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by myztic 3798 days ago
2 weeks in ketosis, all I can say by now (and this only applies to me of course):

1) It was far easier than I thought it would be (some fatigue 5-6 days in, but that was quickly gone)

2) I have less meals (usually 2 meals, I am totally fine with that)

3) I have no cravings (the famous midnight snack is no more)

4) No side effects so far, not even constipation which I read some people have.

5) It requires creativity in the kitchen (or else you'll be sick of eating the same things again and again).

I supplement with Calcium-Magnesium-Zink and Multi-Vitamins.

For me personally it is easier to loose weight on a ketogenic diet than with a carbohydrate-rich diet. Especially due to no cravings, that probably due to more stable blood sugar. That being said you can loose weight with any diet of course.

Interestingly Ketosis is nothing "new", it has been used for a very long time in younger patients with regular seizures, as ketosis reduces the amount of seizures significantly[1]. A lot of interesting research will follow in the near future. For example whether a ketogenic diet reduces the risk of some form of cancers (it might "starve cancer cells"), if there are significant long-term side effects, et cetera...

[1] http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD001903...

1 comments

7 months in ketosis, and I can confirm all of your points. I don't bother with supplements though. Well seasoned meat has everything the body needs.
Go easy on the red meat; research is starting to show it can cause colon cancer in certain quantities. Use whey or soy protein for some (not all) of your protein macros.

https://www.pcrm.org/health/cancer-resources/diet-cancer/typ...

http://www.health.harvard.edu/family_health_guide/red-meat-a...

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0309174014...

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/Pages/red-meat.aspx

I hardly eat any red meat. It's expensive, and there just isn't enough fat in it. Pork, fowl, and fish are more than enough options for hitting a protein target.
Do you like eggs? They're a fantastic protein source! Also, fish (I see you mentioned that) is helpful for omega-3 intake.
Ah, I forgot about eggs. Not sure how though; I eat at least one every day. They're so versatile, and they literally have all of the nutrients required to build a functional chicken. Nutrient density is an underrated metric.
Or, get your omega-3 from plant sources like flax and chia seed, and avoid eating fat-soluble industrial pollutants, like mercury and lead, found in fish.
I did a couple of months and quite liked it. Couple of downsides/notes. 1. I do a lot of sport (sprints/track & Field) and it's no good for the dynamic sports as I found out. Energy from fat explosive events because the free fatty acids can’t produce ATP quickly enough. Carbohydrate metabolism occurs faster that fat metabolism, refilling ATP stores quicker, and improving short range (10-60 seconds) recovery better than Fats. http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-06/uosc-fts06021... 2. You're thirsty a lot - just keep your fluids up. 3. Your partner may not appreciate your acetone breath 4. Eat too many nuts and you'll probably get an itchy bum!