[mlgibson]

Yeah...I don't have health insurance of any kind. So I haven't been to a doctor or had a check up or anything like that in a looooong time. I think I get sick less then others for it, lol, since I normally fight off whatever I have without meds.

[TooManyDimples]

Originally Posted by Brown

Carbs are sugars. They have everything to do with insulin production.

ETA: I HIGHLY recommend the movie Fat Head. It's a response to Supersize Me. It explains in very simple layman's terms what carbohydrates do to insulin production and your blood sugar levels.

Doubling the recommendation for Fat Head. I found it really interesting and got my husband to watch it and he was blown away by it. If you have netflix it's available on instant. I've also heard it's on Hulu.

[nikkinouille]

I also did a low/almost NO carb diet a couple years ago... Lost 15 lbs in less than 3 weeks. BUT like the OP - i felt HORRIBLE. No energy. Shaky. Tired all the time. The hunger only bothered me the 1st week. The only carbs I had were the ones found in certain veggies that had <1g or things like fat free cream cheese which (correct me if I am wrong) is somewhere around 1-2g? I basically LIVED off salads, tuna, & pickles. Anyway... my experience is definitely that it worked for me but not without repurcussions. I may or may not try it again for some quick results.

[berryblondeboys]

Originally Posted by nikkinouille

I also did a low/almost NO carb diet a couple years ago... Lost 15 lbs in less than 3 weeks. BUT like the OP - i felt HORRIBLE. No energy. Shaky. Tired all the time. The hunger only bothered me the 1st week. The only carbs I had were the ones found in certain veggies that had <1g or things like fat free cream cheese which (correct me if I am wrong) is somewhere around 1-2g? I basically LIVED off salads, tuna, & pickles. Anyway... my experience is definitely that it worked for me but not without repurcussions. I may or may not try it again for some quick results.

But that is extreme and not a natural way of eating. I don't understand extremes and I think that's what people think of when they hear "low carb". Low carb for many means less than 100 net grams a day. Or, it means, only carbs found in fruit and veggies, but not in simple carbs. And so on. Going from probably close to 200 carbs a day to under 20 is a radical. Going from 200 to 100 is not.

[tricon7]

As a general rule, I try to limit things like bread and pasta, since they're so high in carbs. I try and go for more protein these days, particularly since it's so filling, and I still eat fruits and vegetables - especially things high in fiber.

[theCandEs]

I'm with Berry and Alaskan, and others who are doing the low-carb thing. I have insulin resistance also. I think a lot more people have it than they realize. I didn't ever to the crash-low-carbing, but I started out doing the South Beach Diet, and then I graduated to Mark Sisson's site. I'm "almost" grain-free. I feel better when I don't have any grains, and I lose more weight when I stick to that, too.

If you had such a strong response to cutting out carbs, I would look into a more balanced approach to low-carbing, if that is what you want to do.