Keto, Low Carb, Atkins, IF Thread

[surfsnowgirl]

Similarities. As they're both low-carb diets, Atkins and keto are alike in some ways. In fact, Phase 1 (Induction) of the Atkins diet is similar to the keto diet, as it restricts net carbs to 25 grams per day. In doing so, your body likely enters ketosis and starts burning fat as its main source of fuel

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/atkins-vs-keto

 

[Decreed_It]

Timely thread to bump bttt;

I just accepted a November accountability challenge from a buddy that includes IF - 18/6 4x a week or 24/0 1x a week. I've also used low to no carb diets to success in the past. I definitely can tell when I'm on the carb high and crash cycle - Halloween with kids is a prime example. The adults drink more and there's all this garbage sugar around . . .

ANYWAY I've also trained MAF method in the past to build up aerobic endurance for long runs, like trail Ultras and an ultra relay road race.

I love this approach and it might be helpful to some folks:
Carbohydrate Intolerance and the Two-Week Test

My worry with this thing is the IF - I usually graze based on hunger using the above guide. The 18/6 we typically skip breakfast, which I don't eat much of anyway, then try to get all your calories in between say 12-6 PM give or take. I think I can do that, trying it today, morning coffee is 'cool' and helps.

 

[no edge]

When you say strict Keto you mean ketosis and less than 25 net carbs per day. Just trying to understand.

I often think of trying this with a transition to stict paleo. Reeses's call to me too

Just because I am eating Keto for a few days does not mean that I am in Ketosis. I am holding the line on the carbs, below 25. The weight just falls off. I feel like or maybe assume that it is safer keeping the time in Ketosis short. Keto and Paleo are very similar but for the carb restriction of 25. Paleo is low carb.

Today is a good day, no hunger or cavings. It seems like I am adjusting to the change. I did experience the flu feeling, but that has lifted. I was in a bake shop today... I made it out without a cookie.

 

[surfsnowgirl]

Just because I am eating Keto for a few days does not mean that I am in Ketosis. I am holding the line on the carbs, below 25. The weight just falls off. I feel like or maybe assume that it is safer keeping the time in Ketosis short. Keto and Paleo are very similar but for the carb restriction of 25. Paleo is low carb.

Today is a good day, no hunger or cavings. It seems like I am adjusting to the change. I did experience the flu feeling, but that has lifted. I was in a bake shop today... I made it out without a cookie.

You could be in ketosis if you aren't hungry. Ketosis jump starts the body into the keto diet and is often when the most weight loss happens. Staying under 25 carbs per day can put you into ketosis but how long it takes varies from person to person. The usual is 2–4 days. I'm on a keto facebook page and they say that when the hunger or cravings subside it means one is in ketosis.

My friend ate under 25 net carbs a day until she put herself into ketosis after just a few days. This jump started the weight loss and then she just low carbed it after that and it's been magical for her too.

I think the idea is finding something that works for you, can stick to and feel good about and it sounds like you have done that. Kudos. May you have continued success and congrats on making it out of the bake shop sans cookie.

 

[no edge]

Understand that you're in the toughest period right now. If you've never done Keto before then keep the following in mind:

1. You must supplement salts (Ka, Mg, Na) to help ease/avoid "keto flu" side effects. I use "Salt Stick" purchased off Amazon.
2. You're not keto-adapted yet. It will take weeks, if not an entire month, for your body to truly become fully keto-adapted. Don't get discouraged as the scale starts to be inconsistent and they way you feel day-to-day may not be great.
3. Eat - this is probably the biggest mistake many first time keto dieters make. You have to eat for this to work correctly. I just use my own appetite triggers as guidance. Only eat when you're truly hungry. Don't overeat, but definitely don't go hungry. I have not found IF (fasting) to be beneficial for my own weight loss, but YMMV.

Understand that most people are carb-addicted. Keto "flips the switch" to get your body to understand how to use fats (primarily MCTs and LCTs) as fuel. Getting off carbs is like going through withdrawal. Many people fail in getting through this withdrawal successfully. It takes time.

Good luck!

I am without a doubt, carb addicted. One thing that helps me is to know that if I am going to do this then no sweets, starches and the like. It creates a strict rule that for some reason I follow. I eat plenty and find no hunger.

I will address the salts. I cannot see myself eating Keto for 30 days. If I ca go back and forth on this and Paleo I would experience big benefits.

 

[no edge]

My friend ate under 25 net carbs a day until she put herself into ketosis after just a few days. This jump started the weight loss and then she just low carbed it after that and it's been magical for her too.

I think the idea is finding something that works for you, can stick to and feel good about and it sounds like you have done that. Kudos. May you have continued success and congrats on making it out of the bake shop sans cookie.

A close relative is big into Keto. She pushed me to jump in. She is not well; auto immune situation but not one of the famous ones. She was always in rough shape. No more activity, muscle attachments pulling loose and general sick feeling. I bugged her to go Paleo and the results were amazing. The turn around has been fun to watch. She has a bike** now, she walks, she was a big flat water canoe racer and paddles from time to time. She's got it down - became obsessed.

Now she is into Keto. I am not happy with fulltime. Paleo has a nice mix of foods like fruits and veggies.

**full disclosure... the bike has an electric assist motor for when she goes up hills. I think it's a good thing since it gets her out and peddling. She lives in a very hilly (mountainous) place.

 

[no edge]

Saturday was a good day. I felt healthy and not deprived. I went for a walk... one mile!

But here's what is exciting, opening day at Killington is on and I am going! I am nervous about the physical demand. The hike down should be fine but back up could be very difficult. Then there is the skiing. I am entering this season in the worst physical condition of my life. But I am going to go - it's opening day.

I plan to bring candy in case I have a sugar crash. (Reese's), also an apple and some almond butter. I will not eat either unless it is necessary. I have had experience with sugar crash before and it would not be a good situation to be up top with that going on. If it's too much I will stop, but it's the climb back up the stairs that is concerning. It's staircases with catwalks. I think it about 3/8s of a mile. It would be a good place for a Sherpa.

 

[surfsnowgirl]

Saturday was a good day. I felt healthy and not deprived. I went for a walk... one mile!

But here's what is exciting, opening day at Killington is on and I am going! I am nervous about the physical demand. The hike down should be fine but back up could be very difficult. Then there is the skiing. I am entering this season in the worst physical condition of my life. But I am going to go - it's opening day.

I plan to bring candy in case I have a sugar crash. (Reese's), also an apple and some almond butter. I will not eat either unless it is necessary. I have had experience with sugar crash before and it would not be a good situation to be up top with that going on. If it's too much I will stop, but it's the climb back up the stairs that is concerning. It's staircases with catwalks. I think it about 3/8s of a mile. It would be a good place for a Sherpa.

Sounds like a good plan. Have a blast. Perhaps bring a backpack with you that way you can walk down in your hiking does and back up in them as well. You can stash your pack somewhere when you are skiing. I hear many people do this. Should be a good time. I will be there in spirit.

 

[cosmoliu]

Feel free to eat the almond butter. Don't even take the Reece's to the hill. Once you've established a ketotic diet, you just don't even want to consider backsliding. Understand that if you don't have a high level of circulating glucose (sugar), you won't have a sugar crash. A sugar crash happens when you experience a sugar spike (After a sugar binge) which the body responds to with an insulin spike. After that insulin spike crashes the circulating glucose, you experience hunger, which we modern humans have responded to by consuming yet another round of simple carbs. It is that cycle of spikes and troughs that leads to Metabolic Syndrome and eventually diabetes (grossly simplified here). Aiming to keep a moderate and even/steady circulating glucose level is what Keto is supposed to be about.

 

[no edge]

I am back from Killington and it was so fine. The new lift is a quad and four people fit on it unlike the triple where three people did not. The mountain served free lunch and Keto was easy.

Going down was ok. Did three runs and skied well considering it was the first day. It was bumped up in places and I jumped right in and that was nice. I did ok.

After the third run I called it. I could have done more but the climb out was making me nervous. So I bailed and took the stairs. It really was difficult for me and I was sucking wind. It was some form of agony.

Got to have lunch with my Magic buddies, and that was fun. Didn't take any runs with them. The November view is spectacular. The snowmaking team was lead through the lodge and everyone cheered.

I did not eat the Reese's and did not experience any substantial energy let down. I think Keto served me well today.

 

[cosmoliu]

When you use fat and protein for fuel, you don't need simple carbs to keep going.

I started a keto diet about two years ago. My goal was not weight loss, but to de-emphasize carbs for brain health. Those who know me here know that I have/had few fat reserves to burn off. After a couple of months I lost about 8# and frankly began to look a bit gaunt. I now eat keto-ish, still eschewing sugars but reintroducing rice and occasional pasta, always trying to mix starches in with at least some fat to delay GI absorption and blunt any potential sugar spike. Staying fueled completely through a ski day can be a bit of a challenge, but I'm happy overall with how I've settled in to life without sugar.

 

[Blue Streak]

When you use fat and protein for fuel, you don't need simple carbs to keep going.

I started a keto diet about two years ago. My goal was not weight loss, but to de-emphasize carbs for brain health. Those who know me here know that I have/had few fat reserves to burn off. After a couple of months I lost about 8# and frankly began to look a bit gaunt. I now eat keto-ish, still eschewing sugars but reintroducing rice and occasional pasta, always trying to mix starches in with at least some fat to delay GI absorption and blunt any potential sugar spike. Staying fueled completely through a ski day can be a bit of a challenge, but I'm happy overall with how I've settled in to life without sugar.

What about alcohol?

 

[cosmoliu]

That's a major food group.


Edit: No, seriously, check out this lecture by Robert Lustig. Anyone with his mastery of biochemistry is a certified smart guy in my book. If you slog through the entire hour and a half, note how he draws an equivalence between EtOH and Fructose, both toxic to the liver.

 

[Blue Streak]

But beer is soooooo good and sooooo full of carbs.

 

[cosmoliu]

(In my best Sensei voice): In moderation, Grasshopper. In moderation.

 

[no edge]

When you use fat and protein for fuel, you don't need simple carbs to keep going.

I started a keto diet about two years ago. My goal was not weight loss, but to de-emphasize carbs for brain health.

This is the other part of why I am being bugged about Keto, also about supplements. I don't like to take "stuff", but I take Vit D because Dr told me to. I take CoQ-10 because Robb Wolf said to and doctors pressed the importance of it. Now I am taking Resveratrol because I surrendered to the pressure.

Between the stroke and the concussions my brain is in need of help but these things are really for a dementia type situations. Not sure what to do, but I have found that the inflammation type diets are good in so many ways. You actually experience the benefits.

 

[VickiK]

I think fish oil, CoQ10, and turmeric are anti-inflammatories. Vitamin D is important too. I always forget that one.

 

[Noodler]

Since we're talking supplements, if you haven't checked out examine.com, that's my go-to site for assessing the value and efficacy of all the supplements I take.

 

[no edge]

I think fish oil, CoQ10, and turmeric are anti-inflammatories. Vitamin D is important too. I always forget that one.

What about Resveratol? Also, I stopped taking Turmeric.

 

[no edge]

I hope you don't mind me while I dominate the rap. I am in the middle of a human experiment.

I plateaued yesterday at nine lbs loss. That's at one week. Not sure what that's all about. May have eaten too much or climbed a bit in carbs. Also my Sunday visit to Killington was the most exercise in the past five months that I have. But I feel well. I have a small pot-belly as in belly fat. Might have to go to lipo-suction for that.