Feeling Worse After Food & Possible Vitamin Deficiency

(Peter Cook) #1

Hi,

I’m a little over 2 weeks into nutritional ketosis, measuring ~2 times daily with Keto-Mojo. My primary objective is weight-loss (Lost about 8lbs thus far, probably 4lb water).

I feel like I’ve begun to notice that I actually feel worse after meals? Also very tired after my workouts (crossfit). I’ve also developed some cracks on the side of my lips, which I never have and its not winter or dry where I live. I’m wondering if that might mean I have some kind of vitamin deficiency due to the diet.

Wondering if anyone else has experienced any of these phenomena?

Thanks!

  • Peter
(Leslie) #2

Hey, Peter
Maybe describe for us what your typical days eating looks like.
With more information, we are more likely to give you helpful advice
Thank you

(Liz ) #3

Cracks at the sides of lips can be a B vitamin deficiency, look into that.

(LeeAnn Brooks) #4

The tiredness after workouts is very common. It was bad for me too. I am told that until you are fat adapted and your body knows how to run off the extra ketones you are producing, your workouts will suffer. After fat adaptation, it should improve your endurance.

As I’m not quite fat adapted yet (going on my 5th week on Keto) I couldn’t tell you if this is true for me yet or not. Just have to keep plugging along the best I can and stay true to Keto to see what happens.

(Peter Cook) #5

That’s very interesting.

Are you familiar with any research that measures how people get more fat adapted the longer they are keto?

I sort of presumed that as soon as I was in ketosis I would be fat adapted. But I could see how there might be a ramp up in terms of fat adaptation over time. For instance, I do recall Dr. Peter Attia and other experts saying it does change how your cells process fuel down to the mitochondrial level which presumably doesn’t happen over night.

(Peter Cook) #6

Typical day is 6:30 am crossfit or a 3 mile run. Maybe a little coffee with MCT oil before. I drink water with a few grams of Lucine supplement.

Then I try not to eat until after 1pm. Lunch is usually ramen broth with vegetables. Then around 4pm i have an Ample Keto shake which is a 600 cal protien shake. 7pm dinnner is salad or fish with avocado or some kind of other veg. Then some dark chocolate (85% cocoa +) and Komboucha.

I think I’ve definitely been feeling good because of the weight loss but I can’t say I’ve been felling better than I did on a non-keto diet, which is surprising.

(LeeAnn Brooks) #7

So there are two stages to Keto. The first is getting into ketosis. This can happen very quickly. I was by my 4th day and have not fallen out sense. At this stage you body produces ketones but it doesn’t yet know how to use them to burn for energy. Thus the period where your performance takes a hit since you aren’t giving it carbs as al alternate fuel source.

The second stage is fat adaptation where your body knows what to do with the ketones. This is where performance is supposed to increase. It averages about 6-8 weeks before one becomes adapted, but it can vary by person. From what I gather, men can adapt quicker and easier than women. Probably because women’s body’s are designed to store fat for possible pregnancies.
I’ve also heard the Keto flu hits women harder too.

#8

I am sure others will comment as well but I think you are undereating.

I would imagine crossfit burns off quite a few calories. Then I am not sure what is in Ramen broth other than salt, I would imagine not much nutrition wise. Vegetables (assuming they are not starchy) are fine however they have few calories and probably not much fat. I am not familiar with the shake you describe as I make an effort to only eat real whole food whenever possible.

While the avocado has fat and the fish may or may not, nothing else you have listed all day has fat.

Kombacha while some people use it, does have a fair amount of carbs. Is there a reason you drink it before bed rather than before or after a workout?

A more typical keto day would be bulletproof coffee or coffee with HWC, then lunch at 1, with perhaps 3 eggs cooked in fat and bacon (I personally do not eat bacon so will have turkey bacon and an avocado). Dinner is vegetables cooked in fat, salad with fatty dressing (no seed oils), and meat or fish either fatty or cooked with added fat. Maybe some fermeted vegetables for gut health. Some add cheese or nuts although others find those make them gain or halt progress, very individual. Maybe move the kombucha to lunch if you feel you must have it

(Peter Cook) #9

Thanks LeeAnn. I think what you’re saying is true but I also think that your body is able to use ketones as soon as your producing them. I think whether or not your body uses them efficiently is another question and to your point, as you remain in ketosis your body probably does get more efficient. But I’d be interested to know if there’s any research or any person who talks about the mechanisms behind it or studies quantifying the effect?

(Leslie) #10

I agree with Saphire, you are definitely not eating enough fat.

It might be helpful to use a macro calculator. I have never needed this but many friends in this forum do use one with tremendous success.

Keep in mind that this plan is not a calorie deprivation plan. Eat as many calories as you need to be satiated. However, only 5% of those should be carbs and fewer than 15% should be proteins so that ALL the rest are from fat.

If you are still hungry at the end of any meal, eat more fat. Grass fed butter, literally by the spoonful. Coconut butter, macadamia nuts, an entire avocado. It’s insane the foods, the amount of fat, that I eat, personally everyday. I’m 5’2” and am under 120lbs and I eat a ridiculous amount of fat everyday. Fried eggs, sautéed veggies in butter, fatty fish and butter on everything.

The more fat I eat, the better I feel

Two things; I don’t supplement anything, I get everything in natural forms and two, I don’t use processed foods, including shakes or drinks ( except for Kombucha).
Having said all of that, it’s really a journey to figure out what works for you.

Keto is fat oriented, not just low carb
Over exercising is contraindicated while using keto (listen to the obesity code podcast)

I hope you find this helpful
Keep calm and keto on

(Candy Lind) #11

At first, your body fights the change over, and you feel like your limbs are lead weights. It’s often recommended that you back off your workout regimen for a bit until you get fat-adapted, then you can gradually ramp back up to the level you were at before. There’s some interesting reading in the bicycling threads under exercise where @ianrobo & other cyclists have built up to very long rides without carbs; in fact, they prefer to ride fasted!

(Candy Lind) #12

I know there are, but can’t recall the persons who work specifically with “fat-adapted athletes” (try a search on that phrase.). You should be able to find more about how the changeover happens and how quickly (or slowly) it does. Top athletes who are keto had to work up to their top performance levels.