Nightmare about eating a plain bagel :)
Running_and_Coffee
Posts: 811 Member
I have actually had a few bad dreams about mindlessly grabbing a very high carb food and eating it and then remembering my diet. Out of curiosity so that perhaps I can quell this anxiety, what would happen if I did eat a few bites of a high carb food a few months into the keto diet? Would I “get thrown out of ketosis” and immediately regain some weight and start craving sugar? Or would it be no big deal? I’ve stuck to a keto plan pretty much 100% and have turned down many many offers for things that were off the plan, to the point that it’s getting to be annoying to repeatedly say no to the same people!
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Nothing bad would happen, probably. But, these dreams are a good sign. A lot of the long term successful members on here will admit to having these dreams. It is usually a good indicator that you are doing well. Just the way the brain works.4
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I quit smoking 20 years ago. Now occasionally, after having been out socially the evening before, I'll have a dream and in the dream I am smoking. The next morning I awaken in a sheer panic -- "Did I smoke?!" Lol. My brain being hypervigilant about something it has made a pre-decision NOT to do. Congrats on your decision!4
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Carbmares! I still have them occasionally.
Bad? If it's enough to break your carb threshold, then you'll go out of ketosis. You may or may not end up with gastric upset. You'll probably gain a little water weight, which will leave in a couple days of on-plan eating. You may or may not crave carbs. It's individual. A catastrophe though? Nope.4 -
LOL. Last night I had my 1st "food dream" that I recall. I was not attending the convention but was in the city (Indianapolis for whatever reason) of a Keto Convention. No one (that I recall) from this site was in the dream. It was a deceased friend (she's been on my mind), her two daughters and my Dad. My Dad was operating a backhoe (go figure) and the friend and her two daughters were rambling on and on... and on... and on about ketogenic eating. There was an airport and stadium involved. Both were filled with people yapping about everything keto. It was very bizarre as my recalled dreams often are.
Anyway, a synopsis of my 5 years of weight loss/maintenance regarding carb intake:
2013-15: lost my weight and maintained via low carb. Not keto. Macros averaged about 35% (~128 average total grams) of carbs, 30% protein, 35% fat. Suffered through binge/restrict (for whatever reason) during the maintenance period. I'll guess the binge/restrict was partly because my fat intake was too low for me because...
2016: trialed keto of <20 carb grams for reason other than weight loss/maintenance for 52 weeks. Physical, gnawing hunger ended "like magic".
2017-2018: My eating has morphed into a way that at least for the last while, seems to work for me. When eating at home I eat about 50 grams of carbs (or less) per day. When away from home, I eat whatever is being served and use common sense regarding carbs and calories. I don't restrict anything but will eat smallish portions.
During the last 18 months I've had some of many things on a very limited basis that is typically restricted on keto. Those things that come to mind are: pizza with the crust, lasagna, potato salad, sweet baked beans, sweet coleslaw, an oatmeal cookie, a couple of chocolates at Christmas, a small piece of regular cheese cake, a chocolate chip cookie, chili with legumes, a piece of birthday cake, rice with a gumbo, etc. Limited portions.
For the last 4 years, I've maintained my weight with what I consider my normal 5 pound fluctuation. I can't really say that a day of "more than typical" carbs causes the fluctuations for me. My fluctuations of a pound or 2 at a time occur whether I eat 20 carbs or 100. I'm not defying the science of "replenishing glycogen stores" but rather saying I can't pinpoint fluctuations to increased carbs. Keep in mind when I do have more than normal carbs it is for a meal/day and is not extreme.
I've always said I'm better at abstaining than moderating. That is still true. But not. I seem to do best when abstaining my food choices at home but moderating my food choices when outside the home. It fits my lifestyle and mentally allows me to not feeling restricted.
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I think I may be an outlier.... I can't recall ever having dreams about eating. Flying, on the other hand, swooping like a bird fairly close to the ground... I used to dream that all the time, in fact I would purposely try to think of that just before I went to sleep as it was such a joyous feeling. Haven't had that much lately. I should try thinking about it again, as I am going through a lot of stress right now with elderly parents moving into an assisted living facility next month. Tons of things to do - ohhhh, the list.
Don't freak out too much about a slip, all of us go through it. Just remember to pick yourself back up and keep on. You could have some digestive issues, body aches, inflammation - depending on any underlying health issues you might have. Everyone's different.1 -
I’ve had so many dreams like this in my three months of keto! I’ll be sitting there just eating the thing, and it’ll start to dawn on me that there’s a reason I haven’t been doing that, and I feel all weird and confused.
I actually did have a bite of apple cake a few weeks ago, and since it was a few hours after my last meal and at least two hours before I’d get to eat again I was really wondering if that would be enough to take me out of ketosis. It wasn’t. With that in mind I had a generous bite of mashed potatoes and a little “tropical salsa” as part of a restaurant meal recently, and it was fine.
Be thoughtful and consistent, but in my experience so far there’s no upside to being panicky. Most people who are doing keto tend to eat lower-carb than they actually need to, which leaves a little wiggle room in case we need it.1 -
Thanks, was afraid you guys were all going to tell me I must be neurotic to have nightmares about bread. I got through Valentines Day, my birthday (celebrated three times) two business trips, a family vacation and Passover without slipping up beyond a glass of a drier wine that still keeps me within 15-30 net carbs (20 is my goal) so i am feeling pretty good about this so far. I find this much easier in general compared to Weight Watchers and other similar diets I tried previously!!3
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I had one where I chowed down like a champ on a huge spaghetti dinner right when I was first doing keto. When I woke up I was mortified. Took me a while to figure out it wasn't real, and I was devastated til I did. Lol!! Total wish fulfillment scenario.
Same thing when I quit smoking. I think I smoked a pack in my dream....
Hasn't happened in a while.2 -
Running_and_Coffee wrote: »Thanks, was afraid you guys were all going to tell me I must be neurotic to have nightmares about bread.
LOL, no. You would be shocked at how common such things are. There is also a common dream about sleeping through your final exams, usually had by people who are long out of college and very successful. The brain is a weird thing.2 -
Running_and_Coffee wrote: »Thanks, was afraid you guys were all going to tell me I must be neurotic to have nightmares about bread.
LOL, no. You would be shocked at how common such things are. There is also a common dream about sleeping through your final exams, usually had by people who are long out of college and very successful. The brain is a weird thing.
Oh I know that one, I remember dreaming I had to tell my dad I'd failed my finals (years after I'd passed and was working!) and his disappointment. That was about 1 million years ago but I still remember!1 -
When I first when gluten free after my celiac diagnosis I would have gluten nightmares all the time. lol2
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A couple days into starting keto, I dreamt I was eating garlic bread galore!
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I had these dreams a lot when I started. Everything tasted so real and felt so real in the dream, but I would only take one bite because I was keto and couldn’t have anymore. Then I would wake up and think, “If only I knew I was dreaming while I was dreaming, then I could have kept eating knowing it wasn’t real!” So I learned to lucid dream (be aware that I’m dreaming while asleep).
Now I eat whatever I want in my dreams which satisfies my cravings. Because of this I’ve been able to be Paleo for 8 years, keto on and off for 4, and keto without cheating for 1.5 years. I started to teach lucid dreaming after that because I thought it was so cool.6 -
big chocolate cake , I dream I am eating it , with my hands just eating the whole cake like a 1 year old LOL when I wake up I want that cake , i hate those dreams , I try to eat very soon after a dream like that (no carbs ) so I can rid my mind of it . MY husband thinks I am nuts so I understand worrying about telling people what you dream . I tell hubby to shut it now LOL and tell him it's normal.0
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I think you really only need to worry if you wake up and one of your pillows is missing
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