Ok, here's my two cents: I would cut out the coconut oil regardless of WHY it is having a negative effect on you...It's something I use and love but maybe not for you. You can still be healthy and/or Paleo without it. In regards to the lethargy, I would guess that you are not getting enough carbs from veggies and fruits. Up your intake of fresh vegs/fruits and I would be willing to bet your energy problem will disappear.

-David 6'5" 205lbs 7% body fat Paleo for 4 years Age: 28

Maybe start with teaspoon or smaller amount and work your way up. Or, like said previously, leave it out for a while.

Just don't do coconut oil. Problem solved. I don't use it, I only use olive oil; it is very nice and flavorful very luxurious and accessible. I read somewhere that coconut oil is not good for you, I know its a paleo deal, but I just don't incorporate it into my program. Plus, try some yerba mate tea, if your feeling drowsy, maybe it will push you through the low carb flu.

I am not a doctor, but my guess is it has something to do with liver. I am saying this because I have the same thing and I react to coconut oil in the same way.

I cannot do oils, period - my liver cannot take them.

If I were you, I would get your liver in balance. How to do it? Not sure, I am struggling with it myself.

I can eat fish, but that's about it for oils and fats. Not much, right?

One thing for sure - do not do anything with coconut oil for a while. Try experimenting with other Paleo approved foods. I do not do well with olive oil either.

Good luck!

Hi the coconut oil could be causing fatigue because it is a very potent yeast killer, Caprilic acid and lauric acid are in coconut oil and if it kills off yeast you will have a die off reaction which causes atkins like flu symptems. Start off with just one teaspoon a day and build up to bigger amounts slowly.

2 spoonfuls of coconut oil (from Jarrow Formulas)...I became so tired that I fell asleep on my desk, at work! Feel very, very fatigued... Do I have a different body type?

You may have medium-chain acyl-coenzyme A dehydrogenase deficiency (MCADD) or a related condition.

MCADD is a genetic disorder that prevents the body from metabolizing medium chain fatty acids. It's not uncommon especially among people of northern European descent. The incidence in northern Germany is about one out of 4,000.

If I were you, I would stop eating coconut oil and MCT oil. They may be dangerous for you.

It might be a good idea to get checked for MCADD by a doctor.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medium_chain_acyl_dehydrogenase_deficiency#cite_note-saudubray-1

A 75 gram shake knocks me out of ketosis. Are you doing the shakes during the never ending carb flu you mentioned?

Being tired and associating it with the consumption of coconut oil are not necessarily linked. It is more probable that coming off of the carbs has caused you the most severe withdrawal symptoms and alerts you to just how strong the carbohydrate addiction is, as all of your other symptoms are classic ones for carb addiction. (There is also a state at which the body is not yet making "enough" ketones, when it is new to the keto state and whereupon not enough carbs are coming in from the low carb diet, and this state of "neverland" is one that can last for a long time before you get into full-blown ketosis, but there are remedies for this...see recommended website for them...) Many people who experience these quit ketogenic diets completely and never attempt them again, because those symptoms are so severe, so good for you for knowing how healthy ketogenic diets are and for sticking it out! Please visit Dr. Peter Attia's website (www.waroninsulin.com) and you will know just how normal this stuff you are experiencing "is". Dr. Attia himself had labored long and hard with the carb flu/withdrawal and having an expert on keto-nutrition is a definite must in cases for anyone who has a metabolic condition. Ketosis is our best line of defense and pretty much our only hope of getting off any weight (if this is one of your goals), due to what Gary Taubes affectionately calls "metabolic derrangment". I wish you the very best, Mary

I have got to say the fatigue has nothing to do with your paleo diet and everything to do with the coconut oil. Ever since I started taking coconut oil I have the same reaction, and I've never attempted paleo or atkins-type diet. I doubt it's anything to do with die-off either because it's the same reaction whether I've been on the beck blood cleaner for 2 hours, or after I hit the 60 drops h2o2 point. If you can do those without cleansing reaction and still get fatigued from coconut oil there's something else happening. The comment about eating carbs kinda clicks tho because the fatigue isn't so bad if I take the coconut oil with some apple juice. I've taken all quantities of coconut oil up to a full cup at a time, and the strength of the fatigue scales with the volume of oil. It's so bad at times that I begin to fall asleep while driving, yawning all day sometimes. I would investigate liver function (milk thistle extract) and not the diet.

It seems most commenters are associating your reaction to either 1) adverse reaction to the coconut oil, 2) lack of carbs, 3) candida die-off, or 4) an adjustment period of sorts. I think it's unwise to assume it's any of the 4 when you can do isolated experiments to figure it out:

1) I would start by replacing the coconut oil with some other type of oil and get the same amount of fat. Unless you know for a fact you can tolerate dairy I would go with uncooked olive oil, animal fats, avocado, ghee. If you keep getting the same reaction, then move onto the 2nd hypothesis:

2) Add in more carbs slowly. I would suggest simple starches like white rice or potato. If you keep getting the same reaction, then it's time to test the 3rd hypothesis:

3) In this case, I would stay with the non-coconut oils but take alternative yeast killers like grapefruit seed extract, threelac powder, olive leaf extract, etc. If that fixes the problem, then try the coconut oil again and see how you do this time around. If it doesn't, then onto the 4th hypothesis!

4) I'm sure others would have a better answer than I on how long you should test out the adjustment period.

Sounds like candida. The brain fog, the lethargy, the sugar cravings, etc. Contrary to what was previously believed, candida actually thrives on ketones (I know, the little bastards are a maddening fungus). So if you have systemic candida the medicinal effect of the acids in the oil can be nullified when coconut oil and MCT are taken in great quantities along with a VLC diet.

I would suggest try having a little bit of coconut oil, but not enough to go into ketosis, along with a slightly higher amount of root vegetables to up your carbs enough to stay out of ketosis and see how you feel.

Why? Because ketosis is not a natural or desirable state for your body to be in.

I have the same experience with coconut oil, to a lesser degree with Butter, and to a lesser degree with olive oil. I can't do high fat. But I CAN DO MODERATE FAT. First time I took coconut oil I took two tablespoons and washed it down with some tea. I felt like I was hit by a truck. The lethargy, heaviness, fatigue and weakness/dizziness was quite mind-blowing. I didn't know any food could do that to me XD

Yesterday I made a styr fry... with coconut oil. I was SO tired and fatigued. My boyfriend was whining about me being tired all the time. I must say the effect of the coconut oil was less severe than the first time I took it, but was still VERY MUCH there. I just had some butter with Turkey and cheese, I AM TIRED. XD Maybe somethings wrong with my body. I dont know. I will just have to take it easy with the saturated fats I guess. I just feel very fatigued having them in my diet. Grains and legumes generally are bad news for me too though. Im staying modified paleo just gonna have to figure out how to eat.. without dear coconut oil and butter.

Hi the coconut oil could be causing fatigue because it is a very potent yeast killer, Caprilic acid and lauric acid are in coconut oil and if it kills off yeast you will have a die off reaction which causes atkins like flu symptems. Start off with just one teaspoon a day and build up to bigger amounts slowly.

Although you post very little about the rest of your diet, 75g of protein in one meal is massive. The idea of maintaining a successful state of ketosis (reaching it in the first place) is eating 6-7 smaller meals throughout the day, definitely not trying to stay without food as long as you describe! Coconut oil is excellent on a keto-diet as it is pure fat (0 carbohydrates). You should check the carbs content of your protein mix (around 2-3g per 30g serving should be fine). It sounds like your diet is not tweaked as well as it should be! Sleepiness could be from an insulin spyke that somehow accurs with ingestion of carbs. I suggest seeing a dietitian (they won't be keen on KETO though) or a fitness profressional. Massive fatigue is normal during the first weeks of keto, but a KETO diet can only be effective under VERY controlled circumstances. Good luck!

Because ketosis is not a natural or desirable state for your body to be in.

It's very likely that ketosis is the natural default state for humans.

My guess is that you are experiencing the "Atkins Flu."

It lasts a few days when you enter ketosis and it is your body reacting to the change in fuel source from carbs to fat.

My advice would be to switch to a LCHF diet for one month. Go heavy on the Coconut oil and other good saturated fats. Find good sources of Omega 3 oils (fish or even supplements).

Eliminate all simple carbs (if you haven't already) and less protein. (Too much protein can raise blood sugar/insulin through glucosneogenesis).

Hope that helps!

Well I like to poop my pants when I'm Low Carbing... The Coconut Oil makes it slip outta my shorts much quicker :)

Wow - some really interesting stuff here!

But can someone please explain me: how can ketosis NOT be a natural state for the body to be in when nearly all our ancestors > 10,000 years ago were most likely in ketosis nearly all of the time?