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I lost 85 pounds eating a ketogenic diet. Ask me anything. |
shaunbwilson |
I am a 5'9" male who, several years ago, stepped on the scale and discovered my weight to be an unhealthy 233 pounds. For the next several days I didn't weigh myself again, but suspect I probably hit 235 at my peak. I don't know for sure because I was too disgusted to check.
I had relatives who had some success with what they called "modified Atkins" and I lost about 70 pounds following a diet based on the "gist" of what the Atkins diet was in the early 2000s.
One day I looked at the cheddar wurst sitting on my plate that I was eating every day and was so disgusted by the thought of eating another sausage that I decided I'd switch to a traditional calorie restricted, low fat/high "healthy carb" diet, including lots of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. I started running. I started lifting. I tried running five miles or more three times per week. I tried a combination of lifting and running. But the more I worked out and the more I ate this diet—even in calorie deficit—the fatter I got again.
I knew that low carb is what worked for my particular genetics. And that's when I stopped going to the gym and started on the journey of learning about the science behind a ketogenic (high fat/moderate protein/very low carb) diet. I've been eating "keto" since February 2009 and this morning my scale read 148 pounds. That's exactly 85 pounds less than my highest measured weight.
I've never felt healthier, never felt more clear-headed, and never been happier with my physical self. (I'm talking health and brain power here, not fatness, which is nice, but not nearly as important to me.)
I don't care to talk about my weight or eating plan much. Not only am I noted as a very private person who has never cared to discuss my weight with anyone but the closest of my family members, but I also don't like talking about my diet because of the sheer amount of bad information that's currently out there that has to be disproven to help people get to a place where they are open to understanding the scientific foundation of why this may be the healthiest diet out there. I'm not saying it's the diet for everyone or the only one that will help you lose weight, but am saying it worked for me.
Once in a great while I bring it up in a public forum, despite the anticipated uphill battle of presenting the information that you must know to understand why it's a scientific and healthy way to lose weight. But every once in a while I feel compelled to, because somewhere out there might be someone who was like me—eating "right", exercising with abandon, and still getting fatter. If there's even one person I can help, then it's worth bringing up. With that in mind, I think it's about time again to say:
I'm a 5'9" male who lost 85 pounds by eating a high fat/low carb diet. Ask me anything. _________________ Signature Themes: Connectedness | Futuristic | Ideation | Intellection | Learner
Last edited by shaunbwilson on 12/30/14 9:58 am; edited 1 time in total |
Site Admin Posts: 3222 8/27/13 3:02 pm
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John Jett |
Shaun,
I too had success with low-carb (Atkins) diet in the late 90s to early 2000s. I fell off the wagon when all the "Atkins" snacks and sweets starting coming out and increasing my desire for carbs. 3 weeks ago I decided to try it again and for 14 days I lost 15 lbs! I thought that was great, but for 3 straight days, constantly in ketosis, constantly eating "right", no cheating, no over-eating. I gained weight! I'm pretty discouraged about it right now.
Congratulations on all your success! |
Golf Cart Mafia Capo Famiglia Posts: 4955 8/27/13 3:11 pm
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Re: I lost 85 pounds eating a ketogenic diet. Ask me anythin |
Could It Be True |
Quote: | And that's when I stopped going to the gym and started on the journey of learning about the science behind a ketogenic (high fat/moderate protein/very low carb) diet. I've been eating "keto" since February 2009 and this morning my scale read 148 pounds. |
So what are some examples of the foods you eat? _________________ Scars are tattoos with better stories. |
Acts-celerater Posts: 717 8/27/13 3:17 pm
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shaunbwilson |
Thanks, John.
I know you didn't ask any questions or ask for advice. I hope you don't mind if I throw a few things to consider out there. If you do, just disregard this post.
During the onset of a ketogenic diet you lose weight really quickly. For most people this happens during the first 14 days like you. I've also heard of some people who get through the initial phase in as little as 3 days and for some it takes as long as 6 weeks to become keto-adapted. The reason for this is glycogen depletion. When you have more glucose than your body needs at a given time, your liver turns it into glycogen, keeps some for itself, and then when it's full sends the rest of the glycogen off to your muscles to store. Glycogen access is why a non-ketogenic diet is good for sports and exercise that's centered on high bursts of energy. Your muscles can create energy from that local glycogen very, very quickly. But when it runs out, you "hit the wall" or "bonk" in running and cycling terms. In case you're not familiar with that, it means you suddenly run out of all energy and suddenly feel like you can ONLY focus on eating. The reason this is relevant to losing the initial weight is because for every molecule of glycogen being stored in your muscles, you store four molecules of water. That initial weight drop is water weight.
After two weeks your body realizes that you're starting to carry around a lot less water than you used to and panics. "Post-Induction Stall Syndrome" hits most people after that two weeks. This stall is caused by your body trying to figure out what to do now since it's confused by your water loss. Your weight may stall or go up during weeks 3 and 4 and sometimes through week 6. At some point, your body figures it out and you have what's been coined a "whoosh". This is water that's been stored while figuring out the body's new situation that suddenly "whooshes" out of your body.
There's a mantra in the keto diet forums that I'm going to pass on to you now:
Keep calm and keto on.
There could be additional stuff going on that's keeping you from losing weight and if you ever want help trying to figure out some new theories and things to consider, I'm always happy to talk keto with the already evangelized! _________________ Signature Themes: Connectedness | Futuristic | Ideation | Intellection | Learner
Last edited by shaunbwilson on 8/27/13 4:00 pm; edited 1 time in total |
Site Admin Posts: 3222 8/27/13 3:22 pm
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Re: I lost 85 pounds eating a ketogenic diet. Ask me anythin |
shaunbwilson |
Could It Be True wrote: | Quote: | And that's when I stopped going to the gym and started on the journey of learning about the science behind a ketogenic (high fat/moderate protein/very low carb) diet. I've been eating "keto" since February 2009 and this morning my scale read 148 pounds. |
So what are some examples of the foods you eat? |
I noticed you quoted the part where I mentioned I stopped going to the gym. I didn't want to include any additional information in an introductory post that I already felt was getting too long, but since you brought it up, I thought I'd mention that I did this on purpose. I heard the theory that exercise has very little to do with weight balance and wanted to check it out for myself. Around 2007 (don't remember the exact year right now, but could look it up), the American Heart Association and the American College of Sports Medicine (two entities that have a lot to gain by pushing exercising) did a joint study where their conclusion was that it was reasonable to assume that exercising could help in weight control, but that they were unable to prove it. So I stopped exercising. For science. *
As to what I personally eat, I'd first like to point out that these just happen to be what I eat and there are a lot of other things that can be added to this menu. I shoot for ease of preparation and short preparation times on a regular basis. Food has stopped being an indulgence for me and I genuinely have started viewing it as nutritional supplementation. You have no idea how much freedom there is in this for someone who has been literally addicted to food. You have no idea the life change that occurs when people aren't afraid because you're coming up on three hours of not having anything to eat and they know you become the Incredible Hulk at exactly the three hour mark. On occasion I'll be in the mood to do real cooking that involves several hours on a Saturday afternoon.
I have also started really looking into not only what helps me lose weight, but what the most nutritionally dense foods are that are also keto-friendly. I haven't always eaten the things on this list that seem overboard. For instance, I've still got a ton of regular butter even though I've switched to 100% grass-fed for my daily use because of the incredible difference in vitamin, mineral, CLA, and other content. You can lose weight and become healthier eating the non-grass-fed and non-pastured versions of these things.
Things I eat every or almost every day:
Grass-fed butter
Grass-fed beef
Pastured eggs
Avocados
Spinach
Light Tuna
Raw almond butter
Whey protein isolate
Coffee
Things I eat once to a few times per week:
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Olives
Almonds
Cheese
Heavy Whipping Cream (less so in the very recent past, but daily for years)
Grass-fed beef liver
Mustard
Reduced Sugar Heinz Ketchup
Things I eat occasionally, but don't buy often because I prefer to buy fewer foods and eat them fresher or else they have lower nutritional content than what I aim for (again, not a requirement for the health benefits of keto, just personal goals):
Bacon
Elephant kale
Other nuts
Hot dogs
Ground beef
All the spices
Chicken thighs
Chicken wings
Cream cheese
Mayonaise
Ranch dressing
A few meals I enjoy making when I'm in the mood to really cook:
Chili (beanless with lots of meat and plenty of peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, and other veggies)
Soups
Buffalo chicken dip
Crock pot meats in various bases
Curried gravies with meat
This is by no means an exhaustive list. If you want more examples, I'll be happy to go on.
*One or two months ago I started doing some light bodyweight exercise because I wanted my shape to be different in a suit. I mostly do pushups, core exercises like planks, and just one or two exercises with barbells. This is all anaerobic exercise and wouldn't be considered very useful for weight loss by most health "experts" who say you have to do aerobic "cardio" for weight benefits. My personal belief is that endurance exercise probably isn't that good for you and could even be harmful in the long term, but that has absolutely nothing to do with this diet, so I'll save an explanation of that opinion for another day. _________________ Signature Themes: Connectedness | Futuristic | Ideation | Intellection | Learner
Last edited by shaunbwilson on 8/27/13 3:59 pm; edited 1 time in total |
Site Admin Posts: 3222 8/27/13 3:38 pm
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shaunbwilson |
Here's a pretty decent link to a bunch of acceptable foods and their carb counts for more ideas of what might be on this type of diet. _________________ Signature Themes: Connectedness | Futuristic | Ideation | Intellection | Learner |
Site Admin Posts: 3222 8/27/13 3:49 pm
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Quiet Wyatt |
How many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop? |
[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 12817 8/27/13 5:04 pm
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bonnie knox |
1. Are you selling anything?
2. Aren't you afraid you're going to blow away in the wind (148 lbs!!)?
3. What about milk, whole or whatever, in regular liquid form? I see the list you linked to has only evaporated milk listed.
4. Is any form of sugar allowed? Not even turbinado or demerara?
It's fascinating to me that genetics may play a factor in one diet working for one person and not for another.
Glad you feel healthy and alert! |
[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 14803 8/27/13 5:15 pm
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shaunbwilson |
bonnie knox wrote: | 1. Are you selling anything?
2. Aren't you afraid you're going to blow away in the wind (148 lbs!!)?
3. What about milk, whole or whatever, in regular liquid form? I see the list you linked to has only evaporated milk listed.
4. Is any form of sugar allowed? Not even turbinado or demerara?
It's fascinating to me that genetics may play a factor in one diet working for one person and not for another.
Glad you feel healthy and alert! |
1. Not a thing. I don't happen to believe health should cost anything more than good food.
2. Actually, I'm hoping to lose a bit more fat and have started trying to gain a touch of muscle. I'm actually right in the middle of my height's "healthy" BMI.
3. Heavy cream, yogurt, and cheese only for dairy. I don't consider butter dairy because it has very little unique dairy components like casein protein and lactose. Other dairy has too much lactose, which is a sugar. It will spike your insulin and take you out of ketosis.
4. No forms of sugar are allowed. I'll explain this a little later when I'm not posting from a phone.
I'll look forward to following up in a couple of hours! _________________ Signature Themes: Connectedness | Futuristic | Ideation | Intellection | Learner |
Site Admin Posts: 3222 8/27/13 5:54 pm
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Eddie Robbins |
Shaun, you don't see this as a way of life, do you? Only a way to lose the weight, right? I appreciate the "no selling" aspect. I totally agree. People waste so much money on fad diets. What we need is real healthy food.
So, elaborate on what you foresee in maintenance. |
Acts-pert Poster Posts: 16509 8/27/13 5:58 pm
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shaunbwilson |
Eddie Robbins wrote: | Shaun, you don't see this as a way of life, do you? Only a way to lose the weight, right? I appreciate the "no selling" aspect. I totally agree. People waste so much money on fad diets. What we need is real healthy food.
So, elaborate on what you foresee in maintenance. |
Absolutely I see this as a way of life. I've been living this way since February 2009. I have taken a break now and then for vacations or holidays, but as time has gone on even these have become fewer. The way I feel when I eat too many carbs is so terrible that serious thought goes into whether or not I'll take a break. My last break was October 2012 when I did a southern road trip. No way I was missing out on Vertigo Burger and Dog Et Al in Tallahassee, po' boys in Ocean Springs, MS, beignets in New Orleans, tamales in Arkansas, Milo's in Birmingham, or The Varsity and Flip Burger in Atlanta. Totally worth it.
I seriously weighed the pros and cons of coming off of keto and indulging myself in mashed potatoes, pies, desserts, etc. over Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. I came to the conclusion that it wasn't worth it for me. I would never suggest it isn't worth it to someone else. Only they can decide that.
As for maintenance, see above what my maintenance food has been over the last few months. I typically go through phases as I change what foods I'm in the mood for. In the winter I like to make keto friendly tuna casseroles, hot wings, and chili. In the summer I like tomato, basil, mozzarella salad with creamy Caesar dressing, delicious burgers with lettuce, pickles, tomato, mustard, and reduced sugar ketchup or ranch dressing. I make a curried chicken liver and heart dish that I think is fabulous. I enjoy the occasional grilled cheese sandwich made with a low carb bread substitute that has a whole grain type texture made with flax meal, butter, and an egg. I never get tired of bacon and I save the drippings to cook with. Low carb egg nog at Christmas time made from heavy whipping cream, unsweetened almond milk, liquid sucralose, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and real vanilla that my wife makes a batch of each year. Mexican ground beef with keto-friendly taco seasoning, cheese, and sour cream when I feel like something spicy. My wife even has a recipe for a low carb white bread substitute that's very convincing and delicious with Genoa salami, a fine cheese, and mayo and mustard dripping out the sides.
This is definitely sustainable. Enjoyably sustainable.
Some time back there was lots of flack given to Kate Moss when she said nothing tastes as good as skinny feels.
In my opinion, nothing feels as good as skinny tastes.
Meanwhile, eating a ketogenic diet reduces your risk for metabolic and heart disease markers. For most it reduces cholesterol, blood pressure, C-reactive protein, weight, brain fog, chronic systemic inflammation and a slew of other things. Not only do I see this as more than a way to lose weight, at this point my extensive research has lead me to believe that losing weight is only getting rid of one symptom of something way more serious that was underlying. If I didn't lose weight on this diet and all of the other health benefits I've seen take place for me were what I saw take place instead, that would be okay with me. Weight loss has become secondary or tertiary. A nice benefit, to be sure, but more of a cosmetic one that satisfies my desire to look pleasant while the other benefits have been way more important to me on the whole.
Not only is it not a chore for me to live this way, but I also have a healthier perspective on the priority of food in my life. Above all, my health markers have never been better and I've never felt better. _________________ Signature Themes: Connectedness | Futuristic | Ideation | Intellection | Learner
Last edited by shaunbwilson on 8/27/13 9:53 pm; edited 2 times in total |
Site Admin Posts: 3222 8/27/13 8:32 pm
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shaunbwilson |
bonnie knox wrote: | 4. Is any form of sugar allowed? Not even turbinado or demerara? |
I don't know anything about either of these sugars. Period. If it spikes your insulin or contains either glucose or fructose, they're not allowed.
Sweeteners are allowed, but people react differently to different sweeteners, so you'll have to find what works for you. Xylitol (a sweetener that also kills bad bacteria in your gut) is a popular one. So are Stevia and Erythritol. They also seem to have pro-health properties. Sucralose (aka Splenda) has no healthy benefits, but probably is the best tasting. Most people don't have an insulin response to Splenda and, in my opinion, it's the best tasting artificial sweetener.
No artificial sweetener is off limits as long as it doesn't spike your insulin. You'd have to figure out which ones do for you. You can do this by using a glucose meter like what a diabetic uses, through actually feeling your insulin spike (your heart rate increases for no apparent reason) or noticing a stall in weight loss when you use a particular sweetener.
bonnie knox wrote: | It's fascinating to me that genetics may play a factor in one diet working for one person and not for another.
Glad you feel healthy and alert! |
It is fascinating. I would say that giving up grains and sugar is healthy for all people. No one should be eating either, in my opinion. This includes high sugar fruits and vegetables. Sucrose (table sugar) is made up of about half fructose (shown to cause cancer using the exact same mechanism as alcohol abuse) and glucose, which is literally cancer food—nourishment that cancer cells require to survive and thrive. Fruits contain these same elements, just in a different balance than table sugar. Grains, by and large, contain glucose.
Grains and sugars also are proven to cause chronic systemic inflammation in your arteries. Remove the inflammation and you do the number one thing you can do to reduce the risk of atherosclerosis (plaque in the artery walls). If there's no inflammation, there's little need for the kind of cholesterol that causes arterial plaque to even be produced; even if that kind of cholesterol is around, it has a hard time getting into the walls of non-inflamed arteries.
Again, these are my opinions based on the research I've done and the science I've read. I don't look down on people who choose to eat a diet different from mine. That's their own choice, and I completely respect that. I haven't walked in their shoes, don't know what they've tried, and don't know their personal battles.
What's even more fascinating to me is that there are serious challenges being presented to the "weight loss is just burning more calories than you're eating" hypothesis. Impressive doctors are gearing up to do a serious study on the Hormone Hypothesis, which states that weight gain may be a result of a hormone imbalance caused by eating the wrong kinds of carbohydrates.
It's hypothesized that different people are genetically more or less likely to be hormonally affected by carbs. It's more likely that this is the reason that you see families of fat people than that they all eat terribly and are too lazy to exercise. As I told in my story, I was careful about what I ate and exercised like a fiend and still gained fat. (I keep specifying that I gained fat because it was definitely fat gained and not muscle, although I gained some of that, too. I don't want anyone to think that when I mention that I gained weight, I was mistaking my muscle weight for fat weight.) _________________ Signature Themes: Connectedness | Futuristic | Ideation | Intellection | Learner |
Site Admin Posts: 3222 8/27/13 8:49 pm
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Cojak |
I like this, and I like the post. Funny thing is, I always picture Shawn as a healthy small guy. We do weird things in our minds with names.
Thanks Shawn, folks say I am small, but I am looking to lose 15 lbs.
this sounds good. _________________ Some facts but mostly just my opinion!
jacsher@aol.com
http://shipslog-jack.blogspot.com/ |
01000001 01100011 01110100 01110011 Posts: 24285 8/27/13 11:57 pm
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Thanks Shawn |
Ernie Long |
for making a post about losing weight and not making people feel they are going to hell for being overweight.
Where do you find the foods you listed (grass fed)? Wal-mart is the biggest grocery store in the area I live in and I have never seen some the things you listed.
Are these foods very expensive?
You said you gained weight at the beginning, ummm my pants fit kinda tight right now (not cutting me in half tight, but snug enough ), is this weight gain normal for everyone at the start?
Time and convenience is everything nowadays, how easy is this to do? I did the nutri-system diet last year and lost weight simply because of the portion size of the prepackage food. Is portion size important in this also? |
Acts Enthusiast Posts: 1050 8/28/13 7:24 am
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Re: Thanks Shawn |
shaunbwilson |
Ernie Long wrote: | for making a post about losing weight and not making people feel they are going to hell for being overweight. |
I've never met anybody that likes being fat. Nobody. Figuring out how to change that is just trickier for some people than others. Interestingly, carbohydrates cause a reaction in the brain that leads to being addicted to eating them using the same exact mechanism as an addiction to alcohol, heroine, or cocaine. From that perspective, it's pretty easy to see why the spirit might be willing and the flesh might be weak.
Ernie Long wrote: | Where do you find the foods you listed (grass fed)? Wal-mart is the biggest grocery store in the area I live in and I have never seen some the things you listed. |
Grass-fed foods are hard to find in many areas of the US. Grass-fed is not a requirement of a ketogenic diet. I eat grass-fed in addition to a ketogenic diet and have only started doing that in the last couple of months. For the majority of the last four years I've used regular butter, regular ground beef (the fattiest I could find), regular eggs, etc. These types of food have the right ratios of fats to proteins to carbohydrates that are required for weight loss and health and eating grass-fed or pastured is not required.
Eating grass-fed is something extra that I personally have started doing for other reasons. Grass-fed butter is usually not too hard to find. Trader Joe's is where I get mine, but know that places like Whole Foods, Publix, and other supermarkets. Kerrygold is a great brand and they have an online store locator. Trader Joe's also has grass-fed beef near me, but I tend to get my grass-fed beef from the same local farm that I get my pastured eggs. You can look for a farm that sells these things near you through this article. Again, grass-fed and pastured are not required to experience weight loss and health gain.
Ernie Long wrote: | Are these foods very expensive? |
The foods of a ketogenic diet being expensive is a conclusion that most people automatically jump to. A ketogenic diet is like any other diet in this respect, though—it depends on which foods you buy! Here are some things that I personally have done to eat keto on a budget:
- Eat lots of eggs. They're nutritionally dense, incredibly healthy, and cheap. I could write a full post just on how good eggs are for you. Eggs and avocados are nutritional super stars.
- Buy the fattiest ground beef you can. People still mistakenly think that fat is bad for you, causing demand for fattier ground beef to be lower and cost less. The recent research shows that the saturated fat in beef has been shown to prevent heart disease.
- Most supermarkets have bulk meat on sale at any given time. Buy some nice fatty cuts when they're on sale, put a little in the fridge, and keep the rest in the freezer until you're ready to eat it.
- Offal (animal organs like liver, heart, and gizzards) from local butchers can often be had for free. These things are very nutritionally dense. I like to season them with curry, chili, cumin, garlic, and paprika.
- Chicken wings, thighs, and drumsticks can sometimes be very cheap. (As low as $.99/lb near me.)
- Add butter. Butter is relatively cheap.
- Buy your veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, and spinach from the frozen section. Frozen bags of these vegetables are not only much cheaper, but they also keep in your freezer instead of rotting in your fridge after you go through a phase of not really feeling like broccoli today.
- Although grains-based foods are way cheaper than animal products are, keep in mind that carb-based foods (cereal, Doritos, potato chips, granola bars, etc.) make you hungry again very quickly. When you eliminate the foods that cause insulin spikes (carbohydrates), you will find yourself feeling full for much longer periods of time. This means that the quantity of food you must buy goes down. I've heard many people state that they started saving a ton on their grocery bill just because they buy less food because they're not hungry and snacking all of the time.
Ernie Long wrote: | You said you gained weight at the beginning, ummm my pants fit kinda tight right now (not cutting me in half tight, but snug enough ), is this weight gain normal for everyone at the start? |
I only gained weight when I went back to a low fat/high carb diet with carbs mostly from whole grains. I have never gained weight on a low carb/high fat diet. Sorry I wasn't more clear.
Most people will see a weight loss of 5-10 pounds in the first two weeks. More for some (like John above) and less for others, but 5-10 pounds of water weight is pretty typical in the first two weeks. After that, there's typically a short stall in weight loss for the 3rd and 4th and sometimes even through the 6th week of the diet. (See my post above for details about why.) After your Post-Induction Stall Syndrome, most people lose 1-2 pounds per week without being hungry.
Ernie Long wrote: | Time and convenience is everything nowadays, how easy is this to do? I did the nutri-system diet last year and lost weight simply because of the portion size of the prepackage food. Is portion size important in this also? |
I have found it to be extremely easy once getting past that initial phase of start up. I will be very honest that during the first 2-6 weeks it's very tough for some people because they're literally breaking an addiction as mentioned above. While your body is figuring out its new hormone structure, you can also get pretty hungry sometimes. For some people this is only a two week process for their bodies to get used to this diet. Others can take as long as 6 weeks.
Portion size is one of the most hotly debated parts of this diet. Some people believe that calories matter and others believe that if you eat more calories your body will simply burn more calories on a low carb diet because your hormones are in balance. Others claim that a low carb diet works just like any other diet and you lose weight because you're eating fewer calories because you're not hungry as often. (I say, even if this is true, who cares? The whole point is to eat less while not feeling miserable.)
My advice for a diet like this is to:
- Eat no more than 20 net carbs per day (this is the amount of grams of total carbohydrates in a serving minus the grams of fiber in the serving). This should mostly come from vegetables, nuts, and seeds.
- Eat a moderate amount of protein. 75-150g is a pretty good range to keep it in. The thinner you are, the closer to 75g you should probably be. Eating more than 150g or eating all of your protein for the day in one sitting can cause an insulin spike.
- Eat as much fat as you need to in order to feel full. You shouldn't feel hungry on this diet. If you do, you need to up your fat. Aim for healthier monounsaturated and saturated fats like butter, olive oil, coconut oil, and fatty meats or meat drippings. Aim for limiting high polyunsaturated fats like vegetable oils (soy, corn, cottonseed, etc.) If you still eat the "bad" kinds of fat, it's not the end of the world; I've eaten a lot of mayonnaise (soy oil) over the last few years.
- Be careful of your electrolyte levels—especially salt. People have become so focused on lowering salt intake for health that it surprises them that this is dangerous on a low carb diet. Low carb diets cause your kidneys to be especially efficient and keep your body from retaining water. As a result, those electrolytes that used to hang out in that retained water are flushed out. Aim for at least 3-4 grams of salt per day. No, this will not raise your blood pressure. If you're currently on blood pressure meds, you may want to talk to your doctor first because the way most common blood pressure medicines work is to mess with your electrolyte balance and what worked for a long time may need to be lowered with more efficient kidneys. The leading researchers in low carb suggest drinking two cups of chicken broth per day to keep sodium levels up. If you feel terrible on this diet, not enough salt is almost certainly the cause.
And here are a few high-convenience foods:
Cheese sticks
Pepperoni (sticks or slices)
Beef jerky (look for the one lowest in carbs; most jerky is cured with sugar)
Nuts (especially the Blue Diamond "BOLD" line! Love those things!)
Seeds
Olives
Peanut butter (with or without the celery)
Tuna
Eggs (been eating mine soft boiled recently and mashing them up with plenty of butter, but have also gone through poached, scrambled, and fried phases)
Fry up a hamburger patty, throw a slice of cheese on that bad boy, dress it with whatever condiments you like and chow down
More quick and convenient ideas upon request. _________________ Signature Themes: Connectedness | Futuristic | Ideation | Intellection | Learner
Last edited by shaunbwilson on 8/28/13 9:31 am; edited 3 times in total |
Site Admin Posts: 3222 8/28/13 9:18 am
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shaunbwilson |
Cojak wrote: | I like this, and I like the post. Funny thing is, I always picture Shawn as a healthy small guy. We do weird things in our minds with names.
Thanks Shawn, folks say I am small, but I am looking to lose 15 lbs.
this sounds good. |
Thanks for the kind words and encouragement, Cojack. Perhaps the way you always pictured me was prophetic. Good luck on your 15 pound journey! _________________ Signature Themes: Connectedness | Futuristic | Ideation | Intellection | Learner |
Site Admin Posts: 3222 8/28/13 9:19 am
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Shaun... |
Aaron Scott |
This is a very helpful and encouraging thread.
Some years ago, I tried Atkins. I lose weight...but after a few weeks, I thought that a piece of garlic bread or french fries was the equivalent of manna from heaven. Oh, how I wanted some bread, etc.
But the reason I stopped the Atkins--along, perhaps, with the fact that I began serous cravings of vegetables and so forth--was I got my first kidney stone around that time. I'm not saying it is connected, but in my mind it was hard not to think, "Hey, I started doing X and Y happened."
I didn't want any more of that.
Oddly enough, I've had a bout or two since then (that was over a decade ago), but it had nothing to do, to my knowledge with low carbs.
In any case, WOW! I am impressed with your discipline. |
Hon. Dr. in Acts-celeratology Posts: 6042 8/28/13 9:41 am
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Re: Thanks Shaun |
bonnie knox |
shaunbwilson wrote: | Ernie Long wrote: | for making a post about losing weight and not making people feel they are going to hell for being overweight. |
I've never met anybody that likes being fat. Nobody.... |
Hi Shaun, I'm Bonnie. LOL
I'm just waiting for someone to turn the conventional wisdom of the height/weight chart on its head the way you've turned the conventional wisdom of the low-fat diet on its head.
Anyway, I'm short and obese. I honestly never again want to weigh little enough to be in what is considered the "ideal weight" range for a woman my height.
That's not to say I'm not interested in health and nutrition or in being physically active. |
[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 14803 8/28/13 10:23 am
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Ernie Long |
What about Pizza?
Can you have Like Little Caesar's or Pizza Hut Pizza? |
Acts Enthusiast Posts: 1050 8/28/13 10:41 am
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Re: Shaun... |
shaunbwilson |
Aaron Scott wrote: | Some years ago, I tried Atkins. I lose weight...but after a few weeks, I thought that a piece of garlic bread or french fries was the equivalent of manna from heaven. Oh, how I wanted some bread, etc. |
Yep. This is the addiction I was talking about that most people kick after about 6 weeks. You never truly lose your taste for your favorites; I miss biscuits and gravy like you can't imagine even though I probably only ever had them two or three times a year. But you do get to a place where your cravings disappear. I've heard this from every single person I've ever talked to who has been low carb for an extended period of time.
Aaron Scott wrote: | Oddly enough, I've had a bout or two since then (that was over a decade ago), but it had nothing to do, to my knowledge with low carbs. |
I'd agree that it probably didn't have anything to do with a low carb diet. My hunch would be that your stones are likely from not drinking enough water in general. You've gotta keep hydrated no matter what you're eating, my man! Some people are genetically predisposed to an increased likelihood of kidney stones. I have a very good friend like that. No matter what you're eating, drink another glass of water. Not only will you stay healthier, but your brain will function better, too. Dehydration is serious business.
Aaron Scott wrote: | In any case, WOW! I am impressed with your discipline. |
How nice of you to say! I don't consider it discipline at this point, though. To me that's sort of like saying it takes discipline not to stub your toe or do heroine. I know the difference in how I feel and the way I feel on a high carb diet just isn't worth it. In any case, I genuinely appreciate your encouragement. _________________ Signature Themes: Connectedness | Futuristic | Ideation | Intellection | Learner |
Site Admin Posts: 3222 8/28/13 11:23 am
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