The keto flu

All information I have seen regarding the keto flu warn me to expect feeling pretty lousy around days 3-5 into commencing the diet. According to dietdoctor.com, symptoms include:

• fatigue*
• headache
• irritiability
• difficulty focusing (“brain fog”)
• Lack of motivation
• dizziness
• sugar cravings
• nausea
• muscle cramps

So far, I have not really experienced any of the above symptoms (you’ll have to double check with my husband and kids re irritability) and this could mean one of 2 things; that they are yet to arrive, or that I am possibly not cutting enough carbs. I am hoping that it is the former possibility, as I am going to great lengths to stay under the 20g of daily carb intake. I also really hope my calculations are correct. I am not adhering to strict meal plans, which means I am spending more time doing calculations myself, but allow me to choose preferred foods or cheaper alternatives.

The one symptom I do seem to have experienced today is a decline in physical performance, most notably during this morning’s run. It’s not completely unheard of for me to set a slower pace, but with having a rest day yesterday and a good level of fitness under my belt, I was quite surprised at how much I began to ‘hurt’ around the 3km mark. I’m usually just starting to hit a wall around 4.5/5kms. The GPS signal was weak for the first 2kms, so the distance recorded is incorrect (I actually ran 6kms), but the time is correct. I’m usually under 6min/km.

I am not put off by this, as I take comfort in the following quote from dietdoctor.com

“Dr. Steve Phinney has conducted studies in endurance athletes² as well as obese individuals³ demonstrating that physical performance decreases during the first week of very-low-carb eating. Fortunately, his research also shows that by week 4, people typically perform better than before they started keto.”

https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/keto/flu-side-effects

I will continue to look for signs of the ‘flu’ over the next few days. If I haven’t experienced anything matching the symptoms listed above by the weekend, I might re-assess my diet and look into the recommended meal plans provided on my preferred site. It is difficult to know whether my calculations are correct, as I have received some conflicting nutritional information about a number of ingredients I am eating.

For the record, I am still motivated to keep up with the diet and haven’t found it too difficult as yet. I think the true test will be when I go back to ‘reality’ and return to work. This holiday lifestyle really is such a luxury in terms of time. Even working from home sets you up so well for maintaining new food habits – a kitchen and fully stocked pantry and fridge have definitely ‘saved my bacon’ when hunger pangs have hit. However, I am hopeful that my firmly founded habit of meal prepping and packed lunches will make the transition back to work less challenging than it might otherwise be.

Feeling good.

*I felt fatigued yesterday, but am much revived after a good night’s sleep.

 

from ketogenic-diet « WordPress.com Tag Feed https://ift.tt/2m7gEPC