Feeling not so good

(Cassandra Higdon) #1

So I post on here pretty frequently I think.
But there’s something I never mentioned and I think it might b an issue possible…idk?
So a couple years ago I was going thru a really rough period and I lost 30+lb (I was way under weight and looked gross lol) and I look back now and realize I am pretty sure I had an eating disorder because I never ate anything. And when I did eat it was very small portions probably smaller than a baby would eat.
Here lately I have been “forgetting” to eat- and im feeling like garbage.
But working at the Chinese place and not being able to eat much of anything here is making it hard for me to want to eat. I feel like I might be stepping back towards eating disorder territory. :"( the other night I got home and realized I had only had half a chicken breast all day. And lost feeling in my hands and legs and almost fell asleep at the wheel… Lol not fun!!

I’m almost to breaking point here because I want to eat. But I would rather harm myself than eat non keto… Lol
Help!!!

(matt ) #2

Why are you not eating keto foods? You didn’t say. Make it a point to eat if you are “forgetting”

#3

Do you get a meal break at any point? Although much of the standard fare off the menu is not compliant, food is cooked fresh usually and I am sure the chefs would be happy to make you a nice simple stir fry that was perfect for keto. It is in their interest as much as yours to be fit and healthy and happy so why not discuss it with them. Failing that, you could take something with you. I have worked in restaurants and a meal is almost always in on the deal - either before you start, during a quiet moment or at the end. This sounds like a great opportunity to have a great meal prepared freshly for you by someone else - WIN! Depending which end of the shift you will then eat, you can have something ready to eat at home for the other end. That way, you will get two solid meals a day which should be sufficient to get you back on track. It is a really good thing to be aware of any disordered eating you may have - now or in the past. I commend you on tackling this head on and looking for a way to sort it out.

Does any of what I suggested seem feasible? If not, can you provide a bit more info and we’ll see if we can make a plan together.

(G. Andrew Duthie) #4

IMO, this is a danger sign. If you are potentially dealing with an eating disorder, you should reach out to a competent professional and get help. These forums aren’t an adequate resource for helping with an eating disorder.

From a practical standpoint, in terms of dealing with an environment where keto foods are few and far between, the best answer is preparation. Bring keto foods with you. That can be as simple as nuts, cheeses, etc.

But I want to reiterate. If you are getting physical symptoms due to not eating, that is a sign that you need to take action beyond just posting to the forum.

EDIT - Just to add/clarify…I am NOT saying that you shouldn’t post here…just that it may be advisable to ALSO reach out to a competent professional with respect to your concern about a possible eating disorder. Good luck to you!

(8 year Ketogenic Veteran) #5

This. I am concerned as well. You deserve the best care, and talking privately with a counselor is an excellent self-care method. I have done it many times in my life to get through a rough patch. Getting professional help does not mean you are inadequate or weak at all. In fact, just the opposite. Reaching out is a sign of great strength. I am concerned if you solely reach out on this forum though.

(Cassandra Higdon) #6

@Brenda
@devhammer
@Daisy
@matt

I just wanted to let y’all know that I ate chicken, broccoli, with a little brown sauce at work- then got home last night and had a full blown keto breakfast dinner. (Keto biscuits gravy bacon and eggs…let me tell you I make the BEST keto biscuits and gravy!!!)
I stuffed my face!!! And this morning I woke up (only 6 hours of sleep which normally before keto I would be zombie only that little of sleep lol) feeling energized and happy.
I think I just was lacking in fats. Lol my gravy is like- spicy sausage, cream cheese, and HWC… lots n lots of fats haha.

Anyways… Feeling much better today- is my point.
I need to remember to eat the fats.
Would it be weird to bring a jar of coconut oil with my to work and eat a spoonful with my meals???

(matt ) #7

Great news…and eating coconut oil is not weird if it makes you feel better…eat it or put it in coffee.

#8

Not weird at all. Try coconut butter - even yummier. Taffiny Elrod is a chef and talks about having a jar of it with her in the kitchen. It is just sweet enough to be yummy and packed with energy to give you al fit when you need it.

Keep up the good work - 2 solid meals like that a day will have you feeling like a rockstar in no time.

It is a really good thing to be aware of any disordered eating tendencies and jump on them as soon as you see them pop up. If you can afford to do so or it is under your medical cover then talking to a counsellor at some point would be really beneficial.

In the meantime, having some strategies in place that you can implement will work wonders. Talk to the chef at work (or maybe you cook yourself something? - sorry, I don’t know what role you have at the restaurant) and maybe work out a few compliant dishes you can have on rotation. A simply stir fry of meat and veggies is perfect. Some people freak out about soy sauce but a good quality one is fine IMO. Ginger, garlic, chilli, scallions, veggies, meat, fish - oh my - so many delicious options.

Your biscuits and gravy also sound like perfection. Really well done for getting through what sounded like a scary episode. Keto on Keto Rockstar. xxx

(Meeping up the Science!) #9

While CICO doesn’t apply to weight loss, the body still needs energy to survive. And, keto or not, it sounds like your body is starving. In order to preserve vital functions, you are falling asleep/being drowsy to conserve energy.

Speaking as a therapist who has an eating disorder and also treats others with eating disorders, even if it’s not a full-blown ED, you need to get help ASAP. Most people traveling on keto finding issues getting food do not routinely fall asleep, as most people fasting do not. This is a sign that your body needs help…it is screaming for it. The question is: will you listen?

Keto will do you zero good if you cannot sufficiently eat to be awake, aware, and function. Take care of yourself and eat regularly. You need to eat. We cannot assess the situation correctly on the internet. You need to see a doctor and get blood work done at best, and ask for an assessment if you are concerned about having disordered eating.

(Cassandra Higdon) #10

I wasn’t a huge fan of coconut butter. I can barely stomach eating coconut oil because I hate the texture- but I can eat it easier than the butter. Maybe it’s the brand I got?
We use the coconut oil from aldi- I love it. Lol

#11

Oh stick with what you like. I really like coconut butter. I have got mine form the UK. It comes in little hard blocks that you soften in the microwave and then mix up well. It is hard over a certain temp like the oil. If you like coconut oil then stick with that - great. The other thing you could take with you would be nut butters if you fancy a change.

Keep in touch and let us know how you are doing. x

(Cassandra Higdon) #12

Nut butter as in almond butter/ peanut butter?

#13

Yeah any nut butters you like. Almond and peanut are easy to get. You can also make your own with any nuts/seeds. Peanut butter is cheaper but make sure you get the stuff that is just peanuts and no added nasties. Some people don’t do well with peanuts and so avoid but it depends on you. I also like mixing peanut butter and coconut oil together - yum!

I have just made some little coconut butter sweets in moulds. I’ll take a pic when I turn them out tomorrow.

How are you getting on?

(Cassandra Higdon) #14

Holy crapola!!!

I just tried the peanut butter and coconut oil together thing… AMAZINGLY YUMMY!!! And the peanut butter texture evened out the coconut oil texture where it didn’t bother me!!! So delicious!! I appreciate you telling me about that so much thank you!!!

(matt ) #15

Just watch the carbs in the peanut butter…its soooo good that its easy to over-do…for me at least :slight_smile:

Coconut butter is also called Coconut Mana.

#16

Good point and also where adding the fat helps - it effectively waters down the carb content per serving and really ups the satiety level too so you get a double whammy really re reducing carbs. How does PB compare to almond butter? I would say that it is significantly lower but I would have to check with Google! Try adding equal parts fat to nut butter @matt - I bet you will eat less. Coconut oil adds a bit of sweetness but I have also used butter or both.

Coconut butter (aka manna) is also listed often as creamed coconut. My little fat bombs turned out well…

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#17

This is a great tip/idea!

(Cassandra Higdon) #18

What all did you use for these?? They look amazing. I’m gonna go get some molds today so I can have some fat bombs :):slight_smile: do you keep them refridgerated??
Also I’ve only tried making fat bombs once- when we first started keto… They were nasty. Lol but I hadn’t gotten used to the taste of Stevia yet (my recipe called for sweetener and that’s what I had) and I don’t think I made it correctly.
I’ve been wanting to try them again but after the first time…:confused:
Also!!! I have a new ice cream maker I want to try making some keto ice cream… have you tried this? What’s a good recipe?(I’m looking to try a chocolate peanut butter kind I found. Only 5 net carbs per serving which isn’t too bad I thought…?

#19

This was simply a homemade coconut butter mostly with a small amount of 85% chocolate on top. I toasted coconut flakes and then blitzed them to a sort of sticky sand. I added some coconut oil to moisten it up and put in moulds. I then melted some chocolate and put on top of coconut mix while it was still warm so they bonded. I keep them in the fridge but they would be fine (and slightly softer) at room temp. Obviously they would start going a bit too soft if the room temp is quite warm.

The coconut is sweet enough to not need sweetener.

You can mix peanut butter, melted chocolate and some cream cheese/cream or butter/coconut oil to make nice sweets. They might need some sweetener.

(Candy Lind) #20

Lots of recipes in the Food sub-forum!