When did you start noticing change?

MindfulNat

Hi there,
I'm new to keto. I just completed my 2nd day and so far so good!
I was just curious to know what kind of change you initially noticed (ex: less stomach pain, migraines, bloat etc) and how soon after you switched to Keto

Thanks

memelizzy

For me my biggest notice besides the bloat is much less pain from stiff joints. This is my second time at doing keto/low carb in 3 years and I'm 9 days into it.

canadjineh

In my case it was just the weight that changed lol, because I was already gluten free and eating mainly 'clean' whole foods and those kept my joint pain, wheezing asthmatic lungs, and bloating under control.

KetoPaul79

Hi momo
Keto flu as it's known is when carb depletion begins, it can last a while depending on fluids. You need to drink a lot of water.
Once you are in ketosis these symptoms start to go and your body gets used to burning fat.

Caffeine helped me too, but some people don't like to use this too much, try getting at least 2 - 3 litres of water a day, it does help especially Rhodes hours of feeling sluggish

LCHF123

About a week in I noticed the stability in my mood and that I was sleeping better. It was amazing - the freedom from lurching from sugar high to sugar crash, from food coma to hanger, constant cravings for sweet things and waking up in the night unable to get back to sleep without eating something first. For those reasons alone I'm sticking to this WOE! All the other reasons are just a lovely bonus as far as I'm concerned

Xerogs

It took me about two and a half weeks before I noticed changes outside of weight loss. Luckily for me I like salty food so I didn't experience really bad keto flu but I did get a few headaches here and there. It can take some time and from what I remember, it was a gradual process for sure. It's strange but I don't really realize how good I feel until I eat something bad. I had one bite of my wife's vegan fudge just to try it and it was super sweet and I could feel the grit from the sugar and it just didn't settle well in my stomach all night. I didn't immediately gain water weight but man I just had a general overall malaise. It had to be the massive amount of refined sugar because I've had low carb dark chocolate with no major issues like that.

nvmomketo

My hair and skin looked better within a month. My energy was steadier by then. The lack of hunger and loss of cravings was there within a week and I had steady and good loses early on. My mental clarity increased a disturbing amount in the first couple of months too. I'm afraid I can't really remember the timeline well anymore since it was a while ago... An odd statement to make after saying my brain was functioning better.

I do know that I refused to believe that we needed 3000-5000mg of sodium/day and I suffered for it with the headaches and such. After 2 weeks, once the muscle cramps started, I finally added a lot of salt to my diet and felt better within a day. LOL

dillydaisys

I've been doing low carb for about 2 months and what I've noticed most is the clarity and not having brain fog, I'm sleeping so well, I pretty much fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow. I'm not lethargic at the end of the day which I love

ccrdragon

KetoPaul79 wrote: »

Hi momo
Keto flu as it's known is when carb depletion begins, it can last a while depending on fluids. You need to drink a lot of water.
Once you are in ketosis these symptoms start to go and your body gets used to burning fat.

Caffeine helped me too, but some people don't like to use this too much, try getting at least 2 - 3 litres of water a day, it does help especially Rhodes hours of feeling sluggish

One correction here - 'keto flu' - hate that decription, but oh well - is not caused by dehydration. It is caused by electrolyte imbalances. When a person goes low-carb, the body starts purging water (it takes LOTS of water to store glycogen in the muscles and liver), so as you burn off the glycogen stores and convert over to burning fat, the body doesn't need all that extra water and flushes it out. Problem is, the body flushes lots of electrolytes - especially salt and potassium - along with the water. If you keep your salt intake high (3000-5000 mg per day), you can pretty much avoid the symptoms. Also, if you keep your salt intake high, your potassium levels will stay normal. This is because the body tries to balance salt vs potassium and if the salt stays normal, so will the potassium.

edited bc spelling....

bjwoodzy

My mood and energy were improved almost immediately (as in, just a couple weeks or so). My breakfasts were typically almost no carbs (usually 5g or less) in the beginning and the highest fat/protein meal of my day and I almost literally zoom after eating fat. Especially noticed mental clarity and mood boost after coconut oil usage.

My blood sugar did not resolve on its own without meds and just through dietary changes, until several months several pounds in (I had lost about 20 lbs before my readings were reduced greatly). I have reversed my diabetes since then. My weight loss has been less dramatic but slow and steady - honestly, the diabetes was my main concern. Drugs were not helping and only making me fatter and sicker.

My hypertension has gone away, that took about 15 lbs or 5-8 weeks, can't remember, I'd have to look through my diary and MFP only scrolls so far.

kpk54

I chose a year of keto for reason other than weight management. A huge side benefit was reduced hunger, easily within the 1st week. It was quite obvious. I've typed before about struggling for 2 years of maintenance being "always hungry". That hunger ceased with a MTKD and gave me the opportunity to see/address the eating habits I had that were non-hunger related. Huge benefit.

I still eat very low carb/high fat when compared to the SAD and notice when I very occasionally eat too many carbs of the dessert type, I become lethargic. I say "of the dessert type" since with my typical way of eating it would be unusual (hardly possible) for me to get this high hit of carbohydrates from vegetables alone. I've not tested "carb tolerance" via vegetable amounts or "whole foods". For me, there seems to be no reason to. I eat a considerable amount of vegetables (mostly above ground) but those vegetable carbs just don't add up "that high".

AlexandraCarlyle

Hi @momofoli I am not entirely sure whether the effects I noticed were as a result of a psychological 'mind-switch' or whether they really were a physical response to the changes I made in my diet at the time, but I felt enormously invigorated and energetic within the first week. The weight-loss showed pretty quickly too (of course, it was water/bloat loss), but the weight loss (the aim of my starting a LCHP/F regimen) followed pretty quickly too. My H and I have both reaped enormous benefits from this lifestyle, and while others I knew derided and turned their noses up at what I was doing, they were the very ones who subsequently approached me to ask what my secret was, given that I was getting weight off and keeping it off.
Still good, still amazing, still having fun, still committed, and n going back, in spite of an enforced lapse due to a 10-day holiday in Carb-city!

bjwoodzy

kpk54 wrote: »

A huge side benefit was reduced hunger, easily within the 1st week. It was quite obvious.

I have only just now mastered the hunger issue (mostly) by fasting until noon or later, if I can help it, then making sure I don't eat past 7 p.m.

I also am a big veggie head. I eat massive amounts daily and just use meats for seasonings, mostly (LOL). I should up my protein some more. I am honestly more satisfied when I have a pork chop and something green, vs a taco salad with a small amount of taco meat on it - which surprises me because the salad veggies are usually what fill me up more physically. I also need as much fiber as I can get on keto, or else bathroom visits are too dramatic, and I can't afford the amount of time spent in there OR the excess toilet paper it uses! I supplement with psyllium husk caps to keep bathroom visits orderly down to a once-daily thing.