Ketogenic Diet

[mccity]

https://health.usnews.com/best-diet/best-diets-overall

Treat the source how you will but the keto diet came rock bottom. Although I think that's largely due to the relatively newcomer status it has combined with how easy it is to do this diet 'poorly'.

There's no evidence for the ADHD and Autism stuff to be true, it sounds like US advertising bollocks.


I had a friend who was on it and they got decent results so I have faith in you to make it work too. Honestly it's something you need to be careful with like the paleo diet. As in, ensure you're getting the correct nutritional balance and calorie intake, otherwise it can be more bad than good. Also be careful with ketosis, as you've already discovered it's not the most pleasant experience.


I know you didn't specifically ask for my advice but I had a rather simple time cutting down some weight once upon a time by just cutting out processed foods and sugars; drinking lots of water; watching my calories; and upping my veggie intake. I'd always recommend that above anything else.

 

[Damocles]

Yeah the ADHD and Autism stuff doesn' even make sense.

 

[Dr Jacoby]

With the exception of looking a bit healthier, it’s been a disconcerting last few days on the diet for me.

I must have the dreaded ‘keto flu’ as I have been struggling with fatigue, focus (even more so than usual) and an upset stomach. It’s supposedly an electrolyte imbalance as my body is being depleted of important minerals during the transitional phase. According to reddit, I need to drink more water and ensure I am eating plenty of fat and salt.

I don’t know if it’s related to the diet but my psychiatrist is a tad concerned about my blood pressure, which was 99/68 last week. It usually goes up when someone takes methylphenidate on a daily basis but mine has decreased slightly. But I am not overly worried at the moment as I believe a reading of under 90/60 is when issues could arise.

 

[mccity]

With the exception of looking a bit healthier, it’s been a disconcerting last few days on the diet for me.

I must have the dreaded ‘keto flu’ as I have been struggling with fatigue, focus (even more so than usual) and an upset stomach. It’s supposedly an electrolyte imbalance as my body is being depleted of important minerals during the transitional phase. According to reddit, I need to drink more water and ensure I am eating plenty of fat and salt.

I don’t know if it’s related to the diet but my psychiatrist is a tad concerned about my blood pressure, which was 99/68 last week. It usually goes up when someone takes methylphenidate on a daily basis but mine has decreased slightly. But I am not overly worried at the moment as I believe a reading of under 90/60 is when issues could arise.

Can I ask how much planning you've put into the diet if it's ok with you? You need to be extremely cautious whenever you take up an extreme diet like this as because you're cutting out food groups and you tend to lose A LOT of balance as a result. You can normally make up for it within the diet so it's ok but as I say there needs to be careful planning first.

You could be right about the transitional stuff, but it shouldn't be this stressful for you. If you're insistent on sticking to the diet then maybe up the carbs temporarily and wean your way back down in a manageable fashion so it's less dramatic in terms of negative impact.


Whatever you do/are doing, you should always feel great about the fact you're trying to do something positive about your diet/health/appearance and not get too discouraged by things if they don't work out as they do. Remember, there's plenty of ways to skin a cat and IF this diet doesn't pan out for you then don't go straight onto the next one.


As another tip, I don't know if this applies to you but if you've been having it maybe cut down on dairy for a bit if you can as most people (I read around 80% somewhere) are to some extent lactose intolerant. It could be contributing to your upset stomach, and in the state you're in right now you don't need the additional problems to throw you off.

 

[Dr Jacoby]

Thanks for the advice ^^

To be honest, I don’t think I’ve been particularly meticulous so far as my net carbs have been exceeding 35 grams each day.

I’ve undertaken a tolerance test before which concluded I am intolerant to sugar, alcohol, citrus fruits and gluten - but not dairy.

I suspect I am experiencing so many symptoms of the ‘keto flu’ as I used to eat parsnips, chickpeas, sweet potatoes, oatmeal and rice cakes on a daily basis. Thus, I was consuming copious amounts of carbohydrates each day. I have been quite healthy in terms of my sugar intake for many years now but I would imagine my ratio of carbs, protein and fats was the complete opposite of what it is now.

If I continue to feel like crap, I may have to consult with either my GP or psychiatrist, neither of whom know about my dietary change yet. :S

 

[mccity]

Thanks for the advice ^^

To be honest, I don’t think I’ve been particularly meticulous so far as my net carbs have been exceeding 35 grams each day.

I’ve undertaken a tolerance test before which concluded I am intolerant to sugar, alcohol, citrus fruits and gluten - but not dairy.

I suspect I am experiencing so many symptoms of the ‘keto flu’ as I used to eat parsnips, chickpeas, sweet potatoes, oatmeal and rice cakes on a daily basis. Thus, I was consuming copious amounts of carbohydrates each day. I have been quite healthy in terms of my sugar intake for many years now but I would imagine my ratio of carbs, protein and fats was the complete opposite of what it is now.

If I continue to feel like crap, I may have to consult with either my GP or psychiatrist, neither of whom know about my dietary change yet. :S

Np!

Yeah you're gaining nothing by not seeing a professional. Maybe even ask to meet with a dietician who can go into more detail about your diet than any of us could. Maybe they could come up with a meal plan for you if you're adamant about the diet, or similarly point you in the direction of a more suitable diet to your current condition.

No worries about dairy then, but it sounds like you've cut out a lot of complex carbs. You're losing out on a lot of both soluble and insoluble fibers because of it. Eat more seeds and vegetables.

Also don't kill yourself over a diet; it makes the whole thing somewhat counter-intuitive. You won't be able to post on here if you fall ill ;)

 

[Dr Jacoby]

Upon reflection, it was a bad idea to make such radical changes to my diet before consulting with a healthcare professional. I do have a propensity to act without much thought and as a consequence I may have to battle ‘keto flu’ when I return to work on Wednesday.

I think I might have to modify my diet as I refuse to believe fatty processed foods are suitable for anyone, irrespective of a dietary plan. Pork scratchings and pepperamis may have to be crossed off my shopping list.

I will try to eat mainly spinach, lettuce, eggs, avocados, seeds, nuts, cheese, oils, fish and grass fed meat. As an occasional treat, I could also consider 90%+ dark chocolate and full-fat cream.

 

[ChicagoBlue]

Yeah the ADHD and Autism stuff doesn' even make sense.

You’re right! It is EPILEPSY that they use it for. Low carb, high fat (LCHF) diet works for epilepsy.

For those who care, there are a bunch of good YouTube videos on both Keto and LCHF diets/lifestyles. I was concerned about cholesterol on LCHF, but there are some excellent videos by Dave Feldman on that topic.

I’m on LCHF right now and have dropped a stone in the last 3 weeks. I don’t eat cheese, so my go to snack food is smoked sausage. Gets me through the harder parts of the day.

When combined with Intermittent Fasting (IF) and a reasonable exercise regimen, it is IMHO the best and quickest way to see results, which is key to accepting the restrictions.

Btw, the restrictions are almost all “crap food choices” anyway. Who wants to eat loads of empty carbs anyway?

 

[Deleted member 77198]

Is anyone on BM currently on the Ketogenic diet?

And if so, what have your results been thus far?

After learning that it could potentially be of benefit to those with ADHD and autism, I decided to start the diet on Monday. It’s only day four but I am amazed at how difficult it is to restrict net carbohydrates to under 30 grams each day. I can only seemingly eat nuts, seeds, oils, meat, fish, eggs, cheese and a certain few vegetables.

I don’t know if it’s an indication that I have ‘Keto Flu’ but so far I have been quite tired and lightheaded throughout large periods of the day.

That’s just ketosis, once you’ve gone through that the lightheadedness and headaches (if you’ve been having them) will disappear.

I’ve not done this diet or owt, just know ketosis happens when you drop carbs and use other stores for every release.

 

[PW]

Upon reflection, it was a bad idea to make such radical changes to my diet before consulting with a healthcare professional. I do have a propensity to act without much thought and as a consequence I may have to battle ‘keto flu’ when I return to work on Wednesday.

I think I might have to modify my diet as I refuse to believe fatty processed foods are suitable for anyone, irrespective of a dietary plan. Pork scratchings and pepperamis may have to be crossed off my shopping list.

I will try to eat mainly spinach, lettuce, eggs, avocados, seeds, nuts, cheese, oils, fish and grass fed meat. As an occasional treat, I could also consider 90%+ dark chocolate and full-fat cream.

The best types of diets are the ones that are sustainable and incorprate exercise. I've got a twelve week diet that I always use when I'm training and its really straight forward. Because the weight comes of gradually it stays off and you're more likely to stick to it. Let me know if you're interested in it and I'll send it you in a PM.