Ketogenic Diet Share

N/A | 10/11/23 | y/t

[MayflowerMadam]

When I lived in AK, I ate and loved fresh halibut but have not found any I like since then.

The fact that it was dredged in beer batter and deep fried didn’t hurt - LOL!

[LilFarmer]

Yes, deep fried makes everything taste good 😂😂😂

[MD Expat in PA]

Romain hearts and iceberg.

Iceberg lettuce and romaine hearts, they are mostly water and with little to no nutritional value. If you are going to eat a salad, better to eat dark mixed greens. You can add extra crunch and nutrients with shredded cabbage, kale, even shredded Brussel sprouts, finely chopped raw broccoli, nuts, dried fruit, etc.

While eating nearly zero calorie iceberg lettuce, much like eating cucumbers or celery is thought to be a caloric net negative, i.e. - you expend more calories eating and digesting them than the calories they provide, the lack of nutritional value and roughage from iceberg lettuce means you might as well drink a glass of water. And at least with the cucumbers with the skin on and celery with their fiber, they provide some roughage.

The problem, as I understand with extreme Keto and extreme carnivore diets, is that they are lacking in many necessary nutrients that veggies and fruits and whole grains provide and do not provide enough roughage for a healthy gut and colon. And FWIW, if you are not pooping enough which can happen with a meat only diet, you can retain gut and water weight.

Conversely with a strict vegan diet, getting enough protein and healthy fats including animal fats is also a problem. But too much of anything, including too much animal fats can be a problem. Humans are omnivores and not carnivores.

While cutting down on carbs and eliminating processed foods and processed added processed sugar is not a bad thing at all and very a good thing, I think a balanced and varied diet is key. Keep in mind that healthy carbs provide the body with natural sugars that are necessary for energy and metabolism and even brain health.

And it is not uncommon to hit plateaus when losing weight and hit it more than once. Don’t be discouraged by this.

When I embarked on a healthy eating plan (not a diet) that cut down greatly on carbs, I dropped a lot of weight very quickly. But I was also exercising – walking, biking, moderate weight training, Pilates. At some point while I was still losing mass (went down another clothing size), I stopped losing weight according to the scale for a time. This was because while I was losing fat, I was gaining muscle mass which weighs more that fat.

So, I stopped weighing myself except for once a month and went more on my body measurements and how I was feeling.

I also learned I was being too restrictive, that eating too few calories and too few carbs can slow down your metabolism and result in less energy that can make even moderate exercise more difficult.

So, I slightly increased my food intake, adding healthy snacks twice a day yet still healthy and lower carb and upped my exercise. I joined a gym and varied my 3-4 times a week work out - cardio and weight training.

For the cardio, I varied it – 20 minutes on a treadmill + 15 minutes on a stationary bike one day, 30 minutes on an elliptical + 10 minutes on a treadmill the next time and added intervals – a few minutes of moderate intensity, a few of high intensity and so on. One day weight training was upper body, the next lower, the next core, I also made sure to walk at a brisk pace for at least 20 minutes with varied intensity every day, took the stairs when practicable, and parked of the far end of the parking lot so as to walk more.

These changes kick started my weight loss and pushed me past the plateaus.

I also found it helpful to plan meals ahead of time and keep a food diary. And if I was at a birthday party and offered a piece of cake, I could have it. But I had to eliminate a fat, a carb and a fruit from my meal the next day or two. Sometimes I wanted the cake and sometimes I didn’t want to make the tradeoff but it was my choice as long as I was honest about it.

I think that any diet that makes you feel guilty or a failure for having a piece of cake or a cookie every now and then is not worth it.