Weakness and shakiness on keto, often called the "Keto Flu," happen as your body switches from carbs to fat for fuel, causing low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), dehydration, and electrolyte loss, leading to fatigue, jitters, and dizziness as your system adapts, but it usually passes in days to weeks, though staying hydrated and getting enough electrolytes (sodium, potassium, magnesium) is key to manage these temporary symptoms.
It can cause blood pressure and blood sugar to drop.
Following a keto diet can also cause your blood sugar to drop, which can be dangerous for people living with diabetes. Common symptoms of low blood sugar include weakness or shaking, sweating, a fast heartbeat and dizziness.
In the initial stages of a ketosis diet, people may feel more tired and weaker than usual. This fatigue occurs as the body switches from burning carbohydrates to burning fat for energy. Don't worry however. Because after few weeks on the diet, you should notice an increase in your energy levels.
You Simply Don't Feel Healthy on the Ketogenic Diet
You should start to feel better after a couple of weeks, but if you still feel awful, you may not be properly fueling your body. Because the keto diet is low in fiber, you could also experience frequent constipation.
Without adequate electrolyte replacement, you may experience symptoms beyond simple thirst, including muscle cramps, fatigue, and ketosis headaches. The metabolic process of breaking down fat requires significant water intake to process and eliminate waste products effectively.
Not watching your carb intake - Sugar and refined carbs are in many foods. You should be aiming to eliminate these from your keto diet. “Try to keep your net carb content under 20 grams/day or total carbs under 30 grams,” Dr Riggs says. Keep close track of your sugar and carb intake by reading nutrition labels.
Dehydration: Your body doesn't have enough fluid to function properly. Signs include extreme thirst, dark-colored urine, dizziness, dry mouth, and fatigue. Ketoacidosis: Your blood becomes dangerously acidic because of high levels of ketones in your bloodstream.
7 Reasons to Quit the Keto Diet
The worst carbs for belly fat are refined carbohydrates and added sugars, found in sugary drinks, white bread, pastries, and processed snacks, because they spike blood sugar and insulin, leading to increased fat storage, especially around the abdomen. While no single carb is solely responsible, these quickly digested, low-fiber options promote inflammation and insulin resistance, contributing to visceral (belly) fat.
AKA patients may have signs of withdrawal like hypertension and tachycardia. There are signs of muscle wasting in patients with starvation ketoacidosis like poor muscle mass, minimal body fat, obvious bony prominences, temporal wasting, tooth decay, sparse, thin, dry hair and low blood pressure, pulse, and temperature.
Dehydration: The initial phase of keto involves rapid water loss, which can lead to dehydration and cause lightheadedness or dizziness; Low blood sugar (Hypoglycemia): A sudden reduction in carbohydrates can cause a temporary drop in blood sugar levels, resulting in dizziness.
The first 48 hours on the diet were very challenging. Getting out of bed in the morning had never been so difficult and my brain felt very foggy. Some patients refer to the term 'keto flu' when starting the diet as a description of their symptoms of tiredness, nausea, headaches and irritability.
A big reduction in carbohydrate intake can cause changes to sleep patterns. Some research suggests following a keto diet can improve sleep quality, while other studies show high-fat diets are linked to more disruptive sleep and trouble falling asleep.
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.
The Takeaway. If you feel shaky before meals, it may be due to hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, which can occur after several hours of not eating. Prevent hypoglycemia by not skipping meals. If you're busy, carry a carbohydrate-rich snack like fruit, crackers, or juice to boost your blood sugar if symptoms start.
Green veggies, especially leafy greens, are nutrient-rich foods that can help replenish your electrolytes on keto. Each one offers a different combination of electrolytes: Lettuce (Iceberg and romaine) – Potassium, calcium, magnesium. Spinach – Potassium, calcium, magnesium.
Signs of not eating enough carbohydrates
While it's up to you whether you decide to take a break from the keto diet, many experienced individuals do keto cycling, also called the cyclical keto diet, in which they stay keto for 5-6 days followed by 1-2 days of higher carbs. Others stick to keto for 2 weeks or more, then take a 3-day break.
The Takeaway. Not eating after 6 p.m., as part of intermittent fasting, may be an effective strategy for weight loss and may help maintain metabolic rates better than some daily calorie-restricted diets.
While some people have success staying on keto for an extended period of time, “the long-term research is limited,” says Jill Gulotta, RDN, who's based in White Plains, New York. Gulotta recommends staying on keto for six months max before reintroducing more carbs to your diet.
As a result of glycogen depletion, a loss of water occurs via your urine, and this also includes electrolytes (*). Make sure you're avoiding imbalances to combat the keto flu by taking a keto-friendly daily electrolyte supplement and other strategies like eating whole foods, salting your food, and prioritizing sleep.
Most ketogenic plans allow foods high in saturated fat, such as fatty cuts of meat, processed meats, lard, and butter, as well as sources of unsaturated fats, such as nuts, seeds, avocados, plant oils, and oily fish. Depending on your source of information, ketogenic food lists may vary and even conflict.
You'll lose considerable water weight within the first week of going Keto. Beyond a week you can anticipate losing between 1-2lbs on average per week; this is fat loss as your body moves into ketosis. Towards the 3 month mark you may reach your target weight loss goal.