Getting twitches on Keto... Potassium?

I'm having muscle twitches/spasms too and I'm trying to figure out what it is between potassium and magnesium.

Ketogenic diets can be very dangerous. Eating a plant based diet with less meat and more legumes is not only way easier, but it also is shown to be healthy for long term (and that's what people should be aiming for), and there are far less health risks. If you're getting any negative symptoms, especially things like twitching, the diet isn't the best option for you. Good luck.

How much water are you taking in? What about sodium levels? Cramping can be a sign of dehydration and electrolyte imbalances. You definitely need to get enough potassium (dark leafy greens) on this diet.

i suggest you take a minute to track one of your days into cronometer. https://cronometer.com/
This will give you the specific amino acids, specific vitamins/minerals, etc. It may give you an idea of what you're really lacking in, and if you're lacking in it consistently you can add that into your diet with a supplement.

P.S. I use MFP to track my intake, but i much prefer cronometer for the specific nutrients.

MaGrl523 wrote: »

It's usually because of low potassium. Eat a banana or even better a sweet potato since they have even more potassium than a banana.

Might not be able to do a sweet potato, depending on the rest of her net carbs. It has approx. 23g net carbs which is about half of what you want per day on keto.

drwilseyjr wrote: »

ashleyadeline wrote: »

Ketogenic diets can be very dangerous. Eating a plant based diet with less meat and more legumes is not only way easier, but it also is shown to be healthy for long term (and that's what people should be aiming for), and there are far less health risks. If you're getting any negative symptoms, especially things like twitching, the diet isn't the best option for you. Good luck.

@ashleyadeline Wow, way to push a vegetarian diet and fear monger a bit with absolutely nothing to back all your claims and preaching.

Telling people that they "should be striving" for any diet is a real pompous and self centered claim. Every person is different and every person will respond to different diets differently.

I'm on a keto diet and perfectly healthy.

Go preach somewhere else.

It's really too bad that you feel the need to respond in anger when someone brings up an opinion that isn't your own. First off, a plant based diet is not necessarily a vegetarian diet, and it has been constantly shown in academic research to be superior to a high meat and high fat diet, due to the increase in fiber and micronutrients. Second, just because you perceive yourself to be healthy on a diet, does not mean you are actually healthy. A lot of detrimental health effects take a while to form. Also, there is no proof that you are actually following the ketogenic diet properly, so you saying that you are perfectly healthy means absolutely nothing. Thirdly, Just because someone has an opinion that differs from your own does not mean that they are pompous, or self centered. I am bringing the information from my multiple university level nutrition courses as well as from scientific articles. I don't know why get so upset over someone saying your diet is not the best diet to choose.

Here are some things to think about before insulting someone who is trying to help:
"the 90% fat, 7% protein and 3% carbohydrate diet that comprises the classical KD, is nutritionally the “outlier” of all diets. The KD lacks vitamins, trace-minerals and electrolytes unless it is properly supplemented (Zupec-Kania and Zupanc, 2008). The metabolic changes induced by the KD are both radical and diffuse, forcing every cell in the body to rely primarily on beta oxidation rather than glycolysis for energy production. In the process, the KD produces a compensated metabolic acidosis and affects hormonal pathways, genetic regulation as well as neurotransmitters production etc."

"Gastro intestinal (GI) problems are common since the KD lacks fiber and bulk, and GI problems may occur in up to 3/4 of all KD patients. Gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) and constipation are most commonly seen and occur because fat lowers the esophageal sphincter tone, slows gastric emptying and decreases intestinal transit time"
Nephrolithiasis (kidney stone formation) is also common, occurring in 10% of the people studied.
http://www.sciencedirect.com.proxy.ufv.ca:2048/science/article/pii/S092012111100204X?

This is a study talking about sudden cardiac deaths related to the ketogenic diet due to selenium deficiency, which has been known to cause impaired myocardial function.
http://www.sciencedirect.com.proxy.ufv.ca:2048/science/article/pii/S0887899408003998?np=y

This is just a sliver of the literature showing that the ketogenic diet is only beneficial for a very small portion of people (those with epilepsy), and it's still very dangerous. Why would you choose to go on a a dangerous diet when there is a very, very easy diet (the plant based diet) that has consistenly showed how extremely beneficial it is? It does not make any sense, other than the fact that the ketogenic diet is a fad diet.

This study shows the immense benefits of a plant based diet:
-Decreased risk of many diseases, including heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.
- there is significantly more fiber in a plant based diet, which leads to increased gastro intestinal health and decreased chance of heart disease.
- Significantly lowered cholesterol levels.
- decreased caloric intake per pound, which combats obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.
- Increased nutrient level per pound.
(Hill, D. S. (2014). Health Benefits of a Plant-Based Diet. Maryland Nurse, 16(1), 6-7 2p.)

Even if I post way more studies, you will find reasons to dismiss them and choose to continue to believe your own opinion, which is fine. You can do whatever you want. Just please do not assume because someone is trying to point out a problem within something, that they are being a giant turd, it just makes you look like a giant turd.

ashleyadeline wrote: »

Ketogenic diets can be very dangerous. Eating a plant based diet with less meat and more legumes is not only way easier, but it also is shown to be healthy for long term (and that's what people should be aiming for), and there are far less health risks. If you're getting any negative symptoms, especially things like twitching, the diet isn't the best option for you. Good luck.

Dangerous how?
I have been keto/low carb (under 35g carbs a day) for 3 1/2 years. When do I start getting dangerous side effects?

Not everyone thrives on the same diets. I was vegetarian for 25 years, but I didnt really care for it and ate too much junk food to compensate. Now I eat the opposite way and feel great and don't feel deprived like I did eating veggies and low fat.

rainbowbow wrote: »

Take this discussion to another thread, or open a new one on nutrition debate; that's what it's there for. No reason to derail this thread when OP has already solved her issue.

Who would they be derailing if the OP is supposedly already good?

rainbowbow wrote: »

JaneiR36 wrote: »

rainbowbow wrote: »

Take this discussion to another thread, or open a new one on nutrition debate; that's what it's there for. No reason to derail this thread when OP has already solved her issue.

Who would they be derailing if the OP is supposedly already good?

discussing an entirely new topic on this thread would be derailing. If they wish to discuss the intricacies of a vegetarian/plant based diet vs. keto for health it's better they start a new thread related to this topic.

It seems the plant based diet is being recommended as the solution for keto twitches, which I find an interesting read. If you feel the original topic is resolved, an option could be to stop clicking into it

kingrat2014 wrote: »

I had these problems too when I started. So it was suggested to use bone broth, and it helped me and now I continue to use it. Mine tastes great to me.

When I'm feeling "off" it's usually because I'm "sodium dumping" eating some pickles, drinking pickle juice, drinking heavily salted bone broth always seems to help. And make sure that you are hydrated.

Muscle cramps are typically due to inadequate magnesium. Especially during those first weeks, where you have that initial whoosh of water weight from ditching carbs, you may need even more than you're currently supplementing. What type of magnesium are you taking? How many milligrams?

I recently starting drinking keto-ade every morning, and it's really helped. I do a full bottle of water, a squirt of my favorite MIO, and 4 grams of Morton's lite salt (sodium + potassium). It tastes good and gets me through the day just fine.