Glad to find you!

(Lynn Roitt) #1

Hi, all. I just discovered this forum and I couldn’t be happier. I started the keto WOE (heh heh, just learned that one here!) and IF on January 5, 2020, and while I’ve dropped over 10 lbs in this time, the wonder is how many inches I’ve dropped! It’s as though I could see it happening if I just stared long enough into a mirror. In fact, it’s confusing how I could lose between a half inch and 2 inches all over my body in just 5 weeks, but only be down 11 pounds.

My biggest concern, though, is how achy and tired I am, more than in the first 2 weeks. I am in ketosis, and have been since about day 5, and some of the reading I’ve done suggests that it’s an issue of becoming fat adapted? I’m in my late 50s, and have arthritis in several major joints. My fibromyalgia fog and general achiness are gone, but my hips and SI joints are constantly shifting and hurting now. My ability to focus has improved, although my family thinks I’m obsessed with keto.

I’m trying to get enough liquids in, and finding that very difficult. So I’ve sort of assumed that this is a bit of detox happening. I’ve read everything I could get my hands on, but still feel like I’d like a clear blueprint. I know each journey will be unique, but I thought I’d be feeling better than this by now.

We have an organic farm, and have plenty of healthy grassfed fats, meats, eggs, and raw cream, and I’ve been using cronometer to track my food so I’m sure that I’m staying at about 20 g or less of carbs per day, moderate protein, and plenty of fat.
Our garden this summer will be wonderful, as I’m planning to plant all keto-friendly vegetables. Hopefully I’ll be in a much better place physically, and will be able to garden much more strenuously than I’ve been capable of in recent years.

Thank you for taking the time to read all this! Perhaps someone has some insights to share?

(Little Miss Scare-All) #2

Omg I am so utterly jealous of you. Do you have an extra room? Space in the barn? Im neat, tidy and a hard worker. I do listen to loud, often abrasive music, but I cook really well. So what do ya say? :grin:

(Lynn Roitt) #3

Dena, we’d be happy to have you! “Will work for food”, is that it? Lol. Don’t know if you’d like Wisconsin winters, though!

(Little Miss Scare-All) #4

Lol well I survived an Illinois winter. I’m in NJ near the beach and outside NYC, we get some bad weather, but not like Wisconsin. If I could have raw cream (illegal here!), Id even shovel your roof.

(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #5

Aside from your arthritis, my guess is you’re just going through carb withdrawal. Keep hydrated and your electrolytes up and the symptoms won’t be too bad. It will pass.

(Lynn Roitt) #6

Thanks for your response. I really noticed carb withdrawal the first week, as I had a few hypoglycemic attacks early on. But I’ve been in ketosis for about a month, no cheating, only marginal carbs from cream, broccoli, cheese, onions. Most days my carbs are below 20 g. Could I still be in carb withdrawal?

#7

Welcome Lynn.

Weight loss is a side effect of nutritional ketosis.

Stay curious and enjoy the benefits. Part of the detoxification, that’s an apt term for some of the ill effects being experienced, can be reduced by now focussing on your micronutrients and electrolytes. A good multi-mineral salt is very beneficial.

Keep holding up any troubles you find in the Keto garden and we’ll help you troubleshoot them.

Annoying the family with your health improvements can be re-released back into the system. No need to shoot that one.

(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #8

Short answer: yes.

Longer answer: The symptoms of carb withdrawal range from none to devastating, a few days to a few months. Most folks who go through it report the worst symptoms last from several days to several weeks. Staying hydrated and keeping your electrolytes up seem to help alleviate the symptoms for most folks.

A lot stuff begins to happen when you start keto. Depending on the degree of metabolic damage, the transition can be rough for a while.

(Susan) #9

Welcome to the forum, Lynn =).

(Lynn Roitt) #10

Thank you, Momof5!

(Scott) #11

Hi Lynn, if your family thinks you are obsessed with keto now just wait.

#12

As your weight shifts, so does the pressure on your joints. Try taking a collagen supplement. My joints are shot from my lengthy bout with Lyme disease. 7 months into Keto, I am having less issues this winter than all the winters before. The more weight you shed, the better it gets in the long run. And take electrolytes. You can get a bottle of condensed electrolytes and add a couple of drops a day to any drink. Worked wonders for my “Keto flu”.

#13

Hi and welcome. Lets not forget that the body’s adapting slowly to burning fat instead of sugar for energy. So the transition might pose some energy problems. And also until full fat adaptation- it is possible fo r 3-6 months to go by. So we have to be patient.

(Marianne) #14

Welcome! It makes me so happy when I hear that people have discovered keto and love it. It has been my personal miracle.

I was so ecstatic when I found keto - it was the answer to many prayers and a lifetime of obesity, heartache and poor health. In the beginning, I just wanted to share my enthusiasm to my overweight friends and family. I found it so easy and satisfying, I felt certain that everyone could do it and love it, if they just tried it. I learned right quick that most people are not interested and don’t want to hear it. Many of them dismissed it as a “fad diet” or accused me of being reckless eating this way. That hurt because keto is so dear to me and close to my heart. Now after a year, I just keep my mouth shut. They all know what I am doing and have seen my success. If they want to know, they’ll ask me. Until then, I am happy walking my own journey. It’s enough now to have just planted a seed - that’s the best I can do.

If you want more information about “how” to do keto and some of the science around it, I would encourage you to check out dietdoctor.com. That and this forum are what got me here. Tremendous resources. You can find answers to any question. There are many very learned people on this forum, and lots of experts on dietdoctor.com, that explain things in layman’s terms.

Good to have you here!

#15

@gingersmommy
Yes here too. I am so blown away with this WOE- to finally be able to eat and lose weight is a miracle for me. And people tell me this is “not for them”. How can one live without bread? I have a friend who is seeing a dietician and doing the low fat thing. She tells me when she eats a chicken now she gets ill from the fats. Then she eats a hard boiled egg and a few dry carrots for lunch. And it breaks my heart when they go around using self discipline, holding themselves back, having to constantly over come their hunger and eat tiny portions and basically are constantly hungry- but no- keto is NOT for them. And you just have to keep your mouth shut because they don’t want to hear it. It is hard because I want to yell it from the mountaintops. Oh well…

(back and doublin' down) #16

Your results will! Those around you will see not only your physical changes, they will come to see your changes in energy and mood too.

My PCP started off skeptically supportive two years ago and on Friday, texted me about another patient having success and coming off T2D meds. She’s starting to listen more to the science. Exciting stuff that wouldn’t have happened until she saw me and others with sustainable results.

#17

Everybody is different. For me, I supplement with Magnesium and pink salt, especially when fasting. In the beginning I used a 500ml water bottle (less intimidating) and would fill it up 4x through out the morning, day, and early evening. Now I use a 1L water bottle 2-3x per day depending on my level of exercise.
An Organic Farm is on my bucket list. Lucky girl Good luck!

(Bob M) #18

Have you read this book?

I don’t have a farm, but I liked the book a lot.