Insulin resistant, keto diet and ADHD

rathadak
rathadak Posts: 6 Member
edited December 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi there everyone I'm new to this app so please bare with me :) My name is Carissa and I'm a 39 year old married Mom of two tween boys from Canada.
I'm 2 weeks new to a keto diet. I started as a result of developing insulin resistance. I also have ADHD which I take medication for and a history of panic disorder. However panic attacks have not reared their ugly head for well over 5 years now. I have already lost 85 lbs on a traditional diet of paying attention to calories and exercise. I developed reactive hypoglycemia and discovered the insulin resistance is linked to genetics as both parents are diabetic and my mother has metabolic syndrome. My weight loss has stalled for over a year despite more exercise and less calories. Because of the many health issues I've been having for the last six months ( all of which I have not mentioned here) I chose to switch to a keto diet two weeks ago. It was going great until two days ago when I woke up and suffered a major panic attack. I wasn't really tracking my carbs but really just avoiding them since I'm not great at routine (did I mention I also have ADHD?) lol....anyway I'm hoping to increase and track my carbs to help support serotonin levels and not worry so much about keeping my body in ketosis, but also reap the benefits of a keto diet. In two short weeks I have had the complete disappearance of pain and swelling in my joints and Carpel tunnel symptoms even though surgery has been done. I'm hoping to connect with others too so I can get a better visual of what others eat on a keto diet day to day. Thanks for letting me share!

Replies

  • closetlibrarian
    closetlibrarian Posts: 2,207 Member
    There's a wonderful low carb/keto group that is very supportive and helpful with questions like this. Maybe check it out? http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/394-low-carber-daily-forum-the-lcd-group
  • tlflag1620
    tlflag1620 Posts: 1,358 Member
    You may want to join the low carb forum, as there are many knowledgable like minded low carbers in that group:

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/394-low-carber-daily-forum-the-lcd-group

    I have a similar history as yours, at least wrt insulin resistance, hypoglycemia and family history of type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome. I also have suffered depression at different periods in time. I find keeping my carbs between 50-80g per day is sufficient for controlling my weight, as well as keeping my blood sugar stable (no more hypos!). It's not keto, but that's the level that works for me. I noticed my depression (which has mostly been seasonal) hasn't been an issue since doing low carb, especially with the increase in good fats (I avoid liquid oils and focus on solid fats like butter, lard, and coconut oil, fatty meat, full fat dairy, and use some olive oil on my salads). Have you been getting enough fat on your keto diet? How about electrolytes (a lot of people find adding more salt, and supplementing with magnesium and/or potassium is quite beneficial)?

    My suggestion is to try to get your carbs mostly from vegetables and low sugar fruit, and pair those foods with enough fat, fiber, and protein so the carbs will be absorbed more slowly, preventing the high blood sugar levels (and the resulting low lows).
  • kpk54
    kpk54 Posts: 4,474 Member
    Also encouraging you to join the forum mentioned above. There is a very knowledgeable, supportive group there.
  • rathadak
    rathadak Posts: 6 Member
    Thanks for the suggestion everyone....I have sent a request to join the group :)
  • rathadak
    rathadak Posts: 6 Member
    tlflag1620 ....I have a hard time really knowing how much fat I should be eating. For breakfast I have from 2-3 whole eggs with whipping cream added, scrambled in butter and olive oil. I was having a 2-4 grape tomatoes and sometimes a cup of sauted spinach in coconut oil. I gave up on the tomatoes because I noticed I was very hungry about an hour and half after eating them. I make a decaf bullet proof coffee with Stevia or erythitol and sip on it throughout the day. Lunch is usually salad with cucumber, canned salmon, full fat dressing and full fat aged rugged cheese on the side. Dinner has some sort of protein and a cup of steamed broccoli with butter and salt. I will also have 1 - 3 chocolate fat bombs throughout the day and snack on walnuts if I need to for hunger. And lots of water, with an electrolyte supplement added into one of the bottles of water I drink. It's possible I'm not actually eating enough carbs?
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