I’m still here, as far as reading the comments and still trying to find a way to balance what I want with what I need.
I’m not a shy person, so I’ll explain my situation if you want to know, honestly:
I guess it’s kind of like this, I haven’t had any health problems as of yet in my life (that isn’t to say I won’t, especially if I contiune the SAD), other than my epilepsy which began when I was 7 (I’m 34 now). So for the majority of my life I’ve controlled my epilepsy with medication, ate the SAD, been healthy otherwise, and had no reason to question my food choices. The logic to change my WOE is in front of me - we all know the long term benefits of keto so I don’t have to list them - but without having a reason at this time it’s hard to give up things I love. That sounds immature, and it’s very short sighted, I know this. That doesn’t make it easy however when I’ve yet to see a problem with my pattern. I began this WOE hoping that keto would help control my epilepsy 100%, as I have an occasional absent seizure (a seizure where you are just kinda out of it for a few seconds, not unconscious or convulsing). It didn’t change the amount I had. The percentage of adults that it helps is about 50%, so I knew it was a toss up. I knew without a doubt that if I was seizure free I’d have no reason to turn back, though. So (TMI), since all of my seizures are based around my ovulation and period I went through 3 cycles. There were no changes. I was bummed out about it, but knowing the stats on keto and epilepsy, I hadn’t gotten my hopes up too much.
So now I’m at a point where I would be doing it for health reasons. There are a few I can justify. Cancer runs on my mom’s side of the family. My grandmother had a brain tumor when she was my age, breast cancer in her 60s, my uncle died of liver cancer, and my mother luckily had an early colonoscopy where they found pre-cancerous polyps, which they of course removed. My aunt, her sister, has had so many ovarian cysts removed that I can’t even count anymore. So if cancer gets me, it’s gonna be from my moms side. My dads side are pretty much the healthiest people ever - so here’s hoping I take after them.
My mother’s side also has joint problems. At least she and her sister both had knee replacements, although they lived in poverty growing up, (I’m originally from a small town on the VA, TN state line), so that could explain some of their health problems, as they were malnourished. But of course those problems get passed on.
I never had any joint issues other than an occasional issue from when I was little where I fell from a tree (kids are stupid). My knee used to bother me if I walked too much… until I started running, oddly enough. Then I came across a recent study/article over the last year that shows recent evidence proved that running doesn’t actually do damage to your joints, that unless you have a current injury that you are recovering from it will encourage cartilage growth and muscle tone around the joints. Light jogging even reversed early arthritis in some patients. So at least I feel safe in my running.
Sorry for the long post, but maybe some of this info helps.
Why I’m Quitting Keto - A Post For Myself
This 
… Sorry, but reading the silliness that has become this thread? … This would be the last thing I would recommend for helping anyone figure that out.
But - yes Ma’am, it is indeed Your choice. So either way you choose, good luck. - This will be my only post here, so I will just say this … I find that the more one knows about something, the better choices that person can make for themselves. 
… And yes… Good folks will still be here if/when needed.
You might look more into the endurance benefits of keto for athletes. The advantages of things like not hitting a wall on a marathon run would be a good reason I would think?
Once @Newtok started mentioning God I knew we had a nut job on our hands. I mean, I’m crazy, but come on. I mean this isn’t the place for religious discussion, but if you think God is responsible for those eggs you are eating, then he is just as responsible for all those chemicals in your food that you are afraid of. Maybe he wants you to eat them. They wouldn’t be here without him. None of this would, right? The chemist that created all those poisons wouldn’t be here? He is divine and omnipotent, and if there are things in my bread that are going to kill me then I guess he meant for it to be there or it wouldn’t be there. Or is that the devil tempting me with that delicious sugar??
Hi Teri. Yup, 34 is still pretty young. I didn’t have any health trouble until my late 40s and early 50s. It was my late 40s when the itching and joint problems started.
I would probably be diagnosed with psoriatic arthristis (both my mother and brother have it) except I am able to control it with diet. I discovered dairy was the cause of my terrible back trouble and the itching. When I went full keto, the rest of my joint trouble went away. I have found that when I leave nutritional ketosis or at least not on the cusp of it, my joint trouble returns.
You may find returning to a higher carb way of eating works for you now, but in another 10-15 years that could change.
I’m almost 53 now. I’ve had four children and I’ve never been over weight, except a little chubby by my standards. I’m active and exercise almost every day. As I hit my upper 40s the weight started to creep up despite the good diet and exercise. My needs (or maybe I should call it carb tolerance) have just changed over the years.
I think the best advice is to do what works for you, but don’t believe what works now will always work in the future. We constantly need to adapt to our ever changing bodies.
Good luck!
I have found this to be true, especially here.
I’m not apologizing for my “silliness”, however. I was going to say I’m sorry that you feel that way, but I’m really not. I feel too often we apologize for things that are true, when we are under no obligation to hide or change those facts to suit others, just to make them feel comfortable. You may not think that recommending a balance in life is the correct way to go, but sometimes life isn’t black or white. Sometimes you can find a middle ground that works. Sometimes there isn’t a right and wrong way to do something.
But just as it’s my choice to feel that way, it’s your right to think that I’m wrong. I would however reconsider the fact that sometimes you actually can have your cake and eat it too.
Just to be clear, I am not blaming her. I am just stating that I’d read just moments before, she died. She is another victim of the 20th century dietary recommendations.
I 100% agree with you on this. And I’m open to change, suggestions, and will try pretty much anything for a long enough period of time to get a feel for it as long as I’m able and it fits my budget.
I too stay away from dairy 99% of the time. The only exception I make is pizza.
I am going to give you a very public warning to rein it in. Like it or not, you are displaying very trollish behaviour. The members of this forum are very good at sniffing out trolls and you are stacking up the flags. It is OK to express an opinion and it is OK to get into debates BUT you do so with respect for those you are conversing with or you leave, it really is as simple as that. I am going to leave your comments in place but if you and they keep getting flagged the system will delete them because that is how the community flagging works.
And for pity’s sake, leave God out of it. Not everyone believes in the existence of such a being and it is just crass to use it as an argument anyway.
I think the percentage of children with epilepsy helped in managed keto diet programs is significantly higher. Perhaps it is an age thing, but I’d also consider the possibility that the very extreme carbohydrate and protein restriction and resultingly deep ketosis achieved has something to do with it. The medical epilepsy diet can be 85 to 90% of calories from fat. It’s extreme enough that adverse “side effects” such as stunted growth are common.
Lol, sorry @Digital_Dave, I often get confused about the replies. So for real, if I ever reply to something that wasn’t meant for me, just ignore me or call me out.
Yeah, dairy free cheese just doesn’t cut it. Unfortunately for me, the tiniest bit of dairy makes my back hurt and the itching is terrible. It’s just not worth it, even for pizza. 
It’s all OK. We already know you’re a troll, no need to keep making the point.
Hi there @teri
FYI there are different ways you can reply to a comment or post. Look at this screenshot…
If you use the purple reply button at the bottom you are commenting on the topic in general. If you use the reply in grey that is within a comment you will be replying to that comment and member. You can also highlight specific parts of what they say and that will automatically be put as a quote in your comment. If you want to reply to multiple comments in the thread then you can use the purple reply button and then pull quotes from various comments and reply to each one as you go - this is a better option than replying to each one as a separate comment. They system will likely notify you of this and make the suggestion to use quotes - it’s quite helpful like that
Hope that helps.