Keto dieting for weight loss- Anyone else?

BFS said:
I've gone thru the lethargy part, but I can't shake this constant nagging low grade headache. A really foggy feeling everyday, all day. I'm drinking at least a gallon of water a day and urinate frequently, so I know I'm not dehydrated.

The diet is working as planned, but the headaches suck. F asking a doc, so I'll ask the Keto veterans here. Any tips about the headaches and how has your long term dieting worked for you? Thanks for any help
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I went on a DR diet, worked well but I didn't maintain it.

They issued a prescription for slow release potassium capsules.
You can get them over the counter.

I took them morning and noon, nothing after noon.

They affected my mood and energy level in a HUGE way.
Happy, energetic, great mood, no headaches, no crankyness.

Too many will give you a heart attack, but I could "feel" the right amount and worked up to it. doctor can do blood work too.

You can try the table sale replacers that have potassium in as a test run to see if it helps, but it's short lived and the extended release was the thing.
 
It's do-able. Some people love it and some people hate it. Personally, I find that nutritional ketosis is almost ideal for me, whereas "normal" eating with lots of carbs in my diet leads to feelings of non-satiety, drowsiness, mood swings, insulin spikes, bloating, and sometimes nausea.
 
My wife and I did Keto for a bit and it works as advertised. I did feel better fairly quickly.

I honestly don't think that most people could do it long term. It was very difficult for me to eat that much fat daily. I think I'm better off just eliminating sugar and cutting back a bit on carbs while working out more.
 
(I'm new to this forum, but fit like the OP profile, except proportional size for me at 5'9" is to be a little over 200 instead of 300 - should be 50 lbs shy of that).

Keto worked for me and was easy to stick to (the punishment of bouncing in and out of ketosis helps keep you from slipping in and out). Weight loss was easy. What wasn't great is that my total cholesterol went up 55 points on the keto diet despite losing weight. I eventually stopped, back to the same weight 200-210.

I'd love to know for sure whether or not the elevated cholesterol numbers matter if they are connected to a specific diet (I can manipulate them easily by eating oatmeal for a month prior to getting bloodwork).

The other thing that's maybe a little tough with keto is that you don't eat many carbs, but the volume of other foods that you go through is high and I had to do more frequent shopping and badgering the mrs. to make sure keto friendly foods were around. I felt better on keto, though - no stamina in exercise compared to carbs, but you're not supposed to do intense exercise on it, and no mid afternoon slump I guess because there's no reliance on carb/blood sugar bobbing up and down.
 
I've done it and I'm not a fan for a couple of reasons.

1. It seems the ultimate goal of the Keto diets is weight loss. This works because you essentially eliminate a calorie source while demonizing carbohydrates. Carbs are a fuel source that your brain and body needs. Yes, the body is a survival mechanism and can metabolize fat/protein to sustain itself but it optimally runs on all three. We need to stop pretending carbs are a bad thing and realize that over processed foods are bad.

2. I don't believe that there is any data that a long term high fat diet is good for your longevity. In fact there's actually evidence that the opposite is true when we look at the Blue Zones. The Blue Zones are areas with the highest centenarians (or were before they started eating the Standard American Diet) and they eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. So any diet that tells me to avoid those foods is a diet they may get weight loss but I don't think it's good for health/longevity.
 
BMCGear said:
2. I don't believe that there is any data that a long term high fat diet is good for your longevity. In fact there's actually evidence that the opposite is true when we look at the Blue Zones. The Blue Zones are areas with the highest centenarians (or were before they started eating the Standard American Diet) and they eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. So any diet that tells me to avoid those foods is a diet they may get weight loss but I don't think it's good for health/longevity.
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I don't think that's universally true about fats, but perhaps about some fats, and maybe when eaten in combination with something else. Or to be more clear, I recall reading studies about improvement in heart health and cholesterol numbers, etc, while on a keto diet, but they consisted basically of 80% healthy fats. It's *very* difficult to get the balance that they had in the study unless you pick a narrow range of foods and are very calculating about what you're eating (meaning eating red meat, sausages, etc is out, and when you're already dealing with a very limited menu of foods and then you limit it further, you have to have serious discipline).

I didn't have that discipline, but lost weight and my cholesterol numbers went up. All of the numbers did, but the LDL went up more than the HDL and the doctor didn't like it. I've eaten more carbs and less meat now and have gained all of the weight back that I had before (which is really only about a 20 pound difference) but my bloodwork looks great. What's better? I don't know.
 
D-weaver said:
I don't think that's universally true about fats, but perhaps about some fats, and maybe when eaten in combination with something else. Or to be more clear, I recall reading studies about improvement in heart health and cholesterol numbers, etc, while on a keto diet, but they consisted basically of 80% healthy fats. It's *very* difficult to get the balance that they had in the study unless you pick a narrow range of foods and are very calculating about what you're eating (meaning eating red meat, sausages, etc is out, and when you're already dealing with a very limited menu of foods and then you limit it further, you have to have serious discipline).

I didn't have that discipline, but lost weight and my cholesterol numbers went up. All of the numbers did, but the LDL went up more than the HDL and the doctor didn't like it. I've eaten more carbs and less meat now and have gained all of the weight back that I had before (which is really only about a 20 pound difference) but my bloodwork looks great. What's better? I don't know.
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I'm not saying that fats are bad for you and I apologize if that's what came across. I was stating that I believe a high fat diet is not great. The goal of weight loss should never be to fit in a skinnier casket but should focus more on health and longevity. I've lost over 300 lbs at this point and my blood work, etc is perfect however I still have some more weight to lose and am continuing that process.

I include fats in every meal that I eat including walnuts, flax, chia, hemp, and avocados but I don't shy away from good quality carbohydrates either including sweet potatoes and legumes. Greens and vegetables offer more nutrients per calorie than any other food and should be included.

I also eat chronobiologically as well though. It was shocking to see the improvement in my overall health by not eating later into the day/night. I've really enjoyed it.

Here's to your health, friend!
 
BMCGear said:
Thanks pimp. Easier to carry more knives now, right? :D
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Indeed! I always chuckle a bit when people complain about carrying an extra ounce or two with this or that knife considering the little weight I've kept off over the years.
 
UPDATE:
Since I started this diet September 1 I've lost 70 lbs. After I lost 50 lb. I ate a small pizza from QT and took a small pie home for the wife and myself. I have had a pie since then too. Hope to loose 100 lb. by summer.
 
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