Why does intermittent fasting make me tired?

There are two reasons why you may be getting more tired instead of getting more energy while fasting. 

Fasting is supposed to take you from burning sugar to burning fat. When you’re fully adapted to ketosis, you’ll likely feel good and have tons of energy. But, if you don’t feel that way, it could be that you’re not at full fat-burning capacity. It typically takes about 3-7 days to fully get into fat-burning. 

How to get into fat-burning fast:  

• Keep your carbs low (below 40g per day, or below 20g if you have severe insulin resistance)

• Do fasting (1-2 meals a day)

• Take MCT oil or exogenous ketones (if you have severe insulin resistance)   

In order for the ketones to be burned in the energy factory (the mitochondria), it needs helper nutrients (cofactors). You need a combination of B vitamins, and you need minerals. If you’re deficient in these going into the keto program, you may experience keto fatigue. In this case, it may be helpful to take nutritional yeast and a good mineral blend.