Ketogenic diet, it works..

[cdev]

Like many others I had put on a few pounds during the lockdown and so had my wife (much less than me though) Anyway we both decided to go on a ketogenic iet and so far its worked out well and Ive lost more than 20 lbs in just around two weeks.

Some of what we have found ourselves eating has been strange. (imagine me using lettuce to make a bun substitute so that I can hold a cheeseburger. in my hands to chow down on it. Basically we are eating lots of protein including meat, but no carbs, at all. Meat and fats are okay, but no carbs.. No bread, no rice.. Lots of other stuff.

Its fun. If I keep on losing weight like this I should be able to fit into lots of old clothing I was saving in the hope that I could do something like this.

Anyway, just wanted to share this idea. It works and its pretty healthy, according to Nutrition.org. (my go to spot for such data)

 
Have any of you tried it? What foods have you liked? We are looking for new meal ideas..

[bd139]

It works until it doesn’t. Enjoy your kidney stones, fatty liver, cholesterol and constipation. It’s not healthy at all.

Regarding the immediate weight loss. That’s massively bad news. The first 10lb is basically retained water you’ve lost. The remainder is loss but you shouldn’t be losing that fast. You’ll end up looking like a raisin and with secondary problems in my first paragraph. Skin takes a lot of time to shrink. Slow changes are an order of magnitude better for you.

Just get a decent calorie counting app for your phone (nutracheck works for me), be honest and set 1lb a week as a target and increase your exercise. In my case walking did it. It’s not all about losing weight but about gaining fitness and learning how to eat properly. Keto doesn’t teach you how to eat properly so when you’re done you’ve learned nothing and are screwed. Then the weight goes back on again. And you end up bouncing around forever. That is literally all my peers who did it.

After looking at myself in the mirror and going “Jesus Christ you’re a template fat ham”, I’ve gone from 230lb to 147lb over the space of 2 years doing just calorie counting properly with no medical or health issues incurred. In my late 40s. I can run a 5k now. I regularly do 25k hikes. I don’t hurt after either of them 

[Ed.Kloonk]

Ive lost more than 20 lbs in just around two weeks.

I think I found it.

 

[jpanhalt]

It works until it doesn’t. Enjoy your kidney stones, fatty liver, cholesterol and constipation. It’s not healthy at all.

Here's a piece of trivia I found interesting:  https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-reconstruct-lewis-and-clark-journey-follow-mercury-laden-latrine-pits-180956518/

One campsite has been identified using the signatures left by men who took mercury-laced purgative pills to treat constipation and other ills.

Lewis and Clark were a pair of famous early American explorers of the West (Mississippi River to Pacific Ocean).  Their diet was mostly meat from hunting.  Modern laxatives don't contain mercury.

[bd139]

Yeah definitely a big problem that with a meat heavy diet. My father, a fat Swiss man, consumed mostly dead things and little fibre and had chronic constipation all the time and was on medication for it for the last decade of his life. Balance is really important to a healthy life which is where these fads fall over.

I think the best case for a keto diet is to attempt to reverse borderline type 2 diabetes more than anything when there’s an immediate trade off that needs to be made.

[nctnico]

Like many others I had put on a few pounds during the lockdown and so had my wife (much less than me though) Anyway we both decided to go on a ketogenic iet and so far its worked out well and Ive lost more than 20 lbs in just around two weeks.

Some of what we have found ourselves eating has been strange. (imagine me using lettuce to make a bun substitute so that I can hold a cheeseburger. in my hands to chow down on it. Basically we are eating lots of protein including meat, but no carbs, at all. Meat and fats are okay, but no carbs.. No bread, no rice.. Lots of other stuff.
 
Have any of you tried it? What foods have you liked? We are looking for new meal ideas..

If you value your health, then quit with that diet! Loosing 20lbs in 2 weeks is not healthy. Also you need the carbs because they are the human body's primary fuel. Don't eating carbs is like trying to run your car on water. It is just that your body is more forgiving than your car short term.

If you are serious about losing weigth and keeping it up long term then you need to count calories so you can limit your intake to what your body actually needs. You likely need to become more active as well. Eating a lot of meat is not healthy as well; especially red meat is linked to getting forms of intestant cancer.

I'd stop using that nutrition.org website as well. A website promoting a ketogenic diet is just bad. Keep in mind that diet books are big business so guess where sponsor money is going. Better stick to what the WHO suggests: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/healthy-diet

[madires]

If you want to lose some pounds you can help me with a garden renovation (actually two). Very healthy! Good for heart and circulation.

[iMo]

7km walk in 1 hour every day and no diet needed. Moreover you are on fresh air and it will train your muscles, joints, heart, etc, etc.
PS: get rid of your car..

[Dave]

If you want to lose weight long term, you need to change your eating and exercising habits permanently. Extremely restrictive diets are only ever going to be short term things and then when the target weight is reached, you go back to your old eating habits and putting weight back on.

It's really as simple as balancing the calories going in with the calories going out. Whenever there's an excess going in, you're going to store that in fat, and vice-versa.

Also be careful with the exercises you pick if you're obese (not saying you are, @OP, just talking in general). Taking up jogging or hiking might not be the best idea for your knees and hips. Swimming, on the other hand, would be perfect.

[Bud]

Stop eating after 6pm. Works better than any diet.

[bd139]

Slightly more complicated than that. Eat a medium breakfast, large lunch and small supper. Avoid eating after 6pm but still drink lots of water!

[nctnico]

Slightly more complicated than that. Eat a medium breakfast, large lunch and small supper. Avoid eating after 6pm but still drink lots of water!

Sorry, but that doesn't work without counting the calories. Personally I had to reduce to 2 meals a day in order to keep the number of calories within reasonable limits.

[iMo]

Also avoid sugary drinks (!!) and limit salt intake to almost nil.. You will get rid of some kilos without any diet too..

[NiHaoMike]

Those looking for a healthy, sustainable diet should look up "Freelee the Banana Girl".

[nctnico]

Also avoid sugary drinks (!!) and limit salt intake to almost nil.. You will get rid of some kilos without any diet too..

But that is because you basically de-hydrate your body. If I eat some salty food then I can easely retain a few liters of extra water which then gets shed during the days after.

[Miyuki]

But I'm so addicted to sugar 
Only luck I cant diggest it so does not gain weight
I did try keto for some time and feel great

[bd139]

Slightly more complicated than that. Eat a medium breakfast, large lunch and small supper. Avoid eating after 6pm but still drink lots of water!

Sorry, but that doesn't work without counting the calories. Personally I had to reduce to 2 meals a day in order to keep the number of calories within reasonable limits.

Yeah you have to count the calories still. Just eat smaller meals! Today for me:

Breakfast: scrambled egg, bacon, mushrooms, toast, baked beans.

Lunch: home made gobi dal, rice, chocolate mousse.

Tea: oats and raisins.

Snacks: raspberries, blueberries, peanuts.

Exercise: 5km walk, 20 minutes on the various gym machines in the park.

I’m down 280 cals still  . On the line on protein though so I’m done.

[bd139]

But I'm so addicted to sugar 
Only luck I cant diggest it so does not gain weight
I did try keto for some time and feel great

If you’re addicted to sugar you can slowly ween yourself off it with something like Coke Zero. It has a sugary hit but no sugar in it. Then slowly alternate it with water.

I can’t actually eat anything terribly sugary now. It tastes horrible. And when I started this breakfast was a full fat red bull and a Mars bar 

[madires]

Slightly more complicated than that. Eat a medium breakfast, large lunch and small supper. Avoid eating after 6pm but still drink lots of water!

Sorry, but that doesn't work without counting the calories. Personally I had to reduce to 2 meals a day in order to keep the number of calories within reasonable limits.

It's not just about the right amount of calories based your daily activities. Genetics and the bacteria in your guts also play an important role. So everyone has to find his personal balance.

[ace1903]

Just be aware that with such fast weight lost you will loose hair also. I enjoyed fast results and perfect blood sugar (HbA1c ) but I was unaware that I will loose hair also.
Now I would recommend to others reading a bit more before trying it. Probably it can be balanced with proper nutrients and wise choosing what should be on the dishes.
Just note that is not trivial like just take meat and everything will be fine.

[iMo]

.. Breakfast: scrambled egg, bacon, mushrooms, toast, baked beans.

  Try with:
Breakfast: mushrooms, toast, baked beans.

[bd139]

Not enough fat and protein then.

[iMo]

Breakfast: fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring, trout, sardines), mushrooms, toast, baked beans.

[bd139]

That’s a good suggestion.

[jmelson]

A friend of mine was a REALLY big guy, 6' 6" at least, and over 500 Lbs.  We were kind of worried about him.  He did the same thing, no carbs, and dropped at least 250 Lbs over a couple years.  He was at a meeting with a friend, and until he opened his mouth, I had No IDEA it was him! I almost fell over!
So, it does work!
Jon