starving while in ketosis

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

Right now my husband is in the hospital and im going through a VERY

I'm sorry to hear that :-(

Quoted message said:

stressful time. ive been on atkins/lc for about a month this go around
(i like to do it a few months at a time, stay at a certain weight and
go on). my question is this... since this is a HIGHLY stressful time
for me, i cant eat. i have eaten part of 1 meal in 5 days...
essentially a cup of lettuce and 1 crab leg. (i thought a nice dinner
would stimulate my appetite...it didnt)

am i causing any damage to my body, especially since im in ketosis? i
dont care about stalls or whatever right now. starvation mode doesnt
bother me either -- the only thing that matters is my husband being
okay and things working out the way we want them to. i am trying my
best to keep taking my supplements, as it stands right now, i missed
them a few days in a row and started taking the morning ones again
today.

please let me have some advice. i dont need to end up in the hospital
1 floor above him.

You've pretty much answered your own question. I know that when I don't
eat enough, coupled with severe stress such as you have right now, I get
rundown very quickly and usually end up sick. You need to take care of
yourself so that you can be strong for HIM, if not for yourself. Do you
have someone who can bring you food while you are with him? Does the
hospital have a cafeteria?

I hope your husband is on the mend ASAP!

--
Saffire
205/144/125 - 5'1.5"
Atkins since 6/14/03
Progress photo: http://photos.yahoo.com/saffire333

tia said:

Right now my husband is in the hospital and im going through a VERY
stressful time. ive been on atkins/lc for about a month this go around
(i like to do it a few months at a time, stay at a certain weight and
go on). my question is this... since this is a HIGHLY stressful time
for me, i cant eat. i have eaten part of 1 meal in 5 days...
essentially a cup of lettuce and 1 crab leg. (i thought a nice dinner
would stimulate my appetite...it didnt)

<hug> I sympathise. I really do. One of my standard reactions to
stress is to lose my appetite, too. When I went through my Soap Opera
Cycle last year (in which my extended family dealt with murder,
suicide, kidnap, psychiatric issues and injury all in a 2 month
period) I felt the same way. It's hard to eat when you feel as if
your life is heading down the toilet.

Quoted message said:

am i causing any damage to my body, especially since im in ketosis? i
dont care about stalls or whatever right now. starvation mode doesnt
bother me either -- the only thing that matters is my husband being
okay and things working out the way we want them to. i am trying my
best to keep taking my supplements, as it stands right now, i missed
them a few days in a row and started taking the morning ones again
today.

You would be in ketosis when you weren't eating, no matter WHAT eating
plan you were (or weren't) following. There's nothing 'dangerous'
about ketosis (as opposed to the diabetic condition ketoacidosis) in
and of itself. It won't be doing any *extra* damage to you just
because you were following a ketogenic diet before you stopped eating.

Quoted message said:

please let me have some advice. i dont need to end up in the hospital
1 floor above him.

You know what the solution is. I can tell that you do - you DON'T
need to land up in hospital too. Your husband doesn't need the added
stress of getting over his situation AND knowing you're not taking
care of yourself.

So, try to make yourself eat a little bit a couple of times a day.
Make it simple, bland, easy to slip down if need be. A shake, if
that's your 'thing'. A cup of yoghurt, perhaps topped with some
chopped nuts or seeds. A lightly poached egg on a slice of high-fibre
crispbread or LC bread if you 'do' that and have access to it. Don't
worry about not 'feeling like eating' - your body does need fuel if
you're going to be in the best shape to help your husband get through
his convalescence.

Quoted message said:

-tia

ps, i am drinking water as best i can, not nearly enough, but then i
dont have much in the way of time or energy. maybe 20-40oz a day.

If you haven't done so already, get yourself a couple of sports-topped
bottles. Carry them everywhere with you, filled with water and sip it
all day long. If you prefer chilled water (I usually do) pop one in
the freezer overnight, filled to the half-way point with water.
Dehydration is also something you're going to want to avoid to be in
the best possible health.

Aramanth

Eat something....NOW.

tia said:

Right now my husband is in the hospital and im going through a VERY
stressful time. ive been on atkins/lc for about a month this go
around (i like to do it a few months at a time, stay at a certain
weight and go on). my question is this... since this is a HIGHLY
stressful time for me, i cant eat. i have eaten part of 1 meal in 5
days... essentially a cup of lettuce and 1 crab leg. (i thought a
nice dinner would stimulate my appetite...it didnt)

am i causing any damage to my body, especially since im in ketosis? i
dont care about stalls or whatever right now. starvation mode doesnt
bother me either -- the only thing that matters is my husband being
okay and things working out the way we want them to. i am trying my
best to keep taking my supplements, as it stands right now, i missed
them a few days in a row and started taking the morning ones again
today.

please let me have some advice. i dont need to end up in the hospital
1 floor above him.

-tia

ps, i am drinking water as best i can, not nearly enough, but then i
dont have much in the way of time or energy. maybe 20-40oz a day.

"tia" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

am i causing any damage to my body, especially since im in ketosis?

As Amaranth already pointed out, you'd be in ketosis no matter what you'd
been eating previously. Try to get some protein in, at least, a couple times
a day. Your body needs protein and will start taking it from muscle tissue
if you don't provide it via food. It can break down fat for energy. Deep
ketosis causes the profound appetite loss you are experiencing, obviously
aggravated by the stress you're experiencing. You need the protein, but if
you don't also eat *some* carbs you'll continue to inhibit your appetite. So
get some small protein meals that include some carbs... a couple bites of
bread, whatever is available.

I hope everything works out for you and your husband. You're going through a
tough time, but the others are right, you need to take care of yourself so
you can take care of *him*. Best wishes.

HG

i appreciate all the replies. i am taking vitamins when i think ill
hold them down, calcium at least and the omega 3. i was really
concerned about ketosis being harmful because i started feeling a pain
in my side almost where the kidneys were. it wasnt pain, more of a
discomfort. my mom said to drink more water, which ive been trying to
do, but then i wondered if something was going wrong. when i had the
chance, i tested with a ketostick. it was so purple it was almost
black. its very reassuring to know that im probably not hurting
myself. hopefully this will be over next week sometime and we can go
home.

aramanth: i almost started crying all over again when i read your post
about your soap opera. i feel with everything ive been through, ive
reached my limit. if i had to go through what you did, im not sure
where i'd be. i'm sorry for your loss, and im extremely sorry i posted
something that would make you think of that again. i hope you find
peace eventually.

i'll try to eat a bit more today. its pretty hard since im 300 miles
from home, lost in san antonio, already petrified under the conditions
he's "incarcerated" (long story), running out of money, and of course,
the love of my life is sick. nothing tastes the same. i guess a shake
would be best, ill see if i can find a foodstore here. i appreciate
the replies a lot.

How much bodyfat do you have?

--
Most people are dumb as bricks; some people are dumber than that. -- MFW

"tia" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Right now my husband is in the hospital and im going through a VERY
stressful time. ive been on atkins/lc for about a month this go around
(i like to do it a few months at a time, stay at a certain weight and
go on). my question is this... since this is a HIGHLY stressful time
for me, i cant eat. i have eaten part of 1 meal in 5 days...
essentially a cup of lettuce and 1 crab leg. (i thought a nice dinner
would stimulate my appetite...it didnt)

am i causing any damage to my body, especially since im in ketosis? i
dont care about stalls or whatever right now. starvation mode doesnt
bother me either -- the only thing that matters is my husband being
okay and things working out the way we want them to. i am trying my
best to keep taking my supplements, as it stands right now, i missed
them a few days in a row and started taking the morning ones again
today.

please let me have some advice. i dont need to end up in the hospital
1 floor above him.

-tia

ps, i am drinking water as best i can, not nearly enough, but then i
dont have much in the way of time or energy. maybe 20-40oz a day.

right now i dont have a way to measure myself since im in a hotel room
300 miles from home. i havent done a bodyfat calculation before, i
just always did the bmi thing. considering im not athletic anymore it
should be a decent indicator. my bmi is 35 (5'8", about 230) atm. so
to answer your question, i probably have quite a bit of body fat. i
have about 80lbs to go to hit 150lbs...

hope that gives you some scientific insight that might give some good
advice or what not.

If you take in some small bits of protein, your body can provide the rest of
your needs from stored fat. That's what it's for.

--
Most people are dumb as bricks; some people are dumber than that. -- MFW

"tia" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

right now i dont have a way to measure myself since im in a hotel room
300 miles from home. i havent done a bodyfat calculation before, i
just always did the bmi thing. considering im not athletic anymore it
should be a decent indicator. my bmi is 35 (5'8", about 230) atm. so
to answer your question, i probably have quite a bit of body fat. i
have about 80lbs to go to hit 150lbs...

hope that gives you some scientific insight that might give some good
advice or what not.

i guess ill try to force it.. sigh .. doing that got me fat in the
first place. thanks tho.

tia said:

i guess ill try to force it.. sigh .. doing that got me fat in the
first place. thanks tho.

Not starving yourself to the point of being sick got you fat in the first
place?

Aramanth Dawe said:

tia said:

Right now my husband is in the hospital and im going through a VERY
stressful time. ive been on atkins/lc for about a month this go around
(i like to do it a few months at a time, stay at a certain weight and
go on). my question is this... since this is a HIGHLY stressful time
for me, i cant eat. i have eaten part of 1 meal in 5 days...
essentially a cup of lettuce and 1 crab leg. (i thought a nice dinner
would stimulate my appetite...it didnt)

<hug> I sympathise. I really do. One of my standard reactions to
stress is to lose my appetite, too. When I went through my Soap Opera
Cycle last year (in which my extended family dealt with murder,
suicide, kidnap, psychiatric issues and injury all in a 2 month
period) I felt the same way. It's hard to eat when you feel as if
your life is heading down the toilet.

Quoted message said:

am i causing any damage to my body, especially since im in ketosis? i
dont care about stalls or whatever right now. starvation mode doesnt
bother me either -- the only thing that matters is my husband being
okay and things working out the way we want them to. i am trying my
best to keep taking my supplements, as it stands right now, i missed
them a few days in a row and started taking the morning ones again
today.

You would be in ketosis when you weren't eating, no matter WHAT eating
plan you were (or weren't) following. There's nothing 'dangerous'
about ketosis (as opposed to the diabetic condition ketoacidosis) in
and of itself. It won't be doing any *extra* damage to you just
because you were following a ketogenic diet before you stopped eating.

Quoted message said:

please let me have some advice. i dont need to end up in the hospital
1 floor above him.

You know what the solution is. I can tell that you do - you DON'T
need to land up in hospital too. Your husband doesn't need the added
stress of getting over his situation AND knowing you're not taking
care of yourself.

So, try to make yourself eat a little bit a couple of times a day.
Make it simple, bland, easy to slip down if need be. A shake, if
that's your 'thing'. A cup of yoghurt, perhaps topped with some
chopped nuts or seeds. A lightly poached egg on a slice of high-fibre
crispbread or LC bread if you 'do' that and have access to it. Don't
worry about not 'feeling like eating' - your body does need fuel if
you're going to be in the best shape to help your husband get through
his convalescence.

I also lose appetite when under stress. Unlike some people, I find bland
food harder to accept at those times than spicy food. My stress survival
don't starve foods are things flavored with acidic or salty flavorings.
Perhaps a 'shake' flavored with instant decaf coffee ... olives with pimento
.... tomato juice or V8 .... tuna sandwich ... salty potato chips or pretzels
.... Cheezit type crackers ... grilled cheese on sourdough ... cream cheese
with onions and chives ... strong dark chocolate (or carob chips if you can
get them and don't want the caffeine that's in chocolate).

The important thing is to keep up ones energy to help the person in the
hospital.

Good luck,
Skinny

JC Der Koenig said:

If you take in some small bits of protein, your body can provide the

rest of

Quoted message said:

your needs from stored fat. That's what it's for.

tia said:

i guess ill try to force it.. sigh .. doing that got me fat in the
first place. thanks tho.

Roger Zoul said:

tia said:

i guess ill try to force it.. sigh .. doing that got me fat in the
first place. thanks tho.

Not starving yourself to the point of being sick got you fat in the

first

Quoted message said:

place?

No, that would be the tiny bits of protein she ate

and the doughnuts. Can't forget the doughnuts.

warehouse said:

JC Der Koenig said:

If you take in some small bits of protein, your body can provide the

rest of

Quoted message said:

your needs from stored fat. That's what it's for.

tia said:

i guess ill try to force it.. sigh .. doing that got me fat in the
first place. thanks tho.

Roger Zoul said:

tia said:

i guess ill try to force it.. sigh .. doing that got me fat in the
first place. thanks tho.

Not starving yourself to the point of being sick got you fat in the

first

Quoted message said:

place?

No, that would be the tiny bits of protein she ate

and the doughnuts. Can't forget the doughnuts.

🙂

Wow now thats some drama (pot calling the kettle black) Your common
sense will tell you to eat. If you hungry eat. When you're on induction
or LCing you should never be hungry.
Doubt you'll end up in the floor above him. Eat for goshs sake!
Laureen

tia said:

aramanth: i almost started crying all over again when i read your post
about your soap opera. i feel with everything ive been through, ive
reached my limit. if i had to go through what you did, im not sure
where i'd be. i'm sorry for your loss, and im extremely sorry i posted
something that would make you think of that again. i hope you find
peace eventually.

Tia, I'm sorry I upset you. I mentioned my Soap Opera life, not
because I was looking for sympathy but to show you that I *do*
understand what it feels like to be so damned overwhelmed that you
don't feel you can tolerate another thing.

I am slowly coming to terms with the fact that I am a person whose
life has encompassed more pain in the past 12 months than most will
ever have to face. People here were among my support base when things
went blooey for my family and I appreciated it very much. I have a
great husband and 2 gorgeous daughters to keep myself focused on the
good things that life has to offer. I have been taking
antidepressants to help me cope without being overwhelmed and with my
doctor have formed a plan for weaning me off them later this year when
I have worked through the grieving sufficiently to deal with the
emotional side on my own.

I'll keep you in my thoughts and hope that all goes well, and that you
and your beloved will soon be heading for home.

Aramanth

"tia" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

i appreciate all the replies. i am taking vitamins when i think ill
hold them down, calcium at least and the omega 3. i was really
concerned about ketosis being harmful because i started feeling a pain
in my side almost where the kidneys were. it wasnt pain, more of a
discomfort. my mom said to drink more water, which ive been trying to
do, but then i wondered if something was going wrong. when i had the
chance, i tested with a ketostick. it was so purple it was almost
black.

No wonder your kidneys are hurting! Dark purple is not good.

its very reassuring to know that im probably not hurting

Quoted message said:

myself.

Ketosis is not a bad thing, but you need some water girl! And probably a
little bit of food as well. Sorry to hear you are going through some
stressful times, but your going to harm yourself if you don't take care.
Listen to your Mom.

hopefully this will be over next week sometime and we can go

Quoted message said:

home.

aramanth: i almost started crying all over again when i read your post
about your soap opera. i feel with everything ive been through, ive
reached my limit. if i had to go through what you did, im not sure
where i'd be. i'm sorry for your loss, and im extremely sorry i posted
something that would make you think of that again. i hope you find
peace eventually.

i'll try to eat a bit more today. its pretty hard since im 300 miles
from home, lost in san antonio, already petrified under the conditions
he's "incarcerated" (long story), running out of money, and of course,
the love of my life is sick. nothing tastes the same. i guess a shake
would be best, ill see if i can find a foodstore here. i appreciate
the replies a lot.

thanks for the replies.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

No wonder your kidneys are hurting! Dark purple is not good.

if ketosis is safe, then why is dark purple not good? im doing better
on the water... actually i ate today. skinny, your ideas about the
chips and stuff were right on the money. i had some lc chips and
salsa, hopefully didnt overwhelm myself with carbos...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Tia, I'm sorry I upset you.

aramanth, you didnt upset me like you think i did. i just was first
shocked youd divulge something that personal (thanks) and also i
realize it could always be worse. i was actually feeling terrible for
you.

now as for laureen... im not sure why you're trying to attack me, but
your advice is sound. thanks.

"tia" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

thanks for the replies.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

No wonder your kidneys are hurting! Dark purple is not good.

if ketosis is safe, then why is dark purple not good?

From what you are saying about not eating, you are likely breaking down
muscle tissue as well as fat. If you don't have enough energy from food, you
will get it from fat. That's ok, and ketosis is the natural process for
burning fat. If you don't get enough protein, your body will break down
muscle tissue to get what it needs. That's the down side of starvation and
not the goal of ketosis.
Dark purple is an indication that you are not drinking enough water. I
know you are under stress and don't feel like eating or drinking. Don't
starve yourself to the point of being ill. Hubby doesn't need to be worrying
about you as well as himself.
Take care of yourself, ok?

Tom

im doing better

Quoted message said:

on the water... actually i ate today. skinny, your ideas about the
chips and stuff were right on the money. i had some lc chips and
salsa, hopefully didnt overwhelm myself with carbos...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Tia, I'm sorry I upset you.

aramanth, you didnt upset me like you think i did. i just was first
shocked youd divulge something that personal (thanks) and also i
realize it could always be worse. i was actually feeling terrible for
you.

now as for laureen... im not sure why you're trying to attack me, but
your advice is sound. thanks.

X-No-Archive: yes

"tia" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

i'll try to eat a bit more today. its pretty hard since im 300 miles
from home, lost in san antonio, already petrified under the conditions
he's "incarcerated" (long story), running out of money, and of course,
the love of my life is sick. nothing tastes the same. i guess a shake
would be best, ill see if i can find a foodstore here. i appreciate
the replies a lot.

=======================
You can ask the nurses if you can have someone's try who refused it, or the
extra tray of food most hospital floors get. Take the foods that fit your
diet from the tray. There is almost always a small piece of meat and one or
more veggies. They dispose of this food anyway. And it's free! I hope
your man is up and well soon.
--
Wysong
Age 60. Height 5'6"
Starting date: 1/8/05
171/ 165 / 140 lb
Starting date LC 7/01 at 207lbs
Stopped losing on LC 11/01 at 165lbs
==========================================
[censored] - I forgot to get my official stamp of approval and sign the
little document promising only to have thoughts that conform to the
official ASDLC guidelines.
I hate it when that happens. (credit Sophie)
~~<~~<~~{@ ~~<~~<~~{@ ~~<~~<~~{@