Can’t drink alcohol

(Alicia) #1

I’ve been on the keto diet for exactly one week now, staying at or under 20g net carbs a day and testing moderate on test strips, and alcohol hits me so much differently already: I barely have any now, and I feel nauseated and just not good: i use to be able to achieve a euphoria, a social fluidity, with a comfortably higher amount of alcohol (tequila) and tonight I made a low-carb beverage and feel sick before achieving any of the positive aspects I used to appreciate. Guess this is how it is from now on? Hah… probably a good thing but I do miss being able to enjoy it a little bit…

(Katie the Quiche Scoffing Stick Ninja ) #2

Why are you drinking alcohol during your first week?
Drinking alcohol stops ketosis for upwards of 12 hours.
Your body can’t produce ketones while processing the alcohol.
You are hindering your efforts before even barely starting?

Plan when you want to drink, for special occasions.
But mindless drinking throughout the week will do everything to hurt you, and not help you.

The test strips test for wasted ketones through the urine, so although you have a moderate level of ketones you are producing, your body does not know what to do with them yet and won’t for upwards of 6-8 weeks. Drinking alcohol at this point is going to prolong fat adaption if you can’t stay in ketosis.

(Bernardo) #3

I have to agree with Ava on this one.
If you’re only into your first week, avoid alcohol.
Also I’m not sure if the nausea is caused by the alcohol. It could be your body just adjusting to being fat-adapted and having mild keto-flu.
Once fat-adapted, you should be able to have similar effects from alcohol, with less quantity.
Give it a few weeks :slight_smile:

(Hyperbole- best thing in the universe!) #4

On the other hand… [https://www.dietdoctor.com/alcohol-stop-ketosis]

Diet Doctor has a lot of good info. But if it isn’t feeling good that’s a good reason to stay away from alcohol.

I had one drink every night my first week, no problems. My favorite is gin and soda. I did buy a shot glass when I started keto so I could be sure of my amounts.

(Pete A) #5

Stay Keto and this will be your natural state. I used to love to drink, and now hardly touch the stuff sans a shot or two of no carb bourbon occassionally.

(Michelle) #6

+1

(Drew Says "Eat the Salt, you damned stinking Keto ape" Hardcore Label Licka ) #7

All my life alcohol has been there, it’s part of my Cockney culture “the bigger the drinker the bigger the man” after a year of going keto I stopped drinking. I went from drinking a bottle of red wine a day with a G&T as an aperitif and coffee cognac or whisky as a digestive for lunch and dinner every day. (when in France a coffee cognac was breakfast).
I have to say I don’t miss it! and now only use it in cooking. So my personal position is that alcohol and keto don’t mix full stop. Believe me I have tried to make it work.
What’s your poison? we humans do so love to hide the truth in plain sight.

(Empress of the Unexpected) #8

When I’ve tested after drinking wine I stay in ketosis.

(Michelle) #9

I believe the difference here is that the original poster is trying to get into ketosis.

(Empress of the Unexpected) #10

Op said already in ketosis, but just feels like crap after alcohol. Another point is that alcohol will halt lipolosis but not necessarily ketosis.

(Alicia) #11

I stayed in Ketosis after the alcohol, I’m just not fat-adapted yet

(Banting & Yudkin & Atkins & Eadeses & Cordain & Taubes & Volek & Naiman & Bikman ) #12

Could be that the alcohol depleted something else, and left you keto flu like. I agree with the others to limit alcohol in the first month or two.

(Alicia) #13

The thing that surprised me is that i could barely get down one drink, when I used to be able to drink several just 2 weeks ago. This time I needed to drink water sip for sip, and I was even drinking pickle juice alongside. I woke up many times last night and drank a liter of water before morning. Carbohydrates seem to significantly absorb the alcohol allowing for slow release which is much easier to process

(Alicia) #14

I would say it possibly put me in an almost instant keto-flu

(Banting & Yudkin & Atkins & Eadeses & Cordain & Taubes & Volek & Naiman & Bikman ) #15

Might be your liver is on a fine line in detox and the booze hit a tipping point.

Lots of people do booze on keto, after fat adaptation. I find I get drunk on less booze (I’m also 23% smaller), but don’t stay drunk as long.

(Alicia) #16

That makes sense. I’ve profoundly changed my diet in a remarkably short period of time

(Michelle) #17

Oh I misunderstood!

(Empress of the Unexpected) #18