Help! 6 Weeks into Ketogenic

(Jr Goad) #1

I’ve been on keto for roughly 6 weeks now. I am still having trouble with my focus as my brain feels mentally tired everyday. That being said, the last week has been better but no clarity yet. In addition, my body performs well in the gym and at work (construction). I am also on top of everything i.e. vitamins, magnesium, potassium, etc. Why am I not feeling the advantages of being on Keto like everyone else I know/read about?

(Jaidann) #2

You don’t mention salt. What’s your sodium intake?

(Jr Goad) #3

5000 mg or more a day

(Jr Goad) #4

I am also taking the necessary Vitamins i.e. Vitamin B12, Calcium, Magnesium, etc.

#5

Can you provide a typical day of what your meals, snacks look like? It will help us help you.

(Jaidann) #6

Salt is good … hmmmm … I’m with Fiorella, whatchya eating? Possible not enough fat?

(Jr Goad) #7

I train 3 times a week (Mon - Wed - Friday). Note that I felt great the first week but just felt mentally tired beginning of second week until today.

Breakfast 5 am: 3 whole eggs, 2 slices of Bacon, half an Avocado, 1 cup bouillon, Keto Coffee (1 tbs butter, 1 tbs MCT and 1tbs Coconut oil)

Meal 2 @ 10 am: 2 Sausages (no sugar and roughly 50 g of fat), salad with keto dressing roughly about 20 g of fats, coffee with 1 tbs MCT oil, 1/4 cup macadamia nuts

Meal 3 @ 12:30 salad with my keto dressing, 200 g chicken thigh with skin, 1/4 cup macadamia nuts,

Meal 4 @ 5 pm or 6 pm after the gym: 3 eggs and possibly some bacon

Meal 5 @ 8 pm: 150-200g of steak or meat of choice, 1/4 macadamia nuts, fat bomb (20 g of fats)

(Jr Goad) #8

I’m eating roughly 300-350 g of fat and still losing weight. I am 5’11 and 183. My macros are roughly around Protein: 150-160 g
Fats: 300-350 g
Carbs: 20-30g

(Jr Goad) #9

I’m also drinking roughly 4 litres of water and have even bought potassium and magnesium substance to put into my water to sip on.

(Jr Goad) #10

I’ve also experimented with Target Keto for just a week roughly on my third week. I was only eating 20 g of white rice prior to my workout and that was it.

#11

Thanks for the response, jr.

We are all different, so I will provide some some possible issues I see, that would trigger me in feeling tired.

One thing I see is pretty high protein intake, and many meals per day. When I eat a higher level of protein, it feels like my body takes more energy to digest and break down the food. Another thing is if I eat many meals in the day, my body’s constantly digesting (stomach, Pancrease, gall bladder, etc ) without rest. So, I feel better when meals are spaced further apart.

So, maybe, you might like to try playing around with those two variables: protein quantity and number meals per day.

I understand that you work in construction…so, that makes me think that it would likely be better to keep protein levels where they are now, and play with meal timing/frequency, instead.

Are you will to test less meals per day…but eating the same amount of food per day? That means, eat your current food intake, but in just 2 or three meals…and see how your body reacts? This will increase your “fasting duration” which can result in greater energy. For me, I notice that I get more energy when I fast. Is this something you are willing to test maybe?

(Jr Goad) #12

That’s a great advice Fiorella. I was actually thinking about that approach. I would usually feel tired after a meal however. That being said, I will try that approach. Will I be able to snack in between say a 1/4 of macadamia nuts?

#13

Well, no one knows the answer…it is something to be tested. For me, I go straight without any snacking in between meals. But, for you, without testing, you will not know what works and what doesn’t.

Try and test it out. Do one week with snacking on only 1/4 macadamia nuts. Followed by one week no snacking. See how it works out. You will learn a lot about your body and it’s natural satiety signals and digestion preferences.

(Jr Goad) #14

Thank you I will give it a try. I’m just getting a little frustrated because I followed the protocol to the tea and it has even made me miss my online studies (very difficult to focus and made it extremely difficult to read my materials).

#15

That’s alot of meals in a day. Have you tested your ketones?

(Eric Sawyer) #16

Yup, all of the info except ketone levels. If you are not testing your ketone levels you have no idea if you are actually in ketosis or not. With that amount of protein I would venture to guess no ketosis. No ketosis, no brain clarity. Therapeutic ketosis begins at 1.0 mml/dcl. Once fat adapted, energy and clarity will be amazing!!!

(Alex Dipego) #17

Personally it just looks like you’re spiking insulin all the time. Blood sugar and insulin going up and down multiple times throughout the day will cause lack of clarity for sure.

I do 1-2 meals in my day and lift 3-5 days a week. It’s a hard 3 and the other days are just active days. That being said I’ll rotate the amount of food from 1800 one day to 3200 the next, all depends on my activity. This also allows for the guy to relax with volume of food. Especially if eating higher protein, you’re 5’11" your lean mass may be 160 let’s say but that doesn’t mean necessary you have to eat that much protein all the time as keto is muscle sparring. I’ll drop to 80-100 on my lower days for sure. I’m 5’8" 175. Strength is still there.

It takes time to play with it to really find that trigger level. Supplementing could be the issue too, where your adrenals are taxed and need a little break. So I would try lowering protein on your off days some what and lesson the amount of meals to allow digestion to run its course.

(Jr Goad) #18

Thank you for the advice guys! I will try these approach and see how it goes.

(Jr Goad) #19

Am I spiking my insulin by eating a lot of meals throughout the day regardless if they have no/very little carbs in them?

(Jr Goad) #20

I’ve used the keto stick and I’ve gone above 1.0 mml/dcl. That being said, the stick stopped registering after the third week. This is possibly due to the fact that I was very hydrated (3-4 Litres of water a day). I was experiencing all the signs of being in ketosis but the mental clarity.