Ditching keto?
krissywashington79
Posts: 56 Member
I’ve been following keto thus far. I’ve lost 33lbs but frankly I just don’t feel as great as I should. I’m exhausted by the end of the day. I could not keep my eyes open at 8 last night. The nutrition program at the gym I attend is a well balanced mix of proteins, fats and carbs. I’m going to switch things up and increase my carb and protein intake and lower my fats. I’m struggling with this as I have been losing weight but I need more energy for my workouts. My mood swings have also been off the charts. Anyone ditched keto and went to a well balanced way of eating? Did your weight loss stall?
4
Replies
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It will stall temporarily as your body restores it's glycogen.
It won't stall your fat loss though as long as you are eating at a deficit.
I could never do keto, lifes too short to not have a glass of wine or some chocolate coated fudge or some ice cream or insert favourite food here.....13 -
I tried low/no carb for 2 weeks. Ate an Oreo, gained a pound. It's not for me. The scale can be total b.s. Incorporate carbs, see how you FEEL.4
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i'm high carb and losing (lentils, quick oats, sweet potatoes, chickpeas, beans. if you can't do keto, just know that there are other options. I think my trick is to stay away from seriously high processed foods, junk fast food, and foods really high in added sugars. Otherwise, as long as it fits in my calories, I can eat it. I love my carbs. Getting a food scale was key!
Nope, you could even eat high processed foods and junk food.
All you need to do to lose weight is eat less calories than you burn.11 -
RuNaRoUnDaFiEld wrote: »i'm high carb and losing (lentils, quick oats, sweet potatoes, chickpeas, beans. if you can't do keto, just know that there are other options. I think my trick is to stay away from seriously high processed foods, junk fast food, and foods really high in added sugars. Otherwise, as long as it fits in my calories, I can eat it. I love my carbs. Getting a food scale was key!
Nope, you could even eat high processed foods and junk food.
All you need to do to lose weight is eat less calories than you burn.
It sure makes it harder, though. I agree that the closer I stick to whole foods and a 50/30/20 split, the easier it is for me.5 -
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RuNaRoUnDaFiEld wrote: »i'm high carb and losing (lentils, quick oats, sweet potatoes, chickpeas, beans. if you can't do keto, just know that there are other options. I think my trick is to stay away from seriously high processed foods, junk fast food, and foods really high in added sugars. Otherwise, as long as it fits in my calories, I can eat it. I love my carbs. Getting a food scale was key!
Nope, you could even eat high processed foods and junk food.
All you need to do to lose weight is eat less calories than you burn.
Exactly, but a reminder that junk food will cost you a lot in calories, so it may leave you with less food. Think your body like if it's your wallet with money. Junk food is the equivalent of an expensive item. You may have enough to buy 1 or 2 of those items, but more than that, you will go in debt...when it comes to food, it's the samething, you may have enough room to eat 1 or 2 junk food item, but more than that and you will gain weight because they cost you a lot in calories and that may make you go over your maintenance. In my case, I am fortunate, because my maintenance is around 2800 calories, so I have a lot of wiggle room in which I can fit both healthy and junk food. If your someone who eats under 2000 calories, then this can be much more of a challenge especially if your one of those people who eats 1200 calories daily. At that point, your better off ditching junk food altogether.
Also junk food and high processed foods will be less nutrient dense and deprive your body of necessary nutrients (vitamins and minerals) to effectively run a healthy vessel. Just saying..not saying don't eat some junk food or high processed foods, just saying don't think that should be the norm, and also it cost a lot of calories as mentioned above.4 -
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itsaboutthattimeagain wrote: »RuNaRoUnDaFiEld wrote: »i'm high carb and losing (lentils, quick oats, sweet potatoes, chickpeas, beans. if you can't do keto, just know that there are other options. I think my trick is to stay away from seriously high processed foods, junk fast food, and foods really high in added sugars. Otherwise, as long as it fits in my calories, I can eat it. I love my carbs. Getting a food scale was key!
Nope, you could even eat high processed foods and junk food.
All you need to do to lose weight is eat less calories than you burn.
Exactly, but a reminder that junk food will cost you a lot in calories, so it may leave you with less food. Think your body like if it's your wallet with money. Junk food is the equivalent of an expensive item. You may have enough to buy 1 or 2 of those items, but more than that, you will go in debt...when it comes to food, it's the samething, you may have enough room to eat 1 or 2 junk food item, but more than that and you will gain weight because they cost you a lot in calories and that may make you go over your maintenance. In my case, I am fortunate, because my maintenance is around 2800 calories, so I have a lot of wiggle room in which I can fit both healthy and junk food. If your someone who eats under 2000 calories, then this can be much more of a challenge especially if your one of those people who eats 1200 calories daily. At that point, your better off ditching junk food altogether.
Also junk food will be less nutrient dense and deprive your body of necessary nutrients (vitamins and minerals) to effectively run a healthy vessel. Just saying..not saying don't eat some junk food just saying don't think that should be the norm, and also it cost a lot of calories as mentioned above.
The key is to get your micronutrients, fiber and hit my proteins...the rest is bonus. I usually eat junk food only when I reach those 3 goals...but like I said, I am fortunate to have a high metabolism that can make me acheive my goals with ease. If I had to eat somewhere between 1200 calories to 2000 calories, I wouldn't even eat junk food at all, I would be starving.
lol! That's what I basically said. Micronutrients are vitamins and minerals.
But, I did leave out the macros. I see what you are saying. 0 -
krissywashington79 wrote: »I’ve been following keto thus far. I’ve lost 33lbs but frankly I just don’t feel as great as I should. I’m exhausted by the end of the day. I could not keep my eyes open at 8 last night. The nutrition program at the gym I attend is a well balanced mix of proteins, fats and carbs. I’m going to switch things up and increase my carb and protein intake and lower my fats. I’m struggling with this as I have been losing weight but I need more energy for my workouts. My mood swings have also been off the charts. Anyone ditched keto and went to a well balanced way of eating? Did your weight loss stall?
The bolded are all symptoms of an electrolyte imbalance, and that does not go away unless you supplement sodium, and possibly magnesium (potassium too needed).
When I went keto I could not believe that I needed 3000-5000 mg of sodium a day. That is roughly 2 teaspoons of salt (2300mg sodium = 1 tsp salt). I'd bought into the low sodium dogma of the last few decades so I did not add salt. Three weeks into the diet I finally gave it once I was getting muscle cramps that were waking me up in the night.
Try a teaspoon of salt with water and salty broth a couple of times a day before ditching keto (if you were enjoying the diet otherwise). It may not be LCHF that disagrees with you, but rather an electrolyte imbalance.
(BTW, other symptoms of low sodium are fatigue, headaches, nausea, moodiness, BM issues, muscle aches and spasms.)7 -
krissywashington79 wrote: »I’ve been following keto thus far. I’ve lost 33lbs but frankly I just don’t feel as great as I should. I’m exhausted by the end of the day. I could not keep my eyes open at 8 last night. The nutrition program at the gym I attend is a well balanced mix of proteins, fats and carbs. I’m going to switch things up and increase my carb and protein intake and lower my fats. I’m struggling with this as I have been losing weight but I need more energy for my workouts. My mood swings have also been off the charts. Anyone ditched keto and went to a well balanced way of eating? Did your weight loss stall?
The bolded are all symptoms of an electrolyte imbalance, and that does not go away unless you supplement sodium, and possibly magnesium (potassium too needed).
When I went keto I could not believe that I needed 3000-5000 mg of sodium a day. That is roughly 2 teaspoons of salt (2300mg sodium = 1 tsp salt). I'd bought into the low sodium dogma of the last few decades so I did not add salt. Three weeks into the diet I finally gave it once I was getting muscle cramps that were waking me up in the night.
Try a teaspoon of salt with water and salty broth a couple of times a day before ditching keto (if you were enjoying the diet otherwise). It may not be LCHF that disagrees with you, but rather an electrolyte imbalance.
(BTW, other symptoms of low sodium are fatigue, headaches, nausea, moodiness, BM issues, muscle aches and spasms.)
Most days I consume between 2500-3000mg of sodium and that wasn’t including any I added but didn’t log. I love salt!
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krissywashington79 wrote: »I’ve been following keto thus far. I’ve lost 33lbs but frankly I just don’t feel as great as I should. I’m exhausted by the end of the day. I could not keep my eyes open at 8 last night. The nutrition program at the gym I attend is a well balanced mix of proteins, fats and carbs. I’m going to switch things up and increase my carb and protein intake and lower my fats. I’m struggling with this as I have been losing weight but I need more energy for my workouts. My mood swings have also been off the charts. Anyone ditched keto and went to a well balanced way of eating? Did your weight loss stall?
The bolded are all symptoms of an electrolyte imbalance, and that does not go away unless you supplement sodium, and possibly magnesium (potassium too needed).
When I went keto I could not believe that I needed 3000-5000 mg of sodium a day. That is roughly 2 teaspoons of salt (2300mg sodium = 1 tsp salt). I'd bought into the low sodium dogma of the last few decades so I did not add salt. Three weeks into the diet I finally gave it once I was getting muscle cramps that were waking me up in the night.
Try a teaspoon of salt with water and salty broth a couple of times a day before ditching keto (if you were enjoying the diet otherwise). It may not be LCHF that disagrees with you, but rather an electrolyte imbalance.
(BTW, other symptoms of low sodium are fatigue, headaches, nausea, moodiness, BM issues, muscle aches and spasms.)
Hmm, all that, keto flu, stinky breath, fatigue, AND counting calories?
Or you can just count calories.4 -
Keto is definitely not for everyone, including myself. I try to stay under 60g carbs/day (this includes fiber) and find that works for me. I also don’t eat meats (I eat fish) and absolutely no dairy (allergy) so I increase my protein from plants to make sure I get complete protein but I don’t always hit my goal. It’s been 7 years of ups and downs before I finally found my happy place. Everyone’s body is different- and it’s not always about the scale. Try not to label whatever your diet choice is and it will be a lot less stressful
good luck to you! And congrats on a 33lb loss!! 4 -
krissywashington79 wrote: »I’ve been following keto thus far. I’ve lost 33lbs but frankly I just don’t feel as great as I should. I’m exhausted by the end of the day. I could not keep my eyes open at 8 last night. The nutrition program at the gym I attend is a well balanced mix of proteins, fats and carbs. I’m going to switch things up and increase my carb and protein intake and lower my fats. I’m struggling with this as I have been losing weight but I need more energy for my workouts. My mood swings have also been off the charts. Anyone ditched keto and went to a well balanced way of eating? Did your weight loss stall?
You might actually gain some weight due to replenishing glycogen, no different than how you probably lost additional weight up front. So if you want, slowly increase carbs or increase them quickly and realize that you will have a few weeks until weight loss will start.
But if you can't follow a sustainable diet, than it wont matter. If keto makes you lethargic and making it a struggle, it's not the right plan. If you tend to like carbs, it's best to follow a plan that aligns to your current eating. That is what I found out through trying different diets.2 -
There are other people on these boards who have reported that in spite of electrolyte supplementation, they have not responded well to keto.
They, like you, also experienced lethargy and problems with moods.
Keto is great for some, but based on these reports, it's obviously not for everyone.
As mentioned in some of these above posts, as long as you continue to count calories and remain in a deficit, you'll be fine. As also mentioned, you can expect a bump on the scale as your glycogen stores are replenished.
Best of luck to you finding a sustainable macro mix for energy, dietary satisfaction, and results!1 -
Thanks everyone! I changed my macros yesterday and even had some whole grain pasta. No bump in the scale this morning. I have so much more energy today. I fully understand this is a lifestyle change and am committed to that.1
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krissywashington79 wrote: »Thanks everyone! I changed my macros yesterday and even had some whole grain pasta. No bump in the scale this morning. I have so much more energy today. I fully understand this is a lifestyle change and am committed to that.
You might see the bump in another day or two. I have undulating carbohydrate levels due to how I work my deficit/diet break pattern, and often have a delayed reaction on the scale with the whole glycogen thing.1 -
Do what works best for you and your health. If you know you have increased sodium from your normal levels, and you have no health need to eat keto, you are smart to do whatever works best in the long term for you.krissywashington79 wrote: »I’ve been following keto thus far. I’ve lost 33lbs but frankly I just don’t feel as great as I should. I’m exhausted by the end of the day. I could not keep my eyes open at 8 last night. The nutrition program at the gym I attend is a well balanced mix of proteins, fats and carbs. I’m going to switch things up and increase my carb and protein intake and lower my fats. I’m struggling with this as I have been losing weight but I need more energy for my workouts. My mood swings have also been off the charts. Anyone ditched keto and went to a well balanced way of eating? Did your weight loss stall?
The bolded are all symptoms of an electrolyte imbalance, and that does not go away unless you supplement sodium, and possibly magnesium (potassium too needed).
When I went keto I could not believe that I needed 3000-5000 mg of sodium a day. That is roughly 2 teaspoons of salt (2300mg sodium = 1 tsp salt). I'd bought into the low sodium dogma of the last few decades so I did not add salt. Three weeks into the diet I finally gave it once I was getting muscle cramps that were waking me up in the night.
Try a teaspoon of salt with water and salty broth a couple of times a day before ditching keto (if you were enjoying the diet otherwise). It may not be LCHF that disagrees with you, but rather an electrolyte imbalance.
(BTW, other symptoms of low sodium are fatigue, headaches, nausea, moodiness, BM issues, muscle aches and spasms.)
Hmm, all that, keto flu, stinky breath, fatigue, AND counting calories?
Or you can just count calories.
Correction. Less water retention, sweet smelling breath and less hunger so a greatly reduced need to count calories since most naturally eat less. YMMV
Or you can count calories.4 -
Do what works best for you and your health. If you know you have increased sodium from your normal levels, and you have no health need to eat keto, you are smart to do whatever works best in the long term for you.krissywashington79 wrote: »I’ve been following keto thus far. I’ve lost 33lbs but frankly I just don’t feel as great as I should. I’m exhausted by the end of the day. I could not keep my eyes open at 8 last night. The nutrition program at the gym I attend is a well balanced mix of proteins, fats and carbs. I’m going to switch things up and increase my carb and protein intake and lower my fats. I’m struggling with this as I have been losing weight but I need more energy for my workouts. My mood swings have also been off the charts. Anyone ditched keto and went to a well balanced way of eating? Did your weight loss stall?
The bolded are all symptoms of an electrolyte imbalance, and that does not go away unless you supplement sodium, and possibly magnesium (potassium too needed).
When I went keto I could not believe that I needed 3000-5000 mg of sodium a day. That is roughly 2 teaspoons of salt (2300mg sodium = 1 tsp salt). I'd bought into the low sodium dogma of the last few decades so I did not add salt. Three weeks into the diet I finally gave it once I was getting muscle cramps that were waking me up in the night.
Try a teaspoon of salt with water and salty broth a couple of times a day before ditching keto (if you were enjoying the diet otherwise). It may not be LCHF that disagrees with you, but rather an electrolyte imbalance.
(BTW, other symptoms of low sodium are fatigue, headaches, nausea, moodiness, BM issues, muscle aches and spasms.)
Hmm, all that, keto flu, stinky breath, fatigue, AND counting calories?
Or you can just count calories.
Correction. Less water retention, sweet smelling breath and less hunger so a greatly reduced need to count calories since most naturally eat less. YMMV
Or you can count calories.
Dont forget with keto you get increased muscle fatigue and cramping, and worst performance recovery and muscle gains.
And I have never heard of sweet smelling breath... only bad bread.7 -
krissywashington79 wrote: »krissywashington79 wrote: »I’ve been following keto thus far. I’ve lost 33lbs but frankly I just don’t feel as great as I should. I’m exhausted by the end of the day. I could not keep my eyes open at 8 last night. The nutrition program at the gym I attend is a well balanced mix of proteins, fats and carbs. I’m going to switch things up and increase my carb and protein intake and lower my fats. I’m struggling with this as I have been losing weight but I need more energy for my workouts. My mood swings have also been off the charts. Anyone ditched keto and went to a well balanced way of eating? Did your weight loss stall?
The bolded are all symptoms of an electrolyte imbalance, and that does not go away unless you supplement sodium, and possibly magnesium (potassium too needed).
When I went keto I could not believe that I needed 3000-5000 mg of sodium a day. That is roughly 2 teaspoons of salt (2300mg sodium = 1 tsp salt). I'd bought into the low sodium dogma of the last few decades so I did not add salt. Three weeks into the diet I finally gave it once I was getting muscle cramps that were waking me up in the night.
Try a teaspoon of salt with water and salty broth a couple of times a day before ditching keto (if you were enjoying the diet otherwise). It may not be LCHF that disagrees with you, but rather an electrolyte imbalance.
(BTW, other symptoms of low sodium are fatigue, headaches, nausea, moodiness, BM issues, muscle aches and spasms.)
Most days I consume between 2500-3000mg of sodium and that wasn’t including any I added but didn’t log. I love salt!
I have to add here that I was recommended to up my salt as well when my symptoms never got better on keto. I was a raging, angry, weak *kitten*. I upped my mag, potassium and sodium to ludicrously high amounts. Keto just isn’t a One Size Fits All.
I had so many manic episodes and panic attacks! My hair started to fall out. My Lady Time was fourteen days long. Go research Low Carb Anger or Keto Rage. We are NOT ALONE.
So now I’ve been counting calories and losing eating at a deficit. 50% or more carbs per day.
Don’t be shocked by the water gain at first. Just reevaluate and keep chugging along. I freaked out and threw in the towel and gained the 30 I lost back. Now I’m back in track and feel SO MUCH BETTER.
Good luck. I sent you a FR.
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Do what works best for you and your health. If you know you have increased sodium from your normal levels, and you have no health need to eat keto, you are smart to do whatever works best in the long term for you.krissywashington79 wrote: »I’ve been following keto thus far. I’ve lost 33lbs but frankly I just don’t feel as great as I should. I’m exhausted by the end of the day. I could not keep my eyes open at 8 last night. The nutrition program at the gym I attend is a well balanced mix of proteins, fats and carbs. I’m going to switch things up and increase my carb and protein intake and lower my fats. I’m struggling with this as I have been losing weight but I need more energy for my workouts. My mood swings have also been off the charts. Anyone ditched keto and went to a well balanced way of eating? Did your weight loss stall?
The bolded are all symptoms of an electrolyte imbalance, and that does not go away unless you supplement sodium, and possibly magnesium (potassium too needed).
When I went keto I could not believe that I needed 3000-5000 mg of sodium a day. That is roughly 2 teaspoons of salt (2300mg sodium = 1 tsp salt). I'd bought into the low sodium dogma of the last few decades so I did not add salt. Three weeks into the diet I finally gave it once I was getting muscle cramps that were waking me up in the night.
Try a teaspoon of salt with water and salty broth a couple of times a day before ditching keto (if you were enjoying the diet otherwise). It may not be LCHF that disagrees with you, but rather an electrolyte imbalance.
(BTW, other symptoms of low sodium are fatigue, headaches, nausea, moodiness, BM issues, muscle aches and spasms.)
Hmm, all that, keto flu, stinky breath, fatigue, AND counting calories?
Or you can just count calories.
Correction. Less water retention, sweet smelling breath and less hunger so a greatly reduced need to count calories since most naturally eat less. YMMV
Or you can count calories.
Dont forget with keto you get increased muscle fatigue and cramping, and worst performance recovery and muscle gains.
And I have never heard of sweet smelling breath... only bad bread.
My sarcasm meter is off today. Not enough sleep... You are joking, right? I need sleep.
Normal or sweeter breath seems to be more the norm. Bad breath rarely comes up in ketogenic topics. When it does, dehydration and high protein intake are sometimes to blame. There are a few who get bad breath though. I'm happy I never experienced that.8 -
I tried keto for a month and to be honest it was the quickest weight loss I've ever experienced. On the flip side though, I was always ' semi- tired', had brain fog and it required too much effort: getting your electrolytes, increasing fat intake and adhering to only consuming 20g worth of carbs daily . Additionally, eating that much meat felt unnatural for me. I'd recommend it only as a way to kick start your weightloss journey, just for a short period. For me, it's not a sustainable way of eating.1
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Do what works best for you and your health. If you know you have increased sodium from your normal levels, and you have no health need to eat keto, you are smart to do whatever works best in the long term for you.krissywashington79 wrote: »I’ve been following keto thus far. I’ve lost 33lbs but frankly I just don’t feel as great as I should. I’m exhausted by the end of the day. I could not keep my eyes open at 8 last night. The nutrition program at the gym I attend is a well balanced mix of proteins, fats and carbs. I’m going to switch things up and increase my carb and protein intake and lower my fats. I’m struggling with this as I have been losing weight but I need more energy for my workouts. My mood swings have also been off the charts. Anyone ditched keto and went to a well balanced way of eating? Did your weight loss stall?
The bolded are all symptoms of an electrolyte imbalance, and that does not go away unless you supplement sodium, and possibly magnesium (potassium too needed).
When I went keto I could not believe that I needed 3000-5000 mg of sodium a day. That is roughly 2 teaspoons of salt (2300mg sodium = 1 tsp salt). I'd bought into the low sodium dogma of the last few decades so I did not add salt. Three weeks into the diet I finally gave it once I was getting muscle cramps that were waking me up in the night.
Try a teaspoon of salt with water and salty broth a couple of times a day before ditching keto (if you were enjoying the diet otherwise). It may not be LCHF that disagrees with you, but rather an electrolyte imbalance.
(BTW, other symptoms of low sodium are fatigue, headaches, nausea, moodiness, BM issues, muscle aches and spasms.)
Hmm, all that, keto flu, stinky breath, fatigue, AND counting calories?
Or you can just count calories.
Correction. Less water retention, sweet smelling breath and less hunger so a greatly reduced need to count calories since most naturally eat less. YMMV
Or you can count calories.
Dont forget with keto you get increased muscle fatigue and cramping, and worst performance recovery and muscle gains.
And I have never heard of sweet smelling breath... only bad bread.
My sarcasm meter is off today. Not enough sleep... You are joking, right? I need sleep.
Normal or sweeter breath seems to be more the norm. Bad breath rarely comes up in ketogenic topics. When it does, dehydration and high protein intake are sometimes to blame. There are a few who get bad breath though. I'm happy I never experienced that.
I do miss the delicious breath.
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I think most issues people have with keto are electrolyte related but everyone is different so pick the diet you feel best on! I thrive on keto. It keeps my rheumatoid arthritis flares under control, it's vastly improved my moods, and it's the only way of eating that doesn't leave me starving. I found my running improved after I started and recovering from lifting is no different than before. I've been keto for over two years now and while I might have a few extra carbs now and then I always go right back because it's where I feel the best.7
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I did terribly on keto. I did it for 4 months and was miserable, felt like crap and was exhausted all the time. Tried addressing the electrolyte issue, didn’t help. As soon as I went back to simple moderation, my energy levels were back up and I felt better physically and mentally. My weight loss sort of stalled but not for very long, but I should note that as I’m very close to goal I have largely been working at about maintenance for a while as opposed to eating at a large deficit for more significant weight loss. So it is normal for me to go a few weeks with no loss.
I did take some positives from keto, such as cutting sugar and (some) dairy, which I am happy with and my body certainly agrees with.
Someone said it above - keto is not a one size fits all. If it works for you, great. If not, there are plenty of other ways to go about losing weight.0
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