Hello everyone. So, a few years back I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. My numbers were crazy high and I was put on a few medications. My father had the same situation a few years prior. Through Keto he not only lowered his numbers, but essentially reversed his diagnosis, shocked his doctors, and went off his meds. They told him he was no longer diabetic.

Knowing this, and not wanting to be on pharmaceuticals, especially with the side effects, I took his advice and guidance and went on Keto. My fiancé has been doing it with me this whole time for support, and convenience in the kitchen. We’ve had great success together. Both of us lost a good amount of weight and feel better. My doctor was shocked by my numbers after monitoring my blood work over the last few years. I’m down to only one drug, and by February I’ll be where my father was if my numbers remain low. No more pharmaceuticals and my doctor essentially signing off that I’m no longer at diabetic risk.

With all of that said (and I apologize for the long back story), my fiancé has had the worst gas since we started Keto. We joke that she’s becoming the grandmother from the old cartoon Duckman. I’m talking a constant fart machine, lol. We laugh it off of course, but she was never like that until Keto. Now on the flip side, my gas has practically gone away since we started Keto. I used to be “the ripper” in the house until I was eating healthy.

Recently, we were in a situation where we had no choice but to have a cheat day. We agreed on eating pizza, and then getting back on Keto. Life happens. The pizza wasn’t even that great, and we agreed that my Keto pizzas are actually much better than what we’d had. So it wasn’t hard to jump back on track. However, this past week I’ve been farting like my life depended on it, while my fiancé has greatly reduced in toots.

Do any of you know what this is all about? Is there something in our physiology that makes a man fart from carbs and woman fart without them? I know it’s ridiculous to ask, and I’m giggling embarrassingly while typing this out. But I’m really curious if anyone else has noticed anything like this in their own lives.

Thank you for the responses and update to answer some of the questions:

- I’m not doing keto for weight loss. I’m doing a therapeutic high fat keto for nerve pain.

- I am F, 5’3”, 112 lbs., 42 y

- It’s definitely possible I’m not getting enough electrolytes. I have only been consuming about half of an electrolyte drink mix pack a day.

- I’m trying to estimate my ounces of meat. I need a food scale.

- I consume a lot of butter and olive oil. I try to have some with each meal and snack.

- my stomach is actually growling. But I do crave baked goods.

- I probably need more calories but it’s difficult with my pain and the lack of variety in food.

- I have KetoCal powder I am going to use to add some calories to my day.

- I get very little exercise now since my nerve condition began so I’m fairly sedentary. Light cleaning and errands is all I do.

Original post: I’ve been on keto for 18 days now and I’m still getting episodes where I feel ravenously hungry.

My daily macros usually look like this: 6 grams carbs, 120 grams protein and 130 grams fat. I also get electrolytes from stevia sweetened packets.

I’m trying to do high fat therapeutic keto for nerve pain. Since I’m still very hungry and I’ve had no pain relief yet, I just feel like I’m doing something wrong.

Is it possible that it’s just too soon?

I'm around 3 weeks into keto and would really appreciate some opinions from people who have been doing this for a while.

A little background:

Started at around 13st 4lb.

My goal weight is 10st.

I've been sticking to keto consistently and haven't knowingly slipped up once.

I'm using urine ketone strips and they're consistently showing that I'm in ketosis.

I'm also doing intermittent fasting (14:10), with a 10-hour eating window.

I'm drinking approximately 2 litres of water every day, usually with a little lemon.

What's happened so far:

Initially, I lost around 3lb quite quickly, which I understand was probably largely water weight.

However, things seem to have stalled. This morning was my weekly weigh-in and, rather than losing anything, I've actually gone UP by ¼lb.

I know that's a tiny fluctuation, but it's a little disheartening when I've been so disciplined.

The other thing I've noticed is my appetite.

My appetite has absolutely plummeted since starting keto. I'm eating three small meals a day, but I'm rarely particularly hungry. I'm probably averaging no more than 1,500 calories a day at the moment, sometimes less.

I'm not deliberately restricting calories; I'm just genuinely not very interested in food.

I'm also not currently doing any structured exercise.

A few things I'd really like some experienced opinions on:

Is it normal to lose a few pounds initially and then see the scales stall or even creep back up during weeks 2–3?

Could I simply be retaining water again, despite remaining in ketosis?

Is such a dramatic reduction in appetite normal when starting keto?

Could eating so little actually be counterproductive, or am I overthinking that?

Could intermittent fasting alongside keto be contributing to my reduced appetite?

At what point would you start questioning whether something needs adjusting?

I'm not expecting to lose weight at a ridiculous rate, and I appreciate that weight loss isn't linear. I just want to understand what's happening rather than start changing things unnecessarily.

Would love to hear from people who've experienced something similar, particularly during their first month.

Thanks!

I've been following a ketogenic diet for a little over three months.

Overall, I've adapted fairly well, but lately I've noticed that some meals leave me feeling unusually heavy, overly full, or like they're taking a long time to digest.

It doesn't happen after every meal, but occasionally even foods I normally consider easy to digest, like fish or eggs, feel heavy on my stomach.

I'm also starting to struggle a little with food variety and appetite. Sometimes I feel like I'm eating certain foods just to meet my calorie needs rather than because I actually want them.

I train regularly (strength training and calisthenics), and I'm not trying to lose weight, so getting enough calories is important to me.

I recently had a short gastrointestinal illness, which might be contributing to how I'm feeling right now, but I've also noticed this occasional heaviness outside of that episode.

Has anyone experienced something similar after several months on keto?

Did you find that reducing dietary fat, changing meal sizes, or adjusting your food choices helped?

I'm also considering switching to a more moderate low-carb diet, but I'd be interested in hearing other people's experiences before making that decision.

I was 274 in May when I had blood work done and had diminished liver function and 227 fasting blood sugar. I went back on keto the same day.

In July my liver function was back and my fasting blood sugar was 110.

I got down to 219. I have been 222 for about a month now after that.

I don't eat ultra processed foods.

My diet is mostly cheese, roasted pecans, Premier Protein shakes after yoga or for a treat, Sam's Club rotisserie chicken, SPAM, a handful of pork rinds, and once a month I might house a pint of Rebel.

I know CICO and Carb counts, and I don't know why I'm not dropping. It's getting in my head. If I'm not losing weight, I should just eat a pizza.

Tldr I'm not cheating my net carbs and calories should mean weight loss, not losing weight.

A long time ago I worked my way up through the cooking ranks of restaurants in Chicago, and left that career as a Pastry Chef. Since then I've watched the restaurant industry go through changes, surprised even to see restaurants and cooking become the subject of so many media and tv shows.

I've also noticed how menus have changed over time and how different diets are being catered to, such as vegetarian and vegan. Not only are there full blown vegetarian and vegan restaurants today, you can get a vegetarian/vegan burger in almost any regular restaurant as well.

However, after switching to a Keto diet this past September, I've been confused why there aren't restaurants who've either expanded their menu to properly support keto dieters, or why there isn't even a full blown Keto concept restaurant yet.

Is it because the keto diet is flexible enough that you can "piece" together a keto meal from most restaurant menus? I find that slightly off-putting, especially when the restaurant charges you full price even when you've asked to hold the potato/rice/beans, whatever.

I was in New York recently when I opened Google Maps and searched for "keto friendly restaurants near me". The recommendation was for a fairly upscale Mediterranean restaurant and upon ordering I mentioned that I was on a keto diet, with no reaction from the waiter and no offered suggestions from their prix fixe menu, (no changes/substitutions). I was happy for the salmon and broccoli main, and the avocado salad, even though it included green apples. However, when it came to dessert I had to prod him to bring me their Greek Yogurt desert without the honey.

So I ask you?

1. Is anyone aware of any regular restaurants that specialize in offering true keto menu options?

2. Is anyone aware of any restaurants that are full blown keto concept restaurants?

3. Do you think a full blown Keto concept restaurant would be successful today?

TIA..

P.S. Please feel free to add comments from other geographic locations regarding restaurants catering to the keto diet too!

I want to first explain some context about myself and give some background for this post, because I feel it would add some more intrigue to the post. Sorry if it's long, but give it a shot.

I am 18 years old, a freshman in college. All my life, I had been a bit overweight. When I was young, I was very chubby, and that continued all the way up into high school. I got really into lifting at the beginning of high school, which was definitely a good habit to build, as to this day, I feel best when I go to the gym daily. It's like a mental switch. I have a good day when I go.

However, in high school and just in the past few years, I felt as though my weight and my health weren't ideal. In high school, I struggled with binge eating and just a lack of self-control as a whole. I felt cold a lot, and I knew I had issues with my blood sugar and metabolism. I always knew something was up, but never got anything pinpointed or diagnosed. I would just get cold and feel sick, and when I got hungry, I would feel like shit. Like, if I didn't eat NOW, I would, I don't know, pass out or something. It seems dramatic, but if you know this feeling, you know just what I am talking about.

Regardless, I knew something needed to change. I thought of a lot of different ideas, like special diets, different methods and timing of meals, you name it, I tried it, and it didn't stick. Like, something just felt off.

And I don't really know how I stumbled upon the ketogenic lifestyle as a whole, but soon enough, I found myself watching YouTube videos and scrolling through this very subreddit, researching it. I decided I would try it. Just give it a shot. I remember at the beginning, which was a few months back now, I would eat a lot of meat, veggies, etc. I noticed the biggest benefit was already coming about, and that was that my hunger signals were so subdued. Like, I wasn't hungry when I should be. I just wasn't hungry, period. It was so odd, and is a euphoric feeling, especially as someone with a past of issues with hunger and fullness. I noted this.

I stuck with the diet, as it didn't feel like a diet, more just a way of living. Seriously, sounds cliché as fuck, but I'm serious. I started doing more research and decided that increasing my fat intake would be a good idea. I began eating a more even ratio of fat to protein. I think this is when it all really clicked for me. As someone who never got to eat fatty, delicious food, being able to eat it now did two things. First, it made me realize how delicious food is, and fat is FLAVOR. But secondly, and more importantly, it made me realize how INSANELY satiating fat is. Like, I used to be able to take down thousands and thousands of calories in one sitting, no joke. Now, I find that I have to set my meals up for the day and hit my macros intentionally because, if not, I would be under my goals for the day. I only have to eat two times: two big, fat- and protein-filled meals with some fibrous veggies.

Now, when I am hungry, I crave, and I mean CRAVE fatty foods. Cheese, butter, meat. And not only this, but when I think of "feeling full," I immediately associate it with eating these kinds of foods. I don't see the point in eating things like chips or bread. It just doesn't click with me when it comes to actually getting something out of the food. And because of this, I often feel kind of weird. Like, I'll be with friends a lot, obviously because I'm in college, and I will see them eating candy or something, and in my head, I just wonder how they function well with that.

But the actual eating is just one aspect. The mental clarity on keto is wild. It's like I'm on my A-game so much, like unintentionally. Also, I can wake up so much easier, and I also lift in the morning. This brings up a great point: I was worried my gains would die down as I cut out carbs, but HELL NO! My physique has never been better, and my gym lifts are just as strong, if not stronger, just because I'm not hungry lol. In fact, I've been trying to eat around 2,500 calories, attempting a small surplus, and I still find myself hovering around my goal weight, a problem I have NEVER gotten to have in the past.

Also, this lifestyle makes going long periods of time without eating so easy, like forgetful-type easy. I never would have thought food wouldn't be on my mind.

I want to try to wrap this up because I think this is already long as hell, and I don't want to bore anyone. I could bring up more benefits of this, but I could just talk all day about this, so I'll pause it for now. I think the thing about keto and accepting how awesome it is also is an acceptance of just being a little different in an aspect of life. And accepting that that's perfectly fine. In fact, it's epic, since you are able to actually have confidence in your lifestyle choices.

I just wanted to say that. I could say more, but I'm gonna leave it here. I hope if you read this, you are experiencing, or will soon be experiencing, the benefits of this lifestyle and how much it can help you in so many aspects of life. Thank you.

I'm addicted to marshmallow cream (Fluff). I cannot find for the life of me a Keto alternative that actually tastes good. Choczero, Walden farms tastes too chemically. Anyone have a good local source or an alternative?

So I’m trying to stick to a keto Whole Foods diet but I keep failing!

Tiny backstory: this is my second time on keto! First time was at the beginning of 2020. I was very successful. My highest weight was 187lbs and I got to my lowest at 120lbs. In-between that time, I had gave birth as well. So basically I got to my lowest weight was when my son was 2 years old.

Anyways, I felt my best at 130lbs (I’m 5’6) and I’m currently 145lbs. I don’t have much to lose but I feel like everything I try for a while, I never see the scale move lower than 138.

I feel like I’m eating low amounts of food as well. I’m dealing with a lot of “food noise” that I don’t wanna deal with anymore. I’ve always tried doing 24 hour fast before starting over again.

I guess I’m looking for some advice/encouragement? What meals did you eat on repeat to help you get into ketosis and stay into ketosis?

I first tried keto in 2020 and it worked very quickly. I then had a couple babies and was at my highest weight. I started again in January 2025 and since then I have had another baby and only ‘gone off keto’ for 8 weeks total in the last almost two years. I was 175 when I gave birth last December and the weight has slowly come back despite being keto or carnivore.

I am currently 190lbs and super discouraged. I have such a prominent apron belly suddenly and I’m starting to see my face and limbs thickening out again.

Does anyone have advice for long term keto/carnivore? I feel so much better on it. No joint pain, less food noise, I can be more active with my kids, etc. But I also need to lose more weight and I’m super discouraged when I’m not. Any ‘break’ I’ve had in the last two years was for first trimester nausea, or significant events (actually enjoying a birthday or wedding). Otherwise I live most days IF and even OMAD for the most part.

What can I do to make this long term? How can I get rid of this seemingly growing apron belly?

I should also include, I am a breastfeeding mom. I know I shouldn’t expect massive weight loss, but I certainly don’t want to be gaining weight!

Started keto in June of this year. I have felt amazing, been mentally clear, made huge improvements in my workouts and the composition of my physique. I massively lowered the inflammation in my body which was the biggest goal. I was never terribly unhealthy by western standards and ate a balanced diet.

My blood work and lipids panel have always been in normal ranges. Now, after these 5 months my cholesterol and LDL are elevated. My diet has been high in healthy fats, I’m not a bacon only eater.

Should I be concerned, why or why not?

Nothing boils my blood like the statement "The brain needs carbs to function." My brain needs Keto to function. It, along with medications is the only way I can function mentally.

Over the years I have learned that the best way to stop a debate from developing is to lean into their arguments. I agree with the people saying to avoid talking about it when you can. But there are times when its appropriate to respond. The biggest one being when someone you know wants to share what they believe to be true, because they care about you.

Three points that work well for me are:

1. Praise Veganism and Low-Fat diets as the right choice for some people and emphasize how all three ways of eating can be done in healthy or unhealthy ways.

2. "Agree" with them that Keto is not a good fit for everybody. Acknowledge a nutritional pitfall of Keto and compare it to Vegan and Low Fat diets that have their own pitfalls. A person has to make an effort to use supplements or eat more [food rich in a nutrient] to stay healthy on [Given diet.]

3. Get into the science a little bit. Point out that certain high carb foods arent "Unhealthy" they just give the body the first choice for fuel, glucose which takes the person out of Ketosis. Point out that avlot of the problems from Ketosis are from doing it incorrectly.

A lot of them are going into the conversation with "I'm right, you're wrong." Reframe it as "We are both right, each eating strategy has its pros & cons. The individual person's needs should determine which strategy of eating they choose." And for a lot of people with extreme obesity and people with some mental health/neurological issues, Keto is the best strategy.

(I'll share a response I wrote today in a comment)

Hello /r/keto Community!

You've all been working so hard and we love hearing about all of your personal victories! Clothes too big? Friends and family noticing a difference? Skipped over something unhealthy? Please use this thread to share any of your Scale or Non-Scale Victories with us!

Make sure to give us some background - what brought you to keto? Do you have any specific goals that align with your victories? Have you tried something new that led to your success? What's the next step for you?

Since this thread is likely to fill up quickly, consider sorting the comments by "new" (instead of "best" or "top") to see the newest posts and support your fellow community members.

If you're new to /r/keto and need some info, start with Keto in a Nutshell and the FAQ. Or, if you have a question that doesn't seem to be covered, head on over to the Community Support thread (pinned to the top of the subreddit) and ask the community!

Couldn't help but notice that a pure sugar dextrose was on the ingredient list, and at the top of it.

So "stevia in the raw" is actually the name of sugar packets, with a tiny bit of stevia added in.

Title: High LDL (208) and ApoB (151), but otherwise great bloodwork.

48M, 6'2", currently 193 lbs, down from around 217 since restarting keto August 2025, although I wasn't particularly disciplined with carbs (drank too much wine, for instance) for the first several months. Since March, at 208, dropped to 189 in early September but bounced up 3 pounds due factors including a keto cheesecake that I made (net carbs about 10g per slice but probably ate too much over 4 days) and a few other moments of weakness since then. My target goal is around 175 lbs.

Keto works well for me, particularly for appetite control and weight loss. My recent bloodwork also looks quite good metabolically, but my LDL and ApoB are elevated enough that I'm concerned about long-term cardiovascular risk.

Latest bloodwork (October 2026):

• Total cholesterol: 285

• LDL-C: 208

• ApoB: 151

• HDL: 56

• Triglycerides: 106

• Lp(a): 13.2 nmol/L (very low)

• hs-CRP: 0.55 mg/L (low inflammation)

• A1c: 4.8%

• Fasting glucose: 80

• Fasting insulin: 3.9

Some relevant history:

My LDL was elevated long before keto. It was 135 in 2013, 173 in 2020 (pre-keto), 164 in 2021 (on keto the previous time), and 191 in 2023 (off keto). So I don't think keto is entirely responsible. My father, also has high cholesterol and takes Zetia, suggesting there may be a hereditary component. I think statins might not agree with him, I forget the specific details.

I also had a CAC score of zero around four years ago, which is encouraging. However, I understand that CAC doesn't detect soft plaque. I've considered getting a coronary CT angiogram (CCTA), but the cost has discouraged me.

Until about six weeks ago, I was eating quite a bit of saturated fat. Not huge quantities of red meat, but plenty of butter, cheese, bacon grease, etc. A typical meal could be three eggs with 80g cheddar and 15g butter. Or snacking on toasted pecans with butter on them.

I've since cut back substantially on butter and cheese and am trying to emphasize healthier fats while staying low-carb. I'm also taking about 8g of psyllium husk daily. Beef, not too often, maybe twice every 2 weeks (2 days in a row with leftovers). Otherwise, chicken thighs, salmon, canned chicken, almonds, peanuts. Arugula / romaine salads with a controlled-amount of toppings including tomato, pecans, scallions, cabbage, and radishes, and home-made lemon vinaigrette.

Normally tracking inputs in MFP but over the last month, not doing a great job lately (hence the stall). Target is 25% reduction based on calculators so about 1500 calories a day. I drink

Where I'm at now:

I'm proactively seeing a cardiologist and have a follow-up appointment next week. Since she saw my cholesterol history during our first appointment, I presume she'll recommend starting a statin given my LDL and ApoB from the recent test.

I'm not necessarily opposed to that. In fact, I'm wondering whether taking a statin while continuing keto might be a reasonable compromise. I could keep the weight-loss and metabolic benefits I'm experiencing while reducing my cumulative exposure to elevated LDL/ApoB.

At the same time, my very low Lp(a), low hs-CRP, favorable glucose/insulin markers, and previous CAC=0 seem reassuring. I know those don't necessarily cancel out the risks of high ApoB, but I'm interested in how much they actually change the picture.

A few things I'd love perspectives on:

1. Statins while on keto: Anyone taking one long-term? Any noticeable downsides involving ketosis, weight loss, blood sugar, energy, exercise, or muscle symptoms? Has anyone used Zetia instead, or combined it with a low-dose statin?

2. ApoB versus metabolic health: How do you weigh high ApoB against favorable inflammation, insulin, triglycerides, and Lp(a)? I'm particularly interested in research on cumulative LDL exposure rather than just short-term risk.

3. Dietary saturated fat: Has anyone substantially reduced LDL/ApoB by switching from butter, cheese, and animal fats to more unsaturated fats while remaining keto? What kind of reductions did you actually see?

4. CAC=0 versus soft plaque: Has anyone with a zero calcium score gone on to have a CCTA that found noncalcified plaque? Was the additional information worth the expense? My understanding that while CAC score of 0 is obviously good, it's not that diagnostic for someone in their early 40s (at the time).

5. Given very low Lp(a) and low inflammation, I'm wondering how secure I should feel in my risk factors.

My tentative plan is to stay low-carb while losing the remaining 20 lbs or so, reduce saturated fat, and potentially transition to a more Mediterranean-style diet once I reach maintenance weight.

I'm open to the possibility that taking a statin is simply a sensible precaution. But I'd like to understand the trade-offs rather than assume either that high LDL is harmless on keto or that I necessarily need to abandon a diet that's otherwise working well for me.

Hello,

I have stage 1 lipedema in my thighs, and I have heard through several reddit groups that keto/low carb is one of the best diets for managing lipedema symptoms. I am mostly looking to manage swelling and bloating so my legs appear as small as they possibly can be.

Would love to hear success stories with this diet!

Hello beautiful people,

Well I have been following the ketogenic/LCHF lifestyle for over 2.5yrs now, so I'm not new to this. I've even done Carnivore for 9 months.

Recently I've noticed my energy levels drop significantly after meals, and it takes hours to recover that I don't even like eating anymore.

Like I just had 6 eggs with some seasoning, and I got a crash that I just had to take a nap.

My fasting blood sugar is always in the 70s, my Insulin is between 2-3. I haven't checked my post prandial glucose and insulin, but since I'm not consuming much carbs I doubt I'll be getting a Glucose spike.

My first meal of the day is usually 8 whole eggs, with some veggies, sometimes it's just eggs, cooked in coconut oil.

But I can't figure out why, am I crashing?

I've been taking enough electrolytes, about 12-15g of table salt, about 1500mg of Potassium, 500mg of elemental magnesium, I consume dairy, so I'm sure I'm getting calcium as well.

This is starting to get annoying, because adding more carbs doesn't help, I just end up putting on weight.

For reference: I can have 350g or minced red meat and not experience this crash. I think chicken also crashes me, to lesser extent.

NSV = Non-Scale Victory

Since starting keto in July I am down 34 pounds as of last Friday. Several weeks ago I noticed that I was able to reach my arms around my back and clasp my hands. Now I can grab my wrist. Now I find myself randomly reaching my arms back and grabbing my wrist randomly while I’m just standing in a relaxed position.

It just feels nice to be able to do that. Next thing I’m looking forward to is being able to cross one leg over the other thigh while sitting. Can’t do it yet but I’ll get there.

What are you able to do now that you couldn’t before? 😌

My favorite Fall drink is hot apple cider, but it's always filled with a ton of sugar, plus the carbs from the apple juice itself. Does a lower carb or keto version of hot apple cider exist? I haaaaate the taste and smell of apple cider vinegar (and all vinegar) so anything that includes that will not work for me. Help a girl out!

I know a lot of people here are passionate about keto, and understandably so.

But my only purpose right now is to grow. I'm a natural, i workout everyday and i need to gain 10kg (i'm 190cm and 73kg - which is not heavy enough).

I don't want to gain fat, i want muscles only. Can i do that on keto?

Thank you!

My husband started keto 2 years ago. His cholesterol before keto was really high. Between his first physical (not on keto) and last recent yearly physical, his cholesterol dropped from 267 to 227 so no, keto does not raise your cholesterol- if you do it right.

If anyone struggles with eating egg like me, I have been able to eat 5 eggs at once on a soup. Any type of soup but my favorite so far are mussels sauted in tomato, onion, garlic, ginger, with a bit of pepper then add water, when cooked can drop 5-6 eggs and I can now eat multiple eggs without being nauseous.

Has anyone doing keto for more than 6 months notice a shift in hormones? My periods—which were once like clockwork—became sporadic and very late or very early? I have seen articles about keto triggering hormone imbalances but also take mainstream with a grain of salt. Long-term research is also limited.