All I think about is Gummy Bears and Quiting Keto!

(Jenny Kissler Dowen) #1

Still waiting for the Keto Miracle that everyone speaks about.

I have been Keto 6 weeks, I am 5’5" and weight 225 lbs. Honestly I don’t care if I lose any weight, what I really want is ENERGY and to not to feel stiff and achy.

The first 2 weeks was the only time that I felt amazing. Then after that nothing, I feel like I am back to my pre-keto normal.

No I don’t track my macros, no I don’t measure every bit and count carbs down to the gram.

I have not touched any grains/sugar.

Here is a sample of how I eat.

Bulletproof coffee until about 11 am.

If I wake up hungry eggs/bacon.

Lunch is salad, with romaine, cheese green olives, almonds and left over protein from dinner

Iced espresso with 1/2 and 1/2.

Water with salt and Water Drops flavoring.

Snacks of fat bombs, coconut flakes, macadamia nuts, cheese.

Dinner is protein and a veg like broccoli or more salad, fathead pizza, taco meat, veg/meat with creamy sauce, etc.

Honestly, I am at the point where I am just done with this, if I am going to feel the same then I might as well eat the gummy bears.

Today after I ate lunch, I had a huge blood sugar crash, I literally was falling asleep at my desk. I drank some water ate my fathead cinnamon rolls, and then slowly started to feel better.

I don’t know what response I am hoping to get from this post, but I guess I am on the fence of a cheat.

I have listened to every podcast episode of the 2 Keto Dudes so I know you guys will tell me to get under 20 g carbs, count your macros, track your food etc. but honestly, I don’t want to AND I don’t have the patience to tediously document every morsel I put in my mouth.

I have restricted my food so much over the last 10 yrs after my breast cancer diagnosis in the name of health and cancer prevention and now I am just at the f**k it, be happy eat ice cream.

Maybe that is my answer, I am not willing to put in the effort, to get the results. I don’t know. Ugh!

(Carey) #2

Do you know if you are actually in ketosis? Have you measured your blood ketones? Your menu sounds keto for sure and if you know that what you are eating has you in ketosis then no tracking needed. But…do you know?

(Jenny Kissler Dowen) #3

I am not sure and I have been too cheap to invest in a glucose meter. My guess is I am probably not in ketosis because I can tell how I feel. The first few weeks I would get flushed, sweat and have crazy energy, kind of like when I drink too much coffee.

(Michael McMurray) #4

The carbs hide in more things than I ever realized. When I did track my macros I realized how quick 2g here and 6g there adds up. I understand not wanting to track, its tedious, personally my goal is to go based on what i’m craving and I almost never crave anything but fats.

Maybe give yourself a boot camp of sorts? Set a short time span, 1 or 2 weeks where you track them, then see how you feel. You won’t ever regret tracking them for a week but its possible you could regret not ever tracking them.

Once you track for a bit your food knowledge grows exponentially and the need to track goes away, you just know. People like Carl and Richard track because they are programmers and data nerds, so they enjoy it. Maybe for you its just a matter of a short boot camp and see how you feel?

This doesn’t sound like what you want to hear but you sound on the verge of giving up, this is the best honest advice I can give. Good luck!

#5

Like you I am doing lazy keto. For about a week, though, I did keep track just to get a visual etc sense of what is what. It has worked out so far during the past 4 months. I am now adding things I haven’t before like keto ice cream and keto breads. I will have to watch it like a hawk since I don’t know how my body will react!

I think one of the secrets that has made me successful is that for the first 4 months I have kept things very simple:

no fat bombs
no snacking
no breakfast except HWC with coffee
simple proteins and veggies so I could see exactly what I am having
add fats

Now I am expanding on things and will see how I do!

Good luck!

#6

ohh, this sounds frustrating!

I don’t feel like I have the patience to track macros so I understand - but it seems like for you at this stage it might be worth doing some close tracking per Michael’s recommendations just for a short while - it will give a focus to your frustration; it’s very temporary; and if you’re still not feeling right, then you’ll know you gave it your best shot instead of leaving keto feeling vague and unsatisfied.

(Also, in general in my life when I’ve felt like “f**k it be happy and just eat ice cream” [well, for me it’s chocolate] and I eat the chocolate, lo and behold: I’m not actually happier. Is there a way you can follow keto and not feel constrained or restricted? what would that look like?

Unfortunately, I think there’s a huge mismatch between our physiology and our environment -super palatable foods everywhere :weary:and I’m not sure any way of eating that is good for us is going to be 100% willpower free.

#7

You certainly have reason to seek out the best possible diet and I’m sure, like many if us, you’ve been through a whole list of them. You may want to read through some of the posts in the Health, Cancer subforum for inspiration in that regard. https://www.ketogenicforums.com/c/health/cancer

I have a family history of cancer and I also use periodic extended fasts (3-7 days, usually) for autophagy and hopefully cancer prevention. Getting established in ketosis first was what made this possible for me.

#8

I agree with everyone who suggests tracking. I think there’s plenty of room for possible carb creep in there. I don’t track daily, but I do track every now and then just to make sure my macros are in line. I’m constantly readjusting things to make sure my fat is high enough and my protein isn’t creeping up too high (for me)–and getting rid of carb creep. Some painful lessons that I have learned is that I must limit nuts and fathead dough. That’s where occasional tracking has been helpful for me.

I also wanted to let you know that the water flavoring can contain carbs too. If it’s MIO brand you’re probably fine, but I discovered early on (much to my dismay) that my favorite water flavor had carbs in it. That was probably adding an extra 5 to 10 carbs for me each day in the beginning.

Best of luck! You can do this!

(jketoscribe) #9

I think the lunch salad is too little nutrient density and that makes you hungry and Unsatisfied. Go for more nutrient density. A decent serving of protein (leftovers are fine) more nutrient dense low carb vegetables (lettuce is pretty poor nutritionally) and plenty of fat. Add olives, nuts, avocados for more nutrient density and fat. Eat enough at lunch that you don’t need a snack. Try not to eat all day–one BCP in the morning, not BCP throughout the morning it a hearty bacon and eggs meal. A nutrient dense lunch and dinner. Let your insulin levels come down between meals, fast between dinner and breakfast.

(Suzanne Barton) #10

Hey Jenny I went through exactly what you are going through, even hating to track stuff. It took me over 9 weeks on keto to really start feeling better. It was super frustrating and I wanted to quit as well but hang in there! It will get better! Some people just take longer to fat adapt. Wish I had a cure for that! Make sure you get enough water and electrolytes. It’s worth it!!

(Jenny Kissler Dowen) #12

Thanks Michael!
Yes, I could probably handle a week or 2 of tracking, that seems reasonable. I have downloaded so many food trackers and they are all just to complicated and detailed. I need simple. I spend all day at work deep in minor details, tracking people and tasks and I just can’t get myself then to come home and continue that.

(Jenny Kissler Dowen) #13

You may be right about the salad. I do tend to feel very hungry again around 3 or 330, then I get home and eat dinner at 6 so probably my insulin is just up constantly. I didn’t think of it that way. I will try to switch it up and see if that helps.

(Jenny Kissler Dowen) #14

Thanks everyone for the suggestions and encouragement.

Last night it occurred to me that I am most likely wanting to emotionally eat. I want that yummy feeling you get from the sugar, I have been a sugar freak since I was a kid.

Sweets are my vice, I usually would eat ice cream everyday after dinner, I faithfully stopped at Starbucks every morning for a little sugar boost.

This is what I am missing and it is hard.

(Michael McMurray) #15

I use a pad of paper and pen and just write down the amounts from my meals and add that way personally.

I also don’t like the apps I’ve come across, they feel too cluttered. Also I’m at an advantage that I mostly eat once a day sometimes twice and I didnt have to track much, I don’t track anymore unless I eat something new to me.

If I come across something that doesn’t have a label I do a quick Google search to find my answer.

My job is well suited for this lifestyle, I am lucky for that. I’m sure I would feel the same as you if I was in your position.

Good luck! I’m excited to see what a week or 2 of tracking shows and how you feel!

(KCKO, KCFO 🥥) #16

Just want to add you should add fat to your salads. How about avocados added to those as well.

Do you get enough sodium/magnisum/calcium? Most people having issues do not. Remember table salt is part sodium and part chloride, you need more sodium. Magnesium supplement might not hurt, you can bath in epsom salt, it is very inexpensive, and your body will absorb what it needs. Calcium can help with aches and pains as well. Calcium citrate is the kind to get, your body uses it more effectively.

I also hated to track for years. I joined Myfitnesspal and used the bar scanning feature to start tracking. Finally found LCHF/KETO way of eating, so I reached my goal weight.
I did WW without tracking, didn’t stay at goal long either. A bit of friendly advic: Get over the tracking issue while you are young. I say this as who is finally in the correct weight range, at 68, haven’t been here since my late 30s. I wasted a lot of good years battling my weight because, I just couldn’t be bothered to track.

Good luck with your Journey.

(What The Fast?!) #17

You could try fasting for a couple days. One of the most interesting things I read in The Complete Guide to Fasting is that they said that when patients were struggling with doing intermittent fasting or fasting for 24 hours, they had them do a 3 day fast! After this, they were able interpret the signals from
their body better.

Also - think about those first few weeks when you felt good. What were you doing differently? Really think about it, maybe there are things you added to your routine/eating schedule that you hadn’t done in the first few weeks?

Also - add salt! You may think you’re getting enough but you may not be. If you don’t want to track, but want to do something to make a difference in your energy - just track that one thing: salt. Measure out 2tsp in the morning and make sure you use it all.

#18

Hang in there because it does get better and you will start to feel the advantages of the keto woe. I am not a natural tracker but I do use myfitnesspal to help me understand how much I am really eating of the different macros. I found I was way underestimating my carbs. I also found the barcode reader a great short cut. It even has almost all the chain restaurant menus. I also have a fallback cheat if I really get crazy and want to quit. We keep dairy queen fudge bars in the freezer. It has 12 carbs, but I adjust my day to make room for it if I am struggling. The treat calms the “I am so deprived devil on my shoulder” and I am able to refocus the next day. I have not had to use this treat since getting back into the swing but it helps me knowing I have an emergency plan if needed. Good luck!

(Jenn Monaghan) #19

You could “cheat” with some keto gummy bears:

http://stepawayfromthecarbs.com/zero-carb-gummy-candy/

(Michael McMurray) #20

@Jenny_Kissler_Dowen

So my mother is trying to get into Keto and is a beginner so I decided to start listening to another podcast called Keto for Women, to try and learn more about the female body. I will need all that knowledge for my own little family, my wife and my 2 daughters.

The podcast is amazing and I think perfectly applies to you! She only has 3 episodes out so its easy to catch up and get current. Try her out and tell me what you think, I think this might have a lot of the answers you are seeking!

(Jenny Kissler Dowen) #21

Fantastic. I will check it out. Also, I gave in and bought 1 month of my fitness pal. I started tracking yesterday, and wow, I was way off. But i was 2lbs down this morn, probably just water weight, but it was still exciting. It seems like not much food each day and I did get very hungry lat afternoon into dinner time, but now I have a better idea how to eat. Thanks again!