Taking the plunge

#1

I’ve been doing keto and IF since January, stumbling upon the idea of ZC a few months ago. At first it seemed too strange and fringey, but I kept coming back and reading more. Listening to podcasts featuring Amber O’Hearn and Shawn Baker really warmed me up to the idea.

I’m young (mid 20s) but not particularly healthy… I have a diagnosed immune disorder and a lot of other peripheral autoimmune symptoms that don’t fit with the initial diagnosis, for which I’ve been seeing more medical doctors than I can count. I struggle with anxiety and other mental health issues. More importantly, while keto has been incredibly helpful in improving my quality of life, I think it’s getting unsustainable for me. I’ve been getting more and more sensitive to any carbs. I also have a history of anorexia and, to a lesser extent, binge-eating. I’ve slipped back into using artificial sweeteners in the last few months, making the binge/fast cycle much worse. Tracking has become an obsession, and my BMI has dropped to 15.3, within a stone’s throw of my lowest adult weight. Basically, there’s a lot wrong with me and I hardly expect any one dietary change to be a fix-all. I try to avoid magical thinking and confusion of causation and correlation, but after eye-balling a restaurant meal to be keto-friendly last week left me in delirious agony for 48 hours, I decided that I have to try something new.

So I’m taking the plunge into zero carb. Or more accurately, I already did, starting on September 1st. This post is part accountability, part just wanting to tell someone who won’t think this is wildly dangerous or stupid. I’m approaching it as a three-week experiment in consuming just meat and water, with the two notable exceptions of daily black coffee and a little lemon water as needed to help with nausea. No seasonings but salt. I already can’t tolerate dairy products so I cook with lard, and I’ve cut out eggs for the purposes of this experiment. No fasting, no weighing, no counting.

I don’t know how it’s going to go, but honestly, these first few days have been promising. I’m sleeping too much, but my chronic pain is way down. I’ve been genuinely eating ad libitum for the first time in months, without anxiety, without panicking, without binding. I’m trying my damnedest to just listen to my body, and at least for the moment, I feel calm and fundamentally okay.

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #2

Welcome to the forums, and good luck with your experiment. I have found this to be a good way of eating, and I am down twenty pounds as a result (with a long way to go!).

I do hope you can go back to eating eggs when your experiment is over. Eggs and bacon form one of my favorite meals.

(Norma Laming) #3

Very best of luck and I will be watching your progress with interest. Are you getting blood work done?

#4

Thank you! I haven’t had blood work specifically with the intention of tracking this change–although I’d been considering it for a while, this was ultimately an impulsive decision born out of my latest pain flare–but I did have a new blood panel done on Monday for my rheumatologist, so I’ll have a recent baseline.

#5

Thank you! Me too, eggs are one of my favourite foods and probably the biggest staple of my keto journey so far. Plus their affordability compared to meat doesn’t hurt. :wink: But this seems like the moment for temporary extremism, like a carnivorous elimination diet.

(Norma Laming) #6

Then I am even more interested in your long term outcomes. I am not overweight but I have rheumatoid arthritis and symptoms suggestive of secondary Sjögren’s syndrome. Part of my family has rheumatoid arthritis/ psoriasis/ macular degeneration/ Parkinson’s so inflammation is something I watch out for.

#7

I have some kind of (yet to be diagnosed) systemic joint issues. It started with major joints (jaw, hip, shoulder) in my teens but over about ten years it’s progressed to include smaller joints in my hands and feet, as well as my knees and elbows to a lesser extent. Lots of cracking, stiffness, and aching that my doctors waved off for a long time. I’m grateful to have found a sympathetic GP a couple years ago, and the rheumatologist I was referred to thankfully confirmed that this is worth investigating and not normal or okay.

#8

Update: I’m still at it, and it’s been interesting so far. My skin’s freaked out a little, my first cystic acne outbreak in a few years. My appetite’s been up and down, maybe a bit more down since I’d actually lost a bit of weight when I checked on the 6th, though I seem to be eating a lot more than usual. One day of extreme nausea and vomiting, which is a pre-existing issue I’m hoping this change might help with eventually. At a certain point, chicken started repulsing me, so I’ve been eating mostly beef and a bit of lamb the last couple days. I’m still drinking coffee but unconsciously phased out lemon water.

Today I’ve been absolutely ravenous, warm and energetic, and my obsessive thoughts and compulsions feel more manageable than they have in months, perhaps all year. I’m going to keep at it strictly for at least another eight days, but after that life circumstances might make it a bit less feasible.

(Norma Laming) #9

Thanks for the update! Keep at it.I look forward to hearing how it goes.

#10

Mini update: All told, I think I ate about 2 kg of rib-eye/ground beef (~90%) and lamb fat/liver (~10%) yesterday. Today I feel utterly incredible. Mentally, physically, emotionally, everything, just superhumanly good. It sounds ridiculous but when I’ve felt terrible so much of the time for so long, feeling genuinely good makes me almost want to cry tears of joy.

(Norma Laming) #11

That’s amazing! Though I can’t imagine eating such. A quantity. You must really need it :cherry_blossom:

#12

Update: In the last week, I started adding in more processed meats, reading labels for lowest carbs and best ingredients. I think I feel better sticking to fresh meat though.

On Friday I had my first genuine slip up, trying a very tiny bite of something sweet a friend made and kept asking me to try. Within 20-30 minutes my anxiety had spiked really badly, and I ended up having a small (thankfully keto at least) binge. Fasted for a bit after that until I felt better.

It feels more and more like zero carb is really for me, at least for a little while. Fresh meat, salt, water. I’m experimenting with adding eggs back in, still on the fence about whether to use hot sauce.

(James storie) #13

I do eggs and hot sauce. It doesnt seem to effect me negatively. But, the only way to know is try it and see.

#14

Mini update: Eggs were a major keto staple for me but I tried them the other night and they triggered intense nausea. I think I’ll stick to fresh beef for a while. I ordered some Nick’s Sticks because I really love dried meat snacks but all brands available locally have added sugar. Looking forward to trying those when they arrive.

#15

Update: I’m still at it!

Well, I did make one mistake, but I learned something. About a week and a half ago, I went to a long-planned fixed menu dinner with a big group of friends. I could pick and choose somewhat, so I made the decision to eat lazy keto for the evening. The effects were devastating. After unprecedented weeks without painkillers, I was in agony with joint pain the next day. My head was a disaster for the whole weekend, in terms of anxiety and mood instability. It’s taken a bit more than a week of meat and water to get back to how I felt before the dinner. Not worth it at all, except for the lesson. But I’m finally getting back to that deep inner calm, and my joints feel smooth and mostly painless.

Although I like chicken and pork, I think I feel better eating beef and lamb, though it’s hard to tell if that isn’t just confirmation bias from reading about ruminants and nutrition. It’s also hard to tell how much spices affect me. I’ve been having them once in a while (like tandoori chicken from one of my favourite spots), but there may be subtle negative effects. I think I’ll have to wait until I’ve spent a couple more weeks feeling stably good until I can systematically test that.

A local farm was having an incredible special so I’ve stocked up on 20 kg of organic ground beef (not a label I usually care about) and some rib-eyes. It’s a bit too lean but a nearby butcher sells pure ground beef fat so I’ve been using that to adjust. Beef with a bit of pink salt, water, and coffee just feel really good in my body. I might try giving up the coffee at some point.

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #16

Glad to hear the ZC thing is going well for you. I’m glad you’re feeling so much better (aside from your little adventure a couple of weeks ago, lol). Please keep us posted. You are in my thoughts and prayers.

(Carpe salata!) #17

“except for the lesson.”

You’re a great lesson too :slight_smile:

Pulling your diet and lifestyle and diet apart and rebuilding it with things that actually work for you. Actually doing it yourself and not waiting for affirmation or confirmation. Often the best answer to “what do I have to do?” Is “figure it out for yourself”.

(Keto in Katy) #18

I love eggs, bacon, and sausage so much.