A common cause of post-meal fatigue is an immune response to food. Your meal has a lot of dairy and nightshades, both of which can cause immune responses in people with leaky guts.

I think you should (a) not force-feed yourself but (b) eat a more balanced diet with some starch (which will help improve your gut integrity) and fewer immunogenic foods. Try swapping out dairy and nightshades for other foods, but adding in a few hundred calories of carbs.

I believe you're eating too much at one time, which kicks off a big insulin response even though you are eating low carb. Try eating 3x a day with about 500-700 cals per meal. That's about 5-6 oz of protein with some good fat and some veggies.

That happens to me when I am in deep ketosis after going very low carb. I also experience nausea and poor sleep. The only thing that helps is to raise my carbs a bit.

You'll have to find the level that works for you, giving you more energy, but still allowing weight loss. No need to force something if you feel like crap. Paleo doesn't always equal very low carb eating. It's a personal thing. I wish you success!

I've said some of this in comments but thought I'd also make it an 'answer' :-)

Anyway, some thoughts:

• What you're describing sounds a LOT like a sugar crash. Suddenly deeply tired, like you could lay right down on the sidewalk and doze for even just a few minutes? Feel like pulling the car over to the curb so you can doze? A "sugar crash" btw isn't usually about too little sugar in the blood but too much: after years on a SAD diet the body gets resistant to the insulin which is supposed to clear out the toxic level of glucose quickly (usually into fat - thus obesity and other ills), and so more and more is produced but sometimes can't keep up with the demand, and blood sugar rises (resulting in sleepiness). This is pre-diabetes btw, and can evolve into diabetes if kept up.

You can determine if this is the case with a simple and cheap blood glucose meter (I apologize - again - for the repetition! I think I'm turning into an obnoxious BGM evangelist!) It's just so simple to know what's happening re carbs - why spend months guessing, or chasing down obscure allergies that may or may not be the cause?

• An immune response IS always possible of course but takes a while to isolate definitively.

• 'Starvation' is very risky! That clear-headed hollow feeling where you feel like you're finally powerful? That feeling of pride? For me I've learned that's a sign to run not walk to the nearest cube of Kerrygold! Once in a while it's fantastic, but on a regular basis it's a time bomb for binging. If it's between your will and your body your body will ultimately win every time! Make sure you have plenty of good calories - give your body what it really needs and the weight will fall off. You can turn it into a single meal, but be careful you're not getting too many accumulative carbs - some "starch" might be ok but not all in one big dose.

• Be very suspicious with anything from a 'chain' restaurant. Their ingredients will have tons of sugar, and the meats will be too low fat or injected with sugar and salt - and not all gets reported in the disclosures. Best, make your own. Add more interesting greens (I'm hooked on the loose Arugula) or your own meat.

• Congratulations on your fantastic progress!!

Maybe you shouldn't force-feed yourself. If you're not hungry, don't eat. Right now, I wouldn't worry about calories - eat when you're hungry, eat the right stuff and eat until you're full. I know that if I have a full meal at lunch time, I'm good for a long time, and if I eat when I'm not hungry, my stomach takes energy away to process the food I don't need to eat, especially if I eat a really big meal I'm not hungry for.

Are you exhausted before you eat? Do you eat the same thing for dinner for weeks on end? I would suggest that you try eating something different, and just listen to your body for now. If you're hungry, it will let you know.

When I'm in full blown ketosis I do note something like nervous energy and sometimes i get some aching (like flu?). I start drinking tons of water, I think this might help flush some of the keytones out. I also see it as a time to throw myself into some exercise or strenuous activity to burn off this energy...get busy with that energy!

Maybe fasting instead of eating is worth a try (eat those calories in 2 big meals + snacks)....but be prepared to adjust your calories, once exercising you'll need it to keep your 'furnace' burning!!

I would also change up the meal a bit, as suggested above, maybe the nightshades could be an issue for you and you aren't aware of it. Something could be going on, play around with different foods and see if you note any changes in how you feel.

keep up the great work!!

Could it be that you are eating too much calories in one meal? I find that I usually feel tired after I consume my first meal after fasting, which usually consists of close to 2000 calories.

I originally read about keeping calories under 500 per meal 15 years ago in Enter the Zone by Barry Sears. That was my introduction to the problems caused by too much insulin. This one point seems to prove out in my experience. Also, the romaine lettuce in the Chipotle salad is surprisingly high in carbs. http://dailyburn.com/nutrition/romaine_lettuce_12_cup_calories 1 cup is 24 grams. Quite a difference from Chipotle's assessment. Try different meal combinations and macronutrient ratios and see what works for you. The ideal is to feel satiated for 4-5 hours while feeling awake. I eat about 15 grams of carb per meal, which is equivalent to 1 piece of bread or 1/2 cup rice or 1 cup of non-starchy vegetables. When I kept that carb level but increased protein and fat, I started gaining. when I went back to 5 oz of protein and a little less fat, I started losing again. as much as I wish it weren't so, I believe calories do count somewhat. But the only way I can reduce calories is to eat low carb, because high carb meals just makes me hungry and sleepy.