r/keto

I'm doing keto since a few weeks for a healthy lifestyle purpose. I eat around 2400 and 2800 kcal per day to keep my current weight. Just with vegetables, nuts and dairy products such as heavy cream, cream cheese or Greek yogurts I go too easily over 20g. l do a lot of sport and I'm reasonably happy with my max 40g goal that I manage to reach. However I'm very curious about what you eat while managing a tasty and fullfiling diet ? (Full disclosure, I don't like crudités such as lettuce 😅)

Hello everyone,

I’m feeling a little bit lacklustre in my meal plans so I thought why not ask this very lovely community what their favourite keto meals are!

I’m interested in:
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
+ Snacks.

Whether you can recommend any hidden gems for substitutes or theres a recipe you’ve been dying to let the world know about! Let me know, Especially if they’re filling and delicious for beginners! Looking to get my partner on board for my journey also.. 😊

Hi all, I restarted my keto diet yesterday after falling off the wagon in early March. Went totally mad drinking ridiculous amounts of beer, binge eating and went from 10 stone right back up to 12 stone (or 140 pounds - 168lbs for my American friends). Obviously I'm very disappointed in myself but determined to get back on the straight and narrow. I feel like my approach to keto was a bit harsh on starting it in the past: drastically cutting calories on day one. I saw quick result but felt dreadful and weak for a while. Yesterday I ate a LOT but kept my carbs under 20g net. What are other people's experiences? Did you find your appetite naturally reduced over time even if you overate at the beginning? I'm coming off of hefty amounts of alcohol and trying to balance the 2 things and I feel undereating at first would be detrimental

I tried keto only for a while and did not last much had very high stress and this paired with depression made me fall off the diet. Since then I seem to be more tired and depressed and this can have Something to do with the fact that I have insulin resistance. I know its easier to judge than understand and I know I made a mistake but I just want to restart keto and I wonder If IT will help with energy and fatigue ? At least. Thanks.

Hi guys!

A bit about me: I've spent the few months loosing 25lbs through CICO, and then the past few eating at maintenance or above because I had crazy diet fatigue and wanted to avoid longer term ed-ish behaviours. It worked, and I am now able to recognise my hunger cues etc but I also realise I am consistently craving sugar in between meals, and an apple just isnt doing the job. Especially after my last meal of the day, its part of my routine to have a cookie, or a yogurt sweet bowl etc, and I feel I am dependent on it.

What I wanted to ask is if a week to 10 days is enough time, using Keto to keep me healthy and reduce the choice fatigue as it's difficult to eat sugar without carbs. I also have seen the benefits of keto, as well as the "flu", which is something I want to see if makes a difference for me. Is it enough time to go through the sugar withdrawal process and see any benefits of keto?

Thank you!

Quick context. I've tried Keto like a year ago, mostly to control/lower my OCD/Anxiety. Had mild/annoying OCD, sleeping problems etc since I'm a little kid. When I first tried keto last year I was surprised how helpful it was for anxiety and OCD. But i couldnt keep up with it.

So this year I'm trying again. I'm very active with BJJ, Pickleball, Gym etc and I live in a tropical climate at 220 pounds - I should probably really watch my electrolytes. I'm taking 1g potassium supplement a day and heavily salt my food. Also around 800mg Magnesium over the day. Also once a week I do a cheat day, to actually do this long term.

And YET - im so fucking tired. My sleep is actually ok, not a problem. Should I take more salt? There is no non sugar electrolytes available here in my country so not sure how to track. Also to be honest, I barely eat veggies so its very meat heavy. Any help is welcome

im thinking of making a broth drink, i got a bunch of cans of swanson chicken broth, it has all good ingredients compared to campbells or store brand (but is owned by campbells) im thinking of using 200ml, diluting it with 50ml water, heating it slightly and adding a pinch of potassium chloride and a teaspoon of brain octain mct oil

i still drink a few gulps of water as soon as i awake, as i keep a bottle beside my bed, but i think this will give me electrolytes and ketones to start my day

i more or less quit coffee months ago, actually almost a year now, ill have some very rarely but never in the morning, tea i have more often but usually in the evening around 5pm, and usualy rooibos to avoid caffien

Sorry!! Warned. I am peeing out my bum suddenly and fiercely!

I am doing clean keto. Trying to get carb count between 20-30. A typical day for me would be to have bacon and eggs, scrambled in the morning, cottage cheese (or Greek yogurt) and and ground flax for a snack, then some sort of chicken and leafy green for lunch, with steak cooked in butter or lettuce wrapped burgers for dinner. Some no sugar almond butter if I need a sweet treat. Little to no artificial sweeteners

I’ve been doing keto for about five weeks now and have really loved the difference it has had in my mental clarity and body. I am doing this trying to control my insulin resistance. I am 5’8 and 139lbs pounds currently. I have Pcos.

I do know that higher fat makes it so that your stool becomes looser. I turned to Reddit and saw that some people recommend psyllium husk to try and firm things up.

However, I am seeing that the total carbohydrate is 5 g. I know that the dietary fiber is 5 g and soluble fiber is 3 g. My question is do I add this into my total gram carb count? For the day? And any other recs in case this doesn’t firm things up? Thank you! I don’t want to spike my blood sugar

I’ve been on keto and calorie deficit for 2,5 months now (20g carbs a day). My monthly average calorie intake is 1600, I am 163cm and weight 67kg. I go to the gym twice a week and walk 10k steps daily. I weighted myself yesterday for the first time since starting keto and the scale showed me 67,5kg. My clothes do fit better but my measurements are the same. So I’m guessing I’ve only lost water weight.

Needless to say that I am a bit discouraged. I’m doing keto because it makes me feel good and it’s actually the only way I have been abel to get my hormones in balance and have my period (I have pcos). But I’m also hoping to lose a few kg. So what can I do? Does anyone have any clue why I haven’t lost any weight?

And just to mention, I measure everything I eat. Every drop of sauce, oil, vegetables and so on. And what’s even more strange is that from november to january before I was on keto my montly average was 1800 calories and I lost 3kg. So I’m really clueless of what is happening😔 I planned on staying on keto for the rest of my life but if it means my maintanence calories are 1600, that’s just devestating

Looking for personal experiences from people who went keto that have Crohn’s, SIBO, or Gallbladder issues.

I know I have Crohn’s and SIBO and suspect that I have Gallbladder issues but unconfirmed.

I’m a bit nervous to try such a drastic change with so many health issues but I also feel like I need a change.

My body has never been the same since I got COVID too.

Also, how did you create a diet blueprint to try, even for a few days? Do I need to supplement with electrolytes or just feel my body out?

Thanks!

So I have a pretty consistent routine where it’s not that big of a deal, but it’s pretty crazy to me that every day we just pee out tons of electrolytes and if I don’t supplement I’ll feel absolutely dehydrated. I’m just wondering if this is legitimately a safe lifestyle? It kind of wares on you after a while. Every day I take 2-3 saltt clean slate (unflavored) electrolyte drink mix packets along with heavily salting my meals. Most days I feel good to great but sometimes it don’t feel good at all. I was taking a lot of vitamins and minerals but it was becoming a bit much on my stomach so I stopped.
What’s your take on this?

I lost 200 pounds naturally a few years ago and ended up gaining around 80ish back. I’m 43 now and I believe I’m starting perimenopause. I have done keto in the past and it worked well, but that weight came back once I ate carbs again. When I lost the 200 pounds, I was more low carb than keto. I’ve been logging everything I eat for months and my weight isn’t budging. It will go down a pound and then back up. I’ve been in this same ten pound range for months. I think I need to go back to keto because it seems as though carbs aren’t really agreeing. Can anyone help ease my mind about keto working with perimenopause? I just need something to work to get this weight back off again.

I have gone on and off keto. I was able to transition into carnivore and stay on it strictly for about a year. My issue is although I make ketones I could never go longer than about five hours without eating. I tested ketones and blood sugar religiously multiple times a day (for curiosity mainly) and after about five hours my blood sugar would start to rise and I'd get jittery. If I pushed past it anyway in an attempt to fast, I could not sleep at night at all. Super wired, like being on bad speed. If I go into lower calorie, same effect. I never adapted, even after a year. In fact, I had to start adding a few carbs back in because I was starting to grind my teeth so bad. To this day I still cannot fast nor go too long without eating. Even with zero carbs my blood sugar will start to climb into the 100s, I'm assuming due to stress hormones. I have come across other people who do not sleep well on keto, although most report improved sleep. I think perimenopause was playing a role in all this, I have lost stress resiliency in general. Things like fasting, getting too high in ketones, cold plunging, etc all cause similar symptoms. Although I feel better overall when I can find a sweet spot with carbs and do not go too long without eating, i never seem to get "fat adapted." Just curious if anyone else struggles with this.

My first time doing keto was back in 2018. I lost 50lbs in 10 months. I kept that off until Covid lockdowns and then gained about half back slowly from 2020-now. I started back on keto 15 days ago. At first it was working great. I was dropping close to a pound a day of the expected water weight. Feeling good. Well, about a week in I started gaining some of that weight back despite doing everything “right” and like I did the first time around. Now I’m 15 days in and my weight is exactly where it was before :( I have been measuring everything and tracking like crazy. Even without keto, I should be losing as I’ve been in a calorie deficit every day. I’m so so discouraged and don’t know what to do.

It seems like I got keto rash. It started around the clavicles then spread down a bit and I think up my neck too... actually none of it itched except around my neck, which as I understand it is not normal? It's supposed to itch everywhere, right?

Well, anyway, what did you guys do about it? I have to travel next week, so I actually just started eating carbs again and got an antihistamine from my doctor because I don't want to deal with this while I'm in a foreign city.

How do I avoid it in the future if I want to eat like this? I usually eat very few carbs in the first place by the way and the ones I do come from vegetables and whole grains (like literally oats).

Hey guyyys,

I just finished "Brain Energy" by Dr. Christopher Palmer (a Harvard psychiatrist). I took some notes on the most impactful parts and wanted to share them here because it goes way beyond just losing weight or staying in ketosis for macro reasons:

Brain cells are starving: when someone has chronic metabolic issues, their brain cells eventually shrink and die. This is exactly what they see happening in most chronic mental disorders and Alzheimer’s.

The obesity-mental health loop: being obese makes you 25% more likely to get depression or anxiety, and 50% more likely to develop bipolar disorder. Gaining weight around puberty is linked to a fourfold increase in depression risk by age 24. Obesity alters connections in brain regions like the hypothalamus.

Obesity as a survival strategy against toxic diets: Dr. Palmer suggests that we still don’t know what the correct evolutionary response should be to a modern toxic diet. He raises the idea that maybe becoming obese is actually a better survival strategy when consuming toxic foods. We can’t be certain that preventing inflammation and obesity in these cases would automatically lead to better health outcomes or longevity, but it’s a massive question mark.

Inflammation and withdrawal: High levels of inflammation (whether from a viral infection, cancer, or chronic metabolic stress) completely change our emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. It makes us lethargic, withdrawn, unmotivated, and desperate to just climb into bed and rest. While this feels absolutely miserable, Palmer explains it is actually a healthy, normal, and adaptive survival strategy. When the body is fighting for its survival, it forces these changes to conserve scarce metabolic resources. It is biologically the wrong time to go out playing, exercising, or reproducing, so your brain shuts down those motivations to save energy.

The survival logic of eating behavior: the brain circuits for loneliness, anxiety, and depression overlap with the ones for appetite. If they get hyperexcitable, you get the whole package: anxiety, insomnia, and overeating. Binge eating sugar gives a quick burst of glucose and insulin to brain cells that are literally starving due to insulin resistance. Restricting food can trigger stress hormones or ketones that also help those struggling cells. Basically, people with mental disorders develop eating disorders because they are unconsciously trying to fix their brain metabolism to feel better.

Why keto is a lifeline: Ketones bypass insulin resistance easily, providing an alternate fuel source to starving brain cells. But it goes further: it decreases inflammation, fixes the gut microbiome, and triggers mitophagy (clearing out damaged mitochondria) and mitochondrial biogenesis (making new, healthy ones). Palmer notes that after 2 to 5 years on keto, some patients heal their cells so deeply they can eventually stop the diet and stay completely well.

Why exercise feels impossible: If you have insulin resistance or mitochondrial dysfunction, working out is going to feel way harder and take longer to show results. You have to be patient because your cells are struggling to produce energy, but you still need to move.

Light is a metabolic drug: getting light exposure triggers urocanic acid in your blood, which goes to the brain and helps with learning and memory.

The four Rs: biology isn't everything. He says human health requires a functional life based on four things: close relationships, meaningful roles (feeling valued as a student, worker, volunteer, or even doing chores), responsibilities, and adequate resources. You need at least one role where you feel you contribute to society to truly heal.

That is all I have. Do you relate to that overlap between mental health struggles and eating behaviors?

For those who started keto for mental clarity, anxiety, or depression, did you notice these changes over time?

Thank you all:)

I've (42 Asian female) recently(2 weeks plus) been back on keto to control my blood sugar and keep inflammation markers down.
I've had a total thyroidectomy 5 years ago due to Graves disease. Currently on NDT, though a dosage increase was given as my hormones were low.
I used to be 49.2kg and standing at 163cm. Today, after about 2 weeks plus of strive keto and intermittent fasting, my weight is at 50.2kg.
My clothes still feel the same, I did gained back muscles I've lost these past 1.5 years. But is there a way to control the weight gain?

For context, I don't eat breakfast as thyroid meds needs to be on an empty stomach. Then I'm rushing for work. I break my fast 2-3 days per week at lunch 1pm with a 120g of tuna or pulled chicken. At night, I cooked about 3 cups of bok choy, or some other dark green leafy vegetables with 2.5 tablespoons of butter, 2 - 3.5 hard boiled eggs, 0.5 given to my dog. 250-300g of salmon or chicken thighs in the air fryer. Im picky with food, only eats beef, certain seafood, chicken, eggs and duck for protein. Dark green leafy vegetables. Strictly no obvious carbohydrates. Uses keto friendly mayo which uses monkfruit, about 2 tablespoons.

I know muscles weigh more, but is there a way for me to not gain so much weight? Is it better to reduce the butter and mayo? Though I realise the fats has been helping me with my constipation.

Hi this is my first time posting here and have a question about drinking on keto. I (57f) did keto in 2024 with success, at that time I was drinking 2 vodka drinks 4 days a week, never felt bad and still lost consistently.

I just started keto back up very recently and was losing weight. Last week I had 2 vodka drinks. I felt terrible the next day and gained 4 lbs back, and the scale has not budged since in 5 days despite maintaining my keto diet!

This seems so weird as I used to drink on keto and my body seemed to handle it. Is it because I just recently started on keto again and my body needs time to adjust to keto before adding alcohol? I don’t drink like I used to, but I’d like to be able to have a couple drinks once a week.

The first month off sugar was rough and I'm not gonna pretend otherwise. Everything tasted bland and I missed candy more than I expected to. But I've found a few things that make the sugar free life actually sustainable and not just something I white knuckle through every day.

Dark chocolate 85% or higher. It took about two weeks for my palate to adjust but now milk chocolate tastes sickeningly sweet to me. I never thought I'd say that.

Nuts with a little bit of cinnamon and sea salt tossed together. Satisfying and no sugar spike.

Berries. Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries. They have some natural sugar obviously but nothing like a candy bar and they actually taste sweeter to me now than they did before I quit.

Shameless gummies for when I genuinely just miss the experience of eating candy. They have like 3g of sugar per bag which is nothing compared to what I used to consume.

Nut butter on celery. I know it's a kindergarten snack but it works.

Herbal tea with a drop of stevia. This replaced my nightly ice cream habit and somehow I don't miss it anymore.

The biggest change has been that I actually taste food now. Like fruits taste way more intense than they used to. My whole palate shifted and it took maybe 3 weeks for that to happen.