Cyclical Keto: Refeed

(Jr Goad) #1

I was just wondering if you will experience keto flu when you take a CKD approach. I ask this because I’ve been on keto for about a month and a half now and it took me a while to really adjust. Had a bad case of the keto flu for weeks where I felt extremely cloudy. That being said, I am now fat adapted but was considering doing a reefed day very soon. I know this will kick me out of ketosis but will I experience the keto flu once I get back into the process of ketosis?

#2

I definitely did when I tried and I didn’t like it at all.

If it was a short dietary excursion, I didn’t experience keto flu, but on the early and rare occasions it was longer, I did have some of those symptoms.

(Alex Dipego) #3

I tried CKD for a couple months and ended up bailing on it. I didn’t get keto flu coming off as it got easier. The hard part was cravings through the week. It take me 4 days to get back to where I was the week before and overall wasn’t for me. Keto with “high carb” really is 40-50 for me but I rarely go above 15 anymore. It helps control my cravings.

(Daniel) #4

I tried an approach called “carb Nite” a few times. My problem is the 3-9pm cheat meal window becomes a binge, and becomes carb weekend, becomes “eff it, I’ll restart monday” becomes well, last hurrah, lets have a large pizza. it became too much for me. I got sick of restarting and failing.

#5

You can see from what the others have said that it all depends how you react to carbs and most of us who wind up on keto react badly! I was much more moderate LCHF for a long time before falling right off the wagon and then getting back on but with keto. LCHF was great for me but always a struggle with cravings and I always felt like I was having to exert major willpower muscles! When I first started looking at keto I thought it would be harder because it was more restrictive but decided to give it a go anyway. I found the opposite. I wouldn’t say I am free completely from cravings but they are far less often and much more manageable now. Also that extra push freed me almost completely from bad migraines and eased my depression considerably. Once you start seeing the benefits, those carbs just lose their appeal and start looking like wasted tummy space that you could be filling with something way more delicious.

You sound like at some point you ill try it and that may not be such a bad thing. The chances are you will see a negative of some kind - you will feel crappy, you will want to binge, you will get cravings coming back… So it will end up being learning experience. Buyer beware though - some people have had a day ‘off’ and it has turned into a year.

#6

@Daisy, from the context, I’m guessing that “auto-carrot” kept changing “keto” to “ketonix”? :smile:

#7

Oh FFS. Yes!
I will change it AGAIN.

(Brian) #8

Not sure if I’m truly following Keto rules, but when I have a scheduled deviation ( monthly pot luck social events, ect) once I have 1 desert I self negotiate “1 more would be ok”, but I usually loose when I start self negotiating on how many extra carby thing I can/should have. End up way out of control and over eating carby things and wounder why I can’t exert a little more self control. Once I start, the rest of the evening is out of control but the next day I can be right back on track. I have absolutely no ill feeling or difficulty with cravings or anything else that resembles carb flue. The problem I have is it takes several days to get rid of the wieght gained from that 1 event. On longer deviations like vacations or extended Christmas excesses. the weight gain is much worse and it takes a lot longer to get rid of the weight but can decide to jump back in with no difficulty. So people really vary in how they respond. For people like me there is no negative reinforcement when you deviate other than that extremely undesired weight gain. I’ve kind of been at this off and on for quite a while but even in the beginning long before heard word keto, had no difficulty jumping straight into (my version) of a strict Atkin induction diet with less than 20 grams carbs.
SO it can really vary from person to person or it may be in what you eat when you jump back in, but I doubt the food on reintroduction is really the issue.

(Rachel) #9

Ok I’m new and learning the lingo. I’ve been trying keto for almost 3 weeks. Recently my teenager brought double stuff Oreos in the house. I had two servings, reasoning the carbs consumed still kept me under 100g for the day. I got a headache and of course next day I wanted more. Would something like that be considered a refeed? Admittedly I’m not that knowledgeable about CKD. I’m really enjoying this WOE and learning all I can. Thanks

(eat more) #10

not really :slight_smile:
refeeds are generally high carb, low fat so i would consider that more of a speed bump on your keto road :blush:

not that i am advocating CKD…especially this early…if ever…i just know stuff about it :joy:

(Blyss (Old @Charmaine)) #11

@jr_goad, is there a particular reason why you want to do CKD?

@finallyrachel if you don’t mind me asking, is keeping your carb range of up to 100g working for you so far?

(Rachel) #12

I’ve been keeping carbs most days 30g (60g high end) so I rationalized over 100g isn’t so bad. Lol
I guess I’m experimenting what my limits are.
I’m actually thinking of trying a fast. That’s another topic though. I should start a new thread. :slight_smile:

(Anti-Gravity Gains) #13

I am very active with running and lifting. The hardest part for me was to go a straight 6 weeks of strict keto. I really wanted to ensure I got fat adapted. It took a few attempts to get a 6 week string of no-slip keto but I finally did. Since then, I have had a few slips varying from 3 hours to 3 days. My experience is that, yes, you can get the keto flu as I did the longer I was off-keto/binge. I don’t recommend it. But there are other factors, if you eat “clean” carbs such as yams to do some TKD/CKD you may not even be kicked out of ketosis for very long. There are many ways to get into ketosis - the keto diet is just one of them. If you are a carb addict, as I proclaim that I must be, I would suggest setting up strict parameters on your CKD. Try not to eat donuts or 2 buckets of movie theater popcorn as I have done. Again, even with the carby junk foods, I did NOT get the keto flu after only 1 meal or even 1 day off keto and then getting right back on. Anything beyond that, I sure as heck do - but usually it is brain fog, slight headache - not stomach issues nor astronomical levels of lethargy. Inflammation for me is a big motivator to do keto - those issues return within 24 hours if I eat carbs. 100 grams worth probably wouldn’t do me any harm being athletic, but I keep around 25 to 35 net grams of carbs for the simple fact that I am prone to let it get out of control beyond that with carbs. Good luck!

(Karl L) #14

Same!! I’m either all in or not at all. I just can’t dance with the devil (Lucifer = craft beer and pizza)