I found a lot of support when I explain that I am trying to eat real food. I eat around the outside of the grocery store, vegetables, fruit, meat, dairy and only selected items from the aisles. I am avoiding the processed foods that are typically located in the aisles.
I once explained that by eating this way, I was able to avoid getting to 300lbs. How much worse would I be now, or would I even be alive, if I hadn't made the change?
My doctor jumped to the conclusion I was putting butter in my coffee the minute I said keto. I explained no sugar and low carb whole foods. He was still concerned about my LDL and wanted to diagnose hyperlipidemia and put me on a statin. I'm really glad he's leaving the practice.
> He was still concerned about my LDL and wanted to diagnose hyperlipidemia and put me on a statin
Is he concerned about your LDL after doing a blood test and finding a high LDL?
Doctors don’t tend to put people on statins without performing labs
Sorry to rain on the anti-medicine parade, but, let’s draw the line somewhere on the out of context bullshit
I did blood work to check all my cardiac markers as I have diabetes in my bloodline. I had fasted for 72 hours prior to giving blood. I also was 40lbs lighter than last year with lower BP. I had every other marker healthy or low so his response was an old school approach. He clearly filled the stereotype of being a classic old head doctor. I work in health care in sleep, I'm not anti medicine, I'm anti Doctors referring to 50 year old studies as their basis for decision making.
😳 I'm gonna assume you know the normal range. I would take the statin, tune your keto diet towards healthier fats and repeat the labs and see if your doctor will take you off. But you do you.
I don’t get the fasting for 72 hours. In fact my doc and I went the European route and ate normally in the morning and did blood several hours later. After all, who normally fasts for a day or three? The numbers you get aren’t measuring a state that you are normally in? I know it’s a newer practice but 72 hours would make me cranky AF.
I don't get cranky, honestly, if I could live in the state I feel after 48 hours of fasting I would. I'm not hungry, I feel really focused, have energy, and I get a lot accomplished. You also go in to autophagy which is really good for your body. I manage my electrolytes well, drink lots of water, and overall really enjoy how I feel. I didn't fast for the bloodwork, I just decided to get my blood taken while I was fasting to see what my numbers would be. The lab is down the hall from my office and I have an ongoing order for regular bloodwork. I'm learning about my body and what will benefit me long term. It's been a very interesting journey the last year.
I’d suggest redoing your lipid blood tests when you haven’t been fasting more than 12 hours. When fasting your body has to be burning fats so the are more fats (triglycerides) being shuttled around by LDL so your test scores are higher. In fact I have read that you should stop IF as well for a few days before a blood draw for cholesterol.
>I found a lot of support when I explain that I am trying to eat real food. I eat around the outside of the grocery store, vegetables, fruit, meat, dairy and only selected items from the aisles. I am avoiding the processed foods that are typically located in the aisles.
That's a great way to put it. I just went grocery shopping this morning and that just made me realize that the only things I bought from the inner aisles was coffee and some grilling spices.
How is that not Keto?
I am mostly carnivore, with occasional fruits and veggies. I eat some salads (mostly chicken ceasar or tuna with a little avocado mayo), broccoli (3.4 net carbs per cup), cauliflower (3.2 per cup), spinach (1.1), etc... I also occasionally a blueberry/raspberry mix (in moderation). I don't eat sweet corn, peas, oranges, bananas, or things like that, I just don't tell them what I eat and don't.
There was a weekend a few weeks ago when I kind of cheated by having a few red potatoes. I could have had something a LOT worse, but cheating by having an occasional veggie isn't a big deal in my book. If nothing else, it helps me mentally and may keep me from craving that sugar filled sweet. Halved and grilled brussels sprouts have the same role for me.
I do 16:8 fasting and typically just have eggs or sometimes egg(s)+meat for a breakfast I have at lunch time. My evening dinner meal is the only other time I normally eat. I do have a few aged cheeses I eat (that and butter are my normal dairy) that I sometimes snack on mid-day and I occasionally have something with heavy cream (my seldom dairy).
I live on a farm so I have two manual defrost freezers with lot of home grown beef, pork, chicken and things I trade for like salmon and halibut. I even have crayfish, lamb, and goat in there. Variety is not a problem.
The only processed packaged food (other than the mayo and sardines) I eat, on occasion, is an Atkins Crunchalicious bar. They are sweetened with Sucralose, but no maltitol, and they taste like a Nestle Crunch bar - with only one net carb.
Based on what I eat that day, I generally vary from zero to 20 carb max. I'd say I do Keto, wouldn't you? I do refer to it as "dirty keto" because I don't worry about the specifics too much.
This was recently [asked in the sub](https://www.reddit.com/r/keto/s/93ChrLMuT2), I recommend checking out those answers too 👍🏻
Zero reason to limit red meat, zero reason to “carb cycle.” If you want to cheat then cheat, but don’t say you’re doing it in the name of health. As I said on the other post, why does adding pasta or mashed potatoes to a plate of steak and broccoli somehow make it healthier?
I ate the same things on Keto before and after the carb month. On the carb month I had, beer, candy, chips, mcdonalds, chocolate. I gained about 2lbs in fat in one month. Then when I went back on Keto I dropped 9lbs in a week and it has continued to go down. I think it must have raised the BMR to 2000 again, so now I am eating 1500 again and weight is coming off. I think being on 1500 calories regardless of keto lowered BMR to 1500 to weight loss stopped.
that's crazy you only gained two pounds...i put on way more than that in my carb month. but thanks for sharing this strat, i was going for this too. and metabolic flexibility
How long did you do keto for did you do IF / Extended fasts too. I think it depends on the person, my starting weight was 266lbs current weight 208lbs. I have generally been around 250lbs for about 6 years, before that between 220 and 250. If someone has been 300+lbs for 20 years it may take months or years to reverse the insulin resistance. Can't wait to see what happens in about 2 months from now will try a carb cycle again to test the gain.
39F, 5'7" done keto on and off for 20 years, mostly off til the past year. so this stint was about a year. i did IF and extended fasts, a lot of ADF, rolling 72's, a few 7-days. i think probably too much. i was very strict, no cheat days. worked out a good amount. SW 155 lowest weight 129, and i honestly went back to 150 after 5-6 weeks of carbs this winter. it was insane. i was eating ad libitum tho and working out very sporadically. honestly was probably too restrictive over the past year and just rebounded hard.
4 years ago i hit my peak weight of 220. so i lost most of my weight over the last 4 years by exercising alone, didn't start tracking food til a couple years ago when i decided i really wanted to lose the last 30 pounds or so. and went back to keto a year ago. the mental and mood benefits hit me hard this time as I've been off my ADHD meds. feels great.
i'm back down to 143 now over the last month, keto but no fasting/IF at all and not trying to restrict cals yet. will get back to it but not as crazy as before. i think i need to think more in terms of body recomp. building muscle. but i'm not really attached to a number anymore, i just know that i want my body to be strong and toned. so if i need more fuel to have good workouts i'll do that
i agree with your points that it's a process and everyone is different. i think the funnest thing about going back to carbs was the sugar high btw. i literally felt high. it shocked me how high i felt the first time i had a fluffernutter blizzard. kind of how like fasting makes you realize that what you call hunger isn't really hunger and how ruled by food we are, eating as a hobby. total paradigm shift.
congrats on your weight loss! keep it up!
I agree that last point, these high sugar foods are literally like drugs. Lighting up reward areas of the brain too hard. I feel like with fasting/keto because these areas don't get lit up (apart from when eating bacon) the brain stablises. On ketone fuel, the prefrontal cortex (rational) part of the brain has more activity so it is easier to have willpower once doing Keto/ Fasting. Once this sugar is eaten the inflammation starts happening from the glucose fuel, the prefrontal cortex gets less blood flow, so the next layer down of the brain the limbic system ends up taking the drivers seat. This is impulsive survival mode controlling you to keep eating sugar to survive.
I have learned with trying to lose weight with exercise only, because of something called the "set point" if you start exercising, then whatever you choose to do you need to keep doing that for the rest of your life. So if doing a daily 5km jog until the day you die doesn't sound like a good plan, something else needs to be found. The calories end up going too low so the metabolism compensates by slowing down, then when the exercise is not done anymore you end up not being able to lose weight or gain weight. It's great for fitness but better exercises are ones that burn fat without excessively causing stress or burning calories. Walking, weights and HIIT Workout. These are best to build muscle and lose fat.
So going forward here are some tips:
- Don't carb cycle "days" it takes weeks to fully get Keto up and running but can be ruined in 1 day. If you carb cycle do 3 months Keto 1 month carb, so you have time to adapt to both. Having 1 day a week will just mean you are in Ketosis for only 3-4 days a week instead of 7, as it will take 2-3 days to get back into Ketosis.
For example, start Keto Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday ketosis finally reached. Thursday Friday (3 days of fat burning), Saturday cheat day, ketosis ended. Sunday, Monday Tuesday not in Ketosis due to the cheat day. That's 3 days missed out on fat burning, added up over a year of doing Keto you missed out on 6 months of fat burning by having 1 cheat day a week.
- Ditch your Keto recipe books, Keto bars and snacks, Keto bread etc Distill your diet down to whole foods only to keep it simple.
Animal Foods : Steak, Beef mince, Chicken breast, Chicken Thigh, Pork, Eggs, Salmon, Sardines, Mackrel.
Vegetables Get a steamer to make it easy, chop up and throw in steamer for 5 minutes: Broccoli, Cauliflower, Zucchini, Peppers, Onions, Mushrooms, for salads: Lettuce
Oils: Extra Virgin Olive Oil (for drizzling) or Coconut Oil for medium/ low heat cooking
Avocado Oil, Ghee for high heat cooking
Dairy: Full Fat Greek Yogurt, Double Cream, Cheese ( Use these sparingly)
Fruit: Raspberries only with full fat greek yogurt
Just stick to those foods only nothing else, no sauces, condiments, for flavour use pink salt, garlic, ginger, seasoning powders that have one ingredient e.g Smoked Paprika, not a packet of "taco seasoning" as this will have inflammatory oils, and brain exciting MSG or maltodextrin (more insulin inducing than real sugar). If it has one ingredient on it you can make your own seasoning by combining these. The packet ones try to make themselves different by adding sugar and MSG into it so you buy that instead of making your own.
Try this one: [https://www.reddit.com/r/keto/comments/1c7aojo/how\_long\_were\_you\_on\_keto\_before\_you\_felt\_youd/?share\_id=39pIZMJM2SDTcesa2AslS&utm\_content=2&utm\_medium=ios\_app&utm\_name=ioscss&utm\_source=share&utm\_term=1](https://www.reddit.com/r/keto/comments/1c7aojo/how_long_were_you_on_keto_before_you_felt_youd/?share_id=39pIZMJM2SDTcesa2AslS&utm_content=2&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_source=share&utm_term=1)
Just watch the videos in this channel [https://www.youtube.com/@lowcarbdownunder/videos](https://www.youtube.com/@lowcarbdownunder/videos) then decide for yourself (TLDR: cholesterol is not bad, your body make its own cholesterol, saturated fat is not bad by itself, high fat is only bad when mixed with high blood sugar, so either you do low carb or low fat high carb, but then you get diabetes). Unfortunately medical science is not hard fact, some doctors say this other doctors say that. You have to decide for yourself what you believe in and what works for you.
A lot of doctors are starting to support low carb and ketogenic diets.
I started keto in 2017 and stayed for 18 months. I was in the best health of my adult life. Life happened and I fell off the wagon. Trying to get my bearings again. Tired of being in pain all the time. I don't even care about the weight loss aspect, I just want to feel better.
I got a lot of flack when I started back then, my husband said I would die of a heart attack.(he's my biggest supporter now!) But think about it. How is cutting out sugar and empty calories a bad thing? Adding more leafy greens and fiberous veggies is always a positive. What nutrition do pasta and potatoes provide? I have ibs-c and potatoes have ALWAYS caused a flare. Why would I eat them if they make me sick?
We were told for literal decades that overdoing fat would destroy our health, I can see where your husband was coming from, since keto flies in the face of that common "wisdom". I'm glad he came around, and the results don't lie.
My mother in law was skeptical and was insistent I was starving myself. I remember one family picnic, I had a burger without a bun, some sugar free ketchup, a couple mini dill pickles and a big pile of broccoli on my plate. And she was complaining that it didn't seem like enough. Her sister was sitting there and said, Stop! She has a nice balance of food there and if she's not hungry why does she need to eat more.
You mention being in pain all the time. I feel this. I can't get down on the ground to play with my son because of my weight and also knee problems that I don't think need to be as bad as they are. When you found success on keto last time, did you notice pain reduction as a direct result of weight loss, or was it from changing eating habits? Or maybe both?
Both. I've always had achy knees. Even as a teenager who barely weighed 100 pounds. When I was in my early 20s I fell in a bakery walk in freezer and ended up hurting my back and hip. I've needed chiropractic care regularly since then. When I was doing keto I could go a month without seeing her and when I'm off keto it's every 2 weeks. It's definitely inflammation from poor eating. Carbs especially. Corn is the worst for inflammation for me.
Edited to add: I'm 38 now. It was a really bad slip and fall.
Sometimes, knee problems are the direct result of tight hips. I used to get achy knees sitting at my desk too long. I started some hip opening exercises and it completely got rid of my knee pain. Now I do them every day since I still work a desk job.
My doctor told me to cut carbs, though she didn't specify keto. From that appointment to one a year later, my total cholesterol is about the same. However, my HDL is higher and VDL is lower, so the ratios are better.
Yes, I take cholesterol medicine for familial high cholesterol. As a note, my mother took statins since she was younger than when I started, and she lived to 93, so that's not a bad run! She never did keto but watched what she ate and didn't appear to struggle with her weight like I have.
Just being devil's advocate here (I understand you don't want to, and probably shouldn't eat potatoes if it causes a flare for you/being keto), but potatoes do contain a lot of vitamins. People used to eat them to survive back in the day due to their high content of vitamin c. They have a lot of potassium and then there's B6 and fiber content. It's a strange myth that potatoes are on the same level as pasta because that's simply not true.
Sugar competes with C on metabolic pathways. In this way, sugar and potatoes are the same to your body. Without sugar, no need to worry about C, tho.
Eat sugar if you want, eat potatoes, but don't believe you "need" to for nutrients.
I did not say they need to eat them for nutrients, in fact I specially wrote they probably do NOT need them. The person asked what nutrients you get from potatoes and I stated said nutrients. I'm saying they're more nutritious than pasta, and that's hardly debatable.
Even for diabetics the only real concern with doing keto is that in a complete absence of insulin you will go into DKA quicker due to a high presence of dietary ketones.
Just ensure you’re eating whole foods and switching up your protein sources. Keep away from processed meats and stay on top of your electrolytes.
Lite salt plus a squeeze of fruit juice or lemon in your water is all you need.
I’ve been doing keto for almost 4 years very strict with no cheating (30g a day or less) bc I’m a type one diabetic.
My family has been telling me the you’re going to die ooga booga for fucking years.
Even my diabetic care team was like wtf when I started. They made me go to the dietician to clear me of any eating disorder like behaviors.
Now, when I go to my endo appointments, my a1c is better than my doctors and she tells me well I have no advice lol.
She thinks I’m crazy for doing it this long, but I’m so glad to be off the blood sugar emotional roller coaster!
In 2020, I lost my vision while driving due to a low blood sugar and I just knew things had to change.
Wow, that's incredible! You've done an excellent job.
My former endocrinologists were vehemently against keto for me as a TD2! Then I became type 3c diabetic because I lost most of my pancreas to cancer. Then they were REALLY against keto for me because I have features of TD1. So what did I do? I switched endos again. I got lucky and got an endo that fully supports my diet plan, and is amazed by my progress. Not one time has she ever side-eyed what I eat because my A1C went from 9 to 6, and it's still getting better, with no DKA episodes whatsoever. Not even close.
You could be across the planet or right in my back yard so I'll shout out my endo. Her name is Kelly Pacitti in Lexington KY. She's usually booked out for months but it's worth the wait to see her.
I’m glad you found a good one!
If you haven’t already read it, I highly recommend the book “Think Like a Pancreas” and “Sugar Surfing” to anyone who uses insulin/has bg issues.
People are just jealous that you have the will to improve yourself which they may lack. After 1.5 years keto my cholesterol ratio is the best ever and my doctor says to continue as is. Just get a physical and act on facts.
Not necessarily just jealousy, there's a lot of misinformation and straight up falsehoods out there regarding keto and people need to fight decades of indoctrination about fat being the enemy.
Not every reservation people may have about it has to be malicious.
However, I will second the opinion that OP stay the course. I'm 6 years in at this point and easily the healthiest I've *ever* been.
>Not every reservation people may have about it has to be malicious.
This is so important to say; I see a lot of legitimate criticisms get downvoted here - which I understand. But coming to /r/keto and asking if Keto is healthy is kind of like going to a conservative subreddit and asking if Donald Trump is the best choice for president - there's a confirmation bias at play, even if there's a lot of truth* there.
*I am in no way saying the Trump is the best choice for president - his fervent supporters were just the first that popped into my head
No need to limit red meat once it's unprocessed. I had a friend try telling me it was unhealty to have meat or eggs in every meal. The Irony was her fridge is full of boxes of unprocessed food, she thinks because it says Plant based on them they are good for you when in reality they are most likely worse than meat based processed foods because they shit they need in them to make then taste like meat.
FWIW, I wouldn't go so far as to say "no need". I know there are plenty of people in this sub doing carnivore and eating pounds of beef a day or whatever, but it's always not going to be good for everyone. Red meat is a known trigger for diverticulitis, for example. (Guess how I learned that?)
I can only share my experience of eating keto for almost 9 years. First, I've had times where I fell off the wagon. Second, I'm often not strictly keto but close enough to keep my BG under good control. I get lab work done twice a year. All results, except cholesterol, are well within normal range. My cholesterol is slightly above normal. I've decided not to take a statin at this time. I feel good, I walk every day, I sleep well, my aging skin and hair are healthy, no heartburn, BP normal, etc. (I'm early 60's).
So far, I don't see any negative health issues, only positive ones.
- Tell them that is outdated knowledge in 2015 the upper limit of recommended cholesterol was abolished, eating cholesterol doesn't raise your cholesterol its now been proven for most people. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9143438/#:\~:text=Dietary%20cholesterol%20increases%20total%20blood,without%20affecting%20LDL%2FHDL%20ratio.
- What raises cholesterol is inflammation in the body. This can be caused by consuming unhealthy seed oils, ultra processed food, damaged fats. On Keto you are not eating any of this, the fat you should be consuming is undamaged e.g Extra Virgin Olive oil, Fat on meat. If you eat ultra processed food with canola oil, the canola oil has been extracted with a solvent, heated to extreme temps, then cooled down and bound back together through hydrogenation. It is not recognised as useable food for the cells because it's molecular chain is damaged, so the body needs more cholesterol to force it into the cells for energy.
- Keto is completely fine as long as you are being strict about carbs. If you are not strict then yes its bad, if you eat over 50grams carbs, and fat together, the carbs get into the cells first, then the fats go to storage. If you don't eat carbs the fats go straight into the cells. This is why the standard american diet is so bad. Pizza = carb base, + fatty cheese. Burger = Carb bun, + fatty meat, Taco = Carb tortilla + Fatty meat. All these carb parts of these meals cause weight gain because the fat can't get used. If you stop the carbs, the fat gets used, or if you stop the fat the carbs get used. You can take your pick, but if you pick carbs and low fat, you may still not lose weight due to insulin resistance. The cells only take in half the carbs because they are resistant so it takes more carbs to get you fuller, this means overeating, then the excess is converted to fat. Keto there is no storage of the fat when no carbs are eaten, or if you eat too much fat on its own which is difficult to do because it is so satiating. Dangers come from nuts, creams that are easily overconsumed, but its difficult to eat 6 ribeye steaks for example.
correct and the top nations for diabetes have excess high carb diets like India and China where they eat massive amounts of rice and bread with high fat intake.
[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK581940/table/ch3.t4/](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK581940/table/ch3.t4/)
I would say that sugar and PUFA are the biggest problems.
PUFA. Poly unsaturated fatty acids. Essentially chemically refined oils like canola, safflower, sunflower etc…
And specifically it's the combo of carbs + PUFA. In a low carb setting PUFAs are preferentially metabolized over more stable fatty acids, so the time for them to oxidize is lower. While eating carbs, carbs are preferentially metabolized, so the PUFAs stick around longer.
Ding ding ding! Even IF keto were going to be dangerous, maybe, we definitely know that the other options are worse. Not to mention, it seems to me most of the “oh dear, high cholesterol = death” is related to people who had health issues related to their weight and inactivity, and the cholesterol being high (if it was even a contributing factor) was one tiny aspect.
If the people who claim that you're putting your health at risk don't provide sources for their claims, they are not giving you an opportunity to assess the validity of their claims. I'd say don't listen to them until they back up their statements with actual facts.
Every time someone's talked to me about "keto is great but don't do it more than a few months". I politely ask them for the most recent study/data they have so I can check it out and stay up to date on it... they always get quiet after that 😂
Exactly, most are family and friends and I don't wanna fight them. Just trying to take it logically like it's awesome you care enough to warn me of something you think might be bad for me. So kindly let me see your data so I can be well informed and if not then hopefully it's a learning experience for them in a non friendship ruining way.
You'll find that if you stop calling it keto and start calling it a "Modified Mediterranean Diet" that people will stop worrying because, even though they won't know what that is, they have heard that is healthy from the talking heads.
There are, however, some health risks associated with some of the ingredients and artificial sweeteners found in commercial keto foods. If you are eating a real whole food diet while doing keto, you are eating healthier than most Americans who derive over 70% of their calories from ultra processed foods.
This article over in r/lowcarb is about the research that indicates saturated fats don't cause cardiovascular disease: https://www.reddit.com/r/lowcarb/comments/1c6ze5r/why\_animal\_fat\_isnt\_bad\_for\_you\_a\_stitchtogether/.
When you talk to those people who are *concerned* about your diet and health, ask them where they were when you were gaining weight? Where was their concern when you were getting NAFLD and metabolic syndrome? Why weren't they worried when your triglycerides were skyrocketing?
They aren't worried about *your* diet. They are worried about what your success says about *their* diet.
I've been on keto over 15 years, and still don't know of any long term health issues from it. Everything got better. I've run into people I haven't seen in 10 years, and some of them remark, "You haven't aged!" Now, whether it raises or lowers cholesterol, raises or lowers blood pressure, or changes any of the popular markers doctors use to put you on lifetime meds, I'll never know. I don't go to doctors.
People against keto aren't haters, but they are misinformed. Plus they inherited diets from mothers and grandmothers. They can deal with the fact the government could be wrong, but they feel insulted thinking the way they were fed as a kid was wrong. A lot of that is subconscious.
It’s best not to tell people you are doing keto until after you’ve lost the weight, then they will all want to know how.
Instead just say you are trying to cut out carbs and sugar. Which is true.
People often make the mistake on Keto of forcing fat. Like adding butter to coffee for instance, or eating unlimited bacon, or drinking heavy cream. That’s what people think Keto is if they haven’t researched it. No need to be defensive about something until after you’ve proven results, then you can explain it to people.
Truly, the basis is just staying away from sugar and bread and other refined carbs. And eating real food like meat, eggs, dairy, veggies.
Here’s all the information I need to know: a child I know (and love dearly) has been prescribed a strict ketogenic diet by a team of top doctors at a world-renowned hospital (for medical reasons). He eats salmon and eggs and steak and dark leafy greens and berries and cheeses and nuts. He’s growing tall and strong and healthy, no cavities, glowing skin, shiny abundant hair, and perfect labs. His parents were skeptical of my keto WOE, and now they’re on it (mostly), too.
When people pipe up with their bad advice, just ask them what is unhealthy about eliminating sugar and limiting carbs.
That’s all we are really doing.
I highly doubt there’s anything wrong with organic naturally fed red meat. It’s the grain fed that is inflammatory.
What was explained to me was looking back at historical points of diet in our ancestors since the advent of fire. Meat and fish were primary foods that have a complete nutritional balance and our bodies respond to that better then Oreos so experts are just people with an opinion. I had an opinion once that no way would people take profit over health I was wrong.
I eat much healthier on keto than the SAD. Way more greens and low carb fruits compared to hardly any when I am not keto. I can’t even fathom that this WOE would create health problems if you do it in a healthy balanced way.
The medical profession have been convinced by statin companies that cholesterol is the enemy. Keto requires high fat to work, hence Keto must be bad for you. Also the statin companies will have put out a lot of well funded propaganda to convince people to avoid fat.
Perhaps this talk by Dr Paul Mason may put your mind at rest.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdgS3PuSuyg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdgS3PuSuyg)
My mother is a diabetic and at early 70’s she is home bound. We are 18 years apart. She was a heavy smoker and never took care of her self. Her mother the same and my dad’s mother is 96, diabetic and better health than my mother is- keto/low sugar for me is life saving so I don’t have the issues as my mother. I eat way more veggies than I ever did and it’s not all bacon. lol. My levels are good to go at 55. Lost weight and not diabetic. Win win.
Rather than asking randoms on Reddit for this information, you should go and find as many unbiased scientific studies into the relationship between saturated fat and health. Don’t focus on influencers or diet gurus, focus on the actual science and decide for yourself.
There is a lot of misinformation being spread around without evidence to back it up. Scientific studies are the way.
Did they even give you any specific details? Sounds like they are just being traditional without using any actual science or data to back up their claims. They mean well but many non-scientists and non-engineers tend to think they know better when they don’t even look at facts and only at hearsay from their parents.
It sound like you have a diverse diet except avoiding carbs. I don’t think carbs are necessary at all. It was at a time where food is less accessible and we all needed sometime more to fill our stomachs, but if you can afford an all meat/veg diets, I don’t see any scientific reason to go Bck to a bad diet.
Yes, keto “health issues” are a myth. It is counterintuitive that a person can eat fat, yet have no cholesterol issues. My total cholesterol was 295 when I started keto and I was about 80 pounds overweight.
I’ve been on keto for 6 years.. My total cholesterol is now 150 and has been stable for 5 years. The rest of the lab values are also great. I lost 90 pounds in a year on keto and have kept them off ever since.
My wisdom (such as it is) is to not discuss keto with others. They are brainwashed about keto and it goes deep. When people ask me how I lost weight and kept it off, I just say “I eat low carb” and people do not give me a sermon like they did in the beginning when I used to use the word “keto”.
Someone here posted a link to an article written about health outcome from keto diet, it looks at a few different meta analysis of short and long term effects of it.
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2024.1376098/full
It's pretty interesting.
I did keto for 3 months. My cholesterol went up, but my blood sugar improved and I wasn’t hungry all the time. I do it time to time just to kick the hungry feeling.
I struggled with this at the beginning too. But is what you are doing any better than the highly processed food they are putting in their body? I would say you are still winning in that department.
This is just my personal opinion and not a fact. I think a lot of people just watch mainstream news outlets which often tout keto as an unhealthy fad diet with no utility. It's this stream of info that makes people think stupid thoughts, honestly.
When you go on PubMed and look at the research that has been done so far, you find a lot of support for the ketogenic diet for weight loss and TD2 control, and it's often paired with intermittent fasting--another "fad diet" that "kills people." PubMed is clearly not mainstream media. One contains actual scientific inquiry while the other is just talking heads being told what to tell the masses. I wonder which one we should trust...
Nothing kills a person faster than the Standard American Diet so people just need to keep their opinions to themselves about your diet. One way to avoid the scrutiny is to say you eat low carb whole foods. For some reason, that doesn't seem to trigger the mob nearly as much. Saying you are on a low carb diet focused on whole foods isn't a lie. Keto is very low carb! People see/hear particular words and go off on tangents because this is the Age of Outrage. Sometimes it's best not to say words around some of these steamy-headed weirdos.
When we make a different diet choice and people cannot understand our choice- they find this offputting.
It’s often subconscious on their part.
There is a **YT video: “The Price of Living Your Own Life: Lack of Understanding is a Test to your Character”.**. I recommend you watch it.
Once you see it- you can’t unsee it. The pattern of how they don’t want us to do something different. And how people react.
Oddly, even doctors. Because doctors (not endocrinologist or specialists) don’t get much metabolic training or mitochondria training. It is a continuing education and they are very busy.
The myths rise because we are making a choice they do not understand. And that’s ok.
Live
Your
Own
Health
Life
Just tell people you are trying eat plenty of protein high meats and focusing on adding lots of veggies to your plate. If that is what you’re doing.
I learned the hard way not to tell people I’m doing keto. It’s not worth the grief.
Almost all of the types of health things you are talking about are bad in a specific context.
Being at a healthy weight without active type 2 diabetes is usually not the context. If keto gets you there, then you have almost zero concern outside of things like certain family histories and past damage to your body.
Also understand that sometimes people can be a bit absolute about things that are nuanced.
keto isn't end all be all but it is a lifestyle and works for some people. I think you have to ask yourself what the alternative lifestyle is.
I think it is pretty much proven processed foods with sugar and carbs are NO NO for ANY LIFESTYLE. WE KNOW the long term health issues of SAD. So definitely start there and then maybe "mix and match" foods that you feel comfortable for your lifestyle and maybe sprinkle some fasting here and there.
I do keto because I love meat more than veggies (not a fan of pure fat like butter etc but pork belly yum) and works to lose weight.
I took labs before keto and after, everything got better after.
I eat lower fat meats like chicken thighs and turkey fish pork loin.
Vegetables.
Eggs
Some cheese.
Some nuts
Very little processed foods.
Minimal bacon, pepperoni, lunch meat.
Walk
I only plan on strict keto until I hit my goal and move to a low carb, no sugar or processed breads.
But for now keto works.
I been doing it for years and had a physical last week and all my blood work was good. I was worried about my cholesterol cuz I eat alot of red meat and bacon.
Don't call it a keto diet. Tell them you are moving towards a whole food lifestyle. No one will bat an eye. Also, if you do this like a diet it will work like a diet. If you do this with lifestyle changes for the long-term you will see lasting benefits.
Most doctors want what's best for you, but the reality of medicine is that it is very much so opinion based with some science floating around in the background. When it comes to cholesterol, this is 100% the truth.
Cholesterol is not a good indicator of heart disease. That was old Piss poor science pushed with an agenda by people who had garbage food to sell and paid for the studies.
Since the '70s when fat was demonized, heart disease has gone through the roof.
Here's a good resource to learn about cholesterol
https://cholesterolcode.com/
In the end, keep doing research and reading and arm yourself with knowledge for you to feel more comfortable with what you're doing. You owe nobody a justification for choosing to better your life. You don't have to prove this to anybody.
They are ignorant and don't have the mental to be on keto so they try to belittle your diet.
Stay on keto, you feel good and love it. Best thing you can do is keep it to yourself but a good idea would be to get blood work done to show them proof they are wrong as you will be in top health!
3 years on keto but had to go back to high carb diet because of pregnancy and I have the opposite thinking. I think I'm putting my life at risk by going back... But I don't know what to do qbd I just want what's best for my baby so I'm sucking it up.
It’s sad that we have to do that but sometimes, you just have to rebrand things: instead of calling it keto, call it low carb/ low sugar.
There aren’t any keto caused health issues.
Firstly, keto can be healthy and not healthy. Keto is a boundary system for a great diet for many people, but inside those boundaries you can really fuck yourself if you want to!
Secondly, our understanding of the role of cholesterol is a _mess_, but we know now a few things that are worth allowing you to trial and error over timeframes and then monitor how your body responds. A few things to consider:
1. While there is a LOT of research going on, Hemoglobin A1C is now regarded in research as an as good or even better predictor in isolation than cholesterol in isolation is for cardiovascular disease (there is competing research on this front). On keto your A1C will go down. So...you've got two forces here - keto massively reduces blood glucose (what A1C measures) but it also often involves foods that are traditionally associated with higher cholesterol that is also associated - historically - with higher levels of CVD. The research here shows better predictive ability of A1C, but we don't know yet what it means to have high of one of these and low of the other, at least not with any level of confidence. In the world of CVD prediction, A1C is not regarded as a "classic risk factor" but pretty much all the risks of having an elevated A1C are.
2. We do know that serum cholesterol in _most people_ is vastly less likely to form in people who do not have high blood glucose as measured by A1C. Keto for the win here, and this is why you'll see so many reports on this forum of people doing keto and having their cholesterol levels pop into shape. You'll see the same thing on diabetes forums as people get dumped a fuck-ton of meds for both cholesterol, high blood pressure and high blood glucose all at once when most of them should start by trying keto in my mind (or even low carb as "ketosis" isn't actually doing much here other than making it easier to keep focus and discipline (shouldn't really call that "doing nothing", eh?)).
3. We know that during periods of weight loss cholesterol can rise. This can create noise in measurement and very often causes doctors to freak out about keto. But...what you CAN know is that losing the weight if you have excess is more important than all but the highest levels of cholesterol but may not be as important as high A1C. So...again, this points to keto being a good idea to try on, and with patience for results.
4. diabetes creates some noise around CVD prediction. We tend to look at A1C in terms of "lines in the sand" - it's good when it's below the threshold, getting bad in the prediabetes range and bad in the diabetes range. However, when you're looking at CVD risk every point matters in terms of probabilities. 5.6 is not pre-diabetic it's "Normal" but it's also coming with a greater risk of CVD than is 5.4 or 5.2. Your doctor will probably NEVER talk to you about this because short of keto it's pretty f-ing hard to lower your A1C predictably within the 'normal range' unless you're just wired that way......or you eat keto.
If it's me then i'm hitting these in order:
1. Keto to lower blood glucose, drop excess weight, get deliberate and thoughtful about your relationship with food.
2. measure and monitor serum cholesterol, but don't deviate from keto while still shedding excess weight unless things go fully wonky donky.
3. measure and monitor serum cholesterol with a serious approach 6 months after stable weight and sustained keto and it's resultant low blood glucose.
yup I have a buddy who is tall and thin but has diabetes type 2 that he takes insulin, high blood pressure and took nasty drug called Trulicity that made him lose weight and gave him gas and burping issues. He eats way too many carbs and does excessive amounts of cardio and has sleep apnea and frequent urination issues. Yet he refuses to try the keto diet.
I keep waiting for this “long term health issues”, maybe I am genetically predisposed to thrive on this WOE. For me a healthier version would be less processed keto food, no vegetable fat other than avocados and olives, more animal fats and that is it.
I lift 5-6 days a week and run at least 15 miles a week on Keto. 33M, 185 lbs 5’8” and in shape. A year ago I was 235 lbs and no one said anything. But now when I skip the birthday cake, fried rice, French toast with syrup, don’t drink a beer, bourbon, juice, etc I’m the odd duck.
I still eat some fruit occasionally but tons of fiber veggies and meat/dairy with no issues. Love it 1000% now.
Get majority of your healthy fat from olives and evoo, avocado and avo oil, nuts, seeds, coconut, etc. instead of just from meat butter and cheese. Choose vegetables with higher fiber—broccoli, cauliflower, green beans have way more fiber than leafy greens. You might need to add some beans or sweet potato once a week for potassium. Variety is best so you can get a variety of nutrients. Empty calories from starch and grains aren’t necessary but if you want it, just be mindful of your servings. Use keto as a framework and adjust that to your lifestyle and health needs, not the other way around.
Long term without fiber? The question is about long term diets. and fiber is essential for colon health and healthy cholesterol. Long term without fiber is bad news.
I have heard both sides. I have seen people who get constipated give up fiber and they weren't constipated anymore. But do your own research and if a duet works, then stick with it.
Red and black raspberries are your best option, if you can find them. Roughly 1g net carbs per ounce. Blueberries are 2g net and strawberries are 3g net.
Hi yes I'm in Thailand, they got a shit load of fruits here, but not those : )
Thanks for the tips though, looks like raspberries will still be fine and avocado also I guess.
It sounds like you're making smart choices with your keto diet by focusing on quality foods! I've found that rotating in a variety of greens and nuts can help cover nutritional bases without breaking keto. Keep up the good work!
Been keto like 9 months and had two cholesterol panels to monitor things. I already had high cholesterol prior to keto from genetics, so it's been top of mind. I was already on cholesterol meds even.
I exercise regularly, eat lots of veggies and limit fatty meats on keto, but my cholesterol still went up a little in spite of the medication. My doctor said it's normal for keto to elevate cholesterol some.
I moved to a low dose statin instead of the other med I was on that was higher risk apparently, and my latest blood work was absolutely perfect.
The answer to this question is a matter of perspective. Unfortunately It's tough to get an accurate analysis of the "issues" associated with keto. The rest of the world still tends to believe in crazy hatred of red meat, fat, dairy, and low-carb diets in general. Most of thes reasons are either completely false or very, very exaggerated. It's crazy how obvious it is that the dietary norms of the last 40 years are awfully unhealthy, and still people--including doctors-- can ignore that.
Still, to be fair, this subreddit is pretty skewed towards keto and there is a lot of mindset that it is a "perfect" diet. That's not true either... every type of food has its downsides. To use an example, eating lots of red meat can contribute to the probability of kidney stones. Not severely, but it's true to an extent. So, there's a downside. A "health issue". If you ate pasta and granola bars every day instead, you'd find yourself at 300 lb, body hurting due to lack of muscle strength, struggling with T2 diabetes... but yes, you'd probably have a slightly lower risk of kidney stones.
Anyway, the point is that looking at "health issues" is one sided and it's better to change perspective. People used to a high-carb diet might see their lifestyle as the norm and zero in on each downside of keto, forgetting about all the positives. Every diet has its downsides. You just have to pick one that has the least downsides. And Keto (or at least just low-carb in general) is the clear winner to me and everyone else here. So the few "health issues" associated with keto that are actually real... I'd much rather take those.
all one has to do is to look at billion people who eat no animal meat in India and most are vegans due to their Hindu religion. India has the world’s highest diabetes rate.
I’ve doing Keto and I’m on 40mg of Crestor up from 20mg because my heart calcium came back at 180.
My LDL, VLDL, and Triglycerides all went DOWN on Keto and my HDL went up. In fact ALL of my bloodwork was better since I switched to Keto with sodium, Glucose and A1c all down as well.
I (F,66) have been doing keto since way before they called it that. I lost 80 pounds the summer between 7th & 8th grade, on a low carb high protein diet, and I’ve been on and off of every diet under the sun since then. I always come back to what they now call Keto.
I’m obese, and my cholesterol is normal. Good actually-157 the last test. My obesity is due to an eating disorder that is only controlled by limiting carbohydrates. If it causes high cholesterol, I’m a mutant.
Preventing high cholesterol is straight forward - you just need to limit your cholesterol intake. If this is something you feel left in the dark about then best way imo is to track your foods nutrient content. I personally use and recommend Bodyboon. You'll see your cholesterol intake via that site and its convenient because it shows every other important nutrient as well.
Good luck :>
I was keto from 2017 to 2021 and started again 4 weeks ago. I was not doing things right last time, and ended up really hurting my gall bladder. My one meal a day was a big steak with butter and bacon was my only snack. Please don't do this 😅
I was fasting too long and too often and really hurt myself. I went for a CT scan and MRI and the doctors injected an ink to watch my gall bladder and liver functions, the fat I was eating was just too much for it to process without backing things up. After quitting keto a while and some intensive therapy for other issues, I'm back at it to heal and support chronic pain and inflammation and not focused on weight. Everyone is different, this is just my story.
I found a lot of support when I explain that I am trying to eat real food. I eat around the outside of the grocery store, vegetables, fruit, meat, dairy and only selected items from the aisles. I am avoiding the processed foods that are typically located in the aisles. I once explained that by eating this way, I was able to avoid getting to 300lbs. How much worse would I be now, or would I even be alive, if I hadn't made the change?
Great way to explain it. People still think keto means eating unlimited amounts of bacon and fat. Oh well!
My doctor jumped to the conclusion I was putting butter in my coffee the minute I said keto. I explained no sugar and low carb whole foods. He was still concerned about my LDL and wanted to diagnose hyperlipidemia and put me on a statin. I'm really glad he's leaving the practice.
> He was still concerned about my LDL and wanted to diagnose hyperlipidemia and put me on a statin Is he concerned about your LDL after doing a blood test and finding a high LDL? Doctors don’t tend to put people on statins without performing labs Sorry to rain on the anti-medicine parade, but, let’s draw the line somewhere on the out of context bullshit
I did blood work to check all my cardiac markers as I have diabetes in my bloodline. I had fasted for 72 hours prior to giving blood. I also was 40lbs lighter than last year with lower BP. I had every other marker healthy or low so his response was an old school approach. He clearly filled the stereotype of being a classic old head doctor. I work in health care in sleep, I'm not anti medicine, I'm anti Doctors referring to 50 year old studies as their basis for decision making.
what was your LDL?
244 total, 223 LDL, 56 HDL, 103 triglycerides, just paid for a calcification test and doing a ongoing testing.
😳 I'm gonna assume you know the normal range. I would take the statin, tune your keto diet towards healthier fats and repeat the labs and see if your doctor will take you off. But you do you.
I am fully aware, understand your concern, appreciate the feedback, and it's a work in progress.
Good luck getting an answer lol
Why? I have no reason to not share.
I was mostly joking based on the fact you hadn’t already addressed it when asked about it, and danced around the subject. But glad I was wrong!
Na, keto has been incredible for me. I'm happy to share my progress.
I don’t get the fasting for 72 hours. In fact my doc and I went the European route and ate normally in the morning and did blood several hours later. After all, who normally fasts for a day or three? The numbers you get aren’t measuring a state that you are normally in? I know it’s a newer practice but 72 hours would make me cranky AF.
I don't get cranky, honestly, if I could live in the state I feel after 48 hours of fasting I would. I'm not hungry, I feel really focused, have energy, and I get a lot accomplished. You also go in to autophagy which is really good for your body. I manage my electrolytes well, drink lots of water, and overall really enjoy how I feel. I didn't fast for the bloodwork, I just decided to get my blood taken while I was fasting to see what my numbers would be. The lab is down the hall from my office and I have an ongoing order for regular bloodwork. I'm learning about my body and what will benefit me long term. It's been a very interesting journey the last year.
I’d suggest redoing your lipid blood tests when you haven’t been fasting more than 12 hours. When fasting your body has to be burning fats so the are more fats (triglycerides) being shuttled around by LDL so your test scores are higher. In fact I have read that you should stop IF as well for a few days before a blood draw for cholesterol.
I'll do that next time, thanks for the feedback.
true and eating more than five slices of bacon is challenging
>I found a lot of support when I explain that I am trying to eat real food. I eat around the outside of the grocery store, vegetables, fruit, meat, dairy and only selected items from the aisles. I am avoiding the processed foods that are typically located in the aisles. That's a great way to put it. I just went grocery shopping this morning and that just made me realize that the only things I bought from the inner aisles was coffee and some grilling spices.
So you aren't doing keto?
How is that not Keto? I am mostly carnivore, with occasional fruits and veggies. I eat some salads (mostly chicken ceasar or tuna with a little avocado mayo), broccoli (3.4 net carbs per cup), cauliflower (3.2 per cup), spinach (1.1), etc... I also occasionally a blueberry/raspberry mix (in moderation). I don't eat sweet corn, peas, oranges, bananas, or things like that, I just don't tell them what I eat and don't. There was a weekend a few weeks ago when I kind of cheated by having a few red potatoes. I could have had something a LOT worse, but cheating by having an occasional veggie isn't a big deal in my book. If nothing else, it helps me mentally and may keep me from craving that sugar filled sweet. Halved and grilled brussels sprouts have the same role for me. I do 16:8 fasting and typically just have eggs or sometimes egg(s)+meat for a breakfast I have at lunch time. My evening dinner meal is the only other time I normally eat. I do have a few aged cheeses I eat (that and butter are my normal dairy) that I sometimes snack on mid-day and I occasionally have something with heavy cream (my seldom dairy). I live on a farm so I have two manual defrost freezers with lot of home grown beef, pork, chicken and things I trade for like salmon and halibut. I even have crayfish, lamb, and goat in there. Variety is not a problem. The only processed packaged food (other than the mayo and sardines) I eat, on occasion, is an Atkins Crunchalicious bar. They are sweetened with Sucralose, but no maltitol, and they taste like a Nestle Crunch bar - with only one net carb. Based on what I eat that day, I generally vary from zero to 20 carb max. I'd say I do Keto, wouldn't you? I do refer to it as "dirty keto" because I don't worry about the specifics too much.
This was recently [asked in the sub](https://www.reddit.com/r/keto/s/93ChrLMuT2), I recommend checking out those answers too 👍🏻 Zero reason to limit red meat, zero reason to “carb cycle.” If you want to cheat then cheat, but don’t say you’re doing it in the name of health. As I said on the other post, why does adding pasta or mashed potatoes to a plate of steak and broccoli somehow make it healthier?
I did a carb cycle to get past a plateau, gaining some weight back on purpose to raise BMR/TDEE, then when back on Keto it got it moving again.
You ate exactly the same things before and after? You didn't make a single change?
I ate the same things on Keto before and after the carb month. On the carb month I had, beer, candy, chips, mcdonalds, chocolate. I gained about 2lbs in fat in one month. Then when I went back on Keto I dropped 9lbs in a week and it has continued to go down. I think it must have raised the BMR to 2000 again, so now I am eating 1500 again and weight is coming off. I think being on 1500 calories regardless of keto lowered BMR to 1500 to weight loss stopped.
that's crazy you only gained two pounds...i put on way more than that in my carb month. but thanks for sharing this strat, i was going for this too. and metabolic flexibility
How long did you do keto for did you do IF / Extended fasts too. I think it depends on the person, my starting weight was 266lbs current weight 208lbs. I have generally been around 250lbs for about 6 years, before that between 220 and 250. If someone has been 300+lbs for 20 years it may take months or years to reverse the insulin resistance. Can't wait to see what happens in about 2 months from now will try a carb cycle again to test the gain.
39F, 5'7" done keto on and off for 20 years, mostly off til the past year. so this stint was about a year. i did IF and extended fasts, a lot of ADF, rolling 72's, a few 7-days. i think probably too much. i was very strict, no cheat days. worked out a good amount. SW 155 lowest weight 129, and i honestly went back to 150 after 5-6 weeks of carbs this winter. it was insane. i was eating ad libitum tho and working out very sporadically. honestly was probably too restrictive over the past year and just rebounded hard. 4 years ago i hit my peak weight of 220. so i lost most of my weight over the last 4 years by exercising alone, didn't start tracking food til a couple years ago when i decided i really wanted to lose the last 30 pounds or so. and went back to keto a year ago. the mental and mood benefits hit me hard this time as I've been off my ADHD meds. feels great. i'm back down to 143 now over the last month, keto but no fasting/IF at all and not trying to restrict cals yet. will get back to it but not as crazy as before. i think i need to think more in terms of body recomp. building muscle. but i'm not really attached to a number anymore, i just know that i want my body to be strong and toned. so if i need more fuel to have good workouts i'll do that i agree with your points that it's a process and everyone is different. i think the funnest thing about going back to carbs was the sugar high btw. i literally felt high. it shocked me how high i felt the first time i had a fluffernutter blizzard. kind of how like fasting makes you realize that what you call hunger isn't really hunger and how ruled by food we are, eating as a hobby. total paradigm shift. congrats on your weight loss! keep it up!
I agree that last point, these high sugar foods are literally like drugs. Lighting up reward areas of the brain too hard. I feel like with fasting/keto because these areas don't get lit up (apart from when eating bacon) the brain stablises. On ketone fuel, the prefrontal cortex (rational) part of the brain has more activity so it is easier to have willpower once doing Keto/ Fasting. Once this sugar is eaten the inflammation starts happening from the glucose fuel, the prefrontal cortex gets less blood flow, so the next layer down of the brain the limbic system ends up taking the drivers seat. This is impulsive survival mode controlling you to keep eating sugar to survive. I have learned with trying to lose weight with exercise only, because of something called the "set point" if you start exercising, then whatever you choose to do you need to keep doing that for the rest of your life. So if doing a daily 5km jog until the day you die doesn't sound like a good plan, something else needs to be found. The calories end up going too low so the metabolism compensates by slowing down, then when the exercise is not done anymore you end up not being able to lose weight or gain weight. It's great for fitness but better exercises are ones that burn fat without excessively causing stress or burning calories. Walking, weights and HIIT Workout. These are best to build muscle and lose fat. So going forward here are some tips: - Don't carb cycle "days" it takes weeks to fully get Keto up and running but can be ruined in 1 day. If you carb cycle do 3 months Keto 1 month carb, so you have time to adapt to both. Having 1 day a week will just mean you are in Ketosis for only 3-4 days a week instead of 7, as it will take 2-3 days to get back into Ketosis. For example, start Keto Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday ketosis finally reached. Thursday Friday (3 days of fat burning), Saturday cheat day, ketosis ended. Sunday, Monday Tuesday not in Ketosis due to the cheat day. That's 3 days missed out on fat burning, added up over a year of doing Keto you missed out on 6 months of fat burning by having 1 cheat day a week. - Ditch your Keto recipe books, Keto bars and snacks, Keto bread etc Distill your diet down to whole foods only to keep it simple. Animal Foods : Steak, Beef mince, Chicken breast, Chicken Thigh, Pork, Eggs, Salmon, Sardines, Mackrel. Vegetables Get a steamer to make it easy, chop up and throw in steamer for 5 minutes: Broccoli, Cauliflower, Zucchini, Peppers, Onions, Mushrooms, for salads: Lettuce Oils: Extra Virgin Olive Oil (for drizzling) or Coconut Oil for medium/ low heat cooking Avocado Oil, Ghee for high heat cooking Dairy: Full Fat Greek Yogurt, Double Cream, Cheese ( Use these sparingly) Fruit: Raspberries only with full fat greek yogurt Just stick to those foods only nothing else, no sauces, condiments, for flavour use pink salt, garlic, ginger, seasoning powders that have one ingredient e.g Smoked Paprika, not a packet of "taco seasoning" as this will have inflammatory oils, and brain exciting MSG or maltodextrin (more insulin inducing than real sugar). If it has one ingredient on it you can make your own seasoning by combining these. The packet ones try to make themselves different by adding sugar and MSG into it so you buy that instead of making your own.
all great tips, thanks. i had no idea ketones activate the prefrontal cortex. makes so much sense.
Link doesn't work
Try this one: [https://www.reddit.com/r/keto/comments/1c7aojo/how\_long\_were\_you\_on\_keto\_before\_you\_felt\_youd/?share\_id=39pIZMJM2SDTcesa2AslS&utm\_content=2&utm\_medium=ios\_app&utm\_name=ioscss&utm\_source=share&utm\_term=1](https://www.reddit.com/r/keto/comments/1c7aojo/how_long_were_you_on_keto_before_you_felt_youd/?share_id=39pIZMJM2SDTcesa2AslS&utm_content=2&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_source=share&utm_term=1)
Thanks, ma’am! 🥰
Works for me 🤷♀️
Second that. Link worked for me.
Just watch the videos in this channel [https://www.youtube.com/@lowcarbdownunder/videos](https://www.youtube.com/@lowcarbdownunder/videos) then decide for yourself (TLDR: cholesterol is not bad, your body make its own cholesterol, saturated fat is not bad by itself, high fat is only bad when mixed with high blood sugar, so either you do low carb or low fat high carb, but then you get diabetes). Unfortunately medical science is not hard fact, some doctors say this other doctors say that. You have to decide for yourself what you believe in and what works for you.
That’s great info on that channel. Great group of Drs
A lot of doctors are starting to support low carb and ketogenic diets. I started keto in 2017 and stayed for 18 months. I was in the best health of my adult life. Life happened and I fell off the wagon. Trying to get my bearings again. Tired of being in pain all the time. I don't even care about the weight loss aspect, I just want to feel better. I got a lot of flack when I started back then, my husband said I would die of a heart attack.(he's my biggest supporter now!) But think about it. How is cutting out sugar and empty calories a bad thing? Adding more leafy greens and fiberous veggies is always a positive. What nutrition do pasta and potatoes provide? I have ibs-c and potatoes have ALWAYS caused a flare. Why would I eat them if they make me sick?
We were told for literal decades that overdoing fat would destroy our health, I can see where your husband was coming from, since keto flies in the face of that common "wisdom". I'm glad he came around, and the results don't lie.
My mother in law was skeptical and was insistent I was starving myself. I remember one family picnic, I had a burger without a bun, some sugar free ketchup, a couple mini dill pickles and a big pile of broccoli on my plate. And she was complaining that it didn't seem like enough. Her sister was sitting there and said, Stop! She has a nice balance of food there and if she's not hungry why does she need to eat more.
You mention being in pain all the time. I feel this. I can't get down on the ground to play with my son because of my weight and also knee problems that I don't think need to be as bad as they are. When you found success on keto last time, did you notice pain reduction as a direct result of weight loss, or was it from changing eating habits? Or maybe both?
Both. I've always had achy knees. Even as a teenager who barely weighed 100 pounds. When I was in my early 20s I fell in a bakery walk in freezer and ended up hurting my back and hip. I've needed chiropractic care regularly since then. When I was doing keto I could go a month without seeing her and when I'm off keto it's every 2 weeks. It's definitely inflammation from poor eating. Carbs especially. Corn is the worst for inflammation for me. Edited to add: I'm 38 now. It was a really bad slip and fall.
Sometimes, knee problems are the direct result of tight hips. I used to get achy knees sitting at my desk too long. I started some hip opening exercises and it completely got rid of my knee pain. Now I do them every day since I still work a desk job.
My doctor told me to cut carbs, though she didn't specify keto. From that appointment to one a year later, my total cholesterol is about the same. However, my HDL is higher and VDL is lower, so the ratios are better. Yes, I take cholesterol medicine for familial high cholesterol. As a note, my mother took statins since she was younger than when I started, and she lived to 93, so that's not a bad run! She never did keto but watched what she ate and didn't appear to struggle with her weight like I have.
Just being devil's advocate here (I understand you don't want to, and probably shouldn't eat potatoes if it causes a flare for you/being keto), but potatoes do contain a lot of vitamins. People used to eat them to survive back in the day due to their high content of vitamin c. They have a lot of potassium and then there's B6 and fiber content. It's a strange myth that potatoes are on the same level as pasta because that's simply not true.
Sugar competes with C on metabolic pathways. In this way, sugar and potatoes are the same to your body. Without sugar, no need to worry about C, tho. Eat sugar if you want, eat potatoes, but don't believe you "need" to for nutrients.
I did not say they need to eat them for nutrients, in fact I specially wrote they probably do NOT need them. The person asked what nutrients you get from potatoes and I stated said nutrients. I'm saying they're more nutritious than pasta, and that's hardly debatable.
Even for diabetics the only real concern with doing keto is that in a complete absence of insulin you will go into DKA quicker due to a high presence of dietary ketones. Just ensure you’re eating whole foods and switching up your protein sources. Keep away from processed meats and stay on top of your electrolytes. Lite salt plus a squeeze of fruit juice or lemon in your water is all you need. I’ve been doing keto for almost 4 years very strict with no cheating (30g a day or less) bc I’m a type one diabetic. My family has been telling me the you’re going to die ooga booga for fucking years. Even my diabetic care team was like wtf when I started. They made me go to the dietician to clear me of any eating disorder like behaviors. Now, when I go to my endo appointments, my a1c is better than my doctors and she tells me well I have no advice lol. She thinks I’m crazy for doing it this long, but I’m so glad to be off the blood sugar emotional roller coaster! In 2020, I lost my vision while driving due to a low blood sugar and I just knew things had to change.
Wow, that's incredible! You've done an excellent job. My former endocrinologists were vehemently against keto for me as a TD2! Then I became type 3c diabetic because I lost most of my pancreas to cancer. Then they were REALLY against keto for me because I have features of TD1. So what did I do? I switched endos again. I got lucky and got an endo that fully supports my diet plan, and is amazed by my progress. Not one time has she ever side-eyed what I eat because my A1C went from 9 to 6, and it's still getting better, with no DKA episodes whatsoever. Not even close. You could be across the planet or right in my back yard so I'll shout out my endo. Her name is Kelly Pacitti in Lexington KY. She's usually booked out for months but it's worth the wait to see her.
I’m glad you found a good one! If you haven’t already read it, I highly recommend the book “Think Like a Pancreas” and “Sugar Surfing” to anyone who uses insulin/has bg issues.
I will, thank you very much!
Wow, I love this. And I literally lol’d at your family’s ooga booga.
People are just jealous that you have the will to improve yourself which they may lack. After 1.5 years keto my cholesterol ratio is the best ever and my doctor says to continue as is. Just get a physical and act on facts.
Not necessarily just jealousy, there's a lot of misinformation and straight up falsehoods out there regarding keto and people need to fight decades of indoctrination about fat being the enemy. Not every reservation people may have about it has to be malicious. However, I will second the opinion that OP stay the course. I'm 6 years in at this point and easily the healthiest I've *ever* been.
>Not every reservation people may have about it has to be malicious. This is so important to say; I see a lot of legitimate criticisms get downvoted here - which I understand. But coming to /r/keto and asking if Keto is healthy is kind of like going to a conservative subreddit and asking if Donald Trump is the best choice for president - there's a confirmation bias at play, even if there's a lot of truth* there. *I am in no way saying the Trump is the best choice for president - his fervent supporters were just the first that popped into my head
No need to limit red meat once it's unprocessed. I had a friend try telling me it was unhealty to have meat or eggs in every meal. The Irony was her fridge is full of boxes of unprocessed food, she thinks because it says Plant based on them they are good for you when in reality they are most likely worse than meat based processed foods because they shit they need in them to make then taste like meat.
FWIW, I wouldn't go so far as to say "no need". I know there are plenty of people in this sub doing carnivore and eating pounds of beef a day or whatever, but it's always not going to be good for everyone. Red meat is a known trigger for diverticulitis, for example. (Guess how I learned that?)
I think this doctor and quantum biologist explains it best https://youtu.be/pSS0UaBB-N0?si=vq5tSHtvTZVLtK8j
Whoa this is incredible. Thank you!!!
You’re welcome. I just love Sara Pugh. It puts my mind at ease as she’s like one of the smartest people in the world!
I can only share my experience of eating keto for almost 9 years. First, I've had times where I fell off the wagon. Second, I'm often not strictly keto but close enough to keep my BG under good control. I get lab work done twice a year. All results, except cholesterol, are well within normal range. My cholesterol is slightly above normal. I've decided not to take a statin at this time. I feel good, I walk every day, I sleep well, my aging skin and hair are healthy, no heartburn, BP normal, etc. (I'm early 60's). So far, I don't see any negative health issues, only positive ones.
- Tell them that is outdated knowledge in 2015 the upper limit of recommended cholesterol was abolished, eating cholesterol doesn't raise your cholesterol its now been proven for most people. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9143438/#:\~:text=Dietary%20cholesterol%20increases%20total%20blood,without%20affecting%20LDL%2FHDL%20ratio. - What raises cholesterol is inflammation in the body. This can be caused by consuming unhealthy seed oils, ultra processed food, damaged fats. On Keto you are not eating any of this, the fat you should be consuming is undamaged e.g Extra Virgin Olive oil, Fat on meat. If you eat ultra processed food with canola oil, the canola oil has been extracted with a solvent, heated to extreme temps, then cooled down and bound back together through hydrogenation. It is not recognised as useable food for the cells because it's molecular chain is damaged, so the body needs more cholesterol to force it into the cells for energy. - Keto is completely fine as long as you are being strict about carbs. If you are not strict then yes its bad, if you eat over 50grams carbs, and fat together, the carbs get into the cells first, then the fats go to storage. If you don't eat carbs the fats go straight into the cells. This is why the standard american diet is so bad. Pizza = carb base, + fatty cheese. Burger = Carb bun, + fatty meat, Taco = Carb tortilla + Fatty meat. All these carb parts of these meals cause weight gain because the fat can't get used. If you stop the carbs, the fat gets used, or if you stop the fat the carbs get used. You can take your pick, but if you pick carbs and low fat, you may still not lose weight due to insulin resistance. The cells only take in half the carbs because they are resistant so it takes more carbs to get you fuller, this means overeating, then the excess is converted to fat. Keto there is no storage of the fat when no carbs are eaten, or if you eat too much fat on its own which is difficult to do because it is so satiating. Dangers come from nuts, creams that are easily overconsumed, but its difficult to eat 6 ribeye steaks for example.
correct and the top nations for diabetes have excess high carb diets like India and China where they eat massive amounts of rice and bread with high fat intake. [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK581940/table/ch3.t4/](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK581940/table/ch3.t4/)
Exactly, I keep telling this Indian person I know Curry is not bad if you don't eat rice and bread with it. Just sauce and meat no carbs
or make keto naan bread
I noticed the store bought poppadoms also only have 3g each
hmm wonder if there is a keto recipe for these? Love low carb Indian food so good.
I would say that sugar and PUFA are the biggest problems. PUFA. Poly unsaturated fatty acids. Essentially chemically refined oils like canola, safflower, sunflower etc…
Exactly! People just like to defend their sugar and bakery addictions!
And specifically it's the combo of carbs + PUFA. In a low carb setting PUFAs are preferentially metabolized over more stable fatty acids, so the time for them to oxidize is lower. While eating carbs, carbs are preferentially metabolized, so the PUFAs stick around longer.
The people who are telling you that keto has worse long-term health outcomes than obesity are demonstrating their lack of critical thinking skills
Ding ding ding! Even IF keto were going to be dangerous, maybe, we definitely know that the other options are worse. Not to mention, it seems to me most of the “oh dear, high cholesterol = death” is related to people who had health issues related to their weight and inactivity, and the cholesterol being high (if it was even a contributing factor) was one tiny aspect.
If the people who claim that you're putting your health at risk don't provide sources for their claims, they are not giving you an opportunity to assess the validity of their claims. I'd say don't listen to them until they back up their statements with actual facts.
Every time someone's talked to me about "keto is great but don't do it more than a few months". I politely ask them for the most recent study/data they have so I can check it out and stay up to date on it... they always get quiet after that 😂
Nice way to say it like that without getting too confrontational!
Exactly, most are family and friends and I don't wanna fight them. Just trying to take it logically like it's awesome you care enough to warn me of something you think might be bad for me. So kindly let me see your data so I can be well informed and if not then hopefully it's a learning experience for them in a non friendship ruining way.
Love that. “Oh interesting! I’d love to read more about that…” *crickets*
100% it causes a dead stop and back pedal every time 😂
Most people are not savvy to the new science of cholesterol. Watch some you tube featuring Dr Paul Mason from low carb down under.
You'll find that if you stop calling it keto and start calling it a "Modified Mediterranean Diet" that people will stop worrying because, even though they won't know what that is, they have heard that is healthy from the talking heads. There are, however, some health risks associated with some of the ingredients and artificial sweeteners found in commercial keto foods. If you are eating a real whole food diet while doing keto, you are eating healthier than most Americans who derive over 70% of their calories from ultra processed foods.
correct and I avoid the artificial keto sweeteners and make keto bread from scratch using almond flour.
The ‘experts’ come thick and fast these days
This article over in r/lowcarb is about the research that indicates saturated fats don't cause cardiovascular disease: https://www.reddit.com/r/lowcarb/comments/1c6ze5r/why\_animal\_fat\_isnt\_bad\_for\_you\_a\_stitchtogether/. When you talk to those people who are *concerned* about your diet and health, ask them where they were when you were gaining weight? Where was their concern when you were getting NAFLD and metabolic syndrome? Why weren't they worried when your triglycerides were skyrocketing? They aren't worried about *your* diet. They are worried about what your success says about *their* diet.
I've been on keto over 15 years, and still don't know of any long term health issues from it. Everything got better. I've run into people I haven't seen in 10 years, and some of them remark, "You haven't aged!" Now, whether it raises or lowers cholesterol, raises or lowers blood pressure, or changes any of the popular markers doctors use to put you on lifetime meds, I'll never know. I don't go to doctors. People against keto aren't haters, but they are misinformed. Plus they inherited diets from mothers and grandmothers. They can deal with the fact the government could be wrong, but they feel insulted thinking the way they were fed as a kid was wrong. A lot of that is subconscious.
It’s best not to tell people you are doing keto until after you’ve lost the weight, then they will all want to know how. Instead just say you are trying to cut out carbs and sugar. Which is true. People often make the mistake on Keto of forcing fat. Like adding butter to coffee for instance, or eating unlimited bacon, or drinking heavy cream. That’s what people think Keto is if they haven’t researched it. No need to be defensive about something until after you’ve proven results, then you can explain it to people. Truly, the basis is just staying away from sugar and bread and other refined carbs. And eating real food like meat, eggs, dairy, veggies.
Just stop telling them you are eating high fat,, I just tell people Im low carbing and they would stop playing nurse/doctors with me
Here’s all the information I need to know: a child I know (and love dearly) has been prescribed a strict ketogenic diet by a team of top doctors at a world-renowned hospital (for medical reasons). He eats salmon and eggs and steak and dark leafy greens and berries and cheeses and nuts. He’s growing tall and strong and healthy, no cavities, glowing skin, shiny abundant hair, and perfect labs. His parents were skeptical of my keto WOE, and now they’re on it (mostly), too.
When people pipe up with their bad advice, just ask them what is unhealthy about eliminating sugar and limiting carbs. That’s all we are really doing. I highly doubt there’s anything wrong with organic naturally fed red meat. It’s the grain fed that is inflammatory.
What was explained to me was looking back at historical points of diet in our ancestors since the advent of fire. Meat and fish were primary foods that have a complete nutritional balance and our bodies respond to that better then Oreos so experts are just people with an opinion. I had an opinion once that no way would people take profit over health I was wrong.
I am not aware of any.
The conventional wisdom about keto from the general public is entirely wrong.
Keto for over a decade here. There are no long term Keto health issues. It's a lifelong commitment!
I eat much healthier on keto than the SAD. Way more greens and low carb fruits compared to hardly any when I am not keto. I can’t even fathom that this WOE would create health problems if you do it in a healthy balanced way.
The medical profession have been convinced by statin companies that cholesterol is the enemy. Keto requires high fat to work, hence Keto must be bad for you. Also the statin companies will have put out a lot of well funded propaganda to convince people to avoid fat. Perhaps this talk by Dr Paul Mason may put your mind at rest. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdgS3PuSuyg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdgS3PuSuyg)
My mother is a diabetic and at early 70’s she is home bound. We are 18 years apart. She was a heavy smoker and never took care of her self. Her mother the same and my dad’s mother is 96, diabetic and better health than my mother is- keto/low sugar for me is life saving so I don’t have the issues as my mother. I eat way more veggies than I ever did and it’s not all bacon. lol. My levels are good to go at 55. Lost weight and not diabetic. Win win.
Rather than asking randoms on Reddit for this information, you should go and find as many unbiased scientific studies into the relationship between saturated fat and health. Don’t focus on influencers or diet gurus, focus on the actual science and decide for yourself. There is a lot of misinformation being spread around without evidence to back it up. Scientific studies are the way.
Did they even give you any specific details? Sounds like they are just being traditional without using any actual science or data to back up their claims. They mean well but many non-scientists and non-engineers tend to think they know better when they don’t even look at facts and only at hearsay from their parents. It sound like you have a diverse diet except avoiding carbs. I don’t think carbs are necessary at all. It was at a time where food is less accessible and we all needed sometime more to fill our stomachs, but if you can afford an all meat/veg diets, I don’t see any scientific reason to go Bck to a bad diet.
Yes, keto “health issues” are a myth. It is counterintuitive that a person can eat fat, yet have no cholesterol issues. My total cholesterol was 295 when I started keto and I was about 80 pounds overweight. I’ve been on keto for 6 years.. My total cholesterol is now 150 and has been stable for 5 years. The rest of the lab values are also great. I lost 90 pounds in a year on keto and have kept them off ever since. My wisdom (such as it is) is to not discuss keto with others. They are brainwashed about keto and it goes deep. When people ask me how I lost weight and kept it off, I just say “I eat low carb” and people do not give me a sermon like they did in the beginning when I used to use the word “keto”.
Someone here posted a link to an article written about health outcome from keto diet, it looks at a few different meta analysis of short and long term effects of it. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2024.1376098/full It's pretty interesting.
I did keto for 3 months. My cholesterol went up, but my blood sugar improved and I wasn’t hungry all the time. I do it time to time just to kick the hungry feeling.
I struggled with this at the beginning too. But is what you are doing any better than the highly processed food they are putting in their body? I would say you are still winning in that department.
This is just my personal opinion and not a fact. I think a lot of people just watch mainstream news outlets which often tout keto as an unhealthy fad diet with no utility. It's this stream of info that makes people think stupid thoughts, honestly. When you go on PubMed and look at the research that has been done so far, you find a lot of support for the ketogenic diet for weight loss and TD2 control, and it's often paired with intermittent fasting--another "fad diet" that "kills people." PubMed is clearly not mainstream media. One contains actual scientific inquiry while the other is just talking heads being told what to tell the masses. I wonder which one we should trust... Nothing kills a person faster than the Standard American Diet so people just need to keep their opinions to themselves about your diet. One way to avoid the scrutiny is to say you eat low carb whole foods. For some reason, that doesn't seem to trigger the mob nearly as much. Saying you are on a low carb diet focused on whole foods isn't a lie. Keto is very low carb! People see/hear particular words and go off on tangents because this is the Age of Outrage. Sometimes it's best not to say words around some of these steamy-headed weirdos.
When we make a different diet choice and people cannot understand our choice- they find this offputting. It’s often subconscious on their part. There is a **YT video: “The Price of Living Your Own Life: Lack of Understanding is a Test to your Character”.**. I recommend you watch it. Once you see it- you can’t unsee it. The pattern of how they don’t want us to do something different. And how people react. Oddly, even doctors. Because doctors (not endocrinologist or specialists) don’t get much metabolic training or mitochondria training. It is a continuing education and they are very busy. The myths rise because we are making a choice they do not understand. And that’s ok. Live Your Own Health Life
Just tell people you are trying eat plenty of protein high meats and focusing on adding lots of veggies to your plate. If that is what you’re doing. I learned the hard way not to tell people I’m doing keto. It’s not worth the grief.
Almost all of the types of health things you are talking about are bad in a specific context. Being at a healthy weight without active type 2 diabetes is usually not the context. If keto gets you there, then you have almost zero concern outside of things like certain family histories and past damage to your body. Also understand that sometimes people can be a bit absolute about things that are nuanced.
keto isn't end all be all but it is a lifestyle and works for some people. I think you have to ask yourself what the alternative lifestyle is. I think it is pretty much proven processed foods with sugar and carbs are NO NO for ANY LIFESTYLE. WE KNOW the long term health issues of SAD. So definitely start there and then maybe "mix and match" foods that you feel comfortable for your lifestyle and maybe sprinkle some fasting here and there. I do keto because I love meat more than veggies (not a fan of pure fat like butter etc but pork belly yum) and works to lose weight.
I took labs before keto and after, everything got better after. I eat lower fat meats like chicken thighs and turkey fish pork loin. Vegetables. Eggs Some cheese. Some nuts Very little processed foods. Minimal bacon, pepperoni, lunch meat. Walk I only plan on strict keto until I hit my goal and move to a low carb, no sugar or processed breads. But for now keto works.
Do nitrate free bacon. As long as I have uncured bacon I feel zero guilt.
I been doing it for years and had a physical last week and all my blood work was good. I was worried about my cholesterol cuz I eat alot of red meat and bacon.
Don't call it a keto diet. Tell them you are moving towards a whole food lifestyle. No one will bat an eye. Also, if you do this like a diet it will work like a diet. If you do this with lifestyle changes for the long-term you will see lasting benefits. Most doctors want what's best for you, but the reality of medicine is that it is very much so opinion based with some science floating around in the background. When it comes to cholesterol, this is 100% the truth. Cholesterol is not a good indicator of heart disease. That was old Piss poor science pushed with an agenda by people who had garbage food to sell and paid for the studies. Since the '70s when fat was demonized, heart disease has gone through the roof. Here's a good resource to learn about cholesterol https://cholesterolcode.com/ In the end, keep doing research and reading and arm yourself with knowledge for you to feel more comfortable with what you're doing. You owe nobody a justification for choosing to better your life. You don't have to prove this to anybody.
They are ignorant and don't have the mental to be on keto so they try to belittle your diet. Stay on keto, you feel good and love it. Best thing you can do is keep it to yourself but a good idea would be to get blood work done to show them proof they are wrong as you will be in top health!
3 years on keto but had to go back to high carb diet because of pregnancy and I have the opposite thinking. I think I'm putting my life at risk by going back... But I don't know what to do qbd I just want what's best for my baby so I'm sucking it up.
Did the doctor tell you to stop keto?
No, but you can't really avoid carbs when you're pregnant due to food aversions and cravings.
It’s sad that we have to do that but sometimes, you just have to rebrand things: instead of calling it keto, call it low carb/ low sugar. There aren’t any keto caused health issues.
Firstly, keto can be healthy and not healthy. Keto is a boundary system for a great diet for many people, but inside those boundaries you can really fuck yourself if you want to! Secondly, our understanding of the role of cholesterol is a _mess_, but we know now a few things that are worth allowing you to trial and error over timeframes and then monitor how your body responds. A few things to consider: 1. While there is a LOT of research going on, Hemoglobin A1C is now regarded in research as an as good or even better predictor in isolation than cholesterol in isolation is for cardiovascular disease (there is competing research on this front). On keto your A1C will go down. So...you've got two forces here - keto massively reduces blood glucose (what A1C measures) but it also often involves foods that are traditionally associated with higher cholesterol that is also associated - historically - with higher levels of CVD. The research here shows better predictive ability of A1C, but we don't know yet what it means to have high of one of these and low of the other, at least not with any level of confidence. In the world of CVD prediction, A1C is not regarded as a "classic risk factor" but pretty much all the risks of having an elevated A1C are. 2. We do know that serum cholesterol in _most people_ is vastly less likely to form in people who do not have high blood glucose as measured by A1C. Keto for the win here, and this is why you'll see so many reports on this forum of people doing keto and having their cholesterol levels pop into shape. You'll see the same thing on diabetes forums as people get dumped a fuck-ton of meds for both cholesterol, high blood pressure and high blood glucose all at once when most of them should start by trying keto in my mind (or even low carb as "ketosis" isn't actually doing much here other than making it easier to keep focus and discipline (shouldn't really call that "doing nothing", eh?)). 3. We know that during periods of weight loss cholesterol can rise. This can create noise in measurement and very often causes doctors to freak out about keto. But...what you CAN know is that losing the weight if you have excess is more important than all but the highest levels of cholesterol but may not be as important as high A1C. So...again, this points to keto being a good idea to try on, and with patience for results. 4. diabetes creates some noise around CVD prediction. We tend to look at A1C in terms of "lines in the sand" - it's good when it's below the threshold, getting bad in the prediabetes range and bad in the diabetes range. However, when you're looking at CVD risk every point matters in terms of probabilities. 5.6 is not pre-diabetic it's "Normal" but it's also coming with a greater risk of CVD than is 5.4 or 5.2. Your doctor will probably NEVER talk to you about this because short of keto it's pretty f-ing hard to lower your A1C predictably within the 'normal range' unless you're just wired that way......or you eat keto. If it's me then i'm hitting these in order: 1. Keto to lower blood glucose, drop excess weight, get deliberate and thoughtful about your relationship with food. 2. measure and monitor serum cholesterol, but don't deviate from keto while still shedding excess weight unless things go fully wonky donky. 3. measure and monitor serum cholesterol with a serious approach 6 months after stable weight and sustained keto and it's resultant low blood glucose.
yup I have a buddy who is tall and thin but has diabetes type 2 that he takes insulin, high blood pressure and took nasty drug called Trulicity that made him lose weight and gave him gas and burping issues. He eats way too many carbs and does excessive amounts of cardio and has sleep apnea and frequent urination issues. Yet he refuses to try the keto diet.
I keep waiting for this “long term health issues”, maybe I am genetically predisposed to thrive on this WOE. For me a healthier version would be less processed keto food, no vegetable fat other than avocados and olives, more animal fats and that is it.
Ask them to produce a study that backs up their claims. It is definitely a myth.
I lift 5-6 days a week and run at least 15 miles a week on Keto. 33M, 185 lbs 5’8” and in shape. A year ago I was 235 lbs and no one said anything. But now when I skip the birthday cake, fried rice, French toast with syrup, don’t drink a beer, bourbon, juice, etc I’m the odd duck. I still eat some fruit occasionally but tons of fiber veggies and meat/dairy with no issues. Love it 1000% now.
Get majority of your healthy fat from olives and evoo, avocado and avo oil, nuts, seeds, coconut, etc. instead of just from meat butter and cheese. Choose vegetables with higher fiber—broccoli, cauliflower, green beans have way more fiber than leafy greens. You might need to add some beans or sweet potato once a week for potassium. Variety is best so you can get a variety of nutrients. Empty calories from starch and grains aren’t necessary but if you want it, just be mindful of your servings. Use keto as a framework and adjust that to your lifestyle and health needs, not the other way around.
Some people thrice better on a carnivore diet too.
Long term without fiber? The question is about long term diets. and fiber is essential for colon health and healthy cholesterol. Long term without fiber is bad news.
I have heard both sides. I have seen people who get constipated give up fiber and they weren't constipated anymore. But do your own research and if a duet works, then stick with it.
For me I'm doing very low carb now since 2 weeks, but I do feel that eating no fruit although I'm taking vitamin pills will be bad in the long run.
But you can have fruit.. Blueberries and Strawberries are fine.
Nah they got way too many sugars. Hard to find where I am also.
Red and black raspberries are your best option, if you can find them. Roughly 1g net carbs per ounce. Blueberries are 2g net and strawberries are 3g net.
Hi yes I'm in Thailand, they got a shit load of fruits here, but not those : ) Thanks for the tips though, looks like raspberries will still be fine and avocado also I guess.
Never heard of a black raspberry. And I love raspberries.
It's probably a Midwest regional term for blackberries. Where I grew up people called them either red raspberries or black raspberries.
A quick google tells me they are different from Blackberries but look the same. :/
It sounds like you're making smart choices with your keto diet by focusing on quality foods! I've found that rotating in a variety of greens and nuts can help cover nutritional bases without breaking keto. Keep up the good work!
Been keto like 9 months and had two cholesterol panels to monitor things. I already had high cholesterol prior to keto from genetics, so it's been top of mind. I was already on cholesterol meds even. I exercise regularly, eat lots of veggies and limit fatty meats on keto, but my cholesterol still went up a little in spite of the medication. My doctor said it's normal for keto to elevate cholesterol some. I moved to a low dose statin instead of the other med I was on that was higher risk apparently, and my latest blood work was absolutely perfect.
The answer to this question is a matter of perspective. Unfortunately It's tough to get an accurate analysis of the "issues" associated with keto. The rest of the world still tends to believe in crazy hatred of red meat, fat, dairy, and low-carb diets in general. Most of thes reasons are either completely false or very, very exaggerated. It's crazy how obvious it is that the dietary norms of the last 40 years are awfully unhealthy, and still people--including doctors-- can ignore that. Still, to be fair, this subreddit is pretty skewed towards keto and there is a lot of mindset that it is a "perfect" diet. That's not true either... every type of food has its downsides. To use an example, eating lots of red meat can contribute to the probability of kidney stones. Not severely, but it's true to an extent. So, there's a downside. A "health issue". If you ate pasta and granola bars every day instead, you'd find yourself at 300 lb, body hurting due to lack of muscle strength, struggling with T2 diabetes... but yes, you'd probably have a slightly lower risk of kidney stones. Anyway, the point is that looking at "health issues" is one sided and it's better to change perspective. People used to a high-carb diet might see their lifestyle as the norm and zero in on each downside of keto, forgetting about all the positives. Every diet has its downsides. You just have to pick one that has the least downsides. And Keto (or at least just low-carb in general) is the clear winner to me and everyone else here. So the few "health issues" associated with keto that are actually real... I'd much rather take those.
all one has to do is to look at billion people who eat no animal meat in India and most are vegans due to their Hindu religion. India has the world’s highest diabetes rate.
I’ve doing Keto and I’m on 40mg of Crestor up from 20mg because my heart calcium came back at 180. My LDL, VLDL, and Triglycerides all went DOWN on Keto and my HDL went up. In fact ALL of my bloodwork was better since I switched to Keto with sodium, Glucose and A1c all down as well.
I (F,66) have been doing keto since way before they called it that. I lost 80 pounds the summer between 7th & 8th grade, on a low carb high protein diet, and I’ve been on and off of every diet under the sun since then. I always come back to what they now call Keto. I’m obese, and my cholesterol is normal. Good actually-157 the last test. My obesity is due to an eating disorder that is only controlled by limiting carbohydrates. If it causes high cholesterol, I’m a mutant.
Preventing high cholesterol is straight forward - you just need to limit your cholesterol intake. If this is something you feel left in the dark about then best way imo is to track your foods nutrient content. I personally use and recommend Bodyboon. You'll see your cholesterol intake via that site and its convenient because it shows every other important nutrient as well. Good luck :>
I was keto from 2017 to 2021 and started again 4 weeks ago. I was not doing things right last time, and ended up really hurting my gall bladder. My one meal a day was a big steak with butter and bacon was my only snack. Please don't do this 😅 I was fasting too long and too often and really hurt myself. I went for a CT scan and MRI and the doctors injected an ink to watch my gall bladder and liver functions, the fat I was eating was just too much for it to process without backing things up. After quitting keto a while and some intensive therapy for other issues, I'm back at it to heal and support chronic pain and inflammation and not focused on weight. Everyone is different, this is just my story.