Still tired n keto flu symptoms after 4 weeks of the keto diet

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Hello...I've been on the keto diet for about 4 weeks. I have lost 20 pds but I do not think i am in ketosis. I am eating the foods allowed on the diet but i still feel tired and have some keto flu symptoms. I'm not very hungry but i do eat at least 2 meals a day. I'm keeping my protein low and fat up which i find hard having to eat a lower amount of protein. I have not tested my blood to see my glucose count. I'm concerned I'm losing muscle n not fat. I really need help. Many ppl have receipes filed with cheese n lots of dairy but i do not eat dairy. How can i achieve the right balance of high fat n raising my fat intake high enough to go into ketosis?

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  • mthomas1473
    mthomas1473 Posts: 2 Member
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    Sorry i meant to say raise my fat intake level without over eating in protien to achieve being in ketosis

  • bluefish86
    bluefish86 Posts: 842 Member
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    Keto flu is often a result of electrolyte imbalance/low sodium. How much sodium are you getting daily?
  • nicintime
    nicintime Posts: 381 Member
    edited November 2015
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    Raising fat does not get you into ketosis - cutting carbs does.

    Fat helps with satiety.

    Eat .5 to .8 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass. The higher number if you exercise a lot, the lower if you're sedentary. Then you don't need to be concerned with muscle loss.

    If you've lost 20 lbs and are under at least 50 carbs you ARE in ketosis. Lowered appetite is another indication. Are you tracking food? How many total carbs are you eating?

    Eat Salt. Lots of it. 5 grams daily unless you have a medical contraindication. Salting your food isn't enough. Measure. Boullion will help. 2x a day till you stop feeling like crap.

    Magnesium Citrate. Buy online.

    LOTS of water.

    Feel free to friend me if you want more input.
  • ladipoet
    ladipoet Posts: 4,180 Member
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    nicintime wrote: »
    If you've lost 20 lbs and are under at least 50 carbs you ARE in ketosis.

    Eat Salt. Lots of it. 5 grams daily unless you have a medical contraindication. Salting your food isn't enough. Measure. Boullion will help. 2x a day till you stop feeling like crap.

    Ditto this! What you are describing (..."but I still feel tired"...) is a very clear indicator of low sodium intake. Your salt intake should be a MINIMUM of 3000 -5000mg PER DAY. Aim for 5000mg that way if you fall short, you'll still be in the right goal range.
  • JauntyJackie
    JauntyJackie Posts: 5 Member
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    Been on LoCarb 8 weeks. 167-160lbs. only 7 lbs loss. Active 66yo. 15-24 carbs/day. 1300-1500 calories. Now I'm getting headaches. Goal normal BMI= 143
    Some one said cut out dairy but wow, that's a third of what I eat. Hmm.
    Any ideas as to why my loss is soooo slow? :/
  • DittoDan
    DittoDan Posts: 1,850 Member
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    Hello...I've been on the keto diet for about 4 weeks. I have lost 20 pds but I do not think i am in ketosis. I am eating the foods allowed on the diet but i still feel tired and have some keto flu symptoms. I'm not very hungry but i do eat at least 2 meals a day. I'm keeping my protein low and fat up which i find hard having to eat a lower amount of protein. I have not tested my blood to see my glucose count. I'm concerned I'm losing muscle n not fat. I really need help. Many ppl have recipes filed with cheese n lots of dairy but i do not eat dairy. How can i achieve the right balance of high fat n raising my fat intake high enough to go into ketosis?

    Do not worry about muscle loss, the body is designed to consume the extra fat first, after its gone the the reserve fat has to be depleted, after that is gone, then your body will start on the muscles. You could go on a water fast for several days and not eat anything, and you will not consume muscle mass. Looking at your wall, I see you have enough fat for a year or two before you need to start worrying.

    Like Nic said, its not the fat that you do or don't eat, its how many carbs you DON'T eat. If you keep carbs low, you will start burning the fat. Eating high fat is a tool to allow you to be satiated AND have the ability to keep your daily calorie count low enough for you to have a fairly decent deficit each week. The deficit is your key to weight loss.

    There are many ways to eat a lot of scrumptious fat without eating dairy. Use a lot of butter on everything, especially low carb veggies. If butter isn't suitable, put mayo on it. Eat bacon. try grilling bacon on a BBQ grill. Corned beef. ANy kind of fish, put lots of butter on it.

    The keto flu feeling is directly a result of not getting enough electrolytes. Sodium, Potassium and magnesium. You need 5,000 mg of salt a day. Thats a lot of salt. Read a salt label, pour it in a spoon and you will see how much it is. Drink chicken or beef bouillon soup/broth. Do this especially if you are also drinking extra water per day (more than 8 cups).

    I hope this helps,
    Dan the Man from Michigan (who is in SHanghai, China now)
    Keto / The Recipe Water Fasting / E.A.S.Y. Exercise Program
    Current weight: 194.9, 119 pounds down, 16 to go. 14 months on diet


  • DittoDan
    DittoDan Posts: 1,850 Member
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    Been on LoCarb 8 weeks. 167-160lbs. only 7 lbs loss. Active 66yo. 15-24 carbs/day. 1300-1500 calories. Now I'm getting headaches. Goal normal BMI= 143
    Some one said cut out dairy but wow, that's a third of what I eat. Hmm.
    Any ideas as to why my loss is soooo slow? :/

    Whomever told you to not eat dairy was full of it (and I don't mean dairy). Headaches could be a sign of dehydration, but that's one of dozens of things it could be. The Keto diet doesn't make people have headaches.

    When you see huge weight losses of people on the Keto diet, its because they had a huge amount to lose. You don't have a huge amount to lose. The closer a person is to their goal weight, the harder it is to lose. I am there now. I have to fight for every pound that I lose. Keto isn't "magical" anymore. Water Fasting (I do it a lot) isn't magical anymore. Just ask anyone thats lost over 100, and they'll say the same thing.

    Be happy with your loss, it sounds good for the small amount you have left to lose. You might try reducing your calories per day a couple hundred less. DO that for 3 weeks and see if that works.

    I hope this helps,
    Dan the Man from Michigan
    Keto / The Recipe Water Fasting / E.A.S.Y. Exercise Program
    Current weight: 194.9, 119 pounds down, 16 to go. 14 months on diet
  • professor700
    professor700 Posts: 78 Member
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    nicintime wrote: »
    Raising fat does not get you into ketosis - cutting carbs does.

    Fat helps with satiety.

    Eat .5 to .8 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass. The higher number if you exercise a lot, the lower if you're sedentary. Then you don't need to be concerned with muscle loss.

    If you've lost 20 lbs and are under at least 50 carbs you ARE in ketosis. Lowered appetite is another indication. Are you tracking food? How many total carbs are you eating?

    Eat Salt. Lots of it. 5 grams daily unless you have a medical contraindication. Salting your food isn't enough. Measure. Boullion will help. 2x a day till you stop feeling like crap.

    Magnesium Citrate. Buy online.

    LOTS of water.

    Indeed...ditto this. Tri magnesium works wonders. I take salt. Potassium salt and magnesium together before bed with a bit of chewable calcium. No headaches, flu like symptoms or fast heartbeat, which I have had in the past even after ketoing
    for months. Minerals. Just get them.

    Feel free to friend me if you want also
  • Yi5hedr3
    Yi5hedr3 Posts: 2,696 Member
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    Don't use Bouillon, as it is loaded with MSG (a poison). Instead buy some empty size 0 gelatin capsules and a pound of Himalayan Sea Salt and stuff your own capsules. Take one capsule 3-4 times daily to start. You
    can taper down after a couple weeks.