Getting back on the horse...fast

(Newimprovedme ) #1

So I have been low carb for a while on and off. I’ve recently learned about keto and being fat adapted so I’ve decided to take the 6-8 weeks needed for fat adaptation seriously starting 1/1/17. So I was doing well watching my ketones rise day 1, 2,3… On day four my son and I went to our favorite seafood/sushi restaurant for dinner before he had to go back to college out of state.
I was determined to be good…stick with protein and I should be fine right? I ordered calamari…totally forgetting that they could be batter fried. And they were. I did not want it to go to waste so I had some…half the plate. I ordered what sounded innocent enough…chicken and shrimp lettuce wrap. The sauce that was in it tasted suspiciously sweet. The only keto safe item that I ate was the sashimi.
My ketone level went way down. :worried:

So I decided to do a water fast for a day or two to get my ketone levels up. I was ok most of the day yesterday. Last night I felt a little iffy so I went to bed early. This morning my ketones are way up and I’m still feeling good. I will try to keep fasting until lunchtime which should be around 42 hours.

I’ll probably try to stay away from restaurants until I’m fat adapted Or if I do go to a restaurant, make sure I know how the food is prepared before ordering. And I need to get over the idea that I have to clean up my plate at every meal no mater what’s on my plate or my hunger level.
Lesson learned.

#2

Yeah, I had “clean your plate” drilled into my head as a child. Oy! Worst. Advice. Ever.

#3

I’m all like what is a “horse fast”? Is that like a fat fast but with horse fat?

(Newimprovedme ) #4

No fasting on horses for me. Just getting back on the horse with a water fast. :slight_smile:

(Danielle) #5

This was also drilled into me as a kid. My mum still does it with her grandkids. When I see her do it I cringe. The other day my nephew asked for water and my mum offered him apple juice. :rage:

(Larry Lustig) #6

I’m very conflicted about the idea of fasting in response to a failure to eat strictly keto (whatever word you want to use to describe that).

On the one hand, yes, it will probably get you back into ketosis very quickly.

On the other hand, it has a certain resemblance to unhealthy eating behaviors – binge eating in which you “punish” yourself by going overboard in the other direction.

(betsy.rome) #7

Same here - my WWII era parents would say, “Finish your food, children are starving in Europe”. As if my finishing my food would make them less hungry.

#8

I read someone once saying that having to clean your plate is like making your body be a trash can. That thought had stayed with me.

(Karen Parrott) #9

I’ve learned to send it back if the menu didn’t state it was breaded or prepped different. I make it clear that bread or crumbs must not touch. Non gluten sensitivity

Get really boss at putting yourself first here and now. If that restaurant didn’t work for you, explain to your son you want to enjoy him and he can eat his favs, that you are fasting for your health.

If you put yourself last, you’ll get crappy results, always. Onward and here’s to being 100% in charge about what you choose to put in your body. It feels really good not to return to the SAD, so hook into that feeling.

(No I'm not mad - that's just my face) #10

[quote=“larry, post:6, topic:4260, full:true”]
I’m very conflicted about the idea of fasting in response to a failure to eat strictly keto (whatever word you want to use to describe that).

On the one hand, yes, it will probably get you back into ketosis very quickly.

On the other hand, it has a certain resemblance to unhealthy eating behaviors – binge eating in which you “punish” yourself by going overboard in the other direction.
[/quote]Yeah, it has a punitive feel to it. Though I’ll admit if I’m only a little hungry day after a slip I roll with it and try to get a half day of fasting under my belt.

#11

MY mom said it was the kids in China that were starving.

(Todd Aaron) #12

I remember hearing the children in Ethiopia were the ones starving…

So, how to get past that mindset that says to eat everything on your plate / not be “wasteful”, etc??? I’ve got that bad! If possible, I prepare only what I need to eat, either that meal or that day, but of course, that does not work very well all the time.

(betsy.rome) #13

Smaller plates, smaller portions. Put leftovers back in the refrig before sitting down. Tell yourself you can have more, but not until 15 minutes later. Old weight-watchers mind tricks.
I’m back to eating smaller meals more often. I couldn’t seem to get completely back on the horse via IF, because my body seems to demand more food in the next couple days to compensate. So instead of trying to eat too little then later eating too much, I’m trying to keep my meals to 80% fat, no more than 4-5 carbs, and 200 to 250 kc. If I’m hungry I’ll have another meal, because trackless snacking on keto foods out of the refrig is doing me in.

(Robynn Bryar) #14

You have to change your thinking, to be, ‘I will stop now because I am full and this will be delicious as left overs tomorrow.’

Although I do have a problem with cleaning up the kitchen and nibbling on all the little tasty bits left in the pans and serving bowls. I pop them into my mouth without a thought (other than score! or Yummy!) As it is sliding down my throat I think arrrg ‘does this count as snacking between meals?’ I hate wasting those tasty browned bits they are too little to put away in the fridge for left overs. LOL.

(Kelly LeBlanc) #15

WOW! I am going to remember this and try to remind myself every time I feel the need to clean my plate. Powerful!