Help :( Low Energy + Headaches in Ketosis?

(Jamie Lewis) #1

Hi all,

Both me and my partner have been doing the ketogenic diet for 6 months now and the results have been great in terms of fat loss. We have both dropped significant amounts of weight ( I lost 20kg ) whilst my partner has lost 9kg.

We introduced Intermittent Fasting 4 weeks ago for the health benefits and additional fat loss whilst preserving muscle mass due to increase in GH and Testostrone.

My partner is always in ketosis (4 mmol/L) and can get there very easily after breaking ketosis within 2/3 days. I on the other hand barely get past 0.5mmol/L but I still lose body fat very quickly.

The issue we both have now is our energy levels and headaches. My partner has headaches every day and we are both lacking energy throughout the entire day. At the moment we are not consuming any vegetables due to our meal prep company so we have just started taking vitamins to fill this gap.

Just wanted to see if any of you have experienced being in ketosis whilst still getting low energy levels + headaches?

Iā€™m 26 and my partner is 22, Iā€™m on 2200kcals per day and she is on 1077kcals per day.

Thank you :slight_smile:

(Alec) #2
  1. Unless your partner is very petite, she is undereating.
  2. Are you both getting enough salt and electrolytes, and fluid in general?
  3. Are you both eating to satiety?
  4. What IF regime are you following?
(Jamie Lewis) #4

Thanks for replying mate,

My partner is 5ft 2 and 50kg if thatā€™s classed petite?

Salt and Electrolytes we are not consuming :see_no_evil:ā€¦ we drink a lot of coffee, green tea and water.

We are currently doing a 8:16 IF regime and the hours vary, some days we go 18 hours of fasting. The issue we have is sometimes we stop eating at 7pm and then go to bed hungry even after consuming lots of water.

I generally donā€™t get as hungry however my partner always feels sheā€™s hungry. My appetite has definitely been suppressed so I can manage it a lot easier than she can.

(Edith) #5

I agree with @Alecmcq. Low salt can cause headaches and low energy and not enough food can cause the same.

There are many threads on this forum discussing electrolytes. You should do a search on that.

(Raj Seth) #6

Most definitely NOT eating enough. After 6 months on keto you need to not be hungry. If hungry - EAT. Keto is not about calorie restriction. Itā€™s about hormonal adjustment by eating evolutionarily appropriate foods. Weight and body fat gets ā€˜right-sizedā€™ when the body is nourished correctly and the hormonal balance is restored

(Allie) #7

??

Just prepare real food, add salt to your cooking, carbs below 20g and eat to your hunger. Itā€™s that simple.

(Bunny) #8

Low ketones like that & 6 months on a ketogenic diet is why your burning body fat!

Sodium, potassium and magnesium levels may be a little low? That can cause headaches!

Headaches could be real low blood sugars and eating a little bit of protein at the onset of the headaches could relieve them. I see you started intermittent fasting 4 weeks ago (most likely the cause of headaches?), problem with that is, when you fast intermittently with keto and YOUR NOT USE TO IT, thatā€™s what can happen! i.e. your fasting too much or too often?

Lacking energy is another indication that your burning body fat.

(Alec) #9
  1. Ok, sheā€™s undereating, she needs to eat to satiety
  2. You both need to find some electrolytes and start taking them. Lots of salt.
  3. Drop the IF. Eat to satiety. IF does not suit some people, and I think you are 2 examples.
  4. I am also not sure about your ā€œmeal prep companyā€ā€¦ does that mean you get your meals in ready packs and blitz them in a microwave? I think you would do MUCH better buying some meat and veg and cooking them. It is really dead easy, honest. I am no cook, but I cook meat and veg, it is straightforward.