Keto diet with intermittent fasting

Day #77 of Keto! This week when I weighed myself I had a "scare" because I had gained less than a pound and I expected to lose because I measured my food religiously, logged, and made sure that my portions were smaller. I had to console myself and think about the changes I've made:

• I started lifting really heavy weights (hopefully the added weight means I'm building muscle)
• I started eating more veggies.

This week I'm having 1/2 a cup of kefir before bed and I think that it is helping me with my sugar cravings. I weighed myself again this morning and I lost the weight that I thought I "gained."

It made me realize that I still have a tendency to get obsessed with numbers. I'm going to work on this.

 

Better than weighing yourself, take measurements. Arms (biceps), chest, waist, thighs, etc. Track your body changes there rather than weight. Weight can fluctuate dramatically. I think everyone is obsessed with "weight" when body measurements are a much better tracker of your wellness journey.
And congrats on the Keto journey. It does get easier with time. I find if I let myself "slip" by having that sweet thing, it really derails me and takes a while to get back on track.
Sometimes I wish I reacted to wheat the same way my wife does, she's very gluten intolerant and will be sick for days if she has anything with wheat/gluten. Makes it easy to stay away from it when you know how much pain it causes.

 

@kckndrgn Thank you for making this suggestion! I'm going to switch to measurements. I enjoy stats and I can tell that continuing down the weight path is going to be an unhealthy rabbit hole for me.

 

Day #84 of Keto! I'm feeling a lot better these days. Adding more veggies, some seeds, 1/2 cup of kefir before bed, and more sleep is making a huge difference. I think that my weightloss has slowed down this month so I'm going to re-evaluate, but still stay on this path.

I started reading Mark Sisson's Primal Blueprint book. I noticed that there are some posts here about it so I will go visit those in a few, but do any of you have any experience with the Primal Blueprint?

What are the big differences between those guidelines and Keto / IF?

Does one have advantages over the other?

 

@Dunerunner Thank you for helping me understand this. I was starting to feel a little confused. That was the big difference that I noticed too. I was thinking that up to 150 grams of carbs sounds like A LOT. I'm going to stick with the keto path.

How do you feel about artificial sweeteners like stevia? Is it okay or do you think it's best to eliminate it? My weightloss slowed down a little this last month, but I did start lifting heavy weights so I'm trying to re-evaluate, but not obsess over it.

 

weight loss can hit plateaus, which can last days to weeks. Sometimes you just have to switch things up a bit, maybe do a bit longer fast, or check to make sure you are eating enough. If you are not eating enough you will start losing the weight but your body realizes it's in starvation mode and starts to store more fat.
As far as artificial sweeteners I have been trying to avoid the sweet stuff all together. Stevia is good, so is monk fruit. I did find that some the artificial sweeteners will spike my blood sugar as if I ate sugar!
Adding in weight training can slow "weight" loss, but if you are tracking measurements you'll see that the fat is going away and muscle is replacing it. Muscle weighs more than fat! If you just want to tone muscles, less weight more reps.

 

@kckndrgn After reading this message a few days ago, it felt like it gave me permission to worry less and stop weighing everything. I think you're on to something I might have been eating too little. It will probably take me a little longer to learn my overall threshold and ranges. I may try limiting the artificial sweeteners for awhile and see how I feel. Thanks for your suggestions. They feel like battery packs of wisdom that keep me going!

 

Day #93ish of Keto! I'm shifting and have decided to stop obsessing over weight and macros. I tried it for the month of April and I think that it can probably work really well for some people and it was a good exercise for me to become familiar with portion sizes. But I get a little obsessed sometimes and I think it was adding stress. I'm focusing on having veggies with meals, still as few carbs as possible, and enough fat and protein. I have kefir before bed when I can find it. I ordered a fabric measuring tape because I'm going to take measurements rather than my weight.

 

Day #100 of Keto! I feel so good and thankful that I started this journey. Last night I had so much energy that I couldn't even sleep. I got a tape measure so I can start taking measurements to track my progress rather than obsessing over the numbers. I feel like I'm really getting the hang of this. I've figured out some of my favorite staples which usually include some variation of veggie stir fry, meat or fish, and sunflower seeds of pumpkin seeds sprinkled on top. Sipping on 1/2 a cup of kefir before bed has been helpful too.

I love the fact that this is such an affordable way to live. I have better muscle tone and more sustained energy. I feel like my mood and emotions are more even too. With the help of stevia my sugar cravings have gone down. Thank you for sharing your tips and tricks with me. I plan on continuing.

 

If you are still having sugar cravings consider increasing the amount of calories you get from fats (always natural, never processed like "vegetable", corn, or Canola/rapeseed).

To me the greatest thing about keto/carnivore is the total liberation from cravings. I had an apple fritter the other day to check my insulin sensitivity and it was just awful because of it's overwhelming sweetness. No desire for another (used to be my favorite food) whatsoever and drank about a half gallon of unsweetened tea to make the taste go away. BTW, my somewhat rehabbed body handled it nicely and quicker than expected.

When I was transitioning if I had a craving for sweets I would eat some cheese, olives, and a few grape tomatoes, with maybe a little salt. IMO way batter than any ice cream, candy bar, etc..

 

My weight isn't dropping dramatically, but I took measurements today and I lost 8.5 inches from my waist since I started this in mid February. I also noticed that my other measurements aren't far behind where I was when I was 15 lbs lighter which is the lightest I ever got in my adult life.
This is encouraging!

 

Day #108 of Keto! My weight and measurements stayed exactly the same this week. I think it's time to try to break through this plateau.
@3M-TA3 I'm going to try your approach and increase fats. I'm also going to borrow your snack idea: cheese, olives, and grape tomatoes because that sounds delicious and nutritious. You give me hope that there's still a chance that I could eliminate cravings.

I feel like a lot of my "cravings" could be emotional and I want to work on being more mentally resilient. Overall, May was a good month for me. Lots of cleaning, physically, outdoor landscaping, and also some of my friendships and relationships. But it was also a little mentally taxing.

 

I think I'm around day #135 of keto. I lost another inch from my waist. I think I've reached the point where I don't want to go back to sugar and carbs! It took awhile, but I'm happy to be there.
Going strong with my workouts and started adding more cardio. I definitely feel more drained and tired, but that could also be from the heat. Hope you are all doing well!

 

I'm -20lbs since I started this in February! Before that, I hadn't stepped on a scale in 2 years so I probably lost even more weight. Very thankful that I discovered this lifestyle.

 

I must suggest to visit a wellness center as well time to time for better relaxation. Let me recommend you based on my personal experience i.e Wellness Bohinj. Must try once.

 

I really took @Brokor 's words to heart: "Eat your food as medicine now or you may end up eating medicine as food when its too late."
These last 6 months were very stressful and I think I'm finally on the other side of it. By March I started falling off nutrition wise. For the first two months of the year I was doing a 36 hour fast once a week and I liked the way that I felt, but I had a bit of a rebound effect were I wanted to "stock up before the fast" then have a "celebration meal" after. I think the most challenging part of that was the mental challenge so long term I don't think I'm a long faster.
I'm going back to the basics starting with no refined sugar or alternatives and no bread or pasta. I'm going to prioritize protein and veggies. Wish me luck! I'm not giving up. I think I have about 30 more lbs to lose.

 

Alanaana, Good luck or should I say Good Health. My grand dad used to say that only 3 things in life counted, potatoes, being warm, and being healthy. If you have a good place to live, enough to eat, and your health, the rest is doable. In the long run you control them all. I think you have tried as hard as anyone to keep positive in all of these. I, for at least one enjoy your thoughts and watch your progress with great interest.

Life goes on and it is always changing. Some members have passed away and it may well be that the nature of the board will change. No one can replace some of those we have lost. They had life experiences and lived during a period in which our country, warts and all, was at its greatest. But we all have to adapt or fade away. In the short run it well may be more important to encourage each other in maintaining a healthy life style, getting that garden or greenhouse in, buying that house in the country, etc, than going to Alaska and being totally self sufficient. What counts in life is the way you get thru it and that you end it with memories and not things you wished you had done.

 

@duane Thank you for sharing these insights with me. Your Grand Dad sounds like he was a wise man. I feel very encouraged and always appreciate your posts and comments. I'm glad that I met you here and I feel thankful for all that you bring to this community. Even though this year has been stressful, reading some of your comments encouraged me to start sharing happy posts, pictures, and the blessings that I'm thankful for.
I'm wishing you Good Health Too!