Ketogenic Diet

[Petetheblu]

I've been ketogenic for 12 months and will probably live this lifestyle for the rest of my life.

I have come out of ketosis a few times due to trips abroad and having beers etc, and end up feeling rubbish compared to when I'm in ketosis, and can't wait to get back in.

For me, ketosis is a fantastic place to be, when you can crack it.

My missus makes us both loads of really tasty keto meals. I've never eaten so well.

On top of feeling much better mentally and physically, I've lost 3 stone in the process.

Same here, I was addicted to carbs, but feel great. Just wish I started it 20 years ago.

 

[Petetheblu]

Haha at the dessert. Oooops. Yeah, the deflation of my belly from lack of carbs is a bit gob smacking too. I hardly fart now either, whereas when I was smashing in the carbs I was farting pretty much all the time. It seems to sort your gut biome right out, so no sugars for the bad bacteria to feed on.

With the alcohol, for the first 6 months or so, and still now, my go to drink is spiced rum and sugar free ginger beer. Sugar free drinks still have sweeteners in, but as far as I know, sweeteners don't knock me out of ketosis. They may raise my insulin levels for that day, but it's literally one day a week, if that, so personally I don't worry about it too much. I've also had a few glasses of wine and cava. In the last couple of months I've introduced beer back in because my body is now pretty much fat adapted, so 3 or 4 pints doesn't knock me out of ketosis (according to the piss strips I use sometimes to make sure I'm pissing ketones). This is only a weekend thing though. And if I do knock myself out of ketosis, I find that I can get back in to it very quickly from a bit of fasting, using MCT oil, drinking bullet proof coffee or having some exogenous ketones. I've never looked for low carb ales in the pub. I think they are pretty popular in the US though, and the US seem to be years ahead of UK when it comes to keto.

Good luck with it and I hope you stick with it. For the majority of people, it's worth it. It's all about being disciplined and adapting to a few changes, and plenty of research.

I heard sweetners, particularly aspartin can cause a silphalic

Haha at the dessert. Oooops. Yeah, the deflation of my belly from lack of carbs is a bit gob smacking too. I hardly fart now either, whereas when I was smashing in the carbs I was farting pretty much all the time. It seems to sort your gut biome right out, so no sugars for the bad bacteria to feed on.

With the alcohol, for the first 6 months or so, and still now, my go to drink is spiced rum and sugar free ginger beer. Sugar free drinks still have sweeteners in, but as far as I know, sweeteners don't knock me out of ketosis. They may raise my insulin levels for that day, but it's literally one day a week, if that, so personally I don't worry about it too much. I've also had a few glasses of wine and cava. In the last couple of months I've introduced beer back in because my body is now pretty much fat adapted, so 3 or 4 pints doesn't knock me out of ketosis (according to the piss strips I use sometimes to make sure I'm pissing ketones). This is only a weekend thing though. And if I do knock myself out of ketosis, I find that I can get back in to it very quickly from a bit of fasting, using MCT oil, drinking bullet proof coffee or having some exogenous ketones. I've never looked for low carb ales in the pub. I think they are pretty popular in the US though, and the US seem to be years ahead of UK when it comes to keto.

Good luck with it and I hope you stick with it. For the majority of people, it's worth it. It's all about being disciplined and adapting to a few changes, and plenty of research.

I've read that sweeteners can cause a silphalic insulin response, however I'm maintaining whilst drinking diet coke.

The farting bit made me laugh, it's TRUE...I can fart anywhere now in confidents.

 

[Dr Jacoby]

I failed to mention that I’m on a vegan version of the Ketogenic diet.

In a desperate attempt to improve my cognitive functioning and reduce my ASD and ADD symptoms, I’m eliminating dairy, gluten and processed foods from my diet.

‘Fat Bombs’ are a great snack for those on the diet.

 

[Fourinarow]

Same here, I was addicted to carbs, but feel great. Just wish I started it 20 years ago.

Ahh mate, me too. But 20 years ago I would have still lived in denial about my carb and sugar intake.

I was at a stage in my late 30s thinking something was wrong, but I just didn't know what. I was a little bit overweight but tired all the time and nearly falling asleep at my desk every day and feeling really lethargic, and just put it down to getting a bit older and maybe suffering from early burnout following my party days of teens to early 30s. It's only when I cut out the carbs and sugar I found out that there was nothing wrong with me. I was just having big sugar crashes. No carbs and sugar, no crashes anymore. I'm at a nice alert level all day now and sleep really well.
And it was all down to watching a BBC documentary called 'The truth about carbs', which I was astounded at - showing you how many sugar cubes there were in a baked potato or a bowl of rice when your body converts the carbs to glucose. From that moment on I knew I had to change and that's when I discovered keto. I didn't even know I was keto when I felt incredible having no sugar and carbs and so researched why this must be, found out I was in ketosis and then followed the keto diet ever since.

Looking back now I think 'wow'. I was having porridge or toast for breakfast, with a coffee with 2 sugars, then a sandwich or 2 at dinner, with crisps and a sugary drink or the chippy etc, cups of tea with 2 sugars each time, and then my tea in the evening which 90% of the time would involve potatoes of one form or another, or pizza or pasta. Then all the sweets and chocolates and cakes munched on at work too, then binge drinking beer at the weekend and pub grub, pies etc.

The thought of all that now horrifies me. Yes, on holiday I'll indulge a bit and have a pizza in a nice Italian, and most meals come with chips etc, but having all those carbs and sugar every day, urgh, no chance. It's fuckin evil haha.

It has been a huge eye opener. It's been life changing. Who'd have thought eating this much fat would make you feel this good hey.

 

[Fourinarow]

I failed to mention that I’m on a vegan version of the Ketogenic diet.

In a desperate attempt to improve my cognitive functioning and reduce my ASD and ADD symptoms, I’m eliminating dairy, gluten and processed foods from my diet.

‘Fat Bombs’ are a great snack for those on the diet.

That's pretty hardcore being keto vegan. I hope it works for you and one day you don't have to be that disciplined.

 

[OilBoy2008]

Thanks for the replies lads, some good informative stuff.

Do you make those fat bombs yourself? Started cooking loads more on this diet.

 

[Lee1983]

Might give this another go, just got back from holiday and feel like I have overdone it.
I need to live like this though and not treat it as a quick diet.
It keeps you so level energy-wise and stops. for me at least, the urge to snack on rubbish.

 

[worsleyweb]

Can you go on this diet and still drink beer or does that make it not worthwhile?

 

[OilBoy2008]

Can you go on this diet and still drink beer or does that make it not worthwhile?

Judging from a more experienced keto dieter above, he seeks to have a normal beer on the weekend and then go straight back on keto and kick back into it, probably takes a while to build up that sort of tolerance.

What's everyone's effects been on their training or exercise? I just did my first decent cardio session since switching to a strict keto diet, and felt a bit light headed and sick compared to normal, but felt like it before I'd even worked out tbh. Have people noticed a decrease in their cardio performance or strength? Or has it taken a while to build it up?

 

[Fourinarow]

Judging from a more experienced keto dieter above, he seeks to have a normal beer on the weekend and then go straight back on keto and kick back into it, probably takes a while to build up that sort of tolerance.

What's everyone's effects been on their training or exercise? I just did my first decent cardio session since switching to a strict keto diet, and felt a bit light headed and sick compared to normal, but felt like it before I'd even worked out tbh. Have people noticed a decrease in their cardio performance or strength? Or has it taken a while to build it up?

A lot of people have a dip in their performance until they become fat adapted, and then have a significant improvement. If you're on facebook, join 'The Ketogenic Athlete' group. There is plenty of exercise advice on there from every day people exercising on keto, to people running marathons and doing ironman etc. They will always bang on about having enough electrolytes for exercise and having plenty of salt, and exercising in a fasted state.