Holiday meltdown

(Carrie) #1

I’d been making slow but steady progress on keto since January, gradually losing 1lb per week. I’ve been on holiday, 2 weeks of keto meltdown!!! I completely lost it for 2 whole weeks😩.
But I’m determined to get back to where I was, ASAP.
Any tips for me to quickly adjust again? Should I fast for 24 hrs? Or zero carbs for a couple of days? Help please
Thanks for any advice

#2

Don’t stress over it, just go back to eating normal.

#3

Just eat keto. That’s all you need to do, and if it isn’t working after a week, you could consider tweaking whichever way you feel comfortable with.

Some exercise might help a lot though. Gets you into ketosis quicker after carby meals. Worked muscles will vacuum up any glycogen stores real fast.

(Carrie) #4

Thanks for your calm advice, im dreading stepping on the scales tomorrow morning

(Andi loves space, bacon and fasting. ) #5

Then don’t do it. Give yourself a week or so to adjust back to keto and then weigh in.

#6

The scale is not a judge of you moral disposition or anything. And a lot of it will be water. Don’t worry, short term gain will not disrupt long term loss, unless you let it become a long term gain. Which you won’t, because you’re now back on keto.

If you think about it logically, you have gone carby for two weeks, and this will likely require two weeks of keto before you can say that you should be the same measurement/weight as before indulging. You only lost some time, it is not a big setback if you consider the next ten years rather than weighing from day to day.

Whatever the weight shows tomorrow, the surplus will soon be gone as you go back to the keto woe.

(Do tell if you for some reason need less than two weeks to get back to pre indulgence).

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #7

You might want to take a good hard look at both your reasons for wanting to eat a ketogenic diet, and the reasons you found yourself stopping two weeks ago. If this way of eating is not meeting your needs, perhaps it’s not worth the effort.

In my case, I went keto to avoid becoming a diabetic, so I have a good reason to stay away from carbohydrate, even though I crave it (I don’t particularly enjoy sweet tastes any longer, but those addictive cravings can be strong, regardless)—if this way of eating weren’t so easy, I might just have to reconcile myself to diabetes. Fortuntately for my feet and toes, never having to go hungry and never needing to count calories are real blessings that make keto possible for me.

(Jody) #8

I think it’s important not to panic and respond in some extreme way in an attempt to “get control”. Look at it as an opportunity to learn. What happened? How did you feel? Is there something you can do to prevent it next time?

Be kind to yourself, we all need a little extra TLC, regularly. Eat some good quality fats, maybe a little extra till you feel better again.

It’s okay :heart:

(Jill F.) #9

I agree with @PaulL, when people view this as a diet they tend to waiver from it and crave cheat days or cheat meals. Decide if you want to do this long term, and if you do, then start again tomorrow. No beating yourself up, you’re human and we all make mistakes. Step by step, meal by meal, we choose to prep, stock up on low carb foods, plan ahead. Dont get too hungry and cave into the carby foods at parties, get togethers, etc. I try to eat before I go and politely decline carb filled food. For me nothing tastes as good as I feel 30 pounds lighter.

#10

To my experience it’s the opposite. Those who view it as a diet - aka the food you eat habitually - they understand Carb Days are gonna happen (especially around holidays) and just move on from it. It’s the ones who go out of their way to call it a “lifestyle change” or “way of eating” or whatever that seem, again just to me, to set themselves up for falling off the wagon by expecting to always be perfect, and not know how to handle a slip up.

#11

@PaulL @anon2571578 @MommyJill2005 @Cd6569

In same boat. Today, the day after Easter Sunday, is my resurrection of sorts. After three weeks of a vacation indulgence and Easter Week crawfish boils, fish frys and holiday sweets, I am up 10-11 pounds.

Got back into Keto eating and intermittent fasting (19 hours) today and will do this four four more days then launch a 60-72 hour water fast. That should knock off about half of my indulgent weight gain.

Despite weight gain, I had little change in inches or clothes fit. Lot of water retention.

I realize this can’t become a habit, then again I can’t afford too many 5,000 mile road trips so I’m safe there.

Also, the food was great but not that satisfying and luckily I felt like crap during the indulgence. Glad to get back to feeling better today. Look forward to tomorrow.

Just get back to what you know what’s best. One meal a day would be a good start to use up some glyocogen. Have you ever fasted? That would do it if you are ready for IF and EF.

(Jane) #12

For me, it IS a lifestyle change. And a WAY OF EATING.

Meaning… this is my normal diet. I eat keto most days. I eat carbs when there is a special occasion and then go back to my lifestyle - keto.

I don’t stress over holidays or social events. I make the best choices I can then I go back to my WOE that makes me feel the best.

(Andi loves space, bacon and fasting. ) #13

This is a really important point. Special occasions permit special treats, and it’s perfectly okay and healthy to indulge in something carby on a very special day, or while on a special holiday. It’s not, however, useful to beat yourself up over it afterwards. Have the treat, enjoy it, and then go right back to your healthy lifestyle.

(Alec) #14

I actually enjoy the challenge of eating keto in non-normal locations and situations. Sometimes it is dead easy, sometimes pretty tough, but there’s usually some keto fare to find even in the most unlikely of places.

If you eat a nice dish or sauce that has some sugar in it, so what, KCKO. The main thing is avoid the big 4: bread, pasta, rice, potatoes.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #15

Please be careful about posting that sort of remark. For addicts, there is always an excuse, but never a reason, for indulging. To tell an alcoholic, for example, that it’s okay to drink on a “very special day” is not helpful—every day is a “very special day.” Tell me, a sugar and carbohydrate addict, that I can have glazed doughnuts on a “very special day,” and I’ll weigh 350 pounds and be having feet cut off from diabetes before you know it. Please have a care for us weaklings!

(Banting & Yudkin & Atkins & Eadeses & Cordain & Taubes & Volek & Naiman & Bikman ) #16

This is what I do, more or less. Sometimes, I don’t both with the best choices, instead valuing the event and the food traditions. And then all my inflammatory symptoms return, in the next 5-48 hours, and I can remember why I maintain carb discipline.

I find that an occasional miserable day is kind of necessary for me. The return of reflux, shoulder pain, hip pain, finger numbness, arm issues relating to my C6 disk… I need to feel these things on occasion to keep it forward in my mind. Holidays and events are the best way to remember.

(Andi loves space, bacon and fasting. ) #17

That’s a good point. Thank you for bringing this to my attention :hibiscus:

(Carolyn aka stokies) #18

Keep calm and keto on. If you feel you are fat adapted, fasting is always a good go to for course correction. If you are not however, it can be torture. Just start the new day back at keto basics and you will climb back from the swing of carbs. Might I suggest you use this as a chance to learn more about your body? Like how do you feel now… howl ong until you feel back on the wagon - how long didi it take etc. All such observations can provide a wealth of information to better understand how you uniquely function while undergoing this way of eating.

You got this! From one steady slow loser to another - your future self will thank you for it. I am 11 months in and lost approximately 92 pounds.

You’ll get there! Healing happens first so you can then lose the weight :wink: