Feeling like a non functioning keto”er”

(Britt) #1

Hi! I’ve posted a similar issue not long ago about crashing after eating. I’d refined my diet to exclude dairy ( except grass fed butter) for a few days to see if maybe it was the culprit. Since then my issue has worsened to the extent that I broke keto today out of desperation. The last two days I’ve had off from work and after I had breakfast ( 5 pcs. Bacon and riced cauliflower both days) I crashed so hard that I laid down to take a nap which lasted for about 3 hours both days. When I woke up I still felt groggy and a little shaky. Today I’d had enough and decided to just eat what my body has been craving for weeks now… fruit. I ate strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries until I didn’t want anymore. I felt better and satisfied for the first time since I started keto. I crave fruits and veggies ALL the time to the point that I really don’t want anything else most of the time. I want to see how I feel tomorrow before I decide how to proceed. I wanted to do keto because I’ve heard so much about the energy and focus one has once fat adapted. I see people raving about how much better they feel, how they are less tired and less bloated. After almost 6 weeks I’m still exhausted and seem to be getting worse as well as not losing a single ounce in weeks.

I have been reading through the forums desperate to see someone else with the same problem but I’ve not come across one yet. Am I just one of those freaky people that can’t do keto? I really wanted to stick with it and reap the benefits but not if I have to feel like this. I’m afraid that just trying to do “low carb” may make things even worse by making me feel hungry all the time ( I at least have experienced decreased appetite).

I have been testing with a blood meter 2-3 times a day and remained in Ketosis with no problems ( until today).

Edit: I checked my BG and ketones several hours after my berry binge ( and 1 brownie and 4 gusher candies if I’m being totally honest) and I’m still at 0.7 ketones and 90 BG. Ketones usually go up overnight so I am not out of Ketosis. Shockingly. At least there’s that :wink::+1:

Can someone give me some hope or advice?

(squirrel-kissing paper tamer) #2

There’s a gal on Instagram who lost weight (over 18 months) who shows photos of her food all the time and she’s been successful eating a bunch of veggies, some berries, nuts, seeds, etc along with her proteins. She claims she feels great, she looks really happy and she shows her shopping haul and food prep. It’s a really nice down to earth, sticking with it, slow but steady transformation.

less.with.jes is her name.

Maybe you just haven’t found your sweet spot yet. I don’t think you’re necessarily someone who keto won’t work for, but maybe you have some wrinkles to smooth out. Keep reading, searching and trying new things. What you were doing before wasn’t working so going back to that is counterproductive. Best wishes.

#3

It sounds like you are experiencing something like the Keto flu… This can start after several days or weeks of starting a Keto diet and last for several days sometimes a week or two… research it and it will tell you all about it… Here are the main symptoms…

  • Fatigue.
  • Headache.
  • Irritability
  • Difficulty focusing (“ brain fog ”)
  • Lack of motivation.
  • Dizziness
  • Sugar cravings
  • Nausea
(Windmill Tilter) #4

If you’ve been keeping carbs under 20g/day, and you’ve been eating to satiety with at least 70% of your calories fat, I can see why you’d be frustrated. Six weeks is a long time to wait for the light at the end of the keto flu tunnel! To be honest, I’m not sure I could have hung in there that long. You’ve obviously got some grit, so don’t beat yourself up because it’s not “working”, you should be proud of yourself for sticking to it for so long! :+1:

Have you been keeping a food journal or tracking your carbs/macros in an app? Maybe posting a few days worth of food would help some of the more knowledgeable folks brainstorm some ideas that might help. Hang in there!

(Karim Wassef) #5

the key on keto is fat and salts. Make sure you’re getting enough salts including potassium and magnesium. Bone broth is good for this, but also avocados and macadamia nuts. For energy, try pumpkin seeds too. The salts should make you thirsty so stay hydrated.

Remember that your gut bacteria have a lot to say about what you feel good eating and they have adapted to decades on your old diet. They won’t go away peacefully.

If you enjoy veggies, then find the veggies that work for you… and complement them with the meats and fats that you can enjoy. Also, remember that high fiber veggies ferment into fats in the gut too

Here are all the veggies I’ve identified for myself (in descending order of fat+fiber content):

pickled olives
cacao butter
macadamia
avocado
pecans
coconut milk/coconut cream
coconut
olives
brazil nut
flax seed
hazelnuts
chia seed
baking chocolate
red peppers (sautted)
spinach
walnuts
tahini
peanut butter
almonds
cacao nibs
almond butter
cacao powder
seaweed packet
mustard
sauerkraut
eggplant
hummus
tiger nut
fermented tofu
romaine lettuce
port. mushrooms

Also, for fats:

mayo
ghee
extra virgin olive oil
heavy whipping cream
beef tallow
duck fat
lard
coconut oil
avocado oil
butter
blue cheese dressing

if you can handle some eggs and dairy:

sour cream
cream cheese
egg yolk
blue cheese
mozzarella cheese
parmesan cheese
egg
egg white

Also remember that fish are an excellent source of protein and some are high in fats too:

mackerel
sardines
salmon
anchovies
sm oysters
tuna (red)

There’s plenty to enjoy on keto

(Britt) #6

I’ve never experienced the keto flu even when I first started. I’ve not really been able to tell the difference between being in Ketosis and not. I’ve felt pretty much the same except for a decrease in hunger sometimes and a decrease in bloating “sometimes”. I went ahead and ate the fruit I’ve been craving over the last two days thinking that would kick me out of Ketosis but it hasn’t. I have noticed an increase in hunger and carb cravings though since I’ve eaten the fruit so I’m really going to try to limit that- not to mention it does increase my BG. The scale has still remained exactly the same even when I ate fruit. I’m sticking with keto but I sure would like to figure this out!

(Britt) #7

Karim,

Thank you for taking the time to send me that extensive list of keto foods. I do eat most of them randomly but I forgot about oysters and had those yesterday! ( yummy). I’ve limited myself to more basic things right now because I’m trying to figure out what works and what doesn’t but will eventually expand my pallet to be less boring :grin:

I’ve been looking for pumpkin seeds too as a snack but am baffled by the wide range of nutritional info @ net carbs on those. Once I find a bag of them I will figure it out myself. It seems like they have a lot of carbs in a small portion even minus the fiber.

Thanks again for sending the list!:+1::grin:

(mole person) #8

My husband was terribly ill at the start of keto. We had to carb him up a couple of times just to stop his nausea, fatigue, and in his case, non stop vomiting. He needed WAY more salt than I did, and that cured him.

How much EXTRA salt are you having in a day? I’d strongly recommend putting two full teaspoons in a little container and making sure you consume the entire thing over the course of the day. My husband didn’t need to do that forever. Now most days he just has a regular amount of salt on his food. But those first few months he needed way more.

(Britt) #9

Hi Ilana,
I only have salt on my food ( Himalayan pink). I drink water almost exclusively so do not have any sodium via fluids either. I think I’m so afraid of sodium because it’s always made me swell ( hands,face and ankles) and retain water ( which I tend to do anyway). I could add some salt to a small glass of water. Did all the added salt cause swelling and water retention for him? I know that seems to affect women more than men for some reason but am curious. It’s definitely worth a shot and I guess the swelling will go away if that’s what happens to me​:wink::+1:

(PSackmann) #10

Salt reduces swelling for me rather than increasing it. It’s counter-intuitive, but there it is.

#11

I feel the same way about salt, it scares me and I always swell if I try to take it on it’s own. I had suggestions from others on this forum to try spreading it out instead of lump doses and that had really helped but I tend to do better with just sprinkling some extra on food throughout the day.

(Ken) #12

My bet is that you’re really not adapted yet. IMO, too many beginners right off go for too much of the keto substitute foods rather than following the basics for the first few months to get adapted. I recommend nothing but meat, animal fat, and small amounts of fibrous veggies initially. Two thirds meat to one third fat. (at least) along with small amounts of veggies like broccoli and cauliflower dressed with butter. Eat that pattern to satiety. Skipping the veggies is an option.

#13

More salt is a good move. I’d also add some form of magnesium and potassium supplements. Some people do this with pill supplements, others like various versions of keto-ade. I do both. It turns out I needed these far more than I needed salt. I don’t skimp on salt and the supplement I add to my water has a little sodium, but otherwise, I’m satisfied with normal (generous) salt intake on my food. If I eat really a bunch of really salty food in one day, it starts to make me feel sort-of off.

(jessie) #14

sorry to be a pest but can someone tell me how to post a question

#15

More salt and magnesium will definitely help.

#16

Occasional berries is not a sin. It might even be that keto isn’t the right way of eating for you. But I’d try more protein and salt before giving it up completely. I really like protein, and have found that I like it even more after starting a (lazy) keto woe.

If you really can’t make keto work, low carb is still an option. You could allow yourself some oats and fruit in addition to the standard keto foods. My daughter does that, as well as diet sodas and sugar alcohols, and she lost teenage flab really quickly.

Your crashing experience sounds really interesting (in a not funny way). People’s bodies are really different, and it would be so good if there was more research on why some people react very differently to food that works well for most others.

(mole person) #17

He did not swell. If you are only salting your food you may really be getting much too little for beginning a keto diet. Dr. Phinney recommends two cups of boulion a day in addition to regular food salting, so you can try that if you like boulion. Myself, I just drink a cup of hot salty water. I have come to quite like it. My husband doesn’t however, and he just swallows a bunch of salt like it’s a pill and chases it with pure water. Other people here suck on salt crystals throughout the day. You really do need way more salt on keto. It’s possible you’ve been suffering keto flu all along. I hope so as it’s an easy fix.

#18

@jessie

Are you serious?

(Britt) #19

This is pretty much what I’m doing. I eat mostly fish, seafood and some bacon. I do eat chicken wings once a week and hot dogs once a week :grimacing:. Veggies are almost always asparagus or riced cauliflower. I’m trying to keep my fruits to a minimum and have very little dairy. I just figure the more basic the less complicated for me right now. Due to the salt issue others have brought up I decided to try exogenous ketones since they do have salts built in. I’m not sure if that’s the same but figured it couldn’t hurt. It’s true I still could be adapting but I feel that if I am then I’m taking longer than most.

#20

Did you have issues with salt before or after starting Keto? If your issues are prior to Keto, that’s another scenario as your body will hold onto salt. While on Keto, your kidneys are constantly flushing salts which is why you need to replenish them daily.