Do I have to adapt again?

(Charlotte) #1

It was my daughter’s 10th birthday this weekend and I fell of the wagon HARD. Of course she had to have her heart set on Olive Garden for her birthday dinner and I would have felt like a crappy parent if I said no or had the family go while I stayed at home. When I walked in I felt like a newly sober alcoholic walking into a bar. I searched the menu and googled for so long trying to find something that I could enjoy that I was clearly irritating the waitress. I finally got so frustrated that I just ordered my favorite dish (Steak Gorgonzola Fettuccine Alfredo = 82g carbs). Before it came I scarfed down as much salad as I could so I couldn’t eat as much. I ended up eating about half the fettuccine. Then when we got home I had a piece of her birthday cake (2x2 piece) because I had to add salt to the wound. The whole weekend (Fri-Sun) was a disaster for me food wise… Needless to say I was knocked out of ketosis for 3 days solid. Yesterday I had finally regained my sense and reigned myself in and stuck to my keto food even though there is still birthday cake in the fridge taunting me. By last night my ketones were up to 0.4. I normally carry a 0.9 blood ketone at any given time before my gluttonous failure.

Long story later… After 3 days of carb abuse, I ended up gaining 3 lbs after all was said and done and when I weighed myself this morning I was down 1.4lbs. I figure the weight was water retention from all the sugar/carbs since it’s coming off quickly. Will I have to go through readjusting and adaption all over again or does it generally take longer than 3 days of excess carbs to lose adaptation?

Thanks!

#2

You probably won’t have to go through Keto flu again, you’ll just have to let your body rid itself of the glucose, which doesn’t take longer than a couple days usually. So don’t worry about it. In the future, you should just go into a birthday prepared to Carb Up, but don’t use it as a reason to carb up the whole weekend.

(Cancer Fighting Ketovore :)) #3

I love this dish! I order mine over broccoli instead of pasta. Olive Garden also has the Chicken Piccata. You can always sub veggies for potatoes. And steak dishes are good too.

You’ll be fine in a few days.

#4

Don’t beat yourself up over it but try to avoid multiple days of cheating etc. Get rid of the psychological stress and making yourself feel worse over something that has already happened. You don’t need to feel so low. Keep telling yourself that the journey is worth it and laugh at the set back/learn from it. Get right back up and continue on. I think sometimes we put ourselves through worse mentally. I sometimes feel lethargic or have the runs after a non-keto meal (ie my father’s birthday lunch this past Dec). I’ve never had multiple days of carbs so don’t know what that feels like. Just hang in there.

What I do before going with friends or coworkers to an unknown restaurant or unfamiliar place is googling the restaurant or calling ahead to suss out how flexible they are with their menu. Most joints will have some kind of meat and veg plate like steak and veg or burgers and fries and I just make the requests I need to without pissing anyone off in the FOH or kitchen. If it’s awkward, I just quietly avoid the potatoes, buns or noodles on the plate. Appetizers are often a MUCH safer place than the entrees because there are chicken wings(look for unbattered) or some other kind of meat bites. If all else fails, nibble on a veggie appetizer. Don’t ever feel pressured to eat what doesn’t feel right to you (if it doesn’t). I’ve found it’s part and parcel of the journey - learning to be comfortable in your choices and your own skin. Don’t be afraid to stand alone. Happy belated birthday to your daughter by the way. :slight_smile:

(Charlotte) #5

Thats a great idea with the broccoli! I should have just come straight here beforehand instead trying stressing and trying to figure it out alone. I was debating the piccata but I don’t like it. :frowning: Thanks!

(Charlotte) #6

I cheat more often then I’d like to admit. My guilty pleasure is having a really good beer when my husband and I go out on date night, but I have never made a weekend out of it. I don’t usually beat myself up long. I’m just eager to hit my first mini-goal of 30% weight loss. I’m really close.

(Full Metal KETO AF) #7

Don’t stress Lucy, I just came back home from a 7 week vacation where I stayed with the program mostly but had occasional alcohol, and carbs while eating out. I got home 8 days ago and have dropped all eight pounds that I had gained, mostly water I think.

We do our best but life just happens so sometimes you have to flow with things and get back on track after a holiday, vacation or special event like your daughter’s birthday. And for God’s sake get rid of the B-Day cake!

(Charlotte) #8

I’m actually doing really well not eating it. Its actually been good having it around because it’s teaching me to control my cravings and exercising my will power. Plus, my daughter is still snacking on it and it would break her heart if I threw it away. I got a really small cake so there isn’t much left.

#9

Your body can store up to 48 hours worth of glycogen which must now be burned off, you could exercise to burn it quicker otherwise just wait a couple of days. But your keto adaptation then resumes. All the upgraded mitochondria will still be there, they don’t disappear over night.

It happens, don’t worry about it, keep looking forward. Loving keto