"Life Without Bread"

[Aiming]

I'm also in ketosis now and I don't eat anything but meat and fat. Since introducing the fat 8 days ago my cravings are gone. They did return yesterday (along with diarrhea), which I think had to do with switching from mild ketosis to stronger ketosis (measured via ketostix), but today there are again no cravings and no diarrhea.

I've especially been experiencing symptoms of fatigue and weakness, which are still present, but not as strong as in the beginning.

I also need to change the meat I'm eating: I'd found organic all-meat sausages and have been eating them every day, ignoring the spices in there: pepper and paprika. Now, it's been three times already that I dreamt of taking a drug and being high, which is usually a symbol related to a type of food I'm eating. Which confrims a previous thought I had about those spices being related to night sweats, which I always have when something in my food isn't tolerated by my body. So I'll definitely have to cut out those sausages.

I'm not through with reading up on all the information, but working on it. Despite those feelings of fatigue and weakness, I'm feeling really good, probably because I'm glad about doing it for real this time and allowing no exceptions and seeing how it works to only eat meat.
Before I was also eating (almost) all meat (with days in between of fruit and veggies), but I didn't include the fats (yes, because of the programmed fear of fats), and including the fats changed everything.

What also changed is that the constant need to eat is gone, the body is simply satisfied. With the background of a past eating disorder and a persistent program of using food as buffer, I've taken away a method of dissociating via food and this change is awesome; altough I'll still have to see what comes of it.

Thank you Laura and team for researching and sharing all this!

 

[Laura]

Added: mild headache is now turning into moderate/strong. And I'm feeling very tired with a bit of dizziness It's like I'm going back to where I was a month ago. Is it the sudden drop of carbs?

Probably. Drink your glass of salt water - one glass with half teaspoon of salt - and take a potassium pill.

You probably don't need to take your carbs THAT low! Unless you are just experimenting. 20 is probably good.

 

[Gertrudes]

Probably. Drink your glass of salt water - one glass with half teaspoon of salt - and take a potassium pill.

Thanks Laura, I just took salt water and vitamin C (Vitamin C usually helps me with headaches), and will take some potassium now.

You probably don't need to take your carbs THAT low! Unless you are just experimenting. 20 is probably good.

Yes, I was trying to see differences in my digestion. It's my day off today so feeling tired wasn't that problematic, but I'll follow your advice and up it to 20g, otherwise it will be difficult work tomorrow since my job is physically very demanding.

Vegetarian Myth just arrived, I'll finish what I'm reading at the moment and then will head straight for this one, I'm looking forward to it.

 

[Oxajil]

I notice it particularly in how I can sleep much, much less (not ideal, I know), and still be good as new.

Hi Gertrudes, I still think that sleeping less than you should does affect your system in some way. Today, I had to wake up a lot earlier than I should, because I had some stuff to do. I felt energetic when I woke up, no problem. But throughout the day, my head was hurting cause it didn't get the rest it should. Felt nauseous too... and some other symptoms. But a nap fixed this all up for a great deal.

So maybe, if you've been sleeping less than you should, this could affect you in some way as well, without you noticing? I think that in order to do the low-carb diet properly, all cells should have had the rest they need to be able to do work. fwiw.

 

[Aiming]

I had wanted to ask something: I still have hemp seed oil and flax seed oil at home, and am currently using hemp seed oil for omega 3s. I know that in the long run I'll have to get everything from animal fat, but can I use those up, and are those acceptable as a source for omega 3s (so I don't have to throw them away)?

 

[anart]

So for us, these changes have been nothing but miraculous, with little or no problems at all and I can`t help but wonder why, though I`m not complaining, because feeling this good finally, is just incredible!

Me too. I haven't had any negative effects. No carb cravings, no tiredness or headaches.

I have had headaches, fatigue, grumpiness, anger and depression. Then, this morning, I felt super energetic and clear headed. I've gone the last four straight days with less than fifteen carbs of any kind (one day zero carbs). It seems to have really kick-started something (knock on wood).

I too have had monstrous chocolate cravings for the past six months and they've significantly lessened. I'm probably going to have 20 carbs tomorrow for some variety, but, right now, this is interesting. We'll see how it goes.

 

[lawg]

I've always understood chocolate cravings to be symptomatic of magnesium deficit. Googling "chocolate cravings magnesium" without quotes brings up some reading.

 

[lawg]

Additionally if you're going ultra-low carb you might be upping calcium sources (meats etc) while avoiding magnesium sources (plants)...upping dark greens might help you out OSIT.

 

[anart]

I've always understood chocolate cravings to be symptomatic of magnesium deficit. Googling "chocolate cravings magnesium" without quotes brings up some reading.

True. In my case, it's most likely sugar craving, though. I've been taking at least 600mg of magnesium citrate or malate (in addition to transdermal magnesium) every day for a few years now, and intend to continue, since it's helped so much.

 

[Gimpy]

So for us, these changes have been nothing but miraculous, with little or no problems at all and I can`t help but wonder why, though I`m not complaining, because feeling this good finally, is just incredible!

Me too. I haven't had any negative effects. No carb cravings, no tiredness or headaches.

I have had headaches, fatigue, grumpiness, anger and depression. Then, this morning, I felt super energetic and clear headed. I've gone the last four straight days with less than fifteen carbs of any kind (one day zero carbs). It seems to have really kick-started something (knock on wood).

I too have had monstrous chocolate cravings for the past six months and they've significantly lessened. I'm probably going to have 20 carbs tomorrow for some variety, but, right now, this is interesting. We'll see how it goes.

I've had all the above, but today was the first day MS symptoms kicked me around some. Sometimes when I lower my head (to put on my shoes etc), I get an electrical zap of pain down my right leg into the kneecap. Its called L'Hermites sign. It hurts, but its fast and doesn't linger. The heat index here is up to 108 F, which is not helping, but I'm drinking the home made 'Gatorade' and not moving around too much. ;)

Hubby is not happy about any of this, but he also understands why I'm doing it. He hasn't read 'The Vegetarian Myth', but he did read 'Good Calories, Bad Calories', and said he would read the other science filled book. (Not sure he'd get through VM.)

I'm determined to press on through the nuttiness. :D

 

[Jefferson]

From what I have been reading several factors may affect the ketone test. For example, the amount of liquids you ingest can dilute ketones so that it shows up as less on the reading stick.

Tried to look for ketone urine test, but they don't sell it here. The pharmacist called it a test for people who drink a lot of liquids. :) She mentioned that they may have a normal urine test, but couldn't tell if it tests ketones as well. Maybe will buy one to see if it does.

I got a box of keytone test strips for urine analysis today right from the pharmacy, over-the-counter, no questions asked. (Bayer "Ketostix brand http://www.vitalitymedical.com/bayer-ketostix-reagent-strips.html )

My first test showed moderate to high ketones - wasn't sure of the exact amount but judging by the colour it was on their scale of "moderate to high" so somewhere between 4-8 mmol approximately.
I assume this means I am without doubt burning keytones?

Does anybody have an idea what what ideal range would be, or is each individual different? Is there a problem if the mmol/l level is too high?

This test stuff is quite new to me folks - maybe I am looking for test-confirmation that my change of diet using LWB recommendations is really working.

Jefferson

 

[RedFox]

I assume this means I am without doubt burning keytones?

My understanding is this means you are producing keytones, but have yet to start fully utilising them (your cells are in transition to burning keytones).
Once you go fully into keytosis, your score on the urine test will drop to almost nothing as all the keytones are being used up before they can be excreted.

 

[Gertrudes]

Hi Gertrudes, I still think that sleeping less than you should does affect your system in some way.

I very much agree Oxajil, you're right. I often work evenings and then early mornings, besides, my partner works until late and often gets home between 1 and 2am, and I tend to stay awake until then. I often struggled with this and would catch up my sleep during my days off. What's happening is that right now I notice such a difference during my working days that it is almost not comparable to where I was before. My partner is also amazed. Summer used to be harder since I always tend to naturally sleep less when compared to winter. This year is being very different though, when I wake up too early there's no heavy head, no grogginess, no physical fatigue, no bad mood. This isn't to say that sleeping less is fine, and I'm completely with you that it has to do something to my body, I can only imagine how I would feel with lots of sleep, plus the diet. I'd be superwoman.

I just tried having my meat and fat cold for dinner and was very surprised with how digestion seemed so much easier when compared to having eaten it hot earlier today. So there might be something here for me to test further. Not sure whether this would also help other members who have been suffering from occasional nausea and difficult digestion.
I've also recalculated everything according to Net Carbs instead of Carbs, and concluded that I been between 5g and 10g Net Carbs for some time. Funny how now thinking of eventually upping it to 20g seems like having a huge amount of carbs :)

Then, this morning, I felt super energetic and clear headed.

That's also how it happened to me, I woke up one day and all the fatigue and grogginess were gone. It seems that when we do finally change fuel there is no gradual transition, it happens pretty fast.

 

[dugdeep]

I had wanted to ask something: I still have hemp seed oil and flax seed oil at home, and am currently using hemp seed oil for omega 3s. I know that in the long run I'll have to get everything from animal fat, but can I use those up, and are those acceptable as a source for omega 3s (so I don't have to throw them away)?

Hi Enaid. Hemp seed oil isn't the best for getting omega-3s just because it's really high in omega-6. Ideally our ratio should be about 1:1 omega-3 to omega-6, but hemp is about 1:3. Flax isn't bad, although its omega-3 source is ALA and needs to be converted by the body to EPA and DHA, which are the active forms. It's much better to use fish oil since it's already in the form of EPA and DHA and doesn't need to be converted.

All in all, it doesn't make a lot of sense for us to get our fats from nut, seed or grain sources since this wouldn't have been practical for our paleolithic ancestors (I'm pretty sure they didn't have any seed presses :)). We just aren't built to take a lot of seed oils - the fat ratios aren't right for us.

On a different note, flaxseed oil (and possibly hemp) are probably the best oils for seasoning a cast iron pan :D

 

[Gertrudes]

On a different note, flaxseed oil (and possibly hemp) are probably the best oils for seasoning a cast iron pan :D

Quick question dugdeep: wouldn't this turn them into toxic oils since they can't stand the heat?