Can happen due to inadequate hydration, salt, potassium, and magnesium, but isn't a foregone conclusion.

kirkor wrote: »

Can happen due to inadequate hydration, salt, potassium, and magnesium, but isn't a foregone conclusion.

Not every one gets it. Or if they do get it, the duration varies. It depends on how low your carb count is. If it's low enough to get you into ketosis, than it is possible to get it while the body is transitioning into burning fat for fuel instead of sugar.

I had a little bit of a headache. I can't be sure it wasn't sugar withdrawal. I was a 1/4 cup of sugar in each cup of coffee kind of girl. A eat-a-bag-of Hershey-Miniatures-in-2-days kind of gal. I did my research and made sure I was hydrated and was drinking salty broth. So other than that I didn't get keto-flu. After the 3rd day, I actually felt fog-free for the first time in forever.

Some people have a harder time of it.


This link gives a quick overview of what to expect:
http://elowcarbfoodlist.org/the-keto-flu-symptoms-and-relief/

JPW1990 wrote: »

jerryellis63012 wrote: »

I'm dealing with this now, feeling very lethargic and all my muscles ache, back is hurting and headache. I'll be glad when it's done lol!

You don't have to go through it at all, drink some broth, use some MIO in water, have some avocado and mushrooms. Make sure you're getting plenty of water, too. It's not like it's something your body is forcing itself to do. I've never had it, and I've been popping back and forth from LC to keto for years.

I feel like I'm drinking plenty of water and eating 1 1/2 avocados a day, I'll try the broth, and love mushrooms, but don't have any right now. Thanks for the advice!

I fat loaded and sodium loaded (broth twice a day), but I was a major carb junkie before. (I could give @nicsflyingcircus‌ a serious run for her money....probably a bag of minis in a day if not a sitting! I also ate an entire 17 oz box of chocolates by myself in the three days immediately prior into jumping into LCHF, and even then, adding fats, adding sodium, and ignoring calories until the flu passed minimized my impact!)

The first few days of lchf was fine for me until the 'flu' kicked in. But I heard of it and so wasn't surprised by it. as mentioned above broth was a a great way to deal with it as well as letting my body rest as it needed. Three weeks later I have my mojo back and feel so good I am not even as concerned with weight loss so much, although I'll take it.

I've been Keto for probably a total of at least 3-3.5 years over the past decade...the first time was for >2 years solid and I dropped 60#s. I've played with refeeds over the years or used Keto during times when I was recovering from a broken wrist or abdominal surgery and couldn't exercise. Now I'm adapting a sort of CKD plan around my running/cycling races. I've never once experienced symptoms that I found to be uncomfortable. A few times I've had veggies that tasted bitter, but that could be as much the veggie itself being overripe (recently had a yellow squash that was awful, but it's getting to be the time of year where that's not in-season anywhere and they're probably picked at a bad time, then sit on a truck for days to get to Michigan).

Maybe this is why I've not struggled with doing a cyclical keto diet -- I usually feel so mediocre and bloated after a day or two of even moderate carb intake that I can't wait to get back to fat and protein. If the quality of the carbs I eat is processed crap, then I really feel gross and want a steak, cheese, and salad like no one's business!! The thought of falling off the keto wagon permanently doesn't sound at all pleasant to me and I feel better within 12 hours of cutting the carbs.