Ditching the Dairy - What Were Your Experiences? Any Advice?
bowlerae
Posts: 555 Member
After I this weekend I want to try eating dairy-free for a while with the exception of grass-fed butter and ghee. Currently I eat A LOT of cheese, cream cheese, HWC, sour cream and some full fat Greek yogurt. Literally every meal I have is loaded with dairy, even when I cook a "loaded" cauliflower casserole there is a ton of cheese.
I have been very, uncomfortably constipated every time after starting to eat keto again after a break. My first time going keto I had the most success with weight loss and no issues with constipation or migraines. I noticed that at that time I wasn't eating nearly as many dishes with dairy.
The problem is, dairy-free recipes really look boring and tasteless to me. I mean, I love my cream sauce. I know we have a thread on here for dairy-free recipes, I'll have to search for that unless anyone has it readily available to share.
Otherwise, I would like to hear from anyone who ditched dairy. What were your experiences? Did you have any issues before you cut it out? Were those issues remedied when you stopped consuming dairy or was it about the same?
I have been very, uncomfortably constipated every time after starting to eat keto again after a break. My first time going keto I had the most success with weight loss and no issues with constipation or migraines. I noticed that at that time I wasn't eating nearly as many dishes with dairy.
The problem is, dairy-free recipes really look boring and tasteless to me. I mean, I love my cream sauce. I know we have a thread on here for dairy-free recipes, I'll have to search for that unless anyone has it readily available to share.
Otherwise, I would like to hear from anyone who ditched dairy. What were your experiences? Did you have any issues before you cut it out? Were those issues remedied when you stopped consuming dairy or was it about the same?
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Darn auto whatever it is called. Diary, dairy, diary, dairy.
I ditched the diary a while back and found I was able to eat within reason and maintain my weight.
I've not ditched dairy. I seem to be ok with eating it. Never had an effect on my digestive system or weight loss/maintenance.2 -
Wish I could offer some useful advice, but folks' reactions to dairy are all over the map - wild variations between individuals!
Best to approach it like you're your own science project - read up on it, try it in a systematic way, see how you feel, measure the obvious variables in your experiment, and take plenty of notes!5 -
I ditched cottage cheese and cream cheese and hwc in my coffee because they seemed to make me feel cravey...so far yogurt and aged cheese are ok...thinking about giving those up as well, but, but, but, I enjoy them so much!!!! And I'm mostly vegetarian, so getting enough protein low carb is already a challenge...
if I start to feel bloated or constipated I usually reach for the kombucha...16 oz a day usually clears everything up quickly...2 -
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10496953/keto-clean-eating-lifestyle#latest
This one mid-way down has a list from @kirkor of dairy-free recipes.
Edit:
Also check out Diary-Free keto lists and even paleo or vegan recipes/sites. You can probably modify the vegan or paleo to fit.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10348418/various-lc-programs#latest4 -
Subbing to this thread because I may decide to cut down on my dairy...not sure if the additional (and LOTS of it) acne lately is a sensitivity to dairy (never a problem before, but our bodies do change year by year) or if it's hormonal (going to be 44 in a few months and likely perimenopausal).1
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Both dairy and/or nuts can be binding for some. If constipation on keto is an issue for you, cutting these would be a good experiment to see if you fall into that category.
I am with you on thinking most dairy free options just don't seem as appealing. I have always eaten more cheese per day than many people eat in a week or even a month. I am so glad I found that Aldi's has much cheaper shredded cheese to help with this.1 -
If you like spicy, one option to get over the boring aspect of dairy free is to use various hot sauces and/or peppers. I am one of those who think there are 3 things that can make any food better - bacon, cheese and jalapeños. If I can't have one of them, I can at least try to have the other 2.3
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I wish I had advice! I have thought for a long time now that I need to try to give up dairy to see if the mucous in my head (sinus/allergies) would improve. I have not tried yet because i like my cream, cheese, sour cream, etc, etc and have dairy with every meal practically. I think I may start with cutting out heavy whipping cream and go from there. I am going to put coconut cream in my coffee instead. Good Luck!0
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allie2girlz wrote: »I wish I had advice! I have thought for a long time now that I need to try to give up dairy to see if the mucous in my head (sinus/allergies) would improve. I have not tried yet because i like my cream, cheese, sour cream, etc, etc and have dairy with every meal practically. I think I may start with cutting out heavy whipping cream and go from there. I am going to put coconut cream in my coffee instead. Good Luck!
I haven't tested this but I think my body is more tolerant of HWC and yogurt but I think my biggest issue is cheese. I'm not sure about sour cream. So I'm really going to have to approach this by eliminating one thing at a time. Probably start with cheese but continue to consume HWC in BPC and sauces, and yogurt. Do each one for at least two weeks to be able to tell a difference. I also know I need to up my leafy veggies and veggie variety in general (I eat mostly cauliflower, asparagus, peppers, onions and zucchini and that's about it). It could be that I'm not getting enough fiber but it will be hard to tell what is the culprit or the constipation if I try to eliminate dairy AND increase fiber at the same time. So my plan is to test dairy, then vegetable fiber, and thennuts and seeds.0 -
allie2girlz wrote: »I wish I had advice! I have thought for a long time now that I need to try to give up dairy to see if the mucous in my head (sinus/allergies) would improve. I have not tried yet because i like my cream, cheese, sour cream, etc, etc and have dairy with every meal practically. I think I may start with cutting out heavy whipping cream and go from there. I am going to put coconut cream in my coffee instead. Good Luck!
I haven't tested this but I think my body is more tolerant of HWC and yogurt but I think my biggest issue is cheese. I'm not sure about sour cream. So I'm really going to have to approach this by eliminating one thing at a time. Probably start with cheese but continue to consume HWC in BPC and sauces, and yogurt. Do each one for at least two weeks to be able to tell a difference. I also know I need to up my leafy veggies and veggie variety in general (I eat mostly cauliflower, asparagus, peppers, onions and zucchini and that's about it). It could be that I'm not getting enough fiber but it will be hard to tell what is the culprit or the constipation if I try to eliminate dairy AND increase fiber at the same time. So my plan is to test dairy, then vegetable fiber, and thennuts and seeds.
I just read recently in a link from another thread here that led down a rabbit hole that cauliflower and broccoli can both be binding for some. So, that is something you may want to experiment with as well.1 -
Your symptoms seem very familiar although i did not eat as much dairy. Cutting out cheese helped me a lot.2
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I did a dairy free trial for a couple weeks to see if it was the cause of my skin problems. No luck. It wasn't as hard as I thought, but I did keep butter in my diet. Butter makes everything better, in my opinion.
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Each time I have gone low car/keto, I too have issues with constipation. This time it has helped that I am now taking Magnesium citrate supplements. Most diets are deficient in magnesium so a good supplement to take and may help with the constipation.
I have gone dairy free this week as I have been on a 3 week weight-loss stall. Definitely worth changing it up and to see what works.1 -
If you are adamant about keeping dairy for whatever reason, I've found flaxseed meal (can not be the oil) to be a good complement to dairy for relieving constipation & obtaining magnesium.1
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cstehansen wrote: »I am so glad I found that Aldi's has much cheaper shredded cheese to help with this.
Might be a case of "majoring in the minors", but I think it's good to at least be aware that commercial shredded cheese has powdered additives to keep the shreds from sticking together:
https://blog.ochsner.org/articles/store-bought-shredded-cheese-debunking-the-myths-and-best-picks/
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cstehansen wrote: »I am so glad I found that Aldi's has much cheaper shredded cheese to help with this.
Might be a case of "majoring in the minors", but I think it's good to at least be aware that commercial shredded cheese has powdered additives to keep the shreds from sticking together:
https://blog.ochsner.org/articles/store-bought-shredded-cheese-debunking-the-myths-and-best-picks/
For those of us with ongoing digestive issues to work around, shredded cheese is O-U-T. The Specific Carbohydrate Diet specifically bans it. (Along with so many other things that I was only able to stick 100% to the SCD regime for about a month. But I do continue to avoid shredded cheese.)1 -
cstehansen wrote: »I am so glad I found that Aldi's has much cheaper shredded cheese to help with this.
Might be a case of "majoring in the minors", but I think it's good to at least be aware that commercial shredded cheese has powdered additives to keep the shreds from sticking together:
https://blog.ochsner.org/articles/store-bought-shredded-cheese-debunking-the-myths-and-best-picks/
I love a lot of recipes that call for shredded cheese. Would it be better if I got a block of cheese and shredded it my self?1 -
Yes! Unless you want to eat additives, including wood (aka "cellulose").
https://youtu.be/X7C_PoSzY9c 2 -
I've decided to go down the Atkins route of a 2 week 'induction' phase which I'm just coming to the end of now. Dairy was a BIG part of my diet - particularly milk, cream and ice cream and desserts - but as I'm working to a calorie limit as well as a 70/25/5 Macro split it seemed to make the most sense to cut out the dairy in all forms, with the exception of butter of course. Bulletproof coffee really gives the morning a boost! I was pretty constipated for the first week, although not in any pain or discomfort, so I started to wonder whether it was simply a case that as less had gone in there may be less to come out! However by day 9 things had started to return to some semblance of regularity and 5 days later I'm back into something like a 'normal' rhythm.
I haven't found ditching dairy (and sugar) to be particularly difficult so far, and that is speaking as someone who could, if my mood was low, get through a tub of Ben & Jerry's, 2 pints of milkshake and assorted chocolate products whilst watching a single movie! Whether the cravings will kick in at a later date I don't know, but I'm hoping that keeping myself sated with fat and protein will help me avoid that.1 -
cstehansen wrote: »I am so glad I found that Aldi's has much cheaper shredded cheese to help with this.
Might be a case of "majoring in the minors", but I think it's good to at least be aware that commercial shredded cheese has powdered additives to keep the shreds from sticking together:
https://blog.ochsner.org/articles/store-bought-shredded-cheese-debunking-the-myths-and-best-picks/
I love a lot of recipes that call for shredded cheese. Would it be better if I got a block of cheese and shredded it my self?
I do. It's usually more cost-effective, on top of avoiding the additives. The only down side is that my husband can't seem to shred cheese without making a mess!
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DianaElena76 wrote: »cstehansen wrote: »I am so glad I found that Aldi's has much cheaper shredded cheese to help with this.
Might be a case of "majoring in the minors", but I think it's good to at least be aware that commercial shredded cheese has powdered additives to keep the shreds from sticking together:
https://blog.ochsner.org/articles/store-bought-shredded-cheese-debunking-the-myths-and-best-picks/
I love a lot of recipes that call for shredded cheese. Would it be better if I got a block of cheese and shredded it my self?
I do. It's usually more cost-effective, on top of avoiding the additives. The only down side is that my husband can't seem to shred cheese without making a mess!
Maybe he makes a mess (missing the container) as an excuse to eat what misses.
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cstehansen wrote: »DianaElena76 wrote: »cstehansen wrote: »I am so glad I found that Aldi's has much cheaper shredded cheese to help with this.
Might be a case of "majoring in the minors", but I think it's good to at least be aware that commercial shredded cheese has powdered additives to keep the shreds from sticking together:
https://blog.ochsner.org/articles/store-bought-shredded-cheese-debunking-the-myths-and-best-picks/
I love a lot of recipes that call for shredded cheese. Would it be better if I got a block of cheese and shredded it my self?
I do. It's usually more cost-effective, on top of avoiding the additives. The only down side is that my husband can't seem to shred cheese without making a mess!
Maybe he makes a mess (missing the container) as an excuse to eat what misses.
That would be a logical explanation if he picked it up.....2 -
I haven't consciously ditched dairy but I would have 2 tablespoons of cream and some butter each day, no cheese. This is only because I'm trying to cut my calories back a bit due to excruciating slow weight loss. Having said that I've gone from 1600 cals a day including cheese to 1200 cals a day with no cheese and I'm gaining about 100g a day on the scales. So no, it hasn't worked. At least not yet.1
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EbonyDahlia wrote: »I haven't consciously ditched dairy but I would have 2 tablespoons of cream and some butter each day, no cheese. This is only because I'm trying to cut my calories back a bit due to excruciating slow weight loss. Having said that I've gone from 1600 cals a day including cheese to 1200 cals a day with no cheese and I'm gaining about 100g a day on the scales. So no, it hasn't worked. At least not yet.
What if you ate the same amount of calories (1600) but those extra 400 were just not from cheese? My thinking is "not enough calories" from years of being on the main forums but that is likely not correct (because it is the main forums) and would probably take much longer to see a difference in slowed metabolism (sounded like you were seeing the extra 100g weight immediately upon cutting the calories). So I'm not sure what the solution is but very insightful post. Thank you.0 -
DianaElena76 wrote: »cstehansen wrote: »I am so glad I found that Aldi's has much cheaper shredded cheese to help with this.
Might be a case of "majoring in the minors", but I think it's good to at least be aware that commercial shredded cheese has powdered additives to keep the shreds from sticking together:
https://blog.ochsner.org/articles/store-bought-shredded-cheese-debunking-the-myths-and-best-picks/
I love a lot of recipes that call for shredded cheese. Would it be better if I got a block of cheese and shredded it my self?
I do. It's usually more cost-effective, on top of avoiding the additives. The only down side is that my husband can't seem to shred cheese without making a mess!
Maybe he's like my husband who has figured out that the bigger mess he makes the less likely I am to ask him to do anything in the kitchen. Smart guys.
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EbonyDahlia wrote: »I haven't consciously ditched dairy but I would have 2 tablespoons of cream and some butter each day, no cheese. This is only because I'm trying to cut my calories back a bit due to excruciating slow weight loss. Having said that I've gone from 1600 cals a day including cheese to 1200 cals a day with no cheese and I'm gaining about 100g a day on the scales. So no, it hasn't worked. At least not yet.
What if you ate the same amount of calories (1600) but those extra 400 were just not from cheese? My thinking is "not enough calories" from years of being on the main forums but that is likely not correct (because it is the main forums) and would probably take much longer to see a difference in slowed metabolism (sounded like you were seeing the extra 100g weight immediately upon cutting the calories). So I'm not sure what the solution is but very insightful post. Thank you.
Not enough calories is not really a thing, unless you're way too low, and you've been way too low for a long time. A calorie reduction over a couple of week period should result in weight loss. The frustrating thing from my point of view is that over a 4 year period, I've tried more calories, less calories, more protein, less fat, or more fat less protein, no dairy, no artificial sweeteners, no nuts, no "faked goods", no pre-packaged meats, calorie cycling, you name it. I've tried and tested each of these over a period of a month or two, and every combination you can imagine (not just for a few days and decided they didn't work). It has taken me 4 years to lose 34kg. I've never lost more than about 1.5kg in a month. I still have 15kg to go to get to the upper limits of a health BMI. Having said that, I have never weighed less than I do right now, and in fact I weighed the same 12 months ago. So I'm not holding my breath.
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Cutting it out didn't do me any good; I felt and looked a lot better when I added it back in. Maybe you could just cut back on it; not add as much cheese or have just one meal laden with dairy.1
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Subbing to this thread because I may decide to cut down on my dairy...not sure if the additional (and LOTS of it) acne lately is a sensitivity to dairy (never a problem before, but our bodies do change year by year) or if it's hormonal (going to be 44 in a few months and likely perimenopausal).
I've had a lot of acne lately, too, and have wondered if there's anything food-wise that I should experiment with. (FWIW I'm 40.)1
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