Keto flu - help!

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daisyletterbox
daisyletterbox Posts: 3 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi all, anyone following keto?

I started 3 days ago, and felt fantastic for the first two, but now I feel horrendous. I've got the shakes, I'm nauseous, I'm dizzy and unsteady.

I've had water and just forced down some scrambled eggs but I'm guessing this will be sugar or Carb withdrawal hitting me.

Does anyone have any advice? My go to for sickness is marmite on toast but obviously that's out!

Replies

  • tragicallyjuliet
    tragicallyjuliet Posts: 4 Member
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    I have also heard that just drinking salt water works
  • WholeFoods4Lyfe
    WholeFoods4Lyfe Posts: 1,518 Member
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    Just curious, did you research at all before starting a Keto diet? Keto Flu is a very real thing that can be easily avoided if you maintain your electrolyte balance. When you start a Keto diet your body is flushing water (thus the rapid weight loss) and is taking precious electrolytes with it. Drinking excess water just exacerbates the symptoms. You need sodium, magnesium, potassium, and calcium. Salt your food. Drink electrolyte or Sole water. Chew on sea salt if you have to to get over the symptoms and going forward keep a very close eye on these things. Keto flu can strike at any time.
  • Kbtm6419
    Kbtm6419 Posts: 22 Member
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    I had it too! I had to start adding salt to my food and I drink a Gatorade every now and then.
  • HereToLose50
    HereToLose50 Posts: 154 Member
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    I've always wondered about the water weight thing with less carbs and yet adding more salt to counter keto flu. Salt makes you hold onto water. We tell people that all the time when they go on vacation and come back 5-10 lbs heavier.

    Just something I've noticed 🤷‍♀️
  • MichelleSilverleaf
    MichelleSilverleaf Posts: 2,028 Member
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    HereToLose50 wrote: »
    I've always wondered about the water weight thing with less carbs and yet adding more salt to counter keto flu. Salt makes you hold onto water. We tell people that all the time when they go on vacation and come back 5-10 lbs heavier.

    Just something I've noticed 🤷‍♀️

    Because dropping your carbs results not just in water weight loss but electrolytes as well. If you don't replace those, you get the symptoms the OP is describing. It's a balance.
  • HereToLose50
    HereToLose50 Posts: 154 Member
    edited June 2019
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    MichelleSilverleaf wrote: »
    HereToLose50 wrote: »
    I've always wondered about the water weight thing with less carbs and yet adding more salt to counter keto flu. Salt makes you hold onto water. We tell people that all the time when they go on vacation and come back 5-10 lbs heavier.

    Just something I've noticed 🤷‍♀️

    Because dropping your carbs results not just in water weight loss but electrolytes as well. If you don't replace those, you get the symptoms the OP is describing. It's a balance.

    I was wondering about the water weight added by taking in more salt....it seems like it cancels out the water loss I always hear is such a benefit of keto

    I mentioned people coming back from vacation and posting how they say they gained 5-10 lbs while eating out a lot - more salt - and end up losing it again over the next few days because their salt intake went back to normal levels

    Nothing about electrolytes.
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    edited June 2019
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    Sodium is an electrolyte.

    As Michelle explained, when you lose all that water you lose electrolytes too, and need to make sure they are sufficient (I'd recommend eating a diet sufficient in potassium, calcium, and magnesium and adding in some extra salt). I did this when I tried keto and it seemed to avoid any flu-like symptoms.
  • OooohToast
    OooohToast Posts: 257 Member
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    Hi OP - I have been through various cycles of Keto and do not get these symptoms. As discussed above, I add more salt to my food - as I tend to eat a lot of dark green veg on Keto, salt can only help :). I have also tried bone broth and that works a treat as long as there is some around when you need it ! Losing water weight on Keto is a by product not an objective - the objective is to lose lard without feeling ill / putting yourself at risk. Trial and error will sort this out for you.

    Good luck !

    Oh and ! I dont know what your carb target is but if its below 50g net per day I would suggest you bump it up a bit. Again, the objective of Keto is not to remove carbs from your diet as much as possible.

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