Keto Newbie with ?’s

mactiosk

Hello all and happy Monday (or whichever day you happen to be reading this on)...

I just started the Keto way of life after running into an old bestie of mine and seeing how well it’s been working for her.

Yesterday was day 1 and despite being ridiculously hungry all day it went well. Today, however, I woke up with a belly ache and can’t stay out of the bathroom. 🤭

Is this normal - or what I’ve heard called “Keto flu”? I’m not worried, I can handle a bit of nausea provided it’s not going to last too long. Speaking of which... how long is this going to last? Lol

Is there anything else out of the ordinary that you’ve experienced at the beginning that I should keep in mind? I’m trying to keep my fats super high, protein to 20-25% and my carbs to 5% and drinking a ton of water - anything else I need to focus on initially?

Finally - if any of you would like a new friend please feel free to add me!

tcunbeliever

Salt - you need extra salt to help with the nutrients lost in the initial water loss. More salt. Even more salt.

Also, if you are eating keto to loose weight, then you don't need to eat high fat - you already have a high fat diet if you have excess body fat. Just keep carbs low, get plenty of protein, and you don't need to worry about going out of your way to eat extra fat.

Emmapatterson1729

https://drbubbs.com/blog/2017/1/top-3-mineral-deficiencies-on-a-ketogenic-diet-and-how-to-fix-it

Yes, when starting keto, my fiance, daughter, and I were in the bathroom a lot the first week.

After the initial adjusting, we had a burst of feeling great and extreme energy that lasted about a month.

Those first few days felt weird!!

Up electrolytes!! Avoid Foods that cause insulin spikes and inflammation (even the low carb ones).

Shouldn't be hungry though at all, what does your calorie intake look like?

I also suggest, going into privacy settings, open diary to friends, and getting a friends list going with others on keto.

mactiosk

Thanks for the info folks! I've been warned against too much protein by my doc and since I'm avoiding carbs I wasn't sure how else to get enough food without added fat.

I've started to salt everything and add it whenever and wherever I can but I'll try to do even more. As far as my hunger goes, I typically never eat until suppertime but when I do, I eat constantly. I am not even close to that hungry today - maybe because it was my first day and my stomach didn't know what to think about being fed real food?? lol

Emmapatterson1729

To initially start dropping weight on Keto is lot simpler than the internet (information highway of confusion) makes it out to be.

I like to keep ranges for everything so I don't stress.

65-75% fat
15-25% protein
5-10% carbs (20-25 net grams or under, the only real grams I pay attention to).
No less than 1300-1680 calories, I try for at least 1400 (hard some days).

But as long as I come close to the ranges by a digit or two, I'm happy!

I add olive oil, cheeses, and creams to just about everything I cook. I also eat a few servings of veggies and fruits almost every day and still come in under 20-25 grams net carbs.

I eat when hungry and listen to my body. But usually end up IF 16/8. Not intentionally, just not hungry for hours after waking.

Good luck, it's easy and filling!!

kpk54

mactiosk wrote: »

Thanks for the info folks! I've been warned against too much protein by my doc and since I'm avoiding carbs I wasn't sure how else to get enough food without added fat.

This is not an effort to have you disclose your medical history here but if you have a doctor who has advised you not to eat too much protein...you don't need to eat a lot of protein. Ketogenic diets are a result of lack of carbs. Not high fat. Not high protein.

AND it is true about a need to increase sodium on a keto or heavily reduced carb diet (ETA and you likely should do so) UNLESS you have a medical reason not to.

mactiosk

I really appreciate the replies! I don't have a serious medical issue, just a fatty liver with elevated levels. Switching to Keto is *hopefully* going to improve that and once my weight comes down and my levels change I can look at increasing my protein.

I'll be overdoing salt from now on, filling up with water to compensate and focusing on eating what I need to meet my current macros.

Thanks bunches everyone!

zamirasoni

@mactiosk . You can also get electrolytes with propel water. I like flavor water, so I just add propel package. I kill two birds with one stone, electrolytes and water intake. Try that in case you worry about too much salt in your food.

When I started keto (almost 3 months ago), First week I was tired...so tired. But i went away after week 1 day 4. So, don't get discourage if you are falling sleep on your desk. It will get better. Good luck in your weight loss journey.

Sunny_Bunny_

No need to keep fat super high. That’s probably why your stomach is upset.
Don’t limit protein either.
Eat meats and non starchy veggies and cook with normal amounts of healthy fats.
That’s keto.

mactiosk

And how’s that been working for ya? 🤭

I do need to limit my protein and I also need to eat closer to 1400 calories so fats fill the missing blanks. I’m not asking about my macros, I’m comfortable with them the way they are. Thanks though 😉

EelkoDoesKeto

Hi Mactiosk, I am on day 29 (and I feel fantastic) so its all fresh in my memory... Sounds like you are doing everything pretty much right, yes, the first few days feel weird as anything. After a lot of reading and watching youtubers I decided to add supplements for Magnesium and Potassium, and I also upped my use of salt... This helped me avoid most of the symptoms of the keto flu. Yes the bathroom thing is normal, essentially your stomach enzymes are saying "Hey! where did all the carbs go, we need to regroup". It will take a while for the right enzymes to be present to break down the fat properly... in the meantime you will have the runs or the opposite for a while. Bummer huh (oh the pun!)... But you will get through it..
Also normal is a stop in weight loss for a while once you are settled in, at about the 2 week mark, this is also normal as the electrolytes balance things out... You will still be losing fat, but your body retains a bit more water now that it knows what to expect.
You will feel more energy as you go along probably within a week, some people have this really strongly, I found it is definitely there for me, but not as intensely as others claim. I do however feel really good.
And finally, you will also start to look at your diary and realise you are very low on calories.... because you simply wont be hungry.
At the end of the day.... To be in ketosis all you need is one thing... Keep your carbs below 5% of your daily intake and keep your calories around the amount recommended by MFP. Protein should be moderated (over 40 you should be up to 30% protein)... Using things like extra oil on your salad, or using Mayonaise as a condiment helps boost up fats, while you do this to bring up your calorie count.
Hope this all helps.

Sunny_Bunny_

kpk54

Thread is beneficial for others but it appears the OP closed her account. Just sayin'.

tcunbeliever

MFP is being so glitchy this week, I wouldn't be surprised if she were still active even if MFP isn't showing her.

LCplTrey

Electrolytes is definitely a thing. I normally do a sugar-free electrolyte drink mix in a bottle of water plus take a daily vitamin just to make sure I get what I need. If you are hungry then you either aren't eating enough, or are eating the wrong things. I normally have an eggwhite omelette in the morning with provolone or mozarella cheese, veggies, and a side of 2 pieces of bacon. I am normally not hungry at lunch at all so I drink a protein shake with unsweetened almond milk. I found a company called FNX that makes a pretty keto friendly protein shake that tastes like mint chocolate, which is my absolute favorite ice cream so that helps to curb the sweet cravings too. Dinner I try to eat no later than 6 and that is normally where I get the most caloroes in the day, but I am also nirmally up for several hours after that. If you want to go out and drink at all, then the cheapest way to handle that is to buy a bottle of mio in your favorite flavor and order a vodka soda and put a serving of mio in it. That will be the least amount of calories and is absolutely zero carbs. On days you work out you need to add more protein to that day to help your muscles recover. Also, part of the "keto flu" symptoms you are feeling is because your body is detoxing from sugar and gluten. Neither are really healthy for your body and act almost like addictive substances so think of this stage as something similar to going cold turkey off heroin. You're going to get sick, but that is where the electrolytes and PLENTY of water comes in. I drink no less than 8 cups of water a day, but it depends on your health, activity level, and the weather outside.

2t9nty

mactiosk wrote: »

I really appreciate the replies! I don't have a serious medical issue, just a fatty liver with elevated levels. Switching to Keto is *hopefully* going to improve that and once my weight comes down and my levels change I can look at increasing my protein.

I'll be overdoing salt from now on, filling up with water to compensate and focusing on eating what I need to meet my current macros.

Thanks bunches everyone!

To give you some encouragement with the liver thing, I had elevated liver enzymes and my doctor told me I had NAFLD, and there was nothing I could do about it. I had high levels forever, and it was just one of those things.

I went keto and in a year, my enzyme levels were normal. After two years of keto, they were low normal. I used keto to lose weight and get BG numbers under control, and I am keto in maintenance. The liver enzymes were low normal at the last blood draw.

I asked my doctor about this and he said it was all because of the weight loss. I first had the high liver enzymes when I was this weight, so I don't think that is it. I claim it was the keto that made the difference.

scottyaus2732

What is keto maintenance?

I’m not yet at that stage but I am curious non the less.

Emmapatterson1729

scottyaus2732 wrote: »

What is keto maintenance?

I’m not yet at that stage but I am curious non the less.

@scottyaus2732

Maintaining weight without losing more still keeping to low Carbs.

2t9nty

scottyaus2732 wrote: »

What is keto maintenance?

I’m not yet at that stage but I am curious non the less.

I still keep net carbs under 20 a day, but I have increased calories to maintain my goal weight.