For those thinking about quitting

#1

I have been doing keto for a little over 2 years now. I have struggled and cursed Keto all along this journey. I have had pro’s and con’s with the diet but there is something I do want to share with you that might keep you from quitting.

I have always taken little breaks from Keto here and there, maybe a week or so but any weight gain would scare me back to it. This time I had enough. I wasn’t losing weight, I wasn’t happy, and I felt I was giving up so much for nothing in return. So I went off Keto January 6th.

During this time some things began to happen. Problems came back I had forgotten about.

My skin dried out on my hands and arms, I had dry patches, chapped lips, acne, greasy hair, and puffy eyes. My sleep degraded, I started staying up later and later. My sleep was fragmented and poor. my skin got paler and I felt in general…unwell.

I developed mouth sores again, my hair started to fall out more (not going bald or anything). I have steadily gained weight A LOT OF WEIGHT ( i went from 146 to 162 ) my legs are stretched with water retention. My clothes no longer fit well. I am perpetually in a brain fog, and my depression and ptsd symptoms have worsened.

Keto may never fix you weight problem. I have found keto very ineffective for long-term weight loss. You will need to use keto with exercise and/or something else to offset calories to continue weight loss once the inflamation is gone and you are in ketosis… but, for many people myself included, it eliminated things my body just can’t handle.

Carbs unfortunately are something I just can’t have. When carbs are part of my diet, my fasted blood sugar is about 115, even If I don’t eat anything for 24 hours. I am yet to check my blood sugar while on the keto diet but I am smart enough to know that 115 is awful high for a 24 hour fasted blood sugar level. My 100 year old great grandma is doing better than me and shes never been on keto lol.

Genetics have played a huge part in this. My mothers side of the family are all fat, all diabetic, and all sick. They eat fairly normal diets, my mom exercises 2-3 days a week, and actively avoids blatantly bad foods. but still suffers from being overweight and pre-diabetic. I don’t want this fate.

Here is a picture of me in keto, and here is a picture of me 3 weeks after quitting (today)!

Keto (eye liner is on)

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Not Keto (no eye liner)

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(Liz Ellen) #2

I can so relate to this. I also fell off the wagon, partly due to frustration over a stall and feeling super deprived over the holidays. I’M NOT ABLE TO EAT ALL THESE WONDERFUL FOODS, AND I’M NOT EVEN LOSING! I went from 174 to 203 in a few months. My new wardrobe was getting tight, some just not fitting at all. But, worse, my joints were aching and my moods were messed up. My periods were losing the regularity I had gained. I just felt defeated. I rebooted on Jan. 8 and this morning was 189. Yeah, it’s a lot of water. But still. I’m feeling confident in my work clothes today for the first time in a while and sleep is better, whole body feels better. Thanks for posting this. (BTW, you look adorable in both pics.)

#3

Check out some of the clips by Dr Boz on youtube. She talks about the phases of keto. She says if we try to do a later phase before we are ready, we can ruin it for ourselves.
I don’t “curse” keto. I dont look at it as an enemy, but as a blessing. I think if one looks at keto as a burden or a form of deprivation, one might not have the success one is seeking. Also because it makes everything so much harder.

(Bunny) #4

Was curious about the carbohydrate intake and fasting you mention; is that when your fasting after you eat carbohydrates?

What kind of carbohydrate are you eating when you do eat a carbohydrate? A processed food or is it a Whole Food (unprocessed/Mother Nature)?

What happens if you don’t eat carbohydrates and fast? (24hrs?)

What do your glucose numbers look like 2 hours after you eat? (and with carbohydrates?)

Those fasting numbers you mention look like adaptive glucose sparing or physiologic insulin resistance. (supposedly is temporary after a certain not well established point?)

If you could be so kind to consider answering any of the above questions it can help a lot of people?

(Bob M) #5

I have been low carb/keto since 1/1/14. I still have higher blood sugar every morning, which goes up until maybe 10-11 am, then down all day. I don’t eat breakfast. Tested effects of coffee, could not find a rise with coffee. It’s glucose sparing.

As to the original poster, I’d consider looking at what you are eating, particularly PUFAs. Chicken, bacon/pork, avocados, nuts, etc., get rid of them. Reduce or eliminate all oils, including olive and avocado. Eat beef, beef fat, high fat dairy if you can handle it (hard cheeses, cream, sour cream, etc.), even cocoa/cacao butter. Try this for a bit.

#6

for the most part if I cheat it is whole foods.

If I eat bread, pasta, or garbage foods the weight come back REALLY fast. With whole foods it is at least moderately correctable in short order.

Usually after I eat carbs and I realize it, or feel guilty after cheating. I have a mental break down and go “i’m never eating again * pouts *” and then I will fast for a day to try and remove the carbs from my system and get back into keto.

This last break from Keto I had finally been broken mentally and figured “why not just enjoy food for a bit and eat whatever I want… if nothing else, for science!” Maybe I would be wrong and the weight wouldn’t come right back, or maybe it would and prove to me that keto WAS doing at least something for me.

I am currently SOOOO fat with water retention i can grab literal handfuls of skin and puffy tissue on my abdomen. My legs are and feet are so swollen they have pitting edema and my thighs are just massive haha XD

Also thank you I will look into this because this is something that does scare me to see my blood sugar levels so high whenn fasting. I only tested myself twice and the first time was actually on accident. I was messing around with my great grandma’s lance and got myself and figured “hey why not” and saw it was higher than hers and i had not eaten since dinner the previous day (this was 10am now) so i was somewhat alarmed to see it so high. it was something like 105.

I am however now thinking I will get my own lance and testing kit to test as I go into keto again and try to progress to lose the weight again. I am confident at least 7 pounds will fall off in a matter of a few days but the rest annoys me because of how long it took to get from 150 to 147

#7

thank you for this insight. I have been eating Pork, which is something I don’t normally have in my diet.

(Susan) #8

Happy Forum anniversary, Yaz =). You look awesome, btw, you are a beautiful woman and I am so happy for you that you have realized all the awesomeness of Keto and wish you all the best in your continued Keto success =).

#9

Thanks for all the replies :slight_smile: I steadily got myself back into keto and have been since the first post. My canker sore is just about gone (it’s literally lasted a week and omg it sucked), skins feeling better, water weights coming off. I haven’t weighed myself today but just 2 days after this post I had dropped 6 pounds of water weight.

After seeing my facebook post about this, my mom came to me on her own (who would never fully commit to keto) and asked me to help her go full on keto from the 1st of Feb till the 14th to give it a try and see what happens.

My goal is still the same… 22-25% BF, and try to land my weight anywhere between 115-130 (I am 5’4")