Why You Feel So Thirsty on the Keto Diet

Do you feel the urge to drink water all the time while on the keto diet? For starters, there is probably nothing to be scared about unless you are feeling super sick. Feeling constant thirst is one of the initial side effects of a keto diet and something that a lot of people experience as their body transitions into ketosis.

In addition to feeling thirsty, you may also be urinating more frequently and feeling tired from the effects of dehydration. The keto diet can make you feel thirsty as a result of burning up all the glycogen in the body. When your body consumes carbs, those carbs get converted into glycogen and are stored in the cells of the liver and muscles. One gram of glycogen also includes 3 grams of water. This leads to what we call water weight.

With all the water lost, your body inevitably starts to feel the effects of thirst as the glycogen doesn’t get replenished (now that you are following a fat-rich diet). Our recommendation for those who are feeling constant thirst is to listen to your body. Always have a bottle of water with you. Those who don’t stay hydrated are likely to have a worse experience with their keto flu phase so do your best to keep your body stress-free.

In addition to drinking plenty of water, it’s also important to replenish your body with electrolytes when fighting thirst. Your body will start to lose electrolytes like sodium and magnesium as a result of the loss in water weight. An electrolyte imbalance in the body could make the thirst symptoms worse so it’s important to keep these minerals in check.