Hello and questions

#1

I’m a 41 year old male who is fairly healthy and active and currently weight 189lb. I did a water fast from last Monday to Thursday and since then I’ve been keto. I was great over the weekend and felt so chilled but I’m struggling a bit now and looking for some thoughts. I’m feeling so tired, I have a headache quite regularly, am fairly irritable (I think this may be to do with being so tired) and are more hungry than I was over the weekend. I am drinking a good amount of water and have salt with my food as I am trying to get enough electrolytes. I have a friend at work that wanted to start the 5:2 diet so I’ve been doing that this week (Monday was the first day and today is the second day of the week we’re doing it) and I thought it would be fairly easy as my hunger was down over the weekend but it’s not working out that way.

Thoughts?

Thanks

(Carpe salata!) #2

Keto 'flu. You’ll get over it but it could be a couple of weeks. Get to bed early and you’re right to keep up the electrolytes and water.

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #3

Broth will help with the keto “flu.” I hear a lot on the forums about bone broth (and there are lots of good recipes out there), but Dr. Phinney says that in a pinch, regular beef or chicken stock cubes will do.

When you’re hungry, eat more fat. This sounds counter-intuitive, but fat satisfies the appetite like no other food, and it gives the body lots of extra energy (about twice as many calories per gram as there are in protein and carbohydrate). Once the body is assured the food supply is stable, it will start repairing itself, raising your basal metabolic rate (which should help you stop feeling cold), and burning fat for energy, both the fat you are eating and the fat stored in your fat cells. Caloric restriction only makes the body hang onto its stored fat and lower your metabolic rate until the “famine” is over.

#4

So by the sounds of it I should bin doing the 5:2 diet at the moment? Sound right?

(Allan L) #5

I did the 5:2 diet for 8 months and lost 8 kg’s. I’ve done Keto for 16 weeks and lost 16kg’s. Think the choice is easy for me. :slight_smile:

#6

Hahahahaha, I think I’ll stick with Keto on it’s own for the moment then.

(Allan L) #7

Doing the 5:2 diet Keto style will help drive down your insulin levels. So for 2 days a week only eat 500 cal of keto and the other 5 days eat full cal keto. This is one of the fasting regimes Dr Jason Fung talks about. We all all unique, find what works best for you.

#8

That’s what I was thinking. I thought it would sort of turbo charge keto. Feeling pretty rough though so not sure if it’s the way to go or the way to go at the moment.

(Allan L) #9

Fasting and Keto go hand in hand. They work together very well, but only once you are fat adapted where you body naturally burns fat as a fuel source.

Until then its a rough ride to restrict calories whilst you are still dealing with carb cravings. Perfectly achievable but more difficult.

#10

OK, I’ll leave fasting for a few weeks and see how I get on. Thanks

(Linda Culbreth) #11

Way up your salt - that will help with the “keto flu.” As far as being cold, every time I fast, I need move covers and a jacket. You are doing a great job, reward yourself with a couple more pieces of :bacon: