the ketogenic semi-elemental diet day 4: those first days low-carb are painful

breakfast lunch and dinner

Today is my early day at work, and I felt like total crap when I got up.  Got into work, had some tea  but nothing seemed to help, not even my incredible goddess kombucha.  I was exhausted and depressed, and my body refused to move, and the smallest movements took a ridiculous amount of effort.  Even walking was a chore, as my limbs felt stiff and uncoordinated.  My plan was to work until 12:30, stop and pick up the milk and eggs from the farm drop, meet with my contractor and then take the dogs to the Wiss to run, but honestly I could not see how I could possibly muster the strength to trail run my normal 5 mile route the way I was feeling.

I met with Bob soon after I got home and managed to lug the perishables up the front steps and put them in the fridge.  He showed up at my house early, which annoyed me, but then I have been incredibly irritable on this diet.

After the meeting, I had a cup of genmaicha tea, and I actually felt pretty good sitting there in the chair, so I ignored the heaviness in my limbs and allowed my mind to insist that we go to the park and at least try to run. So I laced up the ankle braces and the dogs were ecstatic, since they were wondering what was going on with me.  We drove to our usual spot in the Wissahickon, I put my headphones on, and I have NO IDEA how I did it, but with the help of some good tunes I ran with them for over an hour.  No I did not feel good.  And I did actually did walk up a couple of steep rocky hills that normally I  run up, but somehow I got the job done and I was really proud of myself.

My ketones tested at .4, which sucks, no wonder I feel so weak today.  The word I keep repeating is keto-adaptation.  I just have to get through this misery, and hopefully before the end of the two weeks I will feel better.  Continuing to exercise on a ketogenic diet, despite how difficult it is, is one of the ways you can shorten the time it takes to adapt supposedly.  That and keeping your protein intake moderate (around 20%) and your fat intake high, all of which I'm doing.  Hopefully tomorrow will be better.