Salt, water retention, and fasting

fasting
salt

(George) #1

Hi everyone,

Question about salt. Should I be taking in extra salt on a daily basis, or only when on an extended fast?

A couple weeks ago I started having 1-2 tsp of salt every day, plus whatever salt was on my food during eating days to try and help some fatigue I was feeling (which it did help), but I noticed that come weigh-in days, the scale didn’t move. It only moves after I check it around the 60ish hour of an extended fast, and after drinking some mag citrate the night before, and this has been the case for 2 consecutive weeks.

Could the extra salt be causing water retention? If so, should I only be taking in the extra salt on fasting days and deal with the salt intake I get from my food on eating days??


#2

Hi George,
I was advised by a keto informed dietician to take 2 teaspoons of salt a day while on a keto diet to keep myself in balance.
If you are eating keto ie low carb and high fat, the 2 tsp salt shouldn’t cause water retention. The reason we need the salt is that lowering carbs lowers insulin, which in turn causes increased excretion.

I don’t lose much weight on keto. I fast for weight loss and keto for health, lowering insulin etc.