Just feel weak


(Eric Brian Baltch) #1

I’m about 3 weeks in…still feeling out of it at times and weak…i have lost about 9-10 pounds but the energy is not there…how long do I have to wait…i really don’t want to quit…i just don’t want to fall on my face…someone please let me know it could take a month or more to feel good?


(Susan) #3

@Coach39

The issues you are having are usually resolved with getting in some Electrolytes.

KetoAide homemade

This is @Brenda’s recipe for an electrolyte drink you can make at home, and drink throughout the day. It will make a world of difference for you and help you feel better in no time =).

Another thing that I have just recently started doing myself that I am finding helpful is cronometer.com

It is a free download and you type in your stats (gender, height, weight, age) and it will tell you how many calories, carbs, proteins, fats and nutrients are listed too. It is very convenient and FREE! I really found it convenient to see all the macros =). Good luck! and don’t quit, we are all here to encourage you =).

If you are keeping to 20 grams or less of carbs, no sugar, eating adequate proteins, healthy fats, and getting enough calories, making sure to drink enough water, keeping Electrolytes up, you will be doing well =)).


(Eric Brian Baltch) #4

Ty…i drink a ton of salt…dr. berg electrolyte drink and take mag at night…i don’t think that’s what it is…what am I missing?


(Susan) #5

Are you eating any artificial sweeteners? They mess a lot of us up so many on the forum have had to eliminate them. I am wondering about this Dr. Berg’s drink? I think his drink is a gimmick to get your money, you could make your own for much cheaper and make it without artificial additives as well =).


#6

Much depends on the state of your metabolic health when you started - some take longer to adapt than others. And FWIW some people never get the amazing energy improvements that others report but they do see improvements in energy stabilisation.

Are you eating enough to fuel your activity levels?


(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #7

@Coach39 Carb withdrawal affects different folks in different ways to different degrees for different periods of time. And a lot of fortunate folks not at all. The most common issue is electrolytes. If you’ve got that covered the second most common issue is not eating enough. A lot of things happen when you start eating keto: hormones and enzymes readjust, cells and organs readjust, overall metabolism resets, accumulated crap goes out, and many other things. All at the same time. You have to give yourself sufficient fuel to get it all done. This is in addition to your normal daily activity level, as @anon54735292 notes.

If you are experiencing severe carb withdrawal symptoms, do not cut back on your overall daily calories. Keto is a health normalization regimen. Weight loss is a side benefit. But at first concentrate on the normalization and once you’re over the initial hump of discomfort, weakness and other symptoms of carb withdrawal you can start to concentrate on weight control and loss if that’s your ultimate goal.


(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #8

There are two normal issues: electrolytes and keto-adaptation. You say you are getting enough salt, so that eliminates the first. The second is a lack of power for exercise during the first couple of months or so of a ketogenic diet. This is the result of depriving muscles of glucose and forcing them to rely on ketone bodies for energy. After an adaptation period, however, they re-learn how to metabolise fatty acids (in preference to both glucose and ketones), and performance returns to a level at or above what it was previously. During adaptation, however, it is a good idea to avoid strenuous exercise.

Other things to look at, if the lack of energy seems beyond what I’ve just described, are first, protein intake, which should be in the range of 1.0 to 1.5 g/kg lean mass/day, with fat added to satiety; and second, thyroid functioning. You might ask your physician to order some tests, which should include both T3 and T4 levels, as well as TSH (TSH alone will not necessarily show a problem).


(Eric Brian Baltch) #9

Thx for advice…i have been struggling with my exercise…do you think 4 to 6 for keto adaptation?


(John) #10

Was about 12 weeks until I pretty much felt normal all of the time and didn’t have occasional periods of fatigue or sluggishness, especially in the mornings. It was a process of steady improvement, so not like “felt crappy for 11 weeks and then magically felt fine one day.”


(Kerin ) #11

This is about when I add more fat to everything and eat a whole avocado before bed.
It gets better.
( except water, I don’t add fat to my drinking water). Thought I’d add that in. Sleep is also important. And definitely get something to eat before work or school. Any intermittent fasting in the first few months can be as simple as 8 hours.


(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #12

We generally tell people 6-8 weeks for full adaptation. But it happens faster in a very few people and several months in other people. Also, even people who originally adapted fairly quickly often report significiant improvement even a year later. Results seem to be highly individual.

From the various anecdotes I’ve read on these forums, my guess is that insulin resistance is likely affecting the rate of adaptation, though I couldn’t possibly tell you by what mechanism, so don’t quote me.