Carb binge after strict keto

I had a binge on everything sugary I could find last night after a week and a half of <10g carbs ketogenic diet.

It's the next day and I have probably had about 20g of carbs today, but I feel very nauseous and the more serious one is I feel quite unhinged mentally. I feel like I could just freak out and punch a hole in the wall or something.

When will I feel better? Please help!
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Replies

  • ingraha
    ingraha Posts: 99 Member
    My suggestion is balance and calorie counting. The premise is off to begin with.
  • SnTsMum
    SnTsMum Posts: 90 Member
    My suggestion is balance and calorie counting. The premise is off to begin with.
    Premise?

    I was doing 5/30/65, isn't that what I was supposed to do?

    Oh sorry, I realised that you were saying don't do low carb.

    I kind of have to, I have an eating disorder and can't seem to eat carbs without binging on them.
  • brower47
    brower47 Posts: 16,356 Member
    Maybe Keto isn't for you.

    Your diet plan:
    1. Causes binges
    2. Mentally unhinges you.

    This does not sound healthy.
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
    Maybe Keto isn't for you.

    Your diet plan:
    1. Causes binges
    2. Mentally unhinges you.

    This does not sound healthy.

    Agreed....
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
    Well you know the general consensus here will be never to go onto a ketogenic diet again especially at those low levels. As you have experienced it has set you up for some negative consequences and now you are basically going through a little carb refeeding syndrome. Plus, I'm sure part of that unhinged mentality is somehow you feel like you failed.

    However, you havent failed. You've learned a valuable lesson. Strict avoidance of any food especially one of our 3 macronutrients can set you up for a binge.

    If you feel that low carbohydrate is the way to go then you may want to consider a diabetic diet. Stick to about 45-75g of carbohydrates a meal and 15-30 of carbohydrates a snack. Since I assume you are not a diabetic a range of 200g/day is perfectly acceptable and will give your brain the feeling of fullness and provide you with essential fiber and B vitamins. Whole grains, beans, potatoes, sweet potatoes are all lovely foods and provide so many antioxidants and nutirition that our omnivore bodies need.

    I wish you the best. You will feel better. Take your time drink some water, have some protein and fat. Then start again tomorrow with an attitude of the inherent healthfulness in all foods.
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
    My suggestion is balance and calorie counting. The premise is off to begin with.
    Premise?

    I was doing 5/30/65, isn't that what I was supposed to do?

    Oh sorry, I realised that you were saying don't do low carb.

    I kind of have to, I have an eating disorder and can't seem to eat carbs without binging on them.

    If you feel carbohydrates are fueling your binges than it's essential you portion control them, but do NOT remove them. Focus on the whole grains it might take you away from that binge mindset.
  • SnTsMum
    SnTsMum Posts: 90 Member
    Maybe Keto isn't for you.

    Your diet plan:
    1. Causes binges
    2. Mentally unhinges you.

    This does not sound healthy.
    Problem is, I binge anyway regardless of whether I am on a ketogenic diet or not. I was feeling great before I ate sugar, I had never felt so stable in my mood and energy levels.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    I had a binge on everything sugary I could find last night after a week and a half of <10g carbs ketogenic diet.

    It's the next day and I have probably had about 20g of carbs today, but I feel very nauseous and the more serious one is I feel quite unhinged mentally. I feel like I could just freak out and punch a hole in the wall or something.

    When will I feel better? Please help!

    You'll feel much better as soon as you stop this silly ketogenic diet. There's a reason your body doesn't want to go into keto, you know.
  • gk03ub
    gk03ub Posts: 99 Member
    Maybe Keto isn't for you.

    Your diet plan:
    1. Causes binges
    2. Mentally unhinges you.

    This does not sound healthy.

    Agreed....

    Agreed, agreed. If you have an eating disorder you shouldn't be on any "diet" anyway. Instead, you should be focusing on finding a healthy relationship with food. Please seek professional help, it will do a lot more for you than following a diet that makes you want to punch a hole in a wall will.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    Problem is, I binge anyway regardless of whether I am on a ketogenic diet or not. I was feeling great before I ate sugar, I had never felt so stable in my mood and energy levels.

    Stop going on binges.

    If you literally absolutely can't help yourself, then it's time to seek professional help. Absolutely serious about that. If you cannot exercise any level of self-control over your food intake, you need a hand.

    Your problem is not carbs.
  • SnTsMum
    SnTsMum Posts: 90 Member
    I had a binge on everything sugary I could find last night after a week and a half of <10g carbs ketogenic diet.

    It's the next day and I have probably had about 20g of carbs today, but I feel very nauseous and the more serious one is I feel quite unhinged mentally. I feel like I could just freak out and punch a hole in the wall or something.

    When will I feel better? Please help!

    You'll feel much better as soon as you stop this silly ketogenic diet. There's a reason your body doesn't want to go into keto, you know.

    I was in keto though, went into it really quickly and without any 'flu'. I was fine until I binged.
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
    Maybe Keto isn't for you.

    Your diet plan:
    1. Causes binges
    2. Mentally unhinges you.

    This does not sound healthy.
    Problem is, I binge anyway regardless of whether I am on a ketogenic diet or not. I was feeling great before I ate sugar, I had never felt so stable in my mood and energy levels.

    As an ED sufferer myself I have a question for you. Was your mood good and your energy levels high because of the diet or because you felt in control?

    In other words, did you feel good because you were sticking to the diet, doing great, knew your plan, and felt like it was manageable?
  • SnTsMum
    SnTsMum Posts: 90 Member
    Problem is, I binge anyway regardless of whether I am on a ketogenic diet or not. I was feeling great before I ate sugar, I had never felt so stable in my mood and energy levels.

    Stop going on binges.

    If you literally absolutely can't help yourself, then it's time to seek professional help. Absolutely serious about that. If you cannot exercise any level of self-control over your food intake, you need a hand.

    Your problem is not carbs.

    I have received a whole lot of expensive therapy for eating disorder not otherwise specified. It hasn't helped me so far.
  • SnTsMum
    SnTsMum Posts: 90 Member
    Maybe Keto isn't for you.

    Your diet plan:
    1. Causes binges
    2. Mentally unhinges you.

    This does not sound healthy.
    Problem is, I binge anyway regardless of whether I am on a ketogenic diet or not. I was feeling great before I ate sugar, I had never felt so stable in my mood and energy levels.

    As an ED sufferer myself I have a question for you. Was your mood good and your energy levels high because of the diet or because you felt in control?

    In other words, did you feel good because you were sticking to the diet, doing great, knew your plan, and felt like it was manageable?
    I felt good because I was actually eating for a change (although my cals were only 600-1000 per day) and the food was filling. I wasn't getting exhausted by 1pm every day either.

    I realise I am going to get a whole lot of "don't eat that low". I don't lose any weight at 1200+. My metabolism is naffed.
  • VRoseDuda
    VRoseDuda Posts: 129 Member
    I am no dietician but I have found it helps to try and stick with minimally processed foods. I eat carbs but usually brown rice or oat meal with occasional pasta but I couldn't tell you the last time I had crackers or "packaged/processed" snacks. I try to stick to an apple and a string cheese, nuts or cottage cheese w/ pineapple.
    I guess it would also be helpful to know what KIND of carbs---snackies or bread or soda?? or good carbs??
    Good luck---we all have our triggers (mine is ice cream)
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    I have received a whole lot of expensive therapy for eating disorder not otherwise specified. It hasn't helped me so far.

    I don't mean this to sound harsh, but it will anyway.

    MFP cannot fix your eating disorder. If a lot of therapy did not help you, random strangers on the internet won't be able to help you either. Find another therapist, maybe. I don't know. I wish you the best. You need to form healthy relationships with food and not go on various extreme diets.
  • SnTsMum
    SnTsMum Posts: 90 Member
    I am no dietician but I have found it helps to try and stick with minimally processed foods. I eat carbs but usually brown rice or oat meal with occasional pasta but I couldn't tell you the last time I had crackers or "packaged/processed" snacks. I try to stick to an apple and a string cheese, nuts or cottage cheese w/ pineapple.
    I guess it would also be helpful to know what KIND of carbs---snackies or bread or soda?? or good carbs??
    Good luck---we all have our triggers (mine is ice cream)

    List of what I ate:
    Chocolate coconut biscuits
    Triple chocolate biscuits
    Chocolate and peanut butter brownie
    Chocolate bars
    Chocolate milk

    I have a chocolate weakness.
  • SnTsMum
    SnTsMum Posts: 90 Member
    I have received a whole lot of expensive therapy for eating disorder not otherwise specified. It hasn't helped me so far.

    I don't mean this to sound harsh, but it will anyway.

    MFP cannot fix your eating disorder. If a lot of therapy did not help you, random strangers on the internet won't be able to help you either. Find another therapist, maybe. I don't know. I wish you the best. You need to form healthy relationships with food and not go on various extreme diets.

    I was only wanting to know when the nausea/mood swings would disappear from the binge. Not for help with my ED. Sorry for troubling you.
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
    Maybe Keto isn't for you.

    Your diet plan:
    1. Causes binges
    2. Mentally unhinges you.

    This does not sound healthy.
    Problem is, I binge anyway regardless of whether I am on a ketogenic diet or not. I was feeling great before I ate sugar, I had never felt so stable in my mood and energy levels.

    As an ED sufferer myself I have a question for you. Was your mood good and your energy levels high because of the diet or because you felt in control?

    In other words, did you feel good because you were sticking to the diet, doing great, knew your plan, and felt like it was manageable?
    I felt good because I was actually eating for a change (although my cals were only 600-1000 per day) and the food was filling. I wasn't getting exhausted by 1pm every day either.

    :cry: so in addition to lacking carbohydrates you were lacking calories. No wonder you slipped. Your thoughts might have told you that you felt good, but I bet your body was begging for food. Maybe one day (and I know it's a daily battle) you can find that happy, moderate balance between having a great relationship with food.
  • prettyface55
    prettyface55 Posts: 508 Member
    Maybe Keto isn't for you.

    Your diet plan:
    1. Causes binges
    2. Mentally unhinges you.

    This does not sound healthy.

    Agreed....

    This is not healthy!!! It happened to me too!! I love my carbs..
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    I have received a whole lot of expensive therapy for eating disorder not otherwise specified. It hasn't helped me so far.

    I don't mean this to sound harsh, but it will anyway.

    MFP cannot fix your eating disorder. If a lot of therapy did not help you, random strangers on the internet won't be able to help you either. Find another therapist, maybe. I don't know. I wish you the best. You need to form healthy relationships with food and not go on various extreme diets.

    I was only wanting to know when the nausea/mood swings would disappear. Not for help with my ED. Sorry for troubling you.

    Dropping your body into keto and then eating tons and tons of carbs isn't going to make your nausea or mood swings disappear. You're putting your body through a great deal of stress, and any significant change in eating habits wreaks havoc on your digestive system (particularly the gut bacteria).

    If you stick with a ketogenic diet for a while, then the nausea should go away. The mood swings sound like they're probably caused by something different. But your issue is sticking with it for a while if you're prone to binges.
  • ceimi
    ceimi Posts: 25
    Unlike everyone else here who only seems to want to push their ideas on what is healthy for SOMEONE ELSE, I believe that if you think a keto diet is what you need to help you stop binging, all the more power to you! I too, am the same as you. I'm hispanic, so a lot of my diet consists of carb heavy food. Lots of corn tortillas, lots of beans, and I was eating a lot of sugary candy and chips to balance out the bland. In the last yeah I've gained almost 25 lbs. I'm so ashamed! I started on the keto diet 6 days ago. I think the key here is to figure out ways to satisfy your cravings with healthier options. Make sure that the foods you're eating are keeping you full, and you'll be less likely to want to binge. Have blackberries or blueberries, or strawberries, any kind of berry except cherries if you feel you need something sweet. Don't eat a whole package though!! Portion it out that way you're less likely to binge on the whole package. Grab a bowl and put say 15-20 berries in the bowl, put away the container, and go somewhere else to eat them! If you need support you can always send me a message if you feel like you're going to binge. So far I've been going strong, I'm scared that i'll binge too but you've just gotta realize that if weight loss is something you really want, then you'll need to work hard and ignore those bad cravings. The keto diet is contrary to popular belief, not restricting at all. Here is a neat little pick me up if you're feeling like you can't have anything "sweet" on the diet. http://www.reddit.com/r/ketorecipes/comments/1894y2/just_made_the_most_amazing_fat_bombs/ The recipe doesn't have nearly as many carbs as a regular chocolate piece does, and it's got plenty of fat, perfect for the diet! Just remember to portion your meals to help avoid binges.
  • SnTsMum
    SnTsMum Posts: 90 Member
    I have received a whole lot of expensive therapy for eating disorder not otherwise specified. It hasn't helped me so far.

    I don't mean this to sound harsh, but it will anyway.

    MFP cannot fix your eating disorder. If a lot of therapy did not help you, random strangers on the internet won't be able to help you either. Find another therapist, maybe. I don't know. I wish you the best. You need to form healthy relationships with food and not go on various extreme diets.

    I was only wanting to know when the nausea/mood swings would disappear. Not for help with my ED. Sorry for troubling you.

    Dropping your body into keto and then eating tons and tons of carbs isn't going to make your nausea or mood swings disappear. You're putting your body through a great deal of stress, and any significant change in eating habits wreaks havoc on your digestive system (particularly the gut bacteria).

    If you stick with a ketogenic diet for a while, then the nausea should go away. The mood swings sound like they're probably caused by something different. But your issue is sticking with it for a while if you're prone to binges.

    Sigh.....I was not experiencing nausea and mood swings on keto. Only after the carb binge. Now I would like to know if I am going to feel ill until I go back into ketosis or if I will feel better from drinking a ton of water or something.
  • VRoseDuda
    VRoseDuda Posts: 129 Member
    if you know your weakness, work it in. I would probably only work 1 "treat" in a day though. Tomorrow is new---start fresh and fuel your machine.
  • brower47
    brower47 Posts: 16,356 Member
    Maybe Keto isn't for you.

    Your diet plan:
    1. Causes binges
    2. Mentally unhinges you.

    This does not sound healthy.
    Problem is, I binge anyway regardless of whether I am on a ketogenic diet or not. I was feeling great before I ate sugar, I had never felt so stable in my mood and energy levels.

    As an ED sufferer myself I have a question for you. Was your mood good and your energy levels high because of the diet or because you felt in control?

    In other words, did you feel good because you were sticking to the diet, doing great, knew your plan, and felt like it was manageable?
    I felt good because I was actually eating for a change (although my cals were only 600-1000 per day) and the food was filling. I wasn't getting exhausted by 1pm every day either.

    I realise I am going to get a whole lot of "don't eat that low". I don't lose any weight at 1200+. My metabolism is naffed.

    Eating only 600-1000 calories a day could be another reason why you suddenly binged. There's more here than just being on a Keto diet now.
  • NRSPAM
    NRSPAM Posts: 961 Member
    So not only did you eat a ridiculously low, and unnecessary amount of carbs, but you were also eating below 1,200 calories, which is considered unhealthy, and less than your body requires just to maintain the vital functions of breathing, heart beating, and many others, not to mention, your daily activities. Well, you set yourself up for failure from the very beginning. Cutting out major food groups, and eating very low calorie diets, AKA, "crash diets," are probably the biggest reason people not only binge, but give up dieting all together...even healthy dieting. Good luck to you.
  • I call this "re-carb-ing" You are doing great, Keto on!
  • SnTsMum
    SnTsMum Posts: 90 Member
    So not only did you eat a ridiculously low, and unnecessary amount of carbs, but you were also eating below 1,200 calories, which is considered unhealthy, and less than your body requires just to maintain the vital functions of breathing, heart beating, and many others, not to mention, your daily activities. Well, you set yourself up for failure from the very beginning. Cutting out major food groups, and eating very low calorie diets, AKA, "crash diets," are probably the biggest reason people not only binge, but give up dieting all together...even healthy dieting. Good luck to you.

    The low calorie amount wasn't just a silly plan. I have an ED which isn't by choice. I either eat that many calories in healthy food ie-ketogenic diet where I avoid carbs and don't binge (a week and a half is very good for me) or I eat carby junk food and feel terrible. I can't just decide to eat the same amount as the healthy ones on MFP seem to do.
  • retrobyte
    retrobyte Posts: 169 Member
    If you are combining keto with a strength program to minimise muscle loss, you are supposed to be binging for 2 days out of every 7 days anyway
  • itsjustdawn
    itsjustdawn Posts: 1,073 Member
    Bingeing is mental. You have a mental issue, not a carb issue.