What to Expect When You Take a Break from Keto

(Maura) #121

Yep! I fell off the horse and have been off the horse for about a month. Having depression and other illnesses hasn’t helped. Here’s some T.M.I. (and I apologize for it, but it’s critical to my Keto journey). I have just gotten rid of a terrible three year yeast infection that was caused by my ragingly high blood sugars (Type 2 diabetic since 2008) and was feeling sooooooo good on Keto. My 51st birthday was on June 18 and I had ice cream and pizza and…not keto-friendly foods (“Hey, it’s my birthday and I’m celebrating!”)…

Anyway, I am sitting here typing this and itching, itching, itching with the return of the wretched yeast infection. I’m drinking a large bottle of Kombucha, hoping it will help…I’m really depressed and full of self-doubt and not a little bit of self-hatred…but the thing is, I KNOW BETTER! I know that eating non-Keto food is NOT a celebration, but a disaster. WHY on Earth did I allow my old “tapes” to play and convince myself that a week or two of pizza and ice cream and cookies would be just fine?

Tomorrow is my wife’s birthday. We plan to go to a nice restaurant and she wants cake and ice cream afterwards. SHE can have some. I plan on getting meat, meat, meat, and some steamed veggies. In the meantime, anyone who prays, please pray for this maddening itch to depart!

I’m off now to have a pork chop or two.

(Emily Nathali Contreras Vivas) #122

I’ve been trying to go back on the horse without success for the last month. Something always comes up… either a test, an event, I end up checking how many oreos can I fit my mouth… This is so hard to stay off… I tried fasting but it made it worse… I sincerely don’t know what to do… after my bacon and eggs I always feel the need to eat something carby… >.< wanna cry…

#123

This is the best, thanks so much!

#124

I blew it immediately upon leaving for my annual camping trip: dang Fritos! We go out for 2 weeks, so it’s hard to stay keto; anything I make ahead is gone (or spoiled) after a week. But when I got home, I was not motivated to get back on keto… oops! Fortunately, after a couple of weeks, I just sort of naturally gravitated back to more and more keto meals, and now I’m totally on track. It was surprisingly easy, despite my mental resistance and having been off for about a month. That was a pleasant surprise!!

(Pat) #125

Thank you so much for sharing this. I’ve had a couple of weeks like this when ‘it was a special occasion’ that turned into a week. The first time I came off it I wasn’t going to do it again but a couple of weeks later and again! This weekend I haven’t eaten anything except cake ice cream fruit and I’m so tired. I could have slept all day today but in between I was eating and not enjoying it one bit. I can’t believe that whilst I feel sooooo good eating the Keto way why I would put myself through this? I’m really hoping to restart tomorrow.

#126

Thanks for sharing your experience.

#127

I thought it’s no excuse but it is - the heat! I know some people can’t eat much in the heat but my body reacts differently. Not that I fell off keto - I fell off all principles of a sane, healthy eater. The heat messes up with me big. I’m meant to be gluten free, excercised past few weeks, kept some fasting gaps. Well, past 3 days I just grabbed everything I have in the house and ate it. Sweets, chocolate, cakes, bread. Woke up with really ugly puffy eyes and face this morning. And a hunger that only bread creates in the stomach. Blame the heat.

(Cheryl) #128

Thanks for sharing. I was in ketosis for a little over a year and then 2017 started with the loss of my heart dog, my one and only girl, which sent me into a deep sadness. Add to this the loss of a much loved friendship, my emotional state just let go and through all of that, turned out to be the end of Keto for me until one month ago.

At first, I started with some complex carb and treats now and then. The more I added sugar to my diet the more I craved it and of course ended up giving in and eating a lot. So much so, that I gained 20 lbs and ended up weighing more than I ever had in the past. Keep in mind that this weight gain came even though I was extremely active with weight training, surfing and hiking. It through my body into a whirlwind of confusion!

I’ve been trying to lose the weight, with cutting calories, but keeping the carbs over the past year and my weight was not budging, so the first week of July I went back to Keto eating and have finally started to get my body back, my energy back and so far lost 7lbs. I feel great!

I have been struggling the past few days with wanting frozen yogurt or cupcakes, but I haven’t given in and today I’m upping my fat consumption, to curb the temptation!!

(Renee Slaughter) #129

I thank the original poster. It happened to me. Second time around 6 months in, depression gone,
A1C down to 5.3. Feeling like a boss. I was awesome, still am but I never felt better. Then May came. It started with a snack at night on the weekend at work. I was having some problems emotionally that I did not address right away. June July and I’m totally non keto. August vacation with family, bed and breakfast at this fabulous house in Puyallup. And I’m down for the count. Gained 13 lbs, acquired a wide range of aches and pains. Depression didn’t immediately return but I could feel it creeping up.
What I learned:
Take my own snacks and eat enough fat even if it’s past my eating window
Address my emotional issues immediately. Do not allow them to fester.
Vacation eh do the best I can to eat keto but it’s ok if I don’t.
Get back on the keto horse immediately.
I have been back 1 week and I lost 5 lbs I’m feeling better. My aches and pains are gone. The cravings are getting easier. I still need to figure out some things. But I’m back. This time third time’s a charm.
Keep calm and keto on.

(Doug) #130

Renee, good to see you back. :slightly_smiling_face:

Yes - many of us continually need to figure things out.

There too, oh yes - not a small thing for many of us.

(Renee Slaughter) #131

Thank you for noticing Doug. It’s good to be back.:grinning:

(Empress of the Unexpected) #132

Renee, I love your posts, practical and down-to-earth, as my mother would say. I look forward to hearing more from you!

(Renee Slaughter) #133

Why thank you for your kind words.:wink:

(Ida) #134

I really enjoyed reading this. You illustrated how our thoughts and eventual behaviors connect to choices we make. I am on vacation right now & did not make choices that my head was begging .e to make. I remembered a slip from my past that made me feel sick and discouraged. I reason that a past slip is a valuable learning tool for our future path. Thank you for your beautifully detailed and honest share.

#135

So reassuring to read similar stories to what I am experiencing, and you give me hope.
I started keto late last year weighing 76 kg. since then I have not lost any weight, but have ‘completely turned my life around metabolically’ as the Dudes would say.
Over this past winter, I let carbs creep back in and it has totally wrecked the machine!
I have gained another 6 kg, blood sugars creeping up, ketones have gone AWOL and I feel like :poop:
It is a bit tough at the moment. I live alone - still miss my darling husband even though it is coming up to five years since he died - and dealing with some serious psychological issues related to my work as a paramedic. None of that stuff helps, but hopefully I am back on the right path and things will look better soon.
I am staring down the barrel of a knee replacement if I cant lose some weight and I do not want to go there. I have come back to the forum for some motivation and help. Just reading of others experiences is very empowering and I thank you all.

(Ellen) #136

Sending you hugs & best wishes. Therapy can really help if you’re ready for it. Just remember, you’re amazing.

#137

Thanks @Elle79
I really appreciate your kindness xxx

#138

Yep, having therapy but it is very hard. I need to bring up all the stuff I have suppressed for so long in order to heal and it leaves me in a dark place. Getting outside in the garden, playing with my horses and my little dog help a lot. And having a supportive community like this helps too :slight_smile:

(Ellen) #139

It is extremely hard, but out of the darkness can come light. Nature & animals help lots too.

(Kayla J Hower) #141

Oh my gosh this is perfect. My husband and I took a break, around the end of August…and we are finally ready to get back on. We found ourselves in an unhealthy keto place – drinking diet soda, making so many keto “treats,” and generally just making excuses. So we decided to say f*** it and eat whatever we wanted…
Well, we are finally to the point where we feel horrible and crave getting back to keto. Thanks for the advice and inspiration.