Fatigue on keto and intermittent fasting
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beastmode2718
Posts: 108 Member
I’ve been doing keto for a couple of months and felt great on it. I have to admit I have slipped here and there and had a potato or ice cream but went back into it immediately. I started adding intermittent fasting to it and I’m super exhausted. I also got more strict with my macros on keto and no more slip ups.
So my question is, is the fatigue normal and will it go away soon?
So my question is, is the fatigue normal and will it go away soon?
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Replies
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Is your daily calorie intake the same as before? (edited for clarity)0
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beastmode2718 wrote: »I’ve been doing keto for a couple of months and felt great on it. I have to admit I have slipped here and there and had a potato or ice cream but went back into it immediately. I started adding intermittent fasting to it and I’m super exhausted. I also got more strict with my macros on keto and no more slip ups.
So my question is, is the fatigue normal and will it go away soon?
How does your sodium look? How many calories are you eating? What are you goals (both what are you trying to achieve by following this diet) and what are you other goals?0 -
Fatigue when dieting generally means someone is not eating enough. Over the last month, how much weight have you lost? How many more pounds until you get to your goal weight?
Also, I'm anemic and get crippling fatigue when that's untreated.
Furthermore, there are other conditions such as iodine deficiency and thyroid issues that can cause fatigue, so if you are eating and sleeping enough, have your doctor check you out.
(Despite being anemic for 30 years, I have to specifically ask that my iron levels be tested as this is not part of routine bloodwork, although it should be for me.)0 -
beastmode2718 wrote: »I’ve been doing keto for a couple of months and felt great on it. I have to admit I have slipped here and there and had a potato or ice cream but went back into it immediately. I started adding intermittent fasting to it and I’m super exhausted. I also got more strict with my macros on keto and no more slip ups.
So my question is, is the fatigue normal and will it go away soon?
This *COULD* be the so-called Keto Flu! Smells like it....
How is your Electrolyte intake? Electrolytes are Sodium, Potassium and Magnesium.1 -
Could also be that your body doesn't like only eating in a small time window. IF is not for everyone.4
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beastmode2718 wrote: »I’ve been doing keto for a couple of months and felt great on it. I have to admit I have slipped here and there and had a potato or ice cream but went back into it immediately. I started adding intermittent fasting to it and I’m super exhausted. I also got more strict with my macros on keto and no more slip ups.
So my question is, is the fatigue normal and will it go away soon?
Are you enjoying your diet first of all? That's the first question I would like to ask you, if the answer is no, then I'd suggest you change your diet to one you enjoy.
If the answer is yes, my next question is how much weight have you been losing on a weekly basis? If it's more than 1% of your bodyweight per week than it means you're undereating.
Another suggestion is to pre log your meals and eat only the foods you put in your food diary. Also add more zero calories stuff too like coffee, green tea, water....anything that can trick your body to feeling full.4 -
I’ve still been eating around 1200 calories, some days a little more. I’ve had my thyroid and vitamin D levels checked so I know it’s not that. I’ve only lost 3 lbs and my goal is 15. For the most part I’ve really liked keto but I still want carbs all the time and think about quitting. I was feeling great on it on first but I’ve had some slip ups and I think I fell out of ketosis. I’ve only been fasting for about 14 hours and I have a big breakfast when I eat my first meal. I put salt on my food but right now I just have table salt and I eat pickles and just drink the juice out of the jar. I take a magnesium supplement. I don’t what the issue is0
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Are you sure you were in ketosis before you tightened up your macros? Did you test to see if you were? It's possible you're just feeling the effects of being in ketosis for the first time.0
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LiftHeavyThings27105 wrote: »beastmode2718 wrote: »I’ve been doing keto for a couple of months and felt great on it. I have to admit I have slipped here and there and had a potato or ice cream but went back into it immediately. I started adding intermittent fasting to it and I’m super exhausted. I also got more strict with my macros on keto and no more slip ups.
So my question is, is the fatigue normal and will it go away soon?
This *COULD* be the so-called Keto Flu! Smells like it....
How is your Electrolyte intake? Electrolytes are Sodium, Potassium and Magnesium.
I bet this is it. When you cut carbs your insulin goes down which causes you to lose water and electrolytes. Low electrolytes causes the symptoms of fatigue, brain fog, headaches, moodiness, nausea, BM issues, muscle weakness and cramps. You need to replace lost sodium with 3000-5000mg sodium a day. Some need 7000+mg. For reference, there is 2300 mg of sodium in a tsp of salt.
Fatigue on keto is not normal if you are eating enough. Try bullion, eating salt or taking salt tablets.
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If you aren't feeling well practicing IF, then just stop. IF is not necessary to lose weight or a required component of a Keto diet. IF shouldn't be hard or make you feel ill. For most people eating a Keto diet, IF comes naturally once you become fat adapted. I practice IF in that I only eat when I'm hungry. Sometimes that is 4 times a day, sometimes it is once. For me, it is more about listening to my hunger queues.
It's possible that you aren't eating enough or that you aren't consuming enough electrolytes. I'd try to make sure to get those things in order before attempting IF again.0 -
beastmode2718 wrote: »I’ve still been eating around 1200 calories, some days a little more. I’ve had my thyroid and vitamin D levels checked so I know it’s not that. I’ve only lost 3 lbs and my goal is 15. For the most part I’ve really liked keto but I still want carbs all the time and think about quitting. I was feeling great on it on first but I’ve had some slip ups and I think I fell out of ketosis. I’ve only been fasting for about 14 hours and I have a big breakfast when I eat my first meal. I put salt on my food but right now I just have table salt and I eat pickles and just drink the juice out of the jar. I take a magnesium supplement. I don’t what the issue is
What was it about keto and IF (individually or combined) that appealed to you in the first place? Neither is necessary for weight loss and other than being a personal preference as to what type of foods and when you eat them - offers no advantage for long term weight loss as compared to any other dietary approach that creates a calorie deficit.
Also, if you only have 15 lbs to lose, 1200 cals seems like a very low goal. You should be aiming for 0.5 lb/week rate of loss, and eating back some exercise cals. If you are being too aggressive with your deficit that’s likely another reason you are fatigued.3 -
LiftHeavyThings27105 wrote: »beastmode2718 wrote: »I’ve been doing keto for a couple of months and felt great on it. I have to admit I have slipped here and there and had a potato or ice cream but went back into it immediately. I started adding intermittent fasting to it and I’m super exhausted. I also got more strict with my macros on keto and no more slip ups.
So my question is, is the fatigue normal and will it go away soon?
This *COULD* be the so-called Keto Flu! Smells like it....
How is your Electrolyte intake? Electrolytes are Sodium, Potassium and Magnesium.
I bet this is it. When you cut carbs your insulin goes down which causes you to lose water and electrolytes. Low electrolytes causes the symptoms of fatigue, brain fog, headaches, moodiness, nausea, BM issues, muscle weakness and cramps. You need to replace lost sodium with 3000-5000mg sodium a day. Some need 7000+mg. For reference, there is 2300 mg of sodium in a tsp of salt.
Fatigue on keto is not normal if you are eating enough. Try bullion, eating salt or taking salt tablets.
The only time I have suffered since I started Keto was when I was doing powerlifting *AND* my body had not yet completed the transition. Those training sessions were killing me. Not doing Power Lifting any longer (for other reasons) but still going to the gym at least five times a week (new meso-cycle starts today) and killing it without issue (doing more body building | hypertrophy now). So, allowing my body to become keto-adapted really helped. I was just not patient enough. I did try to skirt that issue by having a nice sweet potato about one hour before my training sessions (while doing the power lifting). That kinda helped. Anyway, just including this for more detail that *MIGHT* help someone....0 -
LiftHeavyThings27105 wrote: »LiftHeavyThings27105 wrote: »beastmode2718 wrote: »I’ve been doing keto for a couple of months and felt great on it. I have to admit I have slipped here and there and had a potato or ice cream but went back into it immediately. I started adding intermittent fasting to it and I’m super exhausted. I also got more strict with my macros on keto and no more slip ups.
So my question is, is the fatigue normal and will it go away soon?
This *COULD* be the so-called Keto Flu! Smells like it....
How is your Electrolyte intake? Electrolytes are Sodium, Potassium and Magnesium.
I bet this is it. When you cut carbs your insulin goes down which causes you to lose water and electrolytes. Low electrolytes causes the symptoms of fatigue, brain fog, headaches, moodiness, nausea, BM issues, muscle weakness and cramps. You need to replace lost sodium with 3000-5000mg sodium a day. Some need 7000+mg. For reference, there is 2300 mg of sodium in a tsp of salt.
Fatigue on keto is not normal if you are eating enough. Try bullion, eating salt or taking salt tablets.
The only time I have suffered since I started Keto was when I was doing powerlifting *AND* my body had not yet completed the transition. Those training sessions were killing me. Not doing Power Lifting any longer (for other reasons) but still going to the gym at least five times a week (new meso-cycle starts today) and killing it without issue (doing more body building | hypertrophy now). So, allowing my body to become keto-adapted really helped. I was just not patient enough. I did try to skirt that issue by having a nice sweet potato about one hour before my training sessions (while doing the power lifting). That kinda helped. Anyway, just including this for more detail that *MIGHT* help someone....
I was not doing any lifting or power activities when I was adapting. Just walking and hiking, and it was fine for that - no noticeable difference.
Was it fatigue you felt or just less.... "Umph?" Less power? I've read that it feels like there is less power behind the muscles for a while. Less kick. Was that it, or was it more of an overall fatigue or exhaustion? I like hearing other's n=1 experiences. I
I also heard that a longer warm-up was often needed. Did you find that to be true too?0 -
I find since being on keto that some days I feel weak. It always passes within a day or two. Sometimes I think we expect to feel amazing but when your body is changing you cant expect to feel perfect every day.0
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I don’t test my keystones because A. I can’t afford to and B. The research I’ve done claims it’s a scam by fitness gurus and not necessary. I don’t think the IF is bothering me so much because I’ve gone hours without eating and been fine. Honestly I don’t enjoy the food on keto. I was pretty high carb and thought it might be effective and combining it with IF results in rapid weight loss. Nothing else I’ve tried has yielded much results but this has been the most effective so far and I’ve kicked my sugar addiction but I am very low energy and getting tired early in the evening0
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