carbs are my enemy
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blktngldhrt wrote: »acorsaut89 wrote: »kmmargrave wrote: »Time for a bit of schooling.
Yes, eating a very low amount of carbs every day will make most people lose weight, and very quickly. I've been on Atkins since 2000--that's right, folks, that's 14 years--and I lost 30 lbs. initially. I stunk at maintenance, but could always, ALWAYS lose weight I'd regain. Cheating has two nasty consequences--headaches and digestional complaints, and massive sugar craving. Sticking to around 30-50 grams of net carb (carbs minus fiber) a day is the ticket, along with even low duration/low intensity exercise, and a ton of water a day.
Menopause and quitting smoking are game-changers, but a year and a half after quitting smoking, the weight is slowly coming off. Sugar (and carbs, which turn into sugar) is the enemy for me and other people as well.
YES, it's typical for many people to lose 4-5 lbs. in the first week.
NO, that's not just water.
I think the major issue here is the assumption that by cutting out carbs, you're cutting out the appropriate portion of those starchy carbs. I also would like to add some "schooling" here that fruits and veggies (which I'm sure you still eat) have a lot of carbs in them, they just do not have have starchy carbs - which is a major difference.
Carbs turn into sugar ONLY if you don't use the energy they create for your body. If you don't have the new energy in your body (put there by food) your body will use your fat stores to produce energy needed.
Bottom Line: carbs are not the enemy for anyone; portion control is your enemy. As was said before, many people (and myself included sometimes) don't properly portion things like pasta and potatoes and rice. The appropriate sized portions of these things are really very tiny and eating appropriate portions, I imagine you'd still lose a significant amount of weight. Further, as was also mentioned, you are getting the same quantity of food when you remove starchy carbs for less calories. For example, a plate filled with spaghetti and meat sauce will hold far more calories than that same plate filled grilled chicken breast and broccoli. You think you're getting the same thing when really you're filling yourself with foods that are the same volume for less calories. It's all an illusion and it still does not make carbs your enemy - you are your own worst enemy when it comes to things like this. Atkins just babysits you and tells you to eat this, not that. It's not rocket science, it's someone's way of getting rich based on almost everyone else's inability to portion what they eat.
Carbs are sugar, starch, and fiber. Fiber is the only one of those that isnt turned into sugar by the digestive tract. Your statement is not true.
My apologies - thanks for clarifying.
The main point was that they're energy and when you need more energy than you're putting into your body your body will use the reserves it has which leads to weight loss, or CICO.
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FatFreeFrolicking wrote: »blktngldhrt wrote: »mamapeach910 wrote: »tigersword wrote: »Exception, the difference when you cut out carbs is amazing and your body thanks you for it and punishes you for lapsing. I have had a social weekend eating at Chinese restaurants and at a friend's home and I have had the worst time trying to sleep. My head hurts, I feel foggy and I can't wait to return to normal eating. I am actually craving healthy food. Now please people, don't tell me there is no such thing as good or bad food because I will give you the address of this restaurant and you can check it out for yourselves.
Rachylouise, I hope you are still hanging in there in amongst all the "interesting discussions" about shifting weight and goodness know what. For the record, in Australia we use the term "shift" in relation to weight as well.
Funny, that's how I feel after a day of NOT eating carbs. Might be something to do with it being our primary food source for the last few million years...
The funny thing about all this is that I limit carbs myself. I'm a moderate carber, I feel best if I keep them around 100g (net) a day and get them mostly from beans and dairy rather than grains. But that's just me. I have autoimmune conditions and a generally inflammatory bunch of nonsense to deal with, so I eat to feel well and eat what I enjoy.
I feel as fine as I ever did on super low carb. In fact, I'm in less pain now because I exercise. I'm more satisfied with my food than I was on super low carb. I don't crave the stuff I don't eat either. If I do want something I don't normally eat, I have a small amount of it and then go on with my normal way of eating and I feel fine.
The only difference in my life now is that I eat less than I ate before coming to MFP. There's my problem with some of the low carbers in this thread. There's no magic to cutting carbs. If you feel better eating that way for whatever reason? More power to you. That's great. But for weight loss? It's still all about how many low-carb calories you're eating.
Haha. It is funny. I am super low carb. I eat about 18g of carbs a day (that's my max unless I exercise and eat back some). I still have to eat at a deficit to lose weight. There's no magic here.
Although, I have to admit as a hypoglycemic who suffered for a good while..it feels like magic. But that's just because I feel amazing now compared to before. Not because magic..but because my pancreas doesn't have much to overreact to anymore and my blood glucose isn't dropping into the 50s on a daily basis.
@blktngldhrt I have a question for you… I, too, am hypoglycemic. I overproduce insulin which causes my blood sugar to crash. I used to eat 200+ grams of carbs and my blood glucose was going from 160 to 40 mg/dL in less than 45 minutes. I have cut back tremendously and typically eat between 110-160 grams now. I am still experiencing crashes so I know I need to cut back more. However, every time I try to eat below 75 grams, I am dizzy, weak, confused, shaky, and feel like I'm going to pass out if I don't eat or drink something high in carbs. If I do not eat at least 100 grams of carbs, I cannot keep my blood glucose at a level which I can function normally. Did you experience this?
I'm going to completely throw a wrench in this, but I'll share my personal experience. I'm reactive hypoglycemic, and I had a period where I was going to "do the paleo diet", and I cut out a ton of carbs from my diet, although I think I was still getting 70-100g of carbs a day, so nothing super low. A few months later, I started having a lot of problems with hypoglycemic crashes and at times that completely didn't make sense. I'd eat 100g of chicken and some veggies for lunch, and I'd be shaking an hour later.
After a few weeks of that, I ended up going to the doctor, and my blood work all came back normal except my A1C was low, 4.5, which corresponded to me having all my crashes. The endocrinologist was also at a loss and put me on acarbose and had me test my blood every time before I drove, and she told me I wasn't allowed to drive unless my blood sugar was at least 70. That caused me to have to snack every time I drove anywhere, and it was just ridiculous. I'd eat a snack (usually candy + peanut butter crackers for immediate sugar and long term fats for sustaining the blood sugar) drive to the store, run in for 10 minutes, and my blood sugar would be back under 70 and I'd have to eat another snack to drive home.
The cycling made me miserable, and it wasn't sustainable. The endocrinologist gave up on me because all my hormone levels were normal. I went to a third doctor, who told me the endocrinologist was treating me like a diabetic even though I wasn't one. I stopped all the crazy snacking and she even told me to stop taking my blood sugars because it was just stressing me out. Her only advice was to go back to low carb.
At that point, I ignored all the doctors because I had done low carb before, and it seemed more like it caused the problem than helping it. So, I upped my carbs. I know I don't react well to carbs during the day because they do seem to make me feel like a crash more. So, I eat relatively low carb for breakfast and lunch, and then I usually try to have rice or a roll with dinner. A lot of nights I'll have ice cream after dinner too. My carb levels usually aren't super high or low really (just depends on what I do for dinner), I'd say usually 180-200ish.
I honestly don't know if low carbs caused my issues or if increasing my carbs is actually what solved it. But, it is possible that continuing to cut carbs may not solve the problem.
I also had my A1C checked this year, and it's back up at 5.1, so overall my blood sugar seems to have leveled out.
When some people lower their carbs dramatically and quickly, they can go through a couple weeks of feelings of hypoglycemia. Just like with our lows..having a blood glucose lower than what you're used to can cause the same feelings.
Were you given a glucose tolerance test and diagnosed hypoglycemic? They suck don't they? I've had three..and my endocrinologist was mad that I was made to take it three times.
Snacking during my lows on something sweet, even when accompanied by something like crackers, was just a quick fix that resulted in another low. Worst advice I had ever gotten from a doctor. It sucks to be eating all the time in order to make yourself feel better.
I'm glad you are feeling better. Like I said, we're all different and it depends on what your pancreas is up to. Mine is hypersensitive to carbs and over produces insulin when I consume them. Avoiding them as much as possible has be very beneficial for me personally. Different things work for different people. It took me forever to find something that completely stopped my lows. My blood glucose is steadily around 73-95 every time I check. No crashes mean no hypoglycemic symptoms. I think I mentioned the alcohol thing in my previous post. That was the only low I've had since starting low carb. Man..did it suck. 40s are no fun.
Just a caveat.. The A1C isn't always the best gauge of healthy blood glucose levels for hypoglycemics. Since it is an average of your blood glucose levels over the past few months..it doesn't always account for lows. The last time I had mine tested, it was 5.3. Since I was eating when I felt lows coming (and also eating sugary treats that I shouldn't have been due to cravings and a lack of self control) it didn't show that I was on a roller coaster of bg levels going from 120 down to 57 within 45 minutes. I had to show my endocrinologist (it was the first time I had been referred to one in my 12 years with this bs) my bg monitor and the various lows from 47-60, and my food diary, in order for him to take me seriously.
An a1c of 4.5 means your average blood glucose level was about 83..if I'm remembering correctly. Which is probably around where mine is now. But, that's good for me because I'm not experiencing highs and lows..im just stable.0 -
acorsaut89 wrote: »blktngldhrt wrote: »acorsaut89 wrote: »kmmargrave wrote: »Time for a bit of schooling.
Yes, eating a very low amount of carbs every day will make most people lose weight, and very quickly. I've been on Atkins since 2000--that's right, folks, that's 14 years--and I lost 30 lbs. initially. I stunk at maintenance, but could always, ALWAYS lose weight I'd regain. Cheating has two nasty consequences--headaches and digestional complaints, and massive sugar craving. Sticking to around 30-50 grams of net carb (carbs minus fiber) a day is the ticket, along with even low duration/low intensity exercise, and a ton of water a day.
Menopause and quitting smoking are game-changers, but a year and a half after quitting smoking, the weight is slowly coming off. Sugar (and carbs, which turn into sugar) is the enemy for me and other people as well.
YES, it's typical for many people to lose 4-5 lbs. in the first week.
NO, that's not just water.
I think the major issue here is the assumption that by cutting out carbs, you're cutting out the appropriate portion of those starchy carbs. I also would like to add some "schooling" here that fruits and veggies (which I'm sure you still eat) have a lot of carbs in them, they just do not have have starchy carbs - which is a major difference.
Carbs turn into sugar ONLY if you don't use the energy they create for your body. If you don't have the new energy in your body (put there by food) your body will use your fat stores to produce energy needed.
Bottom Line: carbs are not the enemy for anyone; portion control is your enemy. As was said before, many people (and myself included sometimes) don't properly portion things like pasta and potatoes and rice. The appropriate sized portions of these things are really very tiny and eating appropriate portions, I imagine you'd still lose a significant amount of weight. Further, as was also mentioned, you are getting the same quantity of food when you remove starchy carbs for less calories. For example, a plate filled with spaghetti and meat sauce will hold far more calories than that same plate filled grilled chicken breast and broccoli. You think you're getting the same thing when really you're filling yourself with foods that are the same volume for less calories. It's all an illusion and it still does not make carbs your enemy - you are your own worst enemy when it comes to things like this. Atkins just babysits you and tells you to eat this, not that. It's not rocket science, it's someone's way of getting rich based on almost everyone else's inability to portion what they eat.
Carbs are sugar, starch, and fiber. Fiber is the only one of those that isnt turned into sugar by the digestive tract. Your statement is not true.
My apologies - thanks for clarifying.
The main point was that they're energy and when you need more energy than you're putting into your body your body will use the reserves it has which leads to weight loss, or CICO. 0 -
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I think part of this debate really centres around how much weight or attention we give to anecdote or personal experience.
I think it is quite right that people are asked to support their claims and we look to the best sources of information we can find to decide whether to be convinced by a certain position or not. It would be great if all of our questions could be answered by peer reviewed journal findings involving metabolic ward studies or so on to outline definitively what the physiological reality is to our questions.
However, I think sometimes the pendulum can swing too far the other way and we give no credit to people's stories and experimentation or we dismiss epidemiological studies out of hand.
I don't have a team of researchers on hand measure and calculate my food intake for me, I have a job and not a lot of free time to be confined to a medical ward. So when patterns emerge from people's experiences or studies of applying strategies in a "real world" scenario it may well be worth listening to them because after all that is the reality for most of us.
Clearly we don't want dangerous information being disseminated but at the same time we don't want to close the door on approaches which can be of use to many people - of which lowering carb intake may be one.0 -
acorsaut89 wrote: »blktngldhrt wrote: »acorsaut89 wrote: »kmmargrave wrote: »Time for a bit of schooling.
Yes, eating a very low amount of carbs every day will make most people lose weight, and very quickly. I've been on Atkins since 2000--that's right, folks, that's 14 years--and I lost 30 lbs. initially. I stunk at maintenance, but could always, ALWAYS lose weight I'd regain. Cheating has two nasty consequences--headaches and digestional complaints, and massive sugar craving. Sticking to around 30-50 grams of net carb (carbs minus fiber) a day is the ticket, along with even low duration/low intensity exercise, and a ton of water a day.
Menopause and quitting smoking are game-changers, but a year and a half after quitting smoking, the weight is slowly coming off. Sugar (and carbs, which turn into sugar) is the enemy for me and other people as well.
YES, it's typical for many people to lose 4-5 lbs. in the first week.
NO, that's not just water.
I think the major issue here is the assumption that by cutting out carbs, you're cutting out the appropriate portion of those starchy carbs. I also would like to add some "schooling" here that fruits and veggies (which I'm sure you still eat) have a lot of carbs in them, they just do not have have starchy carbs - which is a major difference.
Carbs turn into sugar ONLY if you don't use the energy they create for your body. If you don't have the new energy in your body (put there by food) your body will use your fat stores to produce energy needed.
Bottom Line: carbs are not the enemy for anyone; portion control is your enemy. As was said before, many people (and myself included sometimes) don't properly portion things like pasta and potatoes and rice. The appropriate sized portions of these things are really very tiny and eating appropriate portions, I imagine you'd still lose a significant amount of weight. Further, as was also mentioned, you are getting the same quantity of food when you remove starchy carbs for less calories. For example, a plate filled with spaghetti and meat sauce will hold far more calories than that same plate filled grilled chicken breast and broccoli. You think you're getting the same thing when really you're filling yourself with foods that are the same volume for less calories. It's all an illusion and it still does not make carbs your enemy - you are your own worst enemy when it comes to things like this. Atkins just babysits you and tells you to eat this, not that. It's not rocket science, it's someone's way of getting rich based on almost everyone else's inability to portion what they eat.
Carbs are sugar, starch, and fiber. Fiber is the only one of those that isnt turned into sugar by the digestive tract. Your statement is not true.
My apologies - thanks for clarifying.
The main point was that they're energy and when you need more energy than you're putting into your body your body will use the reserves it has which leads to weight loss, or CICO.
All food is energy, not just carbs.0 -
Clearly we don't want dangerous information being disseminated but at the same time we don't want to close the door on approaches which can be of use to many people - of which lowering carb intake may be one.
Ah, but it wasn't just the idea of lowering carb intake that was posited. It was lowering that carbs somehow circumvented CICO.
Something was offered as "proof" that there's "more" to CICO to back up the initial assertion.
The "proof" was brought into question.
This wasn't just about people sharing personal experience. This was about disproving bs.
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I think part of this debate really centres around how much weight or attention we give to anecdote or personal experience.
I think it is quite right that people are asked to support their claims and we look to the best sources of information we can find to decide whether to be convinced by a certain position or not. It would be great if all of our questions could be answered by peer reviewed journal findings involving metabolic ward studies or so on to outline definitively what the physiological reality is to our questions.
However, I think sometimes the pendulum can swing too far the other way and we give no credit to people's stories and experimentation or we dismiss epidemiological studies out of hand.
I don't have a team of researchers on hand measure and calculate my food intake for me, I have a job and not a lot of free time to be confined to a medical ward. So when patterns emerge from people's experiences or studies of applying strategies in a "real world" scenario it may well be worth listening to them because after all that is the reality for most of us.
Clearly we don't want dangerous information being disseminated but at the same time we don't want to close the door on approaches which can be of use to many people - of which lowering carb intake may be one.
That's not what goes on here, though. Nobody disputes that low carb is an option. The problem is when someone makes the (false) claim that lowering carbs is a necessity for all. That's generally when the "fight" starts.0 -
blktngldhrt wrote: »FatFreeFrolicking wrote: »blktngldhrt wrote: »mamapeach910 wrote: »tigersword wrote: »Exception, the difference when you cut out carbs is amazing and your body thanks you for it and punishes you for lapsing. I have had a social weekend eating at Chinese restaurants and at a friend's home and I have had the worst time trying to sleep. My head hurts, I feel foggy and I can't wait to return to normal eating. I am actually craving healthy food. Now please people, don't tell me there is no such thing as good or bad food because I will give you the address of this restaurant and you can check it out for yourselves.
Rachylouise, I hope you are still hanging in there in amongst all the "interesting discussions" about shifting weight and goodness know what. For the record, in Australia we use the term "shift" in relation to weight as well.
Funny, that's how I feel after a day of NOT eating carbs. Might be something to do with it being our primary food source for the last few million years...
The funny thing about all this is that I limit carbs myself. I'm a moderate carber, I feel best if I keep them around 100g (net) a day and get them mostly from beans and dairy rather than grains. But that's just me. I have autoimmune conditions and a generally inflammatory bunch of nonsense to deal with, so I eat to feel well and eat what I enjoy.
I feel as fine as I ever did on super low carb. In fact, I'm in less pain now because I exercise. I'm more satisfied with my food than I was on super low carb. I don't crave the stuff I don't eat either. If I do want something I don't normally eat, I have a small amount of it and then go on with my normal way of eating and I feel fine.
The only difference in my life now is that I eat less than I ate before coming to MFP. There's my problem with some of the low carbers in this thread. There's no magic to cutting carbs. If you feel better eating that way for whatever reason? More power to you. That's great. But for weight loss? It's still all about how many low-carb calories you're eating.
Haha. It is funny. I am super low carb. I eat about 18g of carbs a day (that's my max unless I exercise and eat back some). I still have to eat at a deficit to lose weight. There's no magic here.
Although, I have to admit as a hypoglycemic who suffered for a good while..it feels like magic. But that's just because I feel amazing now compared to before. Not because magic..but because my pancreas doesn't have much to overreact to anymore and my blood glucose isn't dropping into the 50s on a daily basis.
@blktngldhrt I have a question for you… I, too, am hypoglycemic. I overproduce insulin which causes my blood sugar to crash. I used to eat 200+ grams of carbs and my blood glucose was going from 160 to 40 mg/dL in less than 45 minutes. I have cut back tremendously and typically eat between 110-160 grams now. I am still experiencing crashes so I know I need to cut back more. However, every time I try to eat below 75 grams, I am dizzy, weak, confused, shaky, and feel like I'm going to pass out if I don't eat or drink something high in carbs. If I do not eat at least 100 grams of carbs, I cannot keep my blood glucose at a level which I can function normally. Did you experience this?
I'm going to completely throw a wrench in this, but I'll share my personal experience. I'm reactive hypoglycemic, and I had a period where I was going to "do the paleo diet", and I cut out a ton of carbs from my diet, although I think I was still getting 70-100g of carbs a day, so nothing super low. A few months later, I started having a lot of problems with hypoglycemic crashes and at times that completely didn't make sense. I'd eat 100g of chicken and some veggies for lunch, and I'd be shaking an hour later.
After a few weeks of that, I ended up going to the doctor, and my blood work all came back normal except my A1C was low, 4.5, which corresponded to me having all my crashes. The endocrinologist was also at a loss and put me on acarbose and had me test my blood every time before I drove, and she told me I wasn't allowed to drive unless my blood sugar was at least 70. That caused me to have to snack every time I drove anywhere, and it was just ridiculous. I'd eat a snack (usually candy + peanut butter crackers for immediate sugar and long term fats for sustaining the blood sugar) drive to the store, run in for 10 minutes, and my blood sugar would be back under 70 and I'd have to eat another snack to drive home.
The cycling made me miserable, and it wasn't sustainable. The endocrinologist gave up on me because all my hormone levels were normal. I went to a third doctor, who told me the endocrinologist was treating me like a diabetic even though I wasn't one. I stopped all the crazy snacking and she even told me to stop taking my blood sugars because it was just stressing me out. Her only advice was to go back to low carb.
At that point, I ignored all the doctors because I had done low carb before, and it seemed more like it caused the problem than helping it. So, I upped my carbs. I know I don't react well to carbs during the day because they do seem to make me feel like a crash more. So, I eat relatively low carb for breakfast and lunch, and then I usually try to have rice or a roll with dinner. A lot of nights I'll have ice cream after dinner too. My carb levels usually aren't super high or low really (just depends on what I do for dinner), I'd say usually 180-200ish.
I honestly don't know if low carbs caused my issues or if increasing my carbs is actually what solved it. But, it is possible that continuing to cut carbs may not solve the problem.
I also had my A1C checked this year, and it's back up at 5.1, so overall my blood sugar seems to have leveled out.
When some people lower their carbs dramatically and quickly, they can go through a couple weeks of feelings of hypoglycemia. Just like with our lows..having a blood glucose lower than what you're used to can cause the same feelings.
Were you given a glucose tolerance test and diagnosed hypoglycemic? They suck don't they? I've had three..and my endocrinologist was mad that I was made to take it three times.
Snacking during my lows on something sweet, even when accompanied by something like crackers, was just a quick fix that resulted in another low. Worst advice I had ever gotten from a doctor. It sucks to be eating all the time in order to make yourself feel better.
I'm glad you are feeling better. Like I said, we're all different and it depends on what your pancreas is up to. Mine is hypersensitive to carbs and over produces insulin when I consume them. Avoiding them as much as possible has be very beneficial for me personally. Different things work for different people. It took me forever to find something that completely stopped my lows. My blood glucose is steadily around 73-95 every time I check. No crashes mean no hypoglycemic symptoms. I think I mentioned the alcohol thing in my previous post. That was the only low I've had since starting low carb. Man..did it suck. 40s are no fun.
Just a caveat.. The A1C isn't always the best gauge of healthy blood glucose levels for hypoglycemics. Since it is an average of your blood glucose levels over the past few months..it doesn't always account for lows. The last time I had mine tested, it was 5.3. Since I was eating when I felt lows coming (and also eating sugary treats that I shouldn't have been due to cravings and a lack of self control) it didn't show that I was on a roller coaster of bg levels going from 120 down to 57 within 45 minutes. I had to show my endocrinologist (it was the first time I had been referred to one in my 12 years with this bs) my bg monitor and the various lows from 47-60, and my food diary, in order for him to take me seriously.
An a1c of 4.5 means your average blood glucose level was about 83..if I'm remembering correctly. Which is probably around where mine is now. But, that's good for me because I'm not experiencing highs and lows..im just stable.
Never been officially diagnosed as I'm mostly just reactive. I know that eating carbs only can cause crashes. Worst I had was in middle school and I had a blood sugar of 40 something not long after eating a bowl of cereal. (My mom is type I diabetic, so any time we had weird symptoms, she'd test us because she was concerned we would get diabetes too.) I will usually only have symptoms once or twice a year, so it's not very problematic for me overall, so I never bothered seeing a doctor; until it started happening daily.
At that point I just went out and bought my own monitor and called my mom for advice. Most of the time before eating my blood sugar was in the 50s and 60s. After eating, it would be 80-100. Even after drinking and having dessert, it still wouldn't jump all that high. My bigger problem is that my symptoms didn't always correlate with my blood sugars.
A confounding issue is that I get panic attacks, and the symptoms are very similar. I was definitely having issues because my blood sugar readings were lower than normal, but I'm assuming there were also times that it was stressing me out, and I was having panic attacks and misinterpreting them as low blood sugar attacks. I also get something that feels like low blood sugar after drinking coffee. Even if it's black and decaf, and I have no clue what that's about; I had to give up coffee altogether.
I'm definitely not saying that I'm the model for if you're having hypoglycemia problems, but continuing to lower the carbs may not be the issue, but finding whatever works. I have no idea why the timing of my carb intake matters so much, but it makes a huge difference.
It definitely sucks trying to eat just to try and feel normal. I'm super excited that it went away (for whatever reason), and it really must suck dealing with that all the time.0 -
tigersword wrote: »
That's not what goes on here, though. Nobody disputes that low carb is an option. The problem is when someone makes the (false) claim that lowering carbs is a necessity for all. That's generally when the "fight" starts.
I don't think that's always the case in my perception of things.
Yes, there are people who say that low carb will cure epilepsy, make you irresistible to your preferred sex and make you dance like Channing Tatum (so rather badly.) However, I also see some clumsy and ham fisted "advice" being given on threads where people are honouring their preferences about their food choices which comes across rather like baiting.
I don't think one "group" is really to blame but it is more individual thing.
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This was on my list the next time I schedule a visit to my doctor. Back when I was seeing a pediatrician, she was aware of this. Also, a couple years ago I got some blood work done in relation to an insurance policy (granted most of the tests were done for my heart/arteries, kidneys, pancreas, and liver) and pretty much everything came back normal.
All this talk about how you have stomach issues but yet you haven't seen a doctor? Seriously?ForecasterJason wrote: »
I have not, but I will keep that suggestion in mind. Granted, most of the breads I eat are made from sprouted flour or sourdough starter. But since I don't generally feel any issues after eating gluten foods (except sometimes when I eat high sugar foods late in the day), it seems a little hard for me to believe that I could have celiac disease.FatFreeFrolicking wrote: »ForecasterJason wrote: »
I think it's IBS, but on a normal day-to-day basis I'd say things are under control. I think what helps is the probiotics I get in from the yogurt I eat and also from a probiotic supplement I take 2-3 times a week.FatFreeFrolicking wrote: »ForecasterJason wrote: »
Thanks, but I realize that I'd left out something. I eat a little bit of oats, but that's something else that can give me issues if I consume that in larger quantities. Also, whey probably wouldn't work due to the lactose.LolBroScience wrote: »ForecasterJason wrote: »I had not listed all the foods I'm eating. Most of the other foods I eat include plenty of whole grain bread, chicken, potatoes, some fish/beef, and occasionally beans. Also, some of the chicken I eat is sauteed in olive oil. Likewise, most of the potatoes I eat have added fat.
Also, my diet is around 45-50% carbs, 30-35% fat, and 15% protein. So adding more fat is probably not going to do me any good (leave me fuller plus give me digestive issues), and likewise more protein would fill me up further.
Oats, PB, Banana, Whey + Blender = Easy 800+ cal shake.
Do you have any specific gastrointestinal diseases?
Have you seen a gastroenterologist? If not, I suggest seeing one. Based on your low weight and difficulty gaining weight, I am thinking it might be more serious than IBS. My first thoughts are possibly Celiac or Crohn's. I have Crohn's disease myself. Just something to think about.
I mean, yes I agree that there is some concern here, but based on how I've felt the past year or so my parents don't see any reason either for me to rush to get things checked out.
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Carbs are definitely one of my enemies too! I love bread and pasta but it has caused me to gain back 20 lbs of the 60 I lost! Making a pact with myself to cut way back on the unhealthy carbs in my diet so I can get back to where I was! Christmas cookies and candy are my other downfall this time of year too! Good thing that I am going to visit a friend who had gastric bypass surgery recently. Won't be tempted as much to eat a lot of food and won't be eating out in restaurants for sure! Merry Christmas and a good healthy new year to everyone!0
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Yes, this. I post on some keto boards and everyone's all like "Man, what am I doing wrong? I'm not eating any carbs and I'm not losing weight anymore. I thought you could eat anything you want as long as it's not carbs."mamapeach910 wrote: »tigersword wrote: »Exception, the difference when you cut out carbs is amazing and your body thanks you for it and punishes you for lapsing. I have had a social weekend eating at Chinese restaurants and at a friend's home and I have had the worst time trying to sleep. My head hurts, I feel foggy and I can't wait to return to normal eating. I am actually craving healthy food. Now please people, don't tell me there is no such thing as good or bad food because I will give you the address of this restaurant and you can check it out for yourselves.
Rachylouise, I hope you are still hanging in there in amongst all the "interesting discussions" about shifting weight and goodness know what. For the record, in Australia we use the term "shift" in relation to weight as well.
Funny, that's how I feel after a day of NOT eating carbs. Might be something to do with it being our primary food source for the last few million years...
The funny thing about all this is that I limit carbs myself. I'm a moderate carber, I feel best if I keep them around 100g (net) a day and get them mostly from beans and dairy rather than grains. But that's just me. I have autoimmune conditions and a generally inflammatory bunch of nonsense to deal with, so I eat to feel well and eat what I enjoy.
I feel as fine as I ever did on super low carb. In fact, I'm in less pain now because I exercise. I'm more satisfied with my food than I was on super low carb. I don't crave the stuff I don't eat either. If I do want something I don't normally eat, I have a small amount of it and then go on with my normal way of eating and I feel fine.
The only difference in my life now is that I eat less than I ate before coming to MFP. There's my problem with some of the low carbers in this thread. There's no magic to cutting carbs. If you feel better eating that way for whatever reason? More power to you. That's great. But for weight loss? It's still all about how many low-carb calories you're eating.
Turns out said person is consuming 3000+ calories. Uh, yeah. Probably not going to be losing much weight, lol.
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Crabs0
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In addition to increasing fats, supplementing with sodium, potassium and chelated magnesium will help with that dizziness, brain fog, fatigue. You just sort of have to ride out the carb cravings. :-)FatFreeFrolicking wrote: »blktngldhrt wrote: »FatFreeFrolicking wrote: »blktngldhrt wrote: »mamapeach910 wrote: »tigersword wrote: »Exception, the difference when you cut out carbs is amazing and your body thanks you for it and punishes you for lapsing. I have had a social weekend eating at Chinese restaurants and at a friend's home and I have had the worst time trying to sleep. My head hurts, I feel foggy and I can't wait to return to normal eating. I am actually craving healthy food. Now please people, don't tell me there is no such thing as good or bad food because I will give you the address of this restaurant and you can check it out for yourselves.
Rachylouise, I hope you are still hanging in there in amongst all the "interesting discussions" about shifting weight and goodness know what. For the record, in Australia we use the term "shift" in relation to weight as well.
Funny, that's how I feel after a day of NOT eating carbs. Might be something to do with it being our primary food source for the last few million years...
The funny thing about all this is that I limit carbs myself. I'm a moderate carber, I feel best if I keep them around 100g (net) a day and get them mostly from beans and dairy rather than grains. But that's just me. I have autoimmune conditions and a generally inflammatory bunch of nonsense to deal with, so I eat to feel well and eat what I enjoy.
I feel as fine as I ever did on super low carb. In fact, I'm in less pain now because I exercise. I'm more satisfied with my food than I was on super low carb. I don't crave the stuff I don't eat either. If I do want something I don't normally eat, I have a small amount of it and then go on with my normal way of eating and I feel fine.
The only difference in my life now is that I eat less than I ate before coming to MFP. There's my problem with some of the low carbers in this thread. There's no magic to cutting carbs. If you feel better eating that way for whatever reason? More power to you. That's great. But for weight loss? It's still all about how many low-carb calories you're eating.
Haha. It is funny. I am super low carb. I eat about 18g of carbs a day (that's my max unless I exercise and eat back some). I still have to eat at a deficit to lose weight. There's no magic here.
Although, I have to admit as a hypoglycemic who suffered for a good while..it feels like magic. But that's just because I feel amazing now compared to before. Not because magic..but because my pancreas doesn't have much to overreact to anymore and my blood glucose isn't dropping into the 50s on a daily basis.
I have a question for you… I, too, am hypoglycemic. I overproduce insulin which causes my blood sugar to crash. I used to eat 200+ grams of carbs and my blood glucose was going from 160 to 40 mg/dL in less than 45 minutes. I have cut back tremendously and typically eat between 110-160 grams now. I am still experiencing crashes so I know I need to cut back more. However, every time I try to eat below 75 grams, I am dizzy, weak, confused, shaky, and feel like I'm going to pass out if I don't eat or drink something high in carbs. If I do not eat at least 100 grams of carbs, I cannot keep my blood glucose at a level which I can function normally. Did you experience this?
When you dropped your carbs, did you up your fats?
I did experience all of those things on a daily basis before I decreased carbs. Those are the symptoms of your blood glucose dropping which in turn signals you to eat more carbs to bring it back up again.
Heres what happened. I've been hypoglycemic for twelve years. Doing the low glycemic load thing worked for me until after I had my daughter. Then even that wasn't working. I felt awful all the time: dizzy, shaky, brain fog, irritability, fatigue, extreme carb cravings, all of that not so fun stuff. Lows multiple times a day. Couldn't be physically active without lows. After failing to figure it out for myself I went to an endocrinologist. He said i had two choices. I could cut way back in carbs or take a prescription carb blocker (acarbose). I wasn't sure so he prescribed it anyway. The first day I took it, I felt amazing. The only drawback was that if i consumed a lot of carbs..the pill would make me feel sick. I never had any of the problems with it that the doctor had warned about. So..my glucose levels were better during the day but I was still going into the 60s right after dinner. I began to eat less carbs. Then I started looking into low carb ways of eating and found keto. I stopped the acarbose and went keto. There were a few issues that were cleared up with broth and pickles. I haven't had a low sugar episode since.. Sans the time I had 6 vodka diets at my cousins wedding and woke up to a 48.
I would see an endocrinologist if you haven't already. But..those are the two things that helped me..acarbose and keto.
Yeah..thats a book. You can always message me if you want. No two people are the same. Someone's pancreas may be screwed up more..but they're all reacting to carbs.
Thanks for the reply!
I did not increase fats… that was probably the issue.
I have been seeing an endocrinologist for two years and take Metformin to lower my insulin levels.
I'm going to send you a FR.
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I suffered from IBS for years. Not to beat a dead horse, but ALL of my IBS symptoms disappeared when I cut carbs.ForecasterJason wrote: »
I think it's IBS, but on a normal day-to-day basis I'd say things are under control. I think what helps is the probiotics I get in from the yogurt I eat and also from a probiotic supplement I take 2-3 times a week.FatFreeFrolicking wrote: »ForecasterJason wrote: »
Thanks, but I realize that I'd left out something. I eat a little bit of oats, but that's something else that can give me issues if I consume that in larger quantities. Also, whey probably wouldn't work due to the lactose.LolBroScience wrote: »ForecasterJason wrote: »I had not listed all the foods I'm eating. Most of the other foods I eat include plenty of whole grain bread, chicken, potatoes, some fish/beef, and occasionally beans. Also, some of the chicken I eat is sauteed in olive oil. Likewise, most of the potatoes I eat have added fat.
Also, my diet is around 45-50% carbs, 30-35% fat, and 15% protein. So adding more fat is probably not going to do me any good (leave me fuller plus give me digestive issues), and likewise more protein would fill me up further.
Oats, PB, Banana, Whey + Blender = Easy 800+ cal shake.
Do you have any specific gastrointestinal diseases?
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blktngldhrt wrote: »FatFreeFrolicking wrote: »blktngldhrt wrote: »mamapeach910 wrote: »tigersword wrote: »Exception, the difference when you cut out carbs is amazing and your body thanks you for it and punishes you for lapsing. I have had a social weekend eating at Chinese restaurants and at a friend's home and I have had the worst time trying to sleep. My head hurts, I feel foggy and I can't wait to return to normal eating. I am actually craving healthy food. Now please people, don't tell me there is no such thing as good or bad food because I will give you the address of this restaurant and you can check it out for yourselves.
Rachylouise, I hope you are still hanging in there in amongst all the "interesting discussions" about shifting weight and goodness know what. For the record, in Australia we use the term "shift" in relation to weight as well.
Funny, that's how I feel after a day of NOT eating carbs. Might be something to do with it being our primary food source for the last few million years...
The funny thing about all this is that I limit carbs myself. I'm a moderate carber, I feel best if I keep them around 100g (net) a day and get them mostly from beans and dairy rather than grains. But that's just me. I have autoimmune conditions and a generally inflammatory bunch of nonsense to deal with, so I eat to feel well and eat what I enjoy.
I feel as fine as I ever did on super low carb. In fact, I'm in less pain now because I exercise. I'm more satisfied with my food than I was on super low carb. I don't crave the stuff I don't eat either. If I do want something I don't normally eat, I have a small amount of it and then go on with my normal way of eating and I feel fine.
The only difference in my life now is that I eat less than I ate before coming to MFP. There's my problem with some of the low carbers in this thread. There's no magic to cutting carbs. If you feel better eating that way for whatever reason? More power to you. That's great. But for weight loss? It's still all about how many low-carb calories you're eating.
Haha. It is funny. I am super low carb. I eat about 18g of carbs a day (that's my max unless I exercise and eat back some). I still have to eat at a deficit to lose weight. There's no magic here.
Although, I have to admit as a hypoglycemic who suffered for a good while..it feels like magic. But that's just because I feel amazing now compared to before. Not because magic..but because my pancreas doesn't have much to overreact to anymore and my blood glucose isn't dropping into the 50s on a daily basis.
@blktngldhrt I have a question for you… I, too, am hypoglycemic. I overproduce insulin which causes my blood sugar to crash. I used to eat 200+ grams of carbs and my blood glucose was going from 160 to 40 mg/dL in less than 45 minutes. I have cut back tremendously and typically eat between 110-160 grams now. I am still experiencing crashes so I know I need to cut back more. However, every time I try to eat below 75 grams, I am dizzy, weak, confused, shaky, and feel like I'm going to pass out if I don't eat or drink something high in carbs. If I do not eat at least 100 grams of carbs, I cannot keep my blood glucose at a level which I can function normally. Did you experience this?
I'm going to completely throw a wrench in this, but I'll share my personal experience. I'm reactive hypoglycemic, and I had a period where I was going to "do the paleo diet", and I cut out a ton of carbs from my diet, although I think I was still getting 70-100g of carbs a day, so nothing super low. A few months later, I started having a lot of problems with hypoglycemic crashes and at times that completely didn't make sense. I'd eat 100g of chicken and some veggies for lunch, and I'd be shaking an hour later.
After a few weeks of that, I ended up going to the doctor, and my blood work all came back normal except my A1C was low, 4.5, which corresponded to me having all my crashes. The endocrinologist was also at a loss and put me on acarbose and had me test my blood every time before I drove, and she told me I wasn't allowed to drive unless my blood sugar was at least 70. That caused me to have to snack every time I drove anywhere, and it was just ridiculous. I'd eat a snack (usually candy + peanut butter crackers for immediate sugar and long term fats for sustaining the blood sugar) drive to the store, run in for 10 minutes, and my blood sugar would be back under 70 and I'd have to eat another snack to drive home.
The cycling made me miserable, and it wasn't sustainable. The endocrinologist gave up on me because all my hormone levels were normal. I went to a third doctor, who told me the endocrinologist was treating me like a diabetic even though I wasn't one. I stopped all the crazy snacking and she even told me to stop taking my blood sugars because it was just stressing me out. Her only advice was to go back to low carb.
At that point, I ignored all the doctors because I had done low carb before, and it seemed more like it caused the problem than helping it. So, I upped my carbs. I know I don't react well to carbs during the day because they do seem to make me feel like a crash more. So, I eat relatively low carb for breakfast and lunch, and then I usually try to have rice or a roll with dinner. A lot of nights I'll have ice cream after dinner too. My carb levels usually aren't super high or low really (just depends on what I do for dinner), I'd say usually 180-200ish.
I honestly don't know if low carbs caused my issues or if increasing my carbs is actually what solved it. But, it is possible that continuing to cut carbs may not solve the problem.
I also had my A1C checked this year, and it's back up at 5.1, so overall my blood sugar seems to have leveled out.
When some people lower their carbs dramatically and quickly, they can go through a couple weeks of feelings of hypoglycemia. Just like with our lows..having a blood glucose lower than what you're used to can cause the same feelings.
Were you given a glucose tolerance test and diagnosed hypoglycemic? They suck don't they? I've had three..and my endocrinologist was mad that I was made to take it three times.
Snacking during my lows on something sweet, even when accompanied by something like crackers, was just a quick fix that resulted in another low. Worst advice I had ever gotten from a doctor. It sucks to be eating all the time in order to make yourself feel better.
I'm glad you are feeling better. Like I said, we're all different and it depends on what your pancreas is up to. Mine is hypersensitive to carbs and over produces insulin when I consume them. Avoiding them as much as possible has be very beneficial for me personally. Different things work for different people. It took me forever to find something that completely stopped my lows. My blood glucose is steadily around 73-95 every time I check. No crashes mean no hypoglycemic symptoms. I think I mentioned the alcohol thing in my previous post. That was the only low I've had since starting low carb. Man..did it suck. 40s are no fun.
Just a caveat.. The A1C isn't always the best gauge of healthy blood glucose levels for hypoglycemics. Since it is an average of your blood glucose levels over the past few months..it doesn't always account for lows. The last time I had mine tested, it was 5.3. Since I was eating when I felt lows coming (and also eating sugary treats that I shouldn't have been due to cravings and a lack of self control) it didn't show that I was on a roller coaster of bg levels going from 120 down to 57 within 45 minutes. I had to show my endocrinologist (it was the first time I had been referred to one in my 12 years with this bs) my bg monitor and the various lows from 47-60, and my food diary, in order for him to take me seriously.
An a1c of 4.5 means your average blood glucose level was about 83..if I'm remembering correctly. Which is probably around where mine is now. But, that's good for me because I'm not experiencing highs and lows..im just stable.
Never been officially diagnosed as I'm mostly just reactive. I know that eating carbs only can cause crashes. Worst I had was in middle school and I had a blood sugar of 40 something not long after eating a bowl of cereal. (My mom is type I diabetic, so any time we had weird symptoms, she'd test us because she was concerned we would get diabetes too.) I will usually only have symptoms once or twice a year, so it's not very problematic for me overall, so I never bothered seeing a doctor; until it started happening daily.
At that point I just went out and bought my own monitor and called my mom for advice. Most of the time before eating my blood sugar was in the 50s and 60s. After eating, it would be 80-100. Even after drinking and having dessert, it still wouldn't jump all that high. My bigger problem is that my symptoms didn't always correlate with my blood sugars.
A confounding issue is that I get panic attacks, and the symptoms are very similar. I was definitely having issues because my blood sugar readings were lower than normal, but I'm assuming there were also times that it was stressing me out, and I was having panic attacks and misinterpreting them as low blood sugar attacks. I also get something that feels like low blood sugar after drinking coffee. Even if it's black and decaf, and I have no clue what that's about; I had to give up coffee altogether.
I'm definitely not saying that I'm the model for if you're having hypoglycemia problems, but continuing to lower the carbs may not be the issue, but finding whatever works. I have no idea why the timing of my carb intake matters so much, but it makes a huge difference.
It definitely sucks trying to eat just to try and feel normal. I'm super excited that it went away (for whatever reason), and it really must suck dealing with that all the time.
Thats another thing that sucks. If you have a substantial drop, you can get hypo symptoms. You don't have to go below 70. You just have to drop significantly within a small period of time.
Going to a doctor might not have gotten you anywhere anyway. When I was diagnosed there was almost no information out about it. My pediatrician wasn't very helpful but diagnosed me (he was a pediatric endocrinologist..his wife was also my ped but was not an endocrinologist). I was told the snacking and small meals a day thing for years..and they didn't work. Oh..off topic..but the wife pediatrician prescribed me antidepressants once when I was explaining my symptoms. It wasn't until recently that I found out there have been a lot of hypoglycemics misdiagnosed with depression, anxiety, even bipolar disorder.
Coffee can create hypo symptoms in some people. I haven't looked into why. I'm guessing it has something to do with it creating feelings that mimick lows that we are more sensitive to than other people. I also had to give it up until recently.
Some of my symptoms also feel like a panic attack. Particularly the lows that come from physical activity and the really low lows.
It's just a bunch of suck, if you ask me. Find what works for you and keeps you feeling your best and out of the lows. Low glycemic worked for me for such a long time. Then it didn't..so I'm on to this. I just hope I don't end up with diabetes.0
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