Halp! Fairly disappointed so far

I'm on week 5 of ZC and can't say I've been having particularly great results.

Preface:

I decided to try ZC primarily to lose some body fat as I struggle to be as lean as I would like, to potentially clear up some chronic skin issues, near constant hunger, and to improve sleep and energy. Sleep quality and energy have always been fair (maybe 7 or 8 on a scale to 10), but hey, better is better right and if there was something could do to improve them why not?

I'll say that my diet starting off wasn't particularly poor, eating a high protein, moderate fat, low carb diet for quite some time (consistently >160g protein, 40-70g fat, <100g carbs). Protein coming primarily from meat (ground beef, turkey, and chicken), greek yogurt, and casein powder. For reference I'm 5'6 155-160lbs.

I'd tried ZC once or twice in the past but only for short periods (about 2 weeks or so), but resolved to give a legitimate 30 days this time.

Current Diet:

As stated, I've just started week 5. A typical day of eating over these past 4 weeks has been about 1-1.5lbs ground beef (primarily 80/20, but starting this week switched to 85/15) + .75-1.0lbs strip or ribeye steak + 3-4 eggs + some hard aged cheddar or goat cheese + 1 cup coffee w/heavy cream. Of course there are days when a meal has been substituted with BBQ ribs and fatty brisket, but that's generally only once or twice a week. I took the first two weeks to wean off artificial sweeteners (primarily stevia) and have been sweetener free for the past 2+ weeks. Consistently drink plenty of water.

Results:

Weight - I lost 2pounds almost immediately, which I'm sure was just water. After the first week or so the weight came back and then started to climb. I'm fairly certain I have put on some fat and do not feel or look as lean as when I started.

Energy - As I said, I didn't consider my energy levels to be a significant issue when I started, but can't really say I've experienced any improvement. If anything, things have gotten worse. I started experiencing consistent daily crashes around 3:00. Feeling completely fatigued and lethargic with little to no motivation to exercise. This is not something that was ever and issue for me before.

Sleep - Sleep quality has been terrible. It was a slow decline and there was a consistent period that was really really bad. I've made a few adjustments and things have gotten better, but still below baseline.

Digestion - I experienced the requisite few days of loose stool, as expected, but that resolved pretty quickly and pooping's been mostly fine which is a pleasant surprise. Definite reduction in gas due to not eating cruciferous vegetables which has been good. More troubling is the consistent mild nausea and acid reflux. Just a general ick feeling in my stomach that seems to last all day, particularly after eating ground beef. It's not lack of hunger, because I still feel hungry and have no problem eating.

Adjustments:

I've tried eating less rendered fat, that definitely causes problems. I started supplementing with 2000mg-4000mg sodium (from real salt) in water with fresh lime juice. I did this daily for a period of weeks, but didn't really notice any discernible affects and have since mostly phased it out. I cut out all dairy (except for heavy cream in coffee). I wasn't eating that much, just a slice or two of aged cheddar or goat cheese on ground beef burgers for flavor. I went about a week and noticed no differences.