Nutritional Ketosis (LC/HF/MP) Challenge Anyone?

[RebeccaLatham]

Originally Posted by joyfulmomto3

Has anyone had stomach issues after eating coconut oil? I'm feeling quite nauseous after eating the fat bomb today. I didn't feel bad after my bacon grease today.

Also, has anyone ever had EAV testing done for food allergies.

Very often, people have to work up the amount of CO they eat because too much too fast causes upset stomachs.

[mom2zeke]

Originally Posted by stardustshadow

Sure! Here is what I would typically eat on a low carb day on the go...

Breakfast: Coffee with cream
fried egg
Lunch: A couple of salami sticks or a hard boiled egg, maybe some cheese
Dinner: that depends. Sometimes a chicken breast and salad at the cafeteria at my job, sometimes a couple more salami sticks. Yeah, my busy days kinda suck

I feel like I am at a loss to eat if protein is so severely restricted...that means that most meat and cheese is off the menu, at least in normal quantities. What are good low protein, high fat food choices? Cream cheese muffins? Macadamia nuts?

Do you eat your breakfast at home before you leave for the day? I would suggest a breakfast with a few eggs, cheese, sour cream, etc. Eat a little more and emphasize the fats. This good solid breakfast might keep you going pretty well until later in the day.

Some people might skip lunch altogether, but you could have some fat at lunch (cream cheese, fat bombs, macademia nuts, etc.)

For dinner a salad with some chicken breast (you have to be careful with the amount because low-fat protein sources like chicken breast have more protein than fattier cuts) is a decent choice. You could add some mayo to the chicken and cut back the portion of protein. Are there other protein choices with the salad at your work? I used to make salmon salad with homemade may and bring it in to work with some cut up vegetables.

The key is to really measure out your portions and track in a tracking program to make sure that you're getting the right amount of macronutrients.

I agree that it is hard to cut back on the protein, but it doesn't take long to get used to it.

[Doggygirl]

Hi all! I am early on in my return to low carb after a diversionary path through the low fat zone. THAT does not work for me! I think I am finally and firmly convinced that low carb is the only way to go. However it's not the "slam dunk" it used to be now that I am years older!

I have always been a fan of Dr. Atkins and was quite intrigued to read about the Ketosis meters, and the much improved ability to assess ketosis status. I have been reading whatever I can find on the internet along with the Phinney books (not the exact names - low carb living and low carb performance). After finding your thread here, I ordered a meter (came today) and test strips from Canada where they are cheaper. Once those arrive, I hope to join you in ernest with data in hand.

Mean time, I am finding the transition back to low carb very challenging. I guess I'm just looking for some reassurance that this WILL get easier!!! I spent about 5 days just focusing on getting the worst of the carbs (sugarcarbies) out of the picture. Today is my first day really taking the carbs down. Even with almost 2,000 calories I am HUNGRY! I think I just have to have faith that this will get better before too long. Today: 169g fat, 80g pro, 28g carbs (16 fiber).

For now I am going to target under 100g protein (I'm estimating my WIDE range to be about 66 - 110 based on the various methods of determination in the helpful post referenced from Rebecca). I figure if I stay in the middle of that range to start (80 - 100) and keep the net carbs around 20, I can see where I am when I get the test strips and adjust from there.

I've got a meal plan mapped out for tomorrow that is similar to today. I'm really hoping to bring the calories down just a tad to 1800. I can't imagine I will lose any weight above that.

I too will have occassional need to take my meals on the road so will be following that topic with interest!

I'm really looking forward to your feedback, and getting to know you better! Thanks in advance for being patient with my questions. Congratulations to you all on your success, and thank you for "paving the way" and sharing your experiences.

DG

[RebeccaLatham]

Originally Posted by Doggygirl

Hi all! I am early on in my return to low carb after a diversionary path through the low fat zone. THAT does not work for me! I think I am finally and firmly convinced that low carb is the only way to go. However it's not the "slam dunk" it used to be now that I am years older!

I have always been a fan of Dr. Atkins and was quite intrigued to read about the Ketosis meters, and the much improved ability to assess ketosis status. I have been reading whatever I can find on the internet along with the Phinney books (not the exact names - low carb living and low carb performance). After finding your thread here, I ordered a meter (came today) and test strips from Canada where they are cheaper. Once those arrive, I hope to join you in ernest with data in hand.

Mean time, I am finding the transition back to low carb very challenging. I guess I'm just looking for some reassurance that this WILL get easier!!! I spent about 5 days just focusing on getting the worst of the carbs (sugarcarbies) out of the picture. Today is my first day really taking the carbs down. Even with almost 2,000 calories I am HUNGRY! I think I just have to have faith that this will get better before too long. Today: 169g fat, 80g pro, 28g carbs (16 fiber).

For now I am going to target under 100g protein (I'm estimating my WIDE range to be about 66 - 110 based on the various methods of determination in the helpful post referenced from Rebecca). I figure if I stay in the middle of that range to start (80 - 100) and keep the net carbs around 20, I can see where I am when I get the test strips and adjust from there.

I've got a meal plan mapped out for tomorrow that is similar to today. I'm really hoping to bring the calories down just a tad to 1800. I can't imagine I will lose any weight above that.

I too will have occassional need to take my meals on the road so will be following that topic with interest!

I'm really looking forward to your feedback, and getting to know you better! Thanks in advance for being patient with my questions. Congratulations to you all on your success, and thank you for "paving the way" and sharing your experiences.

DG

I started out by reading the whole thread. Lots of great info!

[mom2zeke]

Doggygirl!

I think that you have a good plan for getting started. A lot of us on the thread were already LC and have just adjusted our plan. When you're starting out of the gate it can be more challenging. It takes at least 2 weeks to adapt and during that time you might want to consider counting your carbs and protein but eating fat to satiety. Once you're fat adapted then tweak your fat to jump-start weight-loss. I think that trying to lower calories while your adapting is part of what's making a hard transition harder. But, of course, that is just my humble opinion, YMMV.

And it definitely gets easier--but you need to be patient during the adaptation phase.

[Jimtoslim]

There is a bit of confusion here for us on the metric system. I think I should be eating around 80 grams of nutritional protein a day, but in order to get net 80 grams I would need to buy around 325 grams of meat.

The rule of thumb is 1 oz of meat = approx 7 grams of protein.
Metric Rule of thumb? 100 grams of meat = aprox 26 grams of protein.

Do I have that right?

[RebeccaLatham]

Originally Posted by Jimtoslim

There is a bit of confusion here for us on the metric system. I think I should be eating around 80 grams of nutritional protein a day, but in order to get net 80 grams I would need to buy around 325 grams of meat.

The rule of thumb is 1 oz of meat = approx 7 grams of protein.
Metric Rule of thumb? 100 grams of meat = aprox 26 grams of protein.

Do I have that right?

1 oz = 28.47 grams

1 oz. of meat = approx 7 grams protein
28.47 grams of meat = approx 7 grams of protein

100 grams of meat = approx 24.6 grams of protein

[RebeccaLatham]

Originally Posted by mom2zeke

Doggygirl!

I think that you have a good plan for getting started. A lot of us on the thread were already LC and have just adjusted our plan. When you're starting out of the gate it can be more challenging. It takes at least 2 weeks to adapt and during that time you might want to consider counting your carbs and protein but eating fat to satiety. Once you're fat adapted then tweak your fat to jump-start weight-loss. I think that trying to lower calories while your adapting is part of what's making a hard transition harder. But, of course, that is just my humble opinion, YMMV.

And it definitely gets easier--but you need to be patient during the adaptation phase.

[kilogirl78]

Originally Posted by mom2zeke

Some people might skip lunch altogether, but you could have some fat at lunch (cream cheese, fat bombs, macademia nuts, etc.)

Thank you for that. I was looking over my meal plan and despairing where to add fat and lower my protein. Answer has been here. I will substitute my normal lunch for fat bombs.

Ketosis level: 0.7 with carbs being 15g and even split with protein. Tomorrow is already planned out but Wednesday I will do a substitute and see where that takes me.

[RebeccaLatham]

I lost another pound this morning. That's a one pound loss two days in a row.

At this point, I need to lose 6.2 pounds of fat and gain 1.6 pounds of lean mass to reach my goal of 30% body fat. This is starting to look attainable. If I get there, I will be curious to see if I go any lower.

Me happy!

By the way, since I started low carbing in February 2009, I have lost 23.8 pounds of body fat and I have gained 6.4 pounds of lean mass. In inches, I have lost:

1-3/4" around my neck
1-5/8" around my bicep
3-1/4" around my bust
3-5/8" around my midriff
4-5/8" around my waist
6-5/8" around my navel
5-7/8" around my hips
3-3/8" around my thigh
1-1/8" around my calf

In case anyone hasn't seen it, here is my morphing weight loss video.

my morphing weight loss video

Right now, I am about the same "after" weight that I was in that video.

[joyfulmomto3]

Congrats!

[mom2zeke]

Congratulations Rebecca!!

[Doggygirl]

Originally Posted by mom2zeke

Doggygirl!

It takes at least 2 weeks to adapt and during that time you might want to consider counting your carbs and protein but eating fat to satiety. Once you're fat adapted then tweak your fat to jump-start weight-loss. I think that trying to lower calories while your adapting is part of what's making a hard transition harder. ....And it definitely gets easier--but you need to be patient during the adaptation phase.

Thank you for taking time to say that! The logical side of my brain tells me this, but the chronic dieting side of my brain doesn't want to believe it! I've mapped out a meal plan for today that is 95g pro, 18g carb, and 156g fat for about 1800 calories. If I find myself hungry, I will eat some more of those little fat bombs I made yesterday, or some EVCO right off the spoon. Thank you so much for your feedback!!! (it is always welcome!)

Originally Posted by RebeccaLatham

I lost another pound this morning. That's a one pound loss two days in a row.

By the way, since I started low carbing in February 2009, I have lost 23.8 pounds of body fat and I have gained 6.4 pounds of lean mass. In inches, I have lost:

...

In case anyone hasn't seen it, here is my morphing weight loss video. my morphing weight loss video Right now, I am about the same "after" weight that I was in that video.

I was watching your video over the weekend and your body transformation is AMAZING.

It sounds like you have a Tanita scale or something similar that gives a body fat % reading? I know it is not a "good" number when I weigh in the morning dehydrated. As an example, the scale this morning said 38.9% BF and I think a proper measurement would yield a low 30's number. BUT... I have tracked the number from the Tanita over time, and I think it yields interesting information, even if not a "true" BF%, over time. I'd be interested in your thoughts on that.

Originally Posted by Jimtoslim

There is a bit of confusion here for us on the metric system. I think I should be eating around 80 grams of nutritional protein a day, but in order to get net 80 grams I would need to buy around 325 grams of meat.

The rule of thumb is 1 oz of meat = approx 7 grams of protein.
Metric Rule of thumb? 100 grams of meat = aprox 26 grams of protein.

Do I have that right?

Hi Jim! I would be lost without using a tracking tool!

I used my old BG meter this morning to get a fasting reading. I took it twice and am not happy, but not sure I can trust either reading since they were disimilar. (131 and 101). Even if 101 is right, that is WAY too high. I think I'm going to get my new keto meter (which will also do BG) going today, since it came with some BG test strips, and measure tomorrow with both meters to see what they say. I have a whole lot to learn about these meters. I've only used my old BG meter a few times. Any thoughts? Any good web sites to learn more about BG meters and tips and tricks and so forth?

Have a good day one and all burning fat!

DG

[mom2zeke]

Good morning everyone!

My new scale arrived in the mail yesterday. This morning I weighed on my old analog scale and it showed 153. The new digital scale read 152.6! Since they're so close I think the difference is just in the granularity of the reading. So I'm down 1.4 pounds this morning!!!

The new scale also has a body fat reading using bioelectric impedance and calculations. Per the scale I am 30.4% BF, per measurements entered in the site Rebecca linked to I am 27.6% BF. All respectable measurements for a 49 year old, but I would like to see a bit lower. I was using old data for my BF%, so obviously time and inactivity have pushed the number higher. I am going to sign up for the dunk tank at the gym on September 8th to see how accurate the scale and measuring calculations are for me. Even if the scale is not accurate, it will be helpful to track over time.

When I reach my goal weight I may try to work on increasing lean body mass and decreasing BF% while holding my weight constant. But my main goal is finding a happy weight and BF% that are maintainable!

[Doggygirl]

Kristn - I think we cross posted and it is so funny that we posted on the same topic re: the scales and the BF%!!! I think the number is off (high) mainly due to weighing in a dehydrated state. But that is just my thought on it and I'm not mathmetician or scientist so who knows!!! I too think it's interesting just to keep track of the data. I was just looking this morning back at old records from 2008. Clearly I have more fat now at the same weight than I did as I was losing back then.

Anyway...interesting stuff! Can't wait to hear how the scale BF% compares to a real dunk tank number. That might be very informative.

DG

[paulabob]

Originally Posted by Doggygirl

I used my old BG meter this morning to get a fasting reading. I took it twice and am not happy, but not sure I can trust either reading since they were disimilar. (131 and 101). Even if 101 is right, that is WAY too high. I think I'm going to get my new keto meter (which will also do BG) going today, since it came with some BG test strips, and measure tomorrow with both meters to see what they say. I have a whole lot to learn about these meters. I've only used my old BG meter a few times. Any thoughts? Any good web sites to learn more about BG meters and tips and tricks and so forth?

I found a lot of info reading blood sugar 101's information. I'm new to it myself...tracking trying to find what/any are safe carbs for me to have and the best way to keep from hypoglycemia. I started after I had restricted protein, and found my fasting numbers all in the 60s-70s. I know my last blood test was 108 (back in Weight Watchers days) so it was a nice surprise for me. The question is (for me), what is the ideal postprandial number? I decided to stop measuring my fasting, since it's always good, and measure my premeal instead. Is it an absolute difference between my premeal and one hour? Should it never be over 100? I have all kinds of questions like that floating in my head as I know what diabetics shoot for is vastly different from folks with so called healthy blood sugar. I've probably just confused the issues with my thoughts, but what I came up with, is you never want any reading over 140...and you want fasting below 100.

Rebecca, good job on the losses and Kristen too (I'd take that 1.4 and love that new scale)!

I'm back to a 125 number this morning. Hope to see some real work on the scale since I hit that 124 number 2 and 1/2 weeks ago. Always annoying when your cycle works against you.

[RebeccaLatham]

The body fat measuring scales:

I have only owned one. It is so inacurate, that I can get on, get off, and get right back on and the body fat is off by several percentage points. The directions say that your feet have to be damp in order for it to be accurate. But how damp? It's ridiculous...

[paulabob]

Originally Posted by RebeccaLatham

The body fat measuring scales:

I have only owned one. It is so inacurate, that I can get on, get off, and get right back on and the body fat is off by several percentage points. The directions say that your feet have to be damp in order for it to be accurate. But how damp? It's ridiculous...

Mine is the same almost every day. I've owned a Tanita (when they first came out) and now a Walmart clearance scale. Course, I only track morning weight/fat, since numbers will change throughout the day as you eat. Here's my last 10 days readings: 28.4
28.4
28
28
28
28
28
28
28
27.7

Wonder if you had a bad one? Or, it might be some people are more accurate on them then others - after all, we are all different in so many ways, and these things tend to work for people "on average".

[mom2zeke]

Originally Posted by RebeccaLatham

The body fat measuring scales:

I have only owned one. It is so inacurate, that I can get on, get off, and get right back on and the body fat is off by several percentage points. The directions say that your feet have to be damp in order for it to be accurate. But how damp? It's ridiculous...

It will be interesting to see the differences day-to-day and against the dunk tank. Mine is an Omron and has both the foot part and a hand-hold. Having both should be more accurate, but we shall see.

[Carli]

Ive been working on the formulas posted here and on Rebecas blog, I just want to confirm my numbers.

According to the formula, my goal weight is 172 pds (Im 5'10"), if I put in 25% body fat, that leaves my lean body mass at 129 pounds.

Since my goal weight is 78kg, does that mean my protein goal is 78 grams? I guess thats where Im still confused.

[stardustshadow]

Originally Posted by paulabob

The website calculators really get mine wrong...my scale is more accurate. But other people are vice-versa. That said, your LBM will decrease as you lose significant weight, or it has for me. When I started I was 232 and 53% body fat, or 109 pounds LBM. So 19 of the 106 pounds I've lost have been LBM. I understand that's not terrible. Something like 60-80% of pounds lost are fat, and a certain percentage of your LBM is used to support the fat.

Yeah, I have now tried other website calculators (that use more than the waist, hips and neck for measurements), and the numbers I get there match my scale measurement (or come much closer to it!). I know I have a lot of LBM, but I am a very muscular girl (I can leg press 395 kilograms at the moment...before I lost weight, it was even more) who works out frequently...but anyhow, the Lbm/Bf measurements can be quite interesting. I know you cannot avoid losing SOME LBM. Great job on losing a 60-80% body fat

[stardustshadow]

Originally Posted by RebeccaLatham

Yes, it is a small amount compared to what we have all been eating. I currently eat 54g of protein per day. At first, I felt deprived, but now I am used to it.

You asked what we eat. I gave you links a few posts ago that show exactly what I eat.

And, yes, I am eating less than 25g of carbs per day.

sorry, I must have somehow missed your links!! I will check again!

[stardustshadow]

Originally Posted by mom2zeke

Do you eat your breakfast at home before you leave for the day? I would suggest a breakfast with a few eggs, cheese, sour cream, etc. Eat a little more and emphasize the fats. This good solid breakfast might keep you going pretty well until later in the day.

Some people might skip lunch altogether, but you could have some fat at lunch (cream cheese, fat bombs, macademia nuts, etc.)

For dinner a salad with some chicken breast (you have to be careful with the amount because low-fat protein sources like chicken breast have more protein than fattier cuts) is a decent choice. You could add some mayo to the chicken and cut back the portion of protein. Are there other protein choices with the salad at your work? I used to make salmon salad with homemade may and bring it in to work with some cut up vegetables.

The key is to really measure out your portions and track in a tracking program to make sure that you're getting the right amount of macronutrients.

I agree that it is hard to cut back on the protein, but it doesn't take long to get used to it.

Great advice It does not sound so daunting when you put it like that
I am going to give it a try and see how it goes...my schedule is already starting to get busy and the semester does not start until next week...but I want to try this out before things REALLY get kicking!!

[mom2zeke]

Originally Posted by Carli

Ive been working on the formulas posted here and on Rebecas blog, I just want to confirm my numbers.

According to the formula, my goal weight is 172 pds (Im 5'10"), if I put in 25% body fat, that leaves my lean body mass at 129 pounds.

Since my goal weight is 78kg, does that mean my protein goal is 78 grams? I guess thats where Im still confused.

Are you using the Dr. Kwasniewski method? Per Rebecca he says that you can add or subtract 10% of that protein number. So perhaps start with 78 grams of protein and see if you're in ketosis and adjust if necessary. Phinney/Volek say .6 to 1 gram of protein per pound of goal LBM so that would be 77 to 129 grams. So it looks like you're in the ballpark with 78.

[marylouise]

Originally Posted by RebeccaLatham

Good morning, Fat Burners!

Yesterday was a weird food day because I spent part of the day at my father's house, and he has no good food to eat. I waited until early afternoon to eat breakfast, and then packed up two fat bombs and headed over there.

While I was there, I ate my fat bombs and I also ate two ounces of cheese. When I got home, I entered my food into my spreadsheet, and found I was a little short on protein, so I just made a little protein "paste" with powder and ate it before going to bed. So the amount of grams of everything was pretty close to perfect for the day.

And this morning, I lost a pound!

I now only need to lose 7.2 pounds of body fat to get to my goal!

By the way, I tested BK yesterday morning, and they were 2.4, so still going strong there.

Rebecca

Do you remember me? It is great to see you again.

[marylouise]

I see a lot of LCFriends here.

Hi everybody

[marylouise]

Originally Posted by stardustshadow

Great advice It does not sound so daunting when you put it like that
I am going to give it a try and see how it goes...my schedule is already starting to get busy and the semester does not start until next week...but I want to try this out before things REALLY get kicking!!

star! It's great to see you again!

[svenskamae]

Hi, Marylouise! It's always great to hear from you. I hope you are doing and feeling well.

[mom2zeke]

to the thread marylouise!

[RebeccaLatham]

Originally Posted by marylouise

Rebecca

Do you remember me? It is great to see you again.

Hi, Mary Louise! Sure I remember you!