TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE
Issue: I'm gassy and bloated
As you enter into the high fat low carb way of eating, you will naturally lower inflammation in the body. Lowering inflammation is an excellent thing.
The problem with losing that baseline inflammation is that now we can really feel any foods that may not digest easily. Previously, you most likely had a certain level of inflammation within the digestive tract so when you ate something your body didn’t love, you didn’t even notice it (that feeling was your normal). Now, with that inflammation gone reactions are very noticeable.
The best thing to do here is to keep a food/mood/poop journal and track what you’re eating and how you’re feeling in real time. We should be able to figure out pretty quickly which foods are causing distress and either remove them temporarily or provide digestive support.
A great digestion tip is to have 1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar in water about 30 minutes before a meal to improve digestive secretions. You can also try taking digestive enzymes with your meals as your body learns to process these new foods.
Issue: I’m not losing weight
There are a few common reasons this happens. Let’s outline them:
You are eating too many nuts and seeds. Nuts and seeds are amazing little good fat-filled weapons. They are also very energy and calorie dense and VERY easy to overeat. It is crucial to properly measure your portions.
You are adding a lot of fat to your diet instead of replacing the carbohydrates with fat. This one is pretty obvious, but if you are going to try a high-fat diet, you can't just add in more fat to what you're already eating and expect to see results. Ideally the fat is replacing most of your carbohydrates. Be sure to watch your carb intake so you are not eating high fat and high carb.
You're still eating grains. Grains can be very irritating to the digestive system. They can cause major bloating and upset which makes it very difficult to lose weight.
You are stressed and/or not sleeping enough. Your body will hold onto fat when it's stressed (emotional, physical, etc.). Trying to lose weight while overworking your adrenals (stress glands) is a losing battle. You need to get your stress under control. Try yoga, meditation, gratitude practices, journaling, etc. Also, go to bed at a reasonable hour and aim for at least 7 hours of sleep a night. Study after study shows that if you don't sleep enough, you hold onto fat like nobody's business.
Other Issues...
I’m feeling tired
my period has stopped
I’m depressed or anxious
my hair seems thinner
If this is a new condition brought on by eating a high-fat, moderate protein, low-carb diet, it means that your body needs more carbs!
You can still follow the principles of this lifestyle, but you need to ensure you are meeting your carbohydrate requirements on high carb/regular macro day. You have to ensure your thyroid has enough carbohydrates to effectively convert the hormone T4 to T3 (the active form) and other important tasks.
Do not eat NO carb on low carb days. Be sure you are close to the 50g mark. You need the fibre and vitamins!