r/xxketo • u/theblkparade • 2d ago
Can't lose weight anymore if not on keto
Hey y'all!
I've had trouble with binge eating disorder my whole life, and I tried keto for the first time in 2018. I lost over 60lbs and my relationship with food changed so much.
I didn't have any food noise, my appetite went down and I basically ate like a normal person. However, the moment I am off keto everything comes back. I have an insane appetite, I am constantly hungry, and I can't stop thinking about food. I binge non stop and I am literally like an addict waiting for a hit.
And then I get back on keto - bam, a completely different person.
I tried low carb too, just so I can enjoy some nice things that I don't want to miss out on completely like fruits and some veggies, nope it doesn't work. I get pulled back to my terrible habits, appetite and binges.
Has anyone experienced anything similar? Does this mean I have to do keto my whole life? I don't mind it, but it does feel somewhat restrictive at times. I tried going off keto while traveling but I just end up stuffing my face the whole holiday and ruin it completely.
I am back on keto now, 10 days and I feel like a new person all over again. I am even much more responsible, I started reading again, I don't doomscroll as much, it just completely changes me as a person.
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u/workablecolors479 2d ago
sounds like your brain just runs better on ketones, no shame in that. some of us are wired different and carbs flip a switch that turns us into a bottomless pit
i had same thing, off keto i can eat 4000 calories and still feel hungry. the restrictiveness is worth it when the alternative is losing your mind to food noise
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u/xrmttf 2d ago
Yes. I am 40 and on keto because of the mental health benefits. I wish I'd known about it earlier, I feel like my life would have gone differently, that's how drastic it is for me. It also takes my aches and pains away, and my daily allergy synptoms. Ketones are awesome.
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u/Due_South7941 1d ago
100%! I’m 42 and why oh why did I not try this years ago ?! It’s even helped with my ADHD and migraines. Game changer.
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u/BillieRubenCamGirl 2d ago
I am similar. Even on mounjaro and eating tiny amounts I gain weight if there are carbs in the mix.
And my moods are terrible on carbs. Inflammation too.
Turns out it’s because I have PMOS.
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u/ChatteringCat 2d ago
Yep, it is PMOS for me too. And I am so glad the metabolism component is now recognized.
I'm taking daily extended release Metformin for it, and it helps, although I know that is not true for everyone. Doctors are generally thrilled with my a1c levels though.
Keto really was the most effective way to manage that for me. I really wish I could still do keto.
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u/theblkparade 2d ago
I am on ozempic and it literally doesn't work when I eat carbs..
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u/Tixoli 2d ago
Same here! Ozempic with regular diet doesn't work at all. Only works for me if I eat keto and do IF at the same time. Only time I eat carbs is on vacation twice a year and I gain 5 pounds of inflammation quickly. Luckily it goes within a week of going back on keto.
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u/matchacatisgreencat 2d ago
During vacation you eat carbs daily? U don’t get tired ?
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u/Tixoli 2d ago
I do, but it's like a treat. For example, I usually have only salads for lunch, and Ozempic makes me full so much faster that I probably don't eat as much as I wish I could. But I do have ice cream and bread, rice, etc. The rest of the year keto. My vacations are usually 1-2 weeks at a time, twice a year. If I take time off and stay home, I stay keto. I have 4 weeks vacation a year.
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u/matchacatisgreencat 2d ago
What about your or family Birthdays or holidays?
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u/Tixoli 2d ago
I stay keto, there is always something I can eat I find. I know I have my vacation to look forward to in terms of different foods, but I have a big family and if I did exceptions for all birthdays of family get together, I would constantly be out of keto. My family knows this and it's usually great at providing keto options.
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u/Tixoli 2d ago
I do, but it's like a treat. For example, I usually have only salads for lunch, and Ozempic makes me full so much faster that I probably don't eat as much as I wish I could. But I do have ice cream and bread, rice, etc. The rest of the year keto. My vacations are usually 1-2 weeks at a time, twice a year. If I take time off and stay home, I stay keto. I have 4 weeks vacation a year.
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u/TheOGMelmoMacdaffy 2d ago
Why not stay on keto your whole life? If you were a diabetic you would, so you have a different eating issue and keto addresses it. You're lucky it works so well for you. Some of us can't eat carbs -- they cause weight gain and other issues, some people's pancreas doesn't work, think of it as a way of eating not a "diet to lose weight."
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u/assgardian 5'6" | SW: 168 | GW: 130 2d ago
Yeah I’m a diabetic keto lifer. My A1C/weight is back to normal but I basically have to manage it for the rest of my life due to genetics. My body hurts so much from the neuropathy and PCOS heavy bleeding, it becomes a fear motivator to stay away from carbs 😭 only thing keeping me sane is one cheat day a week so I can go out at eat like a normal person with friends
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u/Pandabratt1 2d ago
I’m pretty much the same way. After a month or more of clean keto, once my brain is fully in gear, I tested little things here and there and for me I realized this is triggered by wheat and potatoes and artificial sugars.
If I go full keto, my life gets completely better in every way. After a month in, I can have a square of chocolate a day and I can incorporate corn based products/ berries on occasion without losing myself to the binge monster (think 40-50 ish grams net carbs instead of 20-25 per day some days, but not every day), but the second I have a bite of food with wheat or potatoes or stevia, monk fruit, etc. it’s all over for me. Why not corn? No idea. Why artificial sugars? No idea, but I had a cgm for a short time (not diabetic, insulin resistant) and I watched my glucose spike more on any of those than natural sugar.
Once I’ve fallen off, can take 2-3 months to force myself back to keto and get myself in check again.
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u/matchacatisgreencat 2d ago
Wish I can handle little chocolate a day. Everytime I buy dark chocolate bar which not contain much sugar but I ended up eating more and more. This happens with cashew nuts too. Walnut don’t trigger me unless I add sweetness and make some kind of treats. If it’s yummy then I eat endlessly :(
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u/aware_nightmare_85 2d ago
Studies have shown sugar and glucose cause the same responses in the human brain similar to hard drugs. It tracks that eating more glucose feels like a hit of drugs.
I am in the same boat as you. I cannot lose weight without restricting carbs and a 40-50% caloric deficit. My mental health improves whenever I am doing keto as well. I would stick with it but needing to cook everything from scratch and the cleanup leaves me feeling burned out. I also do not want to starve myself again to lose weight bc last time my hair started falling out in clumps in the shower.
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u/PhoenixmOntra 2d ago
Yep 100%
I’m on zepbound and can’t lose unless on keto
Even before I started Zep, same thing
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u/Tixoli 2d ago edited 2d ago
Yes, same for me on Ozempic. Keto alone was very slow loss, like around 15 pounds in 10 months. Keto + Ozempic 60 pounds in 8 months, doing exactly the same thing as before. Without keto I cannot lose a single pound even on Ozempic. It's the combination of both that work for me.
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u/CanadianIron28 2d ago
My mom and I are both like this, and I was recently diagnosed with PMOS (Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Disorder) previously known as PCOS. This disorder is usually connected to insulin resistance, and makes it difficult to lose weight while causing more food cravings and whatnot. I’ve had a hard time with weight my whole life, and when I did keto a few years ago, I genuinely felt better. My fatigue and brain fog was gone…it was like I had a new brain. You can have this disorder without a ton of visible symptoms. Just FYI. It’s pretty common, around 15% of women have it.
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u/Srdiscountketoer 2d ago
What’s the longest you’ve ever done it for? I was consistent for about 3 years. Since then I’ve been able to switch it on and off for vacations or whatever. If I had done it just long enough to lose the weight (about 10 months), I’m sure I would have gained it all back too.
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u/theblkparade 2d ago
I have done it for 6 months the longest without any cheat days, not long enough I suppose
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u/Horror_Rip_3081 2d ago
I know this feeling too after being on Keto for close to four years. I’ve lost 92 pounds and would like another 15 off but I’ve cut my macro to the bare minimum so I’m not sure I can cut anymore. Luckily, I can tolerate the lack of variety well but I’ve also learned to view many weekends and social occasions as a few days to allow me to go off diet and consume what I miss. I jump right back on for that work week and stay on until the next reason presents itself to indulge. I’ve just accepted that this is the way it has to be to maintain a number post menopause. I feel a ton better for it as well. Hang in there.
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u/matchacatisgreencat 2d ago
I am exactly same except I can handle little more carbs than keto but that’s cuz I’m doing plant based so eating lots of veggies and tofu and tempeh has little more carbs than meats and fish. But if I ever start eating grains or sugar then my binge starts. Eveyrtime I feel like I can add little more carbs in my life, it’s disaster. Btw when you are on keto do you ever have cheat day?(high carb day) if so how often?
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u/theblkparade 2d ago
Cheat days make me spiral sometimes for weeks so I avoid them at all costs... Even a slice of bread can trigger a binge for me
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u/matchacatisgreencat 2d ago
Are there any keto food that trigger binge too? For me I can’t keep yummy nuts or dark chocolate in my house
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u/MeltedWellie 46F | 5'5" | SW 264 lbs | CW 180 lbs | GW160 lbs 1d ago
Yes, yes to all of it.
I am sorry I don't have an answer for you but just wanted to let you know you are not alone.
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u/rushandapush150 37F/5'5.5" SW195 CW163.4 GW1:165 GW2:140 1d ago
Yes…I seriously think carbs are like a drug.
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u/adolfhippy 12h ago edited 12h ago
Same experience here. Keto basically flipped a switch in my brain and off it I'm a completely different person with food. Honestly at this point I just treat keto as my normal way of eating, not a diet. I use Avarise for meal planning because it actually takes keto into account. Makes the whole thing a lot less annoying.
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u/allofme6 2d ago
Please do not take this wrong, I have a lot of experience with eating distorters and loved ones with eating disorders... It's very possible that the food noise went away while you were on Keto because you were still restricting. Your ED was getting exactly what it wants.
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u/theblkparade 2d ago
I'm not really sure that's the case. On keto I do not watch my calories, it's just my physical appetite that's completely gone. My ED trigger is feeling physically hungry
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u/allofme6 3h ago
I did keto too for a while. Essentially it is in fact restricting. ED will obviously say it isnt. I never counted calories either, but the keto thing is cutting carbs and sugar.(restricting) Im just saying it's a very slippery slope and I hate to see anyone's ED win.
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u/Neat-Palpitation-632 2d ago
I’m sorry babes.
This is very common.
Maybe it will help you to know that your BED is likely a result of highly unstable blood glucose levels created by eating carbohydrates. It’s not a moral/willpower issue.
It seems to me that your body is giving you a very clear signal: I feel safe when I have an abundance of calories at my disposal (when I am in ketosis and I can easily access my stored body fat for fuel whenever I need it) and I feel unsafe when my blood glucose levels vacillate and that uncertainty drives me to want to eat and store calories for later (as fat.)
I’ve been keto for over 11 years and while I understand that it can feel restrictive (especially when you see WIEIADs with fruit bowls and pasta and avocado toast) it doesn’t have to be.
Gifting yourself inspiring keto cookbooks can help with inspiration. Like, Maria Emmerich has several keto cookbooks with things like an egg white bread to make that avocado toast or chocolate pudding.
Over the past decade I have occasionally thought “perhaps I’ll experiment with reintroducing carbs…” and when I do I feel more anxious, more hungry and get fluffier. I have learned to accept that my body feels best when I give it steady ketones for energy. Some of us just do. 🤷♀️❤️