The UNofICiAl KETO Thread

Hey all, I started this thread to discuss Ketogenics and the Ketosis Diet, and my progress with it thus far. Also, I hope to share recipes with you and hear your success or failures with this diet.

The ketogenic diet (often termed keto) is a very low-carb, high-fat diet that shares many similarities with the Atkins and low-carb diets.
It involves drastically reducing carbohydrate intake, and replacing it with fat. The reduction in carbs puts your body into a metabolic state called ketosis.

When this happens, your body becomes incredibly efficient at burning fat for energy. It also turns fat into ketones in the liver, which can supply energy for the brain.

Ketogenic diets can cause massive reductions in blood sugar and insulin levels. This, along with the increased ketones, has numerous health benefits.

This is a great 5 1/2 min video introduction to the Keto diet -







authoritynutrition.com...



en.m.wikipedia.org...



Good source for recipes: www.ruled.me...


First, some personal history. I'm 45, 6'1". I am a Bible-clutching AR15 loving white male Cajun-Redneck NUT. When I graduated high school, I was 175 pounds soaking wet. I was a straight A student, a bit of a nerd, definitely not a jock. I was the #1 ranked player on our tennis team though, my junior and senior years. Over the years, like all of us, something happened with my metabolism. 16 years ago, in 2000, I was around 240 lbs., and sick of it. I went on the SlimFast shake diet and quickly lost 35 lbs., and was hungry as a bear the whole time.

Flash forward to 7 years I spent living in Dallas, TX. (Almost all of my career has been in retail management) I found myself around 235 again, and began running 2 miles every morning before work. I had a set route and would time myself, always trying to break my record time. I felt great, and ate and drank whatever I wanted, and still got myself down about 30 lbs.

Flash forward to 2011, I had moved back home to Louisiana. I was hired at a beer distributor with a position in the delivery department. Hardest physical job of my life, imagine helping to deliver 1,000 cases a day in the Louisiana heat, and supervising other trucks at the same time. Again, I maintained 205 lbs. while eating and drinking pretty much whatever I wanted.

2 1/2 years ago, I finally got a position on a pre-sales route. However, I continued to eat and drink whatever I wanted just like when I was sweating my butt off in delivery. The pounds piled on....

** A few notes about my personal habits** I smoke a pack of cigarettes every day, sometimes more. At this point I was drinking about 8 12oz Budweisers a night, sometimes 12 ! I like to get $&!/ed up, sorry to admit that, LoL. When I was in college, I swear I could drink a case of beer and eat a large pizza in one day and not gain a pound. But 8 Buds a night at this point is a TON of useless calories. My obsession with pizza ain't helping either.


2 months ago I was at 248 lbs. I had a couple of days of chest pain and numbness in my right hand, then rushed myself to the hospital. I ended up staying 2 days and having every type of test ran you can think of. They couldn't find anything wrong with my heart. The Doctor told me on my way out the door he wanted me to lose 50 pounds.

I told myself, This Is It, time to make a change. I ran across a thread about Ketosis on another forum, and showed it to my wife. she was onboard, I was onboard, and away we went!

I started on 8/5, today is 9/18, I've gone from 248 to 220, I am halfway there. The first few weeks were DIFFICULT. Little to no carbs or sugars, all meat and fat. NO BEER, NO BREAD, NO RICE, NO POTATOES!

It's not easy. I still drink a few drinks every night, mainly Wild Turkey mixed with Coke Zero, it's totally Keto. I have energy now, I think I went too crazy the first few weeks, damn near starved myself. In later posts I want to get into more detail on what we are eating. I think it is KEY to have a partner on board with this too, she has seen success as well, and we trade off cooking every night.

So, anybody here on ATS in Ketosis?

a reply to: Signals

I'm not doing it now, but I have in the past. It's my FAVORITE way of eating, hands down! I had more energy and less arthritis pain than any other way of eating! Plus, I lost weight and I LOVE the food! If it weren't for the way most meat and fat is processed in this country, I'd probably go back to it.

I loved having coconut oil in my coffee every day. All the butter and eggs I could want!

Sounds like you're having great success with it! Congrats!

originally posted by: Benevolent Heretic
a reply to: Signals

I'm not doing it now, but I have in the past. It's my FAVORITE way of eating, hands down! I had more energy and less arthritis pain than any other way of eating! Plus, I lost weight and I LOVE the food! If it weren't for the way most meat and fat is processed in this country, I'd probably go back to it.

I loved having coconut oil in my coffee every day. All the butter and eggs I could want!

Sounds like you're having great success with it! Congrats!

Exactly this.

In the U.K. the good meat is expensive so this diet can be a little pricey when you don't plan your food properly.

But it did make me feel great. A lean mean fat burning machine.

a reply to: Benevolent Heretic

Funny you mention coffee, I have 2 full cups every morning, + coconut oil, butter, half & half, and "Folgers Flavors Vanilla", (stevia???), and it tastes great!!!

Both of you are correct, this is a relatively expensive diet.

(Unless you run a farm)

Hi. I started a thread on this about a month ago.

I wanted to lose about 15 pounds. I had a physical problem which caused me to be inactive for about 7 or 8 months, losing muscle and gaining fat.

I started researching ketosis, and eventually decided to try it. I lost almost 7 pounds in one month.
I went through a short period of euphoria - I felt awesome! (That's when I started my thread...)

Then I got diarrhea and the keto-flu for a few days. Then I just started getting really weak. I had much less stamina during my workouts. My muscles felt fatigued and when I tried to run I quickly felt like I was going to die.

I was still keeping my carbs down to about 10 grams a day, I think I should have started eating a bit more, considering how hard I was working out...

Then we left on a cruise, that I had planned to stop the diet on because we had unlimited food and drinks on it. I ate whatever I wanted, and the recharge in carbs got me doing awesome heavy workouts every day in the ships gym. I swam a lot, biked on the islands, and in the end, I didn't gain any weight, though I didn't lose any either, obviously.

Now, I am finally back in ketosis, probably only since two days ago. It has taken me probably ten days to get back into it! I had one day I broke down and ate a pizza, knocking back all my efforts.

BUT

I am in the euphoric stage again, woke up this morning to see a kilo gone (about two pounds).
Mostly though, I am stoked about my muscle development. Even my husband was commenting about my abs this morning. I'm less focused on losing pounds now, because even when I am seeing no change on the scale, my body is getting better!

I love the results for my skin, and not ever feeling bloated or gassy anymore. Not being hungry.

But last night we found a restaurant with everything I love and cannot usually find here - mexican food.... key lime pie!
I figure it was the biggest test I could be faced with. I made it. I stuck with keto and said no to the pie and tortillas.

Someone here gave me the suggestion to drink bouillon for the salts and minerals when you start dumping water, and I have been doing that. It seems to knock back the diarrhea and flu symptoms when they threaten.
I haven't gotten around to making the bone broth, I just drink some beef bouillon from cubes.

As far as recipes, my situation is weird because I am in France. I can't get a lot of things people in the US talk of, like pork rinds? But I have other things that are good- like liver patés, foie gras....

I just got over my carb withdrawal, Looking forward for whats to come!

I have no idea about keto diets, I can attest that eskimos live healthy lives eating meat and fat only. I also lived outdoors for years at a time, ate unhealthy foods from fast food restaurants, and cheap filler foods from grocery stores and junk trucks.

After my longest stretch ( 7 years ), I got a thorough blood work up, convinced I must have several types of disease, anything from under-bridge-itis to clogged arteries, cancer for toxins in the metal recycling, flea market and garbage-tosis maladies.

I was Healthy as a horse, clean as a whistle.

I can't explain it either.

I agree ketosis is the best and fastest way to lose weight; it also may be helpful in either reversing a precancerous (one you don't know about) condition or perhaps a 'cure' in some cases. Don't flame me for that, there's plenty of discussion and evidence on both sides of the issue. My personal feeling as a cancer survivor (?) is - can't hurt, may help.

There's a massive amount of information and daily posts about ketosis over on the Reddit keto thread including recipes, tutorials, before and after photos, etc.

I'm sure our ancestors were in mild to moderate ketosis much of the time; food wasn't always a few feet away, cheap and carb-loaded. Certainly bread is a relatively new invention. If you wanted some food, a few mile run or days of hunting down a mammoth may have been necessary, in ketosis burning fat the whole way. Our diets are no where near what they have been throughout human history. Sugar is a highly addictive poison that hits the brain much like some very dangerous drugs.

Deep ketosis isn't unlike a mind-changing psychedelic experience and I'm sure other forms of mind-changing drug use were expedited by our experience with ketosis. It really effects your dreams, for one thing.

why are people so adverse to excercise that theyd rather do silly diets like this?
excercise is how you lose weight, diet is relativly irrelevant.

dont gamble with your health following the latest fad you found on youtube.

What is Keto-Flu?

I'm interested in trying this, but I have an insanely physical job & bathroom trips can't be happening.

a reply to: Bluesma

Yes, usually my breakfast is chicken bouillon soup, with butter and coconut oil added...,

a reply to: Caver78

Still regular, but do NOT trust a fart on this diet.....

a reply to: Rikku

Please explain to me how I'm gambling with my health....

a reply to: Signals
one yr, five yrs, fifteen yrs from now, i will have the same opinion, i doubt you will.

a reply to: Signals

I've heard that the KETO diet causes women's breasts to grow from women on an online body modification site.

I may just have to look into it!

a reply to: Rikku

Actually it's the opposite is true: good health is 80% healthy diet and 20% exercise. (Not saying that KEtO is the answer)

You can't be healthy living off coca cola and chicken nuggets and think that you can hit the gym to get healthy.

I lost 95 pounds last year, 10 pounds first week 30pounds first month. Always thought I was just 'big boned' whatever the hell that means? 5'11, 275lbs, 48years old. Now 49 and 180lbs. All through high school I was 220lbs, never thought I'd be skinny! For me this is skinny, did it with take shape for life plan. Unbelievable results in no time!

originally posted by: Rikku
why are people so adverse to excercise that theyd rather do silly diets like this?
excercise is how you lose weight, diet is relativly irrelevant.

dont gamble with your health following the latest fad you found on youtube.

I guess it is because losing weight is not my only concern.

I have always loved exercise, so that is not a problem. I continue to do a lot of it now. (Running, resistance/weights, Yoga, Horseback riding)

But I find that if I don't eat enough protein, for example, I tear down muscle instead of build it.
If I don't eat enough fats, I have hot flashes (I am a post menopausal female)
If I eat a lot of carbs, I have problems with gas and bloating that hurts.
If I eat carbs, I also have a rise in sensation of hunger which makes me either eat more calories throughout the day,
Or suffer hunger all day.

I think when one is young, one can afford to think only about appearence, and weight,

Later on, it gets to be more about deeper issues, like health, so what you eat becomes just as important as how much exercise you get.

Because I am not into sweets, and bread has always caused me digestive problems, I think I have gone into ketosis a lot of times during my life anyway. I just was glad to find that it was a medically studied and confirmed diet prescribed by doctors to some people for certain conditions.

I am not sure why you consider yourself in a position to determine what other people (with different bodies, different problems, different goals) should or should not eat..??

a reply to: Caver78

Almost everyone says they went through it. It was approximately three days of just feeling crappy- like a flu.

Some people say it is withdrawal type symptoms of cutting out sugar- perhaps it is for those who were used to eating lots of sugar. Studies have shown it is as addictive as heroin.

For others, it just seems to be a result of losing electrolytes.
Your body stocks and stores carbs as glycogen in your tissues.
When you severely limit the carbs you consume, it begins to dip into the stores to use them for energy.
Each gram of glycogen is bound with 3-4 grams of water.

So as it unloads those stocks to burn, it releases water. You lose a lot of water weight at first, pee a lot.
This can cause you to lose minerals as well.

When your body gets through the glycogen stores, then it is forced into changing modes of fuel, from glycogen to ketone bodies; from carbs to fats.
This can be a bit difficult at first if you haven't done it before. Your body needs to adjust.

(here's a link I just brought up, but you can find tons of others- www.drmyhill.co.uk... )

Apparently, it is claimed that once you have gotten your body used to it, you can switch modes easier, like a hybrid car which switches between electricity and gas.

But there can be a few days where you feel crappy as it adjusts. It's not a big deal. It just seemed like a big contrast to the euphoric-type feeling I had at first!

Drinking magnesium-rich spring water, drinking broth, and including enough salt seemed to get me past it quickly. This time I am just making sure to do all this right away, so maybe I won't go through that at all.