carbs with fat (which only negligently raise blood sugar), your A1c will improve. I think you could benefit from listening to the 2ketodudes podcast from episode 1, so you understand better what keto is, why it works, and where the pitfalls lie. And visit the “Show me the science” area of the forum as well.
OldDog
(Gregory - You can teach an old dog new tricks.)
#77
amwassil Recently posted this link to a chapter from Amber O’Hearn’s book.
It is long and detailed, but offers a lot of insight into how a ketogenic diet works.
It’s all about insulin sensitivity and resistance.
Chapter 4: Carbohydrate Restriction: too much or not enough?
robrea
(Mr Robert J Rea)
#78
Hi it seems to me you are concentrating too much on calorie intake,I eat in a 6 hr window between 12 and 6,I eat very little veg lots of eggs and animal fat,I feel fantastic no more joint pain got to my target weight lost 30lbs been this way about 2 years now and feel fantastic,I think you need to eat more,good luck on your journey
Shinita
#79
You didn’t eat much, probably not even enough if you stayed hungry. NO WAY you gained fat, that requires lots of extra energy, it can’t be made from nothing. That’s just water and maybe food still inside, that amount varies from day to day… I can gain 6 pounds in 1-2 days myself but I know very well it’s 0 fat… I only can do it with carbs (and it’s still rare) as my weight is very stable but it’s normal to fluctuate even on keto. The body doesn’t store the same amount of water all the time.
Sometimes it’s needed to eat more and even accept some gain to heal our body but I am not very knowledgable about it and don’t know what you need so I let others talk about that. But undereating messes with metabolism… It may bounce back quickly if it’s short term but if it’s long term, it can ruin things pretty much as I’ve heard.
I wouldn’t be afraid of good food (it’s eggs and meat for me, mostly, satiating, satisfying, I couldn’t even overeat them, probably). Eat your fill using them. There are cases when someone overeat like this but with your mindset (eating little) that will need time to change, you should worry about the opposite problem more. You should eat enough.
I actually know there are unusual cases. Not everyone can lose fat eating until full (especially not on their ideal diet and that might take a lot time to find). But very low calorie is bad for everyone.
I always valued health and patience the most. Fat-loss is important and connected with health but we shouldn’t focus on it too much (except in special cases when someone has extremely much fat to lose and they die if they don’t lose it moderately quickly). I surely don’t say to eat a ton but a bit more, using really good food. I can eat a ton and stay hungry if I choose the wrong ones, even on keto and I even feel worse, of course… What is good for other ketoers may be totally wrong for me, life is complicated but what can we do?
Faviola_Brockie
(Faviola Brockie)
#80
I see that I’m a bit late to the discussion, but I find it really informative and I think it’s something that’s still interesting to a lot of people. I’d love to read even more about what different people eat with this diet during the day. Two years ago I had to struggle through some great health problems based on my obesity diagnoses. To be honest I can label that as being the worst time of my life. My doctor told me that I should follow a diet because I would either lose weight or possibly have grave health complications, such as losing the ability to walk. I was scared and all of this due to my love for food. I really doubted myself and thought there was no way I would be able to follow a diet, but reading articles by people that used to be in similar situations as me, made me gain confidence. I can link a few of these articles if any of you are interested, especially one that turned my life around. I want to end on a happy note because even if my journey is not yet finished, I’ve come a long way and I am proud of myself.