Here goes nothin!

Welcome, Lynn. It can be overwhelming at first. There is a ton of info on the web as well as several good books, all with their own focus and even version of a ketogenic diet. There are links on one of these threads to good sources of info online. It might help, too, if you tell us what aspects you're finding most overwhelming. :-)

Why Keto?   While I see the need for your need to weight loss - it is a harsh extreme and what you lose is easily put back on.   May I ask have you seen a nutritionist?   I saw one a few weeks ago and it was very beneficial.   I  was doing Keto also (I was about 22lbs overweight) and not very successful doing it.   The nutritionist told me I was beating myself up with Keto and steered me to a 40-30-30 macro plan.   It is a whole lot easier than Keto albeit perhaps slower.  Losing too much weight too fast is just as unhealthy as putting it on in a short time.   Despite what is said here and other locations, you do need to count your calories and stay under your calorie limit.   It is easy to do with carb manager.   After taking my nutritionist’s advise I am now within 10lbs of my goal.  I started at 172lbs and now weigh 157lbs.  My goal is 148lbs.    Don’t despair because of your health issues.  Can you exercise?   I am 65 and was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes when I was 61.   When I was 63 I was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer with metastasis in my bones.   Doctor says it not curable.   However my tumors are reduced and sleeping and have been off off chemo over 1 year.  I now exercise everyday to burn at least 300 calories/day so that I can eat more and I’m still losing weight although it’s not a quick process.  I’m on my way and I didn’t have to do Keto.  By the way, my A1C is down to 6.2 and I am within reach of not having to take diabetes meds soon.  My suggestion is see a nutritionist and ask your doctor if you can exercise if you’re not already.   It’s working for me.  

I can't answer for Lynn or others but for me the answer to "why keto" is because I don't feel overwhelming cravings for carbs or day-long hunger anymore. When I've done diets in the past with higher carb ratios, I had to use diet meds to succeed. With keto, I am not having the same hunger/craving issues. Truth is, your needs (a man with 22 lbs to lose) may not fit mine (a truly apple-shaped woman with 80+ lbs to lose) or Lynn (with her weight and health goals). 

I think you probably meant well,  but I think it's not helpful to undermine other people's decisions about their health goals. 

Keto didn't work for you, for whatever reason. I follow it religiously and it's working for me. Two of my friends have been doing it longer than I and both are doing well; one, after about 14 months, is approaching her hundred-pound milestone. The first phase of keto may be difficult, but she will tell you, once your body is adjusted to burning fat, it becomes easier and you can relax your macro ratios somewhat. 

Let's all be supportive. There's enough of people second-guessing and criticizing us out there. :)

Joyful I certainly did not intend it to criticize her goals.  I merely asked why Keto.  I recognize this site is Keto oriented but they also have the other options to help select a plan than may work for her.   I beat myself up trying to do Keto to lose weight.  But because of conflicting information regarding diet info that contradict with those who are diabetic (like me) and those who have cancer (like me) I was looking for straight answers.  So I saw a nutritionist.   It was like turning the light on.   I still recommend she see a professional nutritionist to get answers that she is asking for.  I replied to her thread to offer encouragement and suggested there may be other options.   She was asking for help and I responded because I also have serious health issues.  Just because I allow myself more carbs it doesn’t mean I’m referring to bad carbs.  It’s just a more balanced diet.   Keto is a diet.   What works for you is great.     It didn’t for me and that is my point.   Although  this app is low carb oriented it doesn’t have to be Keto for everyone which is what you are implying.  I’m merely suggesting she should get professional help and then decide.  

Oh you need a hug 🤗 I think the only way not to get overwhelmed is to focus on just the day you are in. So many of your physical ailments will improve dramatically we just need to focus on getting you onto Keto and doing it successfully. Hello 👋 & welcome to the forum. Time spent reading old post will not be time wasted I guarantee. There’s a thread under low carb chat about favourite self  education sites etc.

Joanna forgot to add how Keto diets work brilliantly for PCOS

gary_harrington Hi Gary. You do realize cancer feeds off glucose? Studies have shown this.  When you take away the excess glucose, your cancer well, I can't say cures, but in your situation, my guess is you previously ate a higher carb diet, and keto may be really beneficial more so than most, in your particular situation.  When we take away the glucose, IE carbs, our body adjusts over time, albeit not pleasant for me( that's why people quit the lifestyle early and give up), the body starts to use our own internal glucose housing unit, liver fat, viseral fat, and the fat turns into a more natural form of glucose the human body was designed to live off of. Our brain actually will function Bette over time with this complex micro workings.  We wouldn't be here if the "standard diet" worked for us, right? I'm not saying it's easy, but in certain people's health situations, it actually is some what of a miricle. THis also shouldn't be considered a "diet". That's a bad word and people don't stick to any "diets" very long. I call this a lifestyle, for my health. It's good to do research on lowcarb and ketogenic. You must free your mind about the standard diet, or you won't fully understand the wonderful things it can do. Research is key. And there is always naYsayers about keto. They are not the ones being cured of type 2 DM, or tumors shrinking, among hundreds of other diagnosis's. It's been proven. I hope this helps. I wasn't a fan of keto until I saw results. I was counting calories and eating healthy right before keto - working out. Only to crave more food, gain weight, miserable, depressed.  I haven't had such a clearer head now, then in my past 20 years after highschool.  Analytical skills have improved, I can attest. 

I agree with  badmojomn .  I was a physician assistant years ago and feel that medical education teaches very little about nutrition. I'm not always convinced that everyone we view as professionals in the area are knowledgeable enough in these areas. I started looking into the ketogenic diet after 1) having breast cancer (reading that glucose feeds cancer cells) and 2) reading a book by Dr. Terry Wahls. She is an internist down at U of Iowa who had progressive MS and ended up wheelchair bound, despite all appropriate medical intervention. She begin to research nutrition and changed her diet completely. What she found was as she ate better and actually provided the right nutrition to her cells/mitochondria, she began to improve. She now walks and exercises and does talks on this discovery. She has several books which go into far more detail and is doing research studies on her patients thru the university. It is fascinating to me. She recommends her diet to not only people with MS, but other autoimmune disorders and chronic conditions. She has three levels of diet, but her ketogenic plan is the ideal one that I aspire to  (however, she says no dairy, which is hard for me). But like I said, I aspire. Working toward it a little every day. I already feel better, only a month into it, never feel hungry, and have lost 8 lbs! I also agree that this is a lifestyle, and not a diet. I am choosing better health for myself, for the rest of my life, however long that may be. Good luck to you all, no matter what you are choosing for yourself! Onward! :)

sjglascock 👏👏👏 beautifully put and congratulations on such a great start on your new journey. 🌸

How are you getting on? A bit worried that we haven’t heard back from you.

this is a link to a podcast about Keto & PCOS

https://youtu.be/PbdQUM-K5z8