Anyone get the weekly runs?


(Andrew Farkas) #1

Hi Keto freaks!

I’ve been keto ( I think ), for about 6 or 7 weeks now. I say I think because I really haven’t been following macros. I just cut out everything with sugars, sweeteners and anything made with grain. And most fruits.
Here’s my question, I’m wondering if it’s common to frequently have the runs ( or the shits for lack of a more visual term. Lol )?
I mean, when I first started eating keto I kinda got bunged up or constipated. Then the first time I had a bullet proof coffee I nearly exploded the next day.
I have been having a little bit of coconut oil along with my pre work meal. Which is usually bacon and cream cheese or cottage cheese.
I don’t drink a lot of water. I have at least 2 or 3 large cups of coffee every day with heavy cream.
My energy levels went up initially but now I kinda feel a little sluggish. I’m probably getting enough if not too much protein. Not so sure about the fat. I do eat quite a bit of bacon.
When I stretch my legs in bed in the morning I get immediate and brutal leg cramps. So maybe I’m not getting enough greens?
I usually take a mens over 50 multivitamin even though I probably don’t need it and I just started yesterday taking fish oil capsules since we eat more beef, pork and chicken than fish.
I ordered a whole grass fed cow and a whole pig that we are waiting on as I don’t wanna make bone broth from the grain and corn fed beef we are getting from the neighbourhood butcher. He’s got nice bacon though.

So what say you? Any ideas why I get the shits once or twice a week? Usually but not always on the weekends.

Andy


#2

The cramps would indicate magnesium but watch the type you take as it may make the runs worse. I think glycinate is less impactful in this respect. Are you getting enough salt?

Coconut oil and fat can give you the runs but it might just be a settling in factor to a different WOE. MCT oil messes my insides up for example.

I would potentially track just for a week say (I know, I don’t both either any more because it is a ball ache!) just to see where you are with carbs and protein - amounts you are eating that is.


(Todd Allen) #3

I agree with Daisy. Horrible leg cramps are a primary symptom of my neuromuscular wasting disease and magnesium played a big role in fixing it. I started off using magnesium citrate powder which works great stirred into stews, sauces and gravies and can improve both texture and flavor. This was a double win for me because I was struggling with constipation and it improved that as well.

In your case though a magnesium supplement might aggravate the runs. I think your question of “more greens?” is the answer. Chlorophyll has magnesium which makes leafy greens an excellent source. I’ve transitioned to eating lots of leafy greens as I cut back on other veg/fruit and have since cut back on the magnesium citrate powder without any cramping and have adopted an aggressive resistance training regimen which would make cramps much worse if I still suffered from them.

It’s possible the added bulk/fiber of the greens might improve your stools, but my guess is something else in your diet is a trigger such as too much coconut oil or dairy and you’ll likely need to experiment to sort it out.


(A ham loving ham! - VA6KD) #4

Through trial and error, I learned that going hard on coconut oil is what does that for me. It happened a couple times a week and it wasn’t just any runs, it was a sudden tap at the backdoor and then what I can only describe as a high-pressure water stream with no cramps, burning or pain on its exit which usually only hit once or twice and then was gone as fast as it arrived.

What worked for me was backing off on the coconut oil and switching it out for other oils (avocado, olive and butter) on different days.


(Andrew Farkas) #5

This is exactly what happens to me! I had considered it might be the coconut oil so I kept reducing the amount consumed. I’ll try alternating every few days.

Thanks Keehan!

Cheers,

Andrew


#6

I don’t overdo coconut oil or MCT oil, and do drink plenty of water regularly, but after breaking a 24 hour fast on Saturday morning with a big omelette smothered in hollandaise sauce, including coffee and HWC, I literally dumped it all in the toilet effortlessly (no pain or burning, etc.) about 2 hours later. And trust me, I looked and it was not what I ate the day before…

I’ve had some episodes of extra bowel movements after fasting, so this was the exception so far, but it is typical of increased activity after a fast for me.


(A ham loving ham! - VA6KD) #7

No worries! I found it was more the amount of coconut oil in a single meal rather than smaller amounts several times during the day.