First day of keto. Feel sick

TheHuff_
TheHuff_ Posts: 39 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hey guys it's my first day of keto and I feel SOOO SICK. I'm not used to eating this much fat. Any advice? Please
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Replies

  • TheHuff_
    TheHuff_ Posts: 39 Member
    Yeah i think maybe I'll have a small amount of carbs today so that my body can get 'weaned off' slowly. Trying keto today was quite spontaneous but I do definitely want to try it. I'll take the advice and go slowly to start with. Thanks :) also helps me to not feel like a failure lol
  • nutmegoreo
    nutmegoreo Posts: 15,532 Member
    Ugh. Feeling like a failure while dieting. I know that feeling. Try not to do that to yourself. It took along tome, but learning that a bad day food wise does not make a failure was so important.
  • TheHuff_
    TheHuff_ Posts: 39 Member
    True that. Moderation is always key in my experience. I don't think going keto would ever be sustainable for my lifestyle or happiness levels. Lower carb is probably a better option. And yeppp. 1 mistake doesn't cost you everything!
  • TheHuff_
    TheHuff_ Posts: 39 Member
    mamaomefo wrote: »
    You could try low carb without eating loads of fat also. I am a low carb fan, but I never eat heavy fat. I manage on protein and veggies and berries, nuts, and a little fat. I am doing well with it. You might give it a try if the fat disagrees with you.

    I like the idea of this tbh. It feels more natural to me
  • TheHuff_
    TheHuff_ Posts: 39 Member
    Cool! I'll check those subreddits out, thanks :)
  • ltltony
    ltltony Posts: 3 Member
    Look into Keto Flu https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/keto-flu-symptoms
  • deepwoodslady
    deepwoodslady Posts: 12,140 Member
    It may not be the fat. It could be the keto "flu". It happened to me when I first started. The electrolyte imbalance can cause this. Sip on some boullion (beef or chicken) for the sodium you may need. Take your multi-vitamin or a zinc and a magnesium supplement. It passes in a few days. It happens when you are first changing over from burning glucose to burning fat for energy. All diets have their downsides when you first start them that makes it difficult. At least you won't feel the hunger like a normal diet. If you are diabetic, check your sugar regularly. Less carbs will mean lower and better glucose numbers. Your doctor may end up reducing your medications (yay!) as you get healthy and normalize. Until then, if diabetic, keep smarties handy for sugar lows and keep your doctor informed of your progress on that front. Best of luck to you. It's working great for me.
  • TheHuff_
    TheHuff_ Posts: 39 Member
    ltltony wrote: »
    Look into Keto Flu https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/keto-flu-symptoms

    Thanks so much. Very informative article
  • njitaliana
    njitaliana Posts: 814 Member
    I always get headachy and feel lousy the first few days on low carb, esp on day 3. And then I get constipated, which lasts longer than 3 days. I had trouble doing diets like keto or Atkins because of the fat. It made me feel sick to my stomach. So, my dietitian told me to set my macros to 30% carbs, 30% protein and 40% fat for my blood sugar. She said to have more things like avocado, nuts, olives and olive oil to increase my fat levels. And for baking, she said to combine almond flour and coconut flour in place of regular flour. That it low in carbs and higher in fats.
  • TheHuff_
    TheHuff_ Posts: 39 Member
    That's so insightful and interesting. Thanks for taking out the time to write the post :)
  • byunique
    byunique Posts: 1 Member
    I have been on Keto for 4+ months, what are you eating? My first day of keto was 3 slices of bacon and some eggs. My body wasn't used to it and I had a ache from my gall bladder freaking out. Yes, makes sense to adjust your diet slowly in the beginning.
  • Pineapples
    Pineapples Posts: 246 Member
    From personal experience I would suggest doing lots of research and some meal planning before you embark on a very strict change and lifestyle. I'm on my 14th day of Keto. I had started doing lower carb for a few weeks prior to going full Keto. The fat % is high but the focus is on healthy fats, I got myself MTC oil and coconut oil to help up the fat %. I am making sure every meal has some sort of keto friendly vegetable and some protein. I'm also on a calorie deficit. From what I read so far is that there are three types of low carb. KETO <20gms net carbs(total carbs-fiber), 20-50 gms of net carbs it would be considered low carb and between 50-100 gms of carbs is considered moderate. So it really depends on what you want to achieve.
  • CNG24
    CNG24 Posts: 432 Member
    edited September 2018
    Electrolytes!!!! Also Magnesium softgels for constipation. Def sounds like peeps suffering from Keto Flu. Exogenous/therapeutic Ketones can help with keto flu too :)
  • amywizengamot
    amywizengamot Posts: 14 Member
    It is hard to start!!! I’m following a ketogenic diet for health reasons as well and it seemed very unfair to me that it makes you feel so much worse before improvements begin.

    I second the need for magnesium and vitamin supplements — they really will help. (B vitamins!!) If you start out with the recommended carb limit, you can slowly ratchet up your fat intake to make it easier on your system. I hope that this works for you and you end up feeling great!
  • gaelicstorm
    gaelicstorm Posts: 94 Member
    Are you taking oral meds for your blood sugar? If you are, there are times they can act up when we take in too much fat.

    You might also be able to significantly lower your numbers through going low-carb instead of keto but adding in some physical activity. Many people see a positive change in blood sugar numbers after losing 5-10% of their body weight.

    My carbs vary anywhere from 50 to 120 (if I'm having a treat day).
  • rsclause
    rsclause Posts: 3,103 Member
    What happened to me is I started researching keto and as I started to entertain the idea I started reducing carbs. I think this slower transition was better than just throwing the switch. I gradually increased fat over about a week. I did get a slightly off feeling and increased my salt intake. After I became comfortable with my progress I added MCT oil to my coffee and increased my fat a bit more. I have been losing weight and inches but plan on continuing LCHF diet indefinitely.
  • TheHuff_
    TheHuff_ Posts: 39 Member
    Hey guys! Wow so much response. THANK YOU SO MUCH. There's a lot to reply to so I'll be concise:

    The magnesium and electrolytes are a good idea. I'll look into them. For those mentioning multi-vitamins, I don't actually take any. Maybe I should? I'm concerned about expenses though and aim to get most of my nutrition from food.

    Regarding my extreme reaction to keto on the first day, I have no idea why. I cooked 1tbsp vegetable oil, half a small onion, half 1tbsp ginger garlic paste, 3 eggs, 2 cups raw spinach and salt and spice, with half cup grated cheddar cheese. It tasted amazing but I could only eat half. It was sickening how fatty it was. I also sprinkled some flax seeds on top. I've had 1 cup of grapes since then which has reduced the sick feeling but I'm surprisingly full considering how little I've eaten today.

    Meds: I don't take any meds and don't have diabetes but I have PCOS which is thought to be caused by insulin resistance, hence why I'm trying to reduce carbs etc

    I realise reducing carbs more slowly and not as extremely as keto but like I said, today was kind of a spontaneous experiment. Is it worth persevering and continuing?

    The food suggestions like avocado and nuts are great, thanks! I can't eat bacon.

    I didn't realise insulin is released every hour?? Wow

    I've been getting healthy for a while and have reduced things like chocolate. My main vice is foods such as rice :/ any ideas?

    I just can't fathom how much fat one needs to eat on a low carb or high fat diet. It's an immense amount! And I still don't understand how it's healthy except that it somehow burns as a cleaner fuel than glucose and reduces insulin resistance over time.

    Thanks so much again everyone!
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,426 MFP Moderator
    TheHuff_ wrote: »
    Hey guys! Wow so much response. THANK YOU SO MUCH. There's a lot to reply to so I'll be concise:

    The magnesium and electrolytes are a good idea. I'll look into them. For those mentioning multi-vitamins, I don't actually take any. Maybe I should? I'm concerned about expenses though and aim to get most of my nutrition from food.

    Regarding my extreme reaction to keto on the first day, I have no idea why. I cooked 1tbsp vegetable oil, half a small onion, half 1tbsp ginger garlic paste, 3 eggs, 2 cups raw spinach and salt and spice, with half cup grated cheddar cheese. It tasted amazing but I could only eat half. It was sickening how fatty it was. I also sprinkled some flax seeds on top. I've had 1 cup of grapes since then which has reduced the sick feeling but I'm surprisingly full considering how little I've eaten today.

    Meds: I don't take any meds and don't have diabetes but I have PCOS which is thought to be caused by insulin resistance, hence why I'm trying to reduce carbs etc

    I realise reducing carbs more slowly and not as extremely as keto but like I said, today was kind of a spontaneous experiment. Is it worth persevering and continuing?

    The food suggestions like avocado and nuts are great, thanks! I can't eat bacon.

    I didn't realise insulin is released every hour?? Wow

    I've been getting healthy for a while and have reduced things like chocolate. My main vice is foods such as rice :/ any ideas?

    I just can't fathom how much fat one needs to eat on a low carb or high fat diet. It's an immense amount! And I still don't understand how it's healthy except that it somehow burns as a cleaner fuel than glucose and reduces insulin resistance over time.

    Thanks so much again everyone!

    You can be low carb and not have a ton of fat. You would focus a bit more on protein, which is not a bad thing during weight loss. If you have PCOS, you dont' need to go keto, you can manage your carbs a bit. Many see success on 100g or less. Now if keto makes you more compliant or you feel better, by all means, but don't force your self if it causes other issues.
  • TheHuff_
    TheHuff_ Posts: 39 Member
    100g seems way more manageable! Thanks!
  • 23rochelle23
    23rochelle23 Posts: 269 Member
    Try out cauliflower rice as a replacement for normal rice - alternatively there is a ‘zero rice’ type product similar to the miracle noodles (made out of non digestible starch so v low cal/carb)

    Doing that alone may significantly reduce your carb intake if you have a mainly rice based diet.

    Also, as @psuLemon mentioned you can focus more on increased protein rather than added fat. I follow a lazyish keto protocol (carbs 10-50) The only ‘intentional’ fat I add is when I have cream with berries (because it’s delicious). Every time I’ve checked on medical urinalysis/ketone blood testing strips I’ve been in ketosis (I don’t bother checking now because I’m not doing it for a medical reason - purely because it’s an enjoyable way of eating for me).

    Good luck

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