I’ve been fasting for about two months now for pre-diabetes. Yesterday I went to a heart health event sponsored by work and when they did the blood glucose check, my glucose was still high despite the fact that I was on hour 15 of my 20 hour fast.
My fasting regimen is now mainly OMAD with occasional 2MAD and no snacking. I don’t eat overt sugars and I have celiac so my main carbs are white rice, potatoes and gluten free bread/pasta.
Anyway, I am adding regular exercise, but I was thinking of also trying keto. Thoughts?
Stats: 53F, 5’10”, SW 255, CW 236, GW 172
You don’t tell us what ‘high’ is. Perhaps you should get a glucose meter and track what your readings are? Mine are often higher when I’m fasting than after I’ve eaten; glucose is complicated.
I find Keto works well with IF; you don’t have to make a life-long commitment to it. I think you do have to give it at least a few weeks, because the “carb hunger” takes a while to subside and you’ll have to adjust your shopping and cooking habits.
My issue with keto is one of sustainability. People honestly think they are going to be able to do Keto for life? Yeah, good luck with that. I have been in this gig for a very long time and I know just about nobody who has managed to accomplish significant duration.
Even Dr. Peter Attia, who I deeply respect for his medical knowledge on fasting and longevity, could no longer deal with it and quit. “The human condition always gets in the way” is how he worded it. and I think this rings true for any hyper-restrictive regimen.
The sad reality is that most people who attempt to lose weight will fail. And most who do lose weight will gain it all back. I highly suspect much of the reason for this is the prevalence of unrealistic and hyper restrictive regimens.
My 2 cents.
I think keto principles are important as a lifestyle but not a religion.
More protein and fat instead of carbs and sugar is a good choice as the lower the insulin production from sugar/carb intake then the easier it is to maintain ketosis/autophagy. That said, a cheat day once a week to enjoy a baked potato on the side of your steak keeps you sane. :)
If you are adding exercise then consider high intensity interval training. Lots of ways to do it, but you will get best fat burning results from this type of training.
I don’t have direct expertise in blood glucose levels, but I do find that white rice swings my weight up the next day like nobody’s business. I have less dramatic swings with potato chips. I have read articles by people who have worn continuous glucose monitors to gauge their personal triggers, and while it’s not necessary for success, they have found that they have particular foods that bump their blood glucose more than the charts would suggest.
Keto or low carb could definitely help the glucose swings, but so can troubleshooting if you have foods that impact your blood glucose in an unexpected way.
Best of luck finding a method that works for you!
I do the carnivore diet which is like a stricter version of keto since you can’t have fruit and vegetables and basically no carbs at all. Along with IF it’s helped me lose weight quickly, in addition to improving some medical issues. The main downside is the restrictive nature causes it to be extremely boring. I have a cheat day every couple of weeks otherwise I’d burn out on the diet and give up.