Introduction & a question or two

kristafb

Hi there, I've been eating lc/hf since march 1st & I've lost 11lbs since then which I'm thrilled about. I had been losing 0.5-1 lb almost daily until this week. I've stayed pretty much the same for the last 4 days and I understand thats normal to slow down after the first couple of weeks.

A question I have is this, I have my macros set 60f/30p/10/c and I'm often over my fat macros for the day and my carbs can be as low as 5%. I've started noticing I'm feeling a little 'body tired' even though i'm mentally very alert. I just started taking Magnesium so I'm hoping that will help. so I guess my questions would be, shoud I be concerned about having a higher fat day & could that be related to feeling tired physically?

Since I'm pretty new to this any advice is welcome Thanks in advance!!

17JayR

If you are in Keto, I don’t think that more fat would make you tired as your body is using it for energy and many people set their fat % higher than 60%. I would make sure you are getting enough water, salt, potassium and magnesium as they are things that your body dumps on Keto quicker than other diets. Also, unless you are truly not hungry I would eat more. http://keto-calculator.ankerl.com/ is a good resource for setting up your macros and how many calories you need. MFP had the amount of calories I should eat in a day at around my BMR even with it set for slow weight loss. Remember on a LC/HF diet the carbs are more important than the calories and many people don’t worry about the calories at all.

Ninanator

I just had a lovely visit with my doc about this. And let me tell you, I love all of my numbers, except for one. My vitamin D is so low that as a health care professional, I was very concerned. Yes, I realize I live in the darkest city of the continental U.S., and yes this has been a very rough winter; I just wasn't expecting my level to be that low. Usually, I would tell you to check your magnesium, potassium, and sodium levels; after my doc appointment though, I have to admit that this very long and dark winter has taken it's toll on many of us. So don't discount vitamin D! Also, early on in my keto days, I made the mistake of not eating enough calories, even though I had the macros down perfect. That can make you feel as tired and sick as too low of electrolytes can. It's funny, how even knowing this, I still fell into the trap of not eating enough. I recommend getting a Complete Metabolic Panel with magnesium level, Vitamin D 25 Hydroxy level, and just to make sure your thyroid is okay, check your TSH. These would be normal tests that any doc would order when a patient complains of being physically tired. And for giggles, have a lipid panel done now to see where you stand on your cholesterol, so that later on down the road, you can check it again for progress. My doc and his PA had to pick up their jaws when they saw my awesome lipid panel. They couldn't believe I had such good numbers from a lchf diet/lifestyle.

kristafb

Thanks for the responses. I'm eating around 1350kcals/day up from the 1200 i used to eat. I take 4000iu of Vit D a day as directed by my doctor because mine was in the crapper as well and i've started taking magnesium (i had taken it sporatically in the past). My thyroid & other blood work is all perfectly normal. I am starting to think it could be that I'm not always drinking enough water and perhaps my potassium is low. I used to eat a banana a day & drink coconut water to keep away leg cramps and due to the carbs I've cut them both out.

I'll up my water & speak to my doctor about my potassium. Hopefully that will make a difference. thank you

Ninanator

Another suggestion, is to really evaluate your caloric needs. I have a wonderful history of weight loss, but had gained a few pounds from a back injury. So in my attempt to lose the weight from my injury, I cut my calories. But I recently had to increase my calories because I too stalled. It was a reality check. All of my education and experience has taught me that restricting calories too much, leads to weight loss stall, and yet I still fell into that trap. We are programmed to think that very low is good. It is not. Taking in too little, especially while on keto, can mimic symptoms of hypothyroidism. You will feel cold, lose hair, feel tired, etc. And I don't understand why we feel 1200 is a magical number to start off at. Again, we have been bombarded with unrealistic and unsafe expectations, and even health care professionals fall victim to it.

It sounds like your initial weight loss was from the extra "water" that you got rid of when you started keto. I'm sure you've read about this. So maybe upping your calories, is what your body wants in order for you to lose weight, and not just to 1500, but maybe 1600 with no exercise, and 1800 with exercise.

Think about it, research it, and let us know what you do to feel better and break your stall :-)

ali59oc

I have a question. I am going to undergo surgery next week on my leg so I will be pretty incapacitated and I am worried that I will gain weight while unable to move. It will be only for a week that I will be immobile but I know muscle starts breaking down right away. Walking will be quite difficult for months. Any ideas? Or should I just punt!

Ninanator

Can you meet with a physical therapist prior to your surgery? And remember you are having surgery on your leg, not on your arms, or back, or abdomen. I say this because so many patients experience unnecessary muscle loss all over their body after surgery for one preventable reason: they are afraid to move ANY body part!

Educate yourself before your surgery by talking to a physical therapist and planning for your rehabilitation now before it becomes an issue. Get acquainted with some of the exercises you can expect to do, and what realistic outcomes are. You will be surprised! In the Surgical ICU where I work, early mobilization is a vital component to recovery, and a factor that prevents readmission. I just wish that more surgeons and insurance companies required visits with physical therapists prior to elective procedures.

Don't punt, and best of luck :-)

ali59oc

Thanks! I have melanoma skin cancer and I go through this routine every 3-4 months where the surgeon excises the cancer, stitches me up, and I limp around until I go to the dermatologist who finds more cancer and then we start all over again. This time it's three areas within 12" of each other on my lower leg. I've been pretty good with using weights when my legs are the issue and walking when it's something that I can't use the weights for, like my chest or arms. My insurance doesn't really pay for all the surgeries let alone P.T. so I wing it. This is the first time where I've really been watching my diet and I think I'm just a little paranoid! I won't punt and thanks for the advice.