would appreciate some feedback, please?

Projectjustme

Hi

firstly, thanks for all the amazing information in this group - I have spent a lot of time on it over the last couple of days!

I started low carb eating very recently (this is my 6th day) and suppose I just wanted a bit of reassurance that I am heading in the right direction.

I used both MFP and Carb Manager to track my food and apart from the first 2 days have generally managed to keep below 25grams of carb and have met my fat and protein goals. Days 1 -4 were brilliant, no trouble with the food and enjoyed it; day 4-5, I have felt really tired and by the end of the day, felt like I was wading through mud. Today, day 6, I feel tired and achy and lightheaded (pickle juice on my shopping list).

My bathroom scales have broken so not too sure about weight loss, although I am certainly aware of the lack of bloat but I intend to stay off the scales until next week when it will have been two weeks.

Am I on the right track folks? How long should I expect this to last? I have been 'on a diet' since Christmas but lots of carbs involved in that previously and very little success. Any feedback would be much appreciated.

rgg71

I had the same, it seems pretty common when starting out. Now I'm 8 months in I don't have any issues.
I followed the 'eat more fat' and 'add salt to everything' approach and it helped me adapt and overcome the initial change.
Beef broth also seems to help when feeling tired and lacking energy. Check out the info on electrolytes.
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10358179/low-sodium-and-keto-flu-electrolyte-imbalance-may-be-your-problem#latest

Stick with it, it will pass!

HTH

R

Wachkel

Sounds like you're doing just fine. The first couple of weeks are the hardest. I agree with rjj71, add salt to everything to keep your electrolytes up. I had issues with my electrolytes but did not care to drink broth. I instead got to MIO electrolyte drops (which I got at the grocery store) and since then purchased electrolyte powder on Amazon -- both zero carbs. Here's the Amazon link. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01IIGNPK4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Projectjustme

thanks rgg and Wachkel (and for the link).

Running_and_Coffee

If you can get through the first two weeks, you can do anything! Drink a lot of water and agree about sodium.

Also, maybe you should buy a scale? I bet the lack of bloat was a nice loss, and it's always encouraging to see that!

nvmomketo

I agree that you need more sodium. When you get enough, your symptoms will probably disappear.

Most need 3000 - 5000+ mg of sodium, and there is 2300mg of sodium in a teaspoon of salt, so you probably need about 2 teaspoons of salt a day. I'm another who does not like broth much, so I just ate half a teaspoon of salt a couple of times a day with water. I also salt my food and coffee liberally. Others like salt tablets or make a salty "keto-ade" from Mio with lots of salt. Pickle juice is another favorite.

It sounds like a lot but try it. Those electrolyte imbalance symptoms are easy to fix and dangerous to ignore. No sense suffering when we don't need to.

Welcome to the group.

kpk54

What they said. Up your sodium.

If you have no medical need to limit it.

Projectjustme

Thank you all for the welcome and advice. I will definitely start upping the sodium.

PaulaKro

I started about a month ago and made sure to get enough salt because of the keto-flu warnings. That's probably why I was fine.

Good luck! Let us know if it works for you. :bigsmile:

Welcome, @Projectjustme

Projectjustme

Had a boullion cube in hot water this morning and felt so much better, thanks all x