I’m doing Keto. Have slimmed down amazingly. No effort. I eat all the eggs, fats, meats, seafoods, cheeses and leafy greens I want to. Whole milk. Nothing processed. Giving up potatoes, bread, rice and pasta wasn’t that hard. Not after I saw the results.

Downside is I’m hot all the time because my body is burning my fat since there’s no sugar to use. Boo frigging hoo.

I still drink wine and cheat occasionally.

Fitness Coach and Natural Bodybuilder here...

I'd preface this by saying ANY diet works because they all follow some model of caloric reduction.

As far as Ketogenic diets, when the body has depleted it's reserves of glucose for fuel (from food, muscle, and liver glucose) free fatty acids can be converted to ketones for energy. This facilitates lipolysis (using bodyfat for energy) if you have gone some time without eating.

When carbohydrates are reentroduced, the primary physiological goal is replenishment of muscle and liver glucose, so as long as you don't eat too many carbs too frequently, you can occasionally enjoy some carbs.

My PROBLEM with this diet (and most) is by restricting large food groups you're setting most people up for a binge eating moment. Fat also shouldn't get a free pass as too much fat can increase insulin resistance (IR is the cause of type 2 diabetes).

It CAN be very healthy if you eat a lot of veggies and can get all of your micronutrients, but I don't think it's mentally healthy for most people long term.

With diets, it's NOT that we're all unique physiological entities who's cells, tissues, and organs are constituted and function differently. We're all 99.9% IDENTICAL. However, due to our individual preferences, some diets work better than others.

I could ramble on, but I'm trying to keep this as brief as possible. Lol. Hope this helps.

I did Atkins years ago — lost 20 pounds and gained it back because I missed too many yummy foods.

Now I eat whatever I want and always keep in mind the science of CICO. Calories in have to be fewer than calories out (burned) to lose weight. I’d like to be ten pounds lighter, but I maintain my weight pretty steadily.

I am a functional nutritionist. I am not strict with my carb intake all the time but most days I follow a low carb / higher fat/protein/vegetable diet with some intermittent fasting. Works well for me. With clients I start by reducing sugar and cleaning up the diet generally. Its not for everyone but most clients who do it find it suits them well but there are some situation where it doesn't suit. Also, unless someone is going strictly keto for health reasons, it doesn't have to be super strict every day to still benefit!

Absolutely based on good science. The 'fact' that we need sugars/carbs for energy is only partly true. We evolved having periods of fasting during lean seasons and also during different parts of the day. The body produces ketones from fats when we start to run low in carbs and actually this is the best fuel for our brains - this is why ketogenic diets can help people with epilepsy and cognitive decline. Its also why it is so good for weight loss as the body evolved to hold onto the fat reserves until the lean (ketogenic) periods occur. Currently the average diet is way too carb heavy - which is part of the reason why so many people have diabetes and weight issues.

You don't have to be strictly low fat high carb / keto to get the benefits either. Just avoiding sugar and carbs and fasting for a few extra hours in the morning before breakfast helps the body to get better at burning fats (5:2 diet, intermittent fasting).

I have dropped from 252lbs down to less than 220lbs by not consuming carbs. I eat animal proteins, and fats such as lard,butter, and beef fat. I also consume coconut oil as well as olive oil but stay away from all other vegetble oils. I also eat a large amount of green leafy vegetables for vitamins and fiber but stay away from fruits because of the sugars they contain. I also keep the quanity of fats and proteins to smaller sized portions but load up on the green vegetbles. Along with intermittent fasting I have lost weight and will continue to do so in my quest to become a lean mean fighting machine or at least to keep my weight and blood sugars in check. If I throw in some physical activity I will be following the Paleo life style that I believe is the best way to live. Good luck on your journey. I am 67yrs old so do not let age get in the way.

Yes I have . Low carb high protein diet. But I did try to cut down on the fat. and no sugar. last year I lost 117 lbs. and have managed keep it off. It worked for me.

The most prominent low carb die promoter, Robert Atkins, died of a heart attack and weighed 258 pounds when he died. Of course, if that is your goal, then by all means stick with this diet.

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I tried it years ago. All it accomplished was to make me sick. The list of side effects associated with this way of eating is long & varied.

I started on low carb due to the post op requirements of bariatric weight loss surgery. Down 150ish from a surgical weight of 366. 3 years in I have added more fat content, so I guess I am pseudo keto. Works pretty well, although I am not sure how scientifically vetted the keto diet is versus low carb/high protein. Or how much fat proprortionately you really need, it’s probsbly highly personalized due to individual metabolic issues.

Generally I try to limit sugars to less than 50 grams a day and limit simple carbs as well. I eat high fat because that is where satiety comes from. When I keep to this way of eating I can lose weight, lost over 50 pounds 2 years ago. Then I changed jobs, they keep feeding us, and the stress level is huge. I'm getting it back under control, but it is a struggle. Generally I eat less meat. I eat seafood, dairy and eggs when I do want animal protein. I eat mostly vegetable protein, lots of veggies, some fruits, and very low sugars. I did Atkins several years ago which worked great, and then I started traveling for my job. I think I've tried most diets.

My friends are on keto and swear by it

I had good luck with the "Atkins" approach in the past, but am concerned about health issues with it. Recently I read a book called the "Virgin Diet," and that seems a better approach, it worked for mw when I needed to shed a few pounds. Research it, see what you think. I'm an end user and not affiliated with any weight loss programs!

I did Keto for a while and it was awesome

Check out the Plant Paradox by Steven Gundry. He has some helful insights on this that may be valuable to you.

I do a sort of cross between Paleo and Ketogenic, I don't worry about staying in ketosis full time. A year and a half in, I've lost 30 pounds of excess weight, pushed my ANA numbers for Lupus into remission, and I've had enough energy back to start a low-impact exercise regimen since August.

I work with children with a variety of disabilities, so when I don't have a kid, I nip off to the PT department and use their equipment, such as a hand cycle and a very nice elliptical. I have some equipment at home, but I'm never going to put as much money in as a PT department worth $10s of thousands

I have lost heaps a few times, 1st time was almost no carbs or sugar but lots of protein, 2nd time was just low carbs. I have never had fat in my diets, yet again I am working with someone who is doing it well, the only change is cutting out carbs and sugar, he has fat and protein, and has lost plenty.

Several years ago, I lost some weight on the Mediteranean diet, it cam back + when I couldn't stay on it. Last summer I did the Paleo diet, although I had to be strongly encouraged. Then I lost a few lbs. and had so much more energy, and lost my cravings for sweets, bread and other carbs. I have been reading a lot about it, and found that it is especially good for brain health. That's a great thing for ancient me!

Low carb yes - some fat yes - lean meats, cheeses, dried fruits. Staying away from wheat breads with fruitose corn syrup, same with granola/cereal bars and no diet soda or yogurt.

I don't eat anythiing diet. I did purchase some mandarin orange cups to start eating more fruit. I love fruit, but they mostly served canned pears here and I don't like canned pears.

I've been doing it for about a month, fairly consistently, trying to get into ketosis. I rarely succeed at achieving ketosis, but I still feel really good. Lots more energy and focus. Haven't lost much weight but my clothes fit better and my body feels more toned. And the more I do this, the less I crave sugar.