Ketogenic/Carnivore diets

rachelgalvo

Has anyone tried them? I have a friend with a chronic illness who tried a mixture of keto and carnivore and it seemed the help them as well as lose weight. I wonder why they're not more popular.

Gussie Scrotch

Did Keto for about three months.

Lots of positive effects. Slept better, more alert, all stomach bloating/gas stopped.

Very important to drink lots of water.

AllForIt

I find if I desist from eating way way more that I need I don't get fat.

LambshankRedemption

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058406039/ketogenic-carnivore-diets

About 10 years ago, every magazine you opened was espousing the benefits of the Keto diet.

I think it's main problem is it's very difficult to do properly. Limiting yourself 30 to 50 grams of carbs is very difficult. One baked potato has about 40 grams.

HeidiHeidi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123352526#Comment_123352526

I agree with this.

I did a very low carb lifestyle for 2 or 3 years about 10 years ago, I lost a fair bit of weight (badly needed) and felt hands down the best I have ever felt in my entire life.

But I just could not maintain it as a lifestyle - you basically have to home cook everything and be ultra prepared with suitable food the entire time. I do shift work and do a fairly chaotic, physical hobby (sailing) and i just could not manage to keep the carbs low enough all the time. And it's all or nothing, you can't half do it, or dip in and out of it.

To this day I really regret that it was unsustainable in the long run for me.

El_Duderino 09

I do a keto diet* at the moment. Have done so for most of the last 5 years. I find it really suits me. I sleep better, more consistent energy through the day and no 3PM slump. Lost lots of weight and kept it off. Started during COVID lockdown so was one of the people who lost weight during COVID.

Here's something very few people say when discussing nutrition: I'm not an expert. I know fcuk all about nutrition and I have no formal training. All I can say is it really works for me. It makes it easier for me to eat an amount of calories to lose or maintain my weight and I feel general good on keto. That's all I really know.

*Probably not strictly keto as it has more protein than allowed on strict keto. I also eat loads of fibre when I'm doing keto so that probably adds to general health and feeling full.

LambshankRedemption

Here's something very few people say when discussing nutrition: I'm not an expert.

I chuckled at this. So true!

Mrs OBumble

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123352760#Comment_123352760

How do you get fibre without getting carbs at the same time?

Eoinbmw

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123352760#Comment_123352760

Could you give a rough idea what a day's eating looks like genuinely interested!

El_Duderino 09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123353196#Comment_123353196

You Can eat as much green veg as you like. Brocoli, cauliflower cabbage etc. But I get most of it from chia seed and Flax seed smoothies.

I'm getting more fibre than ever.

Tony EH

During covid, I changed my diet by limiting the amount of carbs (cut out the bread and pizza) and eating more protein, like chicken breast. Also, cycled 30 to 40 km a day.

Lost two stone.

So, I don't think anyone necessarily needs to do keto (not good with exercise) or go on strict carnivore/Atkins diets either. Just watch what you eat and do more exercise.

El_Duderino 09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123353251#Comment_123353251

Yeah, no bother.

Breakfast most mornings is a smoothie* made with flax seeds, chia seeds, potato starch and tapioca starch for extra fibre, protein powder mixed in milk. I estimate its around 25-30g of fibre and lots of fat including omega 3.

That's very filing. Lunch is usually a couple of roast chicken thighs or similarreasonably fatty meat, maybe some leftover veg.

Dinner could be most things minus the carbs. Chili con carne with cauliflower rice, or lots of green veg. Chicken, fish, beef and green veg, curry.

At the weekends when ive time I could have a fry just without the carbs. Sausage, eggs bacon, mushroom, not beans, toast, hash brownes or pudding.

Snacks include nuts and eggs. I don't miss most things except toast and chips. It's restrictive enough. But I've always been happy eating similar things a couple of days in a row as long as I like it.

Eating out is difficult sometimes. And I wouldn't bother sticking to it on holiday or anything like that. Just start again when i get home.

There are loads of keto versions of things like keto bread. I've tried them and i didnt like them but other people seem to like them.

*the smoothie sounds like a pain in the hole to prepare. But i make a batch once a week. Use a coffee grinder to grind a heap of the seeds and mix together with some salt, protein powder, potato and tapioca starch (the starch don't taste of anything, thry just add fibre) and a sachet of vanilla favour for baking. just a few spoons and add milk for a smoothie. Tastes pretty good, a lot like vanilla custard but the texture is miles off. it's very satisfying

Eoinbmw

Any stomach toilet issues going on and off diet?

El_Duderino 09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123353582#Comment_123353582

No digestive issues on the diet, the opposite is true for me. Im as regular as clockwork with all the fibre. I ramped up slowly enough so I never got any issues going up to that much fibre.

Off the diet I tend to be on holiday or enjoying myself with food and booze so that's not a fair test. I can be quite gassy when I'm off it up I'd suggest that's down to the less healthy food and booze.

I noticed my heartburn cleared up when I went on keto. But I don't know know enough to say keto cured my heartburn. I just now they happened at the same time.

As far as I can see, a lot of it comes down to the individual. A friend noticed I'd lost weight so he tried keto too. He lost lots of weight and felt the other things like more consistent energy through the day and better sleep. But he noticed his running times went up (he got slower over the same distances). And he got bored with the foods so he went off it after about 2-3 mmths. His running times came way down plus he'd lost weight so he could run even faster times. But he also noticed the poorer sleep and post-lunch slump in energy.

I hadn't noticed any change in my energy at gym classes so I presume it's down to individual difference

El_Duderino 09

@Eoinbmw

Actually, the issue isn't digestive stuff for me. It's the actual switch from using carbs to using fat primarily for energy. Some people get what's called 'keto flu'. It's actually flu-like symptoms which can include headache, body ache, irritability and lack of energy. It can last a few days and it's pretty miserable. Then you come out then other side and you're feeling better than before and sleeping better and so on.

The first time was the worst. The body adapts and gets better at switching between using carbs and fat. From what I've read, the default energy is carbs, so you need to have no carbs for the body to switch into ketosis. But to answer your original uestion, no digestive issues for me anyway.

Eoinbmw

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123353671#Comment_123353671

That's Great real information to take on board I feel like I need to give it a proper go!

Sgt Hartman

I tried it back in early 2008 while doing cardio work in the gym 3 days a week. The weight melted off. I lost 3 stone in just over 2 months. There were days though which I was so drained of energy that I could barely crawl out of bed.

Papagei

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123353196#Comment_123353196

Vegetables.

bogmanfan

I don't know much about it, but anyone I know who's tried it is a self-proclaimed nutrition expert (usually from the University of YouTube). My sister-in-law is a clinical dietitian in a hospital and she doesn't recommend it at all. She's seen plenty of younger men (usually bodybuilder types) with severe kidney problems from following these plans. So for anyone who's trying it, it would be a good idea to get a blood test every 3 months or so at their GP to make sure they're not suffering any sinister side effects.

LambshankRedemption

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123356354#Comment_123356354

A clinical dietician, like any medical expert will say the same thing that has been said for decades, "a balanced and varied diet".

Unfortunately, a lot of people can't do balance. It's all or nothing with them.

Mrs OBumble

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123355970#Comment_123355970

Most vegetables have a surprising amount of carbs.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123352436#Comment_123352436

Well this relates to people who have put on the weight and want to lose it, so that horse has bolted.

I just do the calories in calories out thing. Not too much protein as it's bad for kidneys, high fibre (from vegetables, seeds, nuts, pulses, very little bread), prioritising plant protein/fats over animal ones. Exercise. Water. Limit sugar and alcohol.

Papagei

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123356565#Comment_123356565

According to ChatGPT it recommends, avocado, chia seeds, flaxseeds, broccoli, spinach and cauliflower to meet your fibre needs on a keto diet.

All plants/plant based foods are carbs - that's why it's stupid of people to refer to just "carbs" as undesirables in the diet. Carbs does not just refer to sugar, white flour, chips, crisps, processed cereals, cheap beer and white pasta. Those are processed/refined carbs.

All the good plant stuff is complex/unrefined carbs.

RiderOnTheStorm

Mrs Rider and I have been on keto for 5 years and its the best thing we ever did. Apart from the weight loss (which Mrs Rider freely admits she needed) its been great for intermittent fasting, I dont get migraines anymore and almost no gas (up or down!) . Its not for everyone and it is easier if everyone in the house does it. I will never look at a potato the same again :-)

silliussoddius

A few years ago I got horrible cholesterol results, I had been running for the prior six months or so and was a bit surprised. I decided to push myself a bit harder with running and to change my diet. My changes weren't very drastic: the main things I cut out were bakery rolls for sandwiches, meat cold cuts, junky snacks and cut back on beer. After six weeks my cholesterol went way down and I had lost a noticeable bit of weight. Unfortunately I fell of that wagon and it has long since disappeared over the horizon and I've been trying to catch up with it ever since.

dxhound2005

The /Carnivore bit in the title made me think it could be lots of 16 ounce steaks. Not much sign of that.

Kurooi

Did a keto diet, a hard keto diet, at first of course sick and runs all the time, but once you get out of it, it is an elevated state of mind, a constant high.

Honestly think that's how people were supposed to live. My weight went down, cholesterol SOMEHOW down despite chugging steak and butter. My blood tests were great. Constantly full of energy. I miss it. It's hard to keep it up every convenience food and cheap stuff is all carbs….

Sugar is evil, you're fat because of carbs is all I'd say from that experience.

RiderOnTheStorm

yes & yes on the cholesterol comments …. it def goes up initially , but it does come down (within months) and stays down (as long as you stay on the plan). We get ours checked regularly , and Mrs Rider had that coronary calcium scan because the GP didnt believe that meat & butter only wouldnt kill her, and the result was zero (not 'low' as he said when he read the results). Worth paying for that scan :-)

+1 on the convenience food …. if you are thinking of going keto you have got to learn to read ingredients on the packets , and then you will find that there are carbs & sugar in everything! Very hard to be spontaneous on keto, and you end up cooking a lot of your own stuff (which you come to think of as a bonus in itself as you now know whats in everything you eat). A secondary effect of keto is that you end up eating a lot less processed food for this reason (again, thats a good thing by most accounts). Now that we are into a routine and the body has adapted (which it will after a couple of months) we only eat 2 meals a day. They are large meals and high in calories and we try to keep the eating window narrow (i eat at 12 and 6 - so nice long intermittent fast to burn off the food and for body to heal / recover). The large meals mean you stay full longer and less prone to snacking. Each individual meal is now more expensive than before (more meat and less veg) but the overall grocery budget has def gone down as there are no snacks or crap and only 2 meals a day.

We havnt had any problem eating out etc. as all the stuff we do eat is 'normal' , so we just ask for meal without chips / rice / bread etc and could I have an extra egg / sausage / bacon / mushroom / etc please? We do find that this is not great value however, as you still get charged the full price and the plate looks half empty. Just shows where most of the cost of the meal goes (ie into the protein and the veg / carbs are added to make it look full). An all day breakfast is a favourite of ours (no toast / beans /etc) and for a treat we go to McDonalds or Burger King and order 2 double burgers each and no fries or bun. We get funny looks but I guess we are not the only ones who do it.

PS coffee and cream rocks!

blanchwill

My wife and I have been on Keto now for 3 or 4 months and love it, we feel so much better as said by everyone else.

Better sleep, no afternoon slump, no bloating etc, skin feels better, and loads of energy. I have lost coming up on two stone now, my wife isn't doing it for weight loss, just to feel better.

On the convenience part of it its not that bad, if we are out and about and feeling hungry we either get a couple of sausages at a deli or a bag of peanuts.

We're trying to figure out what to do long term because we love food, love the occasional take away and eating out. We don't want to keep breaking ketosis and then trying to get back in on a weekly basis.

Any suggestions?

RiderOnTheStorm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123358859#Comment_123358859

McDonalds :-)

… or an all day breakfast or a steak house.

Most meals in a restaurant are in the keto ballpark if you dont have the veg / rice / carbs etc. Chicken wings, bacon & cabbage , steak with fried eggs, fish dish (no batter / chips) , omelette etc Watch out for the curries / bolognaise etc as you dont know whats in the sauce and just removing the chips wont keep you keto. Better to make these at home and use spices & cream instead of a jar of sauce. Your body will bounce back from a lapse now and again, but the more often you drop out of ketosis the harder / longer it takes to get back. Certainly dont plan to have cheat days or do 5 days keto and take weekend off. Most people will do keto because they think its healthy, so why do you want to take the day off? The watershed moment for me was realising that the food I am no longer eating was bad for me, and that made it easier to commit. Dont get me wrong, sugar / chips / buttery toast does taste wonderful …. its just not good for me. Like cigarettes …..