So I started keto about 5 days ago, before I started keto I was already limiting carbs but found myself at moderate fat and high protein. So I have no carb cravings, im a disciplined eater and I workout 5-7 days per week as I’m a personal trainer & strength coach. But I’ve had issues with bloating, nausea, and diarrhea. No headaches, no cravings, or anything else. I’ve been eating spinach for potassium with every meal but staying within 20-15 net carbs per day, I’m eating around 1400 calories as that’s what I usually find is a good deficit but not starving myself. I eat 72%-75% fat with 20%-22% protein and 5% carbs, I also salt literally everything and even drink Himalayan salt water like nobody’s business. I take a magnesium supplement as well. I’ve been doing everything I can to fight keto flu but it’s just not working I’m confused. I’m also gaining a little bit of body fat I’m a 5’3 150 pound male, 21, and I’m not sure what adjustment I need to make.
New to Keto, Issues with keto flu
How much spinach do you eat? A cup has only 167mg of potassium and the recommended amount is around 5000 mg per day. I function fine at 1800-2000 per day, but if I don’t reach this amount I get headaches and nausea. I track my food with myfitnesspal and on the app in the nutrition tab you can see how much potassium you ate if you log the correct foods.
I eat about 4 cups per day! I also eat avocados when I can but they aren’t an every day food
yeah, avocados are good, i made a habit to eat half every day, the other half I put it in the fridge covered with foil for the next day. Also zucchini have potassium. I also supplement with one potassium pill every morning, 99 mg.
Maybe that will help, I’m just confused because I’m doing everything I can to avoid it. But thank you!! I really appreciate the help I didn’t realize how big the keto community really is lol
I found LiteSalt (half potassium chloride) to be something useful in boosting the potassium.
Also, I eat the whole avocado without reservation, sometimes more than one in a day. I like the flavor when it’s mixed with a hard-boiled egg, maybe a touch of mayo and lemon juice and a liberal sprinkling of LiteSalt.
Adding some cooked mushrooms to the spinach might add some additional flavors and nutrients. Other cooked greens can be good, too… kale, collards, turnip greens, etc, depending upon your taste. (Are you cooking your spinach? Sometimes some of the nutrients come through better when cooked.) Some fat in the greens is good too. (My mushrooms always get sauteed in a generous amount of butter.)
I am curious as to how you arrived at 1400 calories a day as being a good number. For myself, I have never restricted calories, never even paid attention to calories. I eat all I want. I just pay attention to what I eat and what I don’t eat. (And yes, losing weight just fine… down 50 pounds since August of this year.) Is it possible you’re still thinking in the “calories in = calories out” mode? It just doesn’t work that way with keto. To my way of thinking, you might be eating too little.
Getting adapted to the keto way of eating can take some time. It’s a big adjustment for most people. Your body has a lot of stuff to sort out. The flu symptoms, the bowel readjustments, sometimes new sleep patterns, stuff happens. At least for me, this stuff has worked itself out pretty well over time. Just had to hang in there for a while.
Far from an expert, just sharing what comes to mind.
Good luck!
Wow a lot of helpful information I wasn’t aware of, thank you!! But 1400 does seem quite low but I’m fairly short and have an endomorphic type build and based on my own adjustments I found eating over 1400 on my previous diet made me gain fat. But I didn’t know that keto didn’t work as calories in vs. calories out I’ve been wondering how that works. But thank you again!
Nate,
Don’t restrict calories the first two weeks. Focus on the initial adaptation, rather than any caloric restriction/fat loss. You don’t need to be going through both withdrawl and hunger/ghrelin secretions at the same time. Eat to the point you’re sated. Don’t worry, it’s impossible to add body fat during this period.
Oh, another few points. If you’re consuming salt you’re merely retaining water, not gaining fat. Look at your vascularity, it’s probably been reduced. Remember, you’d have to be eating an extra 3,500 calories to gain each pound if it was fat. Retaining water isn’t bad, just be aware of it. I can gain 10 lbs. over one day if I greatly up my salt. What it mainly does is prevent accurate measurements when you step on the scale. No big deal, the weight goes away when salt intake drops.
Since you’re training, I suggest you check out the Keto sub forum over on Bodybuilding.com. It’ll give you more specific instructions about CKD and TKD, which I think is more applicable for you.