Is it common to have fatigue 6 months into low carb diet?
pjoh127
Posts: 25 Member
Hi all,
I have been doing a low carb, high protein, moderate fat diet since January of this year. I consume about 65g of carbs, twice the amount of protein about 120g and about 45g of fat a day. When I started the diet I also adopted a new strength training routine. My goal was to lose around 10 - 15 lbs of weight, get lean and strong with a target weight was 128lbs. 6 months in, I am getting close to my target weight but in the past four weeks have started feeling extremely fatigued after after my workouts. I have changed nothing with my diet or calorie consumption - but for some reason once I dropped 11 pounds I am tired, started having headaches (migraines with aura) and generally don't feel so strong. I'd love to get to the root cause of this as it affects my work day as well (unable to focus, nauseated etc.).
Would love any insight on what might be causing it and what I can do to get through this. My instincts tell me I have to ease up on diet or exercise.
Thoughts?
I have been doing a low carb, high protein, moderate fat diet since January of this year. I consume about 65g of carbs, twice the amount of protein about 120g and about 45g of fat a day. When I started the diet I also adopted a new strength training routine. My goal was to lose around 10 - 15 lbs of weight, get lean and strong with a target weight was 128lbs. 6 months in, I am getting close to my target weight but in the past four weeks have started feeling extremely fatigued after after my workouts. I have changed nothing with my diet or calorie consumption - but for some reason once I dropped 11 pounds I am tired, started having headaches (migraines with aura) and generally don't feel so strong. I'd love to get to the root cause of this as it affects my work day as well (unable to focus, nauseated etc.).
Would love any insight on what might be causing it and what I can do to get through this. My instincts tell me I have to ease up on diet or exercise.
Thoughts?
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Replies
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Headaches? Nausea? Fatigue? Classic symptoms of sodium loss. Did you read this yet?
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10358179/dizzy-weak-tired-headaches-cramping-muscles-electrolyte-imbalance-may-be-your-problem2 -
I'm not sure,without an open diary, that you'll get many helpful answers.
Just from what you wrote, it seems to me that you're not eating enough Kerry Gold butter, Bacon, EVOO and perhaps no pickles either---an open diary will ensure that your answers are closer to accurate.2 -
Is it a sodium issue then? I definitely do not eat Kerry Gold butter, Bacon and pickles. I am mainly vegetarian, pescetarian. Anyway, just confused why these changes so late in the game.1
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I'm surprised you haven't felt it before now... The low sodium is a very common thing and most people don't know about the increased needs. Is the weather hearing up? Sweating more? Losing more water and sodium through sweat than normal?
May also be a good time to add a bit more fat.3 -
This is sounding allot like dehydration....
Grab some bullion cubes and adequate water daily for the next 3 days.
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Headaches? Nausea? Fatigue? Classic symptoms of sodium loss. Did you read this yet?
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10358179/dizzy-weak-tired-headaches-cramping-muscles-electrolyte-imbalance-may-be-your-problem
Yes I read that link. From the info there it seems like these symptoms are common at the beginning of the diet, not 6 months in. Also while I am eating low carbs, its not like I am eating very low carbs. (I read that some members on this forum eat less than or close to20g carbs a day). I also salt my food quite liberally.0 -
Is it a sodium issue then? I definitely do not eat Kerry Gold butter, Bacon and pickles. I am mainly vegetarian, pescetarian. Anyway, just confused why these changes so late in the game.
Low-carb always causes sodium losses, but they are higher with higher ketone levels, and ketone levels are higher with exercise. It's also worse during the summer months when sweat compounds the losses.
If you've been losing sodium for a while without replenishing, you've probably also lost potassium and other minerals. Replenish them all, if you can. Headaches are sensitive to all of them.1 -
Ok, good to know. Would it be worth it to visit the doc and get all the vitamin levels checked? I had stopped taking a multivitamin a few months ago, but just started again last night. I wonder if that should address the mineral loss. The idea of drinking a bouillon broth sounds awful on a regular basis.
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Agreed -- I can't drink hot soup during the hot months. There are other sources of sodium. Pickles, sauerkraut, kim-chi, preserved meats, etc.
Blood tests aren't great for any of the electrolytes. Low sodium first manifests itself as low blood volume, not low blood levels of sodium. It's the low blood volume that causes fatigue, light-headedness, etc.
Other minerals tend to "hide" in cells, not blood plasma.1 -
Many people make a drink they call Keto-aid. I don't have the recipe but it's basically water with salt, potassium (salt substitute like Nu Salt, Lite Salt) and something to flavor it with like lemon, lime or water flavor drops.
I usually just drink a bit of pickle juice for a boost.1 -
I have an important meeting to get through this afternoon and I started feeling the headache symptoms along with nausea and tingling in my left arm. I just downed a glass of salt/sugar water (electrolyte water). Hopefully it will help get through this afternoon until I get home and get a chance to have a cup of better than bouillon. I don't eat pickles, sauerkraut, kim-chi, preserved meats, etc. - just don't like them. I'll try it for a couple of days along with upping the water intake and see if it helps. Thanks for the insights.0
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I have an important meeting to get through this afternoon and I started feeling the headache symptoms along with nausea and tingling in my left arm. I just downed a glass of salt/sugar water (electrolyte water). Hopefully it will help get through this afternoon until I get home and get a chance to have a cup of better than bouillon. I don't eat pickles, sauerkraut, kim-chi, preserved meats, etc. - just don't like them. I'll try it for a couple of days along with upping the water intake and see if it helps. Thanks for the insights.
If you are upping water intake, keep in mind that you will have to up the sodium intake as well. If you up water without upping sodium, you flush it out and it makes things worse.
Try looking into sodium in tablet form - I know some forum members take these because they don't get it in other ways.0 -
At about four months into this woe I couldn't understand why all of my energy was gone! I had felt so good in the beginning, and it was gone. This is when I finally began supplementing magnesium citrate, sodium tablets, and an occasional potassium supplement too! I had been hard headed about the electrolyte needs, thinking I wouldn't need them (i was wrong!)! Got my energy back pretty quick! Hope you feel better very quickly!0
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Headaches? Nausea? Fatigue? Classic symptoms of sodium loss. Did you read this yet?
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10358179/dizzy-weak-tired-headaches-cramping-muscles-electrolyte-imbalance-may-be-your-problem
Yes I read that link. From the info there it seems like these symptoms are common at the beginning of the diet, not 6 months in. Also while I am eating low carbs, its not like I am eating very low carbs. (I read that some members on this forum eat less than or close to20g carbs a day). I also salt my food quite liberally.
They can happen at any point, if the circumstances allow for it. It's most common in the beginning due to the sudden change in food content, the switch to real food, and the lingering fear of sodium (causing people to continue restricting it despite the increased need for it). That doesn't mean it can't happen at other times. The fact that the last four weeks corresponds with several weeks of high heat for most of the US makes it no surprise that you've found yourself with these problems all of a sudden, and salting food liberally isn't always enough, depending on the circumstances.
And no, this forum is not just about 20g a day. Some may do this, but certainly not all, and it's certainly not required. We consider "low carb" to be anything under 150g a day, though we encourage and accept just about anyone who's intentionally limiting their carb intake, pretty much regardless of number. Also, generally speaking, anything under about 50g is actually considered very low carb.3 -
I add a teaspoon of salt to water every morning and chug it down quickly. I also salt my coffee and food... I am not a big broth fan either.
If increasing sodium (3000mg -5000mg per day) does not help within a day or two, I would add potassium and magnesium citrate supplements too. If that doesn't do the tick within a few more days then perhaps give yourself a week off of training. Maybe your body needs a week or two of recovery?2 -
Are there any risks to excess consumption of magnesium citrate, sodium tablets, and an occasional potassium supplement? Any brands/tabs you recommend? Also wondering if I should take these under guidance of physician or are they fairly safe to consume (like any general multi vitamin)? I'll try the bouillon broth tonight and for the next three days and see if I feel any better.0
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The excess magnesium will reveal itself with loose bowel movements, this is when you know you've reached the amount the body needs by decreasing the amount from what you had gotten to (say you took two may citrate capsules, and had loose stool, then you would decrease to one tablet). Sodium is a range of 3000-5000mg a day and this amount is based on the amount you need to feel better, potassium is usually obtained through the no salt substitutes, and overdoing it with potassium can cause a rapid heart beat, and nervousness, but these aren't a problem unless you continue the supplements at the level that caused the symptoms. You would then know that it's too much, and decrease the amount. I use the tablets (usually every other day with a 99 mg capsule) because I don't like the taste of salt.
Doctor supervision is up to you. My experience has been that they don't know a whole lot about supplementation. When telling my endocrinologist about eating this way his reply was, "I've had patients try a ketogenic diet, but they complain of no energy". I explained to him about the need to replace electrolytes. He came back with the potential blood pressure problems with added sodium. My response was to have him observe my blood pressure, which was 108/68 (able to discontinue my b/p meds months before). His reply then was, "I need to read up on this!" So, many doctors don't understand the LCHF woe. One thing to remember is, the needs for electrolytes is only to REPLACE what your body is losing through ketosis (that makes you feel bad). It's not extra, it's only replacing what's lost! Medical supervision is your decision completely though!
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Dragonwolf wrote: »It's most common in the beginning due to the sudden change in food content, the switch to real food, and the lingering fear of sodium (causing people to continue restricting it despite the increased need for it).
There are also very real physiological adaptations in the first week or so that are the primary cause of the initial sodium losses. Blame the kidneys. 1 -
I have an important meeting to get through this afternoon and I started feeling the headache symptoms along with nausea and tingling in my left arm. I just downed a glass of salt/sugar water (electrolyte water). Hopefully it will help get through this afternoon until I get home and get a chance to have a cup of better than bouillon. I don't eat pickles, sauerkraut, kim-chi, preserved meats, etc. - just don't like them. I'll try it for a couple of days along with upping the water intake and see if it helps. Thanks for the insights.
I recommend seeing a doc if you have fatigue, nausea and left arm tingling...not to be a harbinger of scary stuff but that could be heart issues....Make sure you are ok from a health standpoint please.2 -
How many times a day do you recommend the bouillon broth? What is the amount that is okay in a day?
I have always been fit and healthy- never felt like this before in prior weight loss through Weight Watchers, (did it twice before post pregnancy), I never had extreme weight loss goals, always aroud this 10-15lbs mark. So I do think this has something to do with my diet and fitness routine and not health in general. But in any case I have a follow up appointment with my doctor this week and will check in on these symptoms as well.0 -
It sounds like getting the sodium is tricky for you. Maybe just get the sodium chloride tablets? They make it crazy easy.
But.. I'm wondering why you added sugar to your salt water?0 -
The salt sugar solution is a home remedy for diahrrea caused by dehydration. I don't have an upset stomach but some above ^^ suggested that it could possibly be dehydration (I agree, I am not particularly good at hydrating myself when working out) so my home remedy brain went into effect.0
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Tomorrow is my exercise day ... any thoughts on what I could do at the gym that isn't too strenuous while I am going through these low mineral symptoms?0
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The salt sugar solution is a home remedy for diahrrea caused by dehydration. I don't have an upset stomach but some above ^^ suggested that it could possibly be dehydration (I agree, I am not particularly good at hydrating myself when working out) so my home remedy brain went into effect.
I was asking because the sodium/water balance is what matters for hydration. Sugar isn't necessary0 -
Cardio - walk on the treadmill on an incline or elliptical machine - slow down/stop if you get dizzyTomorrow is my exercise day ... any thoughts on what I could do at the gym that isn't too strenuous while I am going through these low mineral symptoms?
Weights - drop down to a lower weight than you previously used and go slow. If you were lifting before, you may have to deload because your body is getting used to using a new form of fuel.
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Dragonwolf wrote: »It's most common in the beginning due to the sudden change in food content, the switch to real food, and the lingering fear of sodium (causing people to continue restricting it despite the increased need for it).
There are also very real physiological adaptations in the first week or so that are the primary cause of the initial sodium losses. Blame the kidneys.
Seems I haven't fully recovered from my four-day camping trip.
You're right. I should say exacerbated by those things.0 -
I have actually found relief from migraines with aura since going on keto. I had them almost daily. Are you getting plenty of sleep? The magnesium will help with that also.0
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hi all ... wanted to follow up on this thread from last week.
I checked in with a nutritionist last week who reviewed my food intake for the past four weeks and my symptoms and diagnosed it as dehydration. Based on suggestions on this thread I had started drinking broth and water/coconut water/gatorade G2 and by day 3 I felt I was on the mend (started feeling my old energetic self). He also suggested that I could up my carb a bit and reduce my protein numbers (so I was doing 20% carbs and 50% protein of daily calorie intake and I changed it to 25% carbs and 45% protein). Anyway I did this for 4 days (starting Thursday and ending Sunday). I wasn't entirely sure if the way I was feeling was related to dehydration or my body just wanting carbs but I felt great. I also went to my doctor on Thursday morning to get checked and everything was normal including blood pressure - test results the next day showed that my sodium, magnesium, potassium etc were also at the same level as my last physical which was actually right before I started my diet/fitness routine.
On Monday this week I went back to my original macros, and this morning guess what, I woke up really hungry and with a swimmy head. I had a protein shake ASAP and was on route to the gym and I felt tired and had slight blurry vision (this always happens before a migraine with aura is to come on). I drank tons of water and kept the migraine at bay but I felt light headed and couldn't do the exercises I had planned. I felt really bummed.
So my question to you all is - do you think after a while your body adapts to a diet and perhaps just wants something more? I know every body is different but I am wondering if my body wants more carbs? Did any of you on this board go through anything similar and what changes did you make, if any? I also wondered if any of this could be related to hormonal changes that may or may not be triggered by diet. Any ideas? All I am trying to do is get to the bottom of this so I can make the changes I need to.
Sorry for the long post and thanks in advance.0 -
@pjoh127 - I think at a certain point that yes it adapts and you'll have to mix up your workouts to break through plateaus and such. This is something @AngelinaB_ noticed as well. I know some people have carb loading days and other days when they have 0 carbs at all. That wouldn't work with a strict keto diet though cause you'd constantly be breaking your ketosis state. If you're simply doing low carb and don't care about being in ketosis I'm sure it would be fine. Some people can only eat 20g net carbs to stay in ketosis and some can eat up to 50g net without issues.
Others have issues not getting enough potassium or magnesium which keeps them in the "flu" stage, so keep an eye on those.
Everyone is different, do what works best for you!0 -
It's about sodium more than its about water3
