Keto flu symptoms may resolve themselves in a matter of days, but they can also persist for several weeks. “In most people, symptoms typically get better in 10 days; however, if headaches, fatigue, cramps or irritability last longer than that length of time, it's a good idea to see your doctor,” says Dr. Hennis.
When you don't consume enough carbohydrates, your body enters into a state called ketosis. This can induce nausea, dizziness, irritability, sleeplessness, tiredness, and poor attention in some people. The majority of the time, this lasts for only a few weeks before going away on its own.
If you're feeling low energy on the keto diet, eating a few more calories can help boost your energy levels and fight fatigue. They're not getting enough fat in their diets.
During this adjustment period (called keto adaptation), you may experience fatigue, headaches, and other minor side effects. It only takes a few days for your metabolism to switch into fat-burning mode, so keto flu usually only lasts for the first week of keto.
Whilst switching over from carbohydrates to fat, your body requires slightly more time to burn the fat for energy. This often makes people initially feel tired or weak, especially if you have had a particularly low carb week.
Fatty cuts of red meat and dark poultry meat
They contain no carbs and are high in fat and protein. The protein helps to preserve and build muscles (if you're also working out) on a keto diet, and the fat is broken down to produce energy.
How Long Does the Keto Flu Last? Symptoms of the keto flu generally begin within the first day or two of removing carbs. For an average person, the keto flu can last a week or less but in extreme cases the keto flu can last up to a month. However, depending on your genetics, you may never experience the keto flu.
What Happens When You Eat Too Many Carbs While on Keto? It's common to reach for the carbs when you decide it's time for your keto cheat day. However, that isn't always the best option. If you eat more than 50 grams of carbs in a day, you'll throw your body out of ketosis.
The carbs eaten on a cheat day will halt the production of ketones immediately until they are all metabolized by the body. It's not that complicated to achieve ketosis, but it does take time and effort. Every time you have a cheat day, your progress will be reset and you'll need to start all over again.
Devine typically doesn't recommend taking more than two days off keto. “Several higher carb days in a row almost always lead to 'falling off the wagon' and the return of intense carb and sugar cravings for most people,” she says.
Most ketogenic diet guidelines recommend limiting your total carbohydrate intake to 15-30 grams or 5%-10% of your total calorie intake a day. Eating more than 50 grams of carbs may disrupt ketosis.
You can find out how much ketosis is going on in your body by testing for ketones in your blood or urine. You can buy test strips to check your pee at home. Some blood sugar meters can measure ketones in your blood. If you don't know how and when to test your ketones, talk to your doctor or diabetes instructor.
The very first thing you should do if you can't get into ketosis is make sure you are eating below your keto carb limit. Most people can eat around 20-25g of carbs a day and be able to stay in ketosis. However, this is different for every individual.
Symptoms of the keto flu include nausea, vomiting, headaches, and fatigue. These symptoms arise as the body gets used to operating with fewer carbohydrates and as it enters a state of ketosis. The symptoms result from temporary imbalances in energy sources, insulin, and minerals in the body.
Severe carb limits can cause your body to break down fat into ketones for energy. This is called ketosis. Ketosis can cause side effects such as bad breath, headache, fatigue and weakness. It's not clear what kind of possible long-term health risks a low-carb diet may pose.
Symptoms of carbohydrate withdrawal or keto induction are constipation, headache, halitosis, muscle cramps, bloating, diarrhea, general weakness, and rash [30,31].
One of the signs of ketosis may include “keto flu,” which includes symptoms such as upset stomach, headache and fatigue. Other symptoms of ketosis may include: Bad breath (“keto” breath). Constipation.
1.The First 10 Days May Be The Toughest
Many people starting off keto will go through this and it's often referred to as the “Keto Flu”. It's caused by your body adjusting to burning fat for energy instead of carbs and it can make you feel weak and lethargic.