ketogeneic diet and effect on mood
surreychic
Posts: 117 Member
HI,
I wondered if people might be willing to share their experience of kept diet in their moods?
Preferably from someone who started off with long standing low mood/lethargy/pmt (sorry guys), overeating carbs (low mood connection).
Thank you in advance!
I wondered if people might be willing to share their experience of kept diet in their moods?
Preferably from someone who started off with long standing low mood/lethargy/pmt (sorry guys), overeating carbs (low mood connection).
Thank you in advance!
0
Replies
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I went GF 2.5 years ago and drastically reduced my carb intake, last year I started LCHF.
I have not really suffered from PMT much but low mood and carb addiction yes.
I used to live off pasta, noodles and bread. Literally, my protein levels were so low you needed a magnifying glass to find it, and my fats were all bad fats. My moods were equally low, bordering on depression. My insomnia forever present. Lethargic, dehydrated, bloated, unhappy.
Roll on going gluten free (bear in mind I am suspected Celiac) Massive carb addiction - massive cravings once I ditched the majority of my carbs, I simply do not like the majority of the GF versions of bread and pasta. Bloating gone, I instantly started to feel better about myself. I still ate GF and pasta plus rice and rice noodles at this point though. Plus cakes. At this point my mood was up and down like a jojo.
Now add LCHF, out went my bread, rice, noodles, bad fats etc As members on this board knows, my insomnia came back with a vengeance which leads to lethargy, all I wanted to do was to sleep and to be left alone. My mood ended up in the dumps and (bear in mind my job is very stressful with long hours) my GP put me on anti-depressants. After months of awful side effects I ditched them and went cold turkey (I do not advice anyone else to do this) I started to feel better within 2 weeks as soon as the drugs left my system.
Now let's look on how I am doing today, my insomnia is under control, I sleep better, no issues with bloating, my insides feel better, my skin looks better, I feel better within myself, I enjoy my food again. My carb cravings are gone, I don't binge eat (hard on protein and fats)
The changes did not happen overnight, it took time but I am so much happier and content now. Sure I miss rice now and then and a piece of bread, but do I miss how these foods make me feel? No, and I now sleep again at night, and did I mention how much more content I feel and that I have finally de-cluttered my place, made plans for the future and I have no plans to go back to be a carb addict again.8 -
I have an extensive family history of depression and chemical dependency and a longstanding personal history of depression. After many attempts to manage the depression without meds I have come to accept that I need an antidepressant. I started keto on Zoloft with a stable mood and within a short time everything was gray. I went low carb and my mood is good. Keto would be best for other health issues but apparently I need some carbs to keep those neurotransmitters happy.1
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I find I have more energy on keto than ever before and fewer big swings in mood. There's moments on keto (and working out!) that I feel like the clouds clear and I see the sun shine. It's pretty awesome overall. Not every day (today is not that day for me), but enough to tell me it's good.2
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Okay. I thought that keto was triggering panic attacks awhile ago, but after being brutally honest with myself, it was actually the fact that I was cheating often, going in and out of ketosis that was likely the culprit.
That being said, I have less bouts of depression, and less panic attacks and manic episodes when I'm consistent.
I've discovered that cleaning triggers manic episodes. Go figure.4 -
It seems there is a lot of "individual variance" with what helps each person in terms of diet.
My hormone specialist recommended carb avoidance prior to monthly menses due to the effect on hormones.
I have found if I have fasted (I can't do this willingly!) for some reason (blood test, missed breakfast) sometimes my energy levels go through the roof and I feel more elated. Whereas most of the time I feel tired and generally flat (despite a lovely life/family/friends etc). I used to find extreme aerobic exercise helped but that has hurt my joints.
During my really flat times, oddly I have craved excessive carbs (overeaten) on them, I think for the calming effect (as well as gluttony) yet wonder if it leads to a vicious cycle. I have also noticed if my evening meal is low carb, or doesn't have many kcal I can't sleep...
I have not tried low carb/strict low carb yet so would be interested to see the effect....1 -
tierrafuego wrote: »I find I have more energy on keto than ever before and fewer big swings in mood. There's moments on keto (and working out!) that I feel like the clouds clear and I see the sun shine. It's pretty awesome overall. Not every day (today is not that day for me), but enough to tell me it's good.
This is what I'm hoping for too. It's so great you have found something that helps... that you can control :-) thank you for sharing.1 -
I have an extensive family history of depression and chemical dependency and a longstanding personal history of depression. After many attempts to manage the depression without meds I have come to accept that I need an antidepressant. I started keto on Zoloft with a stable mood and within a short time everything was gray. I went low carb and my mood is good. Keto would be best for other health issues but apparently I need some carbs to keep those neurotransmitters happy.
Thank you for answering Patti, I wonder, if, like you I may need some carbs o help with the neurotransmitters too. When I have been really down though (rarely thankfully) I have craved carbs compulsively, and I wonder if that made everything worse, or whether I would have been a whole lot worse without them if that makes sense.
As mentioned before, I have noticed fasting can help to lift my mood...so was curious as to whether low carb would work in a similar way physiologically - i.e ketones of energy use. Then again, i sometimes get so tired and don't want to aggravate that! Trial and error I guess!1 -
I went GF 2.5 years ago and drastically reduced my carb intake, last year I started LCHF.
I have not really suffered from PMT much but low mood and carb addiction yes.
I used to live off pasta, noodles and bread. Literally, my protein levels were so low you needed a magnifying glass to find it, and my fats were all bad fats. My moods were equally low, bordering on depression. My insomnia forever present. Lethargic, dehydrated, bloated, unhappy.
Roll on going gluten free (bear in mind I am suspected Celiac) Massive carb addiction - massive cravings once I ditched the majority of my carbs, I simply do not like the majority of the GF versions of bread and pasta. Bloating gone, I instantly started to feel better about myself. I still ate GF and pasta plus rice and rice noodles at this point though. Plus cakes. At this point my mood was up and down like a jojo.
Now add LCHF, out went my bread, rice, noodles, bad fats etc As members on this board knows, my insomnia came back with a vengeance which leads to lethargy, all I wanted to do was to sleep and to be left alone. My mood ended up in the dumps and (bear in mind my job is very stressful with long hours) my GP put me on anti-depressants. After months of awful side effects I ditched them and went cold turkey (I do not advice anyone else to do this) I started to feel better within 2 weeks as soon as the drugs left my system.
Now let's look on how I am doing today, my insomnia is under control, I sleep better, no issues with bloating, my insides feel better, my skin looks better, I feel better within myself, I enjoy my food again. My carb cravings are gone, I don't binge eat (hard on protein and fats)
The changes did not happen overnight, it took time but I am so much happier and content now. Sure I miss rice now and then and a piece of bread, but do I miss how these foods make me feel? No, and I now sleep again at night, and did I mention how much more content I feel and that I have finally de-cluttered my place, made plans for the future and I have no plans to go back to be a carb addict again.
Thank you for sharing. i really appreciated you typing this and sharing. I too have suffered insomnia with fasting and unintentional low carb suppers! Of course I am fearful as lack of sleep worsens (my) depression/low mood. I really binge eat on carbs too, but mainly after no sleep or when my mood is really low.
I am very inpatient so it's good to hear that it took time (i.e I may give up if I don't se results straight away).0 -
I went GF 2.5 years ago and drastically reduced my carb intake, last year I started LCHF.
I have not really suffered from PMT much but low mood and carb addiction yes.
I used to live off pasta, noodles and bread. Literally, my protein levels were so low you needed a magnifying glass to find it, and my fats were all bad fats. My moods were equally low, bordering on depression. My insomnia forever present. Lethargic, dehydrated, bloated, unhappy.
Roll on going gluten free (bear in mind I am suspected Celiac) Massive carb addiction - massive cravings once I ditched the majority of my carbs, I simply do not like the majority of the GF versions of bread and pasta. Bloating gone, I instantly started to feel better about myself. I still ate GF and pasta plus rice and rice noodles at this point though. Plus cakes. At this point my mood was up and down like a jojo.
Now add LCHF, out went my bread, rice, noodles, bad fats etc As members on this board knows, my insomnia came back with a vengeance which leads to lethargy, all I wanted to do was to sleep and to be left alone. My mood ended up in the dumps and (bear in mind my job is very stressful with long hours) my GP put me on anti-depressants. After months of awful side effects I ditched them and went cold turkey (I do not advice anyone else to do this) I started to feel better within 2 weeks as soon as the drugs left my system.
Now let's look on how I am doing today, my insomnia is under control, I sleep better, no issues with bloating, my insides feel better, my skin looks better, I feel better within myself, I enjoy my food again. My carb cravings are gone, I don't binge eat (hard on protein and fats)
The changes did not happen overnight, it took time but I am so much happier and content now. Sure I miss rice now and then and a piece of bread, but do I miss how these foods make me feel? No, and I now sleep again at night, and did I mention how much more content I feel and that I have finally de-cluttered my place, made plans for the future and I have no plans to go back to be a carb addict again.
I hate to ask, but how does the frequency of BP correlate with your moods?0 -
I have been strict keto since January 7th. After the first couple of weeks, my energy level has been high. Normally during the winter especially, I suffer from depression & very low energy. This year I am able to go to the gym & I feel happy. The only change has been diet related.
I also had anxiety. Every minute of every day, I felt stressed out & had that feeling in my chest. It has disappeared. I did have 2 meals in the past week (within a 24 hr period) because I was af a conference that were higher carb. I felt anxiety, tired and crabby for 2 days after.
Another benefit for me is pain reduction. I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. I don't know that I really have it, but I did have pain everywhere, all of the time. Any exercise made the pain worse. Now I am able to weight lift, run & go for walks with little to no pain. I thought DOMS was a normal part of working out. It is, but not to the extent that I was experiencing.2 -
I get my carbs in the form of vegetables, fruit, dairy and nuts. I don't eat grains. I try to keep it to 100 grams. This seems to give me the benefits of carbs without backlash. It did take time and experimentation to find my sweet spot. I also space out my carbs and pair them with a protein or fat. I need some carbs but too many or too much at once or the wrong kind will trash me- mood issues and reactive hypoglycemia and increased pain. Best wishes on finding your sweet spot!3
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I went GF 2.5 years ago and drastically reduced my carb intake, last year I started LCHF.
I have not really suffered from PMT much but low mood and carb addiction yes.
I used to live off pasta, noodles and bread. Literally, my protein levels were so low you needed a magnifying glass to find it, and my fats were all bad fats. My moods were equally low, bordering on depression. My insomnia forever present. Lethargic, dehydrated, bloated, unhappy.
Roll on going gluten free (bear in mind I am suspected Celiac) Massive carb addiction - massive cravings once I ditched the majority of my carbs, I simply do not like the majority of the GF versions of bread and pasta. Bloating gone, I instantly started to feel better about myself. I still ate GF and pasta plus rice and rice noodles at this point though. Plus cakes. At this point my mood was up and down like a jojo.
Now add LCHF, out went my bread, rice, noodles, bad fats etc As members on this board knows, my insomnia came back with a vengeance which leads to lethargy, all I wanted to do was to sleep and to be left alone. My mood ended up in the dumps and (bear in mind my job is very stressful with long hours) my GP put me on anti-depressants. After months of awful side effects I ditched them and went cold turkey (I do not advice anyone else to do this) I started to feel better within 2 weeks as soon as the drugs left my system.
Now let's look on how I am doing today, my insomnia is under control, I sleep better, no issues with bloating, my insides feel better, my skin looks better, I feel better within myself, I enjoy my food again. My carb cravings are gone, I don't binge eat (hard on protein and fats)
The changes did not happen overnight, it took time but I am so much happier and content now. Sure I miss rice now and then and a piece of bread, but do I miss how these foods make me feel? No, and I now sleep again at night, and did I mention how much more content I feel and that I have finally de-cluttered my place, made plans for the future and I have no plans to go back to be a carb addict again.
I hate to ask, but how does the frequency of BP correlate with your moods?
BP?0 -
I went GF 2.5 years ago and drastically reduced my carb intake, last year I started LCHF.
I have not really suffered from PMT much but low mood and carb addiction yes.
I used to live off pasta, noodles and bread. Literally, my protein levels were so low you needed a magnifying glass to find it, and my fats were all bad fats. My moods were equally low, bordering on depression. My insomnia forever present. Lethargic, dehydrated, bloated, unhappy.
Roll on going gluten free (bear in mind I am suspected Celiac) Massive carb addiction - massive cravings once I ditched the majority of my carbs, I simply do not like the majority of the GF versions of bread and pasta. Bloating gone, I instantly started to feel better about myself. I still ate GF and pasta plus rice and rice noodles at this point though. Plus cakes. At this point my mood was up and down like a jojo.
Now add LCHF, out went my bread, rice, noodles, bad fats etc As members on this board knows, my insomnia came back with a vengeance which leads to lethargy, all I wanted to do was to sleep and to be left alone. My mood ended up in the dumps and (bear in mind my job is very stressful with long hours) my GP put me on anti-depressants. After months of awful side effects I ditched them and went cold turkey (I do not advice anyone else to do this) I started to feel better within 2 weeks as soon as the drugs left my system.
Now let's look on how I am doing today, my insomnia is under control, I sleep better, no issues with bloating, my insides feel better, my skin looks better, I feel better within myself, I enjoy my food again. My carb cravings are gone, I don't binge eat (hard on protein and fats)
The changes did not happen overnight, it took time but I am so much happier and content now. Sure I miss rice now and then and a piece of bread, but do I miss how these foods make me feel? No, and I now sleep again at night, and did I mention how much more content I feel and that I have finally de-cluttered my place, made plans for the future and I have no plans to go back to be a carb addict again.
I hate to ask, but how does the frequency of BP correlate with your moods?
BP?
Er... Thinking digestive health & mood connection.1 -
When I'm following keto and am on track, the mood difference is nothing short of amazing!!! Carb numbers over 20-25g just ruin me...in so many ways.
I don't even need naps anymore as I'm also very much more energetic.
As soon as the carbs go in: mood depresses, energy goes down, cravings for sweets surge, aches and pains resurface, and weight loss stops dramatically.
Even knowing all this, I still struggle with carbs as comfort food way more than I want to.
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I went GF 2.5 years ago and drastically reduced my carb intake, last year I started LCHF.
I have not really suffered from PMT much but low mood and carb addiction yes.
I used to live off pasta, noodles and bread. Literally, my protein levels were so low you needed a magnifying glass to find it, and my fats were all bad fats. My moods were equally low, bordering on depression. My insomnia forever present. Lethargic, dehydrated, bloated, unhappy.
Roll on going gluten free (bear in mind I am suspected Celiac) Massive carb addiction - massive cravings once I ditched the majority of my carbs, I simply do not like the majority of the GF versions of bread and pasta. Bloating gone, I instantly started to feel better about myself. I still ate GF and pasta plus rice and rice noodles at this point though. Plus cakes. At this point my mood was up and down like a jojo.
Now add LCHF, out went my bread, rice, noodles, bad fats etc As members on this board knows, my insomnia came back with a vengeance which leads to lethargy, all I wanted to do was to sleep and to be left alone. My mood ended up in the dumps and (bear in mind my job is very stressful with long hours) my GP put me on anti-depressants. After months of awful side effects I ditched them and went cold turkey (I do not advice anyone else to do this) I started to feel better within 2 weeks as soon as the drugs left my system.
Now let's look on how I am doing today, my insomnia is under control, I sleep better, no issues with bloating, my insides feel better, my skin looks better, I feel better within myself, I enjoy my food again. My carb cravings are gone, I don't binge eat (hard on protein and fats)
The changes did not happen overnight, it took time but I am so much happier and content now. Sure I miss rice now and then and a piece of bread, but do I miss how these foods make me feel? No, and I now sleep again at night, and did I mention how much more content I feel and that I have finally de-cluttered my place, made plans for the future and I have no plans to go back to be a carb addict again.
I hate to ask, but how does the frequency of BP correlate with your moods?
BP?
Er... Thinking digestive health & mood connection.
Mood has dramatically changed, I am back to my old positive self. My insides are happier but I am still awaiting the time where my #2 would be less of a Niagara Falls, but saying that, I do now manage to naturally produce a proper poo about once or twice a week. Result in my books. Sad but true. I am no longer on most days having to plan my days around where the nearest toilet is. I still have the issue that if I need to go, OMG I need to go and now! But it is not everyday no more, more about once or twice a week. In my books it means I can now live a much more normal life.1 -
I sleep better and have less anxiety overall but especially at night while falling asleep. My mind is better able to just shut off and drift to sleep. First time going keto I had a stronger libido, doesn't feel like it much this time.0
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Honestly my mood swings are reminiscent of that Simpson's episode.....its bad. But I have a lot of other stress in my life lately so I cant pin ut on this WOE but I cant say this WOE is HELPING either.
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I think also a large part of it for me is when I stick to this WOE I have more self confidence, motivation and I'm proud of myself for accomplishing a goal and being disciplined. That mood affects other areas of my life (sleep quality, mood at work, etc). When I mess up with this WOE, I feel anxious about the failure and having to get back on track and again that has a negative impact on other areas of my life. So I'm not exactly sure if it's the WOE and any sort of mental chemical balance adjustment going on or if it's just me being proud of myself and feeling more in control of my life. TBH I think it's the latter.0
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I'm not strictly keto but mostly try to stick under 50g carbs/day.
I can't say I've noticed much effect on my mood however there have been plenty of other benefits; In general I am far less lethargic, I no longer have energy slumps in the early afternoon (which I have had for at least 7 years up to now). I sleep better. My skin, aches and pains (I am hypermobile and suffer with back and knee pain intermittently) and PMS symptoms are all greatly improved (less cravings, no cramps etc).
Personally I have had nothing but positive side effects from this WOE1 -
I think also a large part of it for me is when I stick to this WOE I have more self confidence, motivation and I'm proud of myself for accomplishing a goal and being disciplined. That mood affects other areas of my life (sleep quality, mood at work, etc). When I mess up with this WOE, I feel anxious about the failure and having to get back on track and again that has a negative impact on other areas of my life. So I'm not exactly sure if it's the WOE and any sort of mental chemical balance adjustment going on or if it's just me being proud of myself and feeling more in control of my life. TBH I think it's the latter.
YEEESSSSS!!!! Wow, I forgot about this connection! Thanks for the reminder!0 -
Thank you all for the comments!!
I'm nervous as am an anxious person and prone to lethargy and depression. Not severe depression though, but my mood picks up later int he day, during the day my motivation is nada and I'm chasing caffeine and looking forward to the next meal/snack. It takes something small such as little sleep, illness or pmt to push me over the edge.
I use food carbs to improve my mood so am not sure if keto will help but I have seen it work in epileptic children and if it can be that powerful on the brain then in someone with mild depression it may work.0 -
I am an anxious person and previously used carbs to lower stress. I have never had a depression diagnosis though, so take this with a grain of salt.
Keto has done wonders for my anxiety. I used to lay awake at night for hours if something woke me up just worrying about one thing after another: I was on the verge of getting fired (I wasn't) we were on the verge of homelessness (we're fine) and I was the world's worst mother (I really don't think I am). This hasn't happened to me since going keto.2 -
I am an anxious person and previously used carbs to lower stress. I have never had a depression diagnosis though, so take this with a grain of salt.
Keto has done wonders for my anxiety. I used to lay awake at night for hours if something woke me up just worrying about one thing after another.
Exactly this for me. Fortunately for me I don't have any major negative stressors in my life. However, unfortunately for me, I get anxious over pretty much everything. Even things people would very much consider a blessing. Like planning a vacation and not being able to sleep because I'm wondering if I should take the 1:00 pm train from the airport or the 1:15 pm train from the airport for a trip that's 6 months away! Most people would be like "why are you letting this worry you?" . For me, my mind just won't shut off. Keto, maybe even just LCHF in general and not specifically keto, has helped calm me down. I mean, I'm still crazy but it's manageable.
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I am an anxious person and previously used carbs to lower stress. I have never had a depression diagnosis though, so take this with a grain of salt.
Keto has done wonders for my anxiety. I used to lay awake at night for hours if something woke me up just worrying about one thing after another.
Exactly this for me. Fortunately for me I don't have any major negative stressors in my life. However, unfortunately for me, I get anxious over pretty much everything. Even things people would very much consider a blessing. Like planning a vacation and not being able to sleep because I'm wondering if I should take the 1:00 pm train from the airport or the 1:15 pm train from the airport for a trip that's 6 months away! Most people would be like "why are you letting this worry you?" . For me, my mind just won't shut off. Keto, maybe even just LCHF in general and not specifically keto, has helped calm me down. I mean, I'm still crazy but it's manageable.
Exactly the bolded. It's awful. I would love to live a day where I just don't care.
BUT, this does mean our finances are impeccable and I'm valued for my attention to detail at work...I just stay up all night worrying about it. 
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@surreychic when talking about my past actions at where they will often say well that was before LC it was a really bad move or decision. My pain level dropping from around 8 down to 2 in the first 30 days of LCHF late 2014 I expect made me less of a donkey.
At my age and state of health the first two weeks was hellish for me and the family but as the carb cravings and pain dropped like a rock everything started to improve.
I have been using the Sota Bio Tuner for about 10 days and that seems to be improving mood even more and giving better attention spans.
Best of success.0 -
I am an anxious person and previously used carbs to lower stress. I have never had a depression diagnosis though, so take this with a grain of salt.
Keto has done wonders for my anxiety. I used to lay awake at night for hours if something woke me up just worrying about one thing after another.
Exactly this for me. Fortunately for me I don't have any major negative stressors in my life. However, unfortunately for me, I get anxious over pretty much everything. Even things people would very much consider a blessing. Like planning a vacation and not being able to sleep because I'm wondering if I should take the 1:00 pm train from the airport or the 1:15 pm train from the airport for a trip that's 6 months away! Most people would be like "why are you letting this worry you?" . For me, my mind just won't shut off. Keto, maybe even just LCHF in general and not specifically keto, has helped calm me down. I mean, I'm still crazy but it's manageable.
Exactly the bolded. It's awful. I would love to live a day where I just don't care. BUT, this does mean our finances are impeccable and I'm valued for my attention to detail at work...I just stay up all night worrying about it.
Right? And I can put together a stellar vacation itinerary lol.0 -
My energy levels have been lower on keto, but everything has evened out so much- there's not so much of the up and down mood swings there used to be. I'd love to have more energy back, but that was an issue even before keto, and my primary and I are trying to figure out if there might be something else underlying.0
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CarrieMoritz wrote: »My energy levels have been lower on keto, but everything has evened out so much- there's not so much of the up and down mood swings there used to be. I'd love to have more energy back, but that was an issue even before keto, and my primary and I are trying to figure out if there might be something else underlying.
I was physically at a very low point but it took about a year before my energy was OK.0 -
GaleHawkins wrote: »CarrieMoritz wrote: »My energy levels have been lower on keto, but everything has evened out so much- there's not so much of the up and down mood swings there used to be. I'd love to have more energy back, but that was an issue even before keto, and my primary and I are trying to figure out if there might be something else underlying.
I was physically at a very low point but it took about a year before my energy was OK.
Did your energy level actually dip at the beginning of your LC phase, or were you recovering from existing lethargy?
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I have found that prolonged periods of keto cause me pretty severe depression, this has happened to me on two separate occasions of trying a keto diet. I'm trying to figure out what kind of carb level is appropriate for me as I have to be some level of low carb to keep cravings at bay.2
This discussion has been closed.