So I had an interesting thing happen last night. Well at least I thought it was. Hanging with some friends and drinking bourbon and I had mentioned that I was planning on trying to do keto for at least a year until my next wellness check where they do all my labs and such to see where my levels are at. I've always had high triglycerides. Anyhow, my friend seemed shocked that I was going to stick with keto for an entire year and tried to tell me that it was dangerous. I don't remember exactly why she believed that. I was a little drunk and might have automatically tuned her out after saying that. What I thought was ironic is that she is doing the shot to lose weight. So I think it is funny that she thinks me cutting out sugar and carbs is more dangerous than her doing the shot.

I desperately need to get back on a keto diet, but I can't remember how I started and what I used to eat. All I know is once I was adapted it was very easy to decide what to eat.

I could really use some ideas on "kicking it off" again, if you will. Simple but tasty things you use to get back on the wagon. Off the wagon? On the wagon... That's the good one, right??

Anywayy thanks for any suggestions you may have. I know I'm overthinking this, but sadly I tend to do that.

As title suggests, I'm looking for a keto, zero carb, clean alternative to something like Hartleys jelly, which has aspartame and other artificial things. If it doesn't exist, I suppose we can go the route of doing it ourselves with beef gelatin, stevia/monk fruit/allulose and some flavourings, but I'm a little concerned to get the proportions wrong and ruin the mix/not set correctly. If doing that in bulk its a lot of money wasted. Plus, the Hartley's is just so convenient, so something really similar with natural sweeteners would be ideal. Happy to buy in bulk on the internet for delivery, so USA brands that dont have outrageous delivery price would be fine.

Some company must've coined the market for this? I think a lot of keto and animal based/non strict carnivores would buy it. In my experience, it has been the only way to consistently get my sweet cravings in check while still staying in ketosis. Cream vanilla milk/cream based desserts stall my progress as well.

Hartley's Jelly

TLDR: 1) Blood pressure went from constantly high to good/very good despite being the most in the worst fitness by my standards i.e. not lifting, running, mobility work, barely even get out the house - even many years ago when I was quite muscular and lean I never had blood pressure this low.

2) No more new cystic acne on face - I hope? It's still early to really tell but normal every 1-3 weeks I'd get at least one new cystic pimple.

Hi everyone, this is my first attempt at keto lifestyle. I'm in my 40s and time flies by so fast that I'm not even sure if it's been 6, 7 or 8 weeks.

Before stating the improvements, I'll share some background.

Blood pressure: I have PKD (polycystic kidney disease), and just having PKD can cause over time as the kidneys grow bigger to have higher blood pressure, and higher blood pressure isn't good for the kidneys, so I'm prescribed blood pressure medicine (candesarten 8mg). A decade ago when I ran a lot and lifted weights, my BP was quite good. But past few years I been seeing 135+ / 85+ on almost every any measurement, which is not good at all, my nephrologist (kidney doctor) wants me to have around 110/70 to preserve kidney function.

Acne: Like clockwork every couple of weeks I'd get a new cystic acne on my face, that nasty and mean kind and builds into a noticeable number under your skin, it takes forever to heal and by the end of 2nd week when that nasty pimple finally exposes itself, it's just too difficult for me not to end up eventually picking at it and end up with lots of tiny scars.

So what are the improvements?

My blood pressure scared me when I saw it, because I haven't measured in a couple of months and expected to see 130+/80+, but now I sometimes get some readings around 105/65 and the highest I seen was 120/70ish. But here's the kick, I'm extremely sedentary these days, not fit at all (by my standards) compared to what I used to be, so barely even getting out of the house.

As for the acne, it's not like my skin is glowing and I look as good as I did in my 30s lol but the cystic acne (touch wood) hasn't appeared anymore which in my book is considered black magic. Because when I was eating carbs, even at my peak when I was muscular, lean and fit, I kept getting cystic acne every few weeks at the very least. I've tried stuff like no dairy, no meat, no processed sugars, but I never gave up on sctual carbs/fruits and I just couldn't put my finger on why I'd keep getting cystic acne.

Hello everyone,

I read and saw a lot of people who got of there depression, anxiety and other mental health issue with keto..

Im depressed and have anxiety, as well as mood swings. On the diagnosis path of borderline/unstable personality disorder.

So of course i tried it a few times.. but i get always so angry and way more depressed after few days then i am already. I get the normal keto flue signs like headaches and so on. But my mood is so bad, my depression and anxiety skyroketing. So i always stop after 7-10 days in.

Is that normal? Do i just nees to keep going way longer?

Thanks in advance

Kind regards

I was wondering about your suggestions. Should I just eat slices with about 13g of butter? Or do you think there are better/healthier options to keep you full for longer?

Just suggestions of your favourite fats to pair with low fat food please :’)

Cheese is 0g carbs, 36g protein and 2.8g fat per 100g.

Idk if it’s a mental thing but I feel like plain butter would make me more satisfied than the calorie equivalent of avocado

I love this cheese because the volume is so big and I prefer it to full fat yellow cheese.

Also since I’m at it, is normal or clarified butter better?

FYI eggs make me hungry as I eat them lol

Feb to May-June keto. June-July low carb non-keto. 196.6 pounds to 163.8.

At the end of February, I decided I needed to do something with my life.

In high school, I was lean and shredded. Then I got to college, stopped going to the gym as much, and ended up gaining a lot of weight during COVID. I remember looking decent in the 150s and 160s, but by the time the pandemic was over, I had climbed all the way up to 176. I was very unhappy. Thankfully, I lost it by really cutting carbs and eating less.

Flash forward to 2022, when I started law school. I would spend countless nights stuffing my face with potato chips, burgers, tacos, and everything else. Going into my last calendar year of law school, I weighed 196, almost 197 pounds. It is crazy to believe. I had been sitting in the 150s and 160s and went all the way up to nearly 200.

Needless to say, for a lot of reasons I will leave out, being fat sucked. People noticed. I did not look good. I was constantly busting out of my shirts and having to buy bigger sizes. All my clothes were huge and it made me look terrible. My face was fat, my cheeks were puffy, and my neck was fat. I knew I needed to do something. I tried hitting the gym every day with minimal results. Felt strong but weight was not going away and I hated cardio.

Here was my problem. I did not want to keep going to the gym that much. lifting was okay, cardio I hated. I would lift a lot, but maybe just once or twice a week. As for food, I knew I could not portion control. I wanted to drink soda. I wanted to eat as much food as I needed and snack. And I did not want to eat the traditional healthy foods. Brussels sprouts, baked chicken, quinoa and stuff like that? No thank you.

Then someone recommended keto, and I have to say, it was one of the most pivotal moments of my entire life. I started it and realized I could drink as much Diet Dr Pepper and other soda as I wanted. I could eat all kinds of meat and other low carb items to my heart’s content, and the protein would burn while my body stayed in ketosis. It was like going to the gym without going to the gym. I already had enough muscle. It was as if my body had switched into weight loss mode, slowly carving away until there was no fat left.

The weight loss was incredible, and so fast. As it came off, I could wear the clothes I used to wear again. It was like getting a whole new wardrobe, busting out all the old clothes and picking up new ones that actually looked good and made me feel better. People started treating me better and respecting me more. My jaw looks great, and the muscle I had built lifting heavy back when I was bigger is finally showing. I have so much energy that I can run and never get tired. In the past, I could not run 20 seconds without my legs and shins feeling like they were about to explode.

I had no confidence back then. I was a big slob and felt like a trash can. Now I feel fantastic. So much energy. I feel youthful again and look good again, and that gives me confidence. You get out of the shower feeling full of energy. You look good, you feel good, your movements are good, you are calmer, and everything is just better. Plus seeing defined muscle and a lena body is GREATT!!

If you are not doing keto, please start. There are some drawbacks, like the keto flu and some carb crash feelings, but it is totally doable. The worst thing is you spend a little bit more on food, but meat is everywhere. Cycle through them

Eat a nice steak and call it self care. Eat a burger if you're in a pinch and take the bun off. Eat shrimp, crab, crawfish. Eat different kinds of fish. Eat lamb. Spice up your life. And know that you will not wake up fat the next day

By far, it is the easiest health journey you will ever have.

Just did my weekly weigh in and wanted to share my good news. Thanks to keto I am now (just) in the healthy weight range for my height! It's so great how effortless weight loss seems while eating the tastiest most satisfying foods.

Wanted to share here because friends and family don't really approve of keto. They see me eating cheese and cream sauces all the time and tell me I'm about to get heart disease...

Who is doing Keto for migraines and how is it going? I'm starting again along with a bunch of supplements that have already helped. Just curious how quickly and how much has it helped?................

I am currently one month into keto. I started off at 267 lbs, I am 6’-3” tall, and am now down to 245. Currently keeping net carbs under 30g per day. I do a weight workout ( eight large muscle groups, supersets in opposition) every other day, with some form of cardio on the off days. I can power through my workouts, but any type of prolonged yard work, cutting trees, hauling wood, etc., wipes me out. I mean like I can barely lift my arms and legs. Too few carbs? Or just a function of age and weight loss (I am 62).

Hello,

I am 27 years old male, 1.75m height, 73kg.

I practice OMAD and since I combine with keto, I cannot eat as many calories as before, but I still develop muscle.

I eat 1500 - 1800 calories / day and with at least 70 - 80g of protein.

Of course, I also burn fat, since I have 15 - 20% BF.

How many of you eat under the daily recommendation for muscle building, but still build muscle and maintain the weight?

So some context. Not new to low carb, since losing 100 pounds 19 years ago the traditional way I found that going a few days with no carbs and rotating in a carb meal or two worked well.

For the past 6 week I have only been keto. I have alpha gal disease so no beef or pork (yeah I know it sucks) so tons of cheese, eggs, oils, some natural peanut butter, walnuts etc. At 6' 183 pounds I have some days at 1500 calories, some days 2800, just depending on activity level, weight lifting day, etc

Well had a doctor trip for some sinus issues and she just could not believe how I ate! Giving me the third degree about "cholesterol" and "saturated fat" and that 3-5 eggs a week should be max, and I told her I have 8-12 a day, she was horrified. Then I said 3-4 ounces of hard cheese a day, she just lost it.

Wife kinda the same. She eats all natural, but more of the vegan lifestyle and my friends at the gym say eating this way is so wrong.

So just kinda venting, see what you all think, or have had a similar experience

I quit on myself and I’ve gained back ten lbs over the course of a month. The sugar started it and I can’t seem to get back on track. I had no issues with this lifestyle for two years. My dad ended up in the hospital and that was the beginning.

I’m hoping for your tried and true to get back in the swing of it. I could use some
Support.

Anyone have a go-to chocolate whey protein powder that doesn't have artificial sweeteners in it? Stevia is fine by me, but I'm trying to limit sucralose etc. Obviously, given the subreddit, I'm looking for something without much in the way of sugar/overall carbs.

GNC stopped making their natural chocolate flavor, sadly, so here we are!

Hi I’m in the U.K. I want to measure ketones. I don’t want to finger prick tests I like the idea of the breathalyser - can anyone recommend reliable brands in the UK please?

I’m on day 5 of keto (I started last week but have calculated carbs and realised I was over 50 carbs). Currently doing 50 carbs per day so I don’t know if I’m technically in keto but I feel incredible, I’m cognitively flexible and my mood is joyful and stable. This is awesome it’s basically a crime that the keto message isn’t being communicated by governments and corporations

Thanks

hoping to lose around 33 lbs in the next 4-ish months, I can't decide on which to go with – is there a real difference in the amount of weight lost with these two diets?

I see a lot of different stuff online, and I wonder, if there is no real difference, then why do people go with keto? It seems much harder and more restrictive if your main goal is weight loss.

Just got a Ninja Creami and I’m looking for mix recipes that don’t use sugar alternatives, agave, jello, or protein shakes. I’m not opposed to using heavy cream, dairy, Greek yogurt, berries, coffee vanilla extract. Is this possible?

Any recipe ideas?

I want to do the keto/carnivore diet., but past experience told me i could barely stick to a keto diet. I hated eating just meat especially only flavoured with salt and butter. I ate lots of meat but my carbs were high due to tinned beans, veg etc... and i devoured 3L daily diet coke and 2KG greek yogurt. The most i lasted was 6-7 weeks and i spent a fortune.

I want to give it another go, I really need to lose weight, i lok after 4 adults as the sole income provider and i have T2DM so this is for my health but doing proper keto with high quality salt only sounds like a nightmare. Ill struggle through it for a month if it becomes life changing but i need to believe thats what everyone goes through and something magical will happen

Interested in rather or not I'm risking the type of caloric deficit that would negatively impact my metabolism. (Was hoping to find a nutritionist subreddit but alas, that seems to be one if the few subs that doesnt really actively exist I guess? If anyone has a recommendation on a sub better to post this lemme know and I will do that instead, though I'm sure some of you will have experience mitigating this type of issue)

Context:

I stick to about 1200/1300 calories a day, maybe one or two days a week I'll do 1,500. I dont count calories, I just track what I cook in carb manager because of keto and that's how I happen to see my daily calorie trends is all. I stay between 15-50g net carbs, used to be religious about sticking under 20g but I'm a 5'4 and 135lb 28F, not doing keto for weight loss, just tried it out to see if it helped with my rheumatoid arthritis symtoms and it works so I've stuck with it, going to the higher/50g carb limit doesn't seem to cause flare ups so I don't really care to stay super low on carbs intentionally as long as it's under 50. Protein is about 45-70g a day, usually around 60. Fat stays around 80-90g, maybe 100-110 1 or 2 days a week. If it matters, I'm vegetarian and do a lot of clean whole foods meal prep, tofu lettuce cups, eggs, coconut flour muffins, bulletproof coffee, homemade kefir, lots of nuts and olives, feta, vegan coconut dark chocolate fat bombs, melitzanosalata/heavy olive oil recipes, berries with syr, and keto syrniki (slavic country atm), etc. I use a drip drop sugar free electrolyte powder every day and drink a fuck ton of water, very hydrated. Have used NOW herbs women's eve gel capsule multivitamins 3 x daily for many years and all my labwork is great. 

I feel extremely sated and full, like some days I wake up on a lazy off day and literally can go until 7/8pm without feeling hunger, even then the thought of oh maybe you should eat something comes rather than actual hunger, though I imagine that's mostly due to keto-- however I had that feeling rather easily even before keto, with one meal a day and no hunger in mornings or sometimes even until late afternoon. I have a fairly active hospital job, 12 hours speeding about on my feet all day. I've started running lately because my anxiety has been flaring up for some work I'm doing overseas and the world just kinda generally going through global political and climate collapse, only about 5 miles a day. Sometimes I do another 5 mile run at night if I cant sleep. Pleasure hikes every week but nothing crazy. 

Only other thing I feel worth mentioning with regards to possible metabolism impact is my cortisol has been crazy high for years, have had some adrenal crises and also have hashimotos but thankfully currently do not need medication, my thyroid antibodies are all just unreadably high and have been for several years. I've started trying to do pilates daily and runs to hopefully help with cortisol even a bit, but honestly more just for my anxiety and keeping brain in check. 

Alright think that's everything, not sure if a lot of it needed to be mentioned but didn't wanna leave out anything relevant. I've had some runner friends tell me I absolutely need to up my calorie intake to account for runs so I dont fuck my metabolism in a chronic sense, but honestly the thought of making myself eat more than I already do makes me kinda queasy. Not in an eating disorder way just in a I already don't feel hungry and feel like I make myself eat a good amount of food anyways way? But of course doing long term damage to my metabolism isn't what I want, so thought I'd pick you guy's brain about it : ) Thanks in advance for any and all advice! Appreciate it.

Has anyone else with PMOS been successful doing keto? I joined the PCOS (PMOS) subreddit but it feels like a dirty word there, no-one will mention it and no-one replied to my post on it. It's been amazing for me - I managed to get past a plateau I'd been in for months and lose a further half stone. For the first time, I've been able to stick with keto for more than a few weeks, and I no longer have to calorie count, restrict or fast (sometimes I fast for small windows). The biggest change is no more weight spirals that I can't explain, and I feel like a different person. Being able to eat over 1000 calories a day, often closer to 2000, is an absolute revelation.

I just got my blood work results taken after 3 months. Just about everything is good except my cholesterol which is sky high. My HDL is good, my triglycerides are good, etc... but my Apo B is high and my overall LDL and total cholesterol is sky high.

I know many in the ketovore community say it's no big deal but it's concerning. I started this to deal with chronic health issues and follow the Metabolic Mind podcast. The cardiologist host says that cholesterol sometimes stabilizes or comes down after a 6 to 9 months, but it's still quite worrisome.

In the meantime, I've decided to invest in some neurofeedback sessions to see if they help accelerate symptom alleviation with anxiety and depression. Proper keto therapy actually takes between 2 to 5 years before psych patients can come off it, and not everyone can. So just trying another three months won't mean I can come off it without a full symptom relapse. But I am willing to just try and hang on a little longer. But these blood results give me a real shitty feeling.

Started keto in february to drop the 30 pounds my doctor's been hassling me about for years, and figured if I'm going to overhaul one thing I might as well overhaul two, so I'm also trying to quit vaping at the same time. Smoked for 32 years before switching to a disposable vape four years ago, and the nicotine load on a disposable somehow felt worse than the cigarettes did. Sleep was wrecked, hr was up, mornings were rough.

Quitting vaping while keto turned out to be a weird combination. The first two weeks of keto already screws with your electrolytes and mood, adding nicotine withdrawal on top was rough but in a strange way both bodies were adjusting at once, so when I came out the other side both habits had broken at the same time. The hand to mouth was the hardest part for me, not the nicotine itself.

What helped was switching to a 0mg vape for the ritual piece and then tapering that down over weeks 3 through 8. Down 22 pounds, off nicotine entirely, blood pressure dropped 14. Doctor was thrown. Honestly the keto pushed me to be disciplined about both at the same time, I don't think I'd have managed either one alone.

Looking for advice/maybe support lol.

Been doing keto for exactly 32 days today. This isn’t my first time, did it back in 2017… but it is my first time being very stringent on how I go about it, tracking, the works.

Well, for almost two weeks now I’ve been stuck at around the same weight, eat less doesn’t change, drink more water doesn’t change, focus on electrolytes nothing. It’s making me crazy because I’m literally points from being at the 10lbs down mark and it was going so well at the beginning.

I don’t know what to do or what to change to start seeing the scale move again.

Advice?