One of the reasons why most people are not able to stick to a keto diet for long is the weakness it causes.

Let’s see why weakness is a common side effect of a keto diet…

Why does a keto diet cause weakness or fatigue?

When you stop eating carbohydrates as recommended by the keto diet, your body is suddenly deprived of its source of primary energy. Even if you are eating foods rich in fats, for your body, not getting carbs is like complete deprivation of its primary source of energy. 

This happens because over several years, your body had been tuned to use carbs to meet its energy requirements. So, it takes time for it to realize it needs to find an alternative source of fuel and then, start burning fats. 

Until the time your body gets accustomed to burning fats, you will develop symptoms like lack of energy, weakness, and fatigue.

This is kind of enviable. However, bearing with this weakness is definitely not evitable. Let me reveal some effective strategies to overcome weakness caused due to a keto diet.

Drink plenty of water

Water has the ability to help you feel fresh and energetic. It will keep your body well hydrated and thus, prevent excessive fatigue.

Avoid exercises

It is not advisable to start any new exercise routine at the beginning of a keto diet. The excessive physical activities that your body is not used to will make you feel weaker by draining the sources of energy. 

You can start simple exercises a few days into the keto lifestyle and then, slowly increase the intensity and duration of activities once weakness subsides.

Try caffeinated beverages

Caffeinated beverages like coffee could help you avoid weakness to some extent. Caffeine acts as a stimulant and enhances mental and physical stamina and endurance. 

However, avoid adding sugars to the coffee and do not let this strategy turn into a routine. Excessive intake of coffee may cause sleeplessness and even dependency. Restrict to not more than 2 to 3 cups of coffee per day to avoid weakness in the initial days of your keto diet.  

It just takes you a basic understanding of how a keto diet works and why it causes some specific side effects in order to derive optimum benefits. Now that you know how weakness occurs in people who follow a keto diet, make sure you follow the tips discussed here to avoid it with ease.

Diarrhea is one of the most annoying side effects of a ketogenic diet. However, if you do get diarrhea, it could also be a sign that your body has entered into the state of ketosis.  

The process your body follows during the phase of keto-adaptation involves the production of ketone bodies. Your body produces a large amount of ketone bodies to be used as a source of energy in place of carbs. 

During this period, the glycogen stored in the body gets depleted rapidly. A large percentage of glycogen and excess carbs are stored in the body as dissolved in water. So, as your body loses glycogen, along with it, it also loses water in which it is dissolved. 

It is this removal of water from the body that leads to loose motions, which most keto dieters experience, especially in the first few days. Let me share with you some tips to avoid this annoying symptom. 

Eat fiber-rich foods

Foods rich in dietary fibers like whole grains, cereals, and fresh fruits can increase the bulk of stools making them less watery thus preventing diarrhea. The fiber-rich foods will also help to create a sense of fullness in the stomach thereby reducing your food intake to help you lose weight faster. 

Add salt

Salt possesses hygroscopic properties, which means it can pull water along with itself. You can sprinkle some extra salt on your food so that excess water from the intestine is pulled back into the blood. This will prevent watery stools. 

Increase water intake

Make sure you drink plenty of water every day to keep yourself hydrated and prevent weakness caused due to dehydration. 

If you get diarrhea while on a keto diet, you can say you are getting closer to entering the state of ketosis. It is definitely a good sign. However, you need not bear with it as the water loss can worsen your weakness and fatigue. Instead, follow the tips mentioned above to control diarrhea without losing the benefits of ketosis. 

If you are on a keto diet for more than a few weeks without any positive results, perhaps it’s the time to include exogenous ketones in your diet. 

So, what are exogenous ketones? 

These are nothing but the external counterparts of the internal ketones called the endogenous ketone that your body produces during a keto diet.

This means when your body is taking time to produce ketone bodies while on a keto diet, you can use exogenous ketones to provide an external source of ketones that your body can use as a form of fuel. Let’s see how using exogenous ketone could speed up the process of ketosis.

Provides fuel

When you start a keto diet, your body will need some time to begin burning fats to meet its energy requirements. The energy is released during fat metabolism in the form of ketone bodies. 

The same ketone bodies can be supplied in the form of an external source such as BHB or Beta-Hydroxybutyrate. BHBs are similar to the endogenous ketones produced in your body and can be readily used as fuel thereby promoting faster ketosis.  

Improve stamina 

The use of exogenous ketones is specifically recommended for keto dieters who work out strenuously or are experiencing severe weakness due to the lack of carbohydrates in the diet. 

Beta-Hydroxybutyrate can boost your stamina and endurance and allow you to work out effortlessly. 

Weight loss

Exogenous ketones like BHBs can stimulate the body to burn fats at a faster rate. It will work as an intelligent clue to the body to start using fats to meet its energy requirement thereby promoting fat loss. 

Exogenous ketones offer a quick way for keto dieters to enter into a state of ketosis and stay into ketosis for longer. It will also help you lose weight more efficiently by improving your stamina thereby allowing you to burn more calories.