Low carb yo-yo

Twibbly

What problems might arise with being low carb for a bit, then wandering off, rinse & repeat?

I know I'll end up going through the carb flu again, but outside of that, would it be any more detrimental to pop in and out of low carb as opposed to hanging out eating higher carb all the time?

wabmester

You won't need to have the low-carb flu if you pay attention to your sodium intake.

I tend to think of it in terms of evolution. We didn't evolve in an environment where we ate the same stuff all the time -- we were opportunistic. If tasty carbs were plentiful, we pigged out on them. If we killed an animal, we'd feast on meat. If nothing was available, we'd chew sugarless gum or something.

IOW, there's nothing detrimental about varying your diet as long as you're not triggering some pathological or psychological conditions.

deksgrl

I don't think it is detrimental. Probably better to occasionally eat lower carb some of the time rather than not at all.

mlinton_mesapark

I agree with all of the above, just from personal experience. Any amount of low carb is better than none.

DinoChicken

I'm the queen of low carb yo-yo and honestly I never get the 'flu' and my ketostix turn light burgandy by the end of day two.

Sunny_Bunny_

I agree that having "low carb flu" symptoms is completely avoidable. Have broth, pickles and go heavy on the salt. It can be avoided.

minties82

I found that it made my weightloss less effective, and that wasn't just from gaining and losing water.

DinoChicken

I tend to drop down to 160 and stall.. I'm 5'9 and very curvy so at that point I start getting too then in some places (like my sternum and neck) and still have my belly flap which may never completely go away.. My problem is at the point I try to add carbs to stabilize I can't control it. It really does feel like a crack addition and I can think of nothing else except eating.. As long as I stay 20g net with no artificial sweeteners I'm OK. I stayed between 155-165 for 5 years (American size 5 jeans) but nursing school has killed that for me. I graduate in 12 1/2 weeks and have decided to dedicate yet again.. I really do enjoy eating keto.. I just can't do liw carb.

Twibbly

newmeadow wrote: »

I'm guilty of this. The overall inflammation, and its consequences, get worse every time I go back to my wicked ways. I'm not doing this to fit into a cute dress or to attend a social gathering. It's all about my physical health.

This. I hope low carb for a bit, feel fantastic, then wander off again for some reason. I think I get bored with food (or broke) and the cheap quick stuff is all carby crap.

toadqueen

My response echos @newmeadow although I do like the cute dresses I can now wear on dates. If I wander even one mouthful I feel it and then it takes days to subside. Not worth it for me but of course I will wander...

For me, the recent learning has been to think more before I eat and to not beat myself up and immediately get back on track when it happens.

Sharbysyd

I think one of the possible bad effects could be Reactive Hypoglycemia. I was doing low carb, high protein for a while and then I stayed mostly low carb bust started eating things that were higher in carbs like protein bars and some fast food items.

Back in January -March I had a few strange episodes during the night where I woke up feeling very sick and faint. It scared the heck out of me and in March ended up going to an after hours clinic but they found nothing wrong. I did some research and figured it might have been blood sugar drops or maybe Reactive Hypoglycemia. It was pretty scary. I started following a low blood sugar plan and have been more strict with low carb and I've gradually gotten better.

Usually when I want something that is high in carbs, I will try to make a low-carb substitute to satisfy my craving.

Twibbly

Sharby, you had to mention the one thing it's been suggested I may be having problems with.

*grumblegrumble*

So yeah, once the kitchen has had most of the carbiness gone, back to low carb again. I should probably learn to cook and eat veggies, might help with the variety.

Twibbly

This focuses on why people fall off AIP, but I think the theory applies the same and might help more people than just me.
http://www.thepaleomom.com/2015/07/guest-petra-chambers-sinclair-tipping-points.html

KnitOrMiss

DinoChicken wrote: »

I tend to drop down to 160 and stall.. I'm 5'9 and very curvy so at that point I start getting too then in some places (like my sternum and neck) and still have my belly flap which may never completely go away.. My problem is at the point I try to add carbs to stabilize I can't control it. It really does feel like a crack addition and I can think of nothing else except eating.. As long as I stay 20g net with no artificial sweeteners I'm OK. I stayed between 155-165 for 5 years (American size 5 jeans) but nursing school has killed that for me. I graduate in 12 1/2 weeks and have decided to dedicate yet again.. I really do enjoy eating keto.. I just can't do liw carb.

Have you tried just upping your calories, not upping your carbs? I can't seem to control my carbs once they are above a certain level either. Mine is mostly triggered first by insulin resistance, but I was also a sweets junkie in my former life, so I imagine that knee-jerk response may always be there.

mssam66

The "Trim Healthy Mama" plan allows you to change from HFLC to LFHC with every meal. There are some restrictions such as the amount of time between meals and you need to limit fat when eating high carb. I haven't tried this woe but there is a whole community of folks that swear by it.

Twibbly

mssam66 wrote: »

The "Trim Healthy Mama" plan allows you to change from HFLC to LFHC with every meal. There are some restrictions such as the amount of time between meals and you need to limit fat when eating high carb. I haven't tried this woe but there is a whole community of folks that swear by it.

That would explain why their recipes are hit or miss when I see people post them.

KnitOrMiss

mssam66 wrote: »

The "Trim Healthy Mama" plan allows you to change from HFLC to LFHC with every meal. There are some restrictions such as the amount of time between meals and you need to limit fat when eating high carb. I haven't tried this woe but there is a whole community of folks that swear by it.

I have a close friend who also suffers from PCOS and insulin related issues who lost just under 100 pounds in a year doing this lifestyle, and much like us, her health markers improved and all that. I know that she is one of the success stories listed and interviewed for their site. It's been great to see her progress... I don't know how elastic my metabolism would be at switching back and forth, as if I remember right, she is at least a decade younger than me. She is in her first year of easily keeping it off, too.