Hypothetical Croissant

(Joanna) #1

Let’s say I eat an (all butter) ham and cheese croissant from a local bakery for lunch after not eating since 7pm the previous night. (I’m fat adapted and have been keto since mid December, with wonderful benefits though not much weight loss.) If the croissant (damn that’s a hard word to spell) was 36 carbs, and if I ate pure fat or nothing for dinner, would that keep me on keto? And, would I be okay as far as not being kicked out of ketosis because it’s under 50 carbs? (Assuming I can stay in ketosis under 50 carbs) I know 20 or so carbs is what is advised for keto peeps but also know we’re all snowflakes. Am I trying to cheat the system? Will one lead to more carby cravings? Slippery slope perhaps.

Two more questions:

  1. Just like you can get kicked out of ketosis, can you get kicked out of fat adaptation? For me, ketosis occurred in a couple days and fat adaptation a couple weeks after.

  2. Croissants have flour, which is not cool–and sugar. Refined etc., But with the butter content so high (assuming all butter), is it better (than other things that are 36 carbs)?

(You can probably tell I’m trying to justify getting this croissant tomorrow)

Ps- still can’t spell croissant without autocorrect

(Sarah ) #2

Ill take a stab at this.

You cannot get kicked out of fat adaptation. Your body adjusts its cellular machinery to best accommodate the energy sources it sees most often, though it will always have at least some machinery for fat burning, and some for carb burning. It just has more of one or the other. Hence when you ate lots of carbs and not so much fat, a sudden change to high fat low carb diet was kinda hard on you… it took a few weeks for your body to start to change over to a better system for fat burning (aka become fat adapted). If you went back to eating lots of carbs, it would take your body a few weeks to start to transition back.

My guess is that your body digested the croissant pretty efficiently, and for a short time you were “out of ketosis” while your body burned through the carbs in the croissant. But it went right back to its previous ketotic state, and you may not have even felt the difference. The poresence of the butter did slow down your absorption of the carbs, which is a good thing. I think if you tried 36 grams of pure sugar (about 7 teaspoons of table sugar) youd feel it more than youd feel the croissant, since it would be digested faster, and youd feel the more dramatic ensuing insulin spike

As far as carby cravings go, its pretty individual. I know some people get cravings after any significant carb intake, like more than 10 g in an hour. For me it takes more carbs. But for everyone, “cheating” on the regular is unsustainable because of the cravings. More carbs -> more insulin -> more cravings. Your ability to tolerate/ your cut off, is individual

(Joanna) #3

Sarah, thank you so much for your answer and this info. So much good information in your response… I’m going to keep coming back to read it. Plus, you’re psychic, because I ate the hypothetical crossaint yesterday. And I really want another one tomorrow. Thanks for not judging!!! Very cool to learn the science behind this and to feel it too. Don’t wanna recede into my constantly-hungry carb ways again.

#4

That’s the tricky thing about the hypothetical good fatty carbs…

I’ve tested it myself with a handful of Terra root chips, on some of my OMAD days - and SO enjoyed the crunching and their earthy sweetness in contrast to avocado or sour cream dip. So far, no cravings at all. Good - because I can’t stand pork rinds…

But wheat flour? Different story. Yet after I got solidly fat adapted around month 6 - I did fInd the craving tendency flat lined. I do partake of ancient wheat grain Einkorn brand tiny crackers on occasions (maybe once a week) they go great with good olives/cheeses/red wine (live a little!) but I find it very difficult to limit my serving to 18 tiny crackers for 20g and prefer to eat double that, 40g. This is a prob on non-OMAD days… HOWEVER on the bright side, the cracker treats haven’t gripped my soul and driven me towards wheat cravings.

I really empathize with folks w/ food addiction issues though - and the reasoning behind keeping certain potential offenders out of one’s kitchen. The LCHF/keto journey offers too many sustainable benefits to allow cravings and compulsion room at the table when they signify massive derailing of the whole project.

Also, I take around 2.2 grams of dry Ginger capsules daily, which is amazing for reducing insulin spikes and increasing enzymes, etc. That may indeed have something to do with it.

(Rob) #5

I don’t think so. If you are not very insulin resistant it may not be an issue but if you are, that density of carbs will spike insulin high which will cause the associated butter to be more likely stored rather than burned. The general rule is not to mix high carbs and high fat… the curse of the most energy dense SAD foods.

Still, 36g isn’t the end of the world so if you want it, have it. You may get away with it, though it will be hard to know why and whether it is repeatable. Just don’t try to fool yourself that its healthy… that way the slippery slope to madness and fatness lies.

(b59d53ad339fdcdd4eaa) #6

Thank you for your insight! I also don’t care for pork rinds… This quote is brilliant: “The LCHF/keto journey offers too many sustainable benefits to allow cravings and compulsion room at the table when they signify massive derailing of the whole project.” Thank you!

(b59d53ad339fdcdd4eaa) #7

Very good advice–thank you. Loved this: “Just don’t try to fool yourself that its healthy… that way the slippery slope to madness and fatness lies.” I could see this happening and don’t want it to. This is true and so damn funny.

(Michael Wallace Ellwood) #8

I just love this concept of a “hypothetical croissant”! :slight_smile:

Thank you for raising a smile in my morning. :slight_smile:

(Rob) #9

It is slightly more theoretical than the classic “Schrodinger’s Croissant” in which the aforementioned pastry is in a placed in a bag at a Swedish deli with a pickled herring and is at the same time both pristine and ruined. :yum:

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #12

But it goes well with “Schrödinger’s Akvavit,” which both gets you pickled and keeps you sober at the same time.

(Banting & Yudkin & Atkins & Eadeses & Cordain & Taubes & Volek & Naiman & Bikman ) #13

To pile on… carb + fat + low protein is Standard American Diet… it’s gonna spike your insulin, which you may or may not be able to deal with well. Just as sprinkling a bunch of fiber on top of a croissant will increase the fiber but not reduce the carb count, adding protein and fat to carbs will spike the insulin. Bad mojo.

(Rob) #14

Don’t get me started on Foucault’s Smorgasbord, which is perpetually stocked with carbage and the gravadlax is never refilled!! :scream: