For those of you who measure your ketones, at what level do you start noticing the cognitive and mood benefits? And regardless of whether or not you measure, how profound do you feel those benefits are? Do you find it to be the difference between night and day or something more subtle?
When do you start feeling the benefits and how great are those benefits?
PetaMarie
(squirrel-kissing paper tamer)
#2
In my experience there are a couple profound (weight loss, much less peripheral neuropathy pain in my feet and almost non-existent joint aches) and many subtle (more energy, less moodiness, better skin, not getting up every 90 minutes at night to pee, fewer night sweats, controlled blood sugar and hunger, not being afraid to eat because it might make me crash). But added together, I’d call it all around profound and worth it. I don’t measure ketones but have evidence in odor/breath and keep carbs in the 20-40 g range.
David_Stilley
(Full Metal KETO AF)
#3
For me it was day five, I woke up and felt like a different person. Days 2-4 I was pretty sick with sugar withdrawal and low sodium. I noticed I had stopped getting depressed and having anxiety soon after that, maybe 10 days in. Those episodes are dealt with faster and easier now, like I feel a healthy person would experience them. I noticed also after the first week my even temper was back, not so extreme. I find it easier to deal with things in stride. I don’t usually let things “get to me”. It happens but I get bent less now. 
Diygurl19
(traci simpson)
#4
I don’t remember when I started to feel differently. I just woke up one day and I had so much energy and I didn’t want to just lay on the couch and I wasn’t depressed anymore. Then about the 3rd month(which was just about two weeks ago) I noticed my trigger finger on my left hand was better and I could actually make a fist. Something I haven’t been able to do in years. I don’t need surgery as I did with the right hand either. For me, this is major since I like to make things and I need my fingers!!!
ctviggen
(Bob M)
#5
There are too many benefits to list. I think some of these actually took years to get, fully. Less/no asthma, allergies; fewer to no skin tags; no weird skin precancerous lesions; much better bowel movements (this took a long time to fix); no more running to the bathroom; more control over when I have to eat (don’t have to); no depression, anger; rock solid energy with no mood swings; fewer aches and pains; cessation in cataract progression; slow movement from Pattern B lipid profile to Pattern A now; fewer colds/flu/sicknesses; etc.
Some of these take a while. I had IBS-type issues for a long time, as I was still eating many meals a day, eating tons of veggies, etc. The fewer vegetables I ate, the better, but that took years to even know that one could survive and thrive without vegetables. (I still eat some veggies, though I’m near carnivore now.)
It was within a month or so that I had much better energy with less hunger. Even that has taken years, as it took me a while to realize what true hunger is, and I’m still not sure I know 6 years later.
It’s hard to gauge how “great” these are. How great is it that I can eat two meals a day or sometimes one or sometimes none at all? How great is it that we can travel for vacation, and I don’t need to eat until we get to our destination? How great is it that I can eat breakfast while on vacation, but don’t have to eat lunch? (I usually only eat breakfast while on vacation.) How great is it that I no longer take two 24-hour pills per day (1 every 12 hours) for allergies during the seasons? (I have about one allergy pill per year, and those I probably don’t need.) How great is it that I no longer go to a dermatologist, as I was doing once a year while on high carb?
How great is it that my blood sugar looks like this:
Instead of having spikes all over the place?
It’s hard to assign values to these.
ctviggen
(Bob M)
#6
Thought of another one: I can fast 32 hours, go to the gym for 50 minutes or so (lifting to failure, then HIIT on a dreadmill), and not eat for a few hours more. It was about 1.5 years until I’d heard of “fasting”, and then a while before I built up to doing this. On high carb, and initially after going low carb, I used to eat/drink something before then immediately after exercise. Now, I wait until I’m hungry to eat, and have nothing (other than coffee with a splash of cream) beforehand.
I can’t really quantify the benefits of this, though.
MrEric87
(Eric Sporer)
#7
Fascinating. I’d like to hear more about the brain effects you experienced. You say “less moodiness”. I assume that just means fewer bad moods throughout the day. Have you noticed any sense of increased happiness or ability to feel pleasure and enjoy life? And as far as cognition goes: do you feel there has been any improvement in your ability to focus, read, sustain thoughts, etc.?
MrEric87
(Eric Sporer)
#8
Interesting, Tracy. It sounds like you’ve experienced some of the same mood-boosting benefits I have, since I too struggle with depression and lack of motivation. I’m assuming you too now feel an enhancement in the ability to feel emotion? I notice that not only do I experience more enjoyment, I also find myself choking up more often in emotional situations. Heck, I almost cried watching a music video at the gym. For the record, the dog died, so it was justified. But that’s not something I would have done before.
What about cognition? Do you notice an increase in attention, thought speed, etc?
MrEric87
(Eric Sporer)
#9
Wow. I’m not sure I’ve seen anyone with such a phenomenal profile of increased health after the diet. Keep it up. I’m curious to hear more about your experience with cognition. Have you noticed any improvement in your ability to think, such as in reading, listening, whatever it may be? Or are you more or less the same as you were?
PetaMarie
(squirrel-kissing paper tamer)
#10
Yes, I’ve had more “I’m happy” realizations since starting and before if I woke up on the wrong side if the bed, I stayed there. Today, for instance, I had a reason to be irritated and thought, “great, there goes my day” but within a couple of hours I was over it. I can talk myself back into a good mood unlike before. I find it much easier to find a silver lining or bright side of things.
As for focus, I’m pretty focused in general but reading is hard because it puts me to sleep. I associate it with bedtime, which is a shame, so instead I listen to audio books and have no trouble paying attention to that and also doing my job.
Diygurl19
(traci simpson)
#11
I get emotional over everything but that’s been going on for years! I don’t seem as forgetful as I used to so that’s good. My mood is great and I have a crap ton of energy.
atomicspacebunny
(Bunny)
#12
Definitely a night and day difference and are so profound that it is almost spiritual?
Simply not eating so much sugar is when I started feeling the benefits?
Some of those subtle benefits escape observation?
When I first started out I was not aware of the BDNF factors (neuroplasticity, neurogenesis, neural-repair) and Ketone Bodies effects on the brain[5]?
I was always deeply depressed but that energy from being depressed was some how transformed into something mysterious when combined with diet, fasting (hate that word) or time restricted eating (I eat when I’m hungry) and meditation (transcendental meditation to be more specific which I learned from Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s personal assistant and Kundalini Yoga from the 3HO foundation). Meditation alone was not doing it for me.
I now feel like a walking Tesla coil!
image link image link (“neurobics” is similar to meditation?)
References:
[1] Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF): “…A protein that is increased during fasting. BDNF interacts with several neurons in parts of the brain that are associated with memory, learning and cognition. …” Source: The 5 Psychological Benefits of Fasting
[4] Brain changes in BDNF and S100B induced by ketogenic diets in Wistar rats.
[5] THE NEUROPROTECTIVE PROPERTIES OF CALORIE RESTRICTION, THE KETOGENIC DIET, AND KETONE BODIES
[6] Dr David Perlmutter: Grain Brain, Eating Fat Makes You Smart, and Why (Brain) Size Matters: Dr. Perlmutter is going to tell you 2 things you can do right now to actually regrow your own brain cells. Pretty cool. - July 13, 2018 podcast