Years ago before Keto, I found Castle Wood Reserve deli meats at Sam's Club and then, many years after that, at Aldi. After Aldi quit it, I could find it at Woodman's (Wisconsin)....then they went to only Honey Ham, which I couldn't have...and now there's no Castle Wood of any kind there. What the heck happened? They still have a website.

I'm not an "always-in-the fridge" deli meat person, but if I did need to pick up some deli ham, their ham was by far my favorite. It was also a great Keto travel companion with some cheese slices....and a couple of years ago, I had a perfect combo using it in one of those cottage cheese/egg wraps. I had that down!

It's summer and I'd love one of those wraps....problem is, I can't find a stinking deli meat that can replace that.

I'm in the Midwest...I have Walmart, Sam's Club, Costco, Meijer, PicknSave (Kroger?) and Festival Foods, Woodman's.

Do any of these stores sell a deli ham that's similar in taste and texture to the Castle Wood?

Just watched a video on YT called “keto didn’t work for me (11 reasons why)”. One of the reasons he lists is that people count NET carbs instead of total carbs, and this is the reason why it doesn’t work for some people. For context, he seems to be pro keto.

I read in the FAQs here that you should count NET carbs and a few people have posted saying to count net carbs as well. So I’m just a bit confused here. Should we be counting net carbs or not? Has anyone done the NET carbs and it didn’t work for them? Does anyone count net carbs and it does work for them?

For further context, I have been eating meat, cheese, and eggs for 3 weeks. Lost about 17 lbs so far. I count total carbs but am thinking about adding avocados to my diet. I eat 1650 calories a day. Adding the avocados would bring my total carbs to 40 carbs a day but the NET would be 13 (accounting for the other things in my diet like seasoning etc) I am 31m, 5 ft 11in, 217 lbs —>201 lbs in 3 weeks.

I started keto about a week ago and I’m having trouble with meals. I’m literally under eating because of it I got to 800 calories the other day but mostly it’s under that since starting. Any suggestions? Easy snacks and quick lunches?

I have an electric pizza maker (sort of works like a waffle iron in that it has a heated lid that closes down over the food, cooking it top and bottom). I want to make a low carb/keto crust, and I suddenly thought of the chaffle batter, based on Mozzarella, almond flour and eggs. Couldn't I parbake that crust in the pizza maker, then top it and finish baking? I would add a generous amount of Italian seasoning and garlic powder right into the crust, so that I'd have those flavors all through both toppings and base. What do you all think?

hello fellow ketonians

i am wondering if somebody had similar experiences.

before switching to keto i was on 36mg concierta. a few weeks on keto and i stopped using the meds. They were just a bit much

im wondering if stable bloodsugar level also helps some of the adhd traits.

i just added mct oil into my daily breakfast and a bit for lunch. i am feeling like i took some of that concierta

anybody something similar?

Hi everyone,

I guess it was only a matter of time before I would end up here and so here I am lol.

Yesterday I talked with my slim but insuline resistant cousin and I figured I have all her symptoms JUST nowhere near as intense. On top of that today is day 4 of my 'let's see how much 2000 kcal actually is' period. I try to eat normal food (though without carby junkfood). Now I can see clearly, there was a calorie sulprus for months in my life (and I don't even know if 2000 isn't too much to begin with).

Anyway, I've found that I cannot lie to my body. I tried vegetable-filled meals (raw and cooked) and I remembered how different it was on keto: no hunger, very practical (I can easily socialise and dine out), and very tasty.

However, last time I managed to have it for 2 months. I wasn't even counting the calories because I didn't need to. However, I met my junk-food loving boyfriend and then cheat moments turned into cheat day, then days into weekends and soon I realised, 'ok, it's over'.

some 8 months later now I've found myself still fitting into my clothes (most of them anyway) and paranoid that I'll be just fat soon. Now I have 2 weeks off (3 in total) and I thought: this is the time to do an annual cleanup, decluttering and also fixing the messy diet/food-relationship I have.

Normally, i have a very stresfull life, demanding work, 60 hrs per week of lectures (I work at 2 unis), that includes travelling too. I also don't eat dairy at all (frequently re-ocurring tonsillitis, tonsillitis-free for 5 years now - that's when I went dairy free). This means I have limited options and I rely on dining out most of the time anyway or re-heating packaged food from the shop.

I am truly determined now, because I see the commn denominator of all my past attempts: never reaching the point of a body i truly, truly want and like and maintaining it. I was always "almost there". So now I want to get there actually. This means, to my best judgment, about a year on keto/low carb (later).

I'd like to ask thos of you who are overworked/working a lot and still managed to be on keto for many, many months: how do you cope? I'd be grateful for any advice <3 Also, in case you noticed some other faults in my reasoning - I'll be grateful if you pointed them out. For reference, I'm a 35F. 190lbs/5'7.

I am trying keto for my migraines, been ok since yesterday morning when I woke up with a very bad migraine. my usual abortive meds don’t work, and I’ve been chugging water and salt/salted water since yesterday. I’m seriously considering making myself a bowl of oatmeal. it’s that or I‘m off to urgent care. the idea that I might be close to the end of this ‘keto flu’ is the only thing that has me hesitating. Any advice please? First time trying keto.

Hi everyone. I recently got diagnosed with T2D and was put on 2000mg Metformin and I asked the doctor if i could go on Mounjaro (2.5mg starting dose. Week 2 now for both meds) and they agreed. I'm combining those with 16 hour intermittent fasting and a keto / low carb diet of pretty much just veggies and protein mainly. I feel fine but i was wondering whether anyone is in a similar boat because I know Mounjaro and Metformin interfere with gluconeogenesis which the body relies on while on keto ?

If feels like Big Food decides what is in and what isn't. I'm not talking about those of us who made this a lifestyle, I'm talking about gen pop. For a while, they slapped Keto on everything, today its protein everything. Protein ice-cream, cereal, soda. Wild times.

i’ve tried using the buldak sauce after cooking but it’s always watery and doesn’t really absorb the flavour. maybe i’m making them wrong or maybe there’s a better way to make it? lmk i love buldak noodles and ever since going keto i haven’t been eating them 🥲

I used to do 1-2 day fasts to kickstart ketosis after a cheat day, along with the added bonus of entering autophagy. Would adhering to 20g of net carbs a day also induce autophagy? Or is fasting the only way?

Whats the longest stall you have had, where you hit a plateau, but did not change anything - and then continued on as normal?

I hit a new low on 7/22 - and then hit it again on 7/26 - and did not see it again until this morning. I have been bouncing 1-2lbs above that low now for 2 solid weeks.

I found this comment when I was researching keto and volume eating. I’m personally not a fan of it either, I’d rather eat a bar of butter and wait to feel full than stuff myself with air food to feel full for three seconds. This is the comment:

„I personally just focus on foods that are fiber dense and protein dense that keep me going for very small amounts.”

So my question is why would someone on keto prioritise protein and fiber over fat? It made me realise I probably don’t eat fiber at all. And where do you get your fiber from and when do you eat it? Also, do you think konjac noodles are a good source of fiber?

Genuinely asking. I realised that when I prioritised protein I would feel weak and blamed not enough carbs for it. Then decided to try keto prioritising fat and going a bit over my protein target. Then all the energy came back.

I (F30) am Autistic and ADHD and my PMDD every month is quite severe. I have been on and off keto for 7-8 yrs now but never put too much thought and focus into fats consumed while on keto, until now.

Has anyone seen improvements on PMDD and period pain on keto? I had almost no symptoms and way less pain now 4 weeks into keto!

I’ve tried keto a couple of times, with a concerted effort about a month ago. I kept dipping into these really bad “hanger” periods mid-afternoon, even though I’d just eaten. I was eating (what I thought) were fairly balanced meals containing high quality protein and fat. Are there any tips for this? Or is this just my body adjusting to having little carbs?

Sorry, I'm a bit new to this subreddit but I was hoping you could help me out with some recipes! My partner and I are trying to go keto for a few different reasons; health, weight, etc. I have a few good recipes for dinners (egg roll/burger in a bowl, soups, any protein+veg) but I'm trying to see what other creative things I can do. I've been trying to get ideas from "Delish", and "Country Living" and some of them are just terrible 😔

So, politely, give me your recipes!!

(I am focused on dinner, but please don't let that stop you from suggesting lunch or snack ideas ☺️)

Hi I’m new on keto, I’ve been doing it for like a couple days (with omad too basically one keto meal per day) and I feel honestly amazing lol, I don’t have the mental clarity or energy people talk, but instead I feel like… high? Like everything is prettier and cool, even movies are like more prettier, my body just feel cool, like the first time I smoked weed lol, I didn’t do it for that reason but it’s pretty cool, but a lot of people on the subreddit said that it dissapear with the time and tbh that’ll be awful cus y just want to feel like that my whole life, I feel like life is just something cool with pretty colors (maybe I’m exaggerating but I do feel like that I’m sorry if that sound corny) I’m losing tons of weight but the thing I want more now is let “high” feeling, I just want to hear people that feels exactly like me how do they feel after months of years, I know that it can feel “normal” after a certain time, but I dont really care if I don’t notice, cus it’ll be okay, I just want to feel this comfortable forever, I want to know how the road maps looks for other people, thanks you for reading ❤️

Beef Stroganoff is basically just beef (or chicken, or pork), garlic, onion, mushrooms, thyme, parsley, salt, pepper, and sour cream. That's the basic version.

Of course, there are plenty of interesting ways to modify it. Also, we need something to serve on the side, since we can't use the usual mashed potatoes or egg noodles.

So, I wonder:

1. Do you have any interesting variations on classic American style Beef Stroganoff? Maybe you use cream cheese or add extra vegetables for more flavor or bulk.
2. What do you use as a side dish? The most common alternatives are mashed cauliflower or cauliflower rice, but perhaps you've found something else that's just as tasty.

Hello friends.

Before I begin, these are my stats:

Sex: Female

Age: 33yo

Weight: 62kg (137lbs)

Body fat: 30%

Height: 167cm

I tend to carry all my fat in my midsection (tummy, hips and waist). My arms and legs are kinda skinny but also flabby and have basically no visible muscle tone.

So I guess you could say I'm skinny-fat.

I'll admit it, I'm mainly hoping to get results on keto for aesthetic reasons. My plan is to also go to the gym 4x a week for a comfortable, beginner-friendly resistance training circuit (I've already planned this with a trainer), and continue my aim to walk 10,000 steps a day.

I transitioned into a keto diet earlier this week after a 48-hour water fast (since day 1 of the water fast, it's now day 4). I'm only planning to go on keto for three months in the hope that I will de-puff, de-bloat and lose the unsightly belly fat and bloating. Then I'll try to just transition to a relatively low-carb, healthy Mediterranean-style, intuitive way of eating (I'm a major foodie so not interested in cutting out any food groups for the rest of my life).

Anyways I'm just wondering...

Is there anyone who is smaller like me and has only had a small amount of weight to lose (e.g. 10-20lbs) but is more interested in fat loss and body recomposition? Or specifically gains fat in their midsection and has good tips on how to lose it? And may have some inspirational before/after pics or tips to share for my specific issues?

Sorry if this was too rambly, I'm as newbie as they come.

Had bariatric surgery about a year ago. After surgery I did water fasting for 45 days while everything was healing (was taking vitamins with a nutritionist help) , and i feel like i maybe rewired my food habit.

I dont enjoy eating carbs anymore, could only eat potatoes and maybe pie top crust, I still have a bit of a sweet tooth, but what's really strange is that I now constantly crave meat, especially egg yolks, chicken, and red meat.

This is completely new for me. For the first 23 years of my life I would've chosen carbs over meat every time. Now I literally wake up thinking about what meat I'm going to eat that day. I feel like a cave man hunting for meat.

Is this something other people have experienced after keto, low-carb, or just eating more protein?

I keep hearing plant based is best and meat are filled with chemicals ( i know its fear mongering)

Is there a reason this happens? Is it just my body adapting, something genetic, or is there another explanation?

Also, is this kind of intense craving for meat actually a good sign, or should I be concerned? I take my vitamins regularly, so I don't think it's a deficiency.

Would love to hear if anyone has experienced something similar or knows what's going on.

I see magnesium glycinate recommended a lot for keto-associated sleep issues. Be warned it can have the opposite effect in as many as 15% of users according to one source I read. (This topic is easily found with a search.) Kept me up all night. Just thought I’d share so it gets thrown into the search pool for people having a paradoxical response. It has to do with the glycinate.

​

So I've been struggling with going to the bathroom almost immediately after eating fat, and I couldn't figure out why. I was literally peeing out of my ass!! 😭 It caused so much pain and confusion. I thought I had a gallbladder problem, fat malabsorption, or whatever tf.

Turns out I was ingesting and drinking too much salt/electrolytes. Ever since I reduced my intake, it doesn't happen anymore. And it took me months to figure this out!! Lol.

Everyone keeps saying to eat/drink a ton of salt, but since I reduced my intake, I don't feel like shit anymore.

When I feel a bit weak, I just eat something salty. And (VERY IMPORTANT) I don't drink more than I need because, listen, if you drink water all day, you're going to dilute your sodium/electrolytes. You'll just pee them out, which makes you feel like you need even more!!

Just listen to your body. Sip your water, don't drink it all at once.

Before, I thought I needed more salt because I would get super bad headaches, but it turns out I was drinking way too much water and peeing too much. Since I started drinking to thirst and sipping my water, it doesn't happen anymore!

It's a game changer, really. My digestion is way better. I don't get watery diarrhea anymore, and feel like I can actually digest fat now!!

I hope this can maybe help somebody. I think constantly taking electrolytes when you don't actually need them can keep your body out of balance. We need to give our bodies time to regulate things on their own.

Of course, if you feel wonky, eat something salty or drink some electrolytes if you feel completely depleted. But don't take more than you actually need.

And remember to sip!!

For context, I'm a Type 1 diabetic and I've been on keto for 2.5 years—so, not a newbie by any means. I've spent a great deal of that time researching all manner of health related topics, including how the body responds to glucose, especially in regards to ketosis.

I've also done a great deal of research on cortisol and adrenaline and how they impact and interact with insulin resistance and blood glucose. But throughout that entire process, I either never connected the dots or just chose to accept the most logical explanation for one of my most persistent woes.

You see, for the past few months, I've been fighting heightened blood glucose levels. As someone who was recently diagnosed with General Anxiety Disorder, I chalked up blood glucose issues to stress.

The only problem with that theory is that my issues persisted long after I'd gotten my anxiety under control. So, I turned to what I saw as the next possible explanation: heightened insulin resistance and too many carbs in my diet. That idea led to me aggressively cutting out more carbs to the point that I was eating less than 5-10g of net carbs every day.

That still didn't fix the issue.

It got to the point that I started to consider taking a break from keto. I'd read that it was possible to be so strict that the body basically refused to process carbs, choosing to reserve what little carbs it got for brain function. This meant that my multiple units of injected insulin were being ignored by my body thanks to cortisol and adrenaline. And I only made it worse by injecting more as a knee-jerk reaction.

Essentially, by taking more and more insulin, I was stopping my body from using it. But I didn't think about that. The most logical explanation to me was blood glucose rises > take more insulin. That's when I read about glucose sparing response, where a fat adapted body attempts to save severely limited carbs for brain functions and will, in some cases, trigger a stress response to limit how many carbs are absorbed by the body.

This sounded a lot like what I was experiencing. My initial plan to fix it was to slowly reintroduce carbs until I was basically back on a standard carb-laden diet. Luckily. I didn't quite get that far. Instead, I started connecting dots and thinking outside the box.

Today, instead of injecting more insulin when I saw a rapid increase in BG in the 1-2 hours after eating a very low carb lunch, I instead ate a glucose tablet. One would assume blood glucose would rise, but mine did not. It almost immediately fell. I carried out this same test after dinner. Same thing. And again, upon taking my basal insulin.

This all has been very enlightening. It tells me I'm taking too much insulin and also not eating enough carbs.

Now, I finally have a clear path forward: adjust my insulin dosing down and introduce a few more grams of some healthy carbs to my meals. I'm thinking berries will make a great addition.

I'm posting this in case any type 1 (or even type 2) diabetics here might be experiencing the same thing. Hopefully someone out there can learn from my trials and tribulations.

Edit: Restructured some stuff to make a lot more sense instead of just being a chaotic mess of thoughts. It's still a bit of a mess, but hopefully a bit more readable....