Keto for IBS rather than for weight loss

#1

Hello everybody, I’ve got a feeling this post might drag a bit so I’m going to bullet point a list of things at the beginning so it’s easier to read. Hopefully it won’t bore you all then :joy: You can tell I’m desperate! :grimacing:

33 year old male, 5ft 7", 80kg.

Did keto at the beginning of 2019, started at 81kg and fell to 74kg by Febuary. Back to 80kg now but with a slightly better composition (I think!)

During this time I felt a million times better, I had struggled with a bit with moderate depression and anxiety for a couple of years after knocking hard partying on the head.

I also found that my IBS was so much better and I went for so many champion poo’s, I’ve always related my health to what comes out at the other end so this was great. I now have a feeling IBS was the root cause of feeling down and not partying tbh.

I felt like a machine at the gym when doing cardio, I could just run forever like the terminator :joy: but I always felt drained whenever I did any heavy lifting, I’m an industrial electrician so even if I’m not at the gym doing it I can get those glycogen stores depleted quite easily during the working day.

My mind was so clear, which waved off any previous feelings of anxiety which in turn made me feel full of joy and not down at all. I’m a very sociable person but when I’m not at my best like that I just can’t be assed with it. Mind over matter is bullshit to me, I think I’m either on point or not and it’s as simple as that.

Having a clear mind was great for work, I run a team of lads in dangerous environments so being on the ball like that was a breathe of fresh air. Even after getting home after cramming 50 hours into 4 days I’d still have energy, great for home life too!

Basically after writing all that I miss it dearly :rofl:

I can’t remember exact dates but I finally came off keto after about 3 months and noticed changes straight away, I toyed with going back on and off and on and off for ages and now I’m finally off again but my IBS is not good.

I told myself if I had keto values but didn’t go full keto I could keep my IBS under control, maybe a bit more primal. But this didn’t seem to work, I can eat a portion of roasted vegetables and be murdered by it. Never really got to the root cause, but even if I eat healthy I can still suffer.

I know I have a dairy intolerance, this annoys me because dairy is sooooooooo handy on keto. I can do butter and cheese but double cream will fwuck me up, so no big ass stew meal preps handy for work.

I have noticed eating resistant starch (cooked then cooled rice specifically) really helps with my out the other end issues. Even a portion of chips can help with sometimes I have noticed. This obviously is not keto but it’s the only thing non keto that seems to help with my IBS.

I’m sure there is more I can delve into but I suppose my main questions to you guys are:-

  1. Do you think I could reach a point of success without being full on keto?

  2. If the answer is no then how can I do a four day stretch at work with not much time to meal prep, and keep up the diet? I can meal prep on my days off but this just makes me feel like my diet consumes my whole life. It seems like such hard work all the time.

  3. With regards to glycogen stores and feeling drained, is this something that becoming fully fat adapted will fix or would some carbs help on my journey? Does making some resistant starch before or after workouts make sense?

  4. I have in the past eaten the same thing day after day, but I feel like variation is a must. But not being home for four days in a row and only having access to a microwave at work really makes things difficult. Could grazing on nuts, meats, cheese and olives be an answer?

I think I’m just looking for general advice really, if anyone has or knows someone with similar issues any help would be much appreciated.

I’m aware that going keto is the obvious answer, but I’m more looking for suggestions as to what causes my problematic issues.

Thanks in advance.

(Ellenor Bjornsdottir) #2

At the end of the day, you have to not eat the foods that are going to set you off, and you are going to have to eat the foods that contain essential nutrients that do not inflame your bowels.

#3

Yea I’m not sure what the foods are though, I just know that when I do follow keto my stomach likes it… Not exactly sure why though.

(Susan) #4

This might have some useful information =).

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #6

One of the principal ketone bodies produced by the liver is called β-hydroxybutyrate, and it happens to be very good for the cells of the intestines. That’s why you felt so good eating ketogenically.

The key to ketone production is eating below one’s carb limit, so as to keep insulin down (insulin inhibits the liver from producing ketones). Carb limits are highly individual, and yours will vary from our standard recommendation of 20 g/day. You might be able to get away with more than that, but you’d have to experiment to find out. A blood ketone meter would assist you there.

You are going to experience a certain amount of weakness as your muscles re-adapt to fat-burning, but once the adaptation period is over, you should get your energy back, possibly more. You are also likely to find yourself able to go long periods without food, which may help with coping with work and staying keto.

Many of us on these forums have found that after a period of withdrawal, we lost our taste for carbohydrate. (In general—as an addict I still do get cravings for carb-rich foods that I know I’m not going to enjoy, lol! And these cravings have nothing to do with hunger, interestingly.) I find that I don’t miss sugar, grains, or starches very much at all.

There ought to be plenty of easy-prep recipes on our Recipes forum. Also, www.dietdoctor.com will send you, for a small membership fee, meal plans and recipes, if you think that will help (they sell no products; btw, the membership fee is what keeps the site alive).

(squirrel-kissing paper tamer) #7

I recommend keeping a food journal. I’m currently doing it and while it’s a PITA I’m looking forward to having that valuable detailed information instead of a vague idea of what is working/not working. As for spending your life food prepping, I imagine you’ll have to always put a lot of thought into your food due to IBS so why not make it stuff that’s good for you and makes you feel better?

(Bunny) #8

No, because the sugars you are eating especially oligosaccharides in the diet are being fermented by the gut (what’s causing all those problems)!

Technically the Ketogenic diet is a low sugar diet (exactly what IBS needs or calls for?) and has nothing to do with focusing on the amount of fat or protein intake? (most people may not be aware of that because it has been cast in a light of high fat or high protein intake since its inception for the treatment of epilepsy)

What I would want to do is try to kill the bad gut bugs that are backing up or multiplying from the large intestines into the small intestines? (very similar to SIBO?)

For example (I think this one is the best): “…Oregano oil’s antibacterial, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic properties make it a good option for supporting digestive health. A 2016 study found that oregano essential oil was effective in improving intestinal barrier (gut lining) integrity. …” …Top 7 Essential Oils For IBS Symptom Relief (The effectiveness of these essential oils in relieving IBS symptoms is validated by scientific research)

The other thing could be a possible leaky gut and I would definitely have a leaky gut test just to make sure it is not contributing to it?

#9

I’m not clear if you’re coming home daily on your four day stretch or if you’re on site and then home 3 days. Take advantage of your freezer and stock up your own pre-made meals. You might need a couple of big meal prep days to start, but then you can just get in a routine of making extra when you cook on the days you are home. If I make four servings of something (whatever four servings is for you, not necessarily what the recipe says), then I split it up into a serving to eat and three servings to freeze and eat later. Sometimes I have all the sides to go with it, sometimes I just make a quick salad or toss some frozen veg into a Tupperware container with some salt and microwave it later.

Buy a bunch of plastic containers, so you always have lots around. I find making sure I have lots of the same sizes makes them easier to store and easier to stack in the freezer.

If you don’t have a freezer to keep prepped meals, you might want to poke around here and look for some of the threads where people are living in vans/trailers, @CandyLindTX who lives in her long-haul truck with her husband, or some other folks who are living off the grid with limited power. They’re doing a lot of simple keto food with minimal refrigeration. Lots of rotisserie chickens, canned tuna, salami, cheese, etc. along with stuff like steaks cooked in an electric fry pan.