Keto?

Equinox

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#1
With 2013 approaching in an hour (for me and everyone on the West Coast), I've been researching recipes and diet plans for the new year. I have especially taken an interest in keto, ever since I followed MafiaPrincess' reddit link on another thread. I'd be really interested in hearing everyone's opinions and/or experiences with a low carb + high fat diet and any links to reading material would also be appreciated. I've read the FAQ on reddit but that's about it.

I won't lie, I'm in it for the weight loss and haven't done any research on whether or not the diet itself is a healthy one. I'd like to lose around 30 lbs but as a college student, my eating habits are horrendous. Tons of sugar, tons of carbs, ALL the time. I run a little, dance a little, and walk quite a bit, but my lifestyle needs some tweaking. I was in much better shape last year and during the summer, but now I'm at my gross Fall/Winter weight again and it's killing me, plus, I've never been at a weight that I was happy with. Doesn't help that the quality of the food I am consuming is getting worse and worse :eek:

I do drink an appalling amount of water, though. I've finished 4 liters of bottled water in one evening without even thinking about it. I'm always thirsty and probably drink an average of 4 - 6 liters of water a day, which apparently... is a good thing?

So, opinions and experiences? Favorite meals and recipes?

I only just found out about keto through the reddit link about a few days ago, so the research I've done amounts to 0. I have the myfitnesspal app on my phone and set it to a calorie limit and a 60% fat, 35% protein, and 5% carb plan. Does that sound about right?
 

Saeleofu

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#2
I did keto for a few months last year and LOVED it. I lost weight, I felt awesome, and I had zero cravings for carby crap. I would open the "candy drawer" at work and just feel sick because it looked gross. Unfortunately I couldn't afford to stay on it long-term (my hours were cut way back). I do want to go back on it as soon as I can afford to do so.

I didn't treat it as a diet, but a different way of eating. It's actually super easy once you get the hang of it. Initially the amount of carbs in some vegetables was surprising, but you learn to get a feel for what's low carb, what's not, and what you can get away with in small quantities. I still had a bit of nutella on occasion and stayed within my set parameters. The key is to use just a BIT. I think I would do even better on it now that I can't stand sweetened tea anymore. I regularly drink 2-4 liters of tea a day, plus 2-4 liters of water.

Even now most mornings I'll have tea with a bit of dairy for "breakfast" and not feel the need to eat until lunch time - and not have an upset stomach from it being empty. It's very hard for me to eat breakfast because I don't feel up to it in the morning, but at the same time if I don't I feel like crap. Tea gets rid of that and most of it is carbless, save for the milk/cream.
 

Equinox

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#3
Awesome, thank you so much for your post! That actually answered a question I forgot to ask - I was originally wondering if tea was okay to drink because it's a regular part of my beverage intake. I drink it almost as frequently as I do water, and it's always jasmine tea, never sweetened, no dairy included. Just tea leaves and hot water, and I always have a full mug within arm's reach (side effect of being Asian) :D

I used to dislike sugary snacks but lately have had some awful candy and sweets cravings. Ever since I started college I've been eating extremely unhealthily, whether it's because it's finals week and I need to stay up, or because I am bored and the food is there. However, counting calories makes me more conscience of what I am eating and how frequently, which is why I would like to keep that up. The only reason I didn't swell up last year was the 5 - 6 miles a day I had to walk up and down a steep hill to go between campus and my house.

I would LOVE to open up a drawer of snacks and find them gross! I keep reading about everyone's experiences with losing their food cravings, and that makes me extremely hopeful.
 

Saeleofu

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#4
There are some teas that might tend to be carb-heavy, but not most of them. I have a chocolate chip tea, which has...well, chocolate chips in it. It's probably got some carbs. I also have an apple tea that has chunks of apples in it that I scoop off the top and eat. Again, some carbs. Neither of those are probably a big deal unless you're drinking a lot of it. But your average tea is pretty much low-no carb. Last year I was adding sucralose to my tea. Now I can't stand the stuff and drink it straight or, with plain black teas, a bit of milk. When I go on keto again I'll probably switch from milk to cream.
 

Equinox

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#5
I've never heard of chocolate chip tea or apple tea! I'm very boring, I drink jasmine tea (with tea leaves) and that's about it. I've added a bit of milk and honey in the past, but I actually prefer it just on its own with no added sweeteners.

I've found a few shopping lists on reddit that I'm looking at now - I'm going to need those the most. I never know what to buy!
 

Saeleofu

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#6
Haha, I currently have about 40 varieties of tea on hand, with 4 more on the way (should be here any day). Most of them (31, soon to be 35) are whole-leaf loose teas. I told myself, when I got my first loose leaf tea, that I wouldn't get carried away. Right :rofl1:
 

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