Congrats on the good start! 15 pounds is a good drop. Remember that 6-10 pounds of that is likely water weight. Keto makes you diuretic and your body doesn't retain as much water.

I'll do my best to answer your questions, but I'm no expert by any means.

BBQ sauce is really tricky. A 2 tablespoon serving size can routinely have 12-20 grams of sugar in it. They make some sugar free BBQ sauce, but I just ended up making my own and buying some condiment bottles to put it in.

I haven't had any bread or chips (except 1 bag of quest chips) since I started. I'd stear clear because honestly, most bread is just pure sugar and simple carbs, which is just... sugar, basically.

I think early in the process you may notice some "bonking" when doing endurance activities, but most people's bodies become "fat adapted" in the 6-8 week range. It's like your body has to learn how to burn this new energy source efficiently. There are many examples of endurance athletes out there that follow a ketogenic diet.

The higher your body fat % is, the easier the weight will come off. You will very likely hit a plateau at some point. Most of the time, just sticking with the diet and being resilient will break you through. There are some other options to help bust through: intermittent fasting, protein sparing modified fasting, cardio, reducing or cutting out things like dairy, diet drinks, etc. Everyone's body is different and will respond to all of those in different ways.

If you aren't doing it already, I would highly recommend some weight lifting or at the very minimum body weight strength training. Also, make sure you are hitting at the very minimum .8 grams per lean body mass in pounds. For example, I weigh 170, but have 140 grams of lean body mass (use the navy body fat calculator to figure this out). Getting enough protein coupled with some form of strength training should help you at least maintain your muscle mass, which is really the ultimate goal of most people utilizing this diet.

Wow. That was long.

TL;DR - watch out for BBQ sauce
stay away from bread & chips
your body will adapt to fat and endurance should be fine
make sure you get enough protein and try to add some strength training

I try to stick with BBQ dry, which means no brisket (since I seem to be the only person who can smoke a moist brisket). I stick with sausage. Cole slaw may or may not be good - a lot of places sneak in a bunch of sugar in their cole slaw. Beware the BBQ joint sides.

When overwhelmed with the desire for chips and hot sauce, I've done pork rinds and hot sauce. It really doesn't taste all that different.

To anyone getting into keto, my simple recommendations remain:

1. Track ALL your food on My Fitness Pal - for at least for a month or so as training for yourself as to where the carbs are. If you're serious about losing weight, track with MFP all the time, every day.

2. Use a keto calculator to figure out your desired macro levels for the day. Remember - 25g or less of carbs is a HARD TARGET - your protein level is a GOAL - your fat level is a RECOMMENDATION. MFP will show you your macros for the day if you are tracking religiously.

3. Drink water like it's your job. Take your weight in pounds, divide by two, and that's how many ounces you need to shoot for. That's basically a gallon for most of us. Some people make adjustments based on coffee, diet sodas, etc - I say keep it simple and drink a gallon every day. You'll piss away that you don't need.

4. I did not try to eat at a calorie deficit for a couple of weeks until I was acclimated to keto. When I did go on deficit, I shot for no more than a 200-300 calorie deficit. You can try to do more, but hunger drove me to bad choices if I tried more than that. Plus I believe losing weight gradually (1-2 pounds a week) lessens lose skin and helps keep the weight loss permanent.

5. Intermediate fasting can come later and really helps break through plateaus. Being Lent, I'll go from Thursday night at 6:00 PM to same time Friday.

6. A great resource is is the subreddit r/keto. That's where I got all my detailed questions answered. Be prepared for some keto nazi responses at times if you ask about cheating or straying from the party line. They believe keto is a permanent lifestyle change for the rest of your life.

I'm pretty much at my target weight now so I'm not nearly as strict as I was when losing weight - I just avoid gratuitous carbs (whole baked potatoes, bread, lasagna, etc). I really strive to avoid all foods with added sugars, but will make exceptions. When I finished the Cowtown Half Marathon last week, I did have one of those little Blue Bell ice creams. Admitting that on r/keto would get me lambasted.

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How much do I need to worry about sauces? BBQ sauce in particular. I know many are loaded up with sugar, but are 2 or 3 tablespoons enough to do much to set back the keto process?

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Just need to read the ingredients - but condiments like bbq sauce and ketchup can definitely set you back. 2-3 tablespoons is pretty significant...the label is probably based on a 1 tablespoon serving. If 5-8 carbs a tablespoon...3 could be enough to kick you out of ketosis or at least single-handily blow your quota for the day. Use in moderation and use brands that are lower carb (Heinz for instance makes low carb ketchup). Sauces that you should learn to love are mustard and mayo-based (i.e. ranch).

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Are you guys totally off of breads and chips for days on end or do you allow yourself some leeway?

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Bad thing about keto is it's pretty unforgiving. Bread and chips will set you back. I often time my cheats the night before I do a lot of exercise (I.e. a 2 hour long run). Lots of exercise and maybe some fasting or strict keto can get you back pretty quick. That said, cheating once in awhile isn't awful and sometimes feels like it can kick start things (like you're reminding your body what carbs are). But it's not something to be done often.

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For those of you who have done this for awhile, do you notice much of a plateau for the weight loss after awhile or is it reasonable to assume I will continue to lose 3 to 5 lbs a week until I hit my goal somewhere in the 230's?

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You will plateau at some point. Often it'll last a few weeks. Often this is where I may do a cheat meal, or introduce something else for a bit (intermittent fasting. fat fast, etc) to change it up.

I had to get a CT scan yesterday and they make you drink the contrast first. I'd been told how disgusting the stuff is to drink. When they set the 2 large glasses down in front of me, I chugged like an 18 year old on Northgate, afraid 1 second too long in my hands will result in an MIP.

Then I realized it tasted like Sprite...knocked me out of ketosis for the day according to my urine strips.

I was happy to see that I'm back in this morning however.

WHat's your experience for how long you can get out where it takes a while to get back in to ketosis? II assume the length out is determined by the egregiousness of the foul?

Should only take 12-16 hrs to get back. Maybe less.

I've read that fasting will help get to ketosis faster after some carbs knock you out.

Due to work I occasionally have to eat high carb meals, and I will typically do a 24-hour fast afterwards and it seems to work well for me. Also the longer I'm on this diet the easier it seems I jump back into keto. I don't have any science to back that up just the way I feel.

AggieGunslinger said:

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Due to work I occasionally have to eat high carb meals, and I will typically do a 24-hour fast afterwards and it seems to work well for me. Also the longer I'm on this diet the easier it seems I jump back into keto. I don't have any science to back that up just the way I feel.

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Lots of folks out there have observed this also. It would make sense that the more your body does it, it gets more efficient at it.

Right now I spend a lot of time talking with Farmers about leasing their land so I get a lot of home cooked meals, it isn't a bad thing it just always isn't easy to eat Keto.

Ya, not so polite to tell someone to eff their home cooked mash potatoes. Especially in Texas.

Oh interesting. Makes sense.

Lt. Joe Bookman said:

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Cry Yer Pardon Gunslinger said:

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Lt. Joe Bookman said:

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Tris went up, but not much. 72-86
HDL went from 63 to 58, so also, essentially the same.

The LDL is what changed dramatically...
231 on keto to 149 off.

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Geez man, I'm no cardiologist, but your triglycerides to HDL are awesome; regardless of your overall cholesterol. A 1.5 ratio is perfect. Did the cardiologist tell you to get off Keto?

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No, but with my overall number and my LDLs so high, it's either statins or try to change them with diet and exercise. My numbers pre-keto were high (279 total, 51 HDL, 201 LDL, 131 Trigylcerides), but not as high as on keto.

I've got a pretty significant family history of heart disease so trying to do what I can to reduce my risk.

I'm trying to avoid statins if possible.

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the problem with lipid panels is that it calculates total LDL

it does not break down small LDL (type B) and larger LDL (type A)

type A is thought to be not harmful and maybe even beneficial, type B is known to correlate w/ atherosclerotic disease

I did keto from August '17 to last week. I had been feeling kind of guilty with the fat levels because I do have genetically high cholesterol and pretty serious family history.

I did get blood work done before I stopped but don't have results yet. Very curious to see. It was an advanced panel so should be pretty telling. I will report back after I see my cardiologist in a few weeks.

I had a craving for some hot wings last night. Anybody have a good recipe?

bam02 said:

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I did keto from August '17 to last week. I had been feeling kind of guilty with the fat levels because I do have genetically high cholesterol and pretty serious family history.

I did get blood work done before I stopped but don't have results yet. Very curious to see. It was an advanced panel so should be pretty telling. I will report back after I see my cardiologist in a few weeks.

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I have my annual physical next month and am looking forward to this as well.

agtwister_5 said:

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I had a craving for some hot wings last night. Anybody have a good recipe?

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I do them often and my recipe is not too fancy.

I put the wings in the oven on a cooling rack on a pan. The cooling rack just helps them crisp all the way around.

Cook them for roughly 45 minutes, the broil them the last minute or 2. Let them cool a minute or two then toss them in your wing sauce of choice. I prefer to buy wing sauce because it sticks better than any I make. Typically use Franks.

agtwister_5 said:

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I had a craving for some hot wings last night. Anybody have a good recipe?

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Yes, I do. Pat the wings dry and sprinkle liberally with a mixture of salt and baking powder.

Put them in the oven at 450 degrees for an hour.

They will come out zero carb and crispy as you please.

Trust me. Try this.

Exactly like I typed it.

Don't skip the baking powder.

So what are your experiences with breaks?

I intend to do keto for the long haul, but I have been more or less perfect since New Years. I'm tired. Tired of fighting all the junk food my wife brings in the house, tired of eating salads when we go out, etc.

I'd kill for a couple pieces of pizza, some popeyes and a Mr. Goodbar.

However, the momentum has kept me from eating that kind of garbage. I'm afraid I'd eat crap for a weekend, gain ten pounds and never get back on the wagon. Been there done that.

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So what are your experiences with breaks?

I intend to do keto for the long haul, but I have been more or less perfect since New Years. I'm tired. Tired of fighting all the junk food my wife brings in the house, tired of eating salads when we go out, etc.

I'd kill for a couple pieces of pizza, some popeyes and a Mr. Goodbar.

However, the momentum has kept me from eating that kind of garbage. I'm afraid I'd eat crap for a weekend, gain ten pounds and never get back on the wagon. Been there done that.

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I think its OK and probably necessary if you feel burned out. I often will flip into something else (i.e. intermittent fasting) and/or ramp up the exercise if I feel like eating carbs for a bit.

You'll gain some significant initial weight quickly, but it's pretty much all water that will immediately shed back off when you go back to the keto.

I just remembered I see my GP on the 21st for my every six months blood pressure/thyroid/tire kicking. He last saw me 30 pounds ago, so that's good motivation to keep behaving through the end of the month.

They say that when you grow a beard, if you consider trimming it you should wait one day for every week it has been growing; the point being, don't make rash decisions when you've invested significant time in something.

Might be good advice for keto, too.

AggieChemist said:

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agtwister_5 said:

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I had a craving for some hot wings last night. Anybody have a good recipe?

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Yes, I do. Pat the wings dry and sprinkle liberally with a mixture of salt and baking powder.

Put them in the oven at 450 degrees for an hour.

They will come out zero carb and crispy as you please.

Trust me. Try this.

Exactly like I typed it.

Don't skip the baking powder.

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Holy cow baking powder! That's a great idea. Can't wait to try this.

AggieChemist said:

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So what are your experiences with breaks?

I intend to do keto for the long haul, but I have been more or less perfect since New Years. I'm tired. Tired of fighting all the junk food my wife brings in the house, tired of eating salads when we go out, etc.

I'd kill for a couple pieces of pizza, some popeyes and a Mr. Goodbar.

However, the momentum has kept me from eating that kind of garbage. I'm afraid I'd eat crap for a weekend, gain ten pounds and never get back on the wagon. Been there done that.

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It's funny how knowing what you have to do to stay in ketosis keeps you on the straight and narrow.

I also make hot wings in the oven using baking powder, coat with equal parts salt and baking powder and air dry on a wire rack overnight in the fridge. There is a mild baking powder flavor, but it's not bad at all, and they do come out crisp. I bake at 450, flip after the first 25 minutes, then flip again after another 15, then 5.

Anyone that misses pizza my recommendation is fathead pizza, tons of recipes out there. I've seen the recipes with cauliflower crust, but I've never made one of those.

I think this is better than fat head in crust.

https://lowcarbyum.com/pizza-casserole-gluten-free/

We use garlic powder and ground up thyme in the "crust" taste much more.like real pizza crust to us.

AggieGunslinger said:

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I think this is better than fat head in crust.

https://lowcarbyum.com/pizza-casserole-gluten-free/

We use garlic powder and ground up thyme in the "crust" taste much more.like real pizza crust to us.

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Just crushed 5 slices of that tonight. That recipe is the bomb.

irish pete ag06 said:

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Also. Hit the 3 month mark a few days ago. Here's the final tally.

182ish pounds, down to 165 pounds
24ish% body fat down to 15.4% (according to navy body fat calculator)
Waistline was around 38+ and is now 33.3 inches.

I am actually switching over to a lean gain or lean "bulk" approach. Going to eat at a 5% surplus on lifting days and eat at maintenance on non-lifting days. My lifts have stalled a little bit, so I am looking forward to seeing what eating at a slight surplus may do for me there. If my lifts continue to struggle, I may experiment with a TKD "targeted keto diet" where you ingest 5-10 quick absorbing carbs pre workout.

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Nice job, man. Don't forget to do a bit of a reverse diet to get up to your lean bulk. Especially if you are adding back in carbs.

Lt. Joe Bookman said:

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irish pete ag06 said:

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Also. Hit the 3 month mark a few days ago. Here's the final tally.

182ish pounds, down to 165 pounds
24ish% body fat down to 15.4% (according to navy body fat calculator)
Waistline was around 38+ and is now 33.3 inches.

I am actually switching over to a lean gain or lean "bulk" approach. Going to eat at a 5% surplus on lifting days and eat at maintenance on non-lifting days. My lifts have stalled a little bit, so I am looking forward to seeing what eating at a slight surplus may do for me there. If my lifts continue to struggle, I may experiment with a TKD "targeted keto diet" where you ingest 5-10 quick absorbing carbs pre workout.

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Nice job, man. Don't forget to do a bit of a reverse diet to get up to your lean bulk. Especially if you are adding back in carbs.

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I am still attempting this gain plan with a keto diet. I say attempt because I'm skeptical of gains being good on keto. What do you mean by reverse diet?

"Reverse dieting" is a hip phrase for slowly upping your calories/carbs back to maintenance/bulk.
Since it looks like you've been cutting for a few months, if you all the sudden start eating 500 calories more per day every day, you may not be happy with the results. Bump up your calories 100/day a week at a time.

Lt. Joe Bookman said:

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"Reverse dieting" is a hip phrase for slowly upping your calories/carbs back to maintenance/bulk.
Since it looks like you've been cutting for a few months, if you all the sudden start eating 500 calories more per day every day, you may not be happy with the results. Bump up your calories 100/day a week at a time.

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Got ya. I had already inadvertently done that. I started at a big deficit and had been creeping up to eating at maintenance on lifting days and a small deficit on rest days.

How's your diet been with carbs reintroduced?

Really good. Weekends are easier to overeat though. I feel like it takes a little more diligence, especially if you are trying to hit macros. Used to be easy to look at a label and decide if something was good just by being low carb, high fat and high protein. Now I need to fit it in my macros and really plan a full day.

I think my workouts and recoveries are much better though. Especially recoveries.

Lt. Joe Bookman said:

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Really good. Weekends are easier to overeat though. I feel like it takes a little more diligence, especially if you are trying to hit macros. Used to be easy to look at a label and decide if something was good just by being low carb, high fat and high protein. Now I need to fit it in my macros and really plan a full day.

I think my workouts and recoveries are much better though. Especially recoveries.

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Yeah that's kind of exactly what I figured it would be like. What are your macros? If you don't mind me asking.