Triggering (ED): Keto diet

I've decided I want to try the Keto diet. However, all the information out there is REALLY overwhelming. I mean, there's like four types of the Keto diet and I don't know which one is right for me. I'm just not sure what to do or how to get started and I was wondering if anyone has experience with it.

I should mention that I do not have access to a dietician/nutritionist, so I have to manage this on my own. I am also a little worried about doing this because I do have an eating disorder and I don't want that to flare up because I am doing a diet.

Any thoughts are appreciated. Thank you!

[Celyn]

Sorry for the late reply! Unfortunately, I haven't tried this diet so can't give any personal experience on this.

It seems that the keto diet is a rather specific type of diet. I found some information on ketogenic diets on an epilepsy website and another website outlines the differences between low carb and ketogenic diets but offers healthy eating for all. For information on carbs, you might want to check out this article from the NHS. While it seems that like any diet, the ketogenic diet should be talked about with a professional, a diabetes organisation offers information on low carb meals. It seems like it may be beneficial to check your blood sugar levels too, especially if you have/at risk of having diabetes. And there is also the risk of constipation. While I wouldn't advise cutting out carbs or other food groups completely, it seems that it might be okay to lower the amount of unhealthy foods that you might be eating.

I would advise talking to a professional, when you are able to, particularly since you have an eating disorder.

I'm not sure how helpful this is but I hope others can help you with this too!

[Rivière]

Personally, I think the keto diet can be ok depending on what your goal is. If you want to lose weight and keep it off, honestly it is not a diet I would ever recommend. As a personal trainer whom is qualified to give nutritional guidance, I wouldn't even recommend it to a client, and most certainly not someone with an eating disorder.

The keto diet is indeed a low-carbohydrate diet, but there are a lot of risks associated with it. For one, you'll notice you'll start to feel a lot more low-energy than normal. If you're already struggling with mental health and an eating disorder, it's going to make things far, far worse for you.

A huge misconception is that if we cut out a large portion of carbohydrates from our diet, we will lose body fat. Alongside this, another huge misconception is that carbohydrates are often stored as fat if we eat too much. Yes, carbs are stored as fat, but only to a small degree.

I don't want to overload you with a ton of information on how the keto diet would be bad for you, but I will ask you to reconsider.

If you want to lose weight, there's a lot of options available to you, such as starting a food diary and looking at what food you're eating, and what you could change. Ultimately, I would do as Holly suggested and speak to a professional. Seeking a fully qualified dietitian in the future can help you work out how much you need to intake per day, and how much you need to reduce in order to lose weight safely.

[Mallika]

Hi Jordan,

Sorry for not having seen this earlier! I personally don't have experience with the keto diet but my dad tried for a few weeks and it went okay for him - I don't suppose there was any significant benefit he derived from it but it didn't harm him either.

If you feel that this is not the right time for you to try this diet, you might want to hold it off. If the idea of it is making you uncomfortable, perhaps it might be better to not have a go at it right away. Personally, the idea of cutting out an entire food group - a very important one, that too - raises an eyebrow (at least in my opinion).

At the base of it, I think keto's sudden rise to popularity has given it very mixed reactions among people. Since you mentioned that you have an eating disorder, I wouldn't advise that you try it out until you've had a chat about it with a dietician.
It's good that you are taking this into consideration - after all, we never know the repercussions fad diets like these have on our physical and mental health.

I understand that you might not have access to a dietician, but if you really want to try it out, you might want to consider looking for a certified dietician online. Nowadays, especially given lockdowns and all, many healthcare professionals are switching to online appointment systems.

Take care and feel free to DM me if there's anything you'd like to talk about

[Coffee.]

Hey Jordan.

My mother has been on keto for the last few years and has lost a lot of weight while on it. Unfortunately, the diet is incredibly intertwined with her disordered eating which she has struggled with since before I was born. Really, I don't know if the weight loss is more from the low carb nature of the diet or the fact that she restricts her calories to such a degree, but I think for her it allows for socially acceptable restricting and ritualistic behavior around food.

While that may not represent all folks who are on it, that is my experience with the keto diet. I think for some who are sensitive to sugar or carbs, it can be beneficial. But it is incredibly restrictive and somebody with a history of ED may struggle.