Initial results, but now pretty fatigued

#1

I started out this diet about 2 weeks ago. I’ve been sure to eat lots of fats, drink water, get salt, etc.

During day 3-5 or something like that I had a lot of energy. I had a lot of energy in the gym, and felt very alert. I’ve also lost a couple of kg, it brought me from very vague abs to slightly more defined, but I would say my weight is within a healthy range. The wakefulness and energy was amazing, but it has since gone. I can feel lightheaded (which is not really news to me, but it’s certainly not better).

Is it normal to experience benefits initially, only to wander into a rough period later in the process?

I used to eat several tubs of ice cream every week and lots of fastfood without putting on weight. I wasn’t skinny, but I wasn’t getting fat either. I’ve been eating gluten-free and a lot healthier for the past 6 months before going on keto (which fixed my stomach), but I’m still struggling from being tired all day.

(Miss E) #2

For me yes. It is very up and down, hoping will balance out once fat adapted. Mind you I had bloods done after already being keto for about 6 weeks and it turned out my iron was quite low.

(Sarah Caine) #3

Oh no!! I have just posted that I feel so euphoric, happy and full of energy and I’m five days in!! I definitely don’t want the feeling to go :frowning:

#4

The thing that’s bothering me is this: If I felt great on day 3-5, at which point my carbohydrate stores would be depleted, wouldn’t I be fat adapted already then?

I’ve just eaten a teaspoon of salt with 3 glasses of water. I’ll do that a couple of times a day for the next period of time, and see if it helps. But I also don’t understand why I would need to supplement with salt. Is that perhaps also an adaption that needs to take place, but a slower one?

#5

It is my understanding that the salt is an ongoing need. It really helps me with headaches and energy.

It is normal to feel an initial euphoric rush, and then a lull. You are not likely fat adapted after 3 -5 days. You are without glucose but your body is not yet adapted to using fat as fuel. That can take many weeks but the salt helped move it along for me. Without electrolytes, I stayed in this hungry/tired/not losing mode for way too long. And my workouts sucked. but now I’m ok and it only happened after the salt before and after hard workouts, and sometimes another shot of it in the day.
Sounds like you’re doing fine and if you keep at it, you will get all the benefits. I, too, got stellar digestion first.

#6

Well, the salt has definitely woken me up drastically already. I guess maybe I wasn’t getting enough salt afterall.

(Ken) #7

Fatigue is often caused by dehydration. Salt assists with water retention, helping prevent it. Mmmmm, Vietnamese Sea Salt from my local Asian market is both inexpensive and very tasty. It comes in large grains and is somehow more delicious when sprinkled on foods…

(Chris W) #8

At around 4 weeks I had the same problem, it was two fold. I had no energy and my BP tanked. Salt turned that all around, pretty quickly. I wet my finger and stick in the salt tub and place it under my tongue(so you don’t taste it) if I am feeling tired or low energy it works almost every time. Salt intake should be around 1-2 teaspoons every day on keto, I add it to water in the morning and put it on every thing I make. Keep in mind it is in some common things we eat already like bacon and sausages though. If you were eating carbs and junk food salt is in everything, when you went keto most of that went by the wayside. Salt is part of what I like to call the holy Trinity, salt, potassium, and magnesium.

Also the keto flu can happen at around 1-2 weeks if your electrolytes are out of whack, I would consider taking the salt to maybe 3 teaspoons a day for the next 2-3 days. Make sure you are eating spinach or other leafy green they have a lot of the other two in them.