@KetoLikeaLady i don’t test ketones (yet? maybe someday? ) because at this point i am going to eat this way no matter what (and i’ve read that the test strips are like a billion dollars)…same reason i don’t sketch on having very little scale change…this is just how i eat.
for me it is way more “adult” (self responsible/care) and less daunting/stressful than CICO/IIFYM or just eating whatever
i think acceptable ketone levels are 0.5-3.0 so you should be fine?
coconut/mct oils (altho that might be with testing immediately after consumption?), exercise, and fasting are supposed to increase ketones.
are you wanting your ketones to be higher to fast or are wanting to fast to increase ketones? or both? lol
i haven’t felt the fasting pull for a few weeks…
i keep eyeballing this book…but haven’t pulled the trigger yet…maybe today
I wanted to fast to get my ketones higher. Since I haven’t lost any inches or lbs, tracking my ketones is the only thing that makes me feel like I’m doing it right.
(My b/f has been in deep ketosis since the DAY he started…shocker.)
I have that book in my cart too. I prefer books on Audible (as it’s way easier to listen to an audio book while I’m doing other things than it is to take time to sit down and read), but there is no audio version. I listed to Obesity Code over the course of a few days while I walked the dog.
but…why do we have to worry about “doing it right”? (i was sooooo overly guilty of worrying about it )
trust me…this is not me being flippant…i wanted to fix and tweak everything…i was making myself nutso and probably elevating cortisol…counterproductive to the goals LOL
it’s just so much easier for me to follow the guidelines and trust that the process works…at different rates for different bodies
(i’m sure one day i am going to wake up looking like a fitness model )
i do have a ketones question tho…are you only testing in the morning?
i’ve read that ketone production is higher in the afternoons/evenings…so if testing in the morning maybe you are higher later on in the day and just don’t know it?
that’s why i haven’t pulled the trigger…will i actually sit down and read it? LOL
I test mostly in the mornings, mainly because I like low-balling things.
I get what you mean about “doing it right,” but what I mean to say is - if I’m not seeing results, I need to know that it’s not user-error. I need to know that there’s a reason to keep doing it, you know? To Loraine’s point above, she spent 17 weeks with zero results - to stick with something that already seems counter-intuitive (fatty meats and bacon and cheese and all the things we were taught to be wrong) is a huge mental challenge.
I have tried SOOOO many things that were “supposed to work for everyone” that didn’t work for me. (Even HCG only worked the first time I did it.) Seeing that little machine register that I have ketones is the only thing that makes me feel like this may eventually give me the results I want to see.
For years, I worked out, ate “healthy” and NOTHING changed. My most frustrating time was doing IIFYM. I did reverse dieting to increase my macros and then cut them back - which CICO tells us HAS to work…and it didn’t. My fitness coach literally accused me of lying on my macros log. I was doing HiiT workouts, I was strength training, I was eating the macros prescribed, and it didn’t matter. My body refused to change - no inches, no weight loss, nothing. That’s been the consistent theme for me, so I need a marker to show me that SOMETHING good is happening. Without having proof that my body is in ketosis, this wouldn’t be ANY different than any other diet/lifestyle/workout/WOE than I’ve tried. Does that make sense?
PS I can tell you’re not being flippant - I actually LOVE this conversation. And - I’d love to hear your keto story - how long ago did you start, why did you start, how much weight have you lost, what BF are you maintaining now, how much do you workout, what type of workouts, etc.
i totally get it…i mean totally but trying to control everything wasn’t doing me any favors so i let it go
17 weeks isn’t that long and i don’t think “zero results” is realistic…maybe zero dramatic external results…but she did post a while back that her calves were smaller and that her boots fit better…that’s still a change and who knows what is going on inside
oh girl i know…i think hcg only works the first round or two for most ppl because it is just very low calorie and your body adapts. I lost like 15lbs but it jacked me up mentally and physically…for years and the 15lbs didn’t stay gone…
ditto…except being accused of lying. to me this just proves Insulin Resistance…for me anyway. (and that my expectations were too high and needed to learn some faith and patience for this time in my life)
i’m just saying that the presence or level of ketones doesn’t prove/disprove anything other than you have ketones…like it doesn’t guarantee immediate results just because you have them or indicate what other processes are going on.
that’s one of the reasons i don’t test…in my mind it’s hinging my happiness on a number…no different than the scale.
it wouldn’t be any different if i just gave up now and beat myself up over stuff.
i have for sure changed my approach with this WOE…i don’t stress on the goal or the process…i just do what i do
i’m super hungry lately…i don’t know why…it just is what it is… i don’t know what is going on inside…i’m just going with it.
i’m not like “oh crap i fell out of ketosis!” maybe i did…so what? maybe i didn’t…either way it doesn’t change anything that i am doing… i just KCKO. (i am not going back to CICO or IIFYM! lol)
none of this is a straight line…hills and valleys
4+ months ago
started because i was eating cake for lunch and pistachios for dinner and whatever else in between (or not at all)…because i got ticked off at IIFYM and said “eff it…i’ll eat whatever i want!” (not very mature lol) and still going to the gym 4-6 days
like 4-5lbs at most of scale weight…if that (i rarely weigh myself…it’s not really important)
bf% no idea since i don’t have access to a testing method i trust (maybe 25%?..all in my booty and thighs)
I was working out 4-6 days a week…i’m kind of over it right now (bored with everything) so it’s more like 1-2 lately…i’m going today tho LOL
(also…i hurt myself running…i am clearly not a runner…i was super hyper during a fast and did my weights, HiiT, and still had energy so i did sprints, walk, run on the treadmill and immediately my neck/trap/lat/rhomboid were messed up…and still are…and i do hair so that doesn’t help. obviously i have really bad running form LOL)
primarily weight lifting, jumprope, kettlebells, medicine ball, abs, sometimes nike+ training club, etc
This! I came to keto from Whole30 (started lc in the mid-90’s). Never had that much weight to lose, maybe 10-15 lbs, at most. Got to goal weight on Whole30 (sugar is my nemesis and dairy replaced sugar). Started testing FBG and BG and found that starchy carbs, fruit and too much protein (Whole30) were spiking me and I was pre-diabetic. I did the first year of keto (over 2.5 years keto) dairy and AS free and lost a few more lbs. even though I was at goal. Not complaining. What I’m trying to say is that I lost weight on Whole30, with my BG spiking and ketones probably non-existent. I’m small (5’2", 110lbs, bf approx. 19-20%) and very active. I used to lift weights 3x’s a wk. with a session of HIIT 2x’s a wk. Picture an ectomorph with endomorph tendencies. It’s hard for me to put on muscle and easy for me to over train. I’ve cut way back over the years. I’m now doing BBS and a session of HIIT now and then. I’m very active outdoors. Oh, and I’m way older than you guys. lol
We should start a thread that’s just for people to share their keto stories - why they started, their goals, and where they are today.
Good point…
At this point, as long as I’m not gaining inches or pounds, I’m going to KCKO.
Speaking of GAINING…have you heard of Ray Peat? I had a trainer who swore by his methods. I followed that dude’s advice and put on FIFTEEN pounds; this was 3 years ago and I have been unable to lose them no matter what I do. That guy’s advice is insane - he says drinking orange juice and eating saturated fats will heal your metabolism and that Polyunsarurated fats will be your death. He recommends high sugar fruits like melons and mangos, but also full fat dairy. It was a recipe for disaster.
"Here is an example of my current diet for the past couple of days.
9:45 AM - BPC / 1T butter, coconut oil, Torani syrup (sugarfree) 4:00 PM - BPC instant / 1T butter, coconut oil, Torani syrup sugarfree 4:30 PM - 1/2 steak with bacon grease (size of my palm) 6:00 PM - Salmon (palm size piece), with oil and herb dressing, mixed veggies 1.5 cups 10:30 PM - 2 salami, 2 slices of cheese (to take meds with)
9:45 AM - BPC / 1T butter, coconut oil, Torani syrup (sugarfree) 2:00 PM - Steak cooked in bacon grease 2:00 PM - BPC / 1T butter, coconut oil, Torani syrup (sugarfree) 8:00 PM - Steak cooked in bacon grease, zucchini squash with butter and salt
**10:00 PM - Smoothie/Avocado, lemon juice, blueberries, water, sweetener. ** 10:00 PM - Bacon, 3 slices (I ate at 10:00 because I was still really hungry and can’t sleep when I’m hungry.)"
Just my opinion, but I think you may be eating too many times a day. The important thing is to keep insulin very low as much as possible, and eating 4 or 5 times a day will not help you do that IMO. I’ve had good success eating lunch between noon and 1PM, and dinner between 6PM and 7PM. No snacks, and just coffee with a bit of heavy cream in the morning before work. Hunger hasn’t been an issue so far. Bulletproof coffee is just a waste of calories that could be enjoyed eating real food at your meals IMO.
I’m curious about this. Why do you think you suddenly lost the weight after three years of Primal? Maybe the same phenomenon is going on now.
I know I sometimes lose weight in a whoosh and then don’t lose much (or go up and down with the same 5 lbs.) for months in end. Just how my body works as a middle-age-plus female. That’s mostly what’s been happening with me this year, but I’m sticking with keto anyway to avoid other health problems down the road. And still hoping for another whoosh… It’s soooo infuriating how men lose weight so fast! All my husband did was cut back on sugar and starches and he lost 18 pounds in six weeks. Grrrr…
One more question: have you tried intermittent fasting in conjunction with keto?
In any case, I wish the best of luck to you whatever path you choose. Of course I’m secretly hoping you’ll stick this out and great changes will happen to you very soon.
@mikki This is a great way to look at things. Thanks for the encouragement.
this is your adventure …you don’t have to catch up to anyone else…just keep swimming [quote=“mikki, post:19, topic:10347”]
this is your adventure …you don’t have to catch up to anyone else…just keep swimming
[/quote]
LOVE this! Thanks!!
I love eating keto/Primal. It’s very satisfying, delicious and I don’t eat nearly as much or as often as I used to. Even eating Primal, I ate more often. It was when I learned about eating fat to satiety, that I am able to eat less and feel fuller, longer.
I feel exactly this way. I don’t test for ketones, or count anything. Isn’t that the point? To get to where eating is a natural thing that you do when you’re hungry?
Let’s get together when we both look like models and travel the world!!!
@KetoLikeaLady you hit it right on the head here. I never even considered that this is a MENTAL challenge for me! But I think you are absolutely right about that. And the fact that I kickbox with a woman who has lost a bunch of weight doing CICO and over training, and I really want to look and feel amazing and then BRAG about how I eat all this fat . . .
This has happened to me too. Not to mention the fact that I have an OLDER sister who started eating paleo and in THREE MONTHS lost like 50 lbs and everyone in the family (we have a huge family), would compliment her and go on and on and on about how GREAT she looked! And she basked in it and loved it and bragged and I was sitting over there like a piece of furniture, even though I’d been eating that SAME way for years!!! She didn’t even give me any credit for introducing her to the WOE. People have accused me of lying about what I eat or exercise or do, too. It’s SO frustrating.
I think because I had been practicing eating that way for so long and I got better at it and more strict.
I also think that my body was healing from the inside out, just exactly like we are told is happening. I thought that since I had been living that way for so long, that when I switched to keto, that my body would immediately respond and the rest of the healing would happen quickly. When it didn’t, I thought a few weeks would do it, and it STILL it didn’t happen, so I’m frustrated, but trying to think that perhaps my body is still healing from the inside out. But why is it taking so dang long?!
Yes, I have done IF-ing.
Thanks. I am sticking with keto/primal for the same reasons you are, to continue to be truly healthy, and try to keep my autoimmune disorder, and it’s many symptoms, under control. I want to continue to progress, even if it’s only from the inside out. I am going to see my HRT specialist in a couple of days to get labs done. I haven’t done any for about 8 months, so I may see some amazing results there!
Girl. You definitely never mentioned an auto-immune disorder before! Our bodies are much smarter than we are and much smarter than any calorie tracker. If your body is “righting the ship” so to speak, it’s not going to waste time losing weight. I believe (and correct me if I’m wrong @mikki or anyone else) that if your body is busy dealing with things like auto-immune disorder/response, that’s its first priority. Weight loss is something that happens when everything is working as it should - so if you feel ANY better (in regards to the auto-immune disorder), something is working.
)
What I’m trying to say is that I lost weight on Whole30, with my BG spiking and ketones probably non-existent. I’m small (5’2", 110lbs, bf approx. 19-20%) and very active. I used to lift weights 3x’s a wk. with a session of HIIT 2x’s a wk. Picture an ectomorph with endomorph tendencies. It’s hard for me to put on muscle and easy for me to over train. I’ve cut way back over the years. I’m now doing BBS and a session of HIIT now and then. I’m very active outdoors. Oh, and I’m way older than you guys. lol
[quote=“mikki, post:19, topic:10347”]
