Transitioning back to carbs from ZC - Getting Started - Ketogenic Forums
Transitioning back to carbs from ZC
After some experimentation with my most demanding training sessions, e.g. strongman stuff lasting 1-2 hours, I was at my most productive using some CHO around the workout period. Don’t get me wrong, I have enjoyed excellent weights workouts on a KD. Heck, last spring/summer I was doing weights, intervals and steady state cardio on carnivore - and got into excellent condition in the process.
It does get better. It’s not like it takes an entire year. Six to eight weeks in the whole scheme of things is a relatively short period of time. And if your inflammation has improved, why not have the patience?
For the record I have never been on a keto diet. This would be the first time.
And that explains why your muscles feel so weak for now. They have to develop the infrastructure to efficiently use their new fuel source. Our bodies are quite resilient, but they can’t change over night.
Though my guess is they take a lot longer than 6-8 weeks to truly transition. For instance, I still had high ketones several years into keto, but now, I get near zero. I think that’s a transition to allow exercise to happen while not needing a bunch of ketones floating around.
Is there really no way you can lighten the physical demands on your body, until you are fully adapted to the new way of eating? That might be one approach.
Another approach would be to weigh the effects you like against the effects you don’t like, and see how important each one is to you. The side of the balance with the most desirable effects might be the course of action to pursue. For example, you might like the feeling of being clean, but you might dislike the feeling of getting wet in the shower so much more intensely that it might make sense to stay dirty.
I am keeping them as low as I possibly can. It feels terribly unhealthy but as I said I am very curious to see further benefits of a zero carb diet. Some chronic aches have disappeared and it’s keeping me going.
I don’t have a real understanding of the what I’m missing because I have never done this before. It’s like Tesla stock, all speculation
I overate yesterday on purpose to try an extended fast to see if that might speed up the process
4,476kcal fat 363g Pro 280g All from beef minus 300kcal from 2tbsp of avocado oil for cooking and 1tsp of fish oil.
I will only have water, electrolytes and small amounts of black coffee or tea.
It’s not really speculation because so many here have done it and experienced what you’re experiencing. Will it work for you? Maybe.
It takes time and trying to speed up the process will most likely create unreasonable expectations. Keep calm and keto on is the mantra because it takes time to heal. It’s different for everyone and maybe you’re in a better spot genetically than others, but expecting a quick fix is false hope.
If you’ve been carnivore for for only two weeks, your muscles are now depleted of glycogen. Fasting helps deplete glycogen so you can use fat instead of glucose, but I don’t think it is going to help you grow mitochondria any faster.
You really do have to be patient and trust the process.
I understand that I will become fat adapted and get over the “keto flu” that is certain. What is not certain is more reduced inflammation, better focus, & the other anecdotal benefits people report on a case by case base.
It seems that even long term prominent KD’ers still consume CHO around bouts of high intensity exercise.
Form what I gather it’s great thing to switch to a KD for the benefits for a time being but for most of the time a diet with CHO included as the primary energy source is better suited for a person looking to be as fast, strong, explosive as possible.
I do trust the process. I don’t doubt for one second that I would eventually become fat adapted and feel less weak and lethargic.
I’m trying my best to hang on and make it 30, 60, or even 90 days.
It seems to be that if I complete a longer stint I will be able to switch between CHO and ZC more readily in the future.