Sick and super hungry

[Gumby]

I have been Keto since August 15 2018…Sooo…2 weeks ago I had a terrible stomach virus and stayed Keto! It lasted 10 days. I went back to my workouts on Wednesday and Thursday and while running Thursday felt the dreaded lung burn! Yep, my Asthma and Bronchietasis are acting up. Wheeze wheeze and cough cough. I am trying to avoid steroids…I am sure they will throw me out of Ketosis.

So today…I am ravenous! Hungry…and for the first time cheated😮. I ate 5 Pringle’s and a bite of Gluten Free brownies (which I spit out as it was an impulse).

I am craving sweet comfort food! I want cinnamon rolls so so bad. (Plan to make a Keto recipe tomorrow)

I drank 4 cups of coffee with Cinnamon and HWC. Trying to curb the cravings.

Just wondering if the inflammation in my lungs is driving the cravings?

Any advise would be great! TIA.

[anon54735292]

Can’t speak to your particular illness @Gumby but I did go through a period of unusual hunger a month or two ago which I couldn’t figure out (was driving me spare) then I got the cold syptoms! I did not have any particular cravings though - was just unusually hungry for a few days.

[Jennafurry]

Hi friend. Honestly, you’ll probably deal with sweet cravings for a few more months at least. Think of them as your body throwing a tantrum. I’m not sure why steroid would necessarily “throw you out of ketosis”. I haven’t heard that before, maybe someone else can chime in.

You’re still in the time period where you need to be eating when you’re hungry no matter what. Satisfy that hunger with some sweet fatty goodness of some sort. Teach your body that its tantrums will only result in proper energy sources…not the easy glucose it’s pouting over.

Any time we experience adversity, it is natural to fall back on old coping mechanisms. Chalk your cravings up to that. It’s all good. Just keep going, and it will get easier. Your metabolism probably isn’t flexible enough yet to “just have a little” and then continue on without effects. The more you give in, the more likely you are to spiral.

However, good for you for staying keto while you had a stomach bug. You got this girl, keep going! If you go back to carbs, you’ll have to deal with all the carb-withdrawal afterwards again which is such a pain!

[Gumby]

Thank you Safi good to know that with others have had cravings with illness.

[Gumby]

Thank you so much for the support! I guess I am just surprised as I really haven’t had a single craving until today. Since we have 20 cans a Pringle’s for a fund raiser, they are easy access .

I will have the family put them away.

Yes, I am super hungry and can’t seem to get enough food today and I am probably comfiicted as “How can I be hungry when I sat around sick all day.”
So I will go eat some more. (Just had supper 20min ago.).

You are all so great!

I will KCKO

[Gumby]

Supper:

[Gumby]

Pringle’s

[Jennafurry]

Give yourself permission to have cravings. It’s all good. Feelings and thoughts are uncontrollable…it’s your behavior that matters! The more you try and ascribe meaning to them, the more crazy you’ll drive yourself. If it continues for a month, okay, then it’s time to be a detective and figure out what’s going on. However, all of us need the extra energy when we are sick, and we all fall back on old coping mechanisms when we are stressed. I don’t see any reason for it to be anything beyond that. You got this girl.

Now you have me craving eggs. Be right back…omelet time!

[Gumby]

Thank you Jennafurry😃

Enjoy your omelette!

[PaulL]

@Gumby I can’t imagine any mechanism by which an inhaled steroid would throw you out of ketosis. Besides, if you take your inhalers now, you will be diminishing the reaction the next time your lungs get triggered; whereas each time they react and are not treated, the reaction is worse the next time. At least that is how my asthma doctor once explained it.

I find that I have been eating keto long enough now that I have been able to dispense with my inhalers entirely, except for a couple of really bad days this summer when I needed an occasional hit of albuterol. Of course, I continue to take my antihistamine and decongestant regularly, but there are quite frequently days when I forget and never notice till I happen to look at my pill box.

As for the hunger, eat! And if you keep your sodium intake up, you should find that it will keep your sugar cravings in check. Remember that we need 2-1/2 teaspoons of table salt a day. The current U.S. dietary recommendation for salt is woefully inadequate.

[Gumby]

@PaulL
Thank you…sorry I wasn’t clear on the inhalers. I take Advair (500/50) twice daily as maintenance. Advair has both inhaled steroids and LABA. I also take Ventolin as needed. I am trying to break up this flare to prevent taking oral steroids. Which has made me “steroid induced” diabetic in the past.

And yes, I am struggling with eating today as I think I have eaten too much. Lol! .

And I just went and ate two dill pickles for my nightly (Avoid the leg cramps) ritual.

[PetaMarie]

I also have asthma and I understand your hatred of oral steroids. I cry when they tell me I have to take them because I gain at least 10 lbs every time, whether I eat or not.

I think you need comfort because you don’t feel good. Wear soft clothing, snuggle up for a movie, take a shower, do a breathing treatment if you have the stuff for it, drink lots of tea with cream for a sweet treat, whip it for some home made whipped cream with cinnamon sprinkled on top, make fat bombs for a sweet treat, take care of yourself and remember it’s temporary.

You got this!

[Gumby]

@PetaMarie

Thank you so much for the encouraging words! I am a little better today with many treatments yesterday and starting to “break up” the inflammation. My lungs are not burning any more!

I really value what folks say on this forum! I ate more last night, woke up with a growling stomach and started my day with coffee and cream, cinnamon and butter! It was WONDERFUL! Keeping fingers cross I stay moving in the right direction!

And…You are correct…it is temporary! I think we forget to stay patient!

KCKO my friends!

[PaulL]

I am trying to break up this flare to prevent taking oral steroids

Ah! That’s a kettle of fish of a whole different color! I’ve always been fine on the inhaled steroids, so it never even occurred to me that they would prescribe oral steroids for asthma. Do what you have to do to avoid that, by all means. Systemic steroids are nasty, quite apart from causing diabetes, which I didn’t even know about.

I can’t help feeling, however, that a ketogenic diet will go a long way toward reducing your asthma. It has certainly helped mine considerably.

You might find it helpful to know that rat owners give rats in respiratory distress dark chocolate, for its bronchodilating effect. The theobromine and caffeine in chocolate are members of a class of chemicals called methylxanthines, which all ease bronchial constriction to one degree or another. I’m sure that some unsweetened chocolate, mixed with some heavy cream and some artificial sweetener, would be of great benefit to your breathing as well as to your keto diet. Just saying.

[Gumby]

@PaulL I love this info

The theobromine and caffeine in chocolate are members of a class of chemicals called methylxanthines, which all ease bronchial constriction

When I was a child I took a medication called theophylline. It worked–> Like a strong cup of coffee and I remember having blood levels all the time!

I will try the Chocolate and Heavy Cream…Sounds wonderful!

Thank you!

[Gumby]

Here is an update!

I ate more and more and more…

Lungs didn’t respond to my home therapies and I developed an infection.

SooOOoo…Oral Prednisone and Cefidnir

Here is the awesome news though!!

1. I do not own a scale

2. Therefore I had no idea how much I weighed…Except I started at at 197# (90kg)

3. Then I stepped on the scale and OMG!! I was 174# (79kg)

• What How could I have effortlessly lost 23# (10.5kg) in 2 months! I was thrilled!

• Better Yet!!! My Pulmonologist was FLOORED…HE wanted to know what I was doing and although I was sick he said I “LOOKED” the healthiest he has ever seen!! Then he asked what I did and I told him Keto to correct my Metabolic Syndrome! He said PERFECT! He then said he was sorry I had to go on Prednisone and to be careful! I couldn’t believe he was so so so supportive!

So here I am with 5 days of Diabetic inducing prednisone and I will stay KCKO!!

[JohnH]

I use inhaled corticosteroids daily for asthma control. I am definitely in ketosis and losing weight so don’t worry about that. They let me live a perfectly normal and symptom-free life.

The goal is to prevent serious attacks which do require prednisone pills to reverse. If I get the flu (real flu, not keto flu) or a chest cold I have to go on prednisone right away, so I always keep a supply on hand.

Just remember while on Predisone that it jacks with your emotions and thought processes. Don’t make any impulse buys, and avoid eating too much. And enjoy that nice clean kitchen and bathroom you get on days 1 and 2 when you are full of energy and ready to tackle any projects.

[juice]

I ate more and more and more…

…Then I stepped on the scale and OMG!! I was 174# (79kg)

[Gumby]

Yes! I can get a “roid” rage going! Think: Incredible Hulk!

[Gumby]

Every time you respond with this I think of the Best Concert I have ever gone too! LOVE iT!