The Trifecta: AA, Keto & Intermittent Fasting
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Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 519
The Trifecta: AA, Keto & Intermittent Fasting
Hey everyone!!!
I am posting this only as I AM experiencing it. Of course, I am not a doctor so I can only go off of my own journey.
I went to my first meeting on the 20th, at 2 days sober. Then 2 days after that, I read on a thread that Keto had helped someone with their sugar (alcohol) cravings. This peaked my interest as I had also gained 11 pounds in 3 months while drinking. I was feeling so low in regards to confidence and self-esteem. I have always exercised religiously and of course addiction stole that from me as well. So I decided to give it a try, it would also be a good distraction for me.
I will be 20 days sober tomorrow and other than a "grieving" process of my old life, which I heard is normal, I have not had a craving for alcohol. I think about it, but it is more in a lifestyle way and in no way do I want to return to it. In the beginning of the Keto, I had bad sugar cravings and satisfied them by "cheating" with a piece of candy each day or a gumball. That usually did the trick! Then that subsided about a week in.
Throughout my research into the diet, I read that it is most efficient paired with intermittent fasting. I am attempting to keep a 8 hour eating cycle followed by a 16 hour fasting cycle, 8 hours of which I am sleeping (hopefully!). I am not that diligent with it yet, I will have a small snack late at night.
I can see a drastic change not only from the sobriety but from the two other changes I have made. I am more focused and motivated. I sit each night playing classical music and going through my nightly rituals (my NEW habits) of journaling, reading my Big Book and highlighting phrases I love and completing a Gratitude List. I sip on water with lemon and cucumber and feel utter contentment and I get tired. It is such a relaxing practice. There are not thoughts of alcohol while I am in this practice. Then I get into bed, get cozy with my puppers and pray the 3rd Step, Fear, Acceptance, and Night Prayers along with the Serenity Prayer and Lord's Prayer. Just when I think I am all prayed out, I shut off the lights and have my conversation with my God as I understand Him. This is where I ask him to continue taking control of my life, that I trust him and love him.
This trifecta is working for me and I just wanted to share. All of this, along with exercise to release endorphins and keeping contact with people inside and out of the program who only serve me well are becoming my foundation of sobriety. I feel so immensely grateful and I cannot WAIT to get to my meetings.
As I hit my 20th day, I am so full of love and peace, I feel like my heart is going to burst open and spill all of the light everywhere. I can feel it in my walk, see it in my eyes, experience it through my acts of kindness and pure joy that radiates out of me. There is not one bad thing inside me.
The last prayer I say is a Hebrew prayer that my mom sent me:
My God, the soul that you have placed within me is pure.
That's all. Goodnight my SR family. Love you all.
I am posting this only as I AM experiencing it. Of course, I am not a doctor so I can only go off of my own journey.
I went to my first meeting on the 20th, at 2 days sober. Then 2 days after that, I read on a thread that Keto had helped someone with their sugar (alcohol) cravings. This peaked my interest as I had also gained 11 pounds in 3 months while drinking. I was feeling so low in regards to confidence and self-esteem. I have always exercised religiously and of course addiction stole that from me as well. So I decided to give it a try, it would also be a good distraction for me.
I will be 20 days sober tomorrow and other than a "grieving" process of my old life, which I heard is normal, I have not had a craving for alcohol. I think about it, but it is more in a lifestyle way and in no way do I want to return to it. In the beginning of the Keto, I had bad sugar cravings and satisfied them by "cheating" with a piece of candy each day or a gumball. That usually did the trick! Then that subsided about a week in.
Throughout my research into the diet, I read that it is most efficient paired with intermittent fasting. I am attempting to keep a 8 hour eating cycle followed by a 16 hour fasting cycle, 8 hours of which I am sleeping (hopefully!). I am not that diligent with it yet, I will have a small snack late at night.
I can see a drastic change not only from the sobriety but from the two other changes I have made. I am more focused and motivated. I sit each night playing classical music and going through my nightly rituals (my NEW habits) of journaling, reading my Big Book and highlighting phrases I love and completing a Gratitude List. I sip on water with lemon and cucumber and feel utter contentment and I get tired. It is such a relaxing practice. There are not thoughts of alcohol while I am in this practice. Then I get into bed, get cozy with my puppers and pray the 3rd Step, Fear, Acceptance, and Night Prayers along with the Serenity Prayer and Lord's Prayer. Just when I think I am all prayed out, I shut off the lights and have my conversation with my God as I understand Him. This is where I ask him to continue taking control of my life, that I trust him and love him.
This trifecta is working for me and I just wanted to share. All of this, along with exercise to release endorphins and keeping contact with people inside and out of the program who only serve me well are becoming my foundation of sobriety. I feel so immensely grateful and I cannot WAIT to get to my meetings.
As I hit my 20th day, I am so full of love and peace, I feel like my heart is going to burst open and spill all of the light everywhere. I can feel it in my walk, see it in my eyes, experience it through my acts of kindness and pure joy that radiates out of me. There is not one bad thing inside me.
The last prayer I say is a Hebrew prayer that my mom sent me:
My God, the soul that you have placed within me is pure.
That's all. Goodnight my SR family. Love you all.
Its a cold and its a broken hallelujah.
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 2,887
This is exactly my experience with Keto as well.
It's like I finally found the key to unlock peace and self control and serenity.
Its simply amazing the profound benefits - and if you can even imagine - IT GETS BETTER the longer you stay on it !!
KCKO
XO AO
It's like I finally found the key to unlock peace and self control and serenity.
Its simply amazing the profound benefits - and if you can even imagine - IT GETS BETTER the longer you stay on it !!
KCKO
XO AO
Member
Join Date: Jun 2019
Posts: 1,614
I have a diet. Its called a see food diet.lol. no serously that is cool points that .that diet thing is working for you and keeping you sober. Double cool points. Keep doing the whatever works method. Thats what I do and I am blessed with 95 days to prove it. Keep coming back!😃
Member
Join Date: Apr 2019
Posts: 598
Sounds as if you are on a very good path and in a good space. A disciplined diet I think works well with sobriety. Intermittent fasting became my lifestyle as an active alcoholic because I mostly felt too ill to eat. Had no appetite anyway. Now I still stick to it, stay away from carbs and sugar and weight is not a problem. It works.
Member
Join Date: Jun 2019
Posts: 188
This is a great post, and an inspiring program I think they call it too. I wouldn't be against going to meetings, but I'm terrible with people I don't know so wouldn't get much out of it, so a site like this is great.
"Grieving" for an old life is understandable, but whenever I think about it rationally rather than emotionally, it just isn't that great and the cost in every way is far too expensive. Like you say it shuts down so many avenues of real health. I've never really exercised enough, which is mad because it's free and radically improves mental health. My plan is to get into all that much more - exercise, low carb diet and really nice healthy food, good relaxation and sleep etc. As well as very basic but important goals, like making my place immaculate and ordered, buying decent clothes. None of which I could do if I'm drinking.
"Grieving" for an old life is understandable, but whenever I think about it rationally rather than emotionally, it just isn't that great and the cost in every way is far too expensive. Like you say it shuts down so many avenues of real health. I've never really exercised enough, which is mad because it's free and radically improves mental health. My plan is to get into all that much more - exercise, low carb diet and really nice healthy food, good relaxation and sleep etc. As well as very basic but important goals, like making my place immaculate and ordered, buying decent clothes. None of which I could do if I'm drinking.
Member
Join Date: Apr 2019
Posts: 412
Glad you are doing so well. Just be careful with the intermittent fasting till your body fully gets used to it HALT or Hungry Angry Lonely Tired. At first intermittent fasting and Keto can cause all four as your body gets used to it. I am definitely with you that getting sober is much more of a lifestyle change than just quitting the drinking. Keep up the good work you are doing great!
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