Keto diet, perform less

Wilhellmina
Wilhellmina Posts: 757 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am on a keto diet for about 4 weeks now and I have noticed I can't perform less then like I used to. When I go for a walk in the hills for example, I notice my legs feel heavy and naggy quite rapidly. Does anyone recognize this and does anyone know what to do about it? This is my food intake:

1586 kcal Daily Calorie Intake
40 g Carbohydrates (10%)
90 g Protein (23%)
118 g Fat (67%)

Thanks in advance!

Mina.
«13

Replies

  • Kmsnomaha
    Kmsnomaha Posts: 167 Member
    bump.... I am interested in hearing what others have to say.. I have been trying to transition to a Primal diet but have not had carbs lower than 60-80 grams yet. So far I have not seen any difference in stamina during workouts...
  • Mytheral
    Mytheral Posts: 1
    Sounds like the Atkins Flu.
  • Wilhellmina
    Wilhellmina Posts: 757 Member
    As far as I know keto flu seems to last for about a week, maybe a bit more. I should be past that by now. I was misserable in the first 2 weeks indeed. That is better now, it's just the legs wont cooperate like they used to.
  • ritchiedrama
    ritchiedrama Posts: 1,304 Member
    Ketosis has no fat loss advantages to a normal caloric deficit.
  • lithezebra
    lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member
    Maybe you need more carbs. There are a lot of options for eating a lower carb diet that are more than 40 grams of carbs a day, and less than the very large amount that MFP allots for you. I felt tired on less than 100 grams a day. I'm doing pretty well on 100-150 grams a day. I'm not on a keto diet, just trying to fuel my workouts while taking care of my family risk for diabetes.
  • Wilhellmina
    Wilhellmina Posts: 757 Member
    Ketosis has no fat loss advantages to a normal caloric deficit.

    I have tried a lot of diets, also normal Paleo but this seems to be the only diet which works for me.
  • Wilhellmina
    Wilhellmina Posts: 757 Member
    Maybe you need more carbs. There are a lot of options for eating a lower carb diet that are more than 40 grams of carbs a day, and less than the very large amount that MFP allots for you. I felt tired on less than 100 grams a day. I'm doing pretty well on 100-150 grams a day. I'm not on a keto diet, just trying to fuel my workouts while taking care of my family risk for diabetes.

    Hmz yeah maybe I should try to increase my carb intake a bit more. I notice most of the days I am below that 10 % even.
  • ritchiedrama
    ritchiedrama Posts: 1,304 Member
    Ketosis has no fat loss advantages to a normal caloric deficit.

    I have tried a lot of diets, also normal Paleo but this seems to be the only diet which works for me.

    Yes, because you are cutting out an entire food group, in turn lowering your calories.

    If you are tracking calories accurately, you do not need to remove carbohydrates from your diet.

    It is the same as a vegetarian losing weight because they don't eat meat, so in turn the consume less calories..
  • mrmagee3
    mrmagee3 Posts: 518 Member
    Ketosis has no fat loss advantages to a normal caloric deficit.

    I have tried a lot of diets, also normal Paleo but this seems to be the only diet which works for me.

    It's possible your carbohydrates are still too high. I'm comfortable in ketosis up to around 40g, but it would bump other people out relatively quickly. Low carb combined with not being in ketosis can make you feel lethargic, which is what you're risking at 10% carb intake (this is presumably net carbs?).

    The other thing, it takes awhile between getting into ketosis and becoming fat adapted -- i.e., your body optimally burning fat. I had the keto flu for a week or so, then felt kinda "bleh" until the end of the first month.

    My general macros work out to around 70/25/5 most days, fat/protein/carb. If anything changes, it ends up being more fat at the expense of the other two.
  • mrmagee3
    mrmagee3 Posts: 518 Member
    If you are tracking calories accurately, you do not need to remove carbohydrates from your diet.

    I know it probably feels like it, but I'm not trying to pick at you at all. I do take issue with this, as general advice though. If she has health concerns other than losing weight, the carb restriction might be in direct relation to those concerns.
  • ritchiedrama
    ritchiedrama Posts: 1,304 Member
    If you are tracking calories accurately, you do not need to remove carbohydrates from your diet.

    I know it probably feels like it, but I'm not trying to pick at you at all. I do take issue with this, as general advice though. If she has health concerns other than losing weight, the carb restriction might be in direct relation to those concerns.

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/research-review/ketogenic-low-carbohydrate-diets-have-no-metabolic-advantage-over-nonketogenic-low-carbohydrate-diets-research-review.html
  • GnosisGnosis
    GnosisGnosis Posts: 148
    Ketosis has no fat loss advantages to a normal caloric deficit.

    Protein makes you full faster than carbohydrates, which is why people can go through a whole large bag of chips and still feel hungry but they're not going to eat the same weight of steak and want to eat more. I've also noticed that the weight flies off faster in the first week or so, making it beneficial for anybody that's cutting weight for a competition. It's also very beneficial to diabetics. Everything else is up in the air.

    I've personally stopped trying to maintain a sustained keto diet, because of the OP's reason. But I have heard from many keto lovers that if you plow through the feeling of keto sickness, it goes away after a while.
  • Wilhellmina
    Wilhellmina Posts: 757 Member
    Ketosis has no fat loss advantages to a normal caloric deficit.

    I have tried a lot of diets, also normal Paleo but this seems to be the only diet which works for me.

    It's possible your carbohydrates are still too high. I'm comfortable in ketosis up to around 40g, but it would bump other people out relatively quickly. Low carb combined with not being in ketosis can make you feel lethargic, which is what you're risking at 10% carb intake (this is presumably net carbs?).

    The other thing, it takes awhile between getting into ketosis and becoming fat adapted -- i.e., your body optimally burning fat. I had the keto flu for a week or so, then felt kinda "bleh" until the end of the first month.

    My general macros work out to around 70/25/5 most days, fat/protein/carb. If anything changes, it ends up being more fat at the expense of the other two.

    I will give it a try upcoming week, thanks! I must say I still feel it's very hard to fill in the menu with exactly those numbers.
  • bethanylaugh
    bethanylaugh Posts: 237
    You can spur ketosis in shorter spans while still eating a safer amount of carbs every day (100g or so)... you would have a lot more energy that way. see: http://perfecthealthdiet.com/2011/02/ketogenic-diets-i-ways-to-make-a-diet-ketogenic/
  • Wilhellmina
    Wilhellmina Posts: 757 Member
    If you are tracking calories accurately, you do not need to remove carbohydrates from your diet.

    I know it probably feels like it, but I'm not trying to pick at you at all. I do take issue with this, as general advice though. If she has health concerns other than losing weight, the carb restriction might be in direct relation to those concerns.

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/research-review/ketogenic-low-carbohydrate-diets-have-no-metabolic-advantage-over-nonketogenic-low-carbohydrate-diets-research-review.html

    It is just what you want to believe I suppose. There are also numerous posts saying it is a good thing to do, contradicting the bad messages. Everyone for him/herself and what works best for them.
  • lilRicki
    lilRicki Posts: 4,555 Member
    I felt the same way, i bumped my carbs up to 100g a day max and I feel better. I was at 30g a day, and couldn't make it through my hikes. Just try it, I read that 150g-200g of carbs is maintenance and anything under 100g is fat loss (don't ask for scientific proof all you haters, I'm not taking the time to find the article, just throwing it out there and telling OP what I go by). I do up my carb count when I have PMS though, I'm already dragging my butt, I don't need super low carbs to fuel the flames. Good Luck!


    * I also upped my cardio, although I still lift heavy, I increased my cardio quite a bit to combat the belly fat and raging hormones (pre-menopause).
  • SadFaerie
    SadFaerie Posts: 243 Member
    I do carb refeeds, irregularly. For a week or two I keep primal keto (not for weight loss, but to increase performance, my body works way more efficiently using ketones as a fuel) - 5% carbs (usually it's less than 15g), 35% protein, rest is fat. Then one day I keep fat to minimum, protein still at 35% and just pig on carbs. Try cycling and see how you feel. If you don't see any improvement, maybe keto isn't the best way for you, some people just don't handle keto and exercising too well.
  • TomDonis
    TomDonis Posts: 26 Member
    I've lost 34.5kg (76lbs) being on a low carb diet (over 37 weeks). And yes, a big part of that is because my calories have also been low. Up until the last week or so I kept my carbs between 15-30 grams a day and had heaps of energy, I work retail, on my feet and lifting stuff for 60 hours a week, exercise 2 hours a day usually, plus I only sleep about 4-4.5 hours a night. Every one is different, it's all about finding your own sweet spot. I've found what works for me, hopefully you can find what works for you too.

    But overall it's all about eat less, move more. Calories in < Calories out
  • ritchiedrama
    ritchiedrama Posts: 1,304 Member
    Ketosis has no fat loss advantages to a normal caloric deficit.

    Protein makes you full faster than carbohydrates, which is why people can go through a whole large bag of chips and still feel hungry but they're not going to eat the same weight of steak and want to eat more. I've also noticed that the weight flies off faster in the first week or so, making it beneficial for anybody that's cutting weight for a competition. It's also very beneficial to diabetics. Everything else is up in the air.

    I've personally stopped trying to maintain a sustained keto diet, because of the OP's reason. But I have heard from many keto lovers that if you plow through the feeling of keto sickness, it goes away after a while.

    Feeling full has nothing to do with what I have said, though. If you are in a proper caloric deficit, ketosis holds no advantages, and at first, as we all know, weight drastically drops due to water being flushed out your system. Weight loss does not mean fat loss.
  • mrmagee3
    mrmagee3 Posts: 518 Member
    If you are tracking calories accurately, you do not need to remove carbohydrates from your diet.

    I know it probably feels like it, but I'm not trying to pick at you at all. I do take issue with this, as general advice though. If she has health concerns other than losing weight, the carb restriction might be in direct relation to those concerns.

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/research-review/ketogenic-low-carbohydrate-diets-have-no-metabolic-advantage-over-nonketogenic-low-carbohydrate-diets-research-review.html

    Perhaps I was unclear. If she's diabetic, low carb diets have very distinct benefits over non carb restricted diets. I am speaking of factors unrelated to fat loss.
  • GnosisGnosis
    GnosisGnosis Posts: 148

    Feeling full has nothing to do with what I have said, though. If you are in a proper caloric deficit, ketosis holds no advantages, and at first, as we all know, weight drastically drops due to water being flushed out your system. Weight loss does not mean fat loss.

    Feeling full is an exponential advantage, dude. Alot of peoples biggest issues with losing weight is mental, not physical. One type of caloric deficit keeps you feeling full, and one keeps you feeling hungry - Which one is more advantageous for those people who are mentally anguished if their bellies aren't full? Obviously, you and I have no problems maintaining a caloric deficit on moderate-high carb, but many people do, and find that low carb is more beneficial for them in that way. Denying this advantage is irresponsible if you're trying to help people.
  • ritchiedrama
    ritchiedrama Posts: 1,304 Member

    Feeling full has nothing to do with what I have said, though. If you are in a proper caloric deficit, ketosis holds no advantages, and at first, as we all know, weight drastically drops due to water being flushed out your system. Weight loss does not mean fat loss.

    Feeling full is an exponential advantage, dude. Alot of peoples biggest issues with losing weight is mental, not physical. One type of caloric deficit keeps you feeling full, and one keeps you feeling hungry - Which one is more advantageous for those people who are mentally anguished if their bellies aren't full? Obviously, you and I have no problems maintaining a caloric deficit on moderate-high carb, but many people do, and find that high carb is more beneficial for them in that way. Denying this advantage is irresponsible if you're trying to help people.

    But I'm talking, strictly weight loss - no one mentioned being full. I know we are not disagreeing here, but myself after being heavily overweight, didn't remove carbs from my diet, and all I said was, ketosis has no advantage of fat loss over a normal diet, which it does not. People go on ketosis because they think it does, agree or not?
  • GnosisGnosis
    GnosisGnosis Posts: 148

    But I'm talking, strictly weight loss - no one mentioned being full. I know we are not disagreeing here, but myself after being heavily overweight, didn't remove carbs from my diet, and all I said was, ketosis has no advantage of fat loss over a normal diet, which it does not. People go on ketosis because they think it does, agree or not?

    I'm inclined to agree, but honestly, there is so much conflicting information out there that I'm not willing to take either side.
  • Faery_Dust
    Faery_Dust Posts: 246 Member
    For me to feel good doing Keto I need to have my carbs around 25g. But that is just me personally. I find it hard to control myself with carbs, I just want more and more! Even just fruit and veggies. Which is why I enjoy keto as after a while the cravings go away. But I just can't sustain that kind of diet for too long so go back to eating carbs lol. But every now and again I'll do another month of keto just so I don't have to deal with carb cravings for a while.

    With regards to working out, after the first few days I didn't have any problem doing my workout routines but I am only at the gym 3-4 times a week. Usually for about an hour, 30 mins of weights and then 30 mins of cardio. I did some long walks (up to around 15 miles) during Keto with no problems. But this was pretty much the higest intensity I tried. I have heard that Keto may not be as good for fueling very intense workouts but I don't know what kind of studies have been done on it.
  • Wilhellmina
    Wilhellmina Posts: 757 Member
    So, for some it works when they increase the carbs, for others when decreasing it. I guess that I have to figure out myself. But when you got only 5% carbs a day, how about vegetables? What do you eat a day?
  • SadFaerie
    SadFaerie Posts: 243 Member
    So, for some it works when they increase the carbs, for others when decreasing it. I guess that I have to figure out myself. But when you got only 5% carbs a day, how about vegetables? What do you eat a day?
    Lettuce, cucumber, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower.

    EDIT: yes, I count carbs from veggies, too.
  • scottdeeby
    scottdeeby Posts: 95 Member
    I think it is a case of "different strokes for different folks". When i was dieting I first simply lowered my calories, and I was hungry all the time and had low energy. When i tried lowering the carbs and increasing the fat I felt less hungry, and more energy, and was not as cranky.

    But that's just me.
  • wild_wild_life
    wild_wild_life Posts: 1,334 Member
    Are you sure you are in ketosis? Because you are eating fairly low carb but not as low as many in ketosis, you may not be burning fat efficiently while also not getting much energy from carbs. I'm not an expert in this area, but just a thought.
  • Wilhellmina
    Wilhellmina Posts: 757 Member
    Are you sure you are in ketosis? Because you are eating fairly low carb but not as low as many in ketosis, you may not be burning fat efficiently while also not getting much energy from carbs. I'm not an expert in this area, but just a thought.

    I have the impression I am hopping in and out at the moment to be honest. I just made a new calculation

    1633 kcal Daily Calorie Intake
    22 g Carbohydrates (5%)
    102 g Protein (25%)
    126 g Fat (70%)

    Let's see if this works better!
  • JisatsuHoshi
    JisatsuHoshi Posts: 421 Member
    On ketogenic diet any high intensity, endurance running, or heavy lifting exervise that would normally require Carbs will be a bit of a challenge.

    keto flu can last from 1~4 Weeks and during that time your body strength will be weaker. Once the flu pass you should get a rush of energy (the body will enter survival mode)


    When I first did keto I was benching 65 lbs dumbbells, git weaker the next 2 Weeks barely able to out up 50lbs... Once the keto flu past I strenth went through the roof! Now benching 90lbs dumbbells...

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