Using “cheated” very loosely here, since I hadn’t gone fully into ketosis yet (or so I assume, I’ve just purchased test strips to be certain). But I was on the run yesterday and forgot to order my sandwich as a lettuce wrap, and chose to eat the bread……
Well, about 10 minutes after consuming the sandwich I started to have an anxiety attack!! My hands were shaking, I felt like something was very wrong. Thankfully it went away after about 30 minutes but it was very intense.
Hi S/K I get fairly bad anxiety and it’s why I stated keto. Can’t say I’ve stressed that bad about a cheat. Don’t worry about it , just get back in the wagon , once your fully in keto a piece of bread might not affect you anyway provided your carbs were really low for the day. No stress just keep going , certainly don’t want to be worried so much you panic yourself. You will go well. Cheers.
Might have been a sudden burst of glucose, like a sugar rush. Or might have been the after effects, insulin rushing to push that glucose into cells left you with a sudden low blood sugar swing.
PaulL
(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?)
#4
What you describe sounds a lot like a sugar crash, but ten minutes is awfully quick for that, so it has to have been an anxiety attack.
I wish I got anxiety attacks when I eat carbs. Sometimes my cravings get the better of me. If I had your experience each time, those cravings might be easier to resist, lol!
But for future reference, you don’t have to eat the bread, just because they gave it to you. You can eat the innards of the sandwich and throw the bread away. If you want to eat the bread, then you can certainly do so, of course. There are no keto police, so no one’s going to haul you away.
Thanks Paul. I know that carb digestion actually begins in the mouth, so it’s possible I was experiencing a sugar rush (the ten minutes was a rough estimate). Basically I inhaled a foot long very quickly (we were at the pool and I wanted to get in).
It was a jarring experience for sure. I’ll just add it to the list of reasons for going low carb/keto!!!
I do get very nervous when I consider ingesting carbs. What happened to me when I did was the tooth ache that went away when I started keto returned. And now I know when it hurts… I’ve had some incidental sugar I failed to observe. Ie. Ortega taco spice(has sugar!) Ouch.
Emotions are our limbic system(and often out of our control). Try and relax friend…keep calm and keto on. If you get kicked out of ketosis just fast and you’ll get right back in. No worries. Nothing dreadful will happen:kiss:
It’s tempting given your description to suggests that “it’s all in your head” from anxiety over “cheating” (a highly judgmental guilt-laden label for what occurred).
But as we all well know, what’s in our heads it very real. So it’s worth some reflection…
You are not a slave to keto as a diet. If it works well for you - as it does for so many countless folks - then there’s your motivation and personal journey.
There will be times during transitioning from one lifestyle habit to another that you will not travel in a straight line. That’s not because you’re flawed … it’s because you’re human.
Learn along the way and be wiser as a result. Meanwhile, no reason to get overly anxious about adherence to your personal plans. You’ll get where you need to be over time as you learn more about yourself, your boundaries, your personal strengths and foibles.
Welcome to the path ahead!
(p.s. - as a mother of three, you know quite well how tough it can be to stick to any plan without detours along the way )
This is gonna come off as rude probably, but I honestly don’t mean it to be. If eating the wrong thing within 10min (which is faster than your body can actually do anything with it) causes a panic attack, you need either medication or counseling. The amount of stress and hormonal chaos that crap causes isn’t worth it. Only negatives come from it. If you’re on that much of a hair trigger, your underlying stress levels are probably in the red at all times.
Like I said, you didn’t even remotely metabolize that food in that amount of time, so what happened wasn’t because of what you ate. You did that to yourself in your head. Don’t underestimate how powerful your mind is. If it’s that easy for you to achieve that, not even saying to go be a drug dependent zombie, those drugs suck, but plenty of natural ones that are very good at it for most people.
I don’t know about anxiety attacks but I totally can get negative physical things in a few minutes after eating sugar. Not starches, simpler ones and all alone but they does it. I don’t expect it, I am optimistic and usually don’t get it even if I eat much sugar but sometimes it happens after just a tiny bit and feels very physical, whatever it is. I suppose it’s purely physical due to the sugar starting to digest in my mouth but as I am a complicated human being, there may be something else.
I stated in a previous comment that carbohydrate digestion begins in the mouth, so it is absolutely possible that consuming carbs could trigger me (mentally and physically). I also stated that it may not have been exactly 10 minutes (from the first bite until the anxiety attack).
For what it’s worth, I am in therapy, and I am well aware of my mental issues and limitations. I am a highly functioning autistic with ADD. I appreciate your concern.
I am also 4 months postpartum, and breastfeeding, so my hormones are also wacky. But you’re absolutely right; the mind is a very powerful thing, and my mind especially has the power to manifest both good and bad. Since I am breastfeeding there’s really a very limited number of things I can consume for my mental health, even natural things can affect my baby negatively. Currently I am trying nootropics.
Sounds like you are very aware of what your body is going through and what it needs. A baby changes everything. It’s almost like starting from scratch. Breastfeeding is also adding another layer of care.
Sounds like a legit reaction to that bread. Whether it came from your head or body actually makes no difference. You were sent a very clear message. And you listened. Good for you.
@SweetKiwi You’re well on track in life with adorable children to mother… even while figuring out what’s best for yourself at this demanding time.
Stay the course. While it’s useless to tell others to “relax,” hopefully the calm you deserve is just around the corner.
Meanwhile, take good care of yourself, especially while nursing. These challenging times of young motherhood will soon blossom into a far more relaxed pace (sooner than most parents often expect).
While I trust that you and @Ifod14 mean well, I understand your point, however I do not think you grasp mine.
In general digestion does begin at mastication, certainly. But there are many physiological processes that are in play, least of which is the breaking down of larger bites into smaller pieces by the teeth.
This article should help you understand that from the first moment I began to eat the sandwich there was anticipatory processes that primed my body to ready itself for digestion.
Can we untangle the mental aspect from the physical? Probably not in my case, because my mind knew it was going to eat bread, and so did my body.
What is being suggested is that somehow I am mentally unwell because I had a physical reaction to eating bread. I would like to assert that this is false. In fact, my mental and physical condition is functioning very well!!
My eyes saw the food, my mouth tasted the food, the salivary alpha amylase began breaking down the starches, and my body was signaled (instantly) to begin the specialized processes needed to digest such a meal.
If you still find me mentally unwell after reading the article linked, then okay. I had a strong reaction to what is essentially a poison. I also have asthma and am gluten intolerant. My body and my mind know I’m not supposed to consume bread. Something WAS wrong. Isn’t it better to have a response to stimuli than no response at all?
I would never call you mentally unwell my friend, absolutely never. I mean that.
I’ve been through a lot too.
Back in the day I studied (uni) physiology.
And I know all about amylase enzymes.
There is definitely a reflex reactiion from what is percieved in the mind to what way your body reacts. Take fight or flight for instance, to name but one feedback mechanisim.
Excellent, glad you understand my point. “Not for the first time I’m in total agreement with him.” Doesn’t this statement by you say that you agree with him? He goes on to say, “ If eating the wrong thing within 10min (which is faster than your body can actually do anything with it) causes a panic attack, you need either medication or counseling.” If you understand my point, then how can you agree with his statement? 10 minutes is absolutely long enough to have a chemical response to food. So I need medication or counseling for having a strong reaction to a food I shouldn’t be ingesting? Okay.
Asserting that my issues are completely mental IS calling me mentally unwell. You (@Ifod14) can say your intentions are good, but be aware of the insinuations you are making. I need medication or counseling because I felt unwell for less than 30 minutes??? No. That’s silly.
If you (@Coopdawg) understand my points about the physiological effects of consuming bread, but you also agree with Ifod14, then I’m not the only one confused, and for my mental health I’ll leave this conversation now.
I get it. Yet I also get where Ifod is coming from.
I don’t agree with that…but at the same time I’ve had talk therapy and it did me the world of good.
There is no shame anymore. Again, and apologies if you don’t agree…it’s psychosomatic my friend.
Doesn’t mean you are a bad person. Accept it.
Did you have this sort of reaction to sandwiches before you started keto? It’s not so much the reaction as the (assumed) novelty of it that suggests guilt / anxiety had a big part to play.
It’s interesting to speculate on whether the release of amylase could have triggered your response.
this is definitely a “mental game”. I have three small children and they do not skimp on carbs, so I’m going to have to get serious about this.
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