New to Keto- Energy Questions?

(Bill Smith) #1

Hello all,

I am 40 years old and started living the ketogenic lifestyle 13 days ago. I have my macros set at 75% fat, 20% protein and 5% carbs and my total calorie intake is right around 1900 per day. So far it’s going very well. I believe I am fat adapted because I don’t craze breads or sweets anymore. I have been taking in a lot of healthy fats including olive oil, cocunut oil and MCT oil as well as eating a ton of eggs, sausage and beef. So far I’ve lost 8 lbs (I’m sure some or most of this is water). I work out 3-5 times per week and am feeling a lot better about my body.

I have not tested for ketones yet. I’ve heard the strips are unreliable and with my son heading to college money has been tight so I can’t buy a blood test unit right now. One thing that I’ve read that is important is eating at least 5 servings of vegetables a day- which I have. I eat cauliflower, broccoli, kale, spinach and asparagus. With that being said, my total carbs usually come in between 38-42 and my net carbs drop me down in to the 20-24 range daily. In terms of supplements, I take daily magnesium, potassium, and drink pink himalayan sea salt throughout the day. I also drink a ton of water. Usually 2-3 20 oz. cups plus 4-6 zero calorie sparkling waters. I use MyFitnessPal to log everything I eat. I also experienced the keto-flu which lasted around 2 days about 6 days in to my switch to keto.

I feel healthier, my body is tighter and I love the food. The problem is that I have not seen the 2 big factors that initially drove me to this diet- increased energy and mental clarity. I get around 7 hours of sleep every night and still feel groggy (brain fog) the next day until I’ve had a few cups of coffee. I then need caffeine through out the day to not feel sleepy. Does anyone have any idea what I may be doing wrong? Whenever I watch a video about keto I hear the person talk about the explosion of new energy and mental clarity. It’s just not happening for me. I’d love some opinions on what I can do better to make this happen for myself. Don’t be afraid to harsh. I always welcome constructive criticism! Thank you!

(Carl Keller) #2

Hello and welcome Bill.

This is probably why I would say you are not quite fat adapted yet. Switching from burning carbs to burning fat does not happen with the snap of one’s fingers. It can take up to two months for some people’s bodies to do this efficiently. In the meantime, our brains might struggle a bit to get just the right amount of fuel. This is why you might be feeling sluggish and foggy.

Strenuous exercise can also complicate the switchover. It’s often recommended to not add this type of stress while our body is learning how to use ketones efficiently. Eventually, once you can burn ketones efficiently, you will probably discover excercising is easier and your recovery time is decreased.

Something that might help with your fog and grogginess is adding a small amount of coconut oil to your morning coffee but not too much at first since some people experience mild digestive issues when trying CO for the first time. CO acts like an energy drink for my brain since it’s sending ketones always immediately to my brain. Just realize that this probably will not aid weight loss goals and many will even say that it is not necessary.

(Scott) #3

Fat adapted? I say no way unless you are the fat adapted world record holder. Your lack of energy is going to be your best guide. It took me close to three months and energy during workouts was my measuring stick. I was running and thought “hey wait a minute, this doesn’t suck anymore”. Give it some time. I think I was a bit slower because I am a <50g carbs.

As far as the expensive meters and testers save your money. If your carbs are low you will get a pretty good feel for this. I let my weight loss/maintenance, belly and taste (yes I can taste ketones) be my keto guides. If I am going to eat this way long term I would spend a small fortune testing to see what I already know.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #4

There are three components to the energy issue, salt intake, caloric intake, and fat adaptation.

Eating carbohydrate depresses the rate of salt excretion, so a ketogenic diet effectively increases our need for salt. On top of that, several recent studies have indicated that we are at our healthiest when we get 10-15 grams of table salt (NaCl) a day (including the amount naturally present in our food). If you’re not getting quite that much salt, working to get a bit more might prove helpful.

As far as calories are concerned, we recommend eating to satisfy hunger, not to a particular calorie level. The reason is that, even on a low-carb diet, the body doesn’t like to get rid of its reserves if it thinks there is a famine going on. So when we don’t get enough calories, our body slows everything down and does what it can to make us conserve energy. The easiest way to make sure we are getting enough food is to eat when hungry, stop eating when no longer hungry, and not eating again until hungry again. This convinces the body there is no famine going on, and it will use more energy.

So eating a bit more salt and a bit more food could well help, but the third factor, fat-adaptation, simply takes time. Your athletic performance is simply not going to be great until your muscles reaccustom themselves to metabolizing fat instead of glucose. The adaptation process normally takes around six to eight weeks, sometimes quite a bit longer, depending on the person.

Athletes can tell they’ve become fat-adapted because their performance returns, sometimes at an even higher level. The rest of us have a harder time. Myself, I don’t feel particularly energetic, because I have some kind of fatigue syndrome; what I feel is basically normal. (For instance, I can spend four hours mowing the lawn and still be functional the next day, which didn’t use to be the case). Other people have reported feeling a burst of energy and find that long days spend doing chores become very easy.

So there are a couple of things to try, and a counsel of patience for the rest. Not sure that’s what you wanted to hear, but I hope it helps in any case. :bacon::bacon:

(Scott) #5

Now that you mention it I spread two pickup truckloads of mulch this weekend and it didn’t phase me. I use to be crying on a Monday after that. One more win for keto!

#6

The keto clarity might have to do with keto reducing inflammation in the brain. I don’t think everybody will experience this. The energy is something that comes when your body has gotten used to the way of eating. I don’t have a lot more energy per se, but my stamina has changed a lot. At around 4-5 weeks, I could suddenly go without lunch and still not lose energy. I would also feel like moving my body more.

One reason why I don’t experience heightened energy might be that I don’t seem to digest fat very well. I have just started taking digestive enzymes, and will see if this changes it.

(Bill Smith) #7

Thank you everyone for your awesome replies- extremely helpful!

I was misinformed and maybe a bit to overzealous about how quickly the change would happen to becoming fat adapted. I don’t plan for this to be a “diet” so I have plenty of time to see how everything progresses and notice the change in energy.

I am going to start adding table salt to my diet. I’ve only had sea salt since I started out. I’m also going to slow down on the exercise. I very well could be confusing my body. I think I may just stick to walking for the next two weeks to see what effects that has.

I like the idea of having coconut oil with my morning coffee but I’m also fasting on the 16/8 plan. My eating window is from 12pm-8pm. My goal is to move this to more of a 18/6 plan and cut my eating window to 6 hours a day over the next few weeks as well.

I think I may also need digestive enzymes. I definitely know that I need a prebiotic and plan to pick up a bottle of inulin the next time I’m close to the Vitamin Shoppe. Thanks again for putting things in to perspective for me!

I plan to be an active member on these forums and hope to get to know some of you better.

Best- Bill

(Ethan) #8

One thing that I’ve read that is important is eating at least 5 servings of vegetables a day- which I have. I eat cauliflower, broccoli, kale, spinach and asparagus.

It sounds like you have been reading Dr. Berg. I disagree with him. Vegetables are not at all necessary. Eat them if you like and work for you, but they are not required.

(Bill Smith) #9

That is correct. I have spent a lot of time on Dr. Berg’s YouTube video’s along with Dr. Berry and Thomas DeLauer. I may look in to getting a green powder to replace the vitamins/minerals from veggies but what about vegetables effects on the digestive system? Also- I have no idea why but for the last 4-5 days I have been feeling very nauseous. I haven’t added anything new or taken anything away. It’s just weird.

I just had a glass of table salt water. Do you still need table salt if you are regularly taking in himilayan pink sea salt? Maybe that’s where I’m messing up on my salt intake.

(Ethan) #10

I only eat meat, fish, eggs, and butter/ghee now.
I use pink salt and sea salt. This is the easiest way to eat ever! Vitamins are more bioavailable from meat anyway; I don’t need vegetables.

(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #11

Welcome aboard. What you are experiencing is called ‘keto flu’. Stick with your new keto diet and it will go away in a few weeks. You may be in ketosis or maybe not. I suggest you cut back on the carbs to total sub-20 for the first few weeks. You won’t suffer from not eating so much veggies for a few weeks.

Be realistic. You are not fat adapted. Think about it: you spent 40 years eating the standard high carb diet and 13 days eating keto. There are no miracles, only chemistry. Stay with it, enjoy it. You will become fat adapted soon enough.

(Bill Smith) #12

Thank you. I will take the advice given. I’ve already had my veggies for today but starting tomorrow I’ll eliminate them and make sure I’m below 20 total carbs for the next two weeks at least. You may be right about the keto flu. I thought I already experienced it (I felt hung-over for 2 days last week) but I know it and it’s symptoms can last a few weeks to a month for some people. Come to think of it, today and yesterday I NEEDED a ton of caffeine just to keep my eyes open. I think I’m on my 5th cup of coffee today already…

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #13

It happens. The media seem to have a hard time understanding keto, and the stuff they print is either hilariously bad or unbelievably good. We are used to people with unrealistic ideas, so don’t sweat it.

We look forward to having you with us on the forums and to watching your progress. Keep calm and keto on! :bacon::bacon:

(Katie the Quiche Scoffing Stick Ninja ) #14

Wonderful plan :slight_smile:

(PSackmann) #15

Welcome to the forums. Coconut oil has a minimal effect on insulin levels, so it won’t interfere with the 16/8 fasting. But do start out slowly, as it can affect different people differently. If you haven’t already, check out The Obesity Code by Dr. Jason Fung. There’s a lot of good information about the hormonal factors in play and fasting as well.