NO ENERGY AT ALL

rookie8itch

I have been doing the low carb diet for 2 weeks now and I figured since ive dropped a few pound, quit drinking coke and all the bad things thatbi wpuld start feeling better and have lots of energy, but it seems like its worse. I go to bed tired, wake up tired, and take naps in between. I cant seem to get past it! Anyone having this problem and how long will it last? I cant even get my regular house cleaning done! Any advice???

SteamClutch

This is common and all I can tell you is it will pass, I have started low carb diets 3 times in the past (I stopped them after the weight was off to my demise each time, not this time though). I will suggest you open up your diary so people can input or invite me as a friend so I can look through and see if you are balanced on your intakes. You are likely just getting to ketosis and your body is trying to get the energy stored in your fat cell.

kiramaniac

Could be sodium deficiency.

From "The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living"

Low carb diets are natriuretic - they make the kidneys dump sodium. Sodium deficiency can cause headache, dizziness and fatigue. With continued low carb intake and sodium restriction, at some point your kidneys start to excrete potassium in order to conserve sodium. Potassium deficiency can lead to muscle cramps, cardiac dysrythmia. it can also cause the body to lose muscle, even when there's plenty of protein in the diet.

DRINK BROTH and try for 3-5 g of sodium per day when starting low carb / keto.

JanetLynnJudy

What are your macro goals?

Miamiuu

Can you drink caffiene? When I get real tired I down a diet soda. Or check for a low sugar energy drink and try it out.

Citrislazer

Yeah, the first 2-3 weeks (sometimes 4 weeks for some) of starting low carb sucks! I think we've all been there. The body wants the carbs it's use to burning and is upset it's not getting them. So it needs to remember how to burn fat again. It takes a while, but you'll have lots of energy once your body remembers.

In the meantime, make sure you're eating plenty of calories. I didn't even cut calories, until my body was use to low carb. I agree with Miamiuu and kiramaniac. Have some caffeine in the morning like coffee with heavy cream or a diet drink to help get ya going. Make sure you're getting enough dietary sodium, potassium and the forgotten vitamin K. You can get a lot of potassium and vitamin K from eating leafy green veggies. Kale is a really good example. Increasing my leafy green consumption really helped me get over the hump. And of course drink enough fluids. :-)

Keep at it. You'll get there!

bsenka

You're breaking an addiction to sugar and starch. As you go through withdrawal, it's very normal to feel like crap and to especially to be lethargic.

Citrislazer is right, do not try to cut calories while doing low carb (at least not during induction)!!! You absolutely can (and should) eat until you're completely satisfied -- after each meal you should be so full of good foods that you don't have room for junk.

kristafb

I was stuggling with this a bit too. I'm midway through week 2. For me its not lack of sodium, I add sea salt to most foods and don't restrict my sodium at all. I've found that adding vitamin D has helped me a lot.

sunseeker100

I feel exactly the same as the OP. I work at a desk job, have good quality sleep (own a fitbit so I track my sleep) and don't drink or socialize...very boring I know! The thing is I've been doing <20 carbs per day for 8 weeks and I just seem to be getting more tired. Should I still be upping my sodium intake like I did during the first two weeks?

I've started to take a multivitamin with minerals each morning and to be honest I don't do any exercise, I know I should and I've recently bought a rowing machine to go with all my other unused equipment, but I'm literally too tired to move once I get home. I'm considering going to my doctors about it but wanted to check out all possible causes with my diet first.

My diary is open in case anyone wants to have a peek and suggest some tweaks :yawn: If anyone does look at my diary you'll notice I didn't track a few days last week. My internet went down at home and my fitbit also stopped working!! I usually track everything, every single day.

Citrislazer

My guess:
You're not eating enough calories consistently. I'm so guilty of this often. Based on your profile, your current BMR is about 1306 and TDEE is about 1567 without exercise. Try to eat in between your BMR and your TDEE daily. If you begin exercising regularly, even light exercise, your TDEE will be much higher. You'll need to eat even more.

I don't know what your fiber count is, but it's very important to get enough fiber in your diet while low carbing. Women should be getting about 25g daily, men 30g daily. If you've been eating under 20g of carbs for the last 8 weeks, you should bump up your carbs. You're glycogen stores have likely already been depleted and you're burning fat now. This will help with getting more fiber into your diet too.

If you can, try taking a 10-15 min break at work and go for a leisurely walk, even inside around your building. I feel like I have less energy when I get home from my desk job if I haven't had a walk or two at work. Having a small snack if you need a boost of energy before you work out may help. And, eating more leafy green veggies will help too such as kale, leaf lettuce (not iceberg), spinach, etc. Being dehydrated can make you feel tired, make sure you're drinking enough non-caffeinated liquids. Then general rule is 1/2 oz for every pound you weigh. As for sodium, it should be a little higher. I feel good around 2500-3000mg daily, but your needs may be different.

Also, unless you're buying enteric coated or slow dissolving multivitamins, it's likely not helping much. Most cheaper multivitamins are rendered ineffective/destroyed by stomach acid. I believe the only vitamins not destroyed in stomach acid are B and C vitamins. The last stat I read was 7-11% of a multivitamin is absorbed by the body, so not a whole lot. You can improve the absorption rate by taking it when you eat a meal, but not by much. If your eating a well balanced low carb diet full of lean protein, healthy fats, veggies, nuts, berries, etc., there really is no need for a multivitamin, assuming there isn't an underlying medical condition. Enteric coated vitamin absorption rates are around 60-80% last I read, at a cost of $50-$60+ per 100 to 120 tablets. Not really worth it IMO. Save your money.

Hope one these suggestions works for you! Keep truckin'; keep trying. You'll eventually figure out what works for your body. Good luck!