Something else to understand is that ketosis can come and go. Which explains why the energy you're feeling comes and goes.
The only way to achieve full time ketosis is to keep carbs very low consistently.
But, for weight loss it's not necessary to maintain full time ketosis. Many people just decide they prefer the way they feel that way. Like me. I have no health conditions I am using low carb to treat. But I know I feel best when I eat as few carbs as possible.

williams969 wrote: »

I figure that's surely my sign that I'm fat adapted, despite the lack of bodily pomp and circumstance, lol. My body is just more subtle.

Or perhaps you have a bum sniffer.....

A couple thoughts...

LC advocate Steven Phinney has been more or less continuously in ketosis for over 20 years; he reports that blood ketone levels vary by time of day, food, sleep, stress, exercise, etc.

Marty Kendall says your ability to maintain ketosis depends on insulin sensitivity, which depends in part on how much glucagon your body produces (in response to carbs).

So..... Keep the carbs down, and you're in good shape!

kimberlyb6682 wrote: »

also when you have ketones in your urine it will start to smell fruity. it took me 2 days but I started off with very low carbs.

I think my urine smells weird, but I'm not I'd call it "fruity" do you think that still means it's ketosis?

RalfLott wrote: »

AmandaRose919 wrote: »

kimberlyb6682 wrote: »

also when you have ketones in your urine it will start to smell fruity. it took me 2 days but I started off with very low carbs.

I think my urine smells weird, but I'm not I'd call it "fruity" do you think that still means it's ketosis?

Hmm. One sure way to find out.... taste test!

Hippocrates supposedly said those who consume too much sugar (diabetes) have urine that tastes of honey. Anyone want to test that one out? Sorry, I'm not diabetic and can not,

Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »

solska wrote: »

Does anyone else experience extreme dryness of eyes? And itching of the inside of the top of my scalp when in ketosis? I can't determine if this was due to lack of sleep, or something else, but it seems everytime I'm in ketosis, this happens. I do make sure to drink a ton of water. I keep shaking my head when this happens and worry that it will become a tick.

@baconslave had/has issues with dry eyes. I'm not sure where it stands right now... ???

Still very very dry.
I recommend getting Systane Ultra High Performance gel drops or something similar. This will help with the feel of the dry eye. I have to use the preservative free one because my eyes hate the preservative. If you make sure you are eating enough fat, are staying hydrated, and have your electrolytes up, then I hope the dry eye is just a temporary thing. Dry climates and dry air make it worse. You might try a humidifier...those don't really help me much. I wear swim goggles with wet gauze in them at night if that tells you how bad my eyes are. I hope yours aren't that bad. You may need to consult an opthamologist. Mine can do nothing further for me. But depending on the cause of yours, you may have some options. At the minimum, get the lubricating drops.

I never experienced the scalp itching.



I upped my carbs over 100g and that helped some. It went from apocalypse to moderately evil. I sometimes take it to 150g and it's better still, but not gone-not even close to gone. I thought I had developed Sjogren's Syndrome. My father also struggles with chronic dry eye and other sicca symptoms...and that very well may be my forever if it really is Sjogren's, but I've been supplementing with adaptogens to target possible adrenal dysfunction and it has actually been helping during the day. My eyes are still stupid at night though, which can cause recurrent corneal erosions (which is science-ese for "my eyelids stick to my eye and rip my cornea from my eyeball and it hurts really effen bad." And it keeps me from sleeping enough. But I'm in a place where if I wake up about 3 times a night to reapply ointment and drops, I don't get erosions most of the time. It used to be 6 times a night. I tried expensive MaxiTears (a megadose of omega-3s from fish oils, GLAs, and ALAs, mucin, and vitA and turmeric and it didn't help. I took MaquiBright (tear support antioxidant), and it didn't help. I'm about to drop a great deal of my supplements.

I don't know if I can blame keto since my father has problems too. He is not keto.
I do know that right now, and for the last year, my body won't tolerate ketosis for more than a brief time. It makes whatever the hell is wrong with me worse. That's my dysfunctional n=1 though.

solska wrote: »

@baconslave I'm so sorry to hear what you are going through. That sucks... and I hope that eventually gets better.
And thank you so much for sharing your experience and suggestions. I appreciate it a lot.

I wear contacts, which might make it worse. And I'm terrible at taking them off at night. I hate wearing glasses and my prescription is highish. I do think there are various factors but ketosis for sure is what makes me notice and dread it so much, and the head itching sensation is related to my eyes, like a whole part if that makes sense.

I was off ketosis for the past week and dry eyes were mostly if not all gone. I'm back on today and will pay attention.

What other negative effects of ketosis did you experience?

baconslave wrote: »

Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »

solska wrote: »

Does anyone else experience extreme dryness of eyes? And itching of the inside of the top of my scalp when in ketosis? I can't determine if this was due to lack of sleep, or something else, but it seems everytime I'm in ketosis, this happens. I do make sure to drink a ton of water. I keep shaking my head when this happens and worry that it will become a tick.

@baconslave had/has issues with dry eyes. I'm not sure where it stands right now... ???

Still very very dry.
I recommend getting Systane Ultra High Performance gel drops or something similar. This will help with the feel of the dry eye. I have to use the preservative free one because my eyes hate the preservative. If you make sure you are eating enough fat, are staying hydrated, and have your electrolytes up, then I hope the dry eye is just a temporary thing. Dry climates and dry air make it worse. You might try a humidifier...those don't really help me much. I wear swim goggles with wet gauze in them at night if that tells you how bad my eyes are. I hope yours aren't that bad. You may need to consult an opthamologist. Mine can do nothing further for me. But depending on the cause of yours, you may have some options. At the minimum, get the lubricating drops.

I never experienced the scalp itching.



I upped my carbs over 100g and that helped some. It went from apocalypse to moderately evil. I sometimes take it to 150g and it's better still, but not gone-not even close to gone. I thought I had developed Sjogren's Syndrome. My father also struggles with chronic dry eye and other sicca symptoms...and that very well may be my forever if it really is Sjogren's, but I've been supplementing with adaptogens to target possible adrenal dysfunction and it has actually been helping during the day. My eyes are still stupid at night though, which can cause recurrent corneal erosions (which is science-ese for "my eyelids stick to my eye and rip my cornea from my eyeball and it hurts really effen bad." And it keeps me from sleeping enough. But I'm in a place where if I wake up about 3 times a night to reapply ointment and drops, I don't get erosions most of the time. It used to be 6 times a night. I tried expensive MaxiTears (a megadose of omega-3s from fish oils, GLAs, and ALAs, mucin, and vitA and turmeric and it didn't help. I took MaquiBright (tear support antioxidant), and it didn't help. I'm about to drop a great deal of my supplements.

I don't know if I can blame keto since my father has problems too. He is not keto.
I do know that right now, and for the last year, my body won't tolerate ketosis for more than a brief time. It makes whatever the hell is wrong with me worse. That's my dysfunctional n=1 though.

That was it, and the sicca symptoms (dry mouth, dry sinuses, dry eyes, dry bowel, fatigue) which slowly came on over about 6 months. I had already been doing keto for 6 months before that and was fine. I can't say it has anything to do with keto really other than a few people can find keto a tad drying. So for someone who appears to have developed a drying disease, keto isn't an ideal companion. I suspect that my DNA had SJogren's coded to show up at 36, and I just happened to be doing keto at the time. That said, it isn't common, but I have run into a very few references that a handful of people have a dry eye problem with low-carb. Paul Jaminet talks about it. But most keto personalities get really touchy about it being mentioned and poo-poo it.

But like I said, the adrenal support supplements are definitely causing a change. So, did I run myself into the ground and develop HPA-axis dysfunction? It's hard to tell. I'm still working on it.

Bonny132 wrote: »

RalfLott wrote: »

AmandaRose919 wrote: »

kimberlyb6682 wrote: »

also when you have ketones in your urine it will start to smell fruity. it took me 2 days but I started off with very low carbs.

I think my urine smells weird, but I'm not I'd call it "fruity" do you think that still means it's ketosis?

Hmm. One sure way to find out.... taste test!

You offering to be the guinea pig?

Sure! I'll (magnanimously) offer to provide a sample.

you guys crack me up!

I'd give anything to feel like that @jasperdog52554. Anna would too....we both stay stuffy a lot. Could be LCHF, could be aliens...who knows