Hello, I am on my sixth week of the keto diet. I have been becoming increasingly tired especially the last two weeks or so. I actually felt better the first couple of weeks than I do now. My current macros for past three weeks have been 1489 calories, 21g Carbs, 114g Fat and 98g Protein. At first I was eating 30 g of carbs, do you think I might need to increase my carbs or maybe it is an adrenal problem as I have read that can happen with this diet too. I have been sleeping great and have lost 13 lbs in five weeks. But this tiredness is kind of getting me down as I hear all these great stories about how much energy you get on this diet which I did experience in my second week. I supplement with magnesium and take sodium every day. Is this still part of my becoming fat adapted? I also do boot camp and had no problem with it in the beginning (when I was also eating more carbs) but now can’t get through a workout. Any help would be appreciated!
Tiredness
Can you estimate how much salt you take and what type it is?
Are you still taking the supplement with creatine in it? That will draw water into the muscles and drinking just plain water will alter the sodium balance in your body.
I take sea salt a tablespoon a day and no, I am not taking that drink anymore specifically because of the creatine and what it does.Thanks.
If the sea salt you’re using is the type that has larger crystals than regular table salt it will alter the measurement you need to get the same amount of sodium per tbsp. What does the nutritional information on the sea salt list for sodium content per tsp or tbsp?
It is fine kind of like table salt I think it says 490 mg of sodium on it I thought in one tbsp. it is at home and I am at work so I don’t have it here unfortunately.
Serving is usually 1 tsp. 1 tbsp = 3 tsp, so that’s less than 1500 mg. Try adding more either to water throughout the day or to foods.
Keep in mind if you’re using non-iodized salt you might want to look at your iodine intake from foods to make sure it’s adequate for thyroid support.
Salt did the trick for me. I make sure to slightly oversalt my food on eating days, and take a teaspoon or 2 of salt on my fasting days.
I have been toggling between sea salt and regular iodized salt depending on if I’m at work or home. I will try adding more into it. It is hard because I have never enjoyed salt or anything salty really, but will have to try and change that. Thanks for the advice!
When I first started supplementing with salt I didn’t like it either. But it grew on me after a while. Hopefully that will happen to you too.
OK, I made a fundamental error in my previous post. The typical serving is usually 1/4 tsp, so 4x3x490 would be 5880 g/tbsp, which sounds like you’re in the ballpark. Maybe more would help as long as you don’t have any bp issues and also have an adequate potassium intake.
Oy!! So maybe I should stick with the tablespoon a day then. My bp has always been excellent but don’t want to start messing with that now. I did read that some of the symptoms of low sodium are some of the symptoms I’ve been experiencing such as, tiredness, hunger, struggles during physical exertion and cramps, which I have been getting at night. I have not been good about taking it every day but I will definitely have to try and see if that is what is causing these symptoms or not. Process of elimination, right? Thank you for all of your insight!!
I don’t supplement with potassium and thought that I might get enough in my foods since I tend to eat raw kale a lot and I know a cup of that has a good amount of it in there but maybe I should look at that as well. Supplementing with it makes me nervous though as too much of it can affect heart rythym etc.
