Maybe a bit dramatic, but that's how I currently feel, coming back on keto after spending a long time in a high-carb diet.

For the past few months, I picked up a high carb diet after a long period of weight loss on keto. I felt good for some time, but gradually felt myself slip in terms of my focus and mental clarity.

At the end, I felt like I had very little control over my own mind. It felt like a wild animal that I needed to fight to do anything - go to the gym, focus on work, etc.

On keto it feels like I have control over my own mind. I can decide to do something and just do it. My mind will still rebel if it's boring or hard, but the intensity is a 2 rather than an 11.

That's all I have. Wondering if others have experienced the same.

I’m looking for the current or better yet, former stressed out, overweight moms who have made it to the other side

I’m looking for some encouragement, inspiration, and maybe advice for people who are/used to be in a similar situation to me.
I am 33 (F), 5ft 4in tall, and weight about 280 and have for about the last 5-6 years. I have Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and insulin resistant PCOS. I had my gallbladder out 3 weeks ago. I very likely have undiagnosed ADHD and poor impulse control with food which is probably why I have found myself in the situation I am in. I also have signs of NAFLD starting.

I am a mom to 4 kids. I have twin 7 year olds (one of whom has Level3 autism and is more like a 3 year old) then an actual 3 year old and a 15 month old. I’m a SAHM and my husband works full time, often working weekends and many evenings due to the nature of his work.

I have what some people would probably classify as mild/moderate mental health struggles. I get very depressed about my weight and my health. I live with a high level of stress and mostly functional anxiety, which I attribute to the extra struggles and needs of being a special needs parent, and also just a parent of 4 still-pretty-small-and-needy kids.

I have not given weight loss a good honest try for several years. I’ve been either pregnant or breastfeeding since December of 2022. My 15 month old is on the verge of weaning, and I am not planning on becoming pregnant again. My husband and I are in agreement that this chapter of my life needs to be focused on recovering my health. I have a severe diastasis recti (about 12 cm at its widest point) and a significant umbilical hernia. I have a relationship with a surgeon and have a long game plan for hernia repair and DR repair after significant weight loss (he also conveniently did my gallbladder surgery, and was able to visualize my hernia himself while in there robotically to yeet my gallbladder. )

(Side bar on the gallbladder: it was in awful shape, and my doctor says it likely wasn’t functioning for a long time and I must have a high pain tolerance, which is correct. My recovery has been great and I seem to be digesting fats just fine, so I’m one of the lucky ones in that way I guess.)

I have very seriously been thinking about attempting keto as a long-term lifestyle. It seems to offer many benefits in addition to weight loss, like improving insulin resistance, mental clarity, decreasing inflammation, and maybe you can name some more. I know that 80% of my weight loss needs to come from dietary changes. I do enjoy whole foods. I like cooking from scratch. My current weakness is carbs/sugar (which I know can literally just be something my brain is hooked on). I want to lose weight for my health, to be a present and active and energetic mom for my kids. I think of my son for whom I will likely be a caregiver for the rest of my life and I want to be well enough for it. I want to be a good example for my daughters and help set them up for success health wise and to avoid the mistakes I’ve made.

I think I’m getting stuck in my head and too anxious to start. I need to be able to feed my kids balanced meals while also fueling my body with what it needs. My kids are a normal-level of picky. They eat vegetables but mostly will eat them just steamed. They’ll eat different proteins as long as they can have ketchup or ranch (ugh). I need to come up with protein, vegetable, carb (mostly for them) meal ideas that I can easily separate out what I shouldn’t consume. It just feels overwhelming, I need someone to tell me it can be done, and that they got it done.

If you’ve made it this far, thank you. This is my first post on Reddit!
Basically, I’m ready for a change. I need to change. I just feel stuck and paralyzed and hopeless and alone. Help me get moving.

Some keto meals looks questionable, but they end up tasting amazing. What's a keto meal or snack you love that someone who isn't doing keto would probably never try? Share your weirdest keto food combinations

Im a 43 year old male who started a strict keto diet 8 months ago to try and solve some digestive issues and reoccurring diverticulitis, which the diet has most certainly solved. The added benefit was the weight loss. I am 6' tall and was just under 200 lbs when I started (not overweight but I definitely had some extra unneeded pounds), so with the diet and regular exercise I pretty quickly dropped down below 180 and have consistently hovered around 176 all of this with added muscle mass. I have been really strict with the diet with my only occasional break being extra carbs from vegetables or fresh homemade wholesome bread. I have never counted calories the entire time in fact when weight was dropping off I was afraid I was not eating enough calories.

I feel great and think I look the best of my adult life. My question is that now after stabilizing with weight after rapid loss I feel like Im starting to slowly loose more weight again as of this week Im getting closer to 174/175. I would not mind hitting about 172 or so and keeping that but I do not want to go below 170 for sure as I never began this diet to actually loose weight. Im curious if others have had this experience with the continued weight loss. My wife wants me to get a blood test in case its something else, but I really dont think it is, but who knows.

What do yall think about this?

Hi all, my doctor told me today that I have early lymphoedema, stage 1 and possibly from an infection.

Has anyone found improvement with this condition on a keto diet?

I have done a bit of research today and saw an anti inflammatory diet can be helpful but I'd like to hear real life experiences.

Hello all! I posted about a month back about keto and trying to conceive. I was ttc from January, had a chemical and a mmc in March and April and then nothing for 6 months. I started keto just to lose my extra weight and there were a lot of comments saying that when they started keto they got pregnant. So I just wanted to say that it happened to me too. From the first month I started keto I got pregnant, its really early to know how will it go but my numbers are really good. I know it might not be correlated to Keto but it's really strange and I am really happy about it.

I heard all good things about keto when trying to conceive. I recently had a miscarriage and I am now again trying to conceive. I m 5 feet and around 65 kgs and realize it's important to loose weight fast

Can successful moms pls help me with their keto diets. I would really like to try that.

Ps -I m vegetarian but open for eggs. Also I had pcod detected 12 yrs back but my gynac said that my ovaries and uterus look ok but there is definitely hormonal imbalance. I also have one 4 yr old baby already and miscarried in September 2026 and I just turned 36. Appreciate your help

Which net carb intake do you prefer in terms of energy levels, hunger levels, workout performance, mental clarity, sleep quality, electrolyte balance, etc.: 50g net carbs per day or 20g net carbs per day?

I was recently recommended a Low Carb or Keto diet, and I don’t know where to start. I have never tried to diet, and cant afford a health coach or dieting app, so I was hoping to hear from some real people. I am young and in college, a very very busy person (often not getting home until 9pm), very low income, and a just little nervous to start this change. I would just love to hear some recommendations, tips and tricks, recipes, or even just some words of wisdom from anyone that would like to share!

It's Tuesday /r/keto!

So, let's see your Before / After photos! Been Keto for a month? 6 months? A year?? Tell us your story and show us what your progress looks like!

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!

So I only started eating keto a week ago, when it was the last(or second to last) day of my period. However I'm still bleeding and it's been two weeks. Should I be concerned? I browsed through the reddit and many posts are about missing their cycles; I couldn't find one for a prolonged cycle.

Also, I've been getting such bad acne even though I heard keto usually helps to clear up skin 😖 please help!

I've mostly been eating lamb, beef, turkey, lettuce, greek yogurt, and eggs; I also drink diet/zero sugar soda, almond milk, and water.

Any advice would be really appreciated 😀

If there are any Indians here who have traveled to Bhutan in ketosis, how do you manage?
India doesn’t really have freeze dried snacks or meals in the market yet. I will carry some butter and whey protein powder sachets with me but, thats no way to survive. That won’t be enough calories or sustainable nutrition.

Most hotels I saw are offering mostly vegetarian grain heavy meals. As much as a vegan or a vegetarian person will enjoy this trip, a person pretty deep in ketosis and having developed long standing physiological adaptive insulin resistance will easily crash trying to eat carbs and blood sugar shooting over 200 easily.

Edit : Hi, so I made a post in Bhutan Travels and received enough information I needed. Thank you everyone so very much for responding. I am very grateful for keto community coming forward to help a fellow ketogenic person. I deeply appreciate all the help. Thanks again 🙏🏼😃.

When I did Atkins about 30 years ago the strategy was to start by removing virtually all carbs and to gradually add them back.

As my body aged, I realized that this start was a "shock" to my system

And so I've played with GRADUALLY reducing CARBS at the outset to allow my body time to acclimate.

Has anyone else gone this route and have anything to share?

So I just started keto today. For breakfast I did a black coffee with MCT oil and ghee, and sardines in olive oil. Sugar cravings are going crazy. Wondering how long it will take my body to adjust and get used to this way of eating. I have struggled for years with binge eating sweets and unhealthy food. Figured keto was the best way to go. For reference I am male 5’11, 152 pounds, 25 years old. Looking forward to getting into ketosis and achieving high blood ketone levels.

My baby is 7 months. I produce just enough milk for her daily (no freezer stash), but she also takes formula when needed. I want to start keto to drop some weight, but I don’t want to completely give up breastfeeding. Has anyone had success with this? I’ve heard mixed results about whether or not it reduces milk supply!

I could also use some motivation, encouragement, and some good snack/meal tips to get me started! 🙂

Thank you!

i started my keto journey about four months ago and have gotten a lot of mental benefits from it but i’m not not seeing any physical changes.

i’ve tracked calories for years and have frequently bulked/cut and know my maintenance lies around 2000 so on keto i’ve dropped to 1700 in an attempt to lose a little bit of weight i put on over the summer. however. . . it appears that not only am i not losing weight but i actually look like ive gained a little bit of fat. i walk an hour every morning and strength train 4x per week.

any ideas what might be causing this?

for reference, i haven’t struggled with losing weight in the past so this is a new development. any advice would be appreciated!!!

I have OCD and a history of disordered eating, and I struggle with the fear of eating fatty foods. Looking for advice and personal experiences. Love keto and reading success storied but what helped you overcome the fear of foods that seem fatty like butter/cream / meat

I’ve been eating low carb for about 2–3 months, usually around 30–40g net carbs a day. I’m currently targeting 2,300 calories and track everything I eat. I’ve been tracking for several years, so that part isn’t new to me.

I want to stay keto because it helps with my hunger and food noise. I have a history of binge eating disorder and currently take tirzepatide 2.5mg weekly. I’ve also been reading Benjamin Bikman’s work on insulin, energy storage, and metabolic health, and looking into a more keto/carnivore-style approach. I understand that calories in versus calories out still matters.

I’m happy with my physique and want to maintain. My DEXA puts me around 10% body fat, but I’m still slowly losing weight at what I thought were my maintenance calories.

My gym performance has dipped a bit, and I don’t feel fully recovered between sessions, especially after a heavy leg day. I want to maintain my weight while actually feeling good energy-wise.

For those maintaining on keto while lifting:

1. Would you increase intake in this situation, and how would you approach finding your actual maintenance?

2. What helped improve your energy and recovery?

3. How did you distinguish adjusting to lower carbs from simply not eating enough?

I’d appreciate hearing from anyone who’s used keto for appetite management while trying to maintain rather than lose weight.

I restarted the keto diet 3 weeks ago after going on off for about four years. Im beyond motivated to keep it up for a plethora of reasons. The scale did have about an initial 5 lb drop which was great. However, it is not moving! My keto monitor is also measuring 0.1 for ketones and not improving.

I notice my energy levels are way higher, and my mental health is improving. If I am not in ketosis, why is this occurring? I feel overall less bloated and I think i look better, but Im not sure why the scale isn’t catching up.

My calories are definitely decreased comparatively. I eat far less. Im not specifically measuring calories, but my appetite is much smaller.

I need advice on whats happening because I am feeling a little discouraged by the numbers not reflecting my progress… or my perceived progress.

When I was on keto in 2017 I like 70-80 lbs but I was sleeping better, i had suddenly become sharp, my anxiety was gone, I started developing self awareness.

I miss that feeling for sure but I’m curious of anyone has done any studies to see what about keto diet improves mental health so much?

Hello everyone! I recently started my keto journey, I'm on day 6. The week before I started keto I did OMAD-fasting for 23-25 hours and then eating. During my eating time I would eat whatever I wanted. I am F/27/5'3/SW 156/ GW 125. When I started keto I would aim to eat under 30 net carbs a day. It has been INSANELY easy. Before keto and fasting, I would easily eat 2000 calories a day, be constantly thinking about my next meal, and sluggish. On days 1-5 of keto I am not hungry at all, I have to force myself to eat. Yesterday I ate 2 eggs, 16g of butter, 185g of cauliflower rice, one can of tuna, TBS of soy sauce, 15g of spicy mayo (like a fried rice with tuna)- it came to around 523 calories, 8 net carbs, 57g protein, 27g of fat. I felt so full off of just that I did not eat the rest of the day. is the fullness normal? Is eating so low cal typical on keto?

I was also curious, today I woke up with a sore throat, stuffy nose, and felt really tired. Is this keto flu or do you think it's an actual cold? I work with children so that's why I'm thinking a normal cold and due to the fact that I wasn't sure if the keto flu affected sinuses.

Any tips for a beginner are greatly appreciated!

I’m 3.5 weeks in and haven’t lost a pound! Is this normal? For context, I’m a 44 year old female and former carbotarian. I’m a vegetarian so eating a lot of eggs in place of meat. I’m 5’5” and 121 lbs. I do feel different mentally, which was the ultimate goal. I’m just surprised I haven’t lost any fat (which I have plenty of to lose). Thoughts?

Update- thank you for all of the replies! I should have noted that I have a very small frame and do not look too thin. I’ve always ranged between 110-115, even postpartum. I had my kids at 34, 36 and 39 and always went back to normal, or pretty close. I turned 43 and my body completely changed. I gained a few pounds but the main complaint is body composition. My stomachs is wrinkly mush, my arms are shoulders are soft/fluffy, everything has taken a dramatic turn seemingly overnight. I blame middle ago hormones. I hardly recognize my body. But it sounds like weights may be the missing piece. I’m not great about working out but will give it a shot. Thanks again!

I have tried anything and everything I can think of.

Apple cider vinegar under your armpits, tried it (do not recommend smelled like a pickle for the rest of the evening)

Rubbing alcohol? Tried it definitely don’t spray it right after shaving.

Asking my doctor for clinical strength deodorant aunt tried it he put in my file that I am smelly and need better hygiene

Men’s deodorant? tried it. women’s deodorant? tried it spray deodorant, gel deodorant, tried them all.