I have skimmed the thread and I see that, shockingly, the topic of ketogenic diet has not been discussed at any length. This just seems wrong to me, so I'm gonna share some tips, as the thread title compels me to
I am 5'9'', male. Through having a sedentary job and eating with restraint being completely alien to me, I somehow managed to plump myself up to 200 pounds. I managed to stay in denial for the longest time - I did not even possess a scale until the start of my weight loss adventure. I always estimated my weight as kind of around 180ish, until one day I stepped on a scale while visiting a friend. A bitter realization of my fatness followed, and I decided that something must be done.
For the next few months I struggled with various forms of modifying my food intake regimen, but I always gave up on the diet plan after a few days, since I was just too damn hungry all the fucking time. I would then slump back to good old eating habits, and would comfort myself with the thought that at least I did not seem to be getting any fatter.
My luck took a turn for the better when one day I came across a link to /r/keto on reddit. The idea of a diet rich in steak and bacon sounded too good to be true, and I did not waste any time getting on it.
For those, who are unfamiliar with keto - you are allowed to eat meat, eggs, cheese, vegetables growing above ground, and some nuts. That's essentially it. Maybe you are wondering what the rations should be - that is not specified. Eat until you're full. How does that sound for a diet?
Eating a pound and a half of steak for dinner and still wake up with noticeable weight loss the next day sounds unbelievable, but on keto it's something you will readily begin to take for granted.
I won't go into the fatty details, and I don't want to make this sound like a TV ad, so I am not even going to mention how much pounds of fat were lost to keto over how long a time. Suffice it to say, after some ~120 days I am already on a stable weight and a stable diet (including, gasp, carbs (as little as possible, of course
)) and at 14% body fat. The only exercise I ever did on this diet is a laughable 4x20 push-ups and sit-ups every three or four days on average.
Physically, I felt pretty damn amazing after my metabolism became keto-adapted. A stable level of energy throughout the day, digestive process working like a well-oiled clockwork. Just about the only reason I did not end up just staying in ketosis permanently is that it somehow seems too good to be true and you keep asking yourself where the catch is. Also, loading up on the right carbs after a week in keto gives you a rather amazing burst of energy, which can be useful sometimes.
I will conclude with a couple of important notes.
First of all, on this diet you have to make sure you are getting enough of vital electrolytes, so I was taking potassium, magnesium and calcium supplements daily. Do also ensure that you are getting all the neccessary vitamins.
Do not fall into the trap of mistaking this diet for some sort of a carnivore cult - the vegetable part is extremely important, unless you happen to enjoy constipation and scurvy. Since the keto-friendly vegetables do not tend to be rich in fiber, you may end up having to eat a pound of salad for dinner - and there's nothing wrong with that.
Finally, peruse (at least) the sidebars at
http://www.reddit.com/r/keto and become informed.
A note to those who will say that eating that much animal products is not good for you and this diet is not sustainable in the long term - I do tend to agree, but who says that it needs to be sustainable? Most people will need to do keto for a couple of months, maximum. This is not a "lifestyle choice" - it's a ridiculously good way to lose weight
fast.
That's all folks. Trust me, as you watch the pounds of fat just melt off at an incredible rate while you're treating yourself to gourmet steaks with bacon on top for dinner every day, you will get on board with this program :D
