Need a little boost, and some advice

[Rj_Marvin]

Hi all. First off, this forum is amazing and im so glad i found it. Ive already received some help here and its a positive and uplifting group, so cheers to all.

I was on keto September - November and was doing well. I felt slimmer, i felt tighter, and energized. Positive mood, low hunger and cravings.

tok a dip diring thanksgiving and then the holidays and im struggling painfully to get back into ketosis. the one thing ive noticed is im bloated and gassy all of the time. im keeping my net carbs below 20, and my total carbs below 30. hitting macros. im 275# and im just struggling and looking for some tips.

im not working out, but my workout schedule begins January 20th

[amwassil]

When I started keto the flatulence, bloat, indigestion and reflux of a lifetime (71 years) went away within a couple of weeks. It was an astonishing and totally unexpected experience. Others here have reported similar changes. Even if keto brought no other benefits I’d never go back to that again. But it does bestow other benefits, many in fact. Just stick with it. A lot of things happen the first few months and you have to give yourself time to let them. Initially, at least, it’s important to stay in ketosis as consistently as possible.

[Paulene]

Keep at it! It’s only 10 days after New Year and your body is probably still readjusting.
If you think you are at risk of giving up, maybe try a couple of zero carb days to give your body a bit of a kickstart.

[Paulene]

Others here have reported similar changes

Yep. I’m definately one of them.

[pamplemousse]

Yay welcome, great that you are making efforts toward better health!

What are you eating? Are you eating a lot of fibrous vegetables? How about cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussel sprouts)? A lot of dairy? Those foods are notorious for causing gastric distress.

Feel free to write out a typical day of eating and we can maybe help you troubleshoot.

[Rj_Marvin]

Daily - my diet isnt the best. Yesterday I had coffee…a LOT of coffee with Half&Half, which ive switched to either Heavy Cream or MCT Powder to avoid the milk.

Lunch I had tuna with some may and some carrots

dinner had 80/20 ground beef and a salad of romaine, cucumber and a couple grape tomatoes

then i ate a hand full of peanuts, but still met my net carb intake and didnt go over.

today, i had eggs, coffee with MCT Oil Powder, and some cheese. Dinner will be boneless skinless chicken breast with a salad, same as above.

nothing exciting!

[amwassil]

Realistic about carbs - inspiration

One of the first questions we all ask when starting keto is probably “How am I going to eat less than 20 grams of carbs per day, every day?” Followed quickly by “Do I really have to?” Eating SAD or some variation all our previous lives, consuming literally hundreds of grams of carbs per day, it’s understandable to wonder how on earth can one possibly do it. Pretty much all of us wonder “what am I going to eat?” First the bad news. There is no perfect keto food that contains zero carbs but has …

[Rj_Marvin]

I don’t think I’m unrealistic about it. I’m more comfortable on it and I’ve done it with success in the past. My main question is why am I having such a hard time getting back after I was doing so well. Like my body is saying “nah dude. Not this time”

[amwassil]

Your ‘cheat month’ pretty much reset your metabolism, so you’re back at the starting block. If it seems harder this time, you’ll just have to bear it while it lasts. Stay hydrated and keep up your electrolytes. That may lessen the symptoms. You are not alone in experiencing this after a temporary relapse. There’s an enormous range of individual variation. Nonetheless, it passes. In the initial phases it’s important to maintain ketosis as consistently as possible to avoid hitting reset and putting yourself through this repeatedly. Hope this helps.

[PetaMarie]

You could try kick starting things with zero carbs for a week or so. That’s basically meat and fat, no sugar substitutes, limit dairy. Then add things back in to meet your personal needs. Remember why you started last September to regain your enthusiasm. Be realistic about why you went off plan to begin with and why you want to go back on now, etc. Also, is your body saying “nah dude” or is your brain saying it? Perception is important.

Two things, are you eating enough and getting enough fat? Did you use MCT powder the last time or is this new? Consider what you’re eating when you end up bloated and gassy, keep a journal, eliminate the culprit through trial and error. Keto in itself doesn’t cause bloating and flatulence, something you’re eating is.

[Rj_Marvin]

Valuable information. Thank you!

[David_Stilley]

but still met my net carb intake and didnt go over.

20g of carbohydrates isn’t a goal to meet, it’s a limit. If you’re having trouble getting back into ketosis others suggested ZC for a while and I agree, or try to keep them lower at least. You definitely don’t need to hit that carb number. Going a bit fat heavy for a week might stimulate ketosis too.

[Chantarella]

sounds a bit like dirty keto to me. Go all out, get really keto, and dont eat carrots. I would also keep total carbs to 20, not 30

[Rj_Marvin]

As per advice. I cut my carbs by half and don’t go past 10. Most of my carbs coming from eggs. 3rd day after, in ketosis with keto flu to match. Getting my electrolytes now.

Thanks for the advice.

[amwassil]

Carb Withdrawal™ can be a bitch. Of course, there are but if you’re not one, comfort yourself with the knowledge that it will pass.