Help - keto, exercise and insomnia

ambergem1969

Cross posting from the LCDF group to reach more of the hive mind!

It seems like my new normal is being awake

Background - I've been in ketosis since July and have lost 60 lbs (currently 183). I supplement mag (glycinate), potassium and D3 in the evening. I do take a very low dose anti depressant (25 mg Zoloft) in the morning and I'm trying to keep my sodium up. I was sleeping mostly pretty well until I started going to the gym last week (morning workouts only).

I am actually wondering if I should up my carbs a bit before bed - though the idea freaks me out a bit - as I am mostly still at or below 20 g and I'm honestly not sure how carb sensitive I am. Weight loss is slow but steady and I'm trying to focus on health benefits and not numbers. Seems to me that not sleeping is likely worse than a small bit of carb in the evening?

Ideas and thoughts are welcome!!

KnitOrMiss

D3 is an alertness/energy sourcing type supplement, and so if possible it should be taking first thing in the morning with K2. I know taking these two together when I'm really low is a better system jolt than an energy drink, just as a personal example.

There is some science to having most of your daily allowance of carbs (not upping the number, just spreading most of them out later), at least according to the Bulletproof Executive guy. His book has a chapter dedicated to this. I'm working my way through it at the moment, but @Sunny_Bunny_ might be able to shed more light on the subject - or another of our veterans.

As an example, my breakfast is generally around 5 carbs or less, lunch is around 5-10 carbs, depending on meal. So that leaves 10-20+ carbs depending on where I am in my goal (20-50 carbs, still playing back with those numbers)... So if I get 25% of my carbs at breakfast, 25% at lunch, and 50% at dinner, that's far easier on my particular body, @ambergem1969 than carb-loading at breakfast and burning through all my insulin reserves then. I'm be groggy all day that way...

ambergem1969

Good info re the d3! I've been splitting between morning and night but maybe I'll shift all the magnesium in the evening and do the K and D in the morning.

My breakfast is super low carb but the rest is split between lunch and supper. I'm still sitting mostly at or below 20 so I'm thinking I probably have some room to add a few before bed as needed.

Thanks so much!

Emmie112

Some people can run on less sleep when they are in ketosis. Are you feeling refreshed when you wake up?

Try increasing your carbs and see what happens. Everyone is different.

I would increase the carbs before and after your workout. When you excerise, your muscle and liver glycogen stores are depleted. Your body will use up the carbs to replenish it and you'll burn them throughout the day. You could eat half a banana (60 calories/15g carbs) before your work out and skip the potassium supplement.

But might sleep better if you had a serving of carbs at night.

And don't be scared to increase your carbs to 50g. You might be able to stay in ketosis and if you don't you can always lower it again.

ambergem1969

So I skipped my supplements last night and slept right through so I think the D3 recommendation is on the money. I'll see if it continues but if sleep issues come back I'll try a carby snack before bed.

Thanks for the great advice everyone!

KnitOrMiss

ambergem1969 wrote: »

So I skipped my supplements last night and slept right through so I think the D3 recommendation is on the money. I'll see if it continues but if sleep issues come back I'll try a carby snack before bed.

Thanks for the great advice everyone!

@ambergem1969 Yay! Here's to a good night's sleep!

Emmie112

Great to hear you are getting better sleep without the supplements!

Yi5hedr3

100 mg Theonine an hour before bed, followed by 1mg Melatonin 20 mins later, followed by 500mg GABA 20 mins later, works pretty well, and is all natural.

lyssa1210

Ha perhaps this is why I'm awake! Took D3 after dinner!