What to Expect When You Take a Break from Keto

(Lorraine Piercy) #41

So good to read that others experience this. I visit my family every other month and can usually stick keto for a few days untill we go out for meals. Usually after being off the Wagon for 3 or 4 days I feel very unwell and go back to basics keeping food simple. Prior to keto would go months on a crap food binge before making any changes. So I believe that is a step in the right direction. Also being human when placed in stressful situations we will often choose the easiest way of doing things. So if we revert back to old unwanted habits to get us through these time don’t be hard on yourselves as our deep subconscious knows that this behavior got us through stressful times previously even if the choices were not that healthy.

(KCKO, KCFO 🥥) #42

And the butter with cream sauces they do make anything taste fantastic. Enjoy France, they have tons of good keto foods. Just keep the wine thing under control and your golden.

(Kellyn ) #43

I just had a three week keto break, after 2 1/2 moths keto. It started towards the end of a week vacation with the temptation of an oven baked smore my mom made. Followed by beer, smothered fries, and nachos. Then all down hill from there. I have been so tired and achy. I’ve had relentless acid reflux that is driving me crazy. My brain fog is back and my craving and hunger is back in full force. I really miss the way I felt on keto. I got on here today to get motivated and inspired to start back keto tomorrow or as of 12:00 today since I had oatmeal this morning and a piece of bread at lunch. Your post along with a lot of others that I read today has motivated me to get back to the keto lifestyle. Tonight will be shredded pork on lettuce leaf and tomorrow morning bacon and eggs. Yum! I’m trying not to be too hard on myself as I know I will not quit until I am healthy. I realize now that at least for me, one slip leads to a deep, deep fall. Motivation is key for me and this forum and all of you are the best at motivating me. I’m so grateful for you all.

(Yukito) #44

I will be on vacation for 4 days and I’m scared to go on a break because this country is carb heavy with few keto options. Your shared journey is reassuring though. Thanks

(KCKO, KCFO 🥥) #45

Please don’t be scared Ask for burgers without the bun, eat at steak houses or seafood places that offer grilled fish/shellfish. Salads are everywhere, use olive oil and vinaigrette. I have had some AWESOME steak salads while traveling. Even Italian places will usually have some grilled meats, just don’t get any pasta nor eat the bread. You can do this, travel/vacation and stay keto. If you do mess up bacon and eggs the next morning will get you back on track.

(Yukito) #46

Thank you. I do hope I can stay on Keto while on Disneyland as well. Wish me luck! :smile:

(Randy) #47

Just take an old prescription bottle with you and put a label on it that says POISON.

If they give you a hard time, give them the bottle and say “Just try one. It won’t hurt you.” :smile:

(mike) #48

This right here is what drives me to stay keto. It’s the feeling when I’m in ketosis, I’m full of energy and can kick ass at work, and am in the best mood. I slip up frequently and know it can take several days to get back on track, that is my other motivation.

Before deciding to eat something carby I ask myself, “self, is it worth being out of ketosis for 3-4 days?”.

(Dustin Bowen) #49

I needed this post today! Thanks!

#50

Oh my word!!! This is me right now!!! Was in Holland for a whole month, and even though I cooked our usual keto meals, we did indulge quite a bit, mostly on wine (can I blame the weather???) and dined our about 5 times in that period. Drinking too much alcohol REALLY messes with my sleep and mood. We committed to getting back into our usual “routine” once back home. I don’t feel comfy in my skin, and clothes, though I’m sure most of it is “water weight”. Lesson LEARNED!!! We are worth sooo much more!!!

#51

Of course you can blame it on the weather! I too find that it negatively impacts my sleep. I drink occasionally with friends and enjoy it but I certainly drink less and less because of the after effects.

I think these off plan experiences are a great learning experience that influences how we move forward. It is actually quite useful to be reminded how crappy it feels when you are not keto and then how great you feel again when you are back on plan. Live and learn is my motto as I am far from perfect so I might as well make use of my mistakes :smiley:

(Consensus is Politics) #52

I didn’t want to create a topic for what happened. This one seems a perfect one to tag it into.

Two days ago, I made a bunch of fried chicken legs. I was going to make about a dozen of them, and decided to experiment with one drumstick. Instead of flour, I tried coconut flour, because I could. It actually worked. It was a bit darker than I though it should look, very, very dark brown. But it tasted pretty good. So I made two more. And ate those🤤

The rest of them I made with normal flour, because no one else here will eat anything made with coconut oil or coconut flour.

The next day, yesterday, the grandkids came over after school. I popped the chicken into the oven to heat it up, the kids scarfed down most of them.

They liked them so much (just regular old fried chicken mind you, nothing special, flour based coating) I decided to try one bite. Yep, was pretty good. I decided it couldn’t possibly have too many carbs, I mean, really, it’s just rolled in flour, not like it’s made from flour.

So I ended up eating three of them before I realized it. I figured I’d better look up just how many carbs I might have eaten. My best comparison to make my guess at would be KFC original recipe legs. Roughly the same density and thickness. Close enough the kids thought I bought it instead of cooking it.

5 grams each. Hrm… not too bad. So maybe about 15 grams of carbs. I usually aim for zero, so I shouldn’t bust out of Keto.

An hour later I check my sugar level. 159! Oh, crap. I dropped everything and jumped on the bike for 20 minutes. Which is roughly 5 miles, which is roughly 100 calories. Tested my BG level right there on the bike. It was 90. Whew! Disaster averted. I hope.

3 hours 20 minutes later I tested again, 111. By now I’m also feeling kinda crappy. I felt I’ll, and was wondering if this is the feeling I hear about when diabetics that have been living with it for years, can tell when they have a sugar spike. It was an uneasy feeling. Almost like a blood pressure spike, but not. I can tell when my blood pressure gives me problems, and this didn’t have the whole feeling. But there was indeed something wrong.

Weighed myself, 4.5 pounds heavier than I was in the morning :roll_eyes:. Went to bed hoping I’d wake up in the morning. Was feeling really depressed. Had odd dreams all night. My guess from being worried about what damage I might have caused.

Woke up at my regular time. I felt like an old man from a 70’s sitcom, “where’s the bathroom, I gotta go now”. So this morning I had an epiphany. All those running comedy gags, about “old” people complaining about not having a BM or hearing old people sit around and talk about their BMs had some truth to it. I understood it now. It was like finally getting the end of a Kubrick movie.

So, leaving the details of that last paragraph (you’re welcome) I felt a lot better this morning, though still a bit off. While writing this I tested my BG again, 111 mg/dL. So big sigh of relief. A little lower than the morning normal. I was sure it was going to be 150ish for some reason. Still have moderate ketones in my urine. But I don’t know how long that takes to fade out. What’s the half-life for ketones? I think insulin’s half-life is about 3 minutes. Correct me please.

So now I sit here, have a Keto coffee, and reflecting on the roller coaster ride of worry. Much ado about nothing.

Just had to remind myself of that old saying, “Keep calm, and…”, well, you know the rest.

(Cyndi) #53

Have been Keto since about August and LOVING it! Have lost almost 50 lbs and have been feeling great; since Thanksgiving, I’ve been eating carbs/sugar that I haven’t had since I started … and I want to put a stop to that before I get really off-track!!

My question is … what is the best way to get back in ketosis? Eat or Fast? Today, I committed to stop the carb creep … and so far I have had a Green Tea and a Bullet-Proof Coffee, should I eat a keto dinner or continue to fast … anyone have input on what is the best path?

Thanks!
Cyndi
KCKO

(VLC.MD) #54

Fasting would be the quickest.
Keto flu could hit hard if you go from lots of carbs to no carbs too quickly.
I’d eat low carb high fat until you feel ready to fast.
But it is safe either way. If one path fails just change the plan !

(Cyndi) #55

Thank you!

#56

Regardless of prior diet, fasting for 3 or 4 days will get you into ketosis quickly (24 - 48 hours) and bypass the keto flu. Instead you will fight hunger pains for a couple of days and then start to feel good. The transition to a HFLC diet will then be seemless.

(Cyndi) #57

Thanks :slight_smile:

#58

I took a vacation from my low carb diet when I went on a vacation to South East Asia. I was nervous about the change of diet, but the cuisine was such a big part of the trip - how could I fail to experience it? Plus, I promised my travel companion that I would not be a pain in the ass about food while on vacation.

So what happened? Initially, I was seduced by the junk food put out for the tourists at the hotels breakfast buffet. I was watching myself slide down a slippery slope, but was seduced by the sugar. In short order, the old symptoms came back; particularly achy joints. I realized that if I wanted to hike & climb about, I needed to stop eating the sweet stuff. I switched to eating the local cuisine, which was not a sacrifice in Thailand, Vietnam, Laos & Cambodia. Guess what, the local cuisine uses rice instead of wheat, locally grown vegetables, naturally raised pigs, locally farmed fish, and does not eat sugary desserts. A food paradise! And the population is predominantly thin and healthy.

During a 5 week vacation, I ate to satiety and neither gained or lost weight.

I know I could not do this at home in New Jersey, USA. At home, I need to be vigilant about what I eat because I am surrounded by junk food. What a sad state of affairs that our food supply is so adulterated.

So, my break from low carb eating had a happy outcome. Alas, I don’t live in a food paradise and I’m quite sure I could not duplicate this experience at home. I’m back on low carb now, and expect to stay there forever.

(Ketomanu) #59

Thank you Daisy for your post. Very encouraging! I’ve been trying to get back after more than 6 months keto. Had fallen off the wagon this summer after vacation. Told myself how easy it would be to get back.
Had No clue how difficult it is. Still not managed to stay away from carbs. (It’s the sweets and candy that scream my name :confused: )
It’s so hard to get fat adapted but so easy to fall off.
Why is that?

(Richard Morris) #60

Yes that how I felt as a diabetic. Like I had been slowly simmering in my own juices. Waking up feeling baked … and not in a good way. The problem is as a Diabetic you feel this way all the time so you don’t notice it after a while. It becomes the background noise of your life. Until you go keto and all of a sudden you experience what it is like to not be cooked in a sugary sauce over night - and then when you fall out of Ketosis you really notice the change.