Figured I'd start my own posts and stop piggy backing off of d0n's. Day 5 down, 6.5 lbs lighter (from 201 to 194.5) and my blood sugar (from when I started testing) has gone down from 101 to 89. I finally hit the 'magic' number and oddly enough, I could taste the ketones yesterday. This is only temporary, but the metallic taste you feel once your body starts producing ketones is exactly that, a sign your body is producing ketones. I felt better this morning than I have in probably 20 years, and for the first time since HS, I listened to a song this morning that actually made me feel energetic... you know, that tingly feeling you get when you get pumped full of adrenaline... yeah that. I haven't felt that way in so long (at least not legally), it was absolutely amazing, and now I'm 100% addicted to this diet (more so a way of life)! On a related note, since I was doing so well on a short period of time, my wife decided to take the plunge. She was already doing a low carb diet, but mixed with low fat as well (a big no no, I know this now). She has been battling chronic fatigue for a very long time, and we were convinced it was hormonal due to the two kiddos. Turns out we were drastically wrong. I tested her glucose level this morning, and it was at 78!!!!!! From what I have read (and I'm certainly no expert), this means she wasn't getting ANY fuel into her body, considering there was no sugar (she was already eating low carbs), and no fats (she was low fat). It's absolutely amazing she has been able to shed as much weight as she has given what we found out this morning! But it also solves the riddle of her lack of energy, imbalance of hormones, the numerous plateaus she's hit on her journey, etc etc. Her body was literally starving for fuel! So for her, this is now day 2. She made it through day 1 in all of it's fatty glory, and she did amazing. I'm pretty convinced that she'll go into ketosis much quicker than I did/will (I can't confirm I am just yet without my Ketonix), simply because she doesn't have any glucose to expell from her body...it's already gone. All we need to do is get her body adjusted to burning fats and she's set. Pretty exciting stuff! Oh, and she broke through her plateau in just one day, in fact she crushed it
I'm not going to stand on the pulpit and preach about the ketone diet. I've read a lot that makes me think we've been f'n lied to by a lot of people about diet and physical health. This is a topic for a whole other thread. I think the ketone diet is extreme and it's probably not for everyone but if you're obese or carb/insulin sensitive it could very well be the spark you're looking for to change your life. I can lose weight on just about any diet with time and cycling and watching what I eat. Doing the ketone way, I'm not hungry, I have energy, and my moods are so much more controlled. Equally important, I don't have to do long slow training as most believe when in ketosis. I'll default to my new saying "I'm a better understander than explainer" for most of this stuff but I can help when people have a question or need an explanation. Thee's a group on FB that I'm a member of called Keto-Adapted or something of that nature. There are some 18,000 members in the group and it's overwhelming how many are having success. All different types of people (races, genders, ages, physical appearance, activity levels) and they are all seeing phenomenal and consistent weight loss. High Fight Low Carb and Ketone diets have been around forever. I believe they are taking off today because people are tired of eating sugar and carbs and dealing with obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. Pills and surgery's aren't working. Normal diets are NOT working. Food labeling is not working. Our medical world isn't helping. People have a genuine desire to get out of the grasp of these issues and resolve their own issues on their own, we are on our own to solve this. With a little knowledge, accountability and discipline, these issues are easily remedied. The funny thing is, once you get on this path and you see results you will start seeing the world (at least our society) in a whole new light. ------- Guess I got on the pulpit just a little...
I think it's 'extreme' only because it's outside of the norm of what we have all (or at least the grand majority) have been used to all of our lives. Yes it's a drastic change in mindset going from carbs to fat, but it's not nearly as extreme as starving yourself or all of the other gimmicky crap diets out there.
@d0n, how well do you think that this diet would work for someone that is a full fledged diabetic (aka Type 1, insulin dependent)? I've tried the low carb before and lost a little weight, but as @StokkeTM describe of his wife, I too felt that I had no energy and upon talking to my doctor, he had introduce a little more carbs into my diet. Finally I got so frustrated with the keeping track of things, that I gave up. I am going to ask my doctor, and do a little research, about LCHF diet and diabetics. I do know that for a diabetic that if the blood sugar get too high that you can go into ketoacidosis (A serious diabetes complication where the body produces excess blood acids (ketones)). Thoughts? Things I should take note of? Advise, that might be helpful? I'm open. Thanks I didn't mean to hi-jack your thread, Stokke. sorry...
No worries Ketoacidosis is not a worry with this diet as it lowers your blood sugar...it doesn't increase it. I'm at 86 this morning. 89 yesterday. I would highly advise reading Keto Clarity as I did, I think you will find a ton of beneficial information as it relates to type 1 diabetes. I do believe there are some concerns, but I don't understand them enough to talk intelligently about them yet. I think as long as you continue to monitor your levels and adjust your ratios appropriately, you might find this diet to be a game changer. Again though, definitely read that book....and fund a Dr that is knowledgeable in hflc keto diets....most are clueless.
An excerpt from Keto Clarity: Should a type 1 diabetic be on a ketogenic diet? Obviously ketosis may not be appropriate for some type 1 diabetics. Otherwise, we have not observed any complications with this dietary approach. Westman MD, Eric; Moore, Jimmy (2014-08-06). Keto Clarity: Your Definitive Guide to the Benefits of a Low-Carb, High-Fat Diet (p. 144). Victory Belt Publishing. Kindle Edition. This is a fair question, especially since type 1 diabetics need to be concerned about ketoacidosis. But as long as your blood sugar levels are well controlled (which, coincidentally , a ketogenic diet will help with), then the level of ketones in the body will not rise to dangerous levels. And that holds true for everyone, including people with type 1 diabetes. Keep in mind that a type 1 diabetic cannot make insulin, the hormone that pushes glucose into cells. But according to a May 2012 study published in the medical journal Diabetology & Metabolic Syndrome, type 1 diabetics who consumed a carbohydrate-restricted diet over a four-year period found that their requirement for insulin was greatly reduced. In other words, their condition became better as a result of a low-carb diet. If you have any specific questions or concerns about this, please consult with a physician who understands the biochemistry of low-carb, high-fat, ketogenic diets. You can find a medical professional in your area at lowcarbdoctors.blogspot.com. Registered dietitian Franziska Spritzler says that people with diabetes, including type 1 diabetes, “often experience dramatic improvement in blood glucose control” while in a state of ketosis. Spritzler notes that there is research showing that if a type 1 diabetic is producing ketone bodies through a low-carb, moderate-protein, high-fat diet, they can continue to be just fine even if their blood sugar dips below 70 mg/ dl— even though that level of blood sugar will cause hypoglycemia in anyone who uses glucose as their primary fuel source. This is why full keto-adaptation is so helpful for type 1 diabetics. Westman MD, Eric; Moore, Jimmy (2014-08-06). Keto Clarity: Your Definitive Guide to the Benefits of a Low-Carb, High-Fat Diet (pp. 144-145). Victory Belt Publishing. Kindle Edition.
Oh, and I'm at 193.6 this morning A week ago I didn't think it would be possible to even reach 195 without severely cutting calories... In fact I'm eating way more calories than I have in a very long time. ~2100 compared to 1650-1700.
@StokkeTM , thanks... Book on order. My doctor is a cyclist as well and had offered countless advise on diet and exercise. Anyway, I'll still talk to him, when I go in for a checkup and study up a bit.
So... first week down. My blood glucose level was slightly higher today than yesterday, up from 86 to 88, but still down from 101. My weight is down from 201 to 193.6 (no loss from yesterday), but overall down 7 lbs in 7 days... not bad! That said, Amanda is finally coming off her car flu (she's on day 4), but mine finally hit yesterday... and holy shit did it suck. Even still, I was able to do some endurance training yesterday with no issues, and I crushed my ride and out-sprinted six rhodies up the side of the dam this morning. After the ride was a whole other story however... and the carb flu hit me like a brick wall. I felt twice as worse as if I just did a race, with multiple bouts of nausea and dizziness. I've read I need to increase my electrolytes, so I plan to do just that (I was already at an increased level). Overall I'm extremely pleased with the rides and the progression of the diet, but like d0n is experiencing, I need to play around with my pre/post ride nutrition. I did find some Keto Energy bars that I plan to make tomorrow, which I've read are great for a preworkout snack (not sure if this is what @d0n is making). As for the gym, I noticed a slight loss in muscle mass after a few days (most likely the loss in water weight), but it's since returned and so has my strength, both in the gym and on the bike. Looking forward to week 2!
So yesterday I had more energy than I have in a very long time. It wasn't noticeable, or an abundance of, just found that I never got tired, and when I got home and played with the kids, I wasn't zombying around waiting for them to go to bed so I could. In fact, I cooked 4 meals last night, 2 of which were Keto Energy Bars and Almond Butter Keto Bomb (fat bombs). I still wasn't tired after I finished around 9:45pm last night, so I read a bit and easily fell asleep at 10:15... that's after being up since 4:45am. Woke up again at 4:45 this morning and feel perfectly fine. I went to the fridge and got one Energy Bar, almost died it was so good, then took a Keto Bomb with me to the car, ate that and almost died again. For those wanting to ax sugar from their diet, @Mr.Know-It-All, these are pretty fkin awesome and a must try. Extremely easy to make. I'm going to plan to eat one prior to all of my rides in the near future and see how I perform. I'm willing to bet I don't get hungry towards the end anymore. I already noted my weight stabilization in d0n's thread, but I did lose a half pound from yesterday to today, and definitely see a noticeable loss in body fat in the mid section. So, from this point forward I won't worry too much about weight, as ptee mentioned, my body is most likely starting to find it's balance...and I'm perfectly ok with that.
Still down to 191.4 this morning (the scale wanted to read 191.2), but my blood glucose levels were at 98 this morning! I did go over my carb limit, and tried out some straight Gentleman's Jack (fkin tasty), but limited it to one and done. I didn't binge eat after, and did my normal gym workout yesterday (although I'm still a bit under the weather so no interval for me). I'll have to do some research on if alcohol raises glucose levels (or if anyone already knows, please pass on the info). I'm really curious to see what it is when I wake up tomorrow. Hopefully I didn't do myself under. All of the reading I've done says it's best to wait until you are fully adapted to start drinking, but that won't be the case since we are going on vacation week after next. And apparently as long as I keep it 'keto', and don't add sugar to my drink, or don't drink beer, I should have been fine this morning. Granted, I still don't have my Ketonix to test my ketone levels, so they very well may be fine... time will tell. So last night was a sort of trial to see how my body would react... I may perform a more indepth trial tonight
Interesting observation, today I haven't eaten breakfast or lunch. Had a piece of bacon, but that's about it. I went well over my allotted fat intake yesterday (and calories too), so I suppose my body is set for a while.
So I'm two weeks into this 'fad' diet, and I couldn't be more pleased. The biggest change I've noticed (outside of 10 lbs lost), is that the shoulder pain that has plagued me for the past three years has almost completely dissipated. I've been dosing myself with advil and glucosamine chondroitin msm for a very long time now, and have since stopped, with next to no lingering pain. That is absolutely amazing. One of the benefits of going into ketosis is it's naturally anti-inflammatory...this is very evident for me now. The other change I've noticed is a very reduced amount of anxiety (more so in the last couple of days)...this was actually one of the main reasons I wanted to try this diet. I don't really have much in terms of weight to lose anymore, so I'm completely content at keeping myself around 190, but if it goes below, so be it. Like d0n just posted, I don't have to watch calories, so what happens happens at this point. The two biggest benefits of this diet that I wanted to experience have been attained so far, so I definitely plan to keep this up. Now to get my fitness back up...
Thought I'd share my journey OUT of ketosis for the group, in particular for those who wonder how easy (or not) it is to go in and out of ketosis. I purposely knocked myself out of it last Wednesday, and like all things I do, I did it very abruptly, with a fkin donut. Probably one of the worst decisions I've made in a long time. Extreme GI pain, massive headaches, guilt like you would not believe, etc etc. That was day 1. Day's 2-4 I started racking up my beer intake to prepare myself for my week long vacation last week. Needless to say, I was out of ketosis the very instant after I ate that donut, and stayed out of it until possibly today (I haven't tested yet). I gained 3 lbs before going on my trip, and was up to 199.6 (from 190.something), when I weighted myself yesterday after we returned. BUT, I had all the fkin carbs and frozen drinks I wanted the entire time I was there, and it was fkin awesome! I didn't feel guilty or have any GI pain (I loaded up on all types of medz just in case!)... but there was a little bloating towards the end of the trip. That was to be expected given what I was ingesting though. Yesterday on the way back I decided would be day 1 of keto again, and when I weighed myself this morning I was already down to 196.4 (down 3 lbs in 1 day). From what I read, most of the weight you gain back after you get out of ketosis is water weight, so I'm confident it'll come off extremely fast, or at least as fast as it did the first two weeks of my initial journey into ketosis. I'll post up a few more times until I break even, just as an FYI to those doing this WOE but want to take a break for whatever reason. Now granted, I should have gradually increased my carb intake until I 'naturally' came out of ketosis. The way I went about it was by far the worst way you could do it..so I definitely don't recommend going the 'donut' route. And the pain and suffering I felt I'd much rather experience here at home than while on vacation. The bottom line is, yes, it can be done.... but expect to gain about 5-10 lbs in the process (like you wouldn't have gained that anyways though, right???).
My Ketonix registered a measly 25 a moment ago. Not even in the green... I'll post up my fasting number and my bg number tomorrow morning.
BG this morning was 105, didn't bother with my Ketonix. Definitely still not in ketosis yet. I did weight 195.2 though, so it's coming off quickly enough.
For those that are interested, I did test my ketones yesterday when I got home, I was at 37. Not bad for day 3. This morning I was back up to 45 and officially in ketosis again. I'm at 194lbs even, so down 6 lbs in 3 days. I tested my bg, but I think it was tainted... it read 110, up 5 from yesterday. I reuse my pin thingies so maybe that had something to do with it. Now the shitty part, I definitely am going through carb flu again, hopefully it won't be as bad as last time. I did forget to ingest some Endurolytes, but didn't forget this morning I'm pretty confident by the end of this week (very latest Sunday), I'll be back below 191, which is my goal weight. Anything after is just a bonus. Oh I had some serious cravings for beer last night, and almost caved. Thankfully a bout of nauseousness hit me, so at that point it was easy to pass on the beer.
Interesting, my bg this morning was still at 105, down from 110 yesterday, but unchanged from 2 days ago. My only thought is the massive amounts of sugar I ingested during my vacation (in the form of liquid goodies), coupled with my lack of riding this week. When I started last time I wasn't binging on sugar beforehand, and I was consistently riding (metabolizing food faster). I've hit the gym every day this week, but I haven't ridden once since prior to my vacation. I'm going to try really really really hard to get in a few laps on Zwift tonight and see how I do in the morning.