So hello, I’m new of course. 3 weeks on Keto, 16lbs lost! Super happy about that with about at least 30 more to go. 44yo W 5’8" starting weight 213lbs down to 197😀 so before I go further yes I have used the search bar and found others asking the same question, I know we are all different, I have a MUCH clearer mind no foggieness and more energy but still get fatigued. Drinking at least half gal of H2O/day using approx a tsp of Himalaya salt per day, making electrolyte drink a day, brkfst 3 fried eggs and avocado, if I’m hungry (and usually not very hungry at all) for lunch I have 1 can Tuna w/mayo celery and a pickle, dinner some kind of meats(turkey, gf organic ground beef, steak) sometimes with cheese riced cauliflower or broccoli. Then fast from 6pm until approx 11am depending on if I’m hungry or not. If I need snacks it’s pickle(the real fermented type) or bone broth. Staying anywhere from 5- no more than 15grms of carbs a day. I also put 1T of coconut oil in my coffee w/ HWC&Stevia in the AM no more than wC coffee a day. I know I’m doing really well and have all the signs of being fat adapted except for the crash fatigue in the afternoons. So my question is this; could I possibly really be in ketosis/fat adapted or could that 16lbs have been all water? From everything I read this is too early to truly be fat adapted? I appreciate any feedback! Thanks
Ketosis or fat adapted?
Hi and welcome. It’s likely you’re starting to fat adapt but it’s not like one day you AREN’T and the next day you ARE fat adapted. I’m four months in and I’d say I started to consistently feel better around 6 weeks but I still have days when I feel that old “low blood sugar” feeling out of the blue. When that happens I do a mental checklist of salt intake, water, what have I had to eat (anything more carby than usual?) and what am I doing, did I get good sleep last night, etc.
If this is a daily event you might want to change things up, maybe it’s something you’re eating on a regular basis. Or allow yourself a snack.
To clarify, are you ONLY eating 1 tsp of Himalayan salt a day? That’s not enough.
Yeah, could easily be all, or mostly, water. Depends on how much you were storing, water-squirrel fashion 
From everything I read this is too early to truly be fat adapted?
It’s very unlikely, but OTOH, that doesn’t mean you’re not already getting benefits from your change of eating already, visible or not.
Are you sure you’re eating enough for your height/weight?
+1
Hey! Thanks for your reply! So how much salt should I have per day? Would 2T be enough or more? I have read so much conflicting answers so I have been unsure.
I am afraid to answer this. I know regular table salt is sodium chloride so only part of salt is sodium. If I’m correct, Himalayan salt is even less because it has a bunch of other minerals in it too…
I would suggest searching for electrolytes or waiting for one of the other members who knows this stuff off the top of their head to come along and tell you. I just know it’s way too low.
I’ve never added mine up. I put a bit in my coffee in the morning, salt all of my food, add it to cocoa if I have that for a snack and drink a broth if I’m feeling crappy.
@PetaMarie 
thanks so much! I will research more. And this time calculate by height and weight now as well on all fronts! Probably closer to 2T a day now that I think about how I am adding to my food as well and not just my lemon water:blush:lol
Hi and welcome,
16 lbs seems well beyond water weight so I reckon you’re running on ketones and it takes a few weeks or more to get more adapted. So hang in there
@Alex99 Oh thank you! Yes I see so many amazing benefits already so it can only get better, right!? Definitely not going to be a quick fix or fad for me personally. I feel very committed to this new keto lifestyle as I feel like 90% better than I did through week one so much mental clarity it’s actually a miracle for me! So totally gonna hang in there😀 appreciate your feedback and encouraging words!
@juice Thank you for the info. Possibly not eating enough? Not positive, BUT I am so not hungry so often. At first week 1-1 1/2 I was famished often but lately I am very sated with what I’m eating. Should I eat even when not hungry? This too I’ve only read that you should only eat when hungry to satiety
You’ve already identified a lot of the things that might add up to you being fat adapted and while I might agree that it’s probably a bit too soon, in the near future you might try a little test to be sure. Just for personal experimentation, you can try a 24 or 36 hour fast and see how your hunger and energy levels respond. If you can go past the 24 hour or 36 hour mark with ease, then you have arrived. Certainly you don’t have to fast to be successful but this should be all the proof you need. And you can bail out of the fast at any point in time you don’t feel comfortable.
For me it was about 5 weeks before I could do this.
I believe it’s more about the volume of actual salt you can get in a teaspoon. The finer the salt crystals, the more you can fit on a teaspoon. So with the finer grains of table salt, there’s literally more salt on the teaspoon than their is with the PHS and it’s larger crystals.
The minerals in PHS are “trace amounts” which doesn’t really water down the salt’s purity much.
You can get PHS in different grinds - I’ll take a shot later today (err, if I remember)…
The minerals in PHS are “trace amounts” which doesn’t really water down the salt’s purity much.
Yeah, I use it because it’s pretty, nothing else.
I’ve used table salt for the majority of my life and switching to PHS was a pleasant change. If i accidentally get too much table salt in mouth, it tastes kind of chemically. I don’t get that chemically taste from PHS.
I’ve been instructed that with keto fast droppingmy insulin levels I need 2 tsp a day. I measure out into a very pretty dish 2 tsp first thing when I get up and take it throughout the day in pinches under my tongue.
No one has told me this but I suspect if you aren’t type 2 diabetic or insulin resistant (with high insulin levels), the shift and need to supplement salt at this level may not be so high. I am responding from the pov of someone with massively high insulin levels and this is what I was told by a local keto GP.
I am curious therefore what is the level advised for metabolically healthy people trying to lose weight and is it different?
I use Maldon salt flakes cause I enjoy the texture and crunch.
I can’t speak professionally but when I get 1 tsp or less. I notice the chances of me getting a leg cramp when I am asleep go up. When I get more than 1 and up to 2, everthing seems fine.
@PaulL recommends 2.5 per day and might be able to explain where that recommendation comes from.
I’ve read a lot of salt articles and one that stood out to me said this:
Scientific evidence suggests this may be harmfully low for most people. Based on a study of over 100k people across 17 countries, “an estimated sodium intake between 3 g per day and 6 g per day was associated with a lower risk of death and cardiovascular events than either a higher or lower estimated level of sodium intake.” Another study looked at ~275k people and found that between 2,645mg and 4,945mg of sodium per day was the optimal range.
4945 mg is just under a teaspoon.
and this article featuring Fung (who really needs his own forum emoji) points out:
For example, the Okayuma, consumed more salt than most nations today (up to 3 1/3 tsp per day), and yet had some of the lowest average blood pressures in the world.
In some cases, blood pressure actually decreased as salt intake increased. For example, North Indians consumed an average salt intake of 2 ½ tsp per day (14 grams) but maintained a normal blood pressure of 133/81 mmHg. In South India, average salt intake was about half that of North India, but the average blood pressure was significantly higher at 141/88 mmHg.
And then there’s the Japanese who include a lot of salt in their diet and have some of the highest longevity in the world @ 81 years.
None of this really answers your question but it does take the fear out of salt for me and shooting for 2 teaspoons seems like a pretty safe bet.
@CarlKeller Thanks! I am going to try a 24hr fast this weekend! I’m looking forward to this test and hopefully I’ll get a good result but definitely not going to push it to any point of hunger. I know how starvation mode in your body can be counterproductive. Appreciate your help❤
You look like you are well on your way to fat adaptation!
You could be “there” already given your 17:7 IF along with potentially just being an outlier.
Your original post hits a lot of the important newbie points (so is helpful, thanks!).
The point I wanted to add here is that progress so far is quite motivating (I assume) but it will likely not continue linearly down to your goal weight.
Try not to get disheartened along the way and foul your engine.
You might hit a plateau at 193 and sit there for weeks.
The temptation is to immediately cut or find some shortcut (which could lead to calorie restriction rebound or a psychological rejection of the feeling of just being restricted again).
Sure, shortcuts are fine after a few weeks but, give it that few weeks and view your regular keto as an investment - pushing you more-and-more toward solid fat-adaptation and locking in your gains.
Another popular thing to do for good progress feelings is take measurements. I read all the time about people that are not seeing scale movements but are seeing inches come off.
These are called NSVs (non-scale victories like your mention of a clearer mind) which, you should keep in mind, diminish or go away if you rebel and/or fall off the wagon.
Good luck!
This may be the best introductory post I’ve ever seen. You hit pretty much every question generally asked of new ketoers before you were even asked.
I think you probably have lost some fat by now. Maybe 5 or 6 pounds. But water weight is still significant. Losing it makes you slimmer and fit your clothes better and as long as you don’t hit the carbs those pound stay off.
I agree that you are probably partially fat adapted. It really isn’t something that happens overnight. Although I felt much better after the first month of keto, I continued to feel better and better for most of the next year.
With respect to experimenting with a 24 hour fast, you absolutely do not have to worry about metabolic slowdown occurring in that time frame. You almost certainly will feel a bit of hunger. You can tell if you are fat adapted by the mildness of the hunger and it’s transience.