Great news, OP!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We seriously need a new forum about this. There’s a post similar to this every day.

you are eating fewer calories so you are losing weight.

+1

That's all it is. It's great that it's working, but 'eat less move more' is and has always been the gold standard.

But eating less on a consistent basis is HARD. It is very hard in fact - very few people lose weight and stay there.

People like me like IF because it makes eating less easier and therefore sustainable. I am not sure if it's biology or psychology, probably a combination of both. But here are the facts: I was a person who would eat a "healthy" meal at 12 and then despair that a crappy snack (apple) is 3 hours away. It felt impossible to wait so long (and for what) and I would often break down and binge. I can now easily go 20 hours without food (though I am not forcing myself - it just happens sometimes). I just don't think about food that much - and that alone is a life-saver. I also don't feel particularly hungry - I would register hunger maybe once during 20 hours. (I am OP of the other thread).

That's great that it's working for you and I genuinely mean that. But posts like yours are why people say it's a form of disordered eating / for people who can't self-regulate. if you 'despair' about a 'crappy snack' and binge eat, you don't have a healthy relationship with food. Not sure why so many IF'ers refuse to acknowledge that.

I confessed several time to not having had a healthy relationship food. That doesn't mean that I am typical IF case so please stop using me to accuse of others of problems that they might not have had.

Also, a big part of why my eating was disordered (despite growing in an everything made from scratch lets enjoy food in moderation household) was following rules other than IF - I believe that counting calories was particularly ruinous in my case.

Hmm, the bolded really resonated with me. Thanks for sharing your experience, PP. I might need to look into IF.

OP, I like to make little mini pizzas in portobello mushroom caps. I brush them with garlic-infused olive oil and bake until they are a little softened. Then I fill them with a low/no-sugar pizza sauce, top with shredded cheese, and turkey pepperoni, italian sausage, basil, etc. And bake until cheese is melted and browned.

I also make a meaty tomato sauce and stuff it into halved eggplants and bake.

I eat curries over cauliflower rice....

Harvard says it is ok!
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/intermittent-fasting-surprising-update-2018062914156

A ketogenic diet for epilepsy is mostly fat with a small amount of protein and very little carbs. It's biologically inefficient, which means that it's not easy to gain weight, but possible. And it's not exactly healthy, just better than the alternative (uncontrolled seizures).

Anonymous wrote:What science is there behind keto? The same science that made us into sugar addicts?

There is actually a lot of science behind a ketogenic protocol, especially if done right. The science is based mainly on it's anti-inflammatory and cell regeneration impact. it's been shown to have a big impact on certain diseases such as epilepsy, autism, and different brain cancers. That is it's main benefit and has been used as a therapy for those purposes since the early 20th century. Will it help you lose weight? Often, but I do agree it's become a weight loss trend rather than a healthy lifestyle approach.

The ketogenic 'lifestyle' as a weight loss trend has people exclaiming about how they can eat bacon, wings and ranch all night long as part of their high fat 'diet', but ultimately the people who make these types of food choices will likely see the negative results of mineral deficiencies and other blood level impacts. Employing the ketogenic diet as part of HEALTY lifestyle means focusing on plant based nutrients, occasionally supplementing with high quality LEAN meat. Yes LEAN meat. Much of the factory raised meat we consume is raised on grains and antibiotics, which are stored in the animal's body as fat. When you consume lower quality, commercially raised, high fat meat products you are consuming all of the grain products, drugs, and other nasty stuff they consumed as well.

Ketogenic diets can be sustainable, and can be good for you to reduce levels of cortisol, other inflammation markers, and yes, lose weight. To emply keto in a healthy way eat a lot of leafy green vegatables including kale, spinach, chard, red and green cabbage, etc as well as a wide varity of other vegatables such as mushrooms, bell peppers, zucchini, brussels sprouts, cucumber, celery, and other ABOVE GROUND veg (ones that grow below ground that tend to be higher in carbohydrates) and occasionally fruits rich in antioxidants such as blueberries and blackberries. Get the bulk of your fats from plant based sources such as coconut and coconut oil, avocados, help and flax seeds, other seeds like pumpkin and chia, and nuts and occassional high-quality cheeses. Get your proteins from nutritional yeast, tofe or tempeh, free-range eggs, goat or sheep cheeses, or lean or grass FINISHED meats. To help replenish your body of minerals consume apple cider vinegar and high-qualty bone broth (perferably home made) regularly. Strickly limit anything processed, especially anyhing marketed as 'keto-friendly'. That is keto done right. It takes some getting used to but I've been following it most my life and it IS sustainable.

(B.S. Nutritional Science, Registered Dietitian, and Health Consultant)

Back to OP--congrats! sounds like its working for you, and your diet seems very healthy.

dessert: I was buying these frozen bananas covered with dark chocolate for my kids and discovered I liked them too. Not a ton of sugar (but some). I suppose you can also get sugar free dark chocolate and make them yourself.

I have a favorite ricotta dessert --blend in food processor with a bit of grand marnier and some sweetener (I use honey) until creamy. serve with a dusting of cocoa powder (or put some cocoa powder and dried espresso powder into the food processor) you can top wit raspberries, mini chocolate chips, etc.