Ketogenic diet? I am so confused

With regard to protein, it was hard to know exactly how much was enough or too much, but the final reason I settled on where I am (50-60 grams) is because when I got down into the "overweight" range of BMI my weight plateaued for about a month. It was the only stall I had over the entire 150 lb. journey. It took some experimentation to get past the stall. A day or two of higher levels won't hurt me, but if I go consistently over 60 I won't lose weight.

I also feel best over 50 grams of protein, which is why I don't go lower. My muscle tone is also good, and I know my body has enough protein to repair itself. I had a torn rotator cuff that I was told by the doctor would necessitate surgery because it would never heal at my age. I chose conservative treatment instead and here I am almost a year later all healed up.

Another thing we have touched on is blood glucose level. Too much protein can raise blood sugar and insulin in someone on a low carb diet, which is also how it can kick you out of ketosis. I monitor my blood sugar very closely (for the cancer, I am not diabetic) and my fasting level does go up when I eat too much protein. I try to keep blood glucose low and steady with no big highs, and my A1C has never been better.

I get enough protein for me, but It's like your own personal lab experiment to find what works for you. We are all different genetically and in terms of lifestyle factors that determine individual needs. A body builder is going to need a lot more protein than I do.

I could also be the poster child for healthy blood lipid levels. So if we want to talk about health of the dieter, I can honestly say I am truly one of the healthiest people I know. That is how I know my diet works for me. I joke with diet critics that the proof is in the low-carb, gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free pudding. I also do appear to be aging backwards. I'll be 53 in a month.

Thanks so much HopeandLove. I wish I had the guts to post the before photo but I can barely stand to look at it (only one in existance), let alone post it on the internet. The transformation has been truly remarkable.

Hi Bright55 - I haven't heard the issue of low carb diets and kidney damage come up in a long time. No one believes that to be true anymore as far as I am aware. I'm not sure of the origin of the idea, but they were talking about very high protein diets, which keto is not. Low carb does not equal high protein unless you choose to do it that way. Moderate amounts of protein shouldn't be a problem for anyone who doesn't already have kidney disease.

I have regular lab work. More tests and more often than most people because my naturopath believes in manipulating the micro-environment of the body to prevent recurrence (through diet, supplements and lifestyle changes) and we look at everything. I have never had any kidney function related test come back even slightly abnormal, and I have been on this diet seriously for almost two years. All of my blood work is normal.

We do monitor our urine for ketones with ketone test strips, especially in the beginning. That is how you know you are in ketosis, which is the goal of a ketogenic diet. As ChiSandy pointed out, there are some people - even a few medical professionals - who confuse nutritional ketosis with ketoacidosis, a dangerous condition that can happen to diabetics. They are not the same. Nutritional ketosis just means that your body has adapted to burning fat instead of glucose for energy. Who doesn't want to burn fat, right?

Starvation can also cause ketosis, but that is not what you are doing on a well-planned ketogenic diet. We eat plenty of calories and strive to be as nutritionally complete as possible in our food choices.

The longer you are on a ketogenic diet, the type of ketones that register on a urine dipstick can become less detectable. That has only happened to me in the last 6 months or so. Now I test with a blood ketone meter, which detects a different type of ketone body. The blood test strips are quite expensive so I don't test very often, but by the time you get to that point you will know what it takes to stay in ketosis.

I use common sense to modify the diet in ways that might make it safer and more effective for someone with ER+ cancer, but there is no proof that is necessary. There have been discussions on the subject in various keto threads on the boards.

Thanks for the recipe, Solfeo. I like that you have tried it and give it a thumbs up, so I've added this to my list of things to make. It's looks like something my entire family would enjoy since we all love Thai food.

btw...I found your recipe for low-carb Ranch salad dressing in another thread and keep a small bottle of it at work. We often have catered lunches at work, so I order salad for myself and substitute your dressing for the sugary one that come with it. Not only is it healthy, but very delicious too!

Here is a pic of the Thanksgiving meal. I need to get some new bowls!

On the menu: The bird, obviously, with gravy, sugar-free cranberry sauce, oyster dressing, crab stuffed mushrooms, deviled eggs, green beans with bacon, and cauliflower squash mashed "potatoes". More carbs than I would normally eat at one meal, but not too many for the day. I actually lost a lb. on Thanksgiving of 2015 and 2016.