Hi! I have been eating the Keto lifestyle for a month now and have really enjoyed it. I love the way my body is changing form, the satiating feeling I feel after a meal which is a completely new feeling to me, and the feeling of “control” I have over my diet. I’m all for this as a way of eating, rather than a diet, and want to continue down the road of success with it.
My question is that I am experiencing a lot of aches and pains in my shoulders, neck, back, etc. and I’m wondering if I can do something to alleviate this. Now I should say I have had chronic pain for over ten years, so this may very well be something I just have to deal with. However, in the beginning of eating Keto I felt very relieved of these symptoms. Do you think it’s just hormonal/something that will happen, or could I be eating something that causes this?
I have been walking again, about 2 or 3 miles a day, but it’s pretty relaxed exercise and literally just pushing my daughter to the park and back.
My diet does not include dairy other than the occasional HWC and butter. I eat mostly plain things, chicken, salmon, pork, beef and very little veg. Some things I do eat on the regular that aren’t so basic in ingredients are a BPC once a day, this new honey smoked salmon I found from Costco, one Almond Butter cup from Choco XO a day. The rest of my diet is meat, butter/oil, eggs, and a small about of spinach.
Thanks!
Aches and pains- can I help myself more here
Hi there. Are you getting your electrolytes like salt and magnesium? Are you staying hydrated?
I tend to get achy (in my old injury spots) when I’m overdoing it or not staying on top of the above things.
Definitely staying hydrated (75 ish oz a day at least) I think, and have been putting pink salt rocks under my tongue throughout the day as they do make me feel better. I also use the potassium salt in my food.
Great. I found that the extra potassium gave me muscle cramps. For me, keeping up with salt and mag keeps the other electrolytes in line. Also, chicken broth is a nice boost too.
What kind of pain is it?
Now that I think of it, I had an incident really early on when I forgot lunch and ate cream cheese and peanuts for lunch (and I was strictly no nuts/legumes) and got the worst body aches, like all I wanted to do was lay down. I stay away from peanuts now but it was a higher carb lunch which may have had something to do with it. Sometimes I think almonds don’t agree with me either so I only have one or two here and there.
Are you doing anything differently this week that you weren’t in the first two weeks? Do you keep a food journal? It may help to determine if it’s food related.
This is good to know and I will give it a break and see what happens. I should say I also eat some avocado too, which I know are nutrient rich. The pain is similar to a nagging ache, throughout my upper arms, upper and lower back and neck. Pain that isn’t debilitating but definitely doesn’t make you feel your best. Stiff. Achey.
The new thing I have added is the salmon, which is so delicious but I will give it a rest and see what happens. I know this isn’t a miracle diet (wish it was!) but I feel so much better cutting the carbs that I just want to eat what my body wants, if that makes sense, not what makes it hurt.
Thanks for your help!!
Avoid the seed oils—soybean, cottonseed, Canola, sunflower, corn oil, safflower, peanut, etc. They have too much polyunsaturated fat. The ω-6 fatty acids are particularly inflammatory, if ingested in any quantity, so naturally they are a very high percentage of the “vegetable” oils on the American consumer market.
For cooking, use butter, lard, tallow, bacon grease; save the fruit oils (avocado, coconut, olive) for salad dressings, mayonnaise, etc.
Thanks for this. I do this other than the very occasional store bought mayo in rushed situations, but have not had it for at least a week. I use butter, olive oil and bacon for cooking and yes, avocado and vinegar for salad.
Hello Shannon.
In addition to what @PetaMarie ane @PaulL say, I’ll just say that getting some sodium and getting enough sodium are completely different things. When we restrict carbs, we excrete sodium at a far greater rate than we are used to.
Two+ teaspoons of sodium over the course of your day is a good starting point. Anything less than that usually rewards me with cramping in my legs. I believe that most keto flu symtoms will not occur if this electrolyte is properly maintained.
I am going to start measuring out my salt tomorrow and put it in a little dish so I know how much I’m getting. Thank you!!
Thank you, me too!! I cannot tell you how much of a difference this WOE has changed my life. I haven’t lost a lot of weight but I am SO less bloated and feel so much better. This website has been amazing and informative. Right now I am nit picking how I feel, which is amazing. I feel well enough for the first time in so long to actually refine the details!!
What’s the carb content on this new addition to your diet? I’m a bit concerned by the word ‘honey’. Can be surprisingly loaded with sugar, and bear in mind the food companies to tend to fudge the reported sugars/carbs in their favour.
If you’re feeling worse since adding it in, maybe cut it from your diet and see if that’s the cause of the issue?
Nutrition facts say 0% carbs per serving, which I weigh and measure to one serving a day. I was also concerned but thought the fat to protein ratio was decent and also the no carb. I understand honey was in the ingredients, but thought the 0 carb negated this? Thoughts? (Also, I’m not sure how to link but if you search Costco Honey smoked salmon that’s it.
Huh. I stated I was a beginner and trying to learn-- reaching out for help? Funny to have to chose to be kind. I check labels, saw zero carbs and am not over eating it… I’m here to learn, as we all are right? I don’t see riddled with sugar if there are no carbs, but maybe I am mistaken?