| Archive for The Magic Bus Trip Never get off the Bus! |
| Sol |
Feeling fatigue from fat feastingHi,I'm interested to know if folks here have experienced fatigue from this way of eating. Kristelle, you mentioned in my smelly armpit post that you had fatigue with too much protein. I feel some fatigue in the afternoons. Fortunately, I work from home on a very flexible schedule and can take naps whenever I want. My hunch is that my liver is needing to get used to high fat. Before becoming carnivore I would feel some discomfort in my liver when I'd eat too much fat. Now that I've cut out the carbs I feel much less liver sensation and I've been eating much more fat. My thought is that supporting my liver with kombucha, and lemon water are good things. Plus, I read in Bee Wilder's web-site that coconut oil and butter don't require bile to digest so I'll experiment with focusing on those fats for a while as well. And, maybe it'd be worth taking some lipase for a while. Thoughts? Experiences? Suggestions? Thanks, Sol p.s. I cut back on the beef yesterday and I'm back to not smelling like a piece of meat. I'm relieved because there are coyotes near town and yesterday I would have been either a target or an annoying tease to them. Also, I apologize if my meat smell offended anyone with sensitive noses 
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| jeff |
No fatigue for me. Just the opposite, in fact. I always seem to have plenty of energy and I only require about 5-6 hours of sleep since going close to zero carb. On days when I have absolutely no reason to get out of bed, I still wake up at 6 or 6:30 AM, after getting no more than about 6 hours of sleep. I feel just fine....not sleep deprived at all. | ||||||||||||
| Kristelle |
If I feel fatigued in the afternoon, especially if within a couple of hours after eating, I know that I've either not eaten not enough fat (too much protein) OR that I'm allergic to something I ate. | ||||||||||||
| Karen |
i can relate...im starting to notice on really high fat days i am fatigued and need an afternoon nap. I don't have a gallbladder..and i can't help wondering if thats part of the problem..if maybe my body is just not "working right" ... i don't know! i am going to try eating more toward 65% fat and see if it makes a difference..ALSO...i think i too will up the coconut oil and lower the butter and cream... | ||||||||||||
| Sol |
Karen,
I'm going to experiment with lean sources of protein that I add butter or coconut oil to and slow down on beef and other fatty four-leggeds as I think animal fat may be stressing my liver. I'm also going to look at ways to support my liver so that it gets more comfortable handing more fat. I woke up this morning with loose stools and a very mild nausea so I get that I need to support my body during this transition. Sol |
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| Billi-Jean |
Sol, to me it just sounds like transitional issues.
Your body has to adapt to using fatty acids and ketones as its main sources of fuel. This commonly produces all sorts of symptoms from weakness, lethargy and brain fog, to flu-like symptoms and others. It can take weeks or even longer to fully adjust. Higher fat:protein ratios are generally thought (and this is my experience too) to help speed up the process. How many grams of carbs are you eating per day? Have you ever considered going without the kombucha and lemon juice for a little while? You may find you may not 'need' them as a carnivore. When I gave up all carbs except herbs and spices (including herbal teas), I very quickly found that my body didn't handle these remaining herbs and spices well at all. I got digestive issues and things like mild cramp-like pains in what seemed to be the kidney area among other things. Removing all seasonings completely eradicated these symptoms. Adopting a carnivorous diet has the potential to bring out all sorts of previously unidentified 'issues' with plant matter, depending on the individual. Just my thoughts... Oh, and the loose stools and nausea are also common, especially as your gut flora balance changes. It too should pass and the result will most likely be a quieter, calmer GI tract that can better handle the fat and protein that you eat. |
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| Sol |
Hi Billi-Jean,
Thanks for your thoughtful response and support.
Yes, I think so too. Changing the fuel mix for my body plus dumping old toxins. The fatigue doesn't surprise me.
Yes, my body is telling me the same thing. Keep the protein adequate but not high. Keep fat high.
The only carb I consume, aside from the trace amounts that might exist in eggs and meat, is the kombucha. I might get 20 or 30 grams of carbs from the kombucha every day.
I posted a message on Bee Wilder's Candida Support Yahoo Group (an outstanding group, very much in harmony with this way of eating) asking about liver support. She recommended I stop the kombucha, not because of the sugar or carbs in it but because of the alcohol, which she reminded me, is hard on the liver. So, there go the rest of my carbs.  But, the lemon water feels right to me.
It's interesting to hear your experience with herbs and spices. I don't do very many spices but I want to support my liver for a while during the transition and Bee recommended slippery elm, dandelion, and milk thistle teas. I'm going to try them out and see how I feel. Bee also recommended coffee enemas, dry skin brushes, and an electrolyte drink (water, sea salt, lemon juice). I'm not planning to do these things long term, just during the transition to carnivore.
I'm looking forward to a calmer GI tract and to better handling fat and protein. Thanks again, Billi-Jean, for sharing your experience and support. Sol |
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| Billi-Jean |
You're welcome, Sol!  Gee, the men on the bus are such gentlemen! 
Keep us posted, please, on how you are tweaking things! 
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| Lauren |
Kristelle,
How much fat vs. protein do you eat? I'm still tampering with this and I'm interested to hear what works for you. Billi-Jean, You mention brain fog from starting to use ketones as fuel. I have been experiencing this in the extreme. Does this last long? Lauren |
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| Billi-Jean |
Lauren, the first time I went nearly zero carb (still eating some nuts, cheese, herbs, spices etc. sometimes), I was still fairly 'fat-phobic' so I was eating way more protein than fat. I had brain fog and fatigue for over a month and fell off the wagon still having issues with it.
A few months later I went zero carb, this time I eliminated all carbs (including herbs and spices) and I also upped my fat to as much as 90% of total cals. Very occasionally I ate cheese and processed meats and mayo and even some nuts very rarely. I was stunned at how little brain fog I had. I think it was within a week or so of boosting my fat to this degree that I noticed how much better my mind 'worked'. Also had way more energy. Then I slipped up again for about 2 months and now, this final time on zero carb and very high fat I'm experiencing some mild brain fog but it is intermittent and it seems to be, for me, linked to coffee consumption. Perhaps I can't tolerate coffee anymore because I notice the brain-fog comes on 10-20 minutes after I drink coffee. The rest of the time, again, I'm fine. I had only a few days at the start where I was a total mess, couldn't think straight, was emotional and terribly fatigued, but, on very high fat, most of this passed within days. Wish I could be more help or give you a more definite answer. 
Oh, and I also supposedly have ADD (though I was diagnosed with it after years of semi-starvation so mine could have been triggered by that), so I'm an expert on brain fog  , however, I have now stopped needing to take Ritalin, after only a few weeks of high fat. Just got through my last 2 exams without it!
How long have you been experiencing the brain fog? Are you having other symptoms too? I'd be tempted to think, that if you want to 'hurry-along' the process, trying a few really high fat days where you cut your protein to around 10-20% of cals and have the rest as fat may just help. Hang in there! Brain-fog is just awful, I know! 
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| ~mina~ |
mmm ive been reading some about fat 'dumping' (to be polite about it) carrying with it metals and toxins. in other words, the more fat that.. uh.. goes out.. the more of these things that are carried with it. but how do we get more fat in transit? my feeling is the more fats you take in (but only with vlc.. it doesnt exactly work with hc) the more move out. we all know this is true.. eat too much fat and you may be in trouble. anyways.. ive been thinking about that after reading mike eades post on orlistat http://www.proteinpower.com/drmik...ss/a-legitimate-use-for-orlistat/ I probably didnt word it right what i am thinking and i might have to re-explain myself but I hope you get the gist of what I mean ( i dont like talking about this too much  )
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mina ps: oh what i meant to add was.. as your body detoxes these metals and things maybe thats why you get tired.. that and your body adapting to new a new fuel source of course
pss: a few years ago I got very very fatigued and thought it was from lc.. I went off lc for a bit but the energy never came back.. turned out I was severely anemic even though I ate lots of red meat. if the suggestions dont work for you or if your fatigue is overwhelming you might want some bloodwork (too much iron can also cause this if you have hemochromotosis). not trying to be a hypochodriac, just sayin!
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