Crush the Carb Cravings

It was a little more than a year ago that I was writing about my fight against breast cancer and how I used a ketogenic based diet to help my treatments be as effective as possible.  The learning curve to going ketogenic is a long arc!  Along the way, I've taken in and incorporated enough information to effectively change the way I see food and the things I feel are acceptable and unacceptable for me to eat.  But I'm not actually ketogenic now.  I'm not even low carb anymore.

The process has forever changed some of my base notions about food.  It used to be that my husband would bring home donuts early on an occasional weekend morning as a treat for the kids.  He always remembered to grab an apple fritter for me, because that's a treat I love.  Now, that donut run just seems pointless.  Why bring home something that is going to cause stomach upset for one of my kids who is gluten sensitive, and give a massive sugar bomb soaked in oil that will damage us all from the inside out instantly? I really see it that way now, so how can I stick that in my mouth or feed it to my kids!

I maintained a very strict ketogenic diet for just a month or two after my diagnosis, keeping daily carbs below 50 grams and eating healthy fats and moderate proteins.  It was important because it maxed out the benefit of the cancer treatments. But after that, I found the focus on food to be distracting me from other areas of my life.  I don't normally think that much about what my next meal will be, and being strictly ketogenic felt so foreign that I had to plan each meal and snack ahead of time.  I became a slave to the diet while I underwent my cancer treatments, but I didn't want to maintain the focus forever.  

The good news was that as I slipped out of ketogenic diet mode and into my "old ways" I found I was forever changed.  I was eating more vegetables, I was no longer worried about eating plenty of good fats, and I instinctively avoided foods from boxes of any kind.

But recently, I've been feeling some of the old carb cravings sneaking in on me. While I'm not "carb loading" before long training runs, I started using energy gels when I'm running over 6 miles, and I didn't shun electrolyte energy drinks at races like I used to.  I ate turkey sandwiches on our ski trips this winter, and even added potato chips to the meal!  Oatmeal with blueberries became a regular pre-run fuel for my longer weekend runs again.  Compared to my "old ways" that included a pocket full of mini candy bars on the slopes, I was at least letting the better stuff slip back in and not the pure junk.  But even those better, more whole food carbs are starting to have an effect that I find enlightening.

As the carbs creep in, I'm having to eat more often. I have jittery moments or feel suddenly ravenous even though it's only been two hours since a meal.  I'm wanting to snack all the time.  I'm a slave to my blood sugar again.

I've identified all these symptoms of carb overload and decided the carbs aren't worth it.  When I'm lower carb, even if I'm not fully ketogenic, I feel cleaner.  My energy doesn't flow in fits and starts.  It burns steadily and purely, and I love the way I feel on the trails.  On a long run, I feel like I can go all day with just some water in my pack.  

Ditching the carbs is a bit of a roller coaster effort.  It's ups and downs for sure. I'm starting by just cleaning out the crap.  Zero processed food.  No bread. No sugar. No fancy coffee creamers, no "energy" bars.  Just food with ingredients I control.  While I'm adapting, that is simple enough.  I watch the carbs and am aware of items that are higher (fruits and veggies) and find ways to get good fats added to my diet (coconut oil, avocados), but I'm eating as many vegetables as I want and fruit is not forbidden (I just don't pig out on it).  

If you've ever wondered what it's really like to be active on low carbs, you can follow along.  I'll try to be more dedicated to jotting down these experiences so other people can compare their experiences with mine. 

Lock in your shoulder restraint.  We're going for a ride.