Well, I started keto 8 days ago, and have been lurking the forums for exactly 8 days. Wow you guys are all so smart! I’ve had some success so far and I can surely thank all of you for that. Down 8.4lb as of this morning! I’m posting to note some side effects (or perhaps results?) that I’ve noticed and am curious if anyone else is noticing/remembers noticing them too.
having trouble completing workouts that I used to have little issue with. TRX, barre class…even going up the stairs to be quite honest, have my legs burning with an unusual (for me) wave of exhaustion.
slight anxiety and tightness in the chest. I’ve experienced this before, but I can usually identify a trigger. I can’t think of anything this week to have set it off, so would be curious if anyone else has struggled with this. I’ve introduced calm magnesium to my daily diet but it hasn’t had an effect - too soon maybe? something else? (this one truly may be something else but am throwing it in just in case)
total lack of hunger. like…nothing. I would guess that this is in fact a goal but I wasn’t ready for it, I guess! Normal? Because the tracker I use lets me know about the calories I take in a day as well as macro counts, I know I’m eating less than ever (between 1300-1600/day) and am wondering if this is going to be a problem soon.
my tongue feels funny, like a little pasty or too big for my mouth or something. I did see in another topic that someone mentioned dry-mouth, but I’m drinking 4+ litres of water a day (probably more) and I’m still noticing it.
lightheadedness, especially when doing anything more physical than walking.
Anywhoooo fyi my macros are pretty well on point, I just turned 30, I gave blood yesterday and everything is normal. Overall I feel pretty great! I know this slice of time I’ve spent with this WOE is minuscule but if anyone can relate to the above I’d love to hear it.
PS another, but silly, one - since i’ve made the switch from crumby to fatty foods, all my clothes have oil stains!!! Ahhh!!! I guess I’m a sloppy eater and just never noticed, as carby food spills get easily brushed away…but you’re all probably too neat to have noticed this effect of taking on keto. Guess I’ll just have to get some new (smaller :P) clothes soon!
Welcome to the forum PJ. Glad to hear you are having some good results this quickly!
I’ve read that working out during the initial adaptation to keto phase might be a little difficult because your body is still learning how to use fat for fuel. It might be a week or two before you are efficient enough to have steady, consistent energy from fat. Actually you might even notice elevated energy levels. This is the best time to start your exercise plan.
If you are just beginning a keto diet, then working out right away may be difficult. Your body is in a transition phase and will probably feel groggy or weak. After entering ketosis, you should notice that your energy levels are changing and you feel a bit more normalcy when you exercise.
I would suggest you make sure you are getting plenty of salt along with your water. At least 2 teaspoons per day should be enough to help with lost electrolytes. During ketosis, we don’t retain salt like we used to and it’s constantly flushed out of our bodies during the process. Most keto flu symptoms are usually from not getting enough salt. However, since you’ve had this experience before, I encourage you to read this thread:
It’s totally normal for hunger behavior to change! This is a good thing and a sign that this way of eating is working. 1300-1600 per day is about what I was eating for the first few months of ketosis (200 lb, 5’10 male) and I had great success losing weight. The thing is, a continuous pattern of caloric restriction can lead to the body adapting by lowering metabolism and that’s the last thing we want… so it’s important to listen to your body. If it wants food, feed it! If it doesn’t then don’t worry. Occasionally eating higher amounts of calories is also encouraged, Breaking up patterns of low calorie days decreases the chance of metabolic slowdown. But don’t force yourself.
I have a feeling, increasing your salt will help with both of these issues. Salt your food to taste and drink bone broth with added sea salt a few times a day and you should see improvement.
"Due to the fact that nutritional ketosis increases sodium (salt) excretion by the kidneys, if a person severely restricts salt intake in combination with this diet, dehydration symptoms like headache, fatigue, exercise intolerance, dry mouth, and constipation can occur," Dr. Phinney
Yep. Just take it easy until you are fat-adapted. It takes 6-8 weeks, sometimes longer. In fact, you’ll know you’re fat-adapted when your performance returns to (or even exceeds) your previous level.
Wow! It took me three weeks to reach that point. Yeah, this is one of the best reasons to eat a ketogenic diet.
Again, totally normal. It’s an effect of being in ketosis. For me, this is so reliable an indicator that I don’t need to measure the β-hydroxybutyrate in my blood.
This is caused by sodium deficiency. Not only do we need much more sodium than the government wants us to eat, but if we are not eating carbohydrate in quantity, the kidneys return to excreting sodium at their normal, faster rate. Try to get about 12.5 grams of table salt (which is 5 grams of actual sodium) each day. In the U.S. 12.5 g is 2-1/2 teaspoons. The good news is that when we get enough sodium, the mechanisms that regulate it also work to regulate magnesium, potassium, and calcium. Usually we can get enough of these minerals in our diet not to need to supplement with them.
wowowow thank you so much for such an in-depth, and i’m sure time consuming, analysis. i’m learning so much and I can’t wait to be a wealth of info too. sorry to hear that others in this forum are experiencing that unpleasant chest sensation =(
i actually already started making my own bone broth a few days ago - that in itself has been so rewarding! I’ll definitely up the salt intake and see how it goes.
