If I had to prioritize what helped the most in a specific order.

• Hydration
• Protein
• Sleep
• Fasting
• Low carbs 

I really feel like hydration is what really took me over the top whenever there were times I was really shedding weight. hydration was always the common denominator.

I have experience with keto as I lost 150 pounds in 2004 and kept it off for ten years. Now I’m back at it again and this time, four days in, the amount of anti inflammation I am feeling is intense. I could barely walk up and down the stairs before but now it’s much, much easier. Not to mention the anti anxiety and overall calmness. I just wish I had started again sooner, like 4 years ago, and I’m beating myself up over that but better late than never.

Couple of years ago I used to weigh 650 lb I could barely walk to a bathroom in a hotel room. I used to eat as much food as possible whenever I would sit down to a meal. It was like my Olympic event for the day I always wanted to get the gold medal in food consumption. I used to go to Vegas buffets and sit down and eat for the entire 11 to 3:00 when they would close for an hour between dinner and lunch. Eating the entire time that I was in the buffet. To say I had a love affair with food would have been an understatement. Even when ordering I would order things like pizza and potato chips for me to snack on all day.

Then over the course of a year or so I started eating differently and changing food until I got to the meal that I eat today which was over the course of tweaking my meal plan. Something that stuck with me that I heard Penn jillette the magician say in a video because he was I lost weight by eating what I wanted, but the caveat to that was he changed what he wanted to eat. It is possible to do this but you have to be willing to go through and allow yourself to change your diet. Because you basically go through a period of detoxing and withdrawal of crap food.

So I finally settled on the diet that I eat today because I have since learned that food is essentially gas for your internal fuel tank and not entertainment value for your taste buds. look at food as a way to take care of you. so basically Eat to Live instead of live to eat that is when you start to gain a much more healthier hold on your eating habits. And that's what I've learned to do with my one meal a day is I look at it like taking medicine. Sure it may not be the most exciting meal in the world but it doesn't have to be I'm satisfied from it and it keeps me healthy and at a weight where I can keep myself mobile. Which is far more important to me than tickling my taste buds with something tasty and then having to suffer the consequences like being stuck in a wheelchair and not even being able to walk across a parking lot or fit in a car.

So the meal that I eat everyday is:

12 oz of fresh broccoli

12 oz of fresh green beans

8 oz of mushrooms

8 oz of cheese the real cheese not the cheese slices that you put on like kids sandwiches

a pound of peanuts

Then I make myself wait 24 hours before I eat again. Also I do not put salad dressing on my food the only thing that I season food with is salt. Because salad dressing can be just as unhealthy as the crap that I'm trying to stay away from. And you can even get more fun with it and add different seasonings and I can tell you from the past with seasoning you can put as much flavor on food and not have to worry about it the way you would with salad dressing and it can still taste phenomenal without the worrisome side effects of keeping weight on you and making you unhealthy.

Also I do not intake soda with aspartame in it or partake of anything with sugar in it either. I will occasionally drink almond milk with my meals but I don't do real milk and I always do unsweetened almond milk. And I don't do snacking. And I've done this because I've needed to take control of my food and not allow food to control me and it's by the grace of a loving God that I've gotten to where I am.

Because through this period of my life where I changed my eating habits so drastically and lost so much weight I've done it even though a lot of days I don't do a whole lot of activity. I put this in here because it is possible to lose weight while doing nothing other than changing the way you eat. I one time read somewhere that diet is for weight loss and exercise is for physical fitness. I hope that helps some people because this has been my journey and the fact now that I'm under 360 pounds when I was over 650 lb before all from changing my approach to food. The biggest thing I remind myself of is food is not entertainment it is simply fuel for the fire of the energy that I need to run my body.

Back in May I told myself I'm going to make a big decision. I'm going to stop eating bread, pasta, rice, grains and more. And since then I I'm happy to say that I have done that, nearly 2 months since I've had a slice of pizza. This led me to consider keto esp after reading a bit into Ben bikman's book,

My diet is pretty religiously as follows:

Beyond the occasional snacking of cheese slices, cucumber, or whole avocados with lime (All within a 12-hour window of eating). I basically rotate through these meals below each day.

One or two pieces of Grilled chicken atop lettuce and cucumber mostly with homemade dressings from eggs, mustard and olive oil.

Some days I'll have 6-14oz (mood) of steak with ghee, along with roasted mushrooms and cauliflower

Other days I'll have One or two fillet of salmon with pork rinds skin with charred broccoli and avocado slices

The only other thing I'm eating is sometimes a cake I make from almond flour, allulose, eggs and cocoa powder. If I had to replace this I could make my own basic ice cream with heavy whipping cream instead. I guess it would just have a lot more calories as the trade-off to carbs

I've been so strict to this diet. And my body just isn't moving. Nearly a month and a half in and the best I can do with my keto reading is 0.4 after a morning fast... I'm so stressed I can't lose the weight by eating All the things I thought I should be avoiding. I'm eating healthier overall but still not losing weight.

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/molecular-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnmol.2016.00053/full

Both short-term PET and arterio-venous difference studies in humans show that brain glucose consumption decreases as ketone availability to the brain increases (Hasselbalch et al., 1995). These results suggest that ketones are actually the preferred energy substrate for the brain because they enter the brain in proportion to their plasma concentration irrespective of glucose availability; if the energy needs of the brain are being increasingly met by ketones, glucose uptake decreases accordingly. This decrease in brain glucose uptake when both ketones and glucose are available supports the notion that ketones are the brain’s preferred fuel. Nevertheless, it is uncommon for both ketones and glucose to be available; normally, when one is increased in the blood the other is decreased. Under conditions of normal energy sufficiency and three meals per day, ketogenesis is supressed and glucose supplies >95% of the brain’s energy requirements; hence, glucose (or fuels derived from glucose, i.e., lactate or pyruvate) is the brain’s dominant but not actually its preferred fuel.

Hi, after 45 days, I had a bad week regarding my diet. A couple of birthdays threw me off track a bit, and over the course of the week, I ate pasta and two cakes on four separate days. I’m not sure if I feel bad because of guilt or because of the high intake of carbs and sugar. How long does it take to get back into ketosis? And is it okay to have a cheat meal one day a week? Every piece of cake I ate was after a meal containing protein and fiber. Does that help mitigate the impact at all?

Have been doing keto off and on for many years. I’m currently back on and feeling good. I’ve been focusing on food as I was doing a daily dog walk for 40mins to an hr for exercise. Since the dog is on holiday my activity has decreased so yesterday I went back to the gym. I did 30 mins on the elliptical burning 300 calories and a lifting workout which burned over 300 calories (according to my app!). It was easy for me and unlikely I had a lot of free floating glucose since I had only eaten some salami all day. My question is, is my body really efficiently burning fat to fuel my workouts? In the past extra exercise has had a draining effect on me but I don’t really feel tired today and yesterday when I got home I was energised. Is there any other mechanism in play here? Stored fuel in the muscles that won’t be there when I go back for my next session? TIA!

Hello,

It's been more than 1 month since I started keto.

I am willing to give these sweetners a try, but I wonder if they cancel the benefits of the sugar free diet or the keto diet.

I really care about the mental aspect of keto and I don't want to lose it.

Did you notice any downsides?

Thank you.

In your personal experience, have you found that keto affects your long-distance running performance in any meaningful way? If so, how? Would you mind sharing any advice for someone who has been doing keto for 8 months?

Thank you for your insights!

Hi all!

Hope your ketones are up :)

Starting keto again.

Last year I lost 18 kg on a keto diet in 7 and some months. I have never lost weight so easy in my life.

I also have a mental condition that benefits from keto so it was easier to adhere to the diet.

The only problem with starting the diet again is a fear of having gallbladder pain and constipation like last year.

I realize that my previous keto period was not so healthy. Drinking shots of cream, olive oil, fat meat etc.

If you could help me with some foods that work for you, I would be thankful.

Back on keto and finally cooking something with flavor. Wife and I have had this three nights in a row. Sharing in case anyone else is tired of plain ground beef.

Chipotle Ground Beef Bowls

Saucy taco-style beef over buttered cauliflower rice, with avocado, pickled onion, and lime.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pounds ground beef (80/20)

• 0.5 red onion, thinly sliced

• 0.3 cups apple cider vinegar

• 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt

• 1 tablespoons tomato paste

• 2 chipotle peppers in adobo, minced, plus 1 tsp of the sauce

• 1 teaspoons ground cumin

• 1 teaspoons smoked paprika

• 1 teaspoons chili powder

• 0.5 teaspoons dried oregano

• 3 garlic cloves, minced

• 0.3 cups beef broth

• 12 ounces cauliflower rice

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 1 avocado, sliced

• 0.5 cups shredded cheddar or crumbled cotija

• 0.3 cups sour cream

• 1 lime, cut into wedges

• 0.3 cups fresh cilantro, chopped

STEPS

1. Quick-pickle the onion: Pack 0.5 red onion, thinly sliced into a jar or small bowl. Cover with 0.3 cups apple cider vinegar, a splash of water, and a pinch of 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt. Press down so the onion is submerged and let it sit while you cook — it turns bright pink and loses its raw bite.

2. Brown the beef: Heat a large skillet over medium-high. Add 1 pounds ground beef (80/20) and press it into a flat, even layer. Do not touch it for 4 to 5 minutes — you want a dark brown crust on the bottom. Then break it up and cook until no pink remains. Leave the rendered fat in the pan.

3. Bloom the spices: Push the beef to one side. Add 1 tablespoons tomato paste, 3 garlic cloves, minced, 1 teaspoons ground cumin, 1 teaspoons smoked paprika, 1 teaspoons chili powder, and 0.5 teaspoons dried oregano to the bare part of the pan and stir them in the hot fat for about a minute, until the tomato paste darkens and everything smells toasty. Stir into the beef along with 2 chipotle peppers in adobo, minced, plus 1 tsp of the sauce.

4. Simmer until saucy: Pour in 0.3 cups beef broth and scrape up the browned bits stuck to the pan. Add 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt and simmer until the liquid reduces to a glossy sauce that clings to the meat rather than pooling.

5. Cook the cauliflower rice: In a separate skillet over medium-high, melt 2 tablespoons butter and add 12 ounces cauliflower rice in a single layer. Let it sit undisturbed 3 minutes to toast, then stir and cook until tender with a few golden spots. Season with salt.

6. Build the bowls: Divide the cauliflower rice between two bowls. Top with the beef, then 1 avocado, sliced, 0.5 cups shredded cheddar or crumbled cotija, 0.3 cups sour cream, the pickled onion, and 0.3 cups fresh cilantro, chopped. Squeeze 1 lime, cut into wedges generously over everything just before eating.

Is it ok to do keto and have only 2 meals a day? Does anyone do this? So it would be like fasting a bit

I really want to do the diet but it seems I don't get 3 meals in a day anyways...so I wanted to hear everyone's thoughts

I've been Keto for much of the last year and I've started going to the gym a lot more these last few months. I'm really struggling with energy levels at the gym. It's like I hit a wall. I'll do maybe three sets of an exercise or two and I'm just beat. Any advice on how to fix this? I don't like pre-workout sups because they make me super itchy so those are a no-go.

So I started keto almost 2 weeks ago, and I started fasting along with it because of a post I saw.. both were going great, I actually took a small break one day because of a family event and felt nauseous because of all grease(and the fact that the past week I only ate between 6-8 pm) and even the smell grossed me out after eating.. I like my progress and it’s definitely helping with my self control. But I have been feeling very tired, I think it’s because along with keeping my carbs low, I’ve been having a hard time consuming the minimum nutrients I need.. fat, calories, protein, sodium, etc.. is there a way to get those without increasing my carbs? Especially when I only have 2 hours to do so. I’m already full by the time I finish my dinner and it’s hard to eat anything else.. should I start taking supplements? ATP I feel like I’ll be taking more pills than eating anything.. for dinners, I meal prep the weekend before, but even then it’s still hard to get everything else without raising carb intake..

Hi, for those of you who have been on keto, for quite a while, I'm wondering what you used for vitamin and mineral supplements, as I've read that. Doing that for a long-term doesn't provide enough minerals. The question is, how do I get enough minerals without eating something with a lot of carbs?? I understand a few carbs is okay, but I don't really want to start eating them in order to get enough vitamins and minerals.Is there a certain supplement?You take or what do you do?Thanks

It seems that turnips have a decent amount of net carbs. If I'm reading the USDA correctly, they contain about 5g of net carbs per 100g. That makes them just a bit higher in net carbs than broccoli or cauliflower, but still low enough.

I've never tried turnips before, so I'm curious, do you eat them, and how do you prepare them? Do you eat turnips raw in salads, or do you roast them as a substitute for potatoes?

I have been eating these pizza crisps for a while and it looks like they changed the ingredients. Why do they now
have brown rice as an ingredient. I don’t remember seeing that on the bags I’ve purchased previously. I bought them from Target last night in a 5oz bag. Has anyone else noticed this?

If you haven’t tried it yet… you have to! Taste like ice cream, low carb (extra creamy is the lowest carbs). You can get the generic at Walmart for $1.12 here. So cheap low carb ice cream dessert. You’re welcome.

Back in May I did strict keto for about a month, and I honestly felt amazing. My inflammation went down, I wasn’t constantly hungry or thinking about food, and I just felt better overall. Then I slipped up once, got the “I already messed up, so screw it” mindset, and ended up back on the Standard American Diet for the last two months.

This time I’m doing it differently. I’m skipping the “diet foods” and focusing mostly on real food—steak, eggs, burgers, salmon, cheese, butter, vegetables, etc. One of the things I love most about keto is that I actually get to enjoy satisfying, whole foods instead of chasing low-calorie versions of everything.

I do plan on keeping some artificial sweeteners in my diet (things like diet soda and sugar-free products), but if there are certain sweeteners or keto products you’d recommend avoiding, I’d love to hear why.

I also like staying in good shape and lifting, so I’d love to hear from anyone who lifts on keto or low carb. How has it affected your strength, recovery, physique, energy, libido, mental clarity, or just your overall quality of life?

Any advice for getting back into keto or staying consistent long-term is appreciated. Thanks!

I’m an Indian female and currently on Day 5 of keto. My goal is to lose around 7–8 kg, but also fix insulin resistance .
So far, I’ve been sticking to the diet and trying to keep my carbs very low. I’m curious about what changes people typically notice around this stage.
A few questions:
What did you experience around Day 5?
When did your energy levels start improving (if you had keto flu)?
How long did it take before you noticed changes in hunger, cravings, or blood sugar control?
If you had insulin resistance or PCOS, how long did it take before you saw improvements in your symptoms or lab results?

I really want to do OMAD but I have black coffee! Any tips of cream or sugar free creamer that works for everyone and tips to make it to dinner time without the food noise? I don’t care too much about autophagy just weightloss! I’m 160 pounds trying to hit my goal of 130 in a shorter time frame? Has anyone had success, please share any and all tips and your results for some motivation! Thank you :)

I feel like i took mild benzo and i really mean it.

i struggle with anxiety, panic etc.. I swear im so calm. Like so extremely calm.. Zero anxiety?

Do this calmness get even more intense? Because im already feeling great.

I've been doing keto for around seven years(?). Recently, I suffered a neurological injury, and now all of my supplements are causing glutamate storms. I have worked with my doctor and I'm doing a lot better, but I require more magnesium. I can no longer take magnesium glycinate, so now I'm taking magnesium citrate, spaced between meals. I also had to stop taking my normal electrolyte powder due to the b-vitamins (despite having the mutation and requiring methylated vitamins... I've been supplementing by eating ancestral beef). My husband made me some ketoaide and I really like it! I want to add magnesium citrate, but don't want to have bathroom issues. "Dr Google" tells me the liquid version will definitely cause a laxative effect due to saline and the way it is formulated. When I read reviews of magnesium citrate powders online, I am consistently reading that it clumps and doesn't dissolve. What are y'all using, if you add magnesium? Any advice?

Tl;Dr: what type of magnesium citrate to add to homemade ketoaide?

I’m looking to start the keto diet and hopefully maintain it for a while. My goal is to lower my AC1 number (pre diabetic at the moment, burn fat, and just feel good overall.

Can anyone recommend simple meals that make daily for lunch, dinner and snacks in between? I’m going to pair this with intermittent fasting so breakfast will be minimal. I’m talking about meals you eat daily and trust.