Lack of carbs making me energyless
 

Help, I'm trying to do low carb to kick start my plateau and I'm lethargic. So tired and I can't seem to get enough calories because EVERYTHING has carbs.
Is this normal?

Angela

Low-carb is popular, but that doesn't mean it's necessarily the best thing, let alone for everyone. Personally I do best with plenty of complex carbs, wholegrains as much as possible, and keep an eye on methods that stabilise my blood sugar. For instance, when I make bread (bread machines are awesome), I use sourdough every time, generally make it wholewheat or at least brown, and often put in barley flour. All those things are good for blood sugar. Plus I don't eat huge amounts of it, a slice or two a day.

I felt that way for weeks off and on when I switched to a ketogenic diet... Salty chicken broth seemed to help somewhat...

I did manage to lose 10lbs in a month... But ultimately I found that it wasn't sustainable for me... I was eating around 20 to 30g of carbs a day... But it just wasn't working for me... I was not comfortable eating all that fat to make up the difference in my energy needs... And I just didn't feel I had the energy I wanted to start running again...

Now I'm back up to a 100 to 150g of carbs a day.... And so far, I've been able to maintain the 10lb loss... Right now I'm trying to be realistic about just how hard it's going to be for me to lose these last few lbs...

I would go complex carbs as mentioned above.

Try oats. Dried fruits (figs, dates, apricots, prunes). Berries.

Just cut the refined (sugar, cakes, candy, bread etc. etc. etc.)

Angela,
How long have you been trying to do the Low Carb. If your just starting then you could be in the keto flu part, which is normal for most people just starting and getting into ketosis.

Your body needs about 130g of carbs to function on a daily basis.

Originally Posted by Laifierr:
Your body needs about 130g of carbs to function on a daily basis.

No it doesn't.

The human body does not NEED carbs, were that the case we'd die within days of entering a fasted state, it actually functions just fine on ketone bodies which are a byproduct of breaking down fat stores, or mimicking that state by being in ketosis by following a diet that is high fat/moderate protein/very low carb (usually under 50 grams total).

The whole "Needs Carbs" school of thought came from someone hearing that carbs are the body's "preferred fuel". That doesn't mean carbs are the BEST fuel, just the fastest to access. Even faster is the byproduct of drinking alcohol, but you don't hear anyone suggesting we live off ethanol.

Originally Posted by ReNew Me:
No it doesn't.

The human body does not NEED carbs, were that the case we'd die within days of entering a fasted state, it actually functions just fine on ketone bodies which are a byproduct of breaking down fat stores, or mimicking that state by being in ketosis by following a diet that is high fat/moderate protein/very low carb (usually under 50 grams total).

The whole "Needs Carbs" school of thought came from someone hearing that carbs are the body's "preferred fuel". That doesn't mean carbs are the BEST fuel, just the fastest to access. Even faster is the byproduct of drinking alcohol, but you don't hear anyone suggesting we live off ethanol.

Well yes you can use a ketogenic diet to lose weight, however, it is not sustainable nor is it healthy for your body. (It is also deadly for Type 1 and long term Type 2 diabetics).

This article by Dr. John Berardi addresses this topic: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-b...b_6406834.html

Originally Posted by diamond_girl:
Help, I'm trying to do low carb to kick start my plateau and I'm lethargic. So tired and I can't seem to get enough calories because EVERYTHING has carbs.
Is this normal?

Angela

Yes. Low carb eating is diuretic and you will lose electrolytes faster than you would with a high carb diet (which retains water). The lethargy is caused by electrolyte depletion. Electrolyte depletion can also cause hunger and muscle cramping.

Make sure to get enough potassium, sodium, and magnesium. Those are the key electrolytes to focus on.

The potassium and salt I get by using Morton's Lite salt on foods and I get magnesium by eating a square a dark chocolate (90%) and a serving of pumpkin seeds everyday.

And the bad feeling will pass. It just takes time for your body to get used to the change.

Lots of good information here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/keto/wiki/faq

There's also a low carb subreddit if you want to eat more carbs.

Also if you want to low carb, but don't want to eat meat, there is a subreddit for that as well.

I also highly recommend George Stella's "The Complete Low Carb Cookbook". There are a lot of useful and delicious recipes that will help you replace the high carb foods you normally enjoy. It made my transition a whole lot easier.

As for eating just keep in mind moderate protein, high fat, and low carb.

Low carb diets are safe long term and for people like me, who are insulin resistant, they are a necessity to avoid diabetes.

Originally Posted by Laifierr:
Well yes you can use a ketogenic diet to lose weight, however, it is not sustainable nor is it healthy for your body. (It is also deadly for Type 1 and long term Type 2 diabetics).

This article by Dr. John Berardi addresses this topic: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-b...b_6406834.html

And as we all know, the Huffington post is nearly as reliable a news source as Fox, and certainly never tries to create sensationalistic headlines, sigh.

Look, one of the biggest reasons the keto and paleo people drift away from this board is we just get tired, tired of justifying, tired of educating, tired of repeating ourselves again, and again, and again.

I've lost count of how much time I've spent on this board trying to help people. If you're actually curious, tell you what, do a search in the Low Carb forum for posts under my name, lots of good info and links.

As for being unhealthy in the long term, that's wrong. Ask generations of Inuits BEFORE they were poisoned by the Western diet. No, it wasn't all the fish oil, it was the lack of carbs. They're still primarily relying on fish, and yet now they are noteworthy as people who have some of the FASTEST declining health of all people. A people who once didn't have a lick of heart disease are now keeling over from it. Scientists scratch their heads because, well gee, now they eat lots of fruits and veggies so they should be nice and healthy, right? I personally know many people who have been eating keto for years who are happy, healthy and able to maintain a healthy body weight effortlessly.

There are many, many, many books written by doctors addressing the health benefits of a keto diet, even more if you include books (and studies) addressing how carbs, ALL CARBS, consumed to the amounts recommended by the food pyramid is garbage. ALL carbs turn into sugar that has to be dealt with by insulin. Brown rice will spike your insulin almost as badly as a Snickers bar.

And the single best thing a person who is pre-diabetic can do for their health is cut their dietary carbs.

Ever since the government made dietary recommendations to raise carbs and reduce fat people have been getting fatter, getting more heart disease and diabetes, DESPITE eating less fat than ever in our history. And also rates of brain and CNS diseases -- lovely little things like ALS, MS, Parkinson's, Alzheimers -- are increasing, interestingly, the brain and CNS contain enormous quantities of cholesterol.

I eat keto because I feel better, it has alleviated depression and keeps my hunger suppressed with no energy lags throughout the day. If you go low carb without raising your fats you're shortchanging yourself to the real potential of a low carb diet.

Originally Posted by Laifierr:
Well yes you can use a ketogenic diet to lose weight, however, it is not sustainable nor is it healthy for your body. (It is also deadly for Type 1 and long term Type 2 diabetics).

This article by Dr. John Berardi addresses this topic: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-b...b_6406834.html

For every article stating that the body needs carbs, you will find at least one that says it does not. That argument has gone on for years and will probably continue for as many years to come. I think it depends on the individual. What works for one may not work for all.

Diamond Girl I noticed you posted this in April, has anything changed? I went through what you were going through when I switched over to no/low carb
diet but eventually my body got use to it.

I eat Meats, Fish, Salads, when I want cheese I do Monterrey Pepper Jack(no carbs). The only sugar I have is a small glass of Lipton Decaffeinated Tea with Sugar in the Raw in it. I am basically following the Atkins Diet and I just finished Phase 1 and now can have a small portion of fruit.

So far since I was diagnosed in June I have lost 9lbs and my BS ranges from 80 to 100. It was 190 when I first saw my Doctor. I don't get headaches anymore, I don't feel tired during the day. I feel so much better and I FINALLY have the strength and will power to do this!

I hope everything worked out for you!

You need to balance a complex carb with protein. So, oats, or quinoa, or brown rice with protein. You'll feel better.

Originally Posted by ReNew Me:
No it doesn't.

The human body does not NEED carbs, were that the case we'd die within days of entering a fasted state, it actually functions just fine on ketone bodies which are a byproduct of breaking down fat stores, or mimicking that state by being in ketosis by following a diet that is high fat/moderate protein/very low carb (usually under 50 grams total).

The whole "Needs Carbs" school of thought came from someone hearing that carbs are the body's "preferred fuel". That doesn't mean carbs are the BEST fuel, just the fastest to access. Even faster is the byproduct of drinking alcohol, but you don't hear anyone suggesting we live off ethanol.

Well said, Renew Me.

I'm actually going to start a LCHF program again this weekend. I had started one months ago, but when day 5 hit, my heart started to race a bit and I was really shaky....kind of like when your blood sugar drops really low. I probably should have taken either more magnesium or drank some salted broth; I'm not sure. I just wasn't quite sure of what was going on, so I panicked and grabbed a small bag of pretzels....and then some crackers. It immediately stopped. But it kicked me out of ketosis and I was not a happy camper! :( So I quit and never returned to a LCHF program after that. I just wish I knew what happened that day; and more importantly would have loved to know what would have stopped it.

But the program itself was awesome. I was NEVER hungry. I only ate 3 times a day because I was so satiated - it was great.

I'm also going back to a LCHF program because I just entered the "change". And now, I noticed that I'm not losing weight like I used to. And I'm also noticing that carbs, even the "healthy" ones like oats, are bloating me to no end. And the more I read about a LCHF program, the more I want to be on one for the rest of my life. I can definitely handle eating like that!

FWIW the last few weeks I have been strictly adhering to the Wahls Protocol, which is a ketogenic diet. The days where I have the lowest energy are the days I am not diligent about eating adequate amounts of fat. A smoothie with coconut milk fixes me right up, as well as tea with a spoonful of coconut oil mixed in.