350 lbs - Extended Fast advice


(Jeremy Reynolds) #1

Hello!

My name is Jeremy, and I’m your average fat truck driver.
I’ve always been big, but being a truck driver for the last 3 years added a good 80 lbs. I think I know most of the benefits of keto, I’ve followed the idea for a while.
And I intend on trying something called Keto Chow, for full time meal ketogenic meal replacements. Because being on the road 6 seeks at a time sucks.

For the past 3 years I’ve done just about everything wrong. Fast food 2-3 times a day, almost entirely soda and Monster energy drinks, almost no water, smoking, and sitting 11-14 hours a day and my last weigh a week ago was 350 lbs at 48% BMI.

I can barely stand for 15 minutes before my back demands rest. However, fast forwarding through the emotional hugs, motivation and details; I’m ready to do something about it.

So here it is:
I want to jump into ketosis, no matter what it takes, and do an extended fast until I get back home. I honestly didn’t think it was possible until I learned HOW ketosis works in more detail. (Thanks 2dudes).

All I have to my disposal is gas stations and the occasional Wal-Mart visit. I don’t know what any insulin levels or other percentages are. And I can find out through Wal-Mart I imagine. But I’m hoping to get started before I get there if possible.
How do I jump in ketosis? What do I do/buy right Now? Today I’ve eaten a sausage biscuit and water at about 11am. Nothing else. What else do I need now and through fasting? And finally, can I get all requirements via Wal-Mart?

My body is ready.
I am ready.
Although any tips on signs will be useful. You know the ones that are different from keto-flu and is actually your body saying, Hey, I’m dying.

Thank you. =)


(Lonnie Hedley) #2

Don’t worry about products. Keep it simple. At first worry about keeping carbs below 20g net. No need to jump into an extended fast as the first step. I think this is a recipe for failure. Start with asking for your fast food without a bun. Water. Easy.


(Candy Lind) #3

You’re talking to another driver here. I know how hard it is to eat decent on the road! I’m home nursing a bad knee while hubby goes it alone ATM, but here are my suggestions:

  1. I don’t think an extended fast is advisable until you know you’re burning fat. You might put the highway public at risk.

  2. DO NOT eat any more biscuits! Buy salads where you can get them & eat at a full service place when you can. When you can’t, burgers with no bun, veggies & lots of mayo. Skip the cheese unless they have real cheddar. No American crap cheese. READ LABELS when you buy anything packaged. Processed meats are, unfortunately, the norm out there. Eat them if you must, avoid them when you can.

  3. At least at first, stay under 20 carbs by simply avoiding them. Dr Sarah Hallberg says to think “GPS” - no Grains, no Potatoes, no Sugar. No bread. No corn or corn products. Eat meat, with a lot of healthy fat.
    You can find boiled eggs everywhere - get them, hard cheese, and summer sausage to eat when you can’t get to a decent restaurant with a good slab of meat or fried eggs & bacon. Once you’ve hit Walmart, Add butter, olive oil, or mayo to whatever you’re eating.

More to come! Do you have a fridge? I’m working up a Walmart list for you.

You’ve made a great decision, driver!!


(Jeremy Reynolds) #4

Hey great! I’m from Texas also. Dallas area.

Rest assured I won’t put the public at risk. So good advice there. I wanted a fast because I don’t want to buy a fridge since I already have one at home. And, as I mentioned, I was hoping to start now instead of six weeks from now.

Which ties into Keto Chow. It’s essentially a protein shake meal replacement that is based off staying in ketosis. And by design, it provides 1/3rd of daily nutrients per shake. So, three of those a day, Badaboom. Meals ready.
Because I’ve tried cooking in my truck and I’m sure you know how much of a hassle it can be.

Edit: I will get a fridge if I must.


(JGL) #5

Hey, I am pretty new to this lifestyle, but one thing I want to advise some caution on is jumping into fasting when you have a history of having been drinking so many sugary beverages over a period of time. Jumping into fasting might wreak havoc on your blood glucose levels in a way that could be dangerous given that your livelihood is operating heavy machinery over long periods of time.

I wrote a bit about my own path into ketosis earlier today, which involved a substantial easing in period that made the adjustment really natural and healthy/sustainable for my body–I really advocate for taking your time to ease in to make sure that your body is doing the metabolic healing necessary to make this a healthful, happy transition for you.

I agree with the above comment re: skip the biscuit. @brenda has a thread about fast food on keto and while that is not a route I am going personally, I think it is worth checking out to help you adjust your macro ratios in a way that helps your body transition toward ketosis but without the stress of trying to arrange a whole lifestyle overhaul all at once that will be difficult to maintain given your very tight schedule. Look at how you can make better keto supporting choices at the places you’re already able to access food on the road. Pay attention to things like breads, coating on fried foods that will creep up your carb count.

I’d suggest working toward monitoring and understanding your body’s relationship to sugar and caffeine intake and titering down on how much you are consuming. Make a food journal and understand more about what nutrients you have been lacking. Look at replacing the soda and energy drinks with things that are low sugar/electrolyte replenishing. Maybe add a multivitamin to help recover the micronutrient gaps that have emerged with your previous style of eating.

I congratulate you on wanting to make this transition-- I really agree with Candy that fasting is a very dangerous approach given your dietary history and profession. Unchaining yourself from sugar will be a big part of what will really make your body ready to go down that path. Have love, patience and compassion for your body while it is going through that and I think you will be happier, safer and more sustainable on your path to wellness.

Take care, man,

JGL


(Lonnie Hedley) #6

Looking at the ingredients, Keto Chow is 100% chemicals. I think you’d be better off asking for a triple baconator with no bun. Most fast food restaurants now have a nutrition calculator where you can configure meals. From the information you e given, I would start with this to work on getting over cravings before you jump to buying a fridge for your truck. Snacks? Jerky, check for the ones with lower carbs. Pork rinds. Cheese sticks in a cooler. It’s not a bandaid, you can ease into it.


#7

My husband is a truck driver and I prep his keto food for over the road. you need a fridge, you can also get a bunch of containers from walmart so you can pack it neatly in that little fridge. He takes a squeeze tube of mayo, hard boiled eggs, bacon, hot Italian brats, instant coffee, green bell peppers cut up. He’s rarely hungry, only eats once a day and I have way less containers to wash when he get’s home because of keto.

Good luck! He sometimes does a fill up with food at walmart, cold cuts filled with cream cheese, they sell hard boiled eggs too. you can also eat smoked bacon raw. spinach in a bag, just eat it by the handful.


(Candy Lind) #8

WHAT SHE SAID.


(JGL) #9

I like you so much already, Candy! Totally agree with this and love that you’re helping him make a resource! I am in NYC where we famously have no Walmarts so I am unfortunately of no help there!


(Bunny) #10

Slowly reduce carbs & sugars OVER A PERIOD OF TIME, DO NOT “JUMP INTO IT” introduce MCT coconut oil (easier on the body) to your diet/metabolism to train the brain, body & liver to burn oxidized fat (ketones i.e. for energy)!

Gradual progression is key or you will feel like your starving to death because what ever you were eating before will tell your brain to eat it!


(Jeremy Reynolds) #11

Definitely noted.

I guess I’m just the kind of guy who is all or nothing. If I don’t commit then it just won’t happen.
…^ The other reason I’m single-hah!

But, most of all, I’m just eager to make a change. Soda and buns are out. That’s pretty much how far I am at the moment.


(Candy Lind) #12

So you may get bored before you get home to get that fridge, but you can make it. Do your best to get the following ASAP:

Morton Lite Salt - you need lots of salt & potassium. Add it everywhere.
Epsom salts - soak your feet to supplement magnesium (or drink a big glass with just a spoonful in it) Later, you can get capsules to take.

Drink at least a gallon of water a day. More if you can! I weigh 245 & I aim for at least 120-160 oz a day

Drink tea & coffee - no creamer or 1/2&1/2. If you drink doctored coffee, try a cup with some ghee & stevia in it (ghee is butter with milk solids removed, no refrigeration required). I LOVE buttered coffee & tea, & I used to drink coffee with 200 calories of carbs in it.


#13

you don’t have to wait to go home to get the fridge, they sell them at walmart!


(Candy Lind) #14

I think he said he already has one at home.


(Keto in Katy) #15

This cannot be overstated. There are various added carbs (mostly sugar) in just about every damn thing in the store. Don’t assume anything, read the label and find out.

Good luck fellow Texan! (I’m in Katy, near Houston.) :cowboy_hat_face:


(Randy) #16

If I could add just one piece of advice it would be:

Eat. Real. Food.

Keto chow is not real food.


(Candy Lind) #17

Some might think it’s ok, but to get full benefit you’d have to mix with HWC (heavy whipping cream), which means … fridge. You can get what you need without it.


#18

oh lol, I thought he meant just a regular size at home, not a small one already.


(Jeremy Reynolds) #19

May I ask the reasoning for this? Tons of people have had success with Keto Chow. And it’s by far the easiest method for me on the road. I’m not saying only, but definitely the easiest. And I’m looking forward to it.


(Bunny) #20

I would only use this “keto chow” if you don’t have time (on rare occasions) to make anything, you need more cruciferous veggies to flush liver! I drink wheatgrass juice (dam good stuff) when pressed for time or when the cupboard is getting bare, would never resort to keto chow!