I have had a few private messages, and I thought I would just answer it here and let others who have or are doing Keto chime in with help too. I am not the guru, but I have watched a whole lot of videos, read books and live Keto in our home. first of all! I am 54, and was 247 pounds, I had a very truthful and upfront doctor. I knew I had to lose, and am DRIVEN to lose this and get healthy. I can say, I did this and this, but unless you are focused and know it HAS to happen, you will fall away and gain any weight and more back. I had to plan. I did ONE week at a time. Started with meals and snacks. thirty carb limit. As I went along, that was too much food. When you eat the fats correct, you feel full. I now eat under 10 carbs a day. I do not miss them! I NEVER FELT full before. I could eat a whole cake and then a chocolate bar, like it was nothing. I go to bed not hungry! here are some very low carb recipes I had a lot of egg omelets to start. I now make this one cup of cabbage and one egg, fry in bacon grease. It is like hashbrowns, so good. I put different things on it. Avocado, bacon, cheese etc...it is good good good. I am addicted to Rotisserie Chicken from the grocery store. The skin is a good fat, and the chicken so moist. I make a lot of chicken, fish and some steak. I am staying away from red meats, but my hubby CAN NOT! lol We cook up 3 pounds of bacon a week, and I will have 2 pieces of that for a snack often. I add it to everything. The grease, the best! I also made wraps with this lavash bread (it is available at walmart $3) and I would grill it with meat and vegi and cheese inside! my splurge are these atkin bars with coffee after my nap. Keto flu is real. It sucks. I knew it was coming and started magnesium and potassium supplements from the get go. It made a big difference. I was so sluggish, I devoured RockStar energy drinks for a week (2 a day) ugh. I no longer drink soda at all!! zilch, none. this was a hard break, but now when I drink it, it makes my mouth feel gross. I still do Rock Stars 3 times a week! Water! It is a must, to flush your system. Eventually you will stop going potty every 15 minutes. I even make it thru the night now. Before Keto, I was up 2 or 3 times. Listen to your body. Start moving. I don't care if it is 10 minute walk some where. Start moving. YOU will feel better.
These are great tips! I lost 55 lbs on keto and my best advice is to be patient through plateaus, and don't get overwhelmed with info at the beginning. Too many recipes with lots of ingredients can overwhelm you at once. Water is so important, and I stall every tiime I don't hydrate the way I should. Don't be afraid of veggies, even when they have some carbs. I eat giant salads and I know that there are carbs in them but they're the good kinds. Don't let anyone tell you you can't eat garlic powder or a carrot or some diced onion because they have carbs in them. Just be smart about them. I don't track at all now, but I did for the first month until I got the hang of it. The best advice I ever got on keto was don't cheat with carbs. Like if you want to be indulgent one day and overeat cheese and pepperoni, it's one thing. May not be the best thing for you but it's better than a plate of cookies. It seemed like a simple concept but I liked her style. I went ten months with not one cheat and as soon as I let sugar back in was when my struggle began. Another great thing to remember is to just politely say no. I said no to so many birthday cakes at work during my first year on keto. and every time it was easier to say no the next time.
Thankyou both.. @Lena Gardner and @AnneofAlamo I needed to read these hints as I am trying the "Real Food" way of living and have lost nearly 1kg (2lb) so far which is not a lot but a start.
I’ve been low carb for over5 yrs, started with gluten-free lower carb, then progressed to keto for 2017 and this year progressed to paleo. I lost 75 lbs and have kept it off, going from a size 14 down to a 4. The principles of low carb are fairly straightforward and I like that I can eat whenever I’m hungry and don’t have to count calories, just eat sensibly and not overeat at night. I have never felt so healthy and my immune system is so strong that I haven’t been sick in 2yrs. My cholesterol and blood pressure went from super high to way down in the normal range. I’ve got lots of recipes, lots of keto/paleo books and have lots of Pinterest boards. Like Anne, I’m happy to offer any help I can. Don’t hesitate to ask.
I know what to do and how to do it, my struggle is with my family that eats carbs ALL THE TIME. Hubby is the worst and is so scared of feeling hungry. He snacks every 2 hours. I end up feeling deprived, not hungry, but when the hormones ebb and flow it gets to me and then I fall off the wagon again. To be fair I do totally binge while I am there.
I am really really thinking of starting this as I've been struggling with my weight for so long! I've been browsing Pinterest and started two new boards . I was meaning to ask.. Is this diet expensive and are the recipes too time consuming to make and prepare all the meal for a day? I think, what would really help me (and probably not only me!).. could you maybe post a list of meals you have during the day (including snacks), for a week, to make the start a bit easier? I think, when I get the hang of it, it will not seem that hard to do. I just really feel lost and overwhelmed at the moment with all the recipes over Pinterest and all the information.
I understand where you are coming from as I would like us to give up the amount of bread we eat... I do not eat as much as my husband. I cannot get him to give it up.
I understand that frustration, Eyeore. I am the only one in my family who eats low carb. It's definitely one of the bigger struggles. Dagi, my way of eating low carb is pretty straightforward and repetitive, but I don't tire of eating the same foods over and over. That's just part of my personality. When I do tire, I switch it up. For me, breakfast is bacon, eggs, and a roma tomato sliced, or bacon, sausage, and a little cottage cheese. I vary up the eggs, sometimes I scramble them with veggies and cheese, other times over medium. I never tire of this breakfast. It takes 5 minutes to cook up and my family loves eating hot breakfast every day. When our power was out for 2 days we had donuts and poptarts and it was AWFUL! I am spoiled to my hot breakfast. Lunch is leftovers from dinner, a salad, homemade soup, or another quick egg scramble if that's what I feel like. My favorite lunch is dinner leftovers. Dinner is really formulaic for me: It's a meat and two veggies. One day may be pork chops, a salad, and asparagus. The next day may be chicken, broccoli, and green beans. The next day could be a burger with no bun, brussels sprouts and riced cauliflower. I don't typically snack b/c I'm not hungry for snacks. But I do eat a small square of really dark chocolate most days. And an atkins bar sometimes.
I eat only from 2 to 6pm. I do treadmill at 8am and then swim at 11am. If i eat the food comes up. Lol. I think it is cheaper but my husband does it with me and he has dinner. I usually just add a starch for my kids. They eat the same. Portions become smaller. I am on my phone but I joined for free a mealnplanner low carb and got a listing of meals I thought my family could do. I will post that link later. I eat the same also Salad with left over chicken. Avocado on it for fat. Egg and cabbage with different toppings. I rotate this. Chicken with hot wing sauce and cream cheese baked and next day have it as a chicken salad on cucumber slices. My husband likes different dinners. We have The grilled sandwiches with meat and cheese. I even did a Reuben on it. Awesome. Jalapeno, bacon, hamburger all brown ed and then add cream cheese. I eat salmon at least once a week. Asparagus, green beans, broccoli, spinach. Cabbage. Pesto is a great sauce. Mayo is good. Add parmesan and bake with chicken. I also eat tofu noodles. You have to rinse the dickens out of them. Hot dogs, sausage. Once a week we go to fast food. Low carb cheeseburger. Carl's Jr. Is my favorite. Learning is gonna help. Reading labels. You tube videos and experiment.
here are some sites with meal plans. it is hard to make some one else's plan, as to what you like. sitting down to plan a week is gonna have to be on you. figure out what taste you have. some things will be like oh my gosh I can't do that again...it is a learning experience. other things will be like, I can do this, that is flat out amazing! A lot of sites want you to buy their supplement, oil or miracle potion. Don't do it! lol I don't get specialty food. My thought is I am eating better, and if I need something later, I will change it up. for example: grass fed ground beef...uhm, that is so not happening, I get ground beef aka hamburger in the styrofoam at Walmart. https://www.shape.com/weight-loss/tips-plans/keto-meal-plan-beginners-high-fat-diet in my looking around today I found this way cool keto calculator **I never even knew the word macro until yesterday. I learn daily, and just keep eating low carbs (under 20), some kind of fats (bacon, cream cheese, avacado https://ketokarma.com/starting-ketogenic-diet/ keto in a nutshell A Comprehensive Printable Guide of Acceptable Foods and their Net Carbs
@Lena Gardner @AnneofAlamo @bcgal00 thank you very much ladies! as Lena, I do not mind eating the same foods over and over again, if they are tasty . I do like stereotype but I also like to add something new from time to time. According to the amount of recipes over Pinterest, I think I should be fine . We are not used to have hot dinners over here, but I sure won't mind that. I also have to have a breakfast in the morning. If I don't, I get nauseous.. black coffee is a must too.. lol I will definitely need some quick recipes for breakfasts as I'll be getting back to work and won't have that much time in the mornings..
These are some great ideas and conversation! I'm lazy/dirty keto now, but want to move to strict keto. I don't really mind the strictness, but it is so hard to learn all of the things that are "no"s and then I feel bad if I screw up. And for me it is still better to eat an atkins bar when I'm out and about vs slipping and eating total junk. The fasting is working well, but I can tell when I am hungry (actually hungry!) and it goes downhill fast! Here's a yummo salad. Omit the tomatoes if you don't want those carbs. I don't measure, but it is low carb and the olive oil and olives add fat. -cucumber chunks or slices -zucchini chunks or slices -tomato chunks or cherry tomato halves -feta cheese -kalamata olives -drizzle with olive oil -salt and pepper to taste I need a keto bread recipe that does not taste like egg. I love eggs. Just not "bread" that tastes like eggs. I don't plan to use it often, but some days I would like to have grilled cheese with my kids or toast to dip in my fried eggs. As for family cooking- My kids are pretty self sufficient for lunch, so I don't cook a big lunch. For supper, right now we are grilling most things. I eat the meat, and I try to add a salad or a vegetable. I usually make them another side too, and they get buns for hamburgers. My hubby isn't totally on board, but he will eat whatever. No one has complained that I have made them eat anything gross yet. They don't love the veggies, but they eat them better than most kids. I don't find it to be more expensive as long as you eat what you buy.. aka don't keep wasting that salad and those veggies Megan!!! The specialty stuff can get expensive quickly. The only things that I buy that I did not before is almond flour, protein bars and shakes, and I am trying to find a sweetener that I like and is keto clean.
I started out 2 months ago by trying to figure out my Macros as my first step in all of this - and using a calculator. I'm still tracking my foods in an App and even that is a rough estimate. Once I get the hang of it I'd rather not track as it's a pain! But I think it's very helpful as you begin. I also found the lists of acceptable foods and not acceptable foods very helpful with starting out too!
WE've been keto-ing for over a year. Since DH does it with me, it has been pretty easy. I lost about 30 pounds, then stalled. I have now added intermittent fasting, and just love it--almost a euphoric feeling. It was scary at first, but I survived, and each time, it is easier, and it makes life so much simpler. I've not decided on a fasting routine for the long run yet, but until I've lost a lot more weight, I will do extended fasts (3-5 days), interspersed with 24-hour fasts (going from keto-dinner to keto-dinner--no breakfasts or lunches). Surprisingly, DH, who has always been afraid to miss a meal, is fasting too! Not as frequently as I do (he is pretty slender, and I'm way over-weight still), but he learned he won't die, or even suffer much (!) if he skips breakfast and lunch. Our grocery bill is shrinking even faster than our waists. I feel AWESOME. Thought I'd be weak and lethargic. Quite the opposite. I'm energized, and my thinking seems sharper too! I was inspired by, and follow Dr. Jason Fung's book, "The Complete Guide to Fasting," and also listen to podcasts for encouragement. Some non-scale benefits: No more acid reflux waking me up at night...no more heartburn at all! My joints don't ache any more. I'm more flexible. I've been able to get off my diuretic meds. I expect I'll soon be able to lower or eliminate my blood pressure meds. etc. And BTW, I will be 72 years old next month, and feel better than I have since I was in my 30s. The thing I have to remember is to get enough salt, so I make chicken bone broth (in my Insta-Pot), and drink a cup of that every day or two. Magnesium is also very important. I take a "high absorption" supplement, and also have a bottle of magnesium cream to rub on my legs if I feel restless leg syndrome coming on. If I could get in and out of the bathtub more easily, I would soak in my Jacuzzi with Epson salts. After I lose a little more weight, I'll try that again, because absorbing magnesium (present in Epson salts) through the skin is the most efficient way to get it. I also have to hydrate, but that is easy. I keep ice water in a thermal cup. When I feel the occasional hunger pang, I drink water, and find something to distract me until the pang goes away (and they always pass quite quickly, and come less frequently the longer you fast).
@AnneofAlamo @Lena Gardner & others Reading this thread is like Christmas Morning!! I am really grateful this was posted. Hubster and I have been discussing this for a few weeks. We tried it for two and did well a couple of months ago. I honestly don't remember what caused the interruption, but boy did it make things go backwards big time. Thanks again for all who have chimed in!!!
