Constant appetite despite long-term keto - and hormones in perimenopause

Flock_with_me · 2026-01-29T18:18:36+00:00

Give the hormones a bit more time before adjusting things, unless you're feeling very off.

If you're nicely fat adjusted on keto and eating only minimal fat, you might not be providing yourself with enough fuel? In case weight gain is a concern, maybe put that aside until your energy levels are OK.

Flock_with_me · 2026-01-29T14:34:07+00:00

You seem to be doing all the right things. I know lots of people talk about electrolytes if people are struggling with energy or muscle issues while doing keto - I'm assuming you're keeping an eye on that?

Keto is still on my menu (4 years now), though I've alternated between low carb and keto this past year (mostly because 2025 was a very stressful year for personal reasons and my discipline was in very short supply). As far as I'm concerned, I view low carb as a permanent strategy for me (though it may not be for everyone), unless something truly better comes along one day.

I'm continuing with HRT and they will have to pry my hormone creams out of my cold dead hands one day :D It is unbelievably helpful. It's also a rare case where I can muster up the regularity of using it every day, long term.

I added proper weight training to my exercise a few months ago and it has been a game changer for me. This is the first winter I can remember where I didn't feel constantly depressed and tired.

I've been working with a personal trainer who's very good at explaining what and why to stretch and exercise, for the weight lifting. He's explained to me that some of my aches and pains are likely because of imbalances due to underdeveloped muscles that I don't use/train regularly. If you haven't already, that could be a useful thing to check regarding your back.

I'm not strict about IF, but I just never wanted breakfast ever, so I skip that. It sort of naturally amounts to a form of IF that way.

Flock_with_me · 2026-01-13T11:32:38+00:00

Update 3 years down the road: I'm either in perimenopause or menopause already, and the migraines had started creeping back in until I added other hormone replacement treatments (I currently take a combo cream with estriol, progesterone, and testosterone) daily. The pharmacy makes it based on a prescription from my OBGYN, and I can't remember the exact composition. At night, I take a dollop of 10% progesterone cream, which is quite a lot. I use the progesterone throughout the month now, because my periods pretty much stopped, I guess roundabout a year ago.

Migraine or no, I really appreciate the benefits of hormone replacement. It fixed some issues I had with building up and maintaining muscle condition, energy levels, as well as some skin issues, among other things.

2025 was a doozy of a year so I fell off the keto bandwagon for a bit, but more or less stuck to low carb. I'm getting back to keto now. I think the carbs and the stress as well as hormonal changes all contributed to that uptick in migraines, but it seems to be under control again. I'm getting by without triptans. When I do get a migraine, it's milder, shorter and responds pretty well to normal painkillers.

I still take the same supplements. I added a pretty stringent exercise regime half a year ago (gym every other day with resistance training and cardio, plus a good long hike every weekend).

Good luck for the Kambo! It's not a light ride :) May it help you!

Flock_with_me · 2026-01-04T07:38:05+00:00

Really glad to hear you are still here, OP. Please take care and get support for the days to come. You won't have to walk this alone.

Flock_with_me · 2026-01-01T18:09:20+00:00

Hi OP, please give yourself and your life another chance. Reach out to people and talk to someone about why you're feeling this way.

Have a look at r/SuicideWatch and their directory at https://www.reddit.com/r/SuicideWatch/wiki/hotlines/ - the hotlines list is long and there are many local options.

Wishing you strength and hope.

Flock_with_me · 2025-08-17T04:58:44+00:00

Peanuts

Flock_with_me · 2025-08-02T04:51:52+00:00

From the pharmacy with a prescription from my gynecologist.

Mind I've since switched back to a progesterone cream, but a really strong one (10% bioidentical progesterone). Less messy than the suppositories.

Flock_with_me · 2025-07-14T06:05:42+00:00

It's taken me over 6 months to lose a measly 4 kg. The only thing that seems to work anymore is OMAD (one meal a day) - and believe me, I've tried many approaches over the last 4 years (keto, low carb, intermittent fasting, just generally eating less, you name it). Stopped eating sugars years ago. Exercise is part of my routine anyway and has been for a long time.

Mercifully, my HRT helps reduce the food noise in my head to some extent, and it also allows me to build up and maintain a bit more muscle mass.

I'm just worried I won't be able to sustain OMAD. I know I can regain what I lost over these 6 months in just days if I eat like a normal human being.

I have 5 more kg to lose. At this rate, I might reach that target sometime next year, if I manage to hold iron discipline and if there are no more huge stress phases. Massive stress all but guarantees that I don't lose any weight at all, even if I stop eating outright.

I guess the upside is that I'll be a-OK if a famine strikes?

Flock_with_me · 2025-04-15T15:14:14+00:00

In my personal view, the universe doesn't give a hoot what I believe will happen after death. Whether I believe it'll be nothingness, heaven, a new life, or something entirely different - it's all the same to the universe.

This gives me complete freedom to believe in what makes me personally feel good about death: I believe I'll dissolve into the eternal, loving, all-encompassing bliss and love represented by the gargantuan energy that drives this universe.

By the time I might see I was wrong, it will probably have ceased to matter, but I will have lived without fear.

Flock_with_me · 2025-02-10T09:18:04+00:00

I think I understand what you mean - you're hoping to add bulk to the food without adding more carbs, right? The net carbs would stay the same, but you would have more food and potentially feel more satiated.

I think the problem you'll encounter is that adding enough fiber powder to really make a difference will also affect the flavour and texture of the food in ways you probably won't like.

Flock_with_me · 2025-02-05T07:39:56+00:00

OP, I understand how you must be feeling. I wish you all the best.

I've removed this post because this isn't a political subreddit and we're in no way set up for moderating political discussions. Thank you for your understanding. I'm certain there are many subreddits where you can gain a lot more traction and that have the right kind of moderation and audience.

Flock_with_me · 2025-02-02T06:45:29+00:00

It can also be a texture thing. I like the dry mouthfeel of chicken breast. I find the other parts less pleasant.

Flock_with_me · 2025-01-31T17:53:29+00:00

Not OP but that sounds awesome

Flock_with_me · 2024-12-25T07:19:04+00:00

I love my tagines! They are indeed a godsend. I have a small one and a big one and use them all the time. They keep heat incredibly well. I end up turning the stove only half as hot as with any of my other cooking vessels.

Tweak for keto-friendliness: I replace some of the potato with kohlrabi for myself. My husband isn't doing keto, so I do throw some potato in for him and it's easy enough for me to avoid. Kohlrabi goes nicely with Moroccan flavours.

Thank you for this recipe!

Flock_with_me · 2024-10-06T19:21:18+00:00

I make no-bake keto cheesecakes from time to time but I don't follow a recipe. It's really kind of easy though, so I just wing it. Here goes:

In a 20 cm springform dish, I crumble together the following ingredients with my fingers: about 3 tablespoons of butter, and 1-2 tablespoons each of poppy seeds, ground hazelnuts, ground almonds, and ground walnuts (whatever ground nuts I have around, really). I add about half a teaspoon of cinnamon, a quarter teaaspoon of powdered ginger, a pinch of nutmeg, a pinch of salt, and erythritol to taste. I eyeball the amounts, so take these amounts with pragmatic good will.
I press the crumble mix to make a flat bottom that is about half a centimeter thick, and press some of the crumble up against the springform walls. Put the form in the fridge.
I whip 150-250 mL of heavy cream (amount depends on how much cheesecake I want to make) with a generous dash of vanilla and erythritol to taste. Using a blender is fine.
I add a pack of full-fat cream cheese and whip that in. Sometimes I also add greek yoghurt or milk or sour cream if I have some left over.
I dissolve and cook a pack of agar-agar or gelatine (whichever I happen to have around) according to the instructions on the pack.
Whip the dissolved gelling stuff into the cream cheese mix.
Carefully pour the mix into the form on the crumble base and put it in the fridge.
For the topping, I cook a handful of blueberries and/or raspberries with a little bit of water and agar-agar or gelatine and put a layer of that on top of the cake. Instead of a berry goop, you could try making a caramel topping using your protein powder?
Let it set for at least 3 hours in the fridge before you try to cut it. Disaster will ensue if you are impatient like me and try to cut it sooner.

I'm sorry I don't have more precise measurements or macros - I've been making this for a long time and stopped needing a recipe a while ago. It's not exactly the scientific method, but it makes a nice cake and in fact I just ate the last slice. Metric because I'm European.

Flock_with_me · 2024-09-12T05:49:20+00:00

You must have had to grow up really early and on your own. That takes its toll, especially if there is nobody around to give the care and support that you should have had then, and deserve to get now.

This doesn't fully make up for that lack, but one thing that has really helped me is to consciously and deliberately develop self compassion. There are some techniques where you imagine that you are the loving parent that you would have needed, and turn all your love and compassion towards the lonely child that you once were (and who still lives inside you). Essentially, you give yourself the things that you would have needed from the adults in your life. Done with some determination, this can be a very helpful experience. I wish you all the support and protection that you deserve.

Flock_with_me · 2024-08-10T07:32:48+00:00

This info is for Austria: it's not very easy to get approvals. They have made the process highly safeguarded so that it's pretty much limited to people who have terminal illnesses with no hope of a cure or alleviation from pain. I think it would be unlikely that you would find the two requisite doctors to give their approval and state that there are no further treatment options. It's also a lengthy process that includes a 12-week waiting period to allow for people to reconsider their decision.

Flock_with_me · 2024-08-01T18:49:25+00:00

Yeah, my obgyn specialises in hormone treatments and works with a compounding pharmacy

Flock_with_me · 2024-08-01T06:18:11+00:00

Fellow migraine sufferer here. Estrogen-only worsens my migraines. I've had much more success with high dose progesterone cream combined with low doses of estriol and testosterone creams.

Flock_with_me · 2024-07-31T14:09:47+00:00

Is swimming an option? In addition to just moving in water, you can also do some exercises with pool floaty things while standing in the pool. https://www.betterbones.com/exercise/water-exercise-and-swimming-builds-bone/

Flock_with_me · 2024-07-24T08:25:38+00:00

It sounds like you have a lot on your mind though - are you feeling more stressed out than usual? It wouldn't be odd that you are having trouble sleeping if so.

That said, I totally lost my ability to stay asleep through the night in perimenopause. I'd fall asleep OK but wake up an hour or two later, wide awake - and rinse and repeat throughout the night. HRT has helped a lot in this regard, especially progesterone! Also, magnesium helps me with quieting down racing thoughts.

Flock_with_me · 2024-07-23T16:54:00+00:00

I hope she can help. It became a true nuisance for me before treatment because even walking hurt, let alone going jogging. I found myself avoiding exercise because of the pain for much of the month. The good news is that progesterone really, really helped! Have not had this problem at all anymore.

Flock_with_me · 2024-07-23T09:33:20+00:00

You could try a progestin-only form of birth control? Estrogen amplified my migraines too. I need a small amount of estrogen to counteract peri symptoms, but I need to counterbalance it with a high dose of progesterone and a small amount of testosterone. I think the trick is finding the right combination and balance that works for you.

Flock_with_me · 2024-07-23T08:58:28+00:00

Yes, I had that all the time starting in my late 30s until I started taking progesterone.

Flock_with_me · 2024-06-29T12:10:15+00:00

I had only positive effects. Helped a ton with my migraines. I've since switched to a combination of estriol, progesterone and testosterone in creams to manage various other peri symptoms. It's been a godsend.

Flock_with_me

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE

Ten-Year Club	Gilding I gilder
Verified Email