When you’re eating high fat, you need a lot more salt than you do on a high carb diet. I aim for 4 grams per day (PLEASE NOTE 4 grams of salt is not 4 grams of sodium). Some will say you need more than that! It will NOT skyrocket your BP. Your readings are all over the place because of the big change you’re making. It’s a very good idea to keep a close eye on your BP as you get into keto to make sure it’s doesn’t go TOO LOW. If you look up BP in these forums, you will find many folks who have gotten completely off their BP meds. Salt everything, and if you get “keto flu” symptoms (although it sounds like you’re already past that stage), the first thing you should try to correct it is take some salt, say 1/8-1/4 tsp in some water. You might need more than that; if the first “dose” doesn’t quite eliminate your symptoms, take another one. The 2KD’s did a great podcast on “The Salt Fix.” Find it and listen to it. Great info.
Magnesium is also something you probably need to supplement a bit, and it has been shown to lower BP. There is a good deal of info in the forums about what kind of Mg supplement to take (and what happens if you take too much!). Potassium - you can actually get too much of it. Salt regulates potassium in the body and your body will actually store it.
One of the things people do a lot is make an electrolyte drink to sip on during the day or during workouts. There are quite a few “recipes” out there; one is on this forum by our friend/admin Brenda; she calls it “KetoAide” and it’s easy and very inexpensive. You use one of the “lite salt” compounds (part salt, part potassium salt) you can get at the grocery store, and the Magnesium Citrate drinks they sell in the pharmacy to make people go before a colonoscopy. Both are used in very small amounts and it’s a good way to keep things in balance. The flavors in the drinks provide a little variety. I decided early on that the only one I like is the citrus (lemon-lime) flavor, but YMMV.
And BTW - WELCOME! It’s so great to hear another “immediate success” story! We’re happy to have you here and encourage you to ask for any information you can’t find with the search function.
OH! Another thing. Older women (peri- into post-menopausal) have more trouble losing weight, and a bunch of us commisserate, share ideas, bitch and moan in a topic called “Vintage Ladies Keto Klub” - come by and set a spell when you have time.