Managing Keto Side Effects
Drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration and flu-like symptoms. It’s common for people to experience headaches, mental fog, irritability, nausea, difficulty sleeping, and constipation 2-4 days after starting the keto diet. Feeling unwell so soon after starting a new diet can be demotivating, but you can prepare yourself for “keto flu” by drinking plenty of water every day. You can also drink tea and coffee as long as you don't add sugar or milk to them. Keto flu is thought to be a side effect of dehydration and loss of electrolytes. Leafy greens, nuts, avocados, and seeds (like sunflower and pumpkin seeds) can help you replace the loss of electrolytes while on a keto diet. These foods are keto-friendly and high in magnesium and potassium. These symptoms should go away within a few weeks. If you’re still experiencing flu-like symptoms after a month, make an appointment with your doctor. ”Keto flu” is not infectious and is in no way related to the actual flu virus.
Be prepared for fatigue in the first week so you can power through it. Keto can leave some people feeling exhausted, especially in the first week. It's normal, but feeling drained causes a lot of people to give up right at the beginning. Your energy level should get back to normal after about a week, so stay committed and remember that the unpleasant tiredness will pass shortly. You can always ease into the diet slowly rather than drastically changing your diet overnight if the initial fatigue and flu-like symptoms are too much for you. Avoid buying special supplements marketed to combat keto flu and exhaustion. Many of the supplement companies are just trying to make a buck and the supplements may cause other side effects like nausea and diarrhea.
Take a probiotic to strengthen your immune system. Extremely low carb diets tend to disrupt the balance of good and bad bacteria in the gut. Since the gut plays a major role in immune system health, this disruption can make you more susceptible to illnesses like the cold or flu. To prevent this, incorporate a probiotic supplement into your daily vitamin regimen.
Handling Cravings
Go for a 15-minute walk to see if the craving subsides. Before giving in and reaching for that donut or hunk of French bread, force yourself to go for a 15-minute walk. For many people, 15 minutes is enough time to walk off a strong craving. If you're still craving the food after your walk, you can weigh the pros and cons of giving in. It can help to call a friend on your walk for support or even just to vent.
Look up new keto-friendly recipes to prevent boredom. Do some research to find a full list of keto-approved foods—you may have more options than you think! It can also help to look up new recipes online or buy a book on keto meal planning so you can prevent boredom and cravings before they set in. Keto takes a bit of planning to get right and most experts don't recommend winging it.
Eat 3-4 meals per day with plenty of healthy snacks in between. If you're hungry, cravings can happen more easily and be harder to overcome. It's important to get enough to eat when you're doing keto. You shouldn't feel hungry all the time. Maintain a good balance of protein and fat all day long to prevent cravings and maintain your energy levels. For some people, 5-6 small meals spread out over the course of the day is more effective than 3-4 larger meals. Listen to your body and go with what works best for you.
Remind yourself that cheating forces you to start over with ketosis. Keto can be tough to maintain because it's a pretty restrictive diet. It's easy to be tempted by an occasional binge or cheat day! Unfortunately, this will force your body out of ketosis. To get back, you'll have to return to a very strict diet and go through "keto flu" all over again. Remind yourself how far you've come before giving in to cravings. If you do accidentally cheat, don't waste time being angry at yourself. The best way to move forward is to forgive yourself and get back on your diet as soon as possible.
Switch to a more balanced diet for long-term weight loss. Keto is great for short-term weight loss, but most doctors don't recommend it as a long-term solution. Because it's so restrictive, keto often leads to cheating, weight fluctuations, yo-yo dieting, and bouncing in and out of ketosis. Try keto to reach an initial weight loss goal. Then, switch to a more balanced diet program, like the Mediterranean diet, to maintain your weight. The keto diet is usually recommended for a minimum of 2-3 weeks up to a maximum of 6-12 months. Following a more balanced diet can help to reduce severe cravings because you have more options.
Finding Additional Support
Use an app to track what you eat and reinforce your progress. There are many apps available that can help you stay on track each day by making it easier to count calories and track nutrients. Apps also make it easier to measure your progress over time because they store all of your information. Some apps are extremely customizable so you can input diet and fitness goals. Popular weight management apps that work great for keto diets include MyFitnessPal and CarbManager. There are a lot of options out there, so do some research first to figure out which app is best for your keto journey. Meeting daily and long-term goals can boost your self-esteem and motivate you in a big way.
Join a Keto Diet group or community on social media for support. There are many groups and communities you can check out, but some of the most prominent ones are on Facebook, Instagram, and Reddit. You can join these groups for support and advice on your keto journey, which can help you stay motivated and on track. A few popular options include: Ketosis and the Ketogenic Diet Community Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/ketogenic/ Keto Transformations on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ketotransformations/ R/keto on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/keto/
Check out a Keto podcast for insights and motivation. If you aren’t a reader, podcasts are a great way to gain a significant amount of knowledge about keto since dieticians and nutrition experts are often guests on these podcasts. Listening to positive information about keto can also keep you interested and on track with your own keto journey! You might check out the following podcasts: Bulletproof Radio with Dave Asprey Fast Keto with Vanessa Spina Keto Transformation Podcast
Do the diet with a friend and hold each other accountable. Enlisting a friend to go on the keto diet with you can be fun and help you stick to your keto goals. Find out if any of your friends are interested in trying the keto diet with you and give it a try. Make a deal to hold each other accountable and communicate frequently to support each other.
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