I started my Keto diet as a response to a PCOS diagnosis. I have been eating keto for over two weeks and definitely been in keto for two weeks. When I do urinary tests I am always in 0.5 to 1.5 mmol/L. I am oscillating between being quite strict and quite relaxed and usually intermittently fast for at least 16 hours. I don’t really understand why my ketone levels aren’t higher.

Additionally, it appears I have gained weight (?) and if not I certainly haven’t lost any. This wasn’t my objective but it would be a nice byproduct of the diet.

Finally, I am so exhausted all the time. I am sleeping excessively and everything feels extremely laborious.

For me, I don’t really have an option not to keep up with it as I’m doing it to prevent insulin resistance and try and rebalance my hormones so can anyone offer any tips or advice/guidance.

Thank you!

I think I’ve been tracking my macros for chicken breast wrong for the last year (for reference I have various food allergies and chicken is my safe protein source) which means I’ve been undereating by around 200 calories without realising. Can someone please verify that I’m not going crazy?

I weigh my food raw but think I’ve been using an entry for cooked chicken (the same entry I’ve been using on cronometer wasn’t the usda entry and was worded confusingly so I think this is where things went wrong) - so strictly based on the USDA entries I’ve now found:

-If weighing raw: 100g raw chicken has 22.5g protein, 2.6g fat -If weighing after cooked: 100g cooked chicken has 30g protein 3.2g

So for arguments sake if I wanted to eat a meal with 40g worth of protein from chicken breast I’d need to weight 175g chicken breast raw? As

My brain has turned to mush trying to figure this out and now I’m second guessing everything!

Hey r/keto,

I've been following a ketogenic diet for over a decade, and while I feel great overall, my recent blood work has raised a few concerns. I’m sharing this here to see if anyone has experienced something similar or has insights on what to look out for.

Here’s a breakdown of the areas flagged in my lab results:

1. Immune System Issues

• WBC (White Blood Cell Count): Low (3.1 K/uL; normal is 4.0–11.0)
• Neutrophils: Low (1.2 K/uL; normal is 1.8–6.8)
• Lymphocytes: Elevated (48%; normal is 24–44%) Thoughts: This combo suggests possible immune suppression or a recent viral infection. Has anyone on keto noticed lower immune markers like this?

2. Possible Nutritional Deficiencies

• RBC (Red Blood Cells): Borderline low (3.90 M/uL; normal is 4.00–5.20)
• Ovalocytes present in morphology: Could be linked to iron, folate, or B12 deficiencies.
• Alkaline Phosphatase: Low (32 U /L; normal is 40–150) Thoughts: I try to eat nutrient-dense foods, but could this diet be affecting my absorption of certain vitamins/minerals?

3. Liver Function

• ALT (Alanine Aminotransferase): Elevated (56 U /L; normal is 0–55) Thoughts: I know keto can stress the liver, but should I be worried about this mild elevation? Could this be from fat metabolism or something else?

4. Cholesterol and Cardiovascular Risk

• Total Cholesterol: High (275 mg/dL; desirable is <200)
• LDL: High (211 mg/dL; desirable is <100)
• HDL: Elevated (68 mg/dL; >45 is desirable) Thoughts: I know keto can increase cholesterol, but these levels seem high even for keto standards. My HDL is great, but the LDL and total cholesterol worry me. Should I consider tweaking my fat sources or something else?

What I’ve Been Doing:

• My macros are dialed in, and I focus on whole foods (lots of fatty cuts of meat, eggs, cheese, leafy greens, avocados).
• I am active and exercise regularly: twice a week cardio and three times a week lifting. Plus walking an active dog 3 times a day.

Questions for the Community:

1. Has anyone else seen similar results after being keto long-term?
2. Should I be concerned about the cholesterol or liver numbers, or are they typical for keto?
3. Could the immune system markers and nutrient deficiencies be keto-related, or should I look at other factors (e.g., stress, lifestyle)?
4. Are there any specific tests or dietary tweaks you'd recommend based on this?

I’m planning to follow up with my doctor, but I wanted to hear from the keto veterans here first. Any advice, similar experiences, or encouragement would be greatly appreciated!

Edit: f/42/111 lbs

I started keto 11/1/24.. no more than 20-30g Carbs TOTAL (not net) per day. Often times half that. I have been following a 70/25/5% fat/protein/carbs diet this entire time. It took 2.5 weeks to get my ketones over 1.0 mmol/L and now 1.0mmol/L+ recently..

But...I have gained weight, not lost weight as so many others claim.

Why?? Is this really worth it??

Hello! I am about 4 weeks into this. Feeling great! Lost some weight and I am very close to my goals now.

One of the things I have noticed is that my stools are amazing. Text book examples of healthy stools! I have had problems with loose stools my whole life, and have never really had success trying different diets and eliminations.

Anybody else experienced this? I am curious if it's because I have eliminated something I can't digest, or if it's just my body responding to the keto diet.

This way of eating feels extremely right/correct for me. I have been a vegetarian for many years, but I come to realize my body really don't thrive on all those carbs. I have always had a natural inclination towards fat, but never trusted the 'instinct' until now.

I just started keto again yesterday for the 10th time. Within 10-12 hours of starting keto (not including the time I've been asleep) I end up with a headache, fatigue and low grade fever(100 one ear and 100.3 the other). Every time I start I think I've caught a cold by the end of the day. The headache and fatigue I totally understand but the fever that follows is confusing. Once I eat some toast or pasta, I feel better and the fever goes away within 2-4 hours. I went to the doctor today after trying to sleep it off. No symptoms today as I ate eggs, grits and toast for breakfast. Doctor said they don't know what it could be and I don't appear to be sick today. He recommended a calorie deficit instead of abrupt carb reduction. I do have PCOS and while I've done a calorie deficit for the last 5 years, I'm unable to lose any meaningful amount of weight. Am I the only one? Maybe keto just isn't for me but I'd love to know why.

Hey guys, so I woke up and was feeling ok and as I was doing dishes I randomly felt like fainting, in which I immediately started chugging my electrolyte powder.

I'm obviously new to this diet and transitioning, but I know I need to get my electroylyte balance right. I may even be drinking too much water. But my question is, I have a hydroflask that is a 1/2 gallon, I go through at least 1 of these per day, if not more. Do you guys recommend doing a ketoade in a glass of water and drinking it in one sitting? Obviously that is different than putting it in my 1/2 gallon jug and sipping diluted electrolytes all day. If I do the 1/2 gallon should I just adjust the recipe accordingly?

I’ve suffered from autoimmunity for years now. Very debilitating autoimmunity. I’m not supposed to have energy.

It feels great but also makes me kind of anxious. I’m just so not used to it. Also it’s almost like being excited so I feel like my heart is beating a bit faster than normal.

It’s been a tough transition, but if this is day 7 I can’t imagine how I’ll feel in a month. Only side effect that’s been bothering me a bit is my heart rate is about 10-15bpm higher than before keto and I hope that goes away soon.

That’s all I guess. Just thought I’d share my experience

Hi there.

So back when I was in the military I did keto for like 2-3 years, lost so much weight, was at my thinnest ever at 165 lbs at 5'10", F. Granted, I also just didn't have time to eat or cook and I was kinda forced to occasionally do exercise. Since I've left, a family tragedy happened and I don't even know whether to blame it all on that, but since I have not been able to STOP. EATING. It's insane. I don't even have a huge issue only eating junk, I just eat too much of literally everything. It's been going on 3 years since the loss and I don't want to keep falling. Instead of Batman I turned into a pig lol. I'm at around like 210 lbs now.

I know how to start keto, I've successfully done it before as stated, I'd basically just like everyone else's schedule, recipes, etc. I have been eating nothing but eggs and I'm getting quite sick of meat in general. The older I get the less I want to eat meat/fat and the more I crave leaner, less messy options like oatmeal, pesto pasta, bruschetta, etc. but those don't really kill off my appetite, so it's been very difficult. I just haven't been liking ANY keto food or meat, and it's tough to eat meat two days in a row. Even if I find something new (like recently I found some ready made carnitas which I liked, like just the meat, into which I mixed vegetables) and after the second time eating them I'm already sick of it. So any advice is def appreciated.

I guess I'm mostly just looking for advice on how to get over that hump of just being kinda grossed out at meat and looking at veg like they're the saddest thing ever. I used to love buttered broccoli and salmon and after eating nothing but dishes like that, even 2 years later I feel kinda sick eating more than a few forks of it. I don't want to ruin food for myself, because I really do typically like eating it.

I'm assuming I just need to give it more time. I have just not been able to be on it for longer than a week. It doesn't help I live with family atm and they eat not too great. I was thinking of eating more keto 'replacement' foods but they just make me sadder about what I'm missing and I don't think they're too good in general lol.

Also not sure if anyone else experiences this, but on keto I get crazy sugar cravings? Then when I fall off and eat carbs again, suddenly my body wants meat and I have less issue deepthroating some steak. So there's that.

Any advice or personal experiences appreciated! Ty for reading.

Everyone should be happy with their results but I'm talking about something else.. I was reading my old notes from my notebook and found a note begging my future self to forgive me and saying I hope it doesn't have farthur effect.. as you guessed yeah it was because I stopped for 3 days in row, I know kinda alot but I'm glad I forgot that which means it didn't have any further impact

Always save your progress

Milk chocolate lover here. I found many people in this thread suggest 90% dark chocolate. I’m not a huge dark chocolate fan to begin with, but I was excited for a sweet treat! Boy was I wrong. I was NOT expecting that.😂

However, someone suggested to not necessarily chew it and to just keep a bit on your tongue while it melts. This actually works, and gets “sweeter” as it melts! Although it’s not my preferred chocolate, it’s relieving to know that I have options when I am craving some!

What “sweet” treats do y’all enjoy on keto?

Currently on day 3 of keto. Have stuck to 30g carbs or fewer thus far and it’s going well, I already feel the energy increase (and insomnia!). Previously I’ve tried a 20g limit and failed every time, feeling horribly despite getting enough fat and electrolytes. Not eating any grains, carbs are coming from veggies mostly. Looking back at my Chronometer entries, I had already been eating what I’ll call “American low carb,” keeping it to ~100g carbs per day, usually ~80g. I had zero weight loss(in fact I gained about 10-15 lbs in a year) despite living in a calorie deficit always. I did realize that I was starting my day with like 30g carbs through refined sugar via honey in my tea, so that likely wasn’t helpful and now I’m honey less and my mornings are more sad lol. My question: if I’ve already been eating fewer carbs than the average American, will a keto-ish (limit set at 50g carbs per day but haven’t had an issue sticking to 30g or less thus far) still yield weight loss? I know I’ll find out, but I’m curious if others have had experience in this department!

I'm in month 8, down 20+ lbs and enjoying the lifestyle & benefits. However, I've struggled mightily with keto flu/fatigue. I know, I know, it's the electrolytes, stupid. Definitely have those supplemented. Avg 3500 pot, 7500 sod, 500 mag per day for the last 6 months. Still struggle with fatigue, light headedness, poor sleep, etc. especially with a regular exercise routine (2x days lifting, 2x yoga, 1x Zone 2 cardio).

One week ago I started a vit B complex supplement. I read that B deficiency can have some similar symptoms as above. Figured it was worth a shot. It has helped immensely! I feel pretty normal again.

Everyone is different. Electrolytes are critical. Read the FAQ. To me, it follows that everything can get low including things other than Na, K and Mg. So if you're feeling crappy even with the ketoade, try a B complex. It might help you too!

For those who went en keto for mood related disorders:

I'm considering starting a ketogenic diet, but here is my question: in addition to mood improvements, have you noticed that being on a medical ketogenic diet has helped you decrease your meds more easily, i.e.with less physical withdrawals?

My story: I've been tapering Lamical for more that a year and managed to go from 100mg to 50mg in tiny increments. Even then, I sometimes struggle with all kinds of withdrawal symptoms (currently physical anxiety that I can feel right in the gut, which is now turning into a headache, fatigue and a general feeling of being unwell). My nervous system is also way more reactive to stress and frustration.

I never experienced such symptoms before, as well as many others, so this seems unrelated to the PPD that justified taking this med in the first placebin 2022.

🙏 Thanks!

Hi all,

I love marzipan and during the holidays it can be a nice easy treat to share and to indulge in yourself. In the past I've used straight erythritol but I'm not fond of the cooling sensation as the receipe is so simple. Basically, ground almonds, rose water, sweetner. There's nowhere for that typical erythritol thing to hide. This year I'm going to try just reducing the amount of sweetner overall but I was wondering if anyone makes marzipan from scratch and what they use? I'm planning to perhaps drizzle some dark chocolate over, if I can find some that's sweetened with stevia.

I've been on keto on and off for about 3 years and have been controlling my T2 diabetes with it.

Today was the first day in literal months that I didn't eat bread, rice or carby food!!!

I may have overeaten on fatty meat and had a spoonful of peanut butter after dinner but no carby food!!! I'm so thankful I managed this today!!! Now to build momentum over the next few days until it is easy!

I bought a few Nature’s Promise brand ribeyes on sale. They taste fine, and I eat grass fed when reasonably possible. I was logging today food into Chronometer, and I was over 20g carbs for the day, which I shouldn’t be. Anyway, for some reason, the steak says it has 10g carbs per 10oz.

I did find a post from a couple years back about this, and there was no clear answer. I ate one last night, and didn’t get thrown out of ketosis, so my limit is probably above 20g, and I’m fine. Does anyone have a clue where the carbs are from? The ingredients are “beef”

Everyone keeps telling me to stop—not to quit the diet itself, but to stop losing weight. Personally, I’ve always thought people adjust their approach when they reach their dream weight, and I assume I’ll do the same when I get there. However, I’m unsure if I’ve reached the point where I should slow down or keep going.

For context, I started at 87 kg and am now around 74 kg. My ultimate goal is to get to 67 kg, but people are warning me that continuing might not look good on me. They say I’ll look too skinny, and my face, which used to be fuller, might appear unhealthy or too thin.

I’m torn—on one hand, I still feel I have room to reach my dream goal, but on the other hand, I don’t want to overdo it. For those with experience: Should I slow down my weight loss and adjust my approach now, or should I keep going as I am?

17M 167cm

Hey /r/keto!

We all have questions. Questions about Ketogenic foods, how our bodies react to ketosis, what we can and can't do, how much of whatever to take in, whether or not we're missing something. We know you've got 'em - so, give 'em to us!

Ask your questions here to help yourself and everyone else who's in your situation and might benefit! And conversely, all you /r/keto veterans - let's do our best to help people here. There are no dumb questions!

If you're new to /r/keto and need some info, start with Keto in a Nutshell and the FAQ. Or, if you have a question that doesn't seem to be covered, head on over to the Community Support thread (pinned to the top of the subreddit) and ask the community!

I've been experiencing shorter nights, I used to sleep 9 hours but after two months of low carb I can't get more than 7h of sleep. I usually get around 50 grams of carbs a day. No need to mention magnesium, I'm one of those who get insomnia from magnesium 😄 carbs before bed won't do the trick either, I'm insulin resistant ...

Hello all!

A little bit of back story: I did keto for 7 months back in 2013 and it yielded phenomenal results, as I went from 115 kg to 75 kg. I'm 175 cm and began my previous keto journey at the age of 30 and in a couple of months from now I'll turn 42. Since my first keto experience I've gotten married and had two kids. My family means the world to me but raising kids is a stressful endeavour so over these years I've gained most of my weight back (began at 116 kg and am currently "stuck" at 107 kg). After losing all the weight back in 2013 I slowly began my exercising journey, which today is about 500-750 meters of breaststrokes in about 12-18 minutes (140 bpm average pulse), three to five times a week (depending on how busy my schedule is).

My wife and I want to have a third child, but to do so we need to lose weight and I decided three months back to do keto once again. The problem is that it feels like its happening much slower than before. My memory tells me that my previous plateau lasted for just over a month, but this current one has now lasted for over seven weeks. My diet is the same, except maybe even less calories and way more excericse. I feel like sticking to keto at this point is pretty easy, but not getting the desired results is a bit frustraiting.

What I'm ultimately trying to ask is if anyone has had a similar experience to mine, and if so, what did you do to break your plateau if anything at all? Did it break on its own? I'd love to hear some examples or advice, even if your journey isn't exactly like mine.

Exactly 6 months ago, on June 4th, I decided to face my fears and step on the scale. 333 pounds. You'd think that stepping on the scale and seeing 333 would be a life-altering wake-up call, but it wasn't at first. At the time, I had grown accustomed to what I saw as "failure" and was ashamed of how far I had let myself go. Binge-eating was my only comfort, and life's struggles had given me no motivation to stop. Though I kept myself active as much as possible and maintained a smile for those I cared about around me, I couldn't help but hate who I had become. I felt utterly trapped and with no recourse but to slowly eat myself to death.

That's when, still stepping on the scale, the thought occurred to me: I'm at 333 now; wouldn't it be funny if I went down to 222?

You see, I'm the kind of person who tends to "commit to the bit." What I mean is, whenever I have an idea I think is funny or interesting, I will spend all the time and brainpower necessary to make it a reality, often out of sheer will. (I could give you some examples, but that'd be a bit off-topic.) So, when I got the idea to lose 111 pounds as a "joke," a smile slowly crept onto my face. I was motivated; 222 or bust.

Fast forward 6 months of the semi-strict keto lifestyle, and here I am, 111 pounds down. For 6 months, I committed wholeheartedly to a drastic and seemingly crazy lifestyle change, and with the help of so many wonderful people in this community, I've entirely regained control of my life. Yes, the physical health benefits have been life-changing, and the prospects for my future health seem just as bright, but honestly, that's not even close to what matters most to me. What matters most to me is that when I look in the mirror this morning, I can't help but be resolutely proud of the person I've become. Today, I can say, with a genuine smile, that I don't hate myself anymore.

I'm sure some of you reading this have felt the same way I did before, and maybe some of you still do, but to those who doubt yourselves just as I did, I want you to know that you're not alone. No, I'm not the kind of person who will tell you that keto is a cakewalk, and I'm not gonna pretend like all of my problems magically went away when I started this diet; they certainly haven't. But I will tell you, as a previously tenured resident of the seemingly bottomless pit that is self-loathing, that there is undoubtedly a way out and that you are stronger than you could ever know. If I can do this, you most certainly can, too.

For all you know, all it could take to motivate radical self-improvement is a little joke you tell yourself one morning.

https://imgur.com/a/6Hj0lMg

(I'm pretty sure the first picture was taken in mid-June. I took second a week ago after working up a bit of courage. I also linked my weight loss graph for the number-oriented among you.)

Edit: spacing

Someone posted about low carb Ace Joker Cider. It is a great low carb beer replacement. The problem is that it is impossible to find. Does anyone have any websites that have it in stock? Thanks

I tried keto and 16:8 IF for 3 months back in 2022 and lost 38 pounds. I had the Keto Pint ice cream bars, the highkey blueberry muffins, a Coke Zero once a day, and drank 4 16 floz bottles of water. I use a food scale and the keto diet app to track net carbs and I weigh everything religiously. I fell off the wagon during a major life event and changing my life completely and have gained it all back.

3 weeks ago yesterday, I started at 280 pounds. 11 days in, I weighed myself and I was at 275.5. A few days later, I check the scale again and I’m at 277.6. I’m like okay, water weight, etc no big. Today, 22 days in, I’m still 277.6 pounds. I’m weighing and scanning everything, logging everything. Cooking at home for the most part and I haven’t reintroduced artificial sweeteners that I wasn’t already ingesting, ie, 1 Coke Zero a day. Still doing 16:8 IF, most days shorter. Eating 1200-1600 calories per day, app recommends 2000. No snacks. Hard salami and sharp white cheddar for lunch with an occasional serving of chive cream cheese. Eggs, cheese and sausage or some form of ground beef and cheese for dinner. Could be mini meatloaves that I created in the app, pan fried cheese burgers no bun. Everything is prepped in batches and pre weighed and stored for easy access.

The main difference from this time to last time: last time it took me 3 weeks to realize I needed electrolytes and I peed out my butt for 5 weeks getting them back in balance. This time I’m using electrolytes but not every day and they’re different electrolytes this time. I wanted to try the My Adventure to Fit electrolytes. They taste absolutely horrendous but I spent $120 on them and I feel like I shouldn’t waste them. Before I used Keppi and Ultima. Also, by this point last time, I was eating 5-8 pieces of bacon per day with cheese and mayo for a quick dinner and easy eating 2 pounds of bacon a week. I have not made any bacon yet this time around.

I think I’m going to meal prep the 3 meals that I started with last time and see if that works. Those were meatballs with parm cheese as a binder and hot sauce for flavor, a spinach and mushroom dish with butter and buttered steak bites. Other than that, I’m out of ideas…

What is wrong with me? 33F SW 280 CW 277 1stGW 230

Hi there!! I am about 3-4wks into keto. My dr suggested it to help reduce insulin resistance and lose weight. I have lost a few pounds, however, I'm having trouble meeting my calories some days. Some days I'm only eating 800-1000 calories. I am assuming being under 1200 cal will hinder my progress?? I have not had a hunger feeling (and off and on no full feeling) for 10+ years. I just eat on a schedule, i eat portioned amounts, and if I don't eat for long periods of time I get nauseated and dizzy and I know i need to eat.

I'd like to incorporate some snacks, but i also have high blood pressure & previously my cholesterol was a bit high(got it back down easily in 6months). I am concerned about eating most things people suggest as snacks like lots of cheese, lunch meat, charcuterie, bacon. While i do eat these on occasion, due to my other risk factors I'd like to stay away from stuff like that and pork rinds too. ***I'd love some cholesterol friendly suggestions for snacking. I truly miss fruit & smoothies which were my go to snacks 😭 ***Also, I'd love to incorporate greek yogurt, but i cannot stand the taste of sucralose so I can't eat the keto friendly store brands. Would plain greek yogurt throw me out of ketosis? It only has about 7g of carbs, but also 7g of natural sugar... ***Anyone have a quick easy keto friendly granola that does NOT have coconut & almonds?

Current meals for reference: Breakfast: keto tortilla, eggs, salsa Verde, avocado, sour cream Lunch: salmon & roasted veggies or chicken wings and roasted veggies Dinner: fish& veggies, chicken & veggies.

Thanks!

But buy a ninja creami!!! For real! I mixed ratio yogurt, nut butter, sweetener, protein powder and a little nut milk and froze it. I made the best ice cream I ever had. I froze a caramel flavor owyn protein shake with cream cheese and some more sweetener and it was so good too!!! The only downside is that I run cold and with the ice cream treat I have to drink hot tea after lol. But definitely recommend!!! 100%

I’ve been on Keto for over 1.5 years and have lost 150 pounds. I broke Keto for two weeks and it taught me I have to do Keto/low carb the rest of my life. To recover from my binging, I’ve been allowing myself to eat as much as I want as long as it’s in my carb goal. I’m not watching calories, but have lost 6 pounds of water weight in the last 3 days. 🙂

I made Philly Cheesesteak bowls. I added 4 ounces of cream cheese as the recipe states and WOW. I can normally eat 0.5-1b of ground beef comfortably. I could barely finish a few bites! Cream cheese is something I need to incorporate now lol. Is there anything you make that’s very filling for you?

Hi everyone. I just started on keto after having my baby and I have done keto once before and seen great results. I was curious what your go to meals and snack are on the keto diet as I need more inspiration 😄 Thank you!

I have been eating/practicing keto since late October and only this will realized I’m cooking so much more now and the meals are so much more flavorful than pre-keto. It’s most likely due to the fact that I’m following recipes a lot now, but my kids are eating healthier and tastier food from this as well. I consider it a definite win!

what are your go-to keto options when eating out?
How do you modify the menu items to fit the keto macros?

lets compile a list together so that whenever the times come that it's time to venture out to a restaurant, we dont feel like we can not eat off the menu, we aren't feeling like a bother to the others joining and so that we dont feel the pressure to cave into the foods we dont want to eat once we get there.

Please include the restaurant names and where you are coming from also to help the others (ie Toronto CA..)

excited to start making my list!