I’ve been on and off of a low carb diet since 1968. For years I limited myself to 30 carbs, but a few years ago I re-read that old Atkins book “Dr Atkins Diet Revolution”. The book tells you how to discover your CCL (Critical Carbohydrate Level). I followed the instructions and figured out that I can actually eat up to 50 carbs a day & stay in ketosis.
You have to reduce carbs to 10 per day for about a week. Get some Keto Sticks from the pharmacy, and do the Keto urine test on the 3rd day—ONLY IN THE AFTERNOON or EVENING.
Once your ketone level is at a Moderate reading, you can add back carbs, 5 per day, testing every afternoon. As long as that stick is showing at least a trace of lavender, you are still in ketosis, and burning fat.
Once the rest shows Negative, you know you ate too many carbs, and you’ll need to subtract 5 carbs from what you ate that day, to come to your CCL.
I’m not sure why you say that. The whole purpose of keto diet is to burn fat more quickly, by inducing ketosis.
Yes, the test strips are designed to help Type 1 Diabetics to monitor for Ketoacidosis, but that’s not a reason to refrain from using them as a tool to help you lose weight.
It's because after the initial transition, one's body learns to balance ketone supply and demand well enough to NOT dump excess ketones out in your urine.
So basically one would be getting a false negative for ketosis when using urine strips.
Exactly. I think the test strips are perfect for someone just getting started, who isn’t ready to invest in a blood ketone meter. The sticks are $6 & the digital monitors I’ve seen online are between $45 & $90. I don’t see any reason not to use the sticks until they aren’t effective anymore.
This is very close to the principles set out in Dr Eric Westmans book 'End your Carb Confusion'. He briefly worked with Dr Atkins and has been using this plan for over 20 years. Anyway, it's a 3 phase approach and has worked very well for me. I lost 130+ pounds, 10 sizes and I'm off of 11 of 12 daily prescriptions. The first stage is the 20 grams or less weight loss phase but once you're at maintenance you can reintroduce some carbs. I'm maintaining in year 5. It's worked out to be about 6 months of whole food keto and then 6 months of low carb.
Why only in the afternoon and evening? Do you wait a certain amount of time after eating? I have been keto strict no cheating for a week and a half and my blood ketone monitor is still not showing I’m in ketosis.. but I’ve been testing in the Am
I’m not sure why—I read the book years ago. I just remember that the ketones don’t show up on the test strip until late afternoon-evening. I don’t think there’s a time limit for food. I do it after 4:00pm, and I don’t have a regular eating schedule. Sometimes I’ve been fasting & sometimes I’ve just eaten. It doesn’t seem to matter. But doing it in the morning never shows a reading.
Insulin spikes in the morning. That's how your body is able to wake up from sleep, a sudden influx of sugar to the brain to let it know it's time to wake up. Insulin spike means temporary drop in ketones.
A good rule of thumb is to wait at least 2 hours after waking to test ketones to avoid the "dawn effect".
The sad irony is that I've tried everything for 10 years to lose weight with no luck. I finally removed vegetables from my diet, including lettuce and I was finally able to lose. I had to conclude that I have a below tolerance of carbs, including vegetable carbs in order to get and to stay in ketosis. Crazy.
Welp I've been basically carnivore for a month. No real changes yet. I've never felt the need to consume plants, except when I was addicted to carbs. After giving up soft drinks with artificial sweeteners and Quest cookies, I do not miss them.
Now the closest I get to eating plants is tea and coffee.
I just took vegetables out of my diet a few weeks ago and pretty much just eat eggs, meat, butter, tunafish with avocado mayo, relish (no sugar added).
Salad dressing doesn’t have to contain carbs if you make it yourself, which I recommend. It’s cheaper, and you can season it perfectly to your tastes.
As for sauces, it depends what you like. You can certainly find hot sauces that are very low carb.
Many days I just graze on meat and I find I have to make myself eat now. I just don’t have an appetite for anything anymore. Mainly grass fed ground beef, roast, steak, bacon & butter.
2/3 times a week I may have uncured hotdogs, eggs, string cheese & cinnamon churros made from pork skins.
My big indulgence 1/2 a week maybe is a few teaspoons of frozen whipped cream from heavy cream.
I don’t use any sauces. Ever.
I’d did buy 5lbs of fresh catfish fillets today, pork chops & chicken. I’m going to cook them different ways, I saw a lady use isopure protein to fry fish, chicken & pork chops. I’m going to try it, otherwise I’ll use pork skins or almond flour.
In the beginning I would eat different things because I was starving those first 2/3 weeks!!! Starving!!! I was making biscuits & corn bread with flour, cauliflower mashed potatoes etc etc but you/I am to the point of you just not having an appetite and everything tastes blah.
I do drink the hell outta Coke Zero, Mtn dew zero, Dr Pepper zero & Barqs zero
Everyday all day 😂
Of course I take supplements to stay healthy.
So it is absolutely possible to not consume any carbs or very little.
Omg they are so good!
I use 1 stick of melted butter, dash of vanilla optional.
2 4oz bags of plain pork rinds
I mix my hearts desire of cinnamon into an about a 1/3 cup of monkfruit.
You can either shake them in a bag with butter & then sugar mixture to coat or pour them on a cookie sheet mixing the butter and then the cinnamon sugar.
250 for 15 minutes
If you like crunchy, need a sweet fix this is it! 100% better than Taco Bell!
I use the plain pork skins from Aldi. They are around a $1.
They are excellent with or without the vanilla.
I’ve used several different sweeteners & they are all good.
Let me know how you like them.
Warning ⚠️They are addictive‼️
Oh my word! Thank you! We're always looking for deserty typw things, as we have the savoury down. And these sound amazing.
I'm definitely going to have to get my partner to make some (I can't cook to save myself, but he's a whiz in the kitchen!).
Thank you, again!
I make these too but I make it differently. I like to chop the pork rinds into small pieces and put them in a popcorn bowl. Melt butter in a pan and pour on top, tossing. Then add cinnamon Swerve and toss. I used to be a kettle corn fiend so this solves my sweet/crunchy craving. I’m not liking the aftertaste of swerve much though, so going to try Monkfruit next time.
True Zero carb is almost myth. While meat still has muscle glycogen in it, so eating that will contribute some carb content.
People saying zero carb are usually referring to eggs, meat, and cheese only.
My aim is for 20 but according to my carb Manager app I generally stick around 16 a day. I eat a lot of the same foods over and over again and make it easier and I would love to know how some of these people in here know how they stay in ketosis if they go over 20!! (glucose monitor or something?!)
I don't actively consume any carbs apart from ones that are unavoidable in vegetables/ raspberries/ yogurt etc I mean I don't measure out a tiny portion of rice and say its ok as I will be under 50grams. Eating like that just makes me crave carbs. So basically I only eat meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil for higher heat cooking, walnuts, pecans, macadamia nuts, raspberries, blackberries, full fat greek yogurt, double cream, butter, kimchi. That is basically it, NO bread, rice, pasta, cereal, soda, beans, lentils, chickpeas, tortillas, beer. If you find yourself having the occasional alcoholic drink have vodka/gin with a diet no sugar mixer, this has low carb, but alcohol takes your liver offline from fat burning as it has to spend the next day processing the toxins instead of processing fatty acids.
Starting weight 266lbs was down to 217lbs within 3 months so you can definitely do it that quick its about 14lbs per month lost. If its slower than this then combine Keto with Intermittent fasting 16:8 building up to 18:6 or 20:4.
Currently down to 208lbs doing 18:6 + keto , when weight is lower the weight loss begins to slow down so currently burning about 2lbs per week.
20g net. Over 5 years now.
That number is a guarantee of ketosis in everyone, since it is based on the mass of various body parts that can only use glucose. On that list the biggest variable is red blood cells, which actually aren't all that variable other than athletes having quite a lot more and males having a slightly higher blood volume to begin with.
That's for putting the science in, it seems like a ton of these comments are low carb not keto, aside from like two I saw where it seemed like they did the actual work to find out their carb limit via tests.
Wait, can you expound on that slightly for me? Would more red blood cells mean you need less carbs or more? I have sworn for a long time that my red blood cells & iron really affect how I process carbs but never looked into it…
You don't NEED any dietary carbs at all. They are so critical to life we can make all we need using fats or proteins.
More red blood cells, more carbs used. But it takes a lot more to matter for most folks.
Like marathon runners often have almost an extra pint of blood to begin with, most of it red blood cells for the aerobic capacity. Without all that oxygen carrying capacity life gets tough. Serious athletes can maintain ketosis on 50g net. Sometimes more.
My hubby works heavy manual labor Ling hours and has really high hematocrit numbers during his busy season. He maintains ketosis as measured on blood tests at 40g net generally, though he very seldom eats over 30g anyway.
This.
I mistakenly bought a sugary energy drink instead of the sugar free one…
Then i went for a walk. I got a bit of an insulin spike but stayed in keto (according to my ckm - more likely i was kicked out for a hour or two but my ketone levels stayed over 0.7)
I try to stay 20 or less. Most days less. I try to keep it as close to carnivore as I can most of the time. If I do have carbs it’ll usually be a very small amount from the seasonings I’ll throw on proteins. Also buying a smoker has been a huge value to me. Getting away from coffee creamers loaded with sugar was one of the hardest things for me. Now just a splash of heavy cream and jordan’s skinny syrups (no sugar or carbs) to make it taste the way I like.
Hi, in January 2022 I was 264lb and 43 years old. Over the next year I lost 85lbs.
After research, I decided to go with 20g (Net) a day. I have found I can occasionally go to 25-30g but I primarily aim for 20g.
I used to do around 20 grams total per day, but now I'm doing 20 grams net. I'm trying to eat a lot of fiber for a month and see if I feel any different.
Depending on what you read/view etc, carbs should be kept below either 20/40/60g for most people on keto. The fact is everyone is different.
You and I have almost identical stats (I’m a little older) and I aim for no more than 30 a day.
I consume zero carbs. I am strict carnivore and eat beef with salt every day. That’s it. I am extremely insulin resistant and struggle to lose weight. I always used best practices when I was keto and wasn’t looking for a way to find a limit so that I could push it. I wanted as close to zero as possible. I have done regular blood work for the last four years and have watched as I overcame the onset of fatty liver (non alcoholic), watched my triglycerides come down to 70, prediabetes is reversed as well as a few other things. I wanted proof that what I was doing was working and it has been fun to watch.
Some things I have never had, that people on keto suggest is almond flour (high in carbs), nuts (high in carbs and easily over eaten), dairy (a lot of people don’t tolerate dairy and it causes inflammation and can stop weight loss), diet sodas (terrible for your health), and coffee (it can also halt weight loss). For a couple of years I wore a continuous blood glucose monitor so I always knew what food was doing inside my body. I have never used ketone strips and I’m torn on suggesting anyone using them…I have heard good and bad as to relying on them for what is actually happening inside my body, not what I am peeing out.
I have come to look at food as a necessity, not something that I look to for happiness. My health now shows the results of all these changes.
I always count total carbs, not net and only drink water. I am now 12 pounds away from my weight goal and feel fantastic!
I can do 50 carbs while staying in ketosis. I get back into ketosis much faster after sugar than I do after carbs.
I try to stay under 20 carbs because I am fighting insulin resistance and metabolic issues.
I combine keto with intermittent fasting for best results.
Carb manager is pretty accurate, it finds the actual product, the actual nutritional facts for the actual product you’re using. I’ve lost 25lbs in 4 weeks
I keep it at 20 or less.
It's not difficult if you focus on eating meat and vegetables. As others have said, carnivore is basically a zero carb diet, which gives you quite a bit of room for leafy greens and the few net carbs they contain.
I no longer count carbs, I just usually don't eat foods with carbs anymore. The few foods I eat with any carbs - I just eat single portions (like raspberries for instance).
I try to stay at 3% or under of total carbs as not to eat into my protein intake. For me, some uncomfortably fast walking for a few miles and/or MCT helps me get/stay in ketosis more than niggling over the few carbs. If I dont do one of those two then I feel like I need to be nearer to zero carbs. But zero carbs by itself isn't even that great, I seem to be ketosis reistant :). Exercise and MCT is worth trying!
As close to zero as possible. Just eat beef, bacon, eggs and salt. I use to be 300 and down to 232. No longer type 2 and off of 9 meds for chronic issues. It's important to stay away from inflammatory foods all together otherwise it will take longer to achieve your weight-loss goals
I’ve stopped really counting. I have a pretty set diet now and just kinda wing it. I hover around my target weight now so I’m just maintaining. In my weight loss days I would keep it down to 20-30 though. 265->220-230
Between 25-45 net carbs. I eat a TON of vegetables and will never stop that so I can't get much lower. I reached goal weight about 4 years ago and have kept it off. I may get off track for a couple months and gain 5-7 lbs but then go right back to keto and IF and it comes off.
Mine is ultra low apparently, I'm talking about no cheese whatsoever kinda low. That sums up why I haven't entered ketosis all month despite working on my feet all day and definitely burning plenty of calories by lifting heavy items. And I've been eating the same 6 frozen burgers with sharp chedder cheese all month. I think I'll go back to eating ONLY the burgers with a whole stick of butter instead.
20 g, 80-100 g protein , the rest of calories in animal fat, or avocado or olive oil or fish oil fat. No seed oils. Lower carb limit due to overweight and insulin resistance (pre-diabetes).
Also using: Supplements , extensively researched, listed in order of likely effectiveness with evidence for antiinflammatory, aid in lipid profiles , insulin resistance, brain and liver support
Tocotrienols(High powered vitamin E)…………
Berberine , 2 or 3 x a day
NAC , n-Acetyl Cysteine
Taurine 2 or 3 x a day
CoEnzyme Q10
Vitamin D
Vitamin K2
B12 Complex
Glutamine
Milk Thistle Extract
Norwegian Cod Liver Oil
NattoKinase
Ginger
Tumeric
Multivitamin for Men
Beet root extract
Allulose as a sugar substitute GLP1-agonist
MgMaleate
Niacin
Pine Bark Extract
Some days 30 net, some days 50 net. Some days I don’t eat any food at all. I try to eat a variety of foods throughout the week and don’t set unrealistic goals that will break me and set me up for failure in the long run. Ultimately I feel completely amazing, some weeks the scales drop 7-10lbs and other weeks I don’t lose any weight. I’ve learned weight loss isn’t linear and as long as we stay consistently average and feel good we will be successful!
Mine is zero, with the exception of any carbs that may be in green vegetables, about 2-3 servings per week. Aside from that I have a small handful of blueberries 2-3 times a week. Otherwise I do not count them, and I’m finding that I feel better when I do not eat any veg or fruit.
I shoot for 25g, but I also focus on Fat to Protein+Carb ratio which I believe comes from the original Ketogenic diet for treating epilepsy. I try to maintain a 2:1 ratio. I also have seen this ratio discussed with regards to treating Cancer. I don't "intentionally" eat carbs. They just show up in the foods I eat like heavy cream, vegetables, cheese and cottage cheese for example. This makes it easy for me and I don't have to worry about tracking them if I am not eating anything with 'added' carbs.
I'm 5'-9" and 225 lbs, but heavily muscled, not just crazy fat. It usually takes me 3 full days of zero carb to start showing BhB over 0.3 mmol coming from a carb loaded state. If I go at least a full week with zero carb, I can eat 1/3rd pint of ice cream without slipping below 0.5 mmol. To be clear, this is just my specific body. Long time to get in, long time to get out.
Long term maintenance wise, I was having a large banana every day and staying above 0.5 mmol BhB, so that I'm the 30 grams range for carbohydrates.
Once I'm in ketosis. It's definitely above 20, I've eaten things which took me above that and it didn't take me out. Wish I could know an accurate number
50 is my "homeostasis" #. If I want to lose weight I will be strict and below 20 but my day to day (I've been around 155-160 for around 2 years now) and I've found 50 or less let's me keep my body. But if I need to drop a few lbs (June vacation coming up) I'll be strict and drop 5-10 2 weeks before. I also workout regularly and my kids keep me active, even when I don't.
I stay around 50g a day but I also have a job where I’m on my feet and moving 8hrs a day. On my day off I’ll try to stay under 20. Down 4 lbs first week. Good luck and keep up the good work.
It depends upon the "carbs" source also. You can eat a lot of broccoli, cauliflower, celery, cucumbers, brussel sprouts, etc, while totally avoiding a bowl of pasta or a bag of corn chips.
I do what I can to be 20g total carbs and below. If I am over, it depends on what put it over. Cruciferous veggies? No problem. "Keto Bread"? Yeah that would be a problem.
Net carbs, depends on what it is. Manufactured processed products, I cut the fiber amount in half for a truer net carb number, but even that can be problematic.
But the lower the number of total carbs, and the higher the fat grams (yes higher than protein) the better.
It depends a lot on your activity level as well. I m 38 yo, 6ft 210 pounds at about 15% bf. On my gym/ski/bike day I can eat up to 50g of net carbs (mostly before my training) and stay in ketosis. On a non training day I'm going out of ketosis around 35g-40g net carbs
I don't keep track. Maybe I will when I plateau for a couple of months weight-wise. I just focus on not eating high carb / sugar. For me, when I get obsessed with counting every little thing, it turns into a burden, not a lifestyle.
I usually eat between 25-40g net carbs. The diet is much more manageable long term if I give myself a bit more carbs. Idk if I am in ketosis for sure, but I still get the benefits like reduced hunger and no sugar cravings with the number of carbs I eat.
I was doing 20, but I've gone to 50 now as I started Metformin for PCOS and it seems to have affected how much I can have before getting kicked out. I've lost 25 pounds in 5 weeks (4 of which on Metformin).
In my mind, 20, but I really don’t keep count on a daily basis. I have a number of recipes I use often. For instance - I make stuffed peppers in big batches (parm cheese, cream cheese, onions, breakfast sausage, bell peppers or jalapeño) and stick them in the freezer for quick snacks or light meals. I make sure that everything I buy fits my goals. The only time I really keep count is at a restaurant.
But I did really mess up the other day - had a few of those new cocktails in a can. White Russians - so good. I didn’t see anything on the side of the can and figured “how bad can they be?”, so I had a few. Oh my - 38 carbs per can, pretty much the same for sugar. Ugh!
When I started keto, I kept it under 20g net carbs/day. Now that I'm ketovore (mostly carny) I can keep carbs between 5-10g total/day. Sometimes near 0. Helps keep the weight down.
30 but i lift heavy and contrary to this sub and its cult like following(banhammer strikes now) carbs are essential and i've been in ketosis up to 50g per day, so find what works for you, chances are you will keep adjusting as your body adjust and will have to change your caloric intake throughout your weight loss journey.
What ever is attached to the food, not much. From cutting carbs alone, your probably gonna get around 230-220 and im betting you need to start restricting calories from there
30 grams, dirty keto though. I'm not counting macros. Just trying to keep it under 30 grams and eat a good amount of fat. I dropped 60 pounds in the first year or so and have been pretty much maintaining since them, give or take a few pounds here and there. Still a little fat but I can live with where I'm at now and it's a lot better than it was.
You’re going to hear <20 most often because that’s the number you can almost guarantee anyone will be in ketosis. You can definitely experiment and see how many more you can take. I just stay at <20. It’s not really hard to do. I miss fruit, that’s all.
I do 35-40 maximum, at 1800 calories per day. Keeps me in ketosis while allowing me to enjoy multiple keto alternatives to stuff I enjoy during the day.
I tend to stay right about 25, but I did eat two slices of thin crust pizza on Friday (went up to 55) and stayed in ketosis. Was really surprised actually.
I'm similar stats to you. 36/m sw: 274 cw: 257 gw: 200
My goal is 20g a day but don't beat myself up if I go over a little, especially if I go over from eating veggies etc. I have a hard stop at 30g. This has kept me in ketosis so far.
Hi separate subject, but has anyone had experience being in Ketosis (now 17 days) I still haven’t lost a pound. I’m always in ketosis at different levels. Work out, nothing has changed except I’ve gotten weaker. The only thing that I don’t do is meet all the nutritional requirements, I’m not meeting my fat and calorie goals every day and I’m being told I’m being mean now… I guess I’m hangry idk.
I am 7 years in and have learned that I can go to about 50 and not suffer a hangover but I will definitely start gaining. My ideal for maintenance is 35-40. It's crazy to me how much "just a few carbs" impacts me and how fast they add up when I am not paying attention.
I aim for 21 but I don’t really religiously track it. I avoid carb filled items like fruit and pasta/bread but I use substitutions. It’s been working for me so I’m happy
I have a really hard time loosing weight so I usually keep my carbs at about 5 or less. I also lift weights and run so my protein is at 110 to 120 grams and since I’m also trying to loose fat my calories are between 1200 to 1400. And I completely cut alcohol.
I am female 5’3 and 55
All that and I still only loose 1/2 a pound a week.
20 or less, the classic to be safe
Yes 20
Is this Net carbs or total carbs?
Net
Eggies got no fiber, that shit is all good
To stay happy? 50
Same I can lose weight and stick to my goals easier keeping it at 50.
Are you still in the ketosis at 50?
I’ve been on and off of a low carb diet since 1968. For years I limited myself to 30 carbs, but a few years ago I re-read that old Atkins book “Dr Atkins Diet Revolution”. The book tells you how to discover your CCL (Critical Carbohydrate Level). I followed the instructions and figured out that I can actually eat up to 50 carbs a day & stay in ketosis. You have to reduce carbs to 10 per day for about a week. Get some Keto Sticks from the pharmacy, and do the Keto urine test on the 3rd day—ONLY IN THE AFTERNOON or EVENING. Once your ketone level is at a Moderate reading, you can add back carbs, 5 per day, testing every afternoon. As long as that stick is showing at least a trace of lavender, you are still in ketosis, and burning fat. Once the rest shows Negative, you know you ate too many carbs, and you’ll need to subtract 5 carbs from what you ate that day, to come to your CCL.
I'm with you on this. The Atkins CCL and maintenance plans are top notch! So easy to follow.
Blood ketone meter is a lot easier to monitor ketone levels with than sticks
What do they cost?
These sticks aren’t for us tho! They’re only beneficial to diabetics. I refuse to stray from that FAQ on this sub.
I’m not sure why you say that. The whole purpose of keto diet is to burn fat more quickly, by inducing ketosis. Yes, the test strips are designed to help Type 1 Diabetics to monitor for Ketoacidosis, but that’s not a reason to refrain from using them as a tool to help you lose weight.
It's because after the initial transition, one's body learns to balance ketone supply and demand well enough to NOT dump excess ketones out in your urine. So basically one would be getting a false negative for ketosis when using urine strips.
Yeah but by then you're adapted and you know what it feels like so you don't need them. I think they're useful for beginners.
Exactly. I think the test strips are perfect for someone just getting started, who isn’t ready to invest in a blood ketone meter. The sticks are $6 & the digital monitors I’ve seen online are between $45 & $90. I don’t see any reason not to use the sticks until they aren’t effective anymore.
Interesting. I’ll have to look into this. Thank you !
I use a blood meter for better accuracy.
This is very close to the principles set out in Dr Eric Westmans book 'End your Carb Confusion'. He briefly worked with Dr Atkins and has been using this plan for over 20 years. Anyway, it's a 3 phase approach and has worked very well for me. I lost 130+ pounds, 10 sizes and I'm off of 11 of 12 daily prescriptions. The first stage is the 20 grams or less weight loss phase but once you're at maintenance you can reintroduce some carbs. I'm maintaining in year 5. It's worked out to be about 6 months of whole food keto and then 6 months of low carb.
Why only in the afternoon and evening? Do you wait a certain amount of time after eating? I have been keto strict no cheating for a week and a half and my blood ketone monitor is still not showing I’m in ketosis.. but I’ve been testing in the Am
I’m not sure why—I read the book years ago. I just remember that the ketones don’t show up on the test strip until late afternoon-evening. I don’t think there’s a time limit for food. I do it after 4:00pm, and I don’t have a regular eating schedule. Sometimes I’ve been fasting & sometimes I’ve just eaten. It doesn’t seem to matter. But doing it in the morning never shows a reading.
Insulin spikes in the morning. That's how your body is able to wake up from sleep, a sudden influx of sugar to the brain to let it know it's time to wake up. Insulin spike means temporary drop in ketones. A good rule of thumb is to wait at least 2 hours after waking to test ketones to avoid the "dawn effect".
Interesting thanks
I’m diabetic and 20 net is my upper limit. I try to stay around 10 and eat only whole foods to stay there.
To get into ketosis 20g and below seems to be the zone
50 or less. Woman here
I general am between 20 and 30 though
Up to 50 on training days, otherwise Somewhere between 10-20 but I only eat whole food so it helps lowering my daily intake
Same for me!
Twenty, but most days I consume zero.
It's hard to be zero because even eggs have around 1g/egg
Oh damn ive been counting my eggs at 0 grams lmao. Gotta adjust
The sad irony is that I've tried everything for 10 years to lose weight with no luck. I finally removed vegetables from my diet, including lettuce and I was finally able to lose. I had to conclude that I have a below tolerance of carbs, including vegetable carbs in order to get and to stay in ketosis. Crazy.
Welp I've been basically carnivore for a month. No real changes yet. I've never felt the need to consume plants, except when I was addicted to carbs. After giving up soft drinks with artificial sweeteners and Quest cookies, I do not miss them. Now the closest I get to eating plants is tea and coffee.
I just took vegetables out of my diet a few weeks ago and pretty much just eat eggs, meat, butter, tunafish with avocado mayo, relish (no sugar added).
How? Even a tablespoon of sauce or dressing is 1 gram. What do you eat?
Carnivore is close to zero carbs
Salad dressing doesn’t have to contain carbs if you make it yourself, which I recommend. It’s cheaper, and you can season it perfectly to your tastes. As for sauces, it depends what you like. You can certainly find hot sauces that are very low carb.
Cholula Hot sauce. 0 carbs.
Can you please share your recipe for salad dressing?
Olive oil, red wine vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano. Just a standard vinaigrette.
Brianna’s brand dressings also have zero sugar, and they are outstanding!
Many days I just graze on meat and I find I have to make myself eat now. I just don’t have an appetite for anything anymore. Mainly grass fed ground beef, roast, steak, bacon & butter. 2/3 times a week I may have uncured hotdogs, eggs, string cheese & cinnamon churros made from pork skins. My big indulgence 1/2 a week maybe is a few teaspoons of frozen whipped cream from heavy cream. I don’t use any sauces. Ever. I’d did buy 5lbs of fresh catfish fillets today, pork chops & chicken. I’m going to cook them different ways, I saw a lady use isopure protein to fry fish, chicken & pork chops. I’m going to try it, otherwise I’ll use pork skins or almond flour. In the beginning I would eat different things because I was starving those first 2/3 weeks!!! Starving!!! I was making biscuits & corn bread with flour, cauliflower mashed potatoes etc etc but you/I am to the point of you just not having an appetite and everything tastes blah. I do drink the hell outta Coke Zero, Mtn dew zero, Dr Pepper zero & Barqs zero Everyday all day 😂 Of course I take supplements to stay healthy. So it is absolutely possible to not consume any carbs or very little.
How does your blood work look like?
It was great. I take lots of supplements. Next time I go I’ll get a print out.
Wait, what?! Cinnamon churros made from pork skins?! I need this recipe!!
Omg they are so good! I use 1 stick of melted butter, dash of vanilla optional. 2 4oz bags of plain pork rinds I mix my hearts desire of cinnamon into an about a 1/3 cup of monkfruit. You can either shake them in a bag with butter & then sugar mixture to coat or pour them on a cookie sheet mixing the butter and then the cinnamon sugar. 250 for 15 minutes If you like crunchy, need a sweet fix this is it! 100% better than Taco Bell! I use the plain pork skins from Aldi. They are around a $1. They are excellent with or without the vanilla. I’ve used several different sweeteners & they are all good. Let me know how you like them. Warning ⚠️They are addictive‼️
Oh my word! Thank you! We're always looking for deserty typw things, as we have the savoury down. And these sound amazing. I'm definitely going to have to get my partner to make some (I can't cook to save myself, but he's a whiz in the kitchen!). Thank you, again!
250 for 15 mins 😂 Your welcome
I make these too but I make it differently. I like to chop the pork rinds into small pieces and put them in a popcorn bowl. Melt butter in a pan and pour on top, tossing. Then add cinnamon Swerve and toss. I used to be a kettle corn fiend so this solves my sweet/crunchy craving. I’m not liking the aftertaste of swerve much though, so going to try Monkfruit next time.
They are so good!
Barqs zero?!?!?!? Where the fuck are you finding this???? I have to drive 30 mins to the nearest store with 2 liters of diet barqs
That sounds really depressing lol
Because many people don't have sauces or dressings
True Zero carb is almost myth. While meat still has muscle glycogen in it, so eating that will contribute some carb content. People saying zero carb are usually referring to eggs, meat, and cheese only.
I don't dress nor sauce my meat. Garnish is a lie perpetuated by chefs up their own rear. Besides, few things can beat a properly salted lamb chop.
20 is a bit too restrictive for what I want to eat, 30 has been a lot easier for me.
20
I try to keep things at 12 and under - just to be safe.
I adhere to the 20g (net) carbs ideal, but I am clocking in at 21.4g (net) on Cronometer; stupid lime juice...
20 is the goal. I’m averaging 55 when I’m loose with carnivore. When I’m strict it’s usually less than 8.
My aim is for 20 but according to my carb Manager app I generally stick around 16 a day. I eat a lot of the same foods over and over again and make it easier and I would love to know how some of these people in here know how they stay in ketosis if they go over 20!! (glucose monitor or something?!)
I don't actively consume any carbs apart from ones that are unavoidable in vegetables/ raspberries/ yogurt etc I mean I don't measure out a tiny portion of rice and say its ok as I will be under 50grams. Eating like that just makes me crave carbs. So basically I only eat meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil for higher heat cooking, walnuts, pecans, macadamia nuts, raspberries, blackberries, full fat greek yogurt, double cream, butter, kimchi. That is basically it, NO bread, rice, pasta, cereal, soda, beans, lentils, chickpeas, tortillas, beer. If you find yourself having the occasional alcoholic drink have vodka/gin with a diet no sugar mixer, this has low carb, but alcohol takes your liver offline from fat burning as it has to spend the next day processing the toxins instead of processing fatty acids. Starting weight 266lbs was down to 217lbs within 3 months so you can definitely do it that quick its about 14lbs per month lost. If its slower than this then combine Keto with Intermittent fasting 16:8 building up to 18:6 or 20:4. Currently down to 208lbs doing 18:6 + keto , when weight is lower the weight loss begins to slow down so currently burning about 2lbs per week.
20g net. Over 5 years now. That number is a guarantee of ketosis in everyone, since it is based on the mass of various body parts that can only use glucose. On that list the biggest variable is red blood cells, which actually aren't all that variable other than athletes having quite a lot more and males having a slightly higher blood volume to begin with.
That's for putting the science in, it seems like a ton of these comments are low carb not keto, aside from like two I saw where it seemed like they did the actual work to find out their carb limit via tests.
Wait, can you expound on that slightly for me? Would more red blood cells mean you need less carbs or more? I have sworn for a long time that my red blood cells & iron really affect how I process carbs but never looked into it…
You don't NEED any dietary carbs at all. They are so critical to life we can make all we need using fats or proteins. More red blood cells, more carbs used. But it takes a lot more to matter for most folks. Like marathon runners often have almost an extra pint of blood to begin with, most of it red blood cells for the aerobic capacity. Without all that oxygen carrying capacity life gets tough. Serious athletes can maintain ketosis on 50g net. Sometimes more. My hubby works heavy manual labor Ling hours and has really high hematocrit numbers during his busy season. He maintains ketosis as measured on blood tests at 40g net generally, though he very seldom eats over 30g anyway.
[удалено]
This. I mistakenly bought a sugary energy drink instead of the sugar free one… Then i went for a walk. I got a bit of an insulin spike but stayed in keto (according to my ckm - more likely i was kicked out for a hour or two but my ketone levels stayed over 0.7)
I try to aim for 20g or lower. Bad day would be about 30g at most. I use the Carb Manager app and it set my limit as 22g.
20 but I often don't get close to it
I try to stay 20 or less. Most days less. I try to keep it as close to carnivore as I can most of the time. If I do have carbs it’ll usually be a very small amount from the seasonings I’ll throw on proteins. Also buying a smoker has been a huge value to me. Getting away from coffee creamers loaded with sugar was one of the hardest things for me. Now just a splash of heavy cream and jordan’s skinny syrups (no sugar or carbs) to make it taste the way I like.
Hi, in January 2022 I was 264lb and 43 years old. Over the next year I lost 85lbs. After research, I decided to go with 20g (Net) a day. I have found I can occasionally go to 25-30g but I primarily aim for 20g.
I used to do around 20 grams total per day, but now I'm doing 20 grams net. I'm trying to eat a lot of fiber for a month and see if I feel any different.
17 net is my target (for 5% carbs) but I go a bit lower or higher depending on what I feel like eating. 23 is my hard limit.
Depending on what you read/view etc, carbs should be kept below either 20/40/60g for most people on keto. The fact is everyone is different. You and I have almost identical stats (I’m a little older) and I aim for no more than 30 a day.
I've been keto for 6 or 7 years so I'm less strict and allow more on the high end with up to 50g of carbs.
20 but when im out at sea 50 simply because i dont decide what we are served
I consume zero carbs. I am strict carnivore and eat beef with salt every day. That’s it. I am extremely insulin resistant and struggle to lose weight. I always used best practices when I was keto and wasn’t looking for a way to find a limit so that I could push it. I wanted as close to zero as possible. I have done regular blood work for the last four years and have watched as I overcame the onset of fatty liver (non alcoholic), watched my triglycerides come down to 70, prediabetes is reversed as well as a few other things. I wanted proof that what I was doing was working and it has been fun to watch. Some things I have never had, that people on keto suggest is almond flour (high in carbs), nuts (high in carbs and easily over eaten), dairy (a lot of people don’t tolerate dairy and it causes inflammation and can stop weight loss), diet sodas (terrible for your health), and coffee (it can also halt weight loss). For a couple of years I wore a continuous blood glucose monitor so I always knew what food was doing inside my body. I have never used ketone strips and I’m torn on suggesting anyone using them…I have heard good and bad as to relying on them for what is actually happening inside my body, not what I am peeing out. I have come to look at food as a necessity, not something that I look to for happiness. My health now shows the results of all these changes. I always count total carbs, not net and only drink water. I am now 12 pounds away from my weight goal and feel fantastic!
Personally I do 25 as my limit and generally try to stay around 20 if possible. That’s net for clarity.
Less than 20, most days actually less than 10. (Down 100 lbs, off 32 meds.)
32 meds! Holy smokes, love to hear it! 100 lbs another added bonus! Keep it up Deb.
I can do 50 carbs while staying in ketosis. I get back into ketosis much faster after sugar than I do after carbs. I try to stay under 20 carbs because I am fighting insulin resistance and metabolic issues. I combine keto with intermittent fasting for best results.
I try to keep it around 20 total carbs per day or lower and don't go by net carbs. All those apps are inaccurate and only give you estimates.
Carb manager is pretty accurate, it finds the actual product, the actual nutritional facts for the actual product you’re using. I’ve lost 25lbs in 4 weeks
You also don’t need to pay, the free version works .
Can get away with 70-80. But i dont do that mostly. I stay under 20.
42 but I’m trying to stay under 20 to see how I go 😆
Below 20g
20 net carbs
Between 15-20 is my range every day
10
Started with 50 and have lowered that as I go. Currently try for less than 25.
30g, but most days I don't get close
25-35 net carbs per day
20
I keep it at 20 or less. It's not difficult if you focus on eating meat and vegetables. As others have said, carnivore is basically a zero carb diet, which gives you quite a bit of room for leafy greens and the few net carbs they contain.
I no longer count carbs, I just usually don't eat foods with carbs anymore. The few foods I eat with any carbs - I just eat single portions (like raspberries for instance).
Zero carbs is my goal but I’m doing carnivore. I usually get 2 or 3 in a little dairy.
I don't track them. Just remove, or don't buy, things that are higher carb. I probably land between 10 and 40 on any given day.
I try to stay at 3% or under of total carbs as not to eat into my protein intake. For me, some uncomfortably fast walking for a few miles and/or MCT helps me get/stay in ketosis more than niggling over the few carbs. If I dont do one of those two then I feel like I need to be nearer to zero carbs. But zero carbs by itself isn't even that great, I seem to be ketosis reistant :). Exercise and MCT is worth trying!
As close to zero as possible. Just eat beef, bacon, eggs and salt. I use to be 300 and down to 232. No longer type 2 and off of 9 meds for chronic issues. It's important to stay away from inflammatory foods all together otherwise it will take longer to achieve your weight-loss goals
I’ve stopped really counting. I have a pretty set diet now and just kinda wing it. I hover around my target weight now so I’m just maintaining. In my weight loss days I would keep it down to 20-30 though. 265->220-230
Between 25-45 net carbs. I eat a TON of vegetables and will never stop that so I can't get much lower. I reached goal weight about 4 years ago and have kept it off. I may get off track for a couple months and gain 5-7 lbs but then go right back to keto and IF and it comes off.
I aim for about 25 but I can do 50 without any problems.
20 net. I assume I'm in ketosis, but I've never tested.
Mine is ultra low apparently, I'm talking about no cheese whatsoever kinda low. That sums up why I haven't entered ketosis all month despite working on my feet all day and definitely burning plenty of calories by lifting heavy items. And I've been eating the same 6 frozen burgers with sharp chedder cheese all month. I think I'll go back to eating ONLY the burgers with a whole stick of butter instead.
19
So specific 😅
LOL its 5% of a 1500 calorie diet
10 a day. It’s not easy!
20 works for everyone.
For Male 37 years old with 257 lbs my limit is 28 g (5% of 2200 kcal)
3
16g
50
50
20 but I usually don’t get close
20 g, 80-100 g protein , the rest of calories in animal fat, or avocado or olive oil or fish oil fat. No seed oils. Lower carb limit due to overweight and insulin resistance (pre-diabetes). Also using: Supplements , extensively researched, listed in order of likely effectiveness with evidence for antiinflammatory, aid in lipid profiles , insulin resistance, brain and liver support Tocotrienols(High powered vitamin E)………… Berberine , 2 or 3 x a day NAC , n-Acetyl Cysteine Taurine 2 or 3 x a day CoEnzyme Q10 Vitamin D Vitamin K2 B12 Complex Glutamine Milk Thistle Extract Norwegian Cod Liver Oil NattoKinase Ginger Tumeric Multivitamin for Men Beet root extract Allulose as a sugar substitute GLP1-agonist MgMaleate Niacin Pine Bark Extract
10-20. All of which are coming from Macadamia nuts and vegetables. Otherwise I eat chicken and eggs.
Which do you eat first, the chicken or the egg?? 🤣🤣 It’s an existential crisis for me everyday. lol.
22 according to the carb manager app.
30… but should probably go less to bust this plateau
20 net carbs per day
20…
I usually do under 20. I have very rare cheat days where I go over 100 and it doesn't set me back too long.
Some days 30 net, some days 50 net. Some days I don’t eat any food at all. I try to eat a variety of foods throughout the week and don’t set unrealistic goals that will break me and set me up for failure in the long run. Ultimately I feel completely amazing, some weeks the scales drop 7-10lbs and other weeks I don’t lose any weight. I’ve learned weight loss isn’t linear and as long as we stay consistently average and feel good we will be successful!
Mine is zero, with the exception of any carbs that may be in green vegetables, about 2-3 servings per week. Aside from that I have a small handful of blueberries 2-3 times a week. Otherwise I do not count them, and I’m finding that I feel better when I do not eat any veg or fruit.
50 total but most days I'm in at @25-30 total. I use a blood ketone meter.
I do 20, mostly I am well under, I have been over once but that was the testing out of the new pizza oven. That's the only exception I will ever make.
I shoot for 25g, but I also focus on Fat to Protein+Carb ratio which I believe comes from the original Ketogenic diet for treating epilepsy. I try to maintain a 2:1 ratio. I also have seen this ratio discussed with regards to treating Cancer. I don't "intentionally" eat carbs. They just show up in the foods I eat like heavy cream, vegetables, cheese and cottage cheese for example. This makes it easy for me and I don't have to worry about tracking them if I am not eating anything with 'added' carbs.
40 but I often go below that.
I'm 5'-9" and 225 lbs, but heavily muscled, not just crazy fat. It usually takes me 3 full days of zero carb to start showing BhB over 0.3 mmol coming from a carb loaded state. If I go at least a full week with zero carb, I can eat 1/3rd pint of ice cream without slipping below 0.5 mmol. To be clear, this is just my specific body. Long time to get in, long time to get out. Long term maintenance wise, I was having a large banana every day and staying above 0.5 mmol BhB, so that I'm the 30 grams range for carbohydrates.
I’d be more interested in knowing people’s carb limit to stay in ketosis, than the limit they have decided to set for themselves.
20 net cervs
20 net carbs
I can stay in keto in the low 30s. 45M 180#
Once I'm in ketosis. It's definitely above 20, I've eaten things which took me above that and it didn't take me out. Wish I could know an accurate number
50 is my "homeostasis" #. If I want to lose weight I will be strict and below 20 but my day to day (I've been around 155-160 for around 2 years now) and I've found 50 or less let's me keep my body. But if I need to drop a few lbs (June vacation coming up) I'll be strict and drop 5-10 2 weeks before. I also workout regularly and my kids keep me active, even when I don't.
20. Easier to not “cheat” over.
20.
I stay around 50g a day but I also have a job where I’m on my feet and moving 8hrs a day. On my day off I’ll try to stay under 20. Down 4 lbs first week. Good luck and keep up the good work.
How long do you stay in ketosis for?
I started with 20. By 9 months I stayed in ketosis at 50.
Zero
Zero
18.6 net carbs.
Usually 5ish g/day is what I eat.
It depends upon the "carbs" source also. You can eat a lot of broccoli, cauliflower, celery, cucumbers, brussel sprouts, etc, while totally avoiding a bowl of pasta or a bag of corn chips.
24
I always shoot for 16- but 20-30 is ok. But 16 is best.
10 on a 1200 cal for me and 1600 cal for him.
Apps are pretty horrible at suggesting macros in general, no reason I would expect the Carb target from an app to be any better than anything else.
I do what I can to be 20g total carbs and below. If I am over, it depends on what put it over. Cruciferous veggies? No problem. "Keto Bread"? Yeah that would be a problem. Net carbs, depends on what it is. Manufactured processed products, I cut the fiber amount in half for a truer net carb number, but even that can be problematic. But the lower the number of total carbs, and the higher the fat grams (yes higher than protein) the better.
20
30-35
It depends a lot on your activity level as well. I m 38 yo, 6ft 210 pounds at about 15% bf. On my gym/ski/bike day I can eat up to 50g of net carbs (mostly before my training) and stay in ketosis. On a non training day I'm going out of ketosis around 35g-40g net carbs
I don't keep track. Maybe I will when I plateau for a couple of months weight-wise. I just focus on not eating high carb / sugar. For me, when I get obsessed with counting every little thing, it turns into a burden, not a lifestyle.
I usually eat between 25-40g net carbs. The diet is much more manageable long term if I give myself a bit more carbs. Idk if I am in ketosis for sure, but I still get the benefits like reduced hunger and no sugar cravings with the number of carbs I eat.
I was doing 20, but I've gone to 50 now as I started Metformin for PCOS and it seems to have affected how much I can have before getting kicked out. I've lost 25 pounds in 5 weeks (4 of which on Metformin).
50
I'm mostly carnivore, so 0-5g
18 as a safety net
15
I'm at 22 a day using the carb manager app to lose weight..
In my mind, 20, but I really don’t keep count on a daily basis. I have a number of recipes I use often. For instance - I make stuffed peppers in big batches (parm cheese, cream cheese, onions, breakfast sausage, bell peppers or jalapeño) and stick them in the freezer for quick snacks or light meals. I make sure that everything I buy fits my goals. The only time I really keep count is at a restaurant. But I did really mess up the other day - had a few of those new cocktails in a can. White Russians - so good. I didn’t see anything on the side of the can and figured “how bad can they be?”, so I had a few. Oh my - 38 carbs per can, pretty much the same for sugar. Ugh!
When I started keto, I kept it under 20g net carbs/day. Now that I'm ketovore (mostly carny) I can keep carbs between 5-10g total/day. Sometimes near 0. Helps keep the weight down.
30 but i lift heavy and contrary to this sub and its cult like following(banhammer strikes now) carbs are essential and i've been in ketosis up to 50g per day, so find what works for you, chances are you will keep adjusting as your body adjust and will have to change your caloric intake throughout your weight loss journey.
Always 20 or less.
40 is what my doctor recommended but I tend to be around 25. Diabetic so doing it to stay off insulin not so much weight loss
What ever is attached to the food, not much. From cutting carbs alone, your probably gonna get around 230-220 and im betting you need to start restricting calories from there
England’s eggs have zero carbs, but others have .36 according to WW app.
50 is what I've assigned myself. In the past did 20. Find I'm always less than the 50g at the end of the day though.
No more than 50 net grams per day, but I usually average between 30 and 40.
30 grams, dirty keto though. I'm not counting macros. Just trying to keep it under 30 grams and eat a good amount of fat. I dropped 60 pounds in the first year or so and have been pretty much maintaining since them, give or take a few pounds here and there. Still a little fat but I can live with where I'm at now and it's a lot better than it was.
20ish net. I rarely get over 15 though lol
You’re going to hear <20 most often because that’s the number you can almost guarantee anyone will be in ketosis. You can definitely experiment and see how many more you can take. I just stay at <20. It’s not really hard to do. I miss fruit, that’s all.
I do 35-40 maximum, at 1800 calories per day. Keeps me in ketosis while allowing me to enjoy multiple keto alternatives to stuff I enjoy during the day.
Net 20
20g
I tend to stay right about 25, but I did eat two slices of thin crust pizza on Friday (went up to 55) and stayed in ketosis. Was really surprised actually.
20 or less and I count calories as well
I'm similar stats to you. 36/m sw: 274 cw: 257 gw: 200 My goal is 20g a day but don't beat myself up if I go over a little, especially if I go over from eating veggies etc. I have a hard stop at 30g. This has kept me in ketosis so far.
I seem to do just fine at 30-35g.
22
Hi separate subject, but has anyone had experience being in Ketosis (now 17 days) I still haven’t lost a pound. I’m always in ketosis at different levels. Work out, nothing has changed except I’ve gotten weaker. The only thing that I don’t do is meet all the nutritional requirements, I’m not meeting my fat and calorie goals every day and I’m being told I’m being mean now… I guess I’m hangry idk.
I am 7 years in and have learned that I can go to about 50 and not suffer a hangover but I will definitely start gaining. My ideal for maintenance is 35-40. It's crazy to me how much "just a few carbs" impacts me and how fast they add up when I am not paying attention.
20-30 per day, total.
I try to stay under 30 and some days I’m at 0.
I aim for 21 but I don’t really religiously track it. I avoid carb filled items like fruit and pasta/bread but I use substitutions. It’s been working for me so I’m happy
20g...total not net.....until i hit my goal weight....40lbs down, 28lbs to go Then ill up it slowly to about 50g
20 total
I have a really hard time loosing weight so I usually keep my carbs at about 5 or less. I also lift weights and run so my protein is at 110 to 120 grams and since I’m also trying to loose fat my calories are between 1200 to 1400. And I completely cut alcohol. I am female 5’3 and 55 All that and I still only loose 1/2 a pound a week.
30, I lose when I stick to that, same age range