What is the Keto Flu?
Day one of your ketogenic journey is a success! You eagerly start day two and are feeling great about your decision to start a ketogenic lifestyle. Day three or four comes around and you start to feel something. It’s not the positive something that comes from losing 5lbs, or the positive something that motivates you to move forward another day, but one of those negative thinks that gets you thinking if you’ve made the right decision or not going down the ketogenic path! Uh oh, you now have the keto flu!
“The keto flu is literally flu-like symptoms that come as we detox from long-term sugar and carbohydrate abuse.”
I’m sick – now what?
Welcome to the keto flu! The keto flu is literally flu-like symptoms that come as we detox from long-term sugar and carbohydrate abuse. Your body is making a huge change from lazily taking our over consumed sugar to power the body effortlessly, to having to break down fat stores and convert it to energy, an exceptionally more difficult process scientifically than converting sucrose or fructose into glucose (the element that powers the entire body!)
The good news or bad news is this varies greatly from person to person. In our personal experience, Shannon and I had very different symptoms in our withdraw from sugar. In my case, I had two agonizing days of muscle aches and pain, headache, sweats and chills, and general irritability and discomfort. Shannon on day three experienced extreme exhaustion. I’ll never forget the look on her face when she came home from work, I’ve never seen her look so tired and puffy-eyed.
“It seems like the keto flu can vary wildly from person to person.”
Another friend of ours who later joined in on the keto diet had virtually no symptoms, but was already eating a fairly healthy diet without an excess of sugar and carbs. Lastly, one more friend of ours had one day of a slight headache that lasted about five or six hours.
From reading stories online and talking to the keto community, it seems like the keto flu can vary wildly from person to person. Some people experience symptoms on day three that last up to three or four days, while other people experience very little or nothing.
“The lesson learned is to simply plan and prepare for the worsT and hope for the best.”
How can I Plan for Success?
The lesson learned is to simply plan and prepare for the worst and hope for the best. Both Shannon and I started our ketogenic lifestyles at the worst possible time. I started mine the day I was leaving for a friends bachelor party, an overnight stay a few hours away. Shannon started her diet on a Monday, leaving the worst of her ‘keto-flu’ during the workday.
If we could start all over again, I think I would of waited until I got home from that trip, and we both would of started on a Thursday before a slow weekend where we could be couch bums for two days if need be!
How do I minimize keto flu symptoms?
Without getting into a lengthy discussion, it’s important to know that while on a ketogenic diet your body will shed water. It’s very important to stay hydrated! Drink plenty of water, and as a rule of thumb you should always drink plenty of water while on a keto diet. Dehydration comes much easier to those in ketosis than those on a typical sugar rich diet.
In terms of going ketogenic, you can take aspirin or Tylenol or some variation assuming it’s safe for you to take in the first place. I took Excedrin the day of my aches and pains and while it certainly didn’t ‘cure’ anything it took the edge off. I also took an Excedrin PM at night which helped me have a good nights sleep despite my discomfort.
Overeat on LCHF foods, eat as much as you can!
Another bit of advice is to stay full! Overeat on LCHF foods, eat as much as you can! If your stuffed from breakfast because you had a 3-egg omelette stuffed with cheese, bacon, and sausage, you aren’t likely to eat a bagel! Staying full, as crazy as it sounds, can actually be a challenge in the beginning.
Is it worth it?
Of course! Everything that is worthwhile has some level of friction or a challenge that is presented. Beating down these roadblocks define success, all throughout life not just on a keto diet!
