5wks in - so tired

(Joel Carpenter) #1

Hi there.

We’re a couple from Brisbane Australia, Joel and Jamie. Started Keto on the 11th February after a 3 day water fast to get into ketosis. Not the best idea - keto flu - 3 day headache - but we made it through.

So, we’ve been at it for 5 weeks now. Some great scale and non-scale victories - including needing to find the money for a second wedding dress :smiley::tired_face: - that’s what you get for ordering one in July last year for a wedding in June this year before discovering the ketogenic way of eating.

The question we have is that we’re both noticing we’re quite heavily fatigued all the time. Sleeping well, doing some IF and the odd 24-48 hour water fast to overcome some plateaus.

With all of the experience here I thought I might get some personal experience of starting out in Keto. Are we just being impatient and haven’t fully adapted yet or could it be dietary related? We haven’t been counting macros but kept a careful eye on our ketones (blood testing) for the first few weeks to make sure the food we were eating was keeping us in ketosis.

Would exercise help? We were just getting into the habit of 3 or 4 times a week of running (3-5km) but that fell by the wayside after Christmas and then we took up Keto. Haven’t got the habit back yet.

Any thoughts suggestions or personal stories would be appreciated.

Oh, and this place is great, I’ve got so much from all the contributors here.

Thanks

Joel and Jamie

(Kathy L) #2

The abundant energy I hear of, for me was more of a state of being “alert”. Before this WOE, I was sleepy, and hungry all the time. I could fall asleep anywhere, and had particular difficulty keeping awake while driving - (I used to think that driving relaxed me, maybe) But now I am alert all day long, no longer tired, and feeling like a nap - and have no trouble keeping alert while driving, even long distances. If you are checking ketones, and have been in ketosis for 4 or 5 weeks, I’d guess you are adapted. Maybe you need to up your fat a little, as that what gives you energy. I’m sure someone with more expertise here will have better advice, though. Welcome - and Good Luck!

#3

Assuming you’re getting sufficient quantities of electrolytes, especially sodium, I find that exercise usually helps. I also think it’s possible that you’re still keto-adapting.

I seem to have 2 distinctly different conditions where I’m feeling tired when eating ketogenically.

The first is where I feel tired and my blood ketones may or may not be in the nutritional ketosis (NK) range (above 0.5 mmol) and nearly 90%+ of the time, some exercise, such as a brisk walk resolves the tired feeling.

The second is where I am not in NK and exercise doesn’t help and this seems to correlate with 1 of 3 things - 1) not enough sleep, 2) over-exercising, or 3) fighting off an illness that’s been moving around through the family.

(Roger Morris) #4

I’m wondering about your caloric intake. Are you not taking in enough calories? Not enough fat? Too little protein? Since going keto I never experienced fatigue. Quite the opposite, much more energy all day long. I know some don’t like using macros, but I find it helpful now and then to make sure your on track. In the beginning I used “My Fitness Pal” every day to track everything I ate to make sure I was doing things right. Track what your eating for a bit.

(I am a Dog (Dog's eat until they burst!)) #5

Two thing mentioned above electrolytes (especially salt) and fat. When you keto adapt your body releases all of the sodium it had stored and you must have sodium to keep your blood fluid. I aim for about 4 to 5 grams per day.

Fat is your fuel, since you are not eating carbs for fuel you need to give your body fat to burn especially in the beginning. That is how you train your body to burn fat, eventually it will reach into your body fat as well.

#6

Welcome. I agree with the others. I would be looking at electrolytes, especially salt. Make sure you are drinking enough water and eating enough fat to be satiated and not falling in to the old calorie counting ways!

Fabulous news re wedding dress and not so fab re cost - can you alter it instead maybe?

(Jaidann) #7

I’m placing my bet on not enough sodium and fats also. You might be trying to fast too soon? It can take several weeks to fat adapt for some people. It’s my understanding you should wait to do those things until you are. Someone please correct me if I’m wrong!

(I am a Dog (Dog's eat until they burst!)) #8

@Joel_Carpenter: When it comes to weight loss there are NO ‘get rich now’ schemes. It takes months and years to build up that weight and it will take, at minimum, months to take it off.

Look at the before and after pictures and the dates involved! 6 months to lose 60 pounds is a lot of weight but that is half a year–take your time! It seems like you are trying to do everything and see amazing results in the first few weeks and that can be self defeating as it takes your body time to adjust to the new WOE.

Follow the program, use the recipes sparingly as in eat to satiety, not full. Don’t count calories but learn when you are hungry, If you’re hungry eat, mostly fat; if you’re not hungry don’t eat. Let your own body guide you, don’t try to force anything as it will not work. Be sure you get your electrolytes every day.

Please keep us updated on your progress.

(Joel Carpenter) #9

Thank you everyone. Some great advice and suggestions for us to delve in to. We’re certainly not expecting huge results early on, although with some sparing IF and longer fasts we’re seeing steady losses and some nice NSVs too. Definitely going to up our electrolytes. We had blood work done last week and magnesium and B12 were my two that were on the low side, sodium wasn’t mentioned but all advice indicates that upping our intake can only help.

We’ve been eating fats to satiety most days but maybe haven’t been getting enough protein. Time to start a few days of macro counting to see what we’re getting I think.

It’s still very much early days so we’ll see how we get on. I’ll keep you posted :slight_smile:

And yes, Jamie’s off to see a dress maker on the weekend. She was so happy to find her dream dress (without much effort) and now we have the bitter sweet reality that she’s about 30lb lighter now (not all from five weeks of Keto I should point out).

Thanks for all the great advice.

(Joel Carpenter) #10

Oh, regarding total caloric intake. If we’re not eating enough fat to meet our BMR (but we are eating to satiety) does the body generate calories from stored body fat - or is that something that only comes much later after full adaptation? Thks

#11

If someone is overweight, there’s normally something wrong with the balance between what gets stored as fat and what gets burned for energy.

In someone who is metabolically optimal, the calorie deficit will come from stored body fat, but in an environment where insulin is high for any reason, the body will preferentially store incoming calories as body fat.

There’s also the complicating factor of the AD-36 human adenovirus that’s known to disrupt how the body burns fat and preferentially stores fat even when it doesn’t need to that’s been shown to be in at least 30% of the population.

(Mike W.) #12

It took us well over 2 months to be fully adapted. Now I have to set reminders to eat or else sometimes I forget to…

(Carpe salata!) #13

Early on, I found I had to get to bed much earlier to not be tired. That was maybe a few weeks, it went back to normal soon after.

(Candace) #14

@Joel_Carpenter how are you doing now?

(Carpe salata!) #15

Pretty good. Not tired, no headaches or joint pains, I can get up from a chair and just walk with no ugh, teeth a lot better, fingernails are much better, mentally calmer, not edgy for more food all day, in fact I had a coffee this morning and skipped through to dinner at 6pm with no issues, clear head, plenty of energy … maybe I’m already intermittent fasting ( lol I used to think fasting was for weirdos)

So yeah, pretty good.

(Oh whoops Joel. I’ll get the hang of this forum soon）

(Candace) #16

Glad to ‘hear’ you are doing well! Love to hear about improvements!! <3