Thread: 2 Years of Keto before entering Phase 1

You are not required to add carbs for the two loading days. The important thing is to get enough fat. So its really up to you if you want to carb load or not.

Those that do a low/no carb load usually don't gain much or might even lose. However, even if you gain a lot, its going to come off in the first couple days of the VLCdiet. It doesn't affect the overall results much either way. I've had rounds where I had a large gain, and rounds that produced a loss from the load days. My first weeks net loss turned out to be about the same either way.

I encourage you to embrace the built in carbs in the P2 phase, and also in P3. Its is critical for your adrenals to get built up again from the fruits in the menu.

Men seem to be able to do keto for long periods without to many problems, but for women its another issue. Long periods without fruit and healthy carbs like root veggies can really mess with our adrenals. So its really important to not cut those out completely long term.

One caution with loading worth mentioning is if you happen to choose to eat something your body is sensitive to. At that point you can experience an abnormally large gain from the resulting inflammation. One person reported a 15 pound gain from their load, which is extreme. They knew they were eating a food that was a problem for them, but did it anyway. In that case it took the whole first week to lose that load gain before they could start actually losing from their preload weight. Not worth it, in my opinion.

However, even if the load gain is not extreme, losing it can still be pretty dramatic. I had a load gain of 5 pounds on one round. After the first VLC day, I lost all 5 pounds plus a little more. So it can come off very quickly.

Unfortunately, your sisters experience is all too common. Not only does keto stop working for many women after a time, but they can even start gaining. I've seen it happen over and over. Its not because these people are messing up. Its because the body is resisting and calling out for what it needs.

Actually, fiber retains more water. If you have water retention, what will bring it down is to reduce the inflammation. Lots of water, cooling foods like cucumber and ginger are helpful.

A caution about using fiber during P2: Constipation is a common side effect of the VLCdiet because of the low food volume. Fiber is not the answer to constipation once it happens. In fact, its probably the worst remedy to try because it just forms a plug behind what is already there.

If you want to encourage things to move, the best and most gentle way is increasing magnesium and vitamin C.