After a length of being zero carb, do you guys think carbohydrates/alcohol could have dangerous effects?

(Rich) #1

I tried asking this on that other website but the mods there are useless. How detrimental would it be to reintroduce carbohydrates temporarily during a week long trip? I have one coming up which will make going zero carb extremely difficult (unless I fast most of the time, which I’m considering). I worry my liver/thyroid would have an overload and really mess me up. Can any of you helpful souls provide some info if you’ve gone through a similar situation? Otherwise I will just have to eat very limited amounts of food for a week, which might not be too bad. Thank you folks!

(Robert C) #2

Alcohol will be a problem. If you drink as much as you did before zero carb you will probably be much more impaired. Best to shoot for half or less of what you used to drink and wait a while on the effects before thinking about more. Might want to stay away from mixed drinks as you do not know what is actually in them (plus they are usually full of sugar). Another trick is to be the designated driver to avoid it completely (vs. telling people you are fasting or something - where they might pressure you to have some social lubricant).

Unless you went zero carb to solve a liver or thyroid problem - I do not see a reason they would “overload” or mess you up. You’ll just be backtracking a bit on ketosis and fat-adaptation for a while. Maybe a stomach ache on the first day.

Another thing you might want to consider though is any of the initial changes you felt at the beginning of zero carb. Did a rash go away (it might come back), did mental clarity go up (you might feel foggy all week), did your bowel movements normalize (might want to stay close to a bathroom that week).

(Rich) #3

Thank you very much for your answer, I really appreciate it.

(Chris) #4

You might have digestive trouble adding carbs back in. Booze on it’s own is usually fine. I go for whisky, when I drink, which is very much almost never. That me though, I got my enjoyment out of alcohol a long time ago and no longer get what I want from it.

Carnivore 1.5 years. Have experimented.

(Rich) #5

Thank you for your help. I always hated hard liquor and opted for beer, but I will have to make an exception now. I will absolutely take your recommendation and try to stick to scotch (I hate whiskey but might try again haha).

(Raj Seth) #6

There is no need to cultivate a taste for a liquor that you have not liked in the past. Usually, at the bar, you can sip seltzer with a splash of bitters - will look like a gin & tonic.
As for the food - you are right - fasting may be better than anything else.

(Mel Simpson) #7

If you have the willpower to fast that is what I would do but I find that really hard to do when I am away

(Scott) #8

I know it will suck but if you stick to light beer you will save on some carbs. Scotch on the other hand has no carbs and for the morning after a bloody mary will have about 5g depending on the mix. I am heading to a bachelor party/ski trip on Wednesday and I may be able to control my food carbs but the booze will have to be an it is what it is thing. I am in excellent training as I have a cocktail daily. I just make it fit into a <50g carbs daily. Weekends and trips may go over a bit but I survive.

(Rich) #9

Thanks! And good luck on your trip man!

(Rich) #10

It is hard, especially when some of the activities involve eating haha

(Ken) #11

Reintroducing some limited carbs for a week will have little or no detrimental effects. You probably won’t even completely recompensate glycogen during so short of a time, unless you go completely “Hog Wild” eating them. You may experience some GI effects, due to your body not being used to producing as much Amylase, often resulting in bloating. If you keep levels sensible and not intentionally overeat them you should be fine. If you are sensitive to specific carbs, like some are to gluten, it’s best to avoid them or keep them to a very minimum. After your week is done and you get back to lipolytic nutrition, you’ll shed your glycogen in a few days or so and be back to normal.

The rule with alcohol when you’re lipolytic is that it hits you “Twice as hard and twice as fast”. Additionally it dehydrates you, so I suggest you try to drink a glass of water between drinks. This will prevent dehydration, which is what causes hangovers.

(Janelle) #12

If you’re doing keto for weightloss and have a binge week or weekend, especially including alcohol and you haven’t been having it, expect a decent gain on the scale. A lot of this will be water retention but some will be real. Get back on the horse afterward and accept the “price”.

#13

I’ve cheated three times since last may. All carne asada burritos. They might have well just been sleeping pills because they just put me to sleep. Not the best when its 1pm, or if your on a trip and trying to be your best self.

(Doug) #14

Rich, I don’t think some days of carbs is necessarily a big deal. It will postpone further progress on the issues which prompted you to go zero-carb in the first place, but stuff happens… Most times, I think it’s best to be realistic and make your choice beforehand. If you’re going to stay with your program, do it. If you’re going to eat “some carbs,” it’s easy to rationalize, “Well, I’ve already had some… A few more won’t hurt…” Pretty soon it’s pig-out time.

From reading a lot of personal accounts, how you feel after going from zero-carbs to substantial carbs is a question - some people feel fine, some totally crappy, many in-between.

If there is real “danger,” I’d say it’s with alcohol. Zero-carb means your body store of carbohydrates (glycogen) is quite low. Your liver has been making glucose for the relatively few parts of your body that have to have it (versus the ketones that have been fueling most of your body). When alcohol comes in, the liver pretty much drops everything else it’s doing to handle it. This can mean low blood sugar, feeling faint, etc. Here too it’s going to be an individual thing as far as how one feels, and the amount of alcohol will make a big difference.

(Ken) #15

What do you mean by “real”? If you’re talking about fat gain, it doesn’t happen unless your glycogen levels in your liver and muscles are full. You’ve got to eat quite a few carbs in excess of what you burn for that to happen. Follow the Science, not the Dogma.

(Rich) #16

Awesome information, thank you so much!

(Cathrine Helle) #17

I had some carbs over Christmas, it was all fine. I did avoid grains and veggies I knew would give me GI issues, tho, so you might consider what will give you the least discomfort should you reintroduce some foods for this trip. I still enjoy alcohol from time to time, like @Dread1840 I occasionally drink whiskey. I’ve also had red wine on a couple of occasions, but I hardly ever drink any longer. More often than not I just don’t feel like it, for some reason.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #18

Just saw a video by Dr. Phinney, in which he says that ethanol does not interfere with ketosis.

(Davey B ) #19

Rich
My 2 cents, and I’ve been keto for 2.5 years. One of a few good learnings I’ve had is, in such a situation, don’t announce your keto-ness, there’s always something available for us… If those little toasty hors d’oeuvres come around, politely take one, bite the tuna or meaty treat off the top and discard the toast. I allow them to fill my wine glass, then just nose it and take small sips after raising a toast. Keep some water nearby at all times. Sparkling water and a small lime looks like a cocktail, and it keeps you well hydrated. I think we often feel that people are taking more notice of us than they really are, so there’s I’ve found no real benefit to making a big deal about our low carb lifestyle at such occasions. If they serve a carb-age plate, find some fat and meat on there and leave the rest! If someone comments, tell them you had to many appetizers! Or better still, ask for more of the lamb or beef since you loved it so much. lol
Enjoy and stay the course, you deserve it… We all do!

Good luck!