Keto Diet Time!
 

In 2017-ish I managed to lose about 45 lbs, getting down to 185 lbs at 6’1”. Over the last eight or so years the pesky little lbs have managed to find me, culminating in hitting the scales at 226 lbs last Monday. It didn’t help that I spent most of the last three years working in TX, eating crappy food, and drinking way too much beer. So I said no more and started the keto diet! I lost 8.8 lbs my first week, except for our waiter bringing my wife and I an ice cream sundae at our 23rd anniversary dinner I’ve been almost carb free. My goal is to lose 30 lbs, putting me at about 195 lbs. I found a great app called Carb Manager that has really helped track things and keep me accountable. Anybody else done keto that has some tips?

Saturday dinner party, 40 lollipops and 10 lbs of A5


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Oooh, that looks tasty!

The defibrillator was kept warmed up the whole night. :D

I had good luck with keto a few years ago. Exercise is a critical component too.

Funny, Matt...a friend of mine recently moved back to Maryland after 5 years in Texas and lost about the amount you want to lose.

His quote, after losing the weight:

All my ex-lbs live in Texas.

He said lunch was, without cheese (I don't know how would he know:cool:)), so good it got out of hand. He said when you are jonesing for a brisket for lunch after a sausage biscuit for breakfast, you need to call U-Haul.

It’s funny, fatty meats never bother me. When I eat really greasy carb heavy stuff like pizza, that’s when the heart feels like it’s about to beat out of my chest. It’s also when I feel the most bloated and fat after a meal. Pains me to say it, but beer has the same effect.

I suck at exercise for the sake of exercise. My wife and I normally walk 1-3 miles in the evenings and I’ve started playing golf with my sons. I’m also not a sitter when I’m not working, I always have a project of some kind even if it’s just cleaning the cars. So I guess that’s all better than nothing.

I'm the same way, but the problem is I love carbs....and beer. This thread is a good reminder though, I have to get back to keto. It's the only way I can lose weight. Those lollipops look awesome, I'm going to get some tomorrow for dinner!

2017-18 lost 50+.

Miller Lite is 5 carbs. If you stay under 30 total per day you will lose.

Cottage cheese, almonds were a good treat to cheat with once you get over the first several days of carb craving.

Keto bread was nasty. If someone can recommend a good (tolerable) tasting one that would be great.

I never did the fat bombs April made (She was my co-dieter) but if you find some that suit your fancy have at it.

The first time was in the early 2000's and I remember (on the road) buying three of the 1$ McDoubles and stripping all but the meat and pickles.

Co-workers asked if I was on some kind of medicine as I was so even keeled.

I blame Buc-ees! Actually I did eat those bags of candied pecans like crazy, which probably didn’t help. My biggest TX issue was being away from family, so I always ate like crap. Lots of hotel bars and takeout, I was working 70+ hours per week and in no mood to cook or eat healthy.

I see others share my beer problem, it’s really the only thing I miss. While Bob’s Miller Lite comment is valid, I’m more prone to be drinking an IPA, red ale, dunkel, or something else that’s really horrible for you. Fortunately you can drink whiskey on keto so I probably won’t kill anybody.

Also, what is a fat bomb?

When I went into the hospital at the end of 2020 with my heart attack, I was 205.

By the time I went home 5 days later I was under 200 and kept heading downward.

My vice was drinking two 7-Ups per day.

Cut that out completely.

Last time I got on the digital scales it said 167.4 lbs the other night.

Now my only vice is Ocean Spray juice in the morning with my grape nuts and banana and a bowl of ice cream at night for desert. Sandwiches for lunch are made with one piece of bread. I do eat wheat thins too, instead of potato chips.

I learned how to bbq salmon such that I look forward to a good piece now.

I consider donuts fat bombs.

I highly recommend letting them marinate in EVOO, chopped garlic, fresh rosemary and thyme with S&P for a minimum of 2 hours. Those were in the fridge for for 10 hours, on the counter for 10 hours. 2 on the counter you'd probably get some good flavor from the garlic and herbs, longer the better, enjoy! And as I am sure you know, those were done well under medium rare. So so good.

Since I torn my knee couple years ago along with covid fat that I was not able to ditched, I started to cut back carbs couple month ago. I love carbs. Pizza, rice, potato and the amount of Mexican food available around LA. I was about 20 over but I cut back on the carbs and lost 10 lbs within the first two months. I have about 10 to go to get to 155-160. It is getting harder and harder to do as we age. I am back to riding my bike regularly, twice a week doing about 80-100 miles. Will try to get up to 150 but time is not on my side. Don't want to get up early so I must find time during the day. I don't remember when was the last time I had a big thick piece of steak?

I'm doing tirzepatide. I eat and drink whatever I want, but it murders my appetite. What I'm saving by not even thinking about eating lunch anymore pays for the drug. I only feel like eating dinner on Fri and Sat., I eat breakfast just because I feel like I need to, but am not hungry then. I only drink water, coffee, bourbon and vodka. I hate soda. The lbs are coming off and the clothes are getting looser.

About 7 years ago I was convinced by a peer to try Keto. The first 2 weeks were rough, heat and fever like feeling but nothing compared to the 3 month in side effects, namely tears in my colon. I lost a good 20 lbs before my digestive system went haywire. It was pure agony. Wife and I went for a three day weekend to Seattle and I got back on the carbs…including my favorite clam chowder soup with sour dough bread. It took a week for my lower end to get out of pain. It was excruciating.

So I guess keto diet does not work for everyone and I really believe moderation is superior when it comes to food and long term health. I do love some eggs, bacon, and avocado for breakfast though.

Been a keto guy for over 2.5 years. I have lost 40 lbs. I lost most of that in the first couple months. I love carbs, so it was a bit trying at first. I wasn’t straying from the diet, but I really wanted some carbs. Eventually it became the normal habit. I am happy with the outcome. Nowadays I will have a bunch of with a hot dog or hamburger, but only one. It’s a balance thing. I also love beer. I have been drinking Michelob Ultra which is 2.6 carbs a bottle. As with other carbs, if I go out I will get a beer of my choice…just one.
I have tried ALL of the keto breads, buns, and keto recipes for breads. They all suck. Awful.

Good luck with your keto journey Matt !

I'm on semaglutide which is close and I have been on it a few months.

I have had some success on the scale but feel full all the time as digestion slows down. Pizza/bread is like cement in your gut. Salads/veggies/chicken breast is easier on you.

Side effects of being nauseous are not that bad. However, out-of-the blue dry heaving is weird.

I just started on the max dose and get the stuff at the compounding pharmacy and it under $200 per month. There is a gray marked for it but I don't feel comfortable and have not researched it.

The only way to lose weight is to consume fewer calories than you burn. Fad diets aren't the answer in the end. It's best to eat a balanced diet and just eat less.

Richard Jeni said it best:

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Wow, I’ve heard of people having a rough week or so of transition but nothing like that! Definitely sounds like keto wasn’t for you. I agree that everybody is different and there’s no one size fits all diet. I think keto is a good fit for me because I’ve noticed how carbs seems to impact me in a negative way. I don’t plan for this to be forever, hopefully I can hit my weight loss target and then go back to a low carb diet. Beer and pizza are probably my biggest challenge, they are two of my favorite things. I need to really work on moderation with that stuff.

If you view 'Keto' as a 'diet' for weight loss, it will be very difficult to stick to in the long term and ultimately a failure. Just like every 'diet' ever invented. The motivation needs to be improvement of metabolic health. Excess weight is a symptom of poor metabolic health. Weight loss will be only one of dozens of health improvements on a true Ketogenic lifestyle (and not the most important). Seed/vegetable oils, all grains, and all sugars (including fruit) must be eliminated 100% - they are the cause of metabolic disease.

There was an interesting point made by a doctor where he compressed all of human existence into 1 minute of time. Of that minute, humans have only consumed agricultural foods for about 1 second and processed foods for a few 100ths of a second. We've been on a grand experimental diet for the past 75 years or so and are paying the consequences with epidemic-level metabolic disease (i.e., cancer, heart disease, auto immune, stroke and brain diseases, diabetes, etc.).

We became more diet aware several years ago and cut out a bunch of unhealthy processed stuff. Seed oil, bioengineered food, fake meat, produce coated in apeal, mass produced meats, caged eggs, etc. We buy a lot of our produce from farmer’s markets or local grocery stores that resell local farm foods, get our eggs from my in-laws that have chickens, and split a cow from a known source with family members. Once you make the change you realize how bad the processed and mass produced stuff really is.

Yep...

Once I got into my 50's I realized that I was getting fat. About the same time we bought a boat (can't be seen on a boat being a lard ass :D). I launched on a major weight loss mission and went from 178 all the way down to my 18 year old weight of 147. I did it by eating only salads for lunch and a healthy small meal for supper (such as a chicken breast and vegetable). I cut out all snacking but still would occasionally have a couple vodka and Diet Cokes. My wife got on board and she quit buying snacks, bread and pasta.

Back then I found a nice calorie intake calculator that gave me numbers to hit to maintain current weight vs losing weight. It proved to be fairly accurate. One can't lose much weight by just exercising as calorie burn is not very significant compared to the calories one gets from over eating. Exercise is great for ones overall health, but you can't expect to lose 10-30 pounds by jogging a few times a week. It takes a significant caloric deficit to lose lots of weight.

I presently am at about 155 and I play 2.5-3 hrs of pickleball twice a week and i do 40 pushups and situps each morning to stay decentl;y fit. 150 is my ideal weight but anything under 160 and I am happy. If I start creeping towards 160, I go back to salads for lunch and smaller portions for dinner until i get back down to 155 or so again. Works for me at 59.

A few years ago I read a book by Mark Sisson called The Keto Reset Diet. Very well written. He makes it very clear, especially in his more recent writings and blogs, Instagram posts, etc., that Keto is not really a long term program for most. more of a short term weight loss program, to be cycled into and out of periodically. More important is to eat a clean diet of clean protein, healthy fats, and complex carbs (vegetables), and occasionally fruits. Stay away from sugar and processed foods as if your life depends on it (it does). Try to avoid seed oils whenever possible (which are highly processed), opting for olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oils, for example.

Long term, basically, try to eat a mostly natural diet low in processed carbs. Higher protein and "good" fat content goes a long way toward controlling hunger, and really helps to keep your calorie intake in check.

You've probably heard this before, but try to shop around the outer perimeter of the grocery store and stay away from the aisles as much as possible.

Ever since Covid, I allowed myself to gain about 15-20 unwanted pounds over my 160 fighting weight (mostly because I liked a couple of IPA's every evening, lol), so a couple of months back I decided to cut off the beer intake and get back on Keto for a while. I've lost about 12-13 pounds so far and need about 8 more to come off before I back away from Keto and get back on my normal lower carb, high protein and healthy fat eating habit.

I do a Keto light occasionally.
Can lose 2 or 3lbs a week.
I use this Optavia diet on a 5 and 1 program.

https://www.optavia.com/us/en/results?gclsrc=aw.ds&&opti_ca=21221991981&opti_ag= 165099328721&opti_ad=699653351754&opti_key=kwd-331785643615&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=212219919 81&gbraid=0AAAAACx_lwZBo3ZIlSQf7mb4wTA_TdkhW&gclid =CjwKCAjw-svEBhB6EiwAEzSdrrlxLCU2acVqrp1ZN9SQfM_TmHolq5nxdcR qW2qH19Th-Cj0xmBGcxoC1ZYQAvD_BwE

Matt - a lot of the comments covered a variety of talking points. As far as foods -

We started substituting cauliflower rice for rice/potatoes/noodles. We do stir-fries and fried rice with it, and the key, at least for my taste, is cooking the riced cauliflower until almost all the water is gone and it takes on a toasted appearance. Add in other veggies, protein of your choice, etc.

We also followed a friend's tip for roasted cauliflower and Brussels sprouts - cut thin and drizzled with olive oil. 435F for 15-20 minutes is good.

We also found the Carb Sense tortillas to be a good substitute for standard tortillas / soft tacos. Egg sandwiches on the smaller carb sense/carb zero shells with cheese are good. We do them almost like a quesadilla to toast the shells and melt the cheese.

You can also do mini pizzas at home using toasted carb sense tortillas, and then topping them as you want.

Bread, potatoes, rice, and pasta were a problem for me. I'm not carb-free, but generally between 20 and 50g per day and that has worked well for me to lose 70lbs and maintain it.

We also found this channel helpful for recipe suggestions:

https://www.youtube.com/@KetoFocus

Thanks Dean, I’ll share that with my wife who has been looking for keto recipe ideas. I’m not the cook, just the eater.:p

Mashed Cauliflower is "close" to mashed potatoes.

I have purchased in frozen bags and they are in cube form and you just nuke them and add legal flavor.

Plenty of recipes from scratch available.

Sorry so long to respond. This is from the AI blurb at the beginning of a fat bomb google search.

Fat bombs, also known as fat balls or keto bombs, are bite-sized, high-fat, low-carbohydrate snacks popular with those following ketogenic diets. They are designed to help keto dieters meet their high-fat intake requirements while keeping net carb consumption low to stay in a state of ketosis

I never paid attention to the fat intake "requirement" as it seemed counter to the objective and definitely counter to a long term lifestyle change.

I chose a bit of a different path. I do the intermittent fasting thing. I've been doing this for about 15 years now. Just the way it works out, I only eat between about 5 pm and 7 pm...BUT...I basically eat whatever I want. I don't eat only Twinkies, but I don't freak out about eating carbs, etc. I just eat what I like. I'll be 61 next week and weigh less than I did when I graduated from high school (200 lbs currently at 6' 3"). Blood work is excellent. I hike, ride mountain bikes, do my Bowflex all the time - very active.

If one looks at the statistics, very few people are able to lose significant amounts of weight. For those that do, very few of them keep it off - they gain it back over time. To me, it is because they are adversely impacting their quality of life to try to lose weight and that is just not sustainable.

Fad diets are just not the answer.

(You are correct and I am not arguing.)

On the other hand, we live way way longer than folks a couple hundred years ago because of medical improvement.

But I don't want to exercise.

I don’t think there’s a one sized fits all answer, it’s different for everybody. I sort of do intermittent fasting, as I don’t eat between dinner and lunch except for coffee in the morning. But I couldn’t do what you do, I’d be a raging a-hole by 5!

Honestly I don’t find keto hard, I mostly eat meat and veggies anyway. I mostly miss beer, potatoes, wraps, and sandwiches. None of which are horrible in moderation. I’m hoping to get my weight down and then incorporate a small amount of carbs back into my diet. It’s way easier to maintain than it is to lose.

One other thing that I’ll add, pork rinds aka chichirones (spelling?) are a killer snack and great for dipping. You can also crush them to make crust or coatings, my wife has made a good chicken friend chicken using pork rings as the crust.

As long as 'burning more calories than you consume' is achieved - how you do it up to you. To me, finding a way to do that in a sustainable manner is the key. Fad diets or short term extreme weight loss schemes generally aren't sustainable over the long term. Even if you lose weight and meet your objective, people often slip right back into previous habits and the weight comes back - with a vengeance sometimes. That's why losing weight and keeping it off is so difficult.

And exercise is a frustrating way to lose weight. Exercise is absolutely necessary as a part of a healthy lifestyle, but it is a horrible way to lose weight. You just don't burn that many calories and 'increasing muscle mass' to burn more calories is very limited. An ultra-marathoner friend of mine who is big into this stuff ran a 26 mile marathon and burned ONE POUND of calories. It is way easier to avoid 3500 calories than it is to burn them off running a marathon, in my opinion.

Spot on!

100% agree, it’s way easier to just not eat the calories than it is to exercise them off.

The Keto diet has been proven to raise a lot of heart risks if used for extended periods of time.

The military advises against its use, period.

I'm currently doing a bit of an experiment myself...I'd like to lose about 20 pounds but don't want to lose any muscle mass (actually want to put more on). A lot of new(er) research is pointing to protein--lots of protein--as not just the key to putting muscle on but also to helping burn fat. So, my primary dietary goal is 200g of protein a day. With my meal plan, that puts me right at 2024 calories/day (which is a 500ish calorie deficit). I lift weights every morning and do a 30 minute walk every evening on a 12% incline (treadmill, obviously).

I don't eat a lot of carbs but I don't avoid them.

Also, age is a killer. The way I'm currently working out...when doing similar training in my 20s/early 30s, I'd notice gains nearly immediately. Now, at much closer to 50...it takes months to notice much of anything at all. I want to go on HRT but my docs say no. I'm "high for my age."

I am not sure I agree with your findings GACook. I just came back from my doctor appointment today. I have significantly lowered cholesterol, A1C, weight, heart and lung functions. At 64, he says my numbers and overall physical condition is better than 80% of 50 year olds.
Keto works. It has for me and thousands of others. It is more of a lifestyle change than a diet. After 2.5 years, it has gotten me off ALL meds, increased my energy, and mental acuity. I am more fit now than I was during 28 years in the military.

Not MY findings, Matt--just reporting the news. I am glad it has worked for you...just being the PSA to let folks know there is risk. The BEST thing is a balanced diet and exercise. We Americans are pretty bad at those two things...

https://www.uchicagomedicine.org/forefront/health-and-wellness-articles/ketogenic-diet-what-are-the-risks

If ya like AI overviews...

The ketogenic diet, while potentially beneficial for short-term weight loss and some medical conditions, can pose long-term risks. These include nutrient deficiencies, kidney stones, constipation, and potential cardiovascular issues due to altered lipid profiles. Long-term adherence can also be challenging, leading to disordered eating or social isolation.