Not feeling well... is it normal?

#1

I know that at first you experience the keto flu and for the first 10-12 days i had most of the symptoms… after that i started feeling okay just some headaches and some digestive problems now and then.
But now i feel weak again worse than before and dizzy all day long, i even feel like im short of breath just sitting down or when i walk for more than a few minutes and i never had that even before diet.
I track everything im doing good with my macros im eating all of my 1500 cals and i have greens unleast once a day. Im losing kgs just fine but i start to feel bad to the point its not just exhaustion anymore
Anyone had a similar experience?

(Shanda) #2

How are you doing with electrolytes? Use the little search thing up top to find @Brenda 's ketoaide recipe. Or my favorite way of upping electrolytes is pickles.

Maybe consider upping your calorie intake too. You might not be getting enough.

(Full Metal KETO AF) #3

Are you eating enough, in other words not being hungry? Are you getting enough fat? As @Shanda suggested you might just need to eat a little more. Don’t worry about weight loss or cut calories trying to get it. :cowboy_hat_face:

(squirrel-kissing paper tamer) #4

Why did you think it was exhaustion before but now you don’t? Are you stressed or run down for other reasons (work, life)? Is it possible you’re actually sick?

I’m not saying it isn’t your diet but we tend to forget about all of the other factors that go in to how we feel when we’re focusing on a new eating plan.

#5

Im trying to eat as much salt as i can plus im taking multivitamins and magnisium every other day…maybe i ll try 100 cals plus see if anything changes

#6

According to my macros my fat is as much as it should be… actually plenty of times i eat cause i have to eat…im barely hungry anymore
But ill try putting another 100 cals in my diet see if anything changes… cause i dont know what else i can do

#7

I was thinking the exact same thing. My life hasnt changed at all so i dont think its stress or extra work. I believe it was exhaustion before cause i was tired all the time like i had worked 12 hours, now i feel like i dont have energy to go to the market across the street my arms feel weak almost numb sometimes.
I dont think im sick but its a possibility i dont know, i have no obvious cold or virus symptoms.
:frowning::frowning::frowning:

(squirrel-kissing paper tamer) #8

One other thing consider any meds you’re taking and if changing your diet could change how they effect you. Stay hydrated and get enough to eat. I hope you feel better soon!

#9

Not everyone gets keto flu. It is a symptom of a deficiency in electrolytes or water.

Have you been tracking your electrolyte intake from food? Especially in the first few weeks as we transition into keto we tend to lose electrolytes and need to replenish them. I like Cronometer, but there are other apps around you can use as well.

Don’t add in a huge supplement at one time. Just make sure you are eating foods high in those supplements and keep track of what you are getting. Then, if you aren’t getting enough at a meal, add in a supplement to bring your numbers up.

You could start out by adding in a little electrolyte supplement throughout the day, but keep track so you don’t overdo the potassium.

Most people are low on magnesium and don’t know it. It’s difficult to get enough from our food so I supplement this from pills.
Magnesium Oxide doesn’t absorb well, only 4% according to some sources, so use a magnesium that ends in -ate.

https://perfectketo.com/keto-electrolytes/

Also, are you staying hydrated? If I remember correctly, you take your weight, divide by 2 and that gives you the number of ounces of water you should drink a day. Drink whenever you are thirsty.

Hope you feel better soon!!

#10

Im taking nothing but iron supplements thank you though.
I wish you a very nice day

#11

I guess i ll try that too i got nothing to lose. Cause if im going to be that dizzy and tired i wont make it through this diet for much longer. :frowning::frowning:

#12

Hope you feel better soon! You shouldn’t feel dizzy on keto.

If you are drinking water when you are thirsty, getting plenty of salt (there is no reason to reduce salt, our bodies need it), eating foods high in potassium (pork, salmon, avocado, etc.) and magnesium (some of the same foods have magnesium, but you will have to supplement), you should start to feel right again. Eat plenty of dark green vegetables that are low carb.

Salt: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJN8ljcUljw
Protein: https://perfectketo.com/how-too-much-protein-is-bad-for-ketosis/

Hope you are beginning to feel better! You shouldn’t be feeling dizzy or weak on keto. Do a search on “dizzy” on this forum and you will find more information.

I’ve been on this way of eating since July 26th of 2018 and have had my own ups and downs, (I’m not a doctor). Most of us don’t realize we were already deficient in electrolytes before we started eating this way. When we cut carbs we lose the excess water weight we carry quickly and with that water we lose electrolytes. We have to replenish them through food and supplements.

I feel better and healthier than I have ever felt, but I do track my electrolyte intake since I’ve had some uncomfortable symptoms of low magnesium.

(mole person) #13

It might be salt. Lots of people think they are getting enough but they don’t really understand how much more they need on a ketogenic diet.

Put two teaspoons into a little bowl and make sure that you have it all by the end of the day. If you already add a lot of salt in your food, or if you are drinking salty broths, you can reduce the extra salt to one extra teaspoon. Also, make sure that you drink plenty of water. At least two litres a day.

I hope this helps.