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braineblonde
braineblonde Posts: 16 Member
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I just started a full on keto/IF diet a week ago. I feel fantastic 7 days in. Haven't gotten on the scale because I couldn't face the numbers after the holidays, but plan to get on next friday. I know I have lost weight because I can feel it. My energy levels are thru the roof and no more cravings for snacks at all. I had very little problem transitioning into this...slight headache a few days in, but stuck with it and it went away. My only problem is that I am hot all the time. Not really hot flashes like I had after finishing menopause, but just hot and sweaty occasionally and it's not because I'm in the heat. I live in Chicago, believe me it's not hot here right now! Anyone else have this and is there anything i can do to help it? I'm going to add exercise to my daily routine next week.

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  • Shron123
    Shron123 Posts: 221 Member
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    I too finished the menopause thing but have not had any hot/sweaty issues before/during/after menopause or with Keto. I have friends who finished menopause who still get hot flashes and they r not on Keto. Having said that I have read that the Keto diet can affect hormones but usually in a good way. Be interesting to hear if anyone else here has had the same experience. Or you could google that and see what comes up
  • KnitOrMiss
    KnitOrMiss Posts: 10,104 Member
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    I found that when I got fully into keto, it rewound my female hormones by about 10 years...

    There is a recommendation of carrots or carrot salad (special recipe) to help dump excess estrogen that's released as your burn off stored fat... Let me know if someone else doesn't find an article...

    It should level out, but I had to drop coconut oil and MCT oil for a while, due to the thermogenic effect...
  • elize7
    elize7 Posts: 1,088 Member
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    Yes, definately! Keto hot flashes are very real for me. I agree with Knit, it feels very hormonal. I had wicked hot flashes during menopause that eventually tapered off, and then keto restarted it and it hasn't stopped. I lost 110 pounds though, so I deal with it. Fans, AC, covers on and off all night long, dressing in layers - still, it's worth it!
  • braineblonde
    braineblonde Posts: 16 Member
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    Thanks for the replies. Glad to know I'm not crazy! I'm on day 12 and the last 2 days have actually been better. I've found that when I heat up, if I eat a cup of ice, it makes a huge difference. I didn't start having hot flashes until I was almost completely done with menopause and after I quit having periods (3 years ago), is when they got bad for me. They come and go. I have them bad for awhile, then they go away completely for several months, then come back. I've read this can go on for years after menopause, especially for women who didn't have them leading up to menopause. Lucky me, I guess. Hoping that losing the 25 pounds I gained the last 2 years helps keep them at bay.
  • KnitOrMiss
    KnitOrMiss Posts: 10,104 Member
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    @braineblonde - One of our members in one of our related groups mentioned that his wife was using Fenugreek to mitigate the effects of hot flashes. I don't know if she is still doing that, but @cstehansen might be able to give us an update?
  • chinatowninchina
    chinatowninchina Posts: 1,279 Member
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    Hi all, I used Agnus Castus, it was like a miracle! You take it just when you wake up and doze for another 10 mins or so to have the best effect. It was amazing, for me anyhow, as I was having really bad hot flashes (flushes in the UK!) and within two days they had gone. I kept thinking this can't be happening (or not happening!) I took it for ages, stopped, they came back after a while so I started again then after a couple of years stopped again and now it's fine, or just the occasional one.
  • tcunbeliever
    tcunbeliever Posts: 8,219 Member
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    I think hormone shifts are common when going keto from a diet that may have been insufficient in fats. Your body makes hormones out of fat, so if you have been unable to produce enough hormones due to lack of raw materials, your body can go a little overboard when there is suddenly an abundance of fat. I think for most people it levels out in a few weeks, but for folks with thyroid or hormone problems (like PCOS) it can take several months to balance out.

    I spent my whole life being cold most of the time, but after going LCHF, and now keto, I find that I am perfectly warm, not hot, but a normal warm body temperature. Make me feel like my metabolism is probably working correctly now, and maybe wasn't getting the job done before.
  • cstehansen
    cstehansen Posts: 1,984 Member
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    KnitOrMiss wrote: »
    @braineblonde - One of our members in one of our related groups mentioned that his wife was using Fenugreek to mitigate the effects of hot flashes. I don't know if she is still doing that, but @cstehansen might be able to give us an update?

    My wife is still using the fenugreek. She took some time to tweek how much, but seems to have found 2 in the morning and 2 before bed seem to have nearly eliminated them. Instead of 10-20 a day, it is more like 1-2 a week.

    Being completely selfish, this has made my life much better. ;)

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