Long lasting keto flu?

(Salli) #1

I have been doing keto and IF for over a year now. Not strict and have occasional weekends off.
Never seem to be in ketosis when I use the pee sticks but in August used a blood monitor and got there and had keto flu. The thing is I don’t think it has ever left I feel as if I have a cold rather than the flu every day virtually. I take magnesium and two salt tablets a day but am beginning to get a bit frustrated with this. Any thoughts / tips / help appreciated.

(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #2

If you’re not watching your carbs carefully and/or consuming a few other things that cause issues for some, it’s quite possible you’re going in and out of ketosis. So maybe you are experiencing ‘long term’ carb withdrawal. If so get more strict with yourself. Might help.

(Susan) #3

I agree with @amwassil

I track all my foods with a free app called cronometer.com -if you don’t have a phone (like me) you can do it for free on the internet directly as well.

It is a big help in guiding your macro intake, as long as you stay below 20 net carbs a day then you should be fine. The only day I go over the 20 are Mother’s Day, my birthday, Christmas and New Year’s Eve (even then I am still careful and don’t go overboard =). Best wishes with getting into and staying in Ketosis. The key is always keep those carbs as low as possible =).

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #4

If you’d like to give us a description of what you usually eat throughout the day, we could try to look for possible problems and solutions. Your age, weight, sex, and so forth are also useful information for troubleshooting.

In general, the symptoms of light-headedness, dizziness, headache, constipation, etc. that are lumped under the term “keto flu” are symptoms of inadequate sodium intake. According to several recent studies, the healthiest range of sodium intake is around 4-6 grams daily. This translates into 10-15 grams (2-3 U.S. teaspoons) of table salt (NaCl) a day, including the salt already present in food. If your salt intake is in that range, you are not likely to need to supplement your magnesium, calcium, or potassium, since the mechanisms that regulate the levels of those minerals are all inter-related.

If your sodium intake is in the healthy range and you are still experiencing symptoms, it might be wise to consult a physician to find out what is going on.

As far as food intake is concerned, the safest is to stick with a diet of real foods, avoiding all processed items. Eating mostly meat and fat, with perhaps a few leafy greens or a small amount of cruciferous vegetables, should resolve most symptoms fairly quickly.

(Salli) #5

Thanks matey

(Salli) #6

Thanks for that. I am 5:2 and currently 12.6. I have lost 3 stone but stalled - which is frustrating maybe following what you have said about being strict on carbs maybe I need to be more consistent.
Generally I have a bullet proof coffee 4 tbsp cream 1 butter. I tend to fast during the day and have one main meal a day. I eat chicken breast food quality sausages, gammon. Don’t eat cow or sheep. I tend to eat cauliflower / broccoli… cream with sugar free syrup occasionally and Atkins bars.
I take 250g magnesium a day and when fasting I have two salt tablet a day. I use my fitness pal. Never quite sure what my electrolytes should be per day.

I record daily so will review my overall weekly crabs to see how consistent or not! Thanks for your help. Any tips you can see following this information appreciated.

(Davy) #7

Good day. 2 salt tablets? I don’t know much about them, what kind of salt or how many mg in each, but you might try Real Salt or Himalayan Pink Salt. Sea salt is very good too. These are the very most healthy kind of salts. (they’re about the same thing, so whichever one you can get) You need from 3000mg to 4000mg of sodium total per day while doing Keto, so the two salt tablets might not be enough.
I took and am taking 3000-4000mg of Real Salt.
At least 400mg Magnesium, sometimes up to 600mg. (so your Mg might be a little low too)
and at least 4700mg or perhaps 4000mg of Potassium for a lady. (I often struggle to get my potassium requirement)
I pretty much skipped Keto Flu…only had a mild headache for a few hours for only one day.
Try these limits for your macros

(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #8

I think you mean mg not gr.

(Heather Meyer) #9

Your atkins bar and sugar free syrups can be the cause of stalling due to the type of sweetner used.
Its also possible you are not consuming enpugh calories which can result in down regulation of BMR causing you to feel cold all the time
Other comsideration could be due to hypothyroid?? Worth checking up on.