can i just say, i’m enjoying reading a lot of these responses here. i’ve kept things low carb, just a few days of blips here and there and continued fasting (though not as frequently) but am actually up 15 lbs. and only about 1/3 of that is water.
reading this thread is motivating me to buckle down and get to it!
i should consider cutting out sweeteners (erithyritol) for maybe 3 days…
I have the same story even the part about the birthday. That’s what started me off I went out for a birthday dinner with a friend and I had chocolate mousse and I was Off to the Races. I ate nothing but carbohydrates and two weeks turned into two months and two months turned into two years. I gained everything back after being close to my goal weight. I was disgusted in myself. Now I am back on track and I have faltered a few times but knowing what I know now I do make sure that I get back on track. The scary thing is I am going on a holiday and I’ve pre-plan to go off Keto the 12 days that were away I’m still going to be careful about what I eat and I’m still going to intermittent fast. Soon as I get back home I will get back on track I will never ever let myself go like that again. My health is far too important. You should be proud of yourself for getting back on track after 2 months. That is an accomplishment. I have been back on keto since October 20th 2018 and I have turn off one day around Christmas time actually make that two days. And then about three weeks ago I did nothing but cards but both times. Back on track. Today I decided that during my vacation I would stop Keto stop. I did eat quite a bit of carbs today. Hopefully I can do this and prove to myself I can go off at for 12 days and get right back on it. The way that I get back on track is by doing a fat fast with eggs and MCT oil and that got me back on track
Great post and ty for sharing bc many of us have been there. It’s normal actually. You see, keto is fantastic is so many ways however, it DOES place a lot of stress on the mind and body and if you do it for toooo long, you end up causing psysiological cravings. And that’s what happened here. The remedy is to set a goal and practice it. For example, I’m going hard keto now and once re adapted, ill allow myself to have something that my mind & body is craving. Try it once more. If it leads to this chaotic downward spiral and out of control cravings then keto isn’t for you. It’s not for everybody. You can use it as a tool and cycle in and out. Or, you can go back to the way you were prior to keto but try IF (intermittent fasting)- this is a surefire way to keep daily calories low which in turn may help you to lose weight. You can try the 16/8 method for starters. This lifestyle will help you enjoy a sweet treat without going overboard bc you know the next day, you can enjoy a small piece again. Keto can be too stressful on the mind and seems to be the case here.
Any science to back that up?
In a way, you can say the same for any habit you’re trying to break. I’m sure the smokers, when trying to quit, experience cravings for a cigarette. Do you tell them to start smoking again, but just limit it to 16:8? Granted, that’d be better than smoking all the time, but still not the same as quitting completely.
I’m all for moderation. I just ate some cookies on Saturday and was pleasantly surprised to go right back to keto on Sunday, so I DO understand what you’re saying. But that, to me, is NOT something I’d recommend to other people…it would have been preferable to not eat the cookies at all. And if someone is coming to keto with health issues, it’s even more important to NOT go back to carbs. I’m just dealing with a fair amount of stress in my life, so if I use the cookies for stress relief, I’m ok with it…knowing that a better option would have been to go for a walk or something.
Listen, do NOT feel so bad. This is the story of my life. It’s never, ever too late to get back on track. Life is a series of ups and downs, and some of us, like myself, take a spill off the wagon even if it’s 51 days. Honestly, 51 days is really not even 2 months. I’ve gone off the rails longer than that even.
What I like to do to get back into things mentally, is I’ll go watch some weight loss transformation videos on YouTube. It will inspire me to get back on the wagon.
Just make yourself get back into it. Go into it knowing you may be really pissed off about it at first, but you gotta get back over the hump. You got into Ketosis before, youll do it again. Realize that it’s YOU in control, not a mood or a thought or a feeling or premonition.
Sometimes, I literally pretend I’m a robot. I do the “tasks” that have to be done in order to get back on track. I dont think about it, I just do it. Like a robot performing a set of commands. Maybe it sounds a little whacky, but I can be a [spoiler] fucking [/spoiler] mess of a person, and sometimes I have to get creative with myself.
Just because we sometimes lose our way doesnt meant that we’re lost forever. You have more power than you think or feel. You’ve got a lot of great people here for support. Start up an accountability thread, or if you have one already, blow the dust off of it.
YOU CAN DO IT!!!
No science to back that up but first hand accounts from many members including myself. I can recall a time where I biked passed a pizzeria and for the life of me I couldn’t shed those images/ feelings of having a slice. I actually cried bc I wanted it so badly. But for fear that it was going to collapse my keto diet I didn’t have it. For hours and hours it was on my mind. Every person’s body and mind is wired differently. I’d say be thankful that hasn’t happened to you bc it’s something that does tend to occur.
I just totally responded to something from April. wtf. It showed up like it was new. >_<
That happens whenever someone respond to an old thread. It pops back to life as if it were brand new.
I find all this talk about “psychological stress” from not eating carbohydrate to be hilarious. It sounds a lot like what you hear from certain newly-sober alcoholics about how a life without any alcohol at all would be unhealthy! 
I can’t seem to put my finger on the precise reason, but alcoholics who talk like that always seem to end up with a DUI, somehow . . .
As for myself, it’s not as though I developed my carb cravings since going keto. They were there before, and they’ve been there ever since the day I threw out my bag of sugar and my jars of jam and took the garbage bag out to the dumpster. But keto has taught me the difference between having cravings and actually being hungry.
Just saying! 
Had a difficult time myself in December, bad cough & ended up with some cough sweets (any keto solutions for a bad cough?), then Christmas, then family birthdays…10lbs back on! Told myself it was water weight & would soon come off, but nearly 4 weeks back into keto & I’ve lost 2lbs 
… Seem to be so hungry, & rarely satisfied even though I’m eating the same stuff as before? Hope you’re doing better now Dawn? Thanks for sharing, glad I’m not the only one! Told myself I’d never put the weight back on, but I’ve failed on that one!
I use cough drops labeled “sugar-free” and don’t worry about it. The standard cough treatment in the U.S. is guaifenesin syrup—preferably, again, with artificial sweetener, and with or without dextromethorphan, a cough suppressant. Guaifenesin is also sold in the U.S. in pill form, under the brand name Mucinex (cheaper store brands are also available), again, with or without dextromethorphan. The pill carries no concerns about sweetener, so I prefer it. Check with your chemist, I believe Mucinex should be available in your country too, but I have no idea of under what brand name.
Just start eating keto again We have deliberately left the keto rules unchanged.
thank you. I am diving head first into a 24 hour fast. I hope to make it to 48 hours, then go back to a good keto solid eating plan. I need to get weight off fast again - because my knees are killing me.
I’ve been off for about 6 months after. Literally in tears reading your response, as well as the responses of others. Your advice may work for me. It gives me hope. Thank you.