Keto for 11 months and suddenly I'm tired all the time - any help please?

Projectjustme

Hi all

as the title says, I have been on Keto for almost one year and have loved it - had a couple of slips where I have eaten off program, but generally have not struggled at all.

However, the last few weeks, I have been feeling exhausted all the time. My weight loss has really slowed down since Christmas (to be fair, it has been really slow throughout and I'm fine with that).

I am also feeling really fat and bloated today, with a bit of swelling in fingers etc. For further information, I am 53, peri-menopausal with very infrequent cycle. I take magnesium, drink lots of water and try to make sure my salt intake is good but I have to admit that I am really at a loss as to why everything has changed and would appreciate any suggestions that you lovely people may have for me.

TIA
Carol

Sunny_Bunny_

The fatigue and water retention really fit with low sodium.
How much salt do you supplement each day? Are you consistent?

Sabine_Stroehm

It's hard to know what's diet, and what's impending menopause. Crushing fatigue was TOUGH for me as I was about to slide through menopause. Perhaps it's a combination of the two?

tcunbeliever

More salt is always a good idea with a keto diet.

I only looked over the last couple weeks of diary entries, but your calorie deficit is pretty steep most days, and your protein intake is at a minimal level. It's possible that eating two weeks at maintenance (staying keto, just eating more food) and putting those extra calories to protein might help. Eleven months is a long time to be in a calorie deficit, a break from that deficit might help stabilize the inflammation.

kpk54

If you've not changed your eating,sodium/water intake I too would be curious as to why you are now feeling fatigued and are swelling.

Might want to get yourself to a physician.

baconslave

tcunbeliever wrote: »

More salt is always a good idea with a keto diet.

I only looked over the last couple weeks of diary entries, but your calorie deficit is pretty steep most days, and your protein intake is at a minimal level. It's possible that eating two weeks at maintenance (staying keto, just eating more food) and putting those extra calories to protein might help. Eleven months is a long time to be in a calorie deficit, a break from that deficit might help stabilize the inflammation.

I second this.
Diet fatigue isn't just because you're tired of doing it. You're body seems to get tired of being at a steep deficit and throws on the brakes. You feel tired. And you don't move around as much. Try the "diet break" as @tcunbeliever suggests. The worst thing that will happen is that you aren't going to lose weight for 2 weeks. But you won't gain, and you'll tell your body things are just fine. It may reward you with shedding the bloat. Weight loss is a stressor.

Projectjustme

thank you all so much for your replies- I did try a couple of weeks at maintenance in March but, to be honest, really struggled to get the calories in (still fighting the old mindset) and I have been thinking about the salt and would agree that, while I think I am keeping up on it, I am probably not.
Will up the calories and increase the salt and see where I am in a couple of weeks - thank you again, sometimes I need to see things written down to make me take a good look at myself

VictoryGarden

Just tossing this out there...... Could you be pregnant?

The lady down the road is 51, and just found out she is expecting.

Projectjustme

VictoryGarden, absolutely not! The reason I know this is I had a medical procedure done in February and had to take a pregnancy test beforehand which came back negative - I would remember if there had been any 'activity' which may have changed this...believe you me, I would ..thanks for the suggestion x

KarlaYP

Projectjustme wrote: »

thank you all so much for your replies- I did try a couple of weeks at maintenance in March but, to be honest, really struggled to get the calories in (still fighting the old mindset) and I have been thinking about the salt and would agree that, while I think I am keeping up on it, I am probably not.
Will up the calories and increase the salt and see where I am in a couple of weeks - thank you again, sometimes I need to see things written down to make me take a good look at myself

I recommend you keep up with everything you put in your mouth for at least a week and examine that to see what’s lacking. It’s not hard to let things slip when we get into a routine. We feel like we’re doing everything right, but when we see it on paper (so to speak) we can usually identify where we may have allowed things to slip.

I hope you find the answer and feel better real quick!

Lemnakimberley

Not sure if you have figured this out, but definitely get your thyroid tested (all tests not just the typical one- stop the thyroid madness is a great website)

Projectjustme

thanks for all your replies, it is much appreciated! Just to update on this; I have (tried) to up my calories over the last couple of weeks, sometimes more successfully than others. I have now left my settings here as maintenance and try for a smaller number left over each day as my deficit...there are days that I simply don't eat enough so I am trying to balance that out as much as I can.

I have started drinking electrolyte water through the day and this has had a more positive effect and I have significantly cut down on my caffeine too.

I am still feeling tired most days, but nowhere near as bad when I initially posted and I have booked an appointment with my GP to discuss getting the full set of thyroid tests done - the more I read about this, the more I am convinced that I have completely tanked it through the years of ridiculous reduction.

The bloat has gone down, so I think that might have been my wavering hormone levels and the added water flushing the retention out.

Finally, I am looking at ways to try and combat my stress levels, which are having an impact on my sleep.

Again, thank you so much for all your help, t'is why I like the group so much

Sunny_Bunny_

Projectjustme wrote: »

thanks for all your replies, it is much appreciated! Just to update on this; I have (tried) to up my calories over the last couple of weeks, sometimes more successfully than others. I have now left my settings here as maintenance and try for a smaller number left over each day as my deficit...there are days that I simply don't eat enough so I am trying to balance that out as much as I can.

I have started drinking electrolyte water through the day and this has had a more positive effect and I have significantly cut down on my caffeine too.

I am still feeling tired most days, but nowhere near as bad when I initially posted and I have booked an appointment with my GP to discuss getting the full set of thyroid tests done - the more I read about this, the more I am convinced that I have completely tanked it through the years of ridiculous reduction.

The bloat has gone down, so I think that might have been my wavering hormone levels and the added water flushing the retention out.

Finally, I am looking at ways to try and combat my stress levels, which are having an impact on my sleep.

Again, thank you so much for all your help, t'is why I like the group so much

How much sodium are you getting from that electrolyte water? They usually don’t really have much.
You need what conventional wisdom would consider to be a lot of sodium. I really doubt you’re getting enough.

Projectjustme

Hi Sunny_Bunny, yup I totally agree with you - I've started crunching on some Himalayan crystals that I keep in my drawer at work

Just to update, I have significantly increased my calories, taken off my deficit on my diary and set it to maintenance and am feeling so much better.
Energy still dipping a bit, but nowhere near as bad as it was and definitely improving.

The stress is still an issue, but I have just started swimming after a break of 30+ years and I am really enjoying the activity and the time on my own.

Thank you once again for you input

WholeFoods4Lyfe

Projectjustme wrote: »

Hi Sunny_Bunny, yup I totally agree with you - I've started crunching on some Himalayan crystals that I keep in my drawer at work

Just to update, I have significantly increased my calories, taken off my deficit on my diary and set it to maintenance and am feeling so much better.
Energy still dipping a bit, but nowhere near as bad as it was and definitely improving.

The stress is still an issue, but I have just started swimming after a break of 30+ years and I am really enjoying the activity and the time on my own.

Thank you once again for you input

This right here jumps out to me. Cortisol can wreak havoc when elevated. I think your plan to increase calories to maintenance and adding an activity you really like is great. Best of luck and glad to hear that you are feeling an improvement.

TamaraLoe

Low on vitamin B1 possibly.

Sabine_Stroehm

Projectjustme wrote: »

Hi Sunny_Bunny, yup I totally agree with you - I've started crunching on some Himalayan crystals that I keep in my drawer at work

Just to update, I have significantly increased my calories, taken off my deficit on my diary and set it to maintenance and am feeling so much better.
Energy still dipping a bit, but nowhere near as bad as it was and definitely improving.

The stress is still an issue, but I have just started swimming after a break of 30+ years and I am really enjoying the activity and the time on my own.

Thank you once again for you input

Glad you're feeling a bit better.

Projectjustme

Bit more of an update - still getting improved energy and mood, working really hard on managing stress (but not so hard that it's adding to it!!) and this morning I jumped on the scale to find a 3lb loss- the answer seems clear to keep calm and keto on!!

LRLemon

Not sure if others mentioned this... have you tried increasing your salt and water intake? A keto diet allows the liver to release fats in the form of water. You lose lots of salt along with it.

Emmapatterson1729

At a certain age, women stop absorbing B vitamins through digestion, which is crucial for muscles and energy.

I take a sublingual B supplement--under the tongue.

Which helps energy levels.

I also supplement iodine with liquid kelp if I'm not in the mood to eat fish for an extended time, because my sea salts are not iodized. Iodine supports thyroid health.