Keto Energy Level
JustJeff1977
Posts: 27 Member
Good Morning.. I started Keto one month ago. Not for weight loss, but because I kept hearing people say their energy level goes way up. I haven't experienced any noticeable difference in energy level. (Ironically, I've lost 5 pounds)
My question is- how long should I give it to see a change in energy level? Seems like 30 days would be plenty.
My question is- how long should I give it to see a change in energy level? Seems like 30 days would be plenty.
1
Replies
-
How was your diet prior to eating ketogenic? I didn't experience an observable energy boost when initiating ketogenic but I had a decent whole foods diet prior to.
I'll go out on a limb here and suggest that if you want to experience a difference, spend a day or two eating cakes, cookies, pies, brownies, ice cream, cheetoes, doritoes, ect. See how bad/lethargic you feel then clean your diet up and notice the change...the energy boost.
It could be that keto isn't that great but rather the opposite way of eating is that bad. So unless you were "the opposite" you don't feel the difference. Make sense.
If you're losing weight to the tune of 5 pounds a month and do not want to be losing simply add in some calories. Keto is satiating so those with effective hunger cues, eat less somewhat "naturally". Perhaps you're not quite as energized because you're eating a 625 calorie per day deficit. Are you tracking your intake?
My experience is that keto doesn't provide bouncing off the wall energy. It provides a stable energy level throughout the day eliminating the need for an afternoon caffeine jolt or nap to "reboot". Stable BG.
3 -
Hi. Honestly, I started 15 days ago and have lost 8 pounds. I haven't noticed a whole lot of change in my energy levels either, but I love the feeling of not being bloated, and although not an increased energy level, I am having consistent energy levels throughout the day. I work 40 hours a week, and cook for my family when I get home, have homework and have to get prepped for the next day for everyone and get baths and get into bed at night, so basically I go from 6am in the morning until around 8:30pm at night before I stop. This could be something to do with the "non-increase" in your energy levels. I know that is what mine is, but as I said, at least I am having consistent energy levels throughout the day without the 2pm-4pm brain fog! Oh, and I am just feeling better in general in my body :-) Good luck and hang in there!4
-
Maybe low sodium is preventing you from gaining the energy boost.
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10358179/low-sodium-and-keto-flu-electrolyte-imbalance-may-be-your-problem#latest5 -
How was your diet prior to eating ketogenic? I didn't experience an observable energy boost when initiating ketogenic but I had a decent whole foods diet prior to.
I'll go out on a limb here and suggest that if you want to experience a difference, spend a day or two eating cakes, cookies, pies, brownies, ice cream, cheetoes, doritoes, ect. See how bad/lethargic you feel then clean your diet up and notice the change...the energy boost.
It could be that keto isn't that great but rather the opposite way of eating is that bad. So unless you were "the opposite" you don't feel the difference. Make sense.
If you're losing weight to the tune of 5 pounds a month and do not want to be losing simply add in some calories. Keto is satiating so those with effective hunger cues, eat less somewhat "naturally". Perhaps you're not quite as energized because you're eating a 625 calorie per day deficit. Are you tracking your intake?
My experience is that keto doesn't provide bouncing off the wall energy. It provides a stable energy level throughout the day eliminating the need for an afternoon caffeine jolt or nap to "reboot". Stable BG.
Thanks... The weight loss is good too, but I was more curious to see if burning Keytones was better than Glucose. Sounded plausible enough to test. Previously, the things you mentioned- cupcakes and Ice-cream did make it into the house every week or two.
So it sounds like 30 days is enough time?0 -
Depends. Are you absolutely sure you have been in ketosis all that time? And did you see the post about sodium?1
-
How was your diet prior to eating ketogenic? I didn't experience an observable energy boost when initiating ketogenic but I had a decent whole foods diet prior to.
I'll go out on a limb here and suggest that if you want to experience a difference, spend a day or two eating cakes, cookies, pies, brownies, ice cream, cheetoes, doritoes, ect. See how bad/lethargic you feel then clean your diet up and notice the change...the energy boost.
It could be that keto isn't that great but rather the opposite way of eating is that bad. So unless you were "the opposite" you don't feel the difference. Make sense.
If you're losing weight to the tune of 5 pounds a month and do not want to be losing simply add in some calories. Keto is satiating so those with effective hunger cues, eat less somewhat "naturally". Perhaps you're not quite as energized because you're eating a 625 calorie per day deficit. Are you tracking your intake?
My experience is that keto doesn't provide bouncing off the wall energy. It provides a stable energy level throughout the day eliminating the need for an afternoon caffeine jolt or nap to "reboot". Stable BG.
Thanks... The weight loss is good too, but I was more curious to see if burning Keytones was better than Glucose. Sounded plausible enough to test. Previously, the things you mentioned- cupcakes and Ice-cream did make it into the house every week or two.
So it sounds like 30 days is enough time?
There's a misconception about keto that a lot of people seem to get wrong, but it's not their fault since a lot of the more known talking heads of lchf tend to not understand the biochemistry.
Firstly, a ketogenic diet is any diet that is a result of more acetyl co-A than oxaloacetate, usually easiest produced when hepatic (liver) glycogen is depleted and a portion of oxidized free fatty acids (FFAs) AKA "fat burning" becomes metabolized into ketone bodies as a result of an incomplete TCA cycle.
Secondly, "keto-adaptation" is when the organs and tissues have down regulated the glycolytic pathways in preference for switching the fuel substrate over to fatty acids. During this period,there is the usual drop in perceived energy levels AKA "keto flu" and takes about 3 weeks.. after that is the transition to temporarily using ketones and FFAs as fuel, resulting in a "spike" in energy. In reality, you're coming from a state of feeling like crap back to normal, so it feels like a bump up in energy.
Thirdly, once the entire system becomes efficient in utilizing fatty acids as fuel, ketones and glucose are spared primarily for the brain. The muscles and organs no longer rely on 2 fuels, and now just rely on fatty acids for fuel. So, once you are fully "fat adapted" which can take months, no one is using ketones as fuel for activity. It's primarly FFAs and glucose in the context where you're performing intense glycolytic activity that requires muscle glycogen to be used. The rate of fat burning is slow, which is why most slow-moderate steady state aerobic activity is 'fat burning.' Intense weight lifting uses glycogen and ATP depending on the intensity level.
In the end, ketogenesis is a survival tool that our bodies have in place to prevent dying in cases of emergency and starvation. Being the smart human beings we are, we decided to "bio-hack" a survival trait and turn it into a diet that can be marketed. Not that it's not effective for myriad of metabolic/neurological problems; e.g. insulin resistance, diabetes, PCOS, epilepsy, etc. in fact, it's quite effective at addressing those issues, but in context, no one is, or should be, perpetually ketotic for life. There's just not a need to "survive" in a world where abundance has become the result of our own health problems.
The way I see it, those who do suffer from those metabolic/neuro issues and benefit from lower carbs, should follow a LC diet for the most part to manage those symptoms. As well as following diet preference. EVERYONE should prioritize protein, I don't care what diet you follow. Whether fat or carbs should be the higher macro after that is complete preference for fat loss, as long as you're in an energy deficit you will lose fat. If you have an issue that thrives much better on lower carb, then do that. If you don't have any metabolic issues and do better on lower fat, then follow that.
Some people temporarily use a LC diet to get their diet and metabolic issues in check, and once they've learned to adhere to a diet based on mostly whole food sources, then they can go back to whatever macro suits their preference, since I'd much rather tell someone to stick to a diet they can successfully follow than spitefully force their way through a restrictive diet if it leads to secret binges and "falling off the wagon."
I do agree with many of the fitness industry leaders that carbs should probably follow activity levels. If you're absolutely sedentary or have limited mobility, you don't need carbs. If you're a type A hyperactive fitpro, then you probably don't suffer from insulin resistance in the first place, or if you do it's because you've probably taken IIFYM to an asinine level of hedonism, but you might perform better with carbs.
#Context is king, so do what you enjoy and can adhere to. I just didn't want anyone to think this was a miracle diet that cures everything under the sun.14 -
3
-
Catawampous wrote: »
Thanks! I hope it was understandable.. I kinda winged it without double checking at first lol.1 -
Catawampous wrote: »
Thanks! I hope it was understandable.. I kinda winged it without double checking at first lol.
Yeah, I thought it was failry easy to follow and understand as well!1 -
I didn't follow it all, but got the gist of it, thanks. It's interesting to me as I'm now at maintenance weight and am wondering what the way forward is, in terms of my macros/carbs etc. I don't personally feel the need to be low carb just for the sake of it, though am happier being lower carb than I used to be.1
-
Yes I read it several times and understand most of it- but not all. Thanks!.. Having given it a month and not feeling any different, and no strong evidence that the energy will improve, I think I might switch over to straight logging.1
-
I think the key here is what feels right for the individual. If sodium levels are correct along with protein, then it is what it is and keto/low carb may not be the right fit for some. That is okay!
For me it's for life because of how I feel. I do have excellent, steady energy and an awake feeling that I didn't have eating carbs. It is an effortless way for me to eat and feel great. Maintenance is no different for me then when I was losing except calorie count and a bit more fat. I don't feel the need to add carbs because I am at goal for those reasons. YMMV as they say.
3 -
I went from eating "clean" whole foods almost exclusively (albeit, high carb/low fat) for a few years trying to fight diabetes along with meds and was gaining weight and had normal energy - when I went into ketosis for the first couple months, my energy went through the roof once I became fat-adapted. Now that I've been keto over a year, my energy feels "normal" but I definitely have seemingly limitless stamina. I can do a lot more than I ever did - I even sometimes get the urge to clean house just because I feel like it, whereas before, I'd wait to only do it on days I felt I could handle it. I always enjoyed physical activity but I'd take awhile to catch my breath and didn't like being sweaty. Nowadays, I find myself just deciding to up and walk to a destination if I get impatient waiting for a bus, where before, I'd rather stand around and get pissy and have a backache by waiting, to avoid a sweaty, red-faced walk, huffing and puffing all the while (I don't suffer from either of those, anymore). 3 miles? No problem, I just go. Sometimes I'd even almost beat the bus. Not trying to brag, just offer some perspective on keto benefits that do come along when we keep it up
4 -
I'm now at maintenance weight and am wondering what the way forward is, in terms of my macros/carbs etc.
Nice! I can't wait til I get there, it means we can up our fat intake a bit, once we burn off our excess stores. I think the best way to answer your question would be ascertain your new energy needs - probably by finding a way to estimate your current % of body fat, then revisit whatever tool you used initially for your macros, to recalculate a new macro formula.
0 -
I didn't follow it all, but got the gist of it, thanks. It's interesting to me as I'm now at maintenance weight and am wondering what the way forward is, in terms of my macros/carbs etc. I don't personally feel the need to be low carb just for the sake of it, though am happier being lower carb than I used to be.
Regardless of the diet, the hierarchy of nutrition for body composition is as follows, in order of importance:
Calories > Macros > Micros > Nutrient Timing > Supplements
So if you're at maintenance, you set calories first. That will determine whether weight goes up, down, or stays the same.
Macros determine how you want to eat your calories and my forever suggestion will be to set protein first, higher/lower/equal carbs and fat doesn't matter at that point - keep in mind that there is an inverse relationship between the two: the more carbs you eat, the less fat is in circulation for energy, and the less carbs you eat, the more fat gets put into circulation.
Micros fulfill vitamins and minerals. A variety of nutrient dense food will hit most of the daily needs.
Nutrient timing is nuanced, but falls under whether you prefer to eat [macros] at specific times of the day, workouts, etc.
Supplements are just there to fulfill any deficiencies you might have, for the most part.
Whether you're low/moderate/high carb, it doesn't matter. Pick a diet you enjoy and can stick to. The easiest rule of thumb is to stick to an 80/20 style of eating: 80% from nutrient dense food / 20% homicide prevention (credit to Alan Aragon).I went from eating "clean" whole foods almost exclusively (albeit, high carb/low fat) for a few years trying to fight diabetes along with meds and was gaining weight and had normal energy - when I went into ketosis for the first couple months, my energy went through the roof once I became fat-adapted. Now that I've been keto over a year, my energy feels "normal" but I definitely have seemingly limitless stamina. I can do a lot more than I ever did - I even sometimes get the urge to clean house just because I feel like it, whereas before, I'd wait to only do it on days I felt I could handle it. I always enjoyed physical activity but I'd take awhile to catch my breath and didn't like being sweaty. Nowadays, I find myself just deciding to up and walk to a destination if I get impatient waiting for a bus, where before, I'd rather stand around and get pissy and have a backache by waiting, to avoid a sweaty, red-faced walk, huffing and puffing all the while (I don't suffer from either of those, anymore). 3 miles? No problem, I just go. Sometimes I'd even almost beat the bus. Not trying to brag, just offer some perspective on keto benefits that do come along when we keep it up
This is a great example of finding a diet that you enjoy that fits your goals. Most people with insulin resistance/diabetes tend to do much better on low carb diets for body composition and fat loss, which in turn increases perceived energy levels as your body leans out and uses fuel efficiently.4 -
I'm hoping that in the longer term I can maintain without logging. If my weight starts to creep up then I'll rethink this approach. I've been maintaining now for around five weeks with this approach, though it's early days and I'm being cautious.
0 -
Have you checked to see if you are actually in ketosis using Keto sticks? Sometimes it can take a while to get there. If I go over 20 carbs a day or have too much protein I can easily get knocked out if ketosis. If you haven't felt that initial energy bump I wonder if your body is in ketosis yet.0
