Eating disorder and Keto diet

(Luca) #1

Hi, I have binge/bulimia disorder and would like to start keto diet, as I know once I go very low with carbs i will do way better.
I would like to avoid calculating macros and wonder if there is simpler way to make sure i am hitting keto ratio of carbs/protein and fat by visually dividing plate based on food categories.
As well, if anybody with similar issue i would like to share experiences.

Hunger control
#2

Hi Luca,
I also suffer with a binge and bulimia disorder. Keto is the best thing that has ever worked for me. More specifically, fasting. Completely eliminated food from my daily routine has given me a sense of freedom and control. Have you ever tried fasting? If not, I would recommend intermittent fasting with a keto friendly diet, then work your way up to 24-72 hour fasts as you become more comfortable. Fasting is so healing for both the mind and body.

(Luca) #3

I am so glad I found this place! Thank you for support

#4

Let me know if you have any questions. I would love to offer my support in any way I can. I know what youā€™re going through and how much it sucks having to go through it alone.

(Rob) #5

I think there are a couple of different issues here.

1) Can you get away with Lazy Keto (not measuring/tracking stuff) - from what Iā€™ve seen I donā€™t think so from the startā€¦ people who do this successfully have done several weeks or months of tracking to know what is what from a macro/calories/etc. perspective. People who dive in lazy invariably get it wrong and then complain that it is the diet :flushed:
2) How to manage an eating disorder with keto - I have no real experience (amateur binge-er at most) so you will need input from those who have had these issues (such as the reply above). Search the forum for ā€˜eating disorderā€™ or specific condition e.g. ā€˜bulimiaā€™ and youā€™ll find advice or people you can ask.

My gut feel from reading about people with EDs is that part of the regaining of control over oneā€™s appetites requires getting control over food which requires data/information leading to insights. I very much doubt that lazy keto will help you. Knuckle down to keto and it will pay huge dividends, but donā€™t half-ass it. KCKO and good luck.

(Luca) #6

OK, I will try to do it with exact recording! My main issues are uncontrollable afternoon craving for anything carb/sweet.
I will be away for 10 days vacation starting this Saturday, and might not be the best time to start Keto now, but I will post as soon as I am back.
Do you think I should try to change diet during vacation to help ease into KETO?

(Rob) #7

I found it very helpful to ease into itā€¦ I cut my carbs to 75, then 60, then 45 then <30 over a month. As a bonus, I avoided the keto flu. I did it by initially re-engineering things I already ate to reduce carbs, as I researched more keto meals. If you are off on vacation, make an active effort to refuse most of the obvious carbs, rice, fries, pasta, potatoes, etc. and eat more fat so you are getting used to lower carbs, more and taking control.

Things like meal plans (e.g. at DietDoctor.com), pre-preparing keto foods that you can reheat and using one of the food trackers effectively will help you a lot.

Search/peruse the forums for the many threads about how to make starting easier.

#8

You could also check out zero carb/ carnivore. Itā€™s easy to do without measuring because you only eat meat, eggs, and maybe a little cheese. Water, black coffee, and tea to drink. I donā€™t know of anyone that specifically used it to deal with bulimia, but itā€™s worth looking in to.

(icky) #9

The first time I tried a LC diet, I found it really helpful to have a couple of weeks before the actual diet, where I would only eat fruit when I had a carb/ sugar craving.

Because fruit is less addictive than candy/ sweets/ soda, it gave my body time to get a more stable/ sane approach to sugar and carbs and I found the transition MUCH easier.

Plus, KNOWING that I could have an apple or banana when I had a carb craving made it a LOT less scary than trying to sit it out cold turkey.

(Luca) #10

Hi, I will follow your advice for the next 2 weeks in hopes that I can get some break and ease into KETO!
I already started reading and will give priority pre-preparing keto food once I am back. May I ask you which app you are using to record your macros? And how are you doing?

(Luca) #11

Thank you Scmora, sharing with somebody means to me a lot! At this moment I just want to bring back some control in my life. It is been a while for me with this condition. It was always combination of binge and purge. Never purge unless it was binge previously. It is very embarrassing, but it is my reality. I had some therapies in the past, but I believe that I am sensitive to carbs and simply do not have control when I consume them. However, stress does not help either. There could be some habit as well, so I am hopping things will be better from here. I would like to support you as well. How is your issue now, comparing where you started? What percentage you are better now? I have some weight to lose, 30 lb to get into normal range.

(Jay AM) #12

However, fasting isnā€™t recommended at the beginning of keto. And, after a fast itā€™s ideal to feast. If the feast gives the idea and guilt of bingeing, it can result in the obsessive need to purge. Letā€™s take this a step at a time into normal keto first.

(Jay AM) #13

First to note, Iā€™m not a therapist or a doctor. Iā€™m going to post my general recommendations. They are easy to follow but, Iā€™m taking away my protein recommendation for now. If you want to try my recommendations, just worry about carbs. Less doesnā€™t mean best either, so itā€™s not something to stress about. Just focus entirely on net carbs under 20g a day and getting enough fats in. If you feel the need to binge eat something, try to replace what you would usually do it with with a SAVORY fat bomb or 2 or 3. This isnā€™t a binge. Itā€™s fueling your body and there is no shame in doing that. I recommend taking away all sweet things right now since they have a history for you specifically of feeling out of control. If you have access to therapy during this time, it wouldnā€™t hurt to have extra support. Welcome to the forum and I really hope keto helps you find your peace.

We have a few sayings here, ā€œkeep calm, keto onā€ and ā€œtrust the process.ā€ Keto isnā€™t a quick weight loss diet. Itā€™s a health gaining way of eating with fat loss as a side effect. If the scale is an unhealthy obsession, put it away for a couple of months or give it to a neighbor you donā€™t like.

There are two phases to ketosis and a ketogenic lifestyle.

Nutritional ketosis is phase one. Your body begins to produce and uptake some ketones while dumping the rest. It will still search for glucose to use as fuel. In this phase itā€™s not an efficient process. It has to work actively to get rid of stored glycogen, clean up excess blood sugar, and turn on the ability to use ketones.

Fat adaptation is phase two. Your body is efficiently producing ketones from intake and stored body fat and is also using them efficiently for energy. It takes around 6-8 weeks of strict keto to achieve for many but not all.

The basic ā€œrulesā€ I go by and many others can agree with especially for beginners are:

*20g net carbs max (you might tolerate more but, starting out, 20g net carbs or less will get you into ketosis.)

*Fat to satiety (add fat to every meal and, if you are hungry, eat more fat. Donā€™t be afraid of fat. It is energy.)

*Do not restrict calories

*Do not exercise excessively

*Drink plenty of water

*Get plenty of sodium and other electrolytes

(Luca) #14

Thank you for your generous information! I am learning quickly and will follow advices, and yes I had therapy in the past and will try to engage in one again very soon.

(the cheater) #15

I think ā€œeasing yourself into itā€ is pure torture. YMMV, but when I do things like this, I gotta go all in. I went keto because I DID NOT have the willpower or self control to slowly cut back carbs. I needed to regard them as evil and to be avoided at all costs for this to work for me. Now Iā€™m good; I have a cheat/binge day every week/6 days or so and in just under 11 weeks, Iā€™ve dropped about 30lbs and feel great.

Iā€™ve never officially been diagnosed with an eating disorder, but I know I have one. And I donā€™t care. my ability to go strict calorie-restricted keto for 95% of the time to balls-to-the-wall eat everything in sight binging is whatā€™s helped me lose so much weight and stay sane. Plus, you can forecast when youā€™re going to social things where youā€™ll be expected to partake in the food and drink and plan your keto/cheat day around that.

Disclaimer: I know not all ketoers believe in a cheat day. The few that do seem to think itā€™s just adding a few healthy carbs. Not me. Oreos, Zebra Cakes, cheeseburgers, pizza, beer - anything I want as a much as I want.

But the caveat is that this is only ONE day or even one meal per week; youā€™re not pushing the boat out all weekend or anything like that. I suppose to do a true and proper CKD carb up, you would eat healthy carbs during the whole weekend, but very closely monitored and very healthy carbs. Thatā€™s not my style.

Listen - I wish you best of luck and youā€™ve found a GREAT resource here. Check out the podcasts and all the wisdom and experience members here have to offer.

(Doug) #16

Good post, Decreebass. Indeed, weā€™re all different and one wonā€™t find anotherā€™s approach all that good, necessarily, but what you said rings true with me.

:slightly_smiling_face: If we can be compulsive, letā€™s hope it can be with more healthful practices as well as with ones with more unfortunate consequences. :smile:

Many of us have a background of almost endless failed attempts at dieting. I was usually good for 3 or 4 days, followed by me buying stock in the local supermarket chain, because I knew they were going to have record profits starting the next day. Sustainability is a huge factor, a key thing, and while ā€œthe stricter the betterā€ applies, we need to be in this deal for the long term.

(Luca) #17

I will see what I am going to do with cheat day in the future. Mentally I fill better that cheat is possibility in the future, as I always felt uncomfortable when I was the only one refusing to eat like the rest of the friends. On the other hand, I am not sure if even small cheat will be road to failure.
I agree that I will not be able to fast at the beginning until appetite some how goes down. Finding this place is life saver for meā€¦thank you thank you

(Jay AM) #18

I agree with this too if you mean slowly cutting carbs. Carb cravings can last up to 3 days after excess ingestion according to Dr. Adam Nally.

(Lisa F) #19

Do check out a Leanne Vogel at healthfulpursuit.com - sheā€™s a holistic nutritionist, promotes Keto and suffered with ED. Lots of free info on her site, she has a Keto book (which uses a visual plate division method rather than strict tracking) and a number of programs you can purchase.

(the cheater) #20

I agree, in theory. However, Iā€™ve found that in the long run, if my method creates/enables sustained change and adherence to a healthful lifestyle, then how can it be considered destructive (or unfortunate)? I realize itā€™s very much ā€œends-justify-the-means,ā€ which I donā€™t always subscribe to, but, in this case, itā€™s whatā€™s worked for me in the past and now. I did the same thing about 10 years ago and dropped 60lbs. Not keto, mind you, but very healthy/clean eating with a binge day every 6 days to a week.

What I will say, though, is that keto changes your brainā€™s chemical response to your usual triggers. I remember my first cheat day - and how nothing tasted nearly as good as I thought it would. I bought all sorts of goodies that I normally would have loved, but when it hit my tongue, it just didnā€™t have the same effect. I almost had to force myself to enjoy it. My last few have been a little different. I enjoy them immensely, but can also switch back to keto immediately without issue or consequence. Also, Iā€™ve found that I donā€™t need them regularly. I think the longest Iā€™ve gone in the 11 weeks between cheat days was 8 or 9 days. So itā€™s not like I cheat on Saturday, then nervously watch the clock all week waiting for next Friday or Saturday. Usually, itā€™s like, ā€œDang - friday already? Hey (wife)! Wanna go to Chiliā€™s?ā€ or something.

I apologize if Iā€™m being taboo or too forward about cheating/binging. I just wish to impress upon you that Iā€™m a kindred spirit and even with proclivities in those directions, you can still be successful with keto. Balance is not doing everything perfectly all the time. Balance is everything weighing out evenly with a godā€™s-eye view. Again, YMMV :wink: