Feeling 'high' almost 2 weeks on keto

(WENdee) #1

Hi everyone,
Im going in to my 2nd week. Im down about 5 pounds and curently weigh 122lbs . Keep in mind i am very petite and have quite a lot of excess fat for my body type. Currently my macros are 15 carbs, 91 fat, 71 protein. Perhaps rhis is ignorant, but i got these numbers from a random macro calculator on line. My only concern is that i feel like i am not myself. My vision seems a bit altered and i feel like i am under the influence of a drug. This past week and a half , I’ve driven my vehicle once, with my young toddler in the car, and I felt completely unsafe. Is this normal, I told myself I’ll hang in there for maybe a month or so but honestly I don’t know how much longer I can take of this, I just want to feel like myself.

(Ron) #2

Saw this on another thread. It is interesting.

(WENdee) #3

Wow ok, intersesting. I did feel euphoric about the 3rd day. Well that has since passed and now I just feel out of it.

(Ron) #4

Hang in there, this to will pass. Your body is doing a lot of changing and transitioning and it takes a little time. It does get better…ALOT BETTER!

(Jennifer ) #5

I had a period at the beginning of keto (on it for 14 weeks now) where driving felt funny to me. I don’t know if I was hyper-aware of my surroundings or what, but it was uncomfortable and I was afraid of driving. I tried to drive as little as possible during that time. It lasted about 2 or 3 (?) weeks. Back to normal now. Hope you’re back to normal again soon too.

(WENdee) #6

Yes i have to remember its not an overnight process. Thank you!

(WENdee) #7

Yes thats exactly how i feel. Im glad to know its not uncommon. I know 3 people who are years in to the keto lifestyle and not once ever mentioned any unpleasant effects. I was beginningbto think this was not meant for me. I told myself to give it at least a month and I was losing my patience but I will continue to push through and hopefully I will feel like myself in no time. Thank you for your input about your experience :slightly_smiling_face:

(Chris W) #8

Ok,

The calculators give you a basic guideline to follow. You may have to tweak those numbers a little. Also you should not really be below maintain macros on fat for the first few weeks, keep the fat level to 0% loss and try and eat all that fat. You should not be hungry on this WOE for the first few weeks or really ever.

Other things that can make you feel off are hydration and salt level being too low. Either can cause issues with your blood pressure. If you are on any meds that would lower your blood pressure, strip salt(or potassium) consult your doctor and get your BP checked. Actually any meds you really should talk to your GP this WOE does strange things sometimes.

I had normal BP and it tanked the second week on the diet and I felt as you described. An increase in salt(actually supplementing in general) fixed most of that problem. I was still lower than I needed to be for a couple more weeks, but I was also really sick and blowing through water like nobody’s business at the time. I weighed a lot more at the time and was pushing 2 teaspoons of salt a day and I wished I had gone to 3.

Some of that is the mental clarity as well I would bet.

(Rob) #9

Even petite, but ‘squishy’, that is only 1150 kcal which is still pretty low, especially if you are active. Make sure you are not under-eating. Your macro calculator is only as good as the inputs and most still cling to the CICO BS ALWAYS offering your the “weight loss” option. I would never take that number as a goal when starting. Take the “maintain” option at least and use the macros from that. You need body recomposition NOT weight loss and for that you need to be feeding your metabolism so it burns fat AND builds muscle. You are eating a lot of protein for your weight which is fine for this goal, just eat more fat to give you sufficient energy to do the things your body needs to do. Crazy but true.
You may be TOFI but are probably more metabolically healthy so don’t fear the fat. Your body knows what to do with it.

(WENdee) #10

Thank you all for your input , this really helps. This is my intake today. 16 net carbs, 102 g. Fat, 77 g . Protein, and 1386 calories. Does this sound acceptable? I also drank a cup of chicken bullion broth as i read this can help.

(Candy Lind) #11

THIS. If you feel woozy, take some salt. Salt is the great equalizer in this WoE. After being told to avoid salt for so long, now we have to take in MORE than the RDA because so many electrolytes are flushed when we eat like this. PLUS … salt regulates potassium & facilitates storing it in the cells. You need to get enough salt or … keto flu. I bet that bouillon DID help! Enjoy.

(Rob) #12

Definitely better, (I’d treat this as a floor), but Keto is an N=1 thing. You have to experiment to work out what works for you since we are all different. Try this for a week or two. If it going great, stick at it. If not try a keto variation. I would suggest eating more (fat), not less as your next macro experiment.

The macros might be the biggest lever but don’t forget the other things, hydration, electrolytes, sleep, etc. They can make or break the basic diet, especially if they make you feel crappy.

(Jay AM) #13

So, it’s odd but, I know that high feeling you mean. I sometimes get it when I lay down but, don’t have an obvious cause for it yet. I have naturally low blood pressure and did see it drop under 90 a few times if I didn’t get enough electrolytes in that day. I did get it in the very beginning and, it’s not actually a high, it’s a light headedness. Definitely follow those recommendations others have given and it seems like you’re already doing good to fix it. The other time I get this feeling is insulin response from artificial sweeteners. Stevia and erythritol included. I get really spacey and then fatigued if I have too much.

(WENdee) #14

On another topic, should i be restricting my calorie intake as a newbee? Im not clear on this. So far i have been strict on not exceeding a certain amount.

(Ron) #15

No absolutely not. This will cause your metabolism to lower and you don’t want that while you are transitioning to fat adaption. You want it as high as possible. The easiest way to approach this is to focus on keeping your carbs below 20g. This will keep you in ketosis and steady on your path to adaption. Try to eat your protein macro’s to what is suggested and above, this isn’t super critical and there is wiggle room although it is better to be above than below. And your fat is unlimited. The more the better as it keeps the metabolism rolling strong. Don’t stuff yourself but eat till satiety and then a couple bites more.

(WENdee) #16

Thank you, this clears it up and makes a lot of sense.

(Rob) #17

Thanks. You saved me from repeating myself… :grinning:

(Ashley) #18

I agree, everyone’s different. I was eating around 1200 calories and felt hungry,
I upped my fat a few hundred calories to around 1400 total. I feel so much better! Hunger is gone. I go a lot longer without eating I don’t eat til I’m hungry. I basically do 1-2 meals per day but ive found what works for me. I know I’m okay with the lower calories because I’m not very active due to my dysautonomia, but I also know I’m content and feel full! KCKO! It took me about 4 weeks to find the amount my body naturally has decided on. I stay about 70g protein, about 100-110g of fat and always under 20g net carbs and it’s been great for me! Weight loss is still not moved but I’m okay with that. As I implement more fasting and longer I think my body will adjust!

(Ashley) #19

Also, if you feel hungry have some fat! Sometimes I do go
About 10-15 g over my fat but only because my body decides that day I’m still hungry, once I have that and some salt I feel fine and won’t eat again for 18-24 hours so it’s funny how that tiny bit affects how I feel til my next meal!

(Bunny) #20

Almost sounds like it could be orthostatic hypotension, you may need more carbs (30 grams) and a little more protein (to up the glucagon) intake throughout the day!

Just from the subtleness of your description the exact same thing happened to me which was OH!