Protein/fat question. Strange reaction

(Cynthia Anderson) #1

So I’ve been keto about 6 weeks.
I haven’t been getting enough protein.
I try to eat 40g or less of carbs a day.
I tend to go up to 100g once every 10 days or so.
I also tend to be 30g or less 3 or 4 days a week.
I’m trying to do better with carb restriction.

What’s going on is this.
I’m hungry. I try to eat protein. I practically have to choke it down. If I eat fat it goes down fine.

This happens every time I try to up protein.

For example yesterday ham was my first meal of day. It was hard to eat.
I followed it with a low carb butter tortilla. It went down fine.

Any ideals or suggestions?

(Cynthia Anderson) #2

Oh I know the carbs are a bit high but I also know I’m in ketosis and if not fat adapted almost there.

I don’t get sick from being too hungry anymore.
I did a 22 hour and an 18 hour unplanned fast.
I have always had my first mod (meal of day) at noon or later (preketo).
I have more energy.
I sleep better.
My heartburn is getting better .

(Amy Ramadan) #3

I would suggest trying to stick to 20 grams of net carbs or less, and then see how you feel!! Everyone is different so at times you mind if just have to play around with it to see what works for you!! Keep us updated!!

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #4

It sounds as though you are getting enough protein to keep your body happy, so I wouldn’t worry about trying to increase it. Just try to keep your carbohydrate intake as low as you can, to keep your insulin low, and eat enough fat to be able to go between meals without getting hungry. This is a very different way of eating from most diets, and it stands a lot of the conventional wisdom on its head.

So give it a go for a while at your current protein intake, and increase fat. If it seems as though you are losing muscle mass, then we’ll work on rethinking this. Sound like a plan?

(Cynthia Anderson) #5

I can honestly say right now I have no interest in further restricting my carbs.

I was able to eat protein last night without issue. It was mixed with fat.

I will just eat normally and stop trying to force feed protein to hit macros.

I will reevaluate later.
I really need to start a food diary. Maybe I can start today.

(Lonnie Hedley) #6

You’re doing low carb, which is close to keto but not quite, so when asking for advice expect to hear “you should drop your carbs” pretty often.

Also, unless you test it’s hard to say for sure you’re actually in ketosis. If you feel better, than that’s great but still no guarantee you’re in ketosis.

It sounds like you’re doing fine. Keep carbs as low as you can (most everyone here will suggest 20g net or less). Some protein, and then fat to feel full. If you’re still hungry, eat more fat not try to force protein which sounds like you have no issues with. Good luck!

(Cynthia Anderson) #7

I’m going to buy a blood monitor after I get paid the first.

(Brian) #8

So what are you eating? You say you’re pretty much not eating carbs. You’re not eating much protein. That leaves fat. But people don’t generally eat just fat, though I’m sure there’s an exception out there somewhere, there always is.

Real food tends to be a combination. For instance, an egg is something like 5g of protein and 6g of fat. One little package. Two different macros involved. I can’t give you numbers on various meats but they are also generally a combination of x number of grams of protein and y number of grams of fat, just as they come from the animal.

There are variations with what a person does with a piece of meat, too. Fish fillet or fish patties or tuna salad? Steak or hamburber steak or keto chili? Etc…

I’m not usually one for just a big slab of meat either. But I do enjoy lots of different ways proteins are cooked and presented.

Just curious…

:slight_smile:

(Cynthia Anderson) #9

Low carb tortillas any time I mention sandwich

Tuna, butter or pb sandwich.
1 or 2 a day

Sometimes a couple eggs.

Handful of nuts.

Yesterday I ate
A chicken patty
4 Brazil nuts and
venison with cream of mushroom soup and green beans.
8 milk chocolate mini chips and 8 dark chocolate chips.
I ate between 4 and 10.

(Brian) #10

You sound like you’re gonna be fine, Cynthia. You have some variety in there, and I think that’s a good thing.

FWIW, I came to the keto way of eating from being vegan and vegetarian for a couple of decades. So I totally understand being light on the protein. I still eat lots of veggies but I have upped my intake of protein over the past year or so. Occasionally, I still am a little low. And occasionally, I’m a little high. But I do try to be conscious about getting something.

Oh, I just thought of it, do you like Greek yogurt? A cup of Greek yogurt has like 20g of protein in it. We do that for breakfast some mornings. Greek yogurt, a TBSP of peanut butter mixed in (helps make it less tangy), maybe a little bit of fruit (like a few berries), and that’s something we enjoy. And it doesn’t exactly “look” like a typical protein.

:slight_smile:

(Blessed with butter ) #11

I kind of feel this way too, its like I have a lump in my throat after I eat protein.

(Cynthia Anderson) #12

So I think I figured it out. My body wants more fat. Any time I eat protein with fat it’s fine.

(Bunny) #13

Just a little hypothesis:

Is the meat/protein your eating heavily processed? That may be your body telling you to reject it through your gut flora biome, saliva, digestive enzymes, nervous system and adrenal hormones! That is why you need the satiation of unprocessed or natural saturated fat to choke it down? Grass-fed meat and fat may play a role in this also, nutritionally speaking!

If I have no choice but to eat meat highly laced with preservatives, I use betaine hydrochloric acid HCL with pepsin or bromelain right before eating highly processed meat to breakdown the proteins that are highly laced with those nasty preservatives including other foods! Which will also contribute to me getting FAT!

#14

I find that my body likes a few added digestive enzymes when I eat largeish meat portions.

Helps a great deal.