Beginner LCHF/Keto
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merveny
Posts: 6 Member
I started doing an LCHF diet about a week ago mainly for weight loss. I got rid of all pasta, rice, breads, sugars, etc. I began eating only non-starchy vegetables, eggs and cheeses, meat and poultry and started cooking with unsalted butter. I drink only 1 mug of sugarfree black filter coffee in the morning, at least 2 liters of water during the day and herbal tea at night.
After testing a couple of apps I finally found MyFitnessPal to be the most helpful. Based on my activity level, current BMI and my weight goal, the daily calorie intake I got was 1460.
Except I think that I'm either placing in my meals wrong or the carb percentage is somehow wrong in the calculations.
I've been having symptoms of the ketone flu at least I think thats what it is- for the past 5 days yet my carb intakes per day on average show to be 50%- about 50 g.
Can ketosis still be possible even though I'm not eating any carbs (pasta, rice, bread, potatoes or anything doughy)?
I'm going to make meat broth and drink a bunch tonite. Hopefully I'll feel better otherwise I'm always tired, have a dry mouth, have brain fog, severe headaches, am sneezing sometimes and I get cold and hot in waves. Please need some advice quick!
After testing a couple of apps I finally found MyFitnessPal to be the most helpful. Based on my activity level, current BMI and my weight goal, the daily calorie intake I got was 1460.
Except I think that I'm either placing in my meals wrong or the carb percentage is somehow wrong in the calculations.
I've been having symptoms of the ketone flu at least I think thats what it is- for the past 5 days yet my carb intakes per day on average show to be 50%- about 50 g.
Can ketosis still be possible even though I'm not eating any carbs (pasta, rice, bread, potatoes or anything doughy)?
I'm going to make meat broth and drink a bunch tonite. Hopefully I'll feel better otherwise I'm always tired, have a dry mouth, have brain fog, severe headaches, am sneezing sometimes and I get cold and hot in waves. Please need some advice quick!
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Replies
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Wow, you have all the symptoms of low sodium. Eat a few pickles and see if you don't quickly feel better.
And, yes, 50g carbs is very ketogenic.0 -
Sounds familiar. I ate some pickles and those symptoms were much less noticeable but it did still feel like the flu for a couple of days. Hang in there.0
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I started doing an LCHF diet about a week ago mainly for weight loss. I got rid of all pasta, rice, breads, sugars, etc. I began eating only non-starchy vegetables, eggs and cheeses, meat and poultry and started cooking with unsalted butter. I drink only 1 mug of sugarfree black filter coffee in the morning, at least 2 liters of water during the day and herbal tea at night.
After testing a couple of apps I finally found MyFitnessPal to be the most helpful. Based on my activity level, current BMI and my weight goal, the daily calorie intake I got was 1460.
Except I think that I'm either placing in my meals wrong or the carb percentage is somehow wrong in the calculations.
I've been having symptoms of the ketone flu at least I think thats what it is- for the past 5 days yet my carb intakes per day on average show to be 50%- about 50 g.
Can ketosis still be possible even though I'm not eating any carbs (pasta, rice, bread, potatoes or anything doughy)?
I'm going to make meat broth and drink a bunch tonite. Hopefully I'll feel better otherwise I'm always tired, have a dry mouth, have brain fog, severe headaches, am sneezing sometimes and I get cold and hot in waves. Please need some advice quick!
You talk about ketosis as if it's a bad thing. In keto, you want to be in ketosis. You want to be making ketones to fuel your body. And 50g of carbs and under is what will make that happen. It does look like your numbers are off a little though. Carb intake for 1460cals at 50%carbs would be 183g. Not low-carb at all. 50g would be between 10% and 15% carbs.
Try using a keto calculator.
You should stay under 50g carbs.
Hit your protein range.
Fill the rest with fat.
As Wab said, up your electrolytes by drinking more salty broth or eating pickles. Ketosis causes the kidneys to excrete extra sodium. You need to replace it to have it on-hand for your body to work with. Keep the electrolyte levels up and you will feel better very soon. Get between 3,000 and 5,000mg of sodium. If you plan on staying LCHF, you'll need to supplement potassium through a Lite salt (potassium chloride) and a magnesium supplement ( another electrolyte- NOT magnesium oxide. Choose magnesium citrate or glycinate if your symptoms of fatigue aren't nixed by adequate salt.)0 -
Use salted butter. Salt your food as heavily as you can stand it (it's impossible to get enough salt per day using this method alone). Add salt to any water of liquid you drink. Dissolve a bouillon cube in the appropriate amount of water and drink 1-2 bouillon cubes per day. Drink pickle juice. Your body needs a MINIMUM of between 3000mg - 5000mg of sodium per day when you follow this way of eating (WOE). As @baconslave has already mentioned, you may also need to start supplementing magnesium and potassium as well (most of us do).0
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Thank you everyone for all your replies.
I will try to eat more saltier and get the supplements going as well. I drank some bouillon just now and feel better. I didnt realize I had to do that every day.
@baconslave I wasnt trying to make ketosis out to be a bad thing... Just trying to learn.
I'll keep on going with this WOE, besides I think I'm starting to get the hang of it! 0 -
You are definitely feeling the effects of electrolyte loss that goes with ketosis. Ketones are excreted through your urine (as well as other places), but on the way out they grab sodium too. This sodium loss leads to the magnesium and potassium being lost as well. That is why most of us supplement all three.
Btw: welcome to the group! Be sure to read the information located in the Launch Pad that's at the top of the group forum page. It has great information for learning about how to do this way of eating that works for you!0 -
You can change your % of your macros in settings. Everyone sets theirs different but most do 65-80 %fat 15-25% protein and 5-10% carbs I like the higher end of fat and lower end on protein and carbs. I also add butter to my boulion broth for extra fat. It also is a very low cal snack that fills you for a couple hours. Good luck!0
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Thank you everyone for all your replies.
I will try to eat more saltier and get the supplements going as well. I drank some bouillon just now and feel better. I didnt realize I had to do that every day.
@baconslave I wasnt trying to make ketosis out to be a bad thing... Just trying to learn. I'll keep on going with this WOE, besides I think I'm starting to get the hang of it!
I'm sorry. Maybe I didn't word it right. Let me rephrase. It seemed by the word order that you thought ketosis was bad to be in. I didn't for a second think you meant any harm by it. It sounded like you were a little confused, (could have just been the way I read it) and I wanted to help you out with the particulars. Sorry if it came off harsh. Not at all what I intended.
Glad you are feeling better. 0
