smartygirlCA's Journal, 07 May 16

5 Days is nothing. I was stuck for close tp 15. How tight are your calories?  

REFEED = GUARANTEED SETBACK. I ground my ass off all week just to get back to where I started...  

I'm taking about 1350 - 1450 calories. I thought Refeed was a good thing based on your post, but maybe I misunderstood it! 

Your body can fight back for weeks... it's just something that happens. Your body is doing a lot more than just trying to adjust the number on the idiot box. Be patient and work let the process work. If you're doing Keto, keep the carbs low, don't go refeeding or you'll end up back at square one and maybe have to endure the 2 week initiation of Keto (keto-flu, etc..) 91g carbs is pretty high if you're trying to be in Ketosis too. Do you have a macro ratio you are trying to follow? 

Thanks Frosty... The 91 carbs was a sudden urge to Refeed by means of pita chips and shrimp flavored chips. All it was is Salty salty. Then I caught myself and thought.. Before I Refeed I should get advice first. I'm glad I did, or it could've turned to 300 carbs quick. I don't really feel carbs from lettuce or Brocolli are bad, or Greek yogurt carbs, but the starchy ones are bad! Thanks Frosty for your input, Ive decided to not Refeed, and I had the Keto flu for the past 4 days (don't want that again!!) I am really hoping this headache I've had all week goes away, right now I feel better, but maybe because of 91 carbs! 

IMHO, there are no "good" or "bad" carbs. Maybe the source of their origin has more healthy benefits. Lettuce & brocolli vs. bread, fried food, baked potatoes, etc.. Carbs are carbs and will convert into glucose in your system regardless of where they come from. Excess glucose in your blood needs to be removed from the and saved for later; this is one of the ways we get fat. Higher insulin levels will cause your body to want to store glucose as fat vs. remove fat for energy (with lower levels). If you're body's insulin level stays up long enough, it will resume looking to use dietary glucose as it's main form of fuel and not ketones. This is when you get kicked out of Ketosis. It may not feel like anything to you, but it'll delay the production of ketones and somewhat stall your weight loss/progress. Carbs aren't evil, but they need to be controlled if you want to stay in Ketosis and the generally accepted amount is less than 50g/day. I think that there is enough information out there to debate whether or not to count fiber so I aim for less than 50g/day of total carbs. You won't/can't eat enough lettuce and brocolli to even come close to that limit without using a massive amount of dip; or if you're a rabbit, for realz. Eat carbs, but count them and if you're trying to use Ketosis (LC/HF) as a WOE, do what ever you can to stay under ~50g/day. I'm speaking strongly about this because of where I'm at right now with my food recovery, getting healthy, etc., not about where you are at. :D Passionate maybe? You're doing awesome recording all your foods, posting here, sharing your experiences, it all counts for something.  

Experiment with 'Refeeds' once you get to your optimal weight *IF* want want to start lifting weights; I'm pretty sure I will but right now, with 100lbs+ left to go, I don't have that option. I've had a rather successful 40 year bulking cycle and now it's time to cut. 

My Refeed was great from a life perspective, not from a fat loss perspective. It was Greek easter which is a feast day. Hadnt seen the fam in a while, so I decided in advance to take the day off and enjoy (vs being the dickhead dieting on the feast day).  

In a 12 hour window I gained almost 8 pounds and nearly 2 pounds of fat. It took me 6.5 hard days to get back to where I started last Sunday. Definitely not a fat loss win.  

@Frosty +1  

Smarty, I agree with Frosty on the refeed if you're on a keto diet. Stay with the whole foods until you get closer to your goal. Get 70-80% oif your calories from fat and keep carbs low. Some people say under 50g/day but others need to go lower. A carb refeed will knock you out of ketosis. Trust the plan and work it. No need to experiment yet. You're doing great! 

That's the thing - you never know if day 6 will bring a nice drop, IF you stick to your program. Yes, we all want weight loss every day but it really isn't going to happen that way for most people.  

Oh, and I see you (from your other post) were eating Atkins bars - that could very well be a part of the lack of movement.  

Thanks buddies, it's so strange, last night I ate some bad carbs (pita chips) felt better with the headache. This morning, no headache. Then after some coffee, headache appears again. There's no way the coffee is causing it, been on coffee morning routine for over 20 years. There's no way it's the coffee. I'm at the end stages of a cold, but I don't think it's the cold either. I'm very unsure what it could be. Atkins bars were removed from the plan 2 days ago, that can't be it either. I'm baffled. 

Since eating carbs cured it, as it does for me (carb junkie), i am still guessing carb withdrawall aka "Keto flu." Looks like you may be grinding down the carbs, feeling like shit, hitting the wall, eating carbs, feeling better, rinse; repeat. It can take up to a couple weeks of net carbs < 25 for some to adapt (like me). If you really want to go LCHF, it might make sense to skip all the hardcore fasting and etc. (which made cutting carbs A LOT harder for me) and focus on just one thing - killing the carbs... 

Sounds like you are on the right track to me! (maybe your body is adjusting.) I looked into Carb Cycling but I'm more of an all or nothing person : ) Carb Cycling: http://dailyburn.com/life/health/carb-cycling-meal-plan/ 

Ok Jimmiepop and Florida angel, no refeeds here, will stay the course. 

Cause you're awesome... 

What are you doing for electrolytes and water? 

Jimmiepop I drink 4 cups of coffee, a Diet Coke or 2, water is 3 bottles of 16oz water. FS members stated coffee counts as water.