The strug is real

#1

Hi everyone.
I’ve posted a few times before - I love this forum. I’ve been doing keto almost 5 months. Lost 15lbs now - I’m almost at my goal weight! (I am 35 y/o female, 5"4, 120lbs.)
Anyway the thing is, I feel super WEAK and my hair is falling out (just over the last 2 weeks), and I just binged on peanut butter and feel really messed up about it…

Over the last 10 days-ish I have been doing 16:8 IF, and hitting my macros pretty successfully. I have been using bullet-proof coffee in the morning though, in order to survive until noon because otherwise I am so hungry it is debilitating. (M eating window is 12-8:00pm). Even with the fatty coffee it is hard. I get very hungry. And I think, should I even be doing this? I am trying to achieve my goal after a stall, you see… I thought this would be the answer. And I love the idea of fasting and the associated benefits!
Also I love swimming and cycling and my job is very physical - but lately I feel like my body is made of lead and it is too tiring to even take my bike out of the shed. I just want to melt onto the floor.
Any words of advice or support? I feel so disappointed and sad right now. The first few months on keto were such a dream, and now I feel like sad garbage.
Thank you <3

PS. I take vitamin D, C, B12, Omega-3, Potassium, Magnesium, and use lots of Himalayan Sae Salt every day…

(Karen) #2

Hello to another gal strugglin. Try alternate day fasting. Or a fat fast. Shake it up!

K

(Chris W) #3

Just based on what you are describing it sounds like you are way to low on your fat intake. You should not be hungry, and that will lead to low energy and feeling like poo after a time of being too low. Don’t press a window if its not working, it should be natural to do IF you should not try at it so hard and be hungry.
Fasting works awesome if you are well fed, if you start it undernourished it may make matters worse.

#4

You sound undernourished and possibly not fat adapted. What have you been eating?

#5

I’ve been eating about 1800-2000 calories/day. About 20g carbs, 150g fat, 73g protein. I do as much veg as I can get away with that fit my macros. Lots of avocado, olives, cheese, fatty meats… butter, bacon. Sometimes my protein is a little too high and sometimes my fat is a little too low, but I am trying every day to hit the goals and stay within that approximate calorie range…

(Chris W) #6

Are you cold? are you lethargic mid day? Do you get hungry after 6 hours ?

#7

Definitely YES on the lethargic and hungry. Right after eating I feel really exhausted too.

(Chris W) #8

If you are really active, and depending upon your body fat % you may need to up your fat intake a lot. I show you around 30g low just on my calculator, you are not out of the ballpark but I learned that I need to really start increasing the fat when my activity level went up a couple months ago. I am 7 months in, my normal macros are 2800 a day but I increase to almost 4000 when I need to for a couple days. When I do I feel much better and I have lost weight every time I do. Try to limit your protien to the first part of the day and then eat the rest of the day in fat, I use HWC a lot for this, 1 cup is 820 calories, it takes about 1 hour to hit me.

(Chris W) #9

I would recommend you up your fat intake for 2 days by at least 25 % try it see how you feel, give it a day or two and do it again. That is not your overal intake by 25% but your fat, if you use ruled me’s calculator that means changing from one level activity to the next.

(LeeAnn Brooks) #10

I know I haven’t been doing this as long as you, but my personal feeling is if your struggling with hunger on fasting, you shouldn’t be fasting. Take a step back if you need to.
Once hunger issues are resolved, you can try fasting again.

(Chris W) #11

Yes @Anniegirl9 hit the nail on the head, you should not be hungry really at all anymore. Let your body tell you what it needs, its pretty smart that way.

#12

Thank you for helping me! What is HWC?

(Doug) #13

“Heavy Weight Cream”

#14

Thanks!

(TJ Borden) #15

Pretty sure it’s actually Latin for milk of the gods.

(Doug) #16

Precious little argument you will get from me. :slightly_smiling_face:

(TJ Borden) #17

I think @In2steam and @Anniegirl9 pretty well nailed it. Don’t force fasting, it will come naturally when you’re ready. Just focus on the basics, cut carbs and enjoy eating fat.

(Chris W) #18

In my neck of the woods it means heavy whipping cream

(Tricia Roth) #19

When I first started Keto, I was listening to a podcast by Lee Ann Vogel. I didn’t listen a lot (just one podcast, I think), but she had mentioned losing hair. I think she does something different. Eats more or carbs up.

I’m not sure. I’m sorry for giving half an answer. But maybe you can Google her. I think if you’re losing hair, your body is definitely trying to tell you something. I

(Bunny) #20

Might help!