Keto

[Moderator1]

For reasons I won't get into, at least now, I need to get my weight loss program back in gear. I lost a bunch, leveled out, gained about 10 back and haven't moved from that in a couple of years.

My son has had great success with Keto and says it is easy once you get your mind right on what you can and can't eat. I'm a huge bread and pasta guy and I love fruit so I'm a bit leery. But willing to give it a try.

Anyone had a good experience? A bad experience? Thanks in advance.

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

Don't know anything about the efficacy of the diet. But every book on keto in my library is checked out. And that's a lot of books. Must be working for someone.

 

[Moderator1]

My s0n started right after his 35th birthday in mid-July, so he's been at it about 10 weeks. He sent a picture the other day of the baby (but he was in it) and I couldn't believe it. Says he's down 30 pounds already and after the first week or so it has been easy. So we'll see.

Sounds a lot like Atkins, frankly. I have two bagels and one frozen lasagna left. That's for tomorrow and then we're on.

 

[Vombatus]

My s0n started right after his 35th birthday in mid-July, so he's been at it about 10 weeks. He sent a picture the other day of the baby (but he was in it) and I couldn't believe it. Says he's down 30 pounds already and after the first week or so it has been easy. So we'll see.

Sounds a lot like Atkins, frankly. I have two bagels and one frozen lasagna left. That's for tomorrow and then we're on.

Moddy, this is basically what I’ve been doing through Hopkins. Lost 50 pounds in 2016, and 50 pounds so far in 2018 (since mid-June).

I sort of got stupid in 2017 and don’t want to talk about that part too much. Well, actually, it is important. I found 2016 so easy, got down to 206, and then a LOT of work travel combined with a lot of bad choices, and I was close to 270 in March. What I’m working on now is what is truly the difficult part of weight management: making the necessary changes to KEEP IT OFF during the maintenance phase. So, that was the very important lesson from 2017’s stupidity.

It’s not Atkins if you do it right. You are allowed to eat healthy carbs.

I can show you a place where you can mail order meals (I have absolutely NO financial interest in this - no direct marketing crap).

And - two things:

1) Many of the meals are pastas. You can still get your Italian fix.

2) The meals are not frozen nor refrigerated. Stored at room temp. Which means lots of good things: highly portable; easy, I mean EASY for bachelors; and when ready for dinner, since they’re not frozen, all you do is microwave it for ONE minute, and presto, dinner is served!

PM if you want to discuss more. I can give you a couple of the pasta meals when you swing through here to see if you like the stuff. I find them damn tasty. I swear, it’s made the losing weight part easy - and the hard part is then keeping it off.

Regards,
VB

 

[JC]

Moddy, this is basically what I’ve been doing through Hopkins. Lost 50 pounds in 2016, and 50 pounds so far in 2018 (since mid-June).

I sort of got stupid in 2017 and don’t want to talk about that part too much. Well, actually, it is important. I found 2016 so easy, got down to 206, and then a LOT of work travel combined with a lot of bad choices, and I was close to 270 in March. What I’m working on now is what is truly the difficult part of weight management: making the necessary changes to KEEP IT OFF during the maintenance phase. So, that was the very important lesson from 2017’s stupidity.

It’s not Atkins if you do it right. You are allowed to eat healthy carbs.

I can show you a place where you can mail order meals (I have absolutely NO financial interest in this - no direct marketing crap).

And - two things:

1) Many of the meals are pastas. You can still get your Italian fix.

2) The meals are not frozen nor refrigerated. Stored at room temp. Which means lots of good things: highly portable; easy, I mean EASY for bachelors; and when ready for dinner, since they’re not frozen, all you do is microwave it for ONE minute, and presto, dinner is served!

PM if you want to discuss more. I can give you a couple of the pasta meals when you swing through here to see if you like the stuff. I find them damn tasty. I swear, it’s made the losing weight part easy - and the hard part is then keeping it off.

Regards,
VB

And then if you sign up 6 people....

 

[Vombatus]

And then if you sign up 6 people....

No, seriously, none of that.

 

[Azrael]

These diets generally work to get the weight off.

Trouble with these diets - Atkins, South Beach, etc. - is keeping the weight off.

Late add: I think you'll have better longterm outcomes by eating a little less and moving a little more.

 

[Vombatus]

These diets generally work to get the weight off.

Trouble with these diets - Atkins, South Beach, etc. - is keeping the weight off.

Yep. That requires changes in habits. Education on what to eat as you ease into the maintenance phase. Portion sizes. Exhibiting self control. Watching alcohol intake (that was a major boo boo for me in 2017 - I drank a couple of drinks per day, but it was only around the 8th week out of 9 that I asked myself: hmm, wonder how many calories are in these? And it turned out to be 600 to 800 calories per drink. No wonder that I gained 20 pounds on that trip). Watching what you stuff into your pie hole.

One thing that I strongly advise people to consider and practice is mindfulness. Being aware of what you are doing, and practicing mindfulness eating.

Anyway, good luck everyone. Feel free to ask questions.

I’ve learned a lot about this subject and even participated in Hopkins research studies.

But as Az hints at, the key is followthrough.

 

[Moderator1]

We'll worry about the keep-it-off part later, right now I'm trying to get it off and, ladies and gents, it seems to be working. Five full weeks in, 22 pounds down, I want a pizza so damn bad but it hasn't been as difficult as I feared. Drinking a rough f-ton of water so I spend a lot of time in the bathroom.

I don't think I can sustain a 4.5-pound weekly weight loss. We'll see.

Whenever I text the kids now, I sign off as #ketodad - my son is down 45 pounds.

 

[Vombatus]

Good job. It might slow down a bit, but hell, even 2 pounds a week is great. Don’t be discouraged if it slows a bit. Keep going!

 

[The Big Ragu]

These diets generally work to get the weight off.

Trouble with these diets - Atkins, South Beach, etc. - is keeping the weight off.

Late add: I think you'll have better longterm outcomes by eating a little less and moving a little more.

To quote Michael Pollan: Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.

Then (not Michael Pollan), add a half hour to an hour of cardiovascular exercise a day. Burn some calories by getting your heart rate raised.

There are no magic formulas on this. You want to eat natural, not too much and be active the way humans were designed to be.

Pollan's prescription won't only cause weight loss for most people who are eating too much, but it gives you the best chance at overall good health, which is what I think people should be focused on more than just their weight.

On the "eat food" part, it mostly means stay away from processed foods -- which dominate the American diet after decades of us screwing things up. Shop around the perimeter of the supermarket, where the real food is. ... the stuff that spoils if you don't use it. Go for a variety of fruits and veggies, grains, etc. and make that the bulk of your diet. Don't overeat. Move your ass every day. It's not sexy, and getting into the habit is tough for a lot of people. ... But make that the way you live, and most people will find that with time they get to a healthy body.

 

[bigpern23]

My brother-in-law has a lot of digestive issues (crohns, colitis, etc.), so he tries just about every big diet fad known to man. His take is that it's great to lose weight, but you need to find a way to manage your diet once you're down to your target weight. It's so restrictive that it's nearly impossible to make it a "lifestyle," but it will shed you some pounds rather well.

 

[Smallpotatoes]

The Best Fat Loss Article on the Mother****in’ Internet

 

[justgladtobehere]

The Best Fat Loss Article on the Mother****in’ Internet

The suggested protein intake (1g per pound, less if you are very overweight) is much higher than I expected. It's about 3 times the recommended daily intake. It is tough to eat that much.

 

[Smallpotatoes]

The suggested protein intake (1g per pound, less if you are very overweight) is much higher than I expected. It's about 3 times the recommended daily intake. It is tough to eat that much.

It can be. I've seen other experts suggest 1 gram per pound of your goal weight or lean body mass. That might work better. The idea behind a higher protein intake is that it's more satiating than fat or carbohydrate and it takes more energy to digest. Also, it's tough to stay within your calorie budget and hit your protein goal if you eat a lot of junk.
Unless you already have kidney disease, there's no real danger to eating that much protein.

 

[justgladtobehere]

It can be. I've seen other experts suggest 1 gram per pound of your goal weight or lean body mass. That might work better. The idea behind a higher protein intake is that it's more satiating than fat or carbohydrate and it takes more energy to digest. Also, it's tough to stay within your calorie budget and hit your protein goal if you eat a lot of junk.
Unless you already have kidney disease, there's no real danger to eating that much protein.

I just don't see how you can get that much protein without supplements. I focus on eating protein and am probably around 80g/day on a good day.

 

[Vombatus]

@Moderator1

Holiday recipes:

17 Low-Carb Thanksgiving Recipes That Actually Taste Great

 

[swingline]

@Moderator1

Holiday recipes:

17 Low-Carb Thanksgiving Recipes That Actually Taste Great

Way too much cauliflower. Way too much.

 

[Vombatus]

Way too much cauliflower. Way too much.

Yeah, but it is amazing what you can do with it.

The spaghetti variant is nice.

I’ve still got to try that Trader Joe’s bagel seasoning you all were talking about.

 

[Moderator1]

My daughter makes a dish called "to your knees mac and cheese." It is absurdly good and diving in is one of the highlights of my year.
She told me last night she's making a version this year with cauliflower.
Not a fan but I'll deal since, for now, this **** is working.

Also, it could be worse. It could be Brussels sprouts. I'll eat feces before I'll eat Brussels sprouts.