Is diarrhea normal while high protein/high fat/ low carb ?

[fendertele]

Been on this diet solid now for 2 weeks and im lucky im working from home cause im always getting short.

Typical foods.

Chicken
tuna
beef
mayo
eggs
double cream
coffee
sugar free coke
onions
frozen veg ( very small amounts.)

Feeling ****** along with the diarrhea... and I've noticed my temper going up never used to be so snappy. Defo eating enough cause i'm not hungry.

 

[bulkbiker]

Are you taking metformin?

Edit to add.. it may be the sugar free coke..

 

[DJC3]

Hi @fendertele if you are feeling generally **** it might be a touch of keto flu. Are you drinking loads of water? You need to, and add a pinch of pink salt too which will help electrolyte balance. This article might help explain some of your symptoms and how to cure them https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/keto/flu-side-effects
I think diarrhoea is experienced by some people, but conversely many people have reported that IBS symptoms clear up on this way of eating.
I get bouts of it too even though I’ve been eating this way for a few years. I think in my case it’s probably an intolerance to cream. It might be worth considering that possibility for you. ( it’s taken me 2 years to figure it out!)
Good luck and I hope you start to feel better and see the benefits soon, there are plenty of them.

 

[Resurgam]

I can eat quite a lot of veges even though my limit is 40 gm of carbs a day - and high protein is not necessary - it can lead to it being converted into carbs, so overdoing it can be counter productive.
Take a look along the frozen veges aisle for the lower carb options - I go to Lidl and find a fair few things to buy there - plus I get fresh stuff such as courgette and swede, celeriac and leek.
I also need to dilute down the coffee my husband makes as he puts double the amount of grounds into the machine - he says that he puts in two tablespoonfuls like I do - but he uses heaped up to the max ones and I do almost level. Strong coffee can aggravate the gut.

 

[Goonergal]

it can lead to it being converted into carbs,

This is not generally the case. There is a process called gluconeogenesis, where some of the amino acids in protein may convert to glucose. However there is quite a lot of evidence that this is demand driven.

Some people - mainly those using exogenous insulin - find they have blood glucose increases from protein (have seen people quoting bolusing at 50% of what they bolus for carbs). That seems to be far less of a problem for those not taking insulin, and especially for those who eat a lot of protein. That’s certainly true in my case - blood glucose flatlines.

Ben Bikman and Ted Naiman are both worth reading in this regard.

To get back to your question @fendertele it could just be that your gut is reacting to a change in diet, but like @DJC3 double cream in large quantities can be guaranteed to get me moving! The snappiness could be keto flu, so be sure to have enough salt and keep well hydrated.


Edited for a bit more detail.

 

[ianpspurs]

Unsurprisingly people react very differently to this woe. There does seem to be two tribes. Several of us have "transit" problems with low carb. Some need pasyllium husk powder or laxative for "transit". This really does seem to be an N=1 lifestyle. Not sure about cream as 1 tbls per day in coffee is all I cold ever bare to use. Best wishes for resolving your problem. We'd make one well function digestive system between us.

 

[Dark Horse]

Virta Health suggest keto diarrhoea can be caused by 1) Excessive use of sugar alcohols such as sorbitol used as sweeteners (I don't think these are present in normal diet coke) 2) Eating more protein rather than eating more fat 3) Eating some types of oil https://www.virtahealth.com/faq/fix-diarrhea-keto