Is keto right for me?
Momeri1113
Posts: 57 Member
I'm on day 4, down 6 pounds and feeling exhausted, nauseous and just generally awful. I know they say it's keto flu, but how do I know if it's just that or a sign that I should reintroduce carbs into my diet little by little?
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Replies
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try adding some salt to your diet - typically keto flu is caused by an imbalance of electrolytes
that being said - you donn't need to do keto to lose weight - its just the new hotness - many of us have success with losing weight as long as we maintain a calorie deficit19 -
I forgot about using salt - just add some to your water - thanks for the reminder :-)
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Momeri1113 wrote: »I'm on day 4, down 6 pounds and feeling exhausted, nauseous and just generally awful. I know they say it's keto flu, but how do I know if it's just that or a sign that I should reintroduce carbs into my diet little by little?
How tall are you, how much do you weigh, and how many calories are you eating? Some of that may be keto flu, but you could also be under eating.3 -
Success will depend more on sustainability than anything else. If you don't like eating keto, and don't like how you feel on keto, then you are less likely to stay keto and more likely to yo-yo off of it.
Find a way of eating you enjoy and can see yourself doing for the rest of your life.
Keto is great for many neurological issues or metabolic issues like T2D, however, for weight loss it's not magic and not any more successful than any other method of eating.
If you want to eat more carbs, then do so. If you want to limit carbs (many people find this improves hunger/cravings) then do so. You can do Low Carb or LCHF without doing keto level carb restrictions.
Adjust your goals, try it for a few weeks, see how you feel and how compliant you are to your plan. Adjust plan as needed. Repeat.
You can figure out what works best for you - the path of least resistance is the path you are going to stay on the longest! In the end, sustainability is the real key to success.4 -
Momeri1113 wrote: »I'm on day 4, down 6 pounds and feeling exhausted, nauseous and just generally awful. I know they say it's keto flu, but how do I know if it's just that or a sign that I should reintroduce carbs into my diet little by little?
You should probably treat it as the "keto flu."
I am not sure if 4 days is enough of an evaluation period unless you really hate eating a high fat diet. If you do there is no reason to stick with it.
There are really just 2 reasons to be on keto aside from specific medical problems:
1) You enjoy eating high fat and do not mind low carb
2) It gives you excellent control over your hunger and you feel you can grow accustomed to way of eating if you do not like it already.
If you feel it is helping you control your hunger but you miss the carbs you can try experimenting with gradually increasing your carbs. You may find that a moderate carb diet works just as well for you.4 -
deannalfisher wrote: »try adding some salt to your diet - typically keto flu is caused by an imbalance of electrolytes
that being said - you donn't need to do keto to lose weight - its just the new hotness - many of us have success with losing weight as long as we maintain a calorie deficit
I know. I'm just having lots of trouble with just maintaining a deficit since my baby and an added perk of keto is no cravings. I wanted to try to do it at least a month then slowly add healthy carbs back in until I'm eventually eating healthy out of habit rather than feeling deprived if that makes sense.0 -
kshama2001 wrote: »Momeri1113 wrote: »I'm on day 4, down 6 pounds and feeling exhausted, nauseous and just generally awful. I know they say it's keto flu, but how do I know if it's just that or a sign that I should reintroduce carbs into my diet little by little?
How tall are you, how much do you weigh, and how many calories are you eating? Some of that may be keto flu, but you could also be under eating.
I'm 5 foot 4 and currently 259. Started the year at 268.8. I usually have around 20 to 24 net carbs a day but only like 1200 calories naturally. I just don't know how to get more calories eating low carb.1 -
I'm feeling much better, normal and clearer now. Some people have suggested to me that it might have been from taking zinc on an empty stomach. I'd like to continue my keto plan (since it does work to completely get rid of my cravings for me) for at least a month and then transition slowly to eating more balanced again. While weightloss is my goal, so is being healthy and I do know keto is not healthy long term. Thank you all for responding! I really appreciate it!
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You only like 1200 calories naturally. How 'bout just tracking your MFP data points until you can get your sea legs back. You can always go keto on down the road but you need your energy and stamina. Eat the things you enjoy and monitor your portions and your body might naturally want more calories right now with a new baby. Take care of yourself, Mama.
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Diatonic12 wrote: »You only like 1200 calories naturally. How 'bout just tracking your MFP data points until you can get your sea legs back. You can always go keto on down the road but you need your energy and stamina. Eat the things you enjoy and monitor your portions and your body might naturally want more calories right now with a new baby. Take care of yourself, Mama.
He's 14 months old. I tried it that way for over a year
and this really does get rid of my cravings. That's why I don't want to give up just yet 1 -
1200 is the old school, one-size-fits-all. You very likely don't need to eat that few calories for weight loss as you are not petite and sedentary (you're certainly not elderly).
Google your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure....aka maintenance). Take a reasonable deficit from that and eat that many calories. 2 pounds a week would be 1,000 calories from TDEE. As you become smaller, so should the deficit.
Low carb helps with cravings when you are dieting. But the cravings will come back when you transition (regardless or fast or slow). If your plan is moderate carbs for maintenance, that is going to take practice.2 -
Momeri1113 wrote: »Diatonic12 wrote: »You only like 1200 calories naturally. How 'bout just tracking your MFP data points until you can get your sea legs back. You can always go keto on down the road but you need your energy and stamina. Eat the things you enjoy and monitor your portions and your body might naturally want more calories right now with a new baby. Take care of yourself, Mama.
He's 14 months old. I tried it that way for over a year and this really does get rid of my cravings. That's why I don't want to give up just yet
I think from what you've said giving keto a try is a good idea. Upping your salt some should help with the keto flu, so the remaining issue is eating more. Does MFP give you a calorie goal? Ways to eat more on keto should not be hard, as high fat foods are quite caloric -- add in some nuts or maybe have some cheese, stuff like that. Make sure you aren't sticking to old habits like low fat options.2 -
1200 is the old school, one-size-fits-all. You very likely don't need to eat that few calories for weight loss as you are not petite and sedentary (you're certainly not elderly).
Google your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure....aka maintenance). Take a reasonable deficit from that and eat that many calories. 2 pounds a week would be 1,000 calories from TDEE. As you become smaller, so should the deficit.
Low carb helps with cravings when you are dieting. But the cravings will come back when you transition (regardless or fast or slow). If your plan is moderate carbs for maintenance, that is going to take practice.
I know, I'm just hoping that once I transition back, I'll have formed good habits of just choosing healthy foods without thinking too much about it.0 -
Momeri1113 wrote: »Diatonic12 wrote: »You only like 1200 calories naturally. How 'bout just tracking your MFP data points until you can get your sea legs back. You can always go keto on down the road but you need your energy and stamina. Eat the things you enjoy and monitor your portions and your body might naturally want more calories right now with a new baby. Take care of yourself, Mama.
He's 14 months old. I tried it that way for over a year and this really does get rid of my cravings. That's why I don't want to give up just yet
I think from what you've said giving keto a try is a good idea. Upping your salt some should help with the keto flu, so the remaining issue is eating more. Does MFP give you a calorie goal? Ways to eat more on keto should not be hard, as high fat foods are quite caloric -- add in some nuts or maybe have some cheese, stuff like that. Make sure you aren't sticking to old habits like low fat options.
My challenge is fitting high fats into low carb. I set my goals to what my hand calculated BMR and TDEE is. I don't purposefully choose low fat food, and I've never really been one to buy into the low fat hype. I'm lactose intolerant, so milk wise I usually choose nut milk, skim or 1% but other than that I usually choose full fat things - especially now that I have to buy full fats for my son.0 -
Momeri1113 wrote: »1200 is the old school, one-size-fits-all. You very likely don't need to eat that few calories for weight loss as you are not petite and sedentary (you're certainly not elderly).
Google your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure....aka maintenance). Take a reasonable deficit from that and eat that many calories. 2 pounds a week would be 1,000 calories from TDEE. As you become smaller, so should the deficit.
Low carb helps with cravings when you are dieting. But the cravings will come back when you transition (regardless or fast or slow). If your plan is moderate carbs for maintenance, that is going to take practice.
I know, I'm just hoping that once I transition back, I'll have formed good habits of just choosing healthy foods without thinking too much about it.
If you're not going to stick with keto forever, you may be missing some opportunities here to figure out what will keep you feeling sated/not-crave-y with carbs still in the picture, since that will be desireable for staying at a healthy weight long term.
It's totally up to you, of course: I'm really not trying to talk you out of keto. As a generality, no matter the eating mode, I'd encourage anyone to use the weight loss process as an opportunity to experiment and dial in a permanently satisfying, practical approach. (Now in year 4+ of maintenance, I'm really glad I did weight loss that way, but it's true that the same strategies don't work for everyone).
Best wishes!6 -
Momeri1113 wrote: »I'm on day 4, down 6 pounds and feeling exhausted, nauseous and just generally awful. I know they say it's keto flu, but how do I know if it's just that or a sign that I should reintroduce carbs into my diet little by little?
If I felt like that, I don't even think I'd need to ask. That sounds horrible.4 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »Momeri1113 wrote: »I'm on day 4, down 6 pounds and feeling exhausted, nauseous and just generally awful. I know they say it's keto flu, but how do I know if it's just that or a sign that I should reintroduce carbs into my diet little by little?
If I felt like that, I don't even think I'd need to ask. That sounds horrible.
The more the day goes on I think it was due to me taking supplements on an empty stomach. The rest of the day I've felt pretty good. I really don't want to give up so soon. I figure if I feel like that again tomorrow, I'll come up with a new game plan.0 -
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I thought that drinking water with salt could potential kill you. It dehydrates you because water in your body will move from areas with less salt to areas with higher salt. Also, the diet already adds so much salt becuase of the meat and dairy. The further I get into this, the more I was to modify to make it more like a low carb dash diet or something. Eating so much meat and dairy is not typical for me.1
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Momeri1113 wrote: »I thought that drinking water with salt could potential kill you. It dehydrates you because water in your body will move from areas with less salt to areas with higher salt. Also, the diet already adds so much salt becuase of the meat and dairy. The further I get into this, the more I was to modify to make it more like a low carb dash diet or something. Eating so much meat and dairy is not typical for me.
I think this is why dieting is so difficult for many. We know that it is incontestable that if you eat less than you burn and eliminate you will lose weight. Without supplements, denial of food groups, timing of meals, sodium reduction, etc.
But here we are with a new dieter experimenting with all manner of strategies, other than the correct one.
Very disturbing to me.
Nonetheless, best of luck.4 -
Momeri1113 wrote: »I'm on day 4, down 6 pounds and feeling exhausted, nauseous and just generally awful. I know they say it's keto flu, but how do I know if it's just that or a sign that I should reintroduce carbs into my diet little by little?
None of that sounds appealing to me. Weight loss doesnt have to be this hard. 🤷🏼♀️🤦🏼♀️6 -
Momeri1113 wrote: »I thought that drinking water with salt could potential kill you. It dehydrates you because water in your body will move from areas with less salt to areas with higher salt. Also, the diet already adds so much salt becuase of the meat and dairy. The further I get into this, the more I was to modify to make it more like a low carb dash diet or something. Eating so much meat and dairy is not typical for me.
That's one of the things I didn't like about it when I did it. I was eating much more meat than normal. There are ways to try to get more of the fat from plants if you have access to avocado and add more nuts and seeds and olives (if you like them) and olive oil (dressings on salad and such) to your diet. You may tick up a bit in carbs but typically the net carbs can be a bit higher than 20 anyway -- I'd maybe start by aiming for net of 35 g if it's tough.0 -
wilson10102018 wrote: »Momeri1113 wrote: »I thought that drinking water with salt could potential kill you. It dehydrates you because water in your body will move from areas with less salt to areas with higher salt. Also, the diet already adds so much salt becuase of the meat and dairy. The further I get into this, the more I was to modify to make it more like a low carb dash diet or something. Eating so much meat and dairy is not typical for me.
I think this is why dieting is so difficult for many. We know that it is incontestable that if you eat less than you burn and eliminate you will lose weight. Without supplements, denial of food groups, timing of meals, sodium reduction, etc.
But here we are with a new dieter experimenting with all manner of strategies, other than the correct one.
Very disturbing to me.
Nonetheless, best of luck.
The statement in bold couldn't be MORE TRUE!4 -
wilson10102018 wrote: »Momeri1113 wrote: »I thought that drinking water with salt could potential kill you. It dehydrates you because water in your body will move from areas with less salt to areas with higher salt. Also, the diet already adds so much salt becuase of the meat and dairy. The further I get into this, the more I was to modify to make it more like a low carb dash diet or something. Eating so much meat and dairy is not typical for me.
I think this is why dieting is so difficult for many. We know that it is incontestable that if you eat less than you burn and eliminate you will lose weight. Without supplements, denial of food groups, timing of meals, sodium reduction, etc.
But here we are with a new dieter experimenting with all manner of strategies, other than the correct one.
Very disturbing to me.
Nonetheless, best of luck.
What exactly is the correct manner? I'm focusing on eating healthy and have a calorie deficit.3 -
Momeri1113 wrote: »wilson10102018 wrote: »Momeri1113 wrote: »I thought that drinking water with salt could potential kill you. It dehydrates you because water in your body will move from areas with less salt to areas with higher salt. Also, the diet already adds so much salt becuase of the meat and dairy. The further I get into this, the more I was to modify to make it more like a low carb dash diet or something. Eating so much meat and dairy is not typical for me.
I think this is why dieting is so difficult for many. We know that it is incontestable that if you eat less than you burn and eliminate you will lose weight. Without supplements, denial of food groups, timing of meals, sodium reduction, etc.
But here we are with a new dieter experimenting with all manner of strategies, other than the correct one.
Very disturbing to me.
Nonetheless, best of luck.
What exactly is the correct manner? I'm focusing on eating healthy and have a calorie deficit.
Keto may be a way to eat healthfully**, but it's not the only way.
** Personally, I'm not anti-keto, but there's debate in the world at large about whether it actually is healthy to fuel that way long term. Of course some of its advocates say it's the healthiest, but advocates of other very different diets say the same (for one example, whole food plant based). All can bring out research studies in support.
I have nothing against keto (or WFPB), I think they're fine for those they suit. But there's IMO no One True Way.
I don't keto, personally. I pretty much do a balanced macros, slightly high protein, mostly nutrient dense, mostly lower-processed food approach, because I think it's a healthy diet, and I personally most enjoy eating that way. It's been successful for weight loss and 4+ years of maintenance, for me, when coupled with calorie counting.
I'm also vegetarian, but that's my preference for other reasons: I don't think it has any special health benefits, and actually makes sound nutrition just a teeny, tiny bit more challenging.
I don't keto, and wouldn't unless medically dictated, because it wouldn't let me eat the quantity and variety of veggies and fruits I most enjoy. I expect people eating keto can get the required minimums of veggies, but I prefer really, really a lot of veggies; and most ketoers do severely - by my standards - limit fruit. Also, low carb doesn't prevent cravings, for me, it creates them. (I tried it a long time back.)
If keto suits you, OP, that's great. You're getting the response you are because you've mentioned a couple of ways in which it isn't pleasant/long-term sustainable for you, so we're suggesting considering calorie counting for weight management, plus any healthy way of eating you most enjoy and find permanently appealing.
Named diets are optional. That's the point.7 -
Momeri1113 wrote: »wilson10102018 wrote: »Momeri1113 wrote: »I thought that drinking water with salt could potential kill you. It dehydrates you because water in your body will move from areas with less salt to areas with higher salt. Also, the diet already adds so much salt becuase of the meat and dairy. The further I get into this, the more I was to modify to make it more like a low carb dash diet or something. Eating so much meat and dairy is not typical for me.
I think this is why dieting is so difficult for many. We know that it is incontestable that if you eat less than you burn and eliminate you will lose weight. Without supplements, denial of food groups, timing of meals, sodium reduction, etc.
But here we are with a new dieter experimenting with all manner of strategies, other than the correct one.
Very disturbing to me.
Nonetheless, best of luck.
What exactly is the correct manner? I'm focusing on eating healthy and have a calorie deficit.
Keto may be a way to eat healthfully**, but it's not the only way.
** Personally, I'm not anti-keto, but there's debate in the world at large about whether it actually is healthy to fuel that way long term. Of course some of its advocates say it's the healthiest, but advocates of other very different diets say the same (for one example, whole food plant based). All can bring out research studies in support.
I have nothing against keto (or WFPB), I think they're fine for those they suit. But there's IMO no One True Way.
I don't keto, personally. I pretty much do a balanced macros, slightly high protein, mostly nutrient dense, mostly lower-processed food approach, because I think it's a healthy diet, and I personally most enjoy eating that way. It's been successful for weight loss and 4+ years of maintenance, for me, when coupled with calorie counting.
I'm also vegetarian, but that's my preference for other reasons: I don't think it has any special health benefits, and actually makes sound nutrition just a teeny, tiny bit more challenging.
I don't keto, and wouldn't unless medically dictated, because it wouldn't let me eat the quantity and variety of veggies and fruits I most enjoy. I expect people eating keto can get the required minimums of veggies, but I prefer really, really a lot of veggies; and most ketoers do severely - by my standards - limit fruit. Also, low carb doesn't prevent cravings, for me, it creates them. (I tried it a long time back.)
If keto suits you, OP, that's great. You're getting the response you are because you've mentioned a couple of ways in which it isn't pleasant/long-term sustainable for you, so we're suggesting considering calorie counting for weight management, plus any healthy way of eating you most enjoy and find permanently appealing.
Named diets are optional. That's the point.
That is all very well said. Today I increased my carbs and feel great! I'd like to eventually settle on moderate carbs so that I can get the best variety.2 -
Momeri1113 wrote: »Momeri1113 wrote: »Diatonic12 wrote: »You only like 1200 calories naturally. How 'bout just tracking your MFP data points until you can get your sea legs back. You can always go keto on down the road but you need your energy and stamina. Eat the things you enjoy and monitor your portions and your body might naturally want more calories right now with a new baby. Take care of yourself, Mama.
He's 14 months old. I tried it that way for over a year and this really does get rid of my cravings. That's why I don't want to give up just yet
I think from what you've said giving keto a try is a good idea. Upping your salt some should help with the keto flu, so the remaining issue is eating more. Does MFP give you a calorie goal? Ways to eat more on keto should not be hard, as high fat foods are quite caloric -- add in some nuts or maybe have some cheese, stuff like that. Make sure you aren't sticking to old habits like low fat options.
My challenge is fitting high fats into low carb. I set my goals to what my hand calculated BMR and TDEE is. I don't purposefully choose low fat food, and I've never really been one to buy into the low fat hype. I'm lactose intolerant, so milk wise I usually choose nut milk, skim or 1% but other than that I usually choose full fat things - especially now that I have to buy full fats for my son.
You don't need to fit high fat into the diet. It comes along naturally with most of the protein you eat, that fits within your calorie deficit.
3 weeks is generally the adaptation period before most people typically bounce back to feeling normal, but electrolytes, mainly sodium, need to be increased. Around 5000 mg of sodium per day. You may need more depending on activity.
“The diuretic (dehydrating) nature of ketosis causes an excretion of three of the body’s primary electrolytes: sodium, potassium, and magnesium (31,40). These three minerals are involved in many processes in the body, one of which is the regulation of muscle contraction, including the heart. Some studies show a net loss of calcium while others do not. (31).
And after about three weeks your muscles adapts to using mostly fat over glucose/ketones, allowing your glycogen stores to go up again. As described previously, muscles will derive up to 50% of their energy requirements from ketones during the first few days of ketosis. However, this drops rapidly and by the third week of ketosis, muscles derive less only 4-6% of their energy from ketone bodies. (22).” - Ketogenic Diet by Lyle McDonald0 -
I've tried keto before for a month and was miserable the entire time. I was never full, always craving things, and constantly irritated. It was too much work to try and cut out carbs or substantially minimize it because there are A LOT of foods that are off limits.
Counting calories is the only thing that has worked for me and I've tried everything before. If I'm craving a bag of chips, cookie, whatever else, I can eat it as long as I remain consistent with the rest of my meals and budget those snacks into my calories. On keto, one high carb meal and it can kick you out of ketosis. Kudos to those that are able to maintain that lifestyle, it's too hard for me.2 -
I've tried keto before for a month and was miserable the entire time. I was never full, always craving things, and constantly irritated. It was too much work to try and cut out carbs or substantially minimize it because there are A LOT of foods that are off limits.
Counting calories is the only thing that has worked for me and I've tried everything before. If I'm craving a bag of chips, cookie, whatever else, I can eat it as long as I remain consistent with the rest of my meals and budget those snacks into my calories. On keto, one high carb meal and it can kick you out of ketosis. Kudos to those that are able to maintain that lifestyle, it's too hard for me.
I 'gave up' keto last night. I'm still eating low carbish but trying to do more of the intuitive eating thing. While I wasn't usually hungry on keto, and I enjoyed the lack of cravings, it just wasn't right for me. It also made me super anxious all the time and then I couldn't tell what symptoms were from the keto or the anxiety. My doctor did once told me to never do keto and sent me to a nutritionist (this was also while I was pregnant) who said that keto is good for a very small group of people and they are finding that for some people, it cause more issues that it solves. I'm just might not be one of the people that benefit other than in the weight loss aspect.4 -
You may find just somewhat lower carb is as effective for the cravings as keto. I found moderate to lower carb (100-120 g) helpful at first when on a deficit, and when I later tried keto I didn't notice any extra benefits for me in terms of appetite or cravings. (I haven't been tracking for a while and when I recently started again and ate like I do for a small deficit I seem to be coming in naturally around 150.)2
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