March Madness

(Kristen Ann) #1

March is my 5th month on keto; however, I don’t know if it’s fair to say that considering I was out of ketosis for more days than I was in it.

In February, I discovered that eating 100+ grams of protein was preventing fat loss. When I kept protein around 75 g, and ate more fat, the scale would move. So, I switched from eating simple meals consisting of only a protein and veggie, to making more elaborate ones. In February I also discovered that eating fatty chicken and pork may be causing inflammation. I decided to temporarily give up these two foods to test this theory and stick with beef, elk, and shellfish.

In March, I made attempts to consistently keep protein moderate and temporarily give up chicken and pork. I’ve also experienced a whirlwind of stress between juggling work full time, graduate school, and a dog whom had a fairly major surgery. I have so much on my plate, my days start and end with work. All of this has led to multiple rounds of getting bucked off the keto horse. I don’t think I’ve made it more than 5 days in March without giving into carbs. I also had 5 days in a row filled with carbs. I realize this is ridiculous considering that when it comes to inflammation and weight, carbs are the bigger culprit. I think the stress, lack of time and energy for food prepping, and boredom with limited protein got the best of me. I’m realizing I need a better way to deal with stress. I’m working on it. Unfortunately, I think I’ve undone a lot of my fat adaption, because now I have carb cravings and I’m hungry all the time.

Advice is always welcome, but I know what I need to do. Just stick to it, but for some reason it’s much harder this time around. I keep telling myself I’ve done this before, and the craving will eventually stop… but also feel like I can’t defeat this stress, and with the stress comes cheating. I’m going to try to forget about limiting protein, in quantity or type, and just focus on carbs for now until I feel fat adapted once again. I have 2 months before my field season (hiking & camping 6 days/week) starts. I really need to get my ass in gear and inflammation under control.

#2

This sounds like a good plan :slightly_smiling_face:

#3

You obviously already know what you need to do. The bigger question is how to do it. I find that the simplest meals I make are hamburger on salad and spinach stew with sausage. Or salmon with mashed cauliflower. Always making more than I need helps too. As does a teaspoon of cacao in my coffee. Tastes great when adding cream.

I’m not in graduate school, but have had a little more to do than what I find comfortable lately. Keto cookies and cake in the freezer has helped a lot, though not eating helps as well. I’m not at omad yet, but I have become more inclined to have my first meal in the afternoon. Coffee and cream jelly was also great, and is cheap to make. Though bacon will always be best for a snack.

(Carl Keller) #4

I know you can do it Kristen! My thoughts and best wishes are with you. Be strong. :slight_smile:

(Kristen Ann) #5

Thanks for the tips.

(Kristen Ann) #6

Thanks for being so supportive Carl!

(Katie the Quiche Scoffing Stick Ninja ) #7

Kristen, the only reason you are so hungy is because of the glucose still floating around your blood stream.
I have done a lot of cheating myself the last few months, granted I’ve been fat adapted longer than you are, but as soon as I got rid of the glucose and fasted it away, I continued fasting for 4 days after that.
You may think you have ruined it but I doubt you’ve done too much damage.
You are right, it IS harder the second time around, which is why you need to commit.
Stop fiddling so much with your protein and everything for now, just make it as simple as you can and go from there.

(Kristen Ann) #8

Thanks @ava_ad0re, I appreciate it.

#9

oh yesss! i’ve been thinking about how i miss soup…the answer is spinach sausage stew! do you have a favourite recipe or do you just wing it?

#10

I think you’re right that the stress impacts one’s ability to do keto and impacts the body’s ability to make use of the fuel you’re giving it.

I wonder though whether though whether thinking about “defeating” stress isn’t helpful. My sense is that trying to defeat something leads to more effort and maybe your stress is telling you to ease off. Maybe you need to do less. Or, at least, treat your efforts like intermittent fasting. There’s an eating phase and a not-eating phase. Maybe it would help to have some more not-doing time. Whatever that looks like for you.

#11

I make a very thick stew, and the cheapest way using frozen spinach. I use olive oil to fry a tablespoon of (canned) tomato puree vefore adding the spinach and some water. Salt to taste. It’s also possible to fry onions, but I prefer garlic. When I eat it, I add lemon juice and sour cream, but kefir is also good. It’s really one of the simplest recipes I know. Sausage, meatballs, chicken, lamb, pretty much anything can be added for meat. Leftover meat is probably very good.

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #12

Perhaps at this point, just have a bunch of high-fat, low-carb snacks available—pork rinds, cheese, butter, cooked bacon, pepperoni, etc.—so that you have something tasty and calorie-dense to snack on, instead of being tempted to go out and get some doughnuts. I also find having salt handy and staying hydrated help a lot with appetite.

(Kristen Ann) #13

You’re right you can’t really defeat stress. I’m listening to an audiobook that teaches you to change your mindset about stress, and embrace it. We’ll see if it helps.

That’s an interesting idea. I might try that.

(Kristen Ann) #14

I’m trying to repeat what I did the first time I went keto, and I completely forgot that I used carried keto snacks with me everywhere. I got used to not snacking but I think I need to set myself up for success and keto snacks will help with this. Thanks for the reminder Paul!

#15

March was a real hard lesson for me. We went away for a 4 week break and everything keto slipped. In those weeks I put on a massive 6lbs (2.7kgs).
Lesson learned - don’t take your eye off the ball.
I’m pleased to say that I’m now back on track, but a whole month later than I needed to be.
So if you fall off; dust yourself down and get back on track.

(Kristen Ann) #16

Thanks for sharing and for the support. I’m back on track and feeling stronger and more motivated than I was in March.