Hey guys. I’ve been on keto for nearly a year now and love the diet. My problem is that lately I seem to have no energy whatsoever! I never really experienced the ‘flu’ or anything in the beginning, in fact I found the transition quite easy. I measure my ketones once a week and they seem to hover around the 1-1.5 mark. I eat around 2000-2100 calories a day, mostly staying around 30-40g carbs but always under 50g. I do strength training so try to eat a good amount of protein but ensure to include lots of healthy fats… I’ve been tracking my food for months now in My Fitness Pal so I know I’m eating pretty well.
The thing is, I’m feeling pretty terrible! My job is very active- I work with animals and walk between 16,000 - 20,000 steps a day plus heavy lifting and cleaning. I’m really struggling to get to the end of the day without wanting to crawl into a hole and rest… my legs burn and everything really seems like a real struggle… I don’t feel sleepy at all but just very, very weak! I strength train 5 days a week after work which does seem to give me a bit of a boost but it’s an effort to get started and I don’t feel I’m lifting as well as I could be.
I’ve gained around 3kg since January but lost an inch around my waist. I am a 5’7 female, now weigh 54kg. My recommended daily calorie intake on MFP Is 2040 calories.
Anyone got any idea why I might feel so terrible? Have started taking mct oil hoping for a boost but I don’t seem to feel anything from it… don’t know what to do!
On keto for a year, no energy!
Are you eating to your appetite or trying to stick to a number? Your activity levels are quite high so it may be that you need more food.
I very rarely feel hunger. I eat breakfast, have a small snack at lunch and a main meal at night followed usually by some dark chocolate or a home made keto dessert. I don’t want to gain anymore weight so I’m quite conscious about going over my recommended calorie intake… How accurate do you think these online calculators are?
Not very 
but if you’re eating to your appetite then I guess you don’t want to eat more. I understand you don’t want to gain weight but as you’ve lost inches while gaining scale weight then maybe a little more won’t hurt. It’s also possible of course that you’re just doing way too much. With all the steps and heavy lifting at work PLUS five days a week at the gym you could be suffering a bit of burnout.
Yea I guess you’re right… maybe it is simply that I’m just knackered! Lol, thank you for your reply 
Because you are registering ketones does not mean that you are fat adapted. You said that you didn’t experienced flu or any symptoms. Your carb intake is pretty high and although you are in ketosis, this carb intake level could be keeping you from adaption. A person goes into ketosis when they sleep for a night.
Another thought is that you said that you do not exceed you calorie intake. If you are not fluctuating you caloric consumption levels then you are creating a set baseline for your metabolism to operate at. Your body will adjust its burning efficiency to match the amount of fuel you are feeding it. This is the problem with the “calorie in calorie out” theory used in the SAD way of eating and dieting. You should fluctuate your daily consumption to a higher level of calories say one day a week so your body has to ramp up its metabolism to compensate. If there is a higher metabolic average, then when you do eat less than suggested, your higher metabolism level will look for more to digest and will go to your stored fat reserves in your body to burn and you will lose weight. A set line for metabolism is not going to work. You have to keep it guessing.
Not at all… If you aren’t close to the statistically average… They were about 500 kcal off at one point in my case and I was inactive so it’s not like my activity interfered…
A tad more food may be a good idea, don’t force it on yourself, of course but if it feels good, maybe it will help. Even if it would be a surplus and you would gain fat, a bit more food would do it so very slowly that you would notice and stop it before it would be really noticeable - but I would think your body tells you to eat a bit more or different so I wouldn’t even expect fat gain. But one can never know. Low energy is bad, I would try eating more.
But a higher calorie day now and then may be a good idea too. I automatically do that, it just happens sometimes. Some people are better at a fixed amount. Our metabolism is complicated, some people simply has it very fixed so calorie intake is extremely correlated with fat loss or gain if the activity is the same. Others are way more flexible. I seem to maintain, no matter what I do - not exactly but I can’t seem to get out from my wide maintenance range at this point. A minority is like this. And a “normal” person is somewhere in-between. Just because you eat a bit more, it’s easily imaginable that you won’t gain anything, you just get a quicker metabolism and a better functioning body. Who knows?
30-40 and even almost 50g isn’t ideal for everyone energy level wise. I feel way better with less despite I am in ketosis at your intake too, as far as I can tell. I got fat adapted and everything but I still feel better with less. So that may be an idea too, lowering carbs. Just trying it. But maybe you did it in the past…?
Keto flu should be avoided anyway, some lucky ones don’t have it even without a care about electrolytes. I didn’t have it either (except some extremely subtle dizzyness on a single day but I am not sure it was that. if yes, some sodium would have solved it anyway. maybe it’s not as simple for many others, I don’t know. but it’s not something that always happens when one goes keto).
Yes!!! check your electrolytes. Some Keto folks supplement long-term, with salt in particular, and lack of energy is an indicator that you’re not getting enough.
I think this is a fairly easy test: raise your salt intake for a few days and if this is the issue, you should notice a shift in your energy.
Great, thanks! So if I eat say around 2500 calories once or twice a week and then maybe 1500 calories once or twice would this work? Also how will I know when I am fat adapted if the ketone measures mean nothing? Thanks
I agree this could be an electrolyte issue and would make sure you’re getting enough salt and magnesium… maybe even potassium. I would also look at your fat and protein macros. You may not be getting enough protein with all that activity OR you could be craving more fat for energy. You might also ask your doctor. Good luck!
I love salt, but probably only put it on my evening meal just as my breakfast is yoghurt with berries and my lunch is usually just a snack! Could this cause low energy?
Thank you for your reply. I guess I could take a note look at what I’m eating and squeeze out a few more carbs to see if it helps. Cheers!
What are your averages for caloric/fat/ and protein intake? You’re probably not eating enough given your activity levels. Also when you say you have no energy, it that in general, or during workout?
I’ll give a few days of macros according to MFP:
22.5.20 - carbs 37g, fat 168g, protein 89g
23.5.20 - carbs 31g, fat 147g, protein 74g
24.5.29 carbs 44g, fat 159g, protein 111g
25.5.20 carbs 48g, fat 209g, protein 77g
In the few days prior my carbs hover in the mid 30s, fat roughly 150g and protein upwards of 70g
I am not sure if MFP works out net carbs etc so some of those carbs will be fibre, as most of the carbs I eat come from nuts, veg or berries.
I’m feeling pretty sluggish most of the time. I get up around 5.30am every day and usually start quite well, but by lunch time I’m starting to struggle and by 4.30 when I finish work I’m usually feeling very weak. When get home I tend to have a rest for about half an hour before starting my exercise. I have weights at home so I don’t have to go back out again to use facilities. I often begin a workout feeling quite lethargic but once I’m into it I seem to get a real boost and always finish feeling like to can do more. I don’t do a lot in the evenings, sometimes I ride my horse after I workout but to be honest I haven’t had the motivation to ride lately I but this is something I really need to change as he needs his exercise too!
Thank you. I am thinking of making an appointment with my doctor. Over the years I have been deficient in iron, b12 and last year I was low in potassium but this was all sorted and my last blood test came back normal. This was, however pre- keto so I think I will go back and see if I can get checked out!
You reminded me of when I was horribly anemic and had zero energy. That could certainly be an issue as well. Keto can definitely drain you of potassium and I know that can cause weakness. If you’re eating lots of red meat, I’d think you’d be ok on B-12. Glad you’re going to get checked 
I can tell you from years of this “I” couldn’t loose weight with my fat that high, just won’t come off. For me that protein is also pretty low, even before I started upping it. Carbs aren’t bad with physical activity if they’re net, check your MFP settings, it’s in there. I think with all your walking and physical activity that’s not your issue. I haven’t used MFP in many years but would think you should be able to hover over your Carbs and see where they’re coming from, same with fiber. I’d personally up your protein a little, lower the fat. I’m not sure if physically active people just react different or not but when I started lurking in Keto weight lifting and athletic circles it seems it was always that tweak that started pulling the fat off people again when they were at a standstill.
@Cp1 I agree with what @lfod14 says above, it would be the same for me too - less fat, more protein, and salt too!