I've only been doing this six months, so some of what I say is from experience, but a lot is what I have learned from what I presume and believe to be reliable doctors and researchers.

One of the things I have learned (and five years from now if I have not gained the weight back maybe I can speak from experience) is that a key to keeping weight off is to not be hungry. A person of high willpower can last a long time being hungry. The less disciplined, not so much. But constant hunger is a powerful motivator to eat and fall off the diet wagon.

The key to not being hungry is to have adequate protein and fat at meals. This helps to not "snack" in between meals. Remember a generation or two ago when we were told by mothers "no you can't have anything to eat, you will spoil your supper". Well it may not have spoiled our supper, but it was great advice anyway because it caused our insulin levels to drop between meals, like nature meant it to. Constant high insulin levels (by snacking between meals essentially eating or drinking carbs 6, 8 or a dozen times a day) creates insulin resistance by keeping insulin levels constantly high. Insulin resistance makes the glucose not enter the cells efficiently. Blood glucose rises so the pancreas increases insulin to get the job done. The higher insulin levels and continuously high levels create even more resistance in the cells, causing the pancreas to put out even MORE insulin, and round and round she goes. Till the pancreas maxes out (5, 10 or 15 years later), the blood glucose can no longer stay within normal levels, then we are diagnosed with type II diabetes. But in reality we were likely sick and diabetic 10 or 20 years earlier with excessively high insulin levels (which in itself if a really bad for the health and exacerbates other metabolic diseases like coronary heart disease, liver disease, certain cancers, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and others). The medical industry treats type II diabetes as a glucose problem. But in reality, glucose is the marker, not the root cause. High insulin levels are the disease and root cause of metabolic syndrome. But we don't get diagnosed till the marker (glucose) gets high rather than get diagnosed when the resting insulin is high. Checking glucose is easy. Checking insulin levels requires a blood draw (and varies widely over the day). Lots of understanding about this disease that has not made it out to the general medical community or public.

So my advice is to make sure you eat delicious fatty meats at meals and eat to satiety. Don't starve yourself or try to limit calories. Or as Butter Bob would say. "butter makes your pants fall off". I have been known to put a couple pats of real butter on a steak or hamburger steak that was too lean to my liking. We have been sold a false bill of goods with the mantra that "fat makes you fat". Yes it will if you also load up on carbs at the same time (fatty steak with mashed potatoes and gravy). But not if we limit the carbs and eat mostly the fatty meat (steak will broccoli). Saturated fat is healthy. Eggs are especially healthy. Bacon is healthy. Eggs and bacon is a great breakfast or lunch and what I had for brunch today (but don't do the potatoes and toast or pancakes). I had a three egg meat and cheese lovers omelet with cottage cheese and sliced tomatoes for my sides. Lost 90 pounds eating this way.

Eating out or with friends is the toughest. But even that can be done. For ten bucks Texas Roadhouse has a Road Kill hamburger steak with grilled onions, mushrooms, and cheese and can be ordered with two sides with salad (with vinegar and oil for dressing), green beans and chili being very Keto friendly sides. They have a grilled pork chop dinner also and lots of steaks that would be great Keto. It can be done, just takes some proper selection of restaurant and knowing the menu ahead of time (chains all have their menus on line now). You can even do a google search something like "restaurant name keto friendly" and you will get lots of hits with people that have already figured the menu out and give suggestions for low carb meals. It takes some effort, but is doable. The social aspect I will admit is the hardest part of the diet. Eating the food or hunger has been no problem for us.

John