Thought of eating food makes me nauseous

(Charlotte) #1

I tried searching the forum for this but have had no luck on finding any ideas.

When I get hungry the thought of eating food makes me nauseous. I’ve been following keto for 2 months and it started a week ago and is getting more frequent. I start my day with a BPT (Black tea, heavy whipping cream, coconut oil, marine collagen, mct powder, stevia, cinnamon) and it keeps me full and feeling good for hours. When I try to eat real food for lunch or dinner I have to really force myself to get it down and i feel icky afterward. It usually consists of salad with gorgonzola, steak or chicken, and vinaigrette. I feel sick with anything solid I try to eat yet I’m totally fine with my BPT. I drink up to 3 liters of water a day. I’m consistently losing weight which is fine. I lose about 2-3lbs a week. So thats working… I’m 38, 5’7, 223lbs. I have been working off a 5/15/80 ratio but after reading the forums I am trying to increase my protein to 30%. The problem is I’m having a hard time trying to eat when I’m hungry nothing seems to sound or taste good which is where I think the nausea kicks in. I’ve tried eating a variety of foods with no luck. When I end up forcing something down I will retch. With some work manage to get down about 1200-1300 calories a day. I also supplement with multivitamins, fish oil, and iron (for anemia which is starting to resolve since starting keto). Is this just adaptation or something else? Any thoughts on how to overcome or should I just power through it? At this point I’m seriously considering adapting my BPT to meet my protein goal (70g). I’m sorry if this was asked and I couldn’t find it. I did read the adaption threads but couldn’t find my specific issue. Thank you!

#2

You might want to try skipping your tea and eat your calories instead of drinking them. It may be making you full so you aren’t hungry for food, and the thought of eating makes you feel sick. If you are truly hungry you may be able to stomach your food.

(Charlotte) #3

I’m definitely hungry when I try to eat. Stomache growls and everything.

(Cindy) #4

Charlotte, I’ve noticed lately that when I eat leafy greens, they don’t particularly sit well with me. Then, the other day, I’d fixed brisket and coleslaw and afterwards, I was just like “blech.” So the next day, I took out all the “extras.” No artificial sweeteners, etc. For breakfast, I had 2 eggs with mozzarella cheese. Later that night I had ground beef with cheese, mayo, some olives, on a very small amount of leafy greens and I was fine.

So I’m wondering if, even though you feel good drinking your BPT, if maybe it’s not causing stomach upset later. Coconut oil causes some people trouble, as does MCT oil (I know you’re using power, but maybe still?), then you’re doing a multivitamin, iron (which is harsh on the stomach), and fish oil capsules…so it just seems to me like a lot of “supplement” type things which often have fillers.

Try eating/drinking only WHOLE foods for a day…see if that helps?

#5

A few more carbs? I do not know how many you have though right now

(Charlotte) #6

I’ll try less supplements and see if that helps. I know @Hapygirl said to lay off the BPT as well. I’ll just try that too. Drinking plain black tea is fine for the much needed morning caffeine and I’ll see how that goes. I have been working out a lot more too lately. I use the supplements like fish oil because I hate any type of seafood, yuck. I take the iron because I have been a chonic anemic for years, so I have a prescription for that. I’ve been using the coconut oil and mct the whole time without any trouble, but I’ll try to lay off and see how it goes. I obsessively track my food because it helps me to make better choices when I see them in black and white. I’m not usually hungry and when I am it doesn’t take much to fill me up so I worry I’ll lose calories.

(Charlotte) #7

I am generally between 15g - 20g per day.

(Cindy) #8

I wouldn’t worry about losing calories. You have fat in storage so although it’s recommended that you eat plenty of fat in the beginning, you’re 2 months into this. You’re probably fat-adapted, so at this point, you can supplement any calories you don’t eat with your own fat reserves.

If you weren’t actually feeling hungry when you’re nauseous, I’d say to just not eat. But you’ve said you’re also hungry, so you should eat.

(Charlotte) #9

So, To be more specific… I don’t have the urge to eat, but my stomach growls at me telling me its time to eat. In the past I have always relied on my blood sugar drops to tell me to eat because I haven’t felt hungry since I was a teenager. But since doing keto I don’t have thise drops anymore so without that cue, I have to go by the growls. It sounds really weird I know.

(squirrel-kissing paper tamer) #10

My advice would also be doctor down the morning tea and try eating solids for breakfast. I know that feeling of being so hungry I’m nauseous and it doesn’t let up until over half way through a meal. It’s tough to eat. May be you’re letting yourself get too hungry before eating solids? Just a thought.

Also, if I put the oils you’re using in your breakfast tea on an empty stomach it messes with my tummy terribly. Hope you get it sorted out.

#11

When I started I was never really hungry much. I would eat my 2 or three meals a day to make sure I was feeding my body through the transition. Came to realize as I was eating cleaner my body was disliking things it didn’t take issue to before. Coconut oil…no, dairy…HELL no. Feeling like crap all the time before eating good nutritious food masked what I really felt like after eating these things.

(Charlotte) #12

Idk why its starting now, but all good tips I will try for tomorrow. Thank you!

#13

I’ve always thought the same as you, but recently I found out that stomach growling is not an indication that your body is hungry. It’s just the sound of the gas moving through your intestine. It happens all the time but it’s louder when the stomach and intestines are empty and there’s no food etc present to muffle the noise. It’s safe to ignore and there’s no reason to eat because of it.

(Charlotte) #14

I never thought of it like that. Thanks!

(Troy) #15

Agree w others as well

You can try to modify your BPT
HWC, coconut oil and MCT ( maybe just try 1 of the 3)
Then change it up again

For me, drinking those 3 together would prob make me feel yuck as well
Especially w dairy, oils and powder just churning away in my gut🤢

Many Other do just fine though w that concoction
To each their own

Definitely give real food a try as well

Good Luck😄

(Full Metal KETO AF) #16

Yes, change your routine. You’re already changing the BPT. I would agree with @cw2001 about laying off raw vegetables for a while, with the exception of a small serving of a fermented live vegetable like sauerkraut or Kim chee. Not much though at first. Eat cooked vegetables for a while. Red meat should help with iron if you eat it a few times a week. Liver even better if you can eat it. Iron is also available in leafy greens like spinach, collards and kale. If you’re eating more of these now than when you ate a lot of carbs you may not need the iron supplements. Food is better than pills. The iron will have more bioavailability than a harsh supplement. I know I had to take them when I was on dialysis and they really hurt. I had to go to IV for iron.

(Charlotte) #17

Female trouble is why my doc put me on iron. TMI, sorry. I had excessive RBC depletion 3 weeks a month and dietary iron wasn’t enough. However since I started keto, that health issue is actually resolving on its own which is great. I go back in March for a check up and get my bloodwork ran. I’m excited to get my a1c (prediabetic) and get off the iron prescription. My Keto Mojo has my HCT and HB in normal levels which is a substantial improvement if it’s accurate. Crossing my fingers.