For those on the higher end of low carb - question
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Maintenance is around 100 net for me, losing the 5 lbs up I go down to between 35-60. Never pasta as I am gluten free by necessity but I do like brown rice and quinoa and fruit and yogourt. Once in a while I get a bit of a craving for GF toast - dry, so I have a piece, but usually it's not worth it to me.0
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pootle1972 wrote: »MilllieMoo wrote: »pootle1972 wrote: »I'm in about 50g any less and I end up with crippling 24x7 leg cramps that despite trying everything I was told worked.
(I suppose you already tried magnesium?)
Magnesium, orally, gel, spray, foot baths, b12, b3, vitamin d, more pink salt, more water,less water, tonic water (quinine).....you name it i tried it....increased carbs GONE...decrease back down pacing the floor at 2am and even as drastic as husband has to force my foot up as it will not move at all and I'm crying with pain.
Youch!! Manesium oxide is not as effective as 400mg magnesium citrate. I agree with other posters regarding potassium and sodium and drinking enough fluid.
Low blood pressure and electrolyte imbalance were combined to make my feet look like mutant scrunched up things or twang my calves. Took quite a few tweaks with the electrolytes but it has now not occurred in months, even on 25g carb, 25g fibre, so worth playing with for health reasons, irrespective of diet. Respect your choice not to go low carb. No point in suffering!0 -
I had some foot cramping when I first started this WOE and a few this week. My magnesium was also tested in my labs (Christmas Eve) and it was in the range it should be in. So maybe my sodium or something was off...or potassium.
Thanks again to all of you for your thoughts on this. I had in my head that to be low carb I had to permanently ditch breads, pastas, rice, etc. I've come to terms with the fact that that's not really true for me. I can have those things, I just have to go easy with it. So far I'm doing alright...0 -
I follow the example of Benjamin Franklin: "Abstinence is as easy for me as temperance would be difficult." If there is anything I shouldn't eat a lot of, I avoid it completely. I personally find that easier and less stressful than fretting about frequency and quantity. But, hey, I never claimed to be totally sane.0
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Deena_Bean wrote: »I had some foot cramping when I first started this WOE and a few this week. My magnesium was also tested in my labs (Christmas Eve) and it was in the range it should be in. So maybe my sodium or something was off...or potassium.
Thanks again to all of you for your thoughts on this. I had in my head that to be low carb I had to permanently ditch breads, pastas, rice, etc. I've come to terms with the fact that that's not really true for me. I can have those things, I just have to go easy with it. So far I'm doing alright...
I've seen on other posts that the blood levels for magnesium will almost always test normal because your blood pulls it from other areas when it is low, but then that leaves your bones/joints missing the magnesium. I'm paraphrasing from memory so don't quote me on that, but it's something like that, I'll try to find the link.0 -
Here is some info that explains it better. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2015/01/19/magnesium-deficiency.aspx0
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I also try to keep my carbs at around 100. I do not eat pasta anymore and cut my rice, potato intake in half. I will have the odd bread sandwich, but most of my carbs come from fruit and veggies.0
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Christine_72 wrote: »I keep my carbs under 100g, tonight I'm having pizza but I can only have 2 pieces to keep me under that number. I don't have any medical issues to worry about, so going over or higher every now and then doesn't affect me in a negative way.
So to answer your question, I go with whatever fits in. Even having a higher carb count than most low carbers/ketoers has drastically reduced my cravings.
I did do keto for a little over a week which I really enjoyed, but the keto breath stopped me from continuing I'm still so pissed off about that!!! My husband wouldn't come within 10 feet of me.
I recently read somewhere that the Keto breath comes from too little Protein.....strange....0 -
AuntStepie..yes Mg does NOT show up in a normal blood test, it takes a very special and hard to find lab that does the Magnesium RBC test…unless people are near death they will show NORMAL every time, even when they are VERY low..this confuses doctors who know very little about Mg. ..up to 80% of USA adults are way too low in Mg..and too high in calcium( which causes th cramping and heart attacks) …so a good MG supplement is necessary, even VEGGIES no longer have the correct Mg or Iron content as ourgranparents got, due to factory farming..this is where buying from a local organic farmer who DOES amend soils, or rotates crops will deliver Mg in food..otherwise you have to supplement.0
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If you read The Magnesium Miracle, The Magnesium Miracle (Revised and Updated Edition) https://www.amazon.com/dp/034549458X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_shoLwb62CNBWE , you will never go another day without supplementing.0
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I eat up to 150 grams of carb/day but usually fall closer to 100. Because I follow a loose paleolithic template, I eat safe starches. Potatoes and white rice are okay. No gluten grains, no sugar. I do have beans occasionally as well, hence the "loose" description. I have found that sticking to healthier carbs is best for my body.
Sabine - one of the reasons I love this board is that in the launch pad on the main page, it states that low carb is anything 150grams or under. I always feel welcome here no matter what my current low carb plan may be.0 -
@Sunny_Bunny_ I'm going to look in to that book. I did buy Magnesium supplements a month or so ago, but I think I bought the "wrong" variety. I can't remember now which one I have, but I don't think it's the one people talk about. So then I get concerned about it some. I read that if you supplment magnesium you should also supplement vitamin K, vitamin D and I think it was Calcium. Then the potassium thing pops up in there somewhere as well and says that you can dump magnesium more if you supplement potassium. Then you add sodium in. It starts to get really kind of like a tangled web of crazy. It's like trying to balance everything with supplements starts to feel neurotic to me...like it shouldn't be so hard to balance these things. Is this an issue people encounter who aren't eating low carb, because it didn't seem to come up as often (or ever really) in discussions of eating "balanced" diet of moderation. Gets a little overwhelming.0
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I'm still experimenting with what works. Since I am re-upping my exercise after a month or two of inconsistency and also eating too much (carbs included) and gaining a few pounds over the holidays, I'm resetting. Aiming for around 75-100g/day, which is what Mark Sisson (Mark's Daily Apple) recommends for weight loss. Some days with really high activity I might go over. I have a tough time staying away from legumes, especially lentils. For some reason, a big bowl of lentil stew is a great meal for the night before a workout and my morning run is always better after I eat that for dinner. That and they're cheap.0
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Deena_Bean wrote: »@Sunny_Bunny_ I'm going to look in to that book. I did buy Magnesium supplements a month or so ago, but I think I bought the "wrong" variety. I can't remember now which one I have, but I don't think it's the one people talk about. So then I get concerned about it some. I read that if you supplment magnesium you should also supplement vitamin K, vitamin D and I think it was Calcium. Then the potassium thing pops up in there somewhere as well and says that you can dump magnesium more if you supplement potassium. Then you add sodium in. It starts to get really kind of like a tangled web of crazy. It's like trying to balance everything with supplements starts to feel neurotic to me...like it shouldn't be so hard to balance these things. Is this an issue people encounter who aren't eating low carb, because it didn't seem to come up as often (or ever really) in discussions of eating "balanced" diet of moderation. Gets a little overwhelming.
I initially bought the wrong magnesium too. And I bought 2 huge bottles of it since it was buy 1 get 1 free! I have magnesium oxide which is one of the least absorbed, so I take 4 times the amount the bottle says. I just keep taking it since I have it and it's also helped with slow moving digestion from over consumption of cheese and protein from time to time. But, even with that less effective form, my foot/leg cramps all cleared up. I keep an eye on sodium too but that alone wasn't enough to keep the cramping under control before. The only potassium supplementing I do is with NuSalt, so I'm not even reaching the predetermined setting MFP has in my diary, so I'm not at risk of over supplementing potassium. I think the risk of dumping the other is only in cases of over supplementing.
I don't recall reading that Vit K and D are specifically recommended when taking Magnesium, it may be, I just don't know about that, but I do know that if supplementing Vit D, it is recommended to also add K. And that even goes into detail about specific forms too.
What I recall hearing about calcium was that most people already get enough calcium but show deficiencies because it's not able to be utilized by the body due to lack of magnesium. And, when not utilized correctly, it ends up in tissues creating pain, often arthritis, So my understanding is that if you are eating foods with it, and don't have any health issue requiring more than average, then magnesium alone creates better calcium absorption making supplementing it mostly unnecessary. At least at higher amounts anyway. There seems to be a balance with mag and calcium... Where you don't want to over do calcium... I honestly can't remember what information specifically gives me that idea, but I've listened to a few podcasts recently where this was discussed and that's the idea I took away from that particular part. I mostly listen to Livinlavidalowcarb, Ketovangelist and Fatburningman, so it should be one or more of them that covered the subject.
I think people that aren't eating low carb are honestly less aware of how these things affect their health and we first learn about it through the basic need to replace sodium from the water loss and the learning process just goes from there. I firmly believe that everyone needs to supplement at least magnesium for the vital role it plays and vitamin C at high doses for the amazing immune benefits it can provide. I've become particularly interested in supplements and have done some fair reading/podcast listening about a select few so far. I don't doubt I'll have strong ideas about others as I continue to learn. Lol
My dad doesn't eat low carb at all. His idea of a meal is a whole can of fruit and a can of ravioli! Taking sodium, magnesium and fish oil has helped him more than anything his doctors had done in months, with his low blood pressure and chronically dry skin which made him have the worst break out ever from his Agent Orange rash.
He had suffered for months and the doctors just gave him steroid creams and told him to stand up slower... Never ever did anyone mention taking sodium or supplements that help balance hydration. As a matter of fact they kept giving contradicting advice to drink more water... And then tell him he was drinking too much water.. The only thing they said about salt was to put some on food. But he only eats one meal a day, so he couldn't possibly get enough!
Anyway, I'm rambling now. Sorry0 -
@Sunny_Bunny_ I couldn't agree more about the magnesium. I take one that's a combination of oxide, citrate, and malate by nature's life. It was recommended by a natural health practitioner a little over a year ago before i even started reducing carbs. I also like Natural Calm. Clears up leg cramps and really helps with sleep!
I've also been reading about supplements and the high dose vitamin c is amazing. Abel James had a podcast about it with Dr. Andrew Saul (Fat Burning Man show). I'm working on getting lots more C in my system, since my immune system is not functioning optimally (up to 5,000mg/day for past week). Dr. Saul's website has a bunch of articles about the benefits of megadoses of Vitamin C. Amazing!0 -
I will eat smaller amounts of rice and potatoes. I don't cook them for myself, it is either when I go out or when I eat at my mom's. So, about twice a week. I avoid bread and pasta. Bread tends to really bind up my digestion and I'm usually sorry I ate it, pizza especially. I do eat a lot of veggies, weekdays I eat a big salad at lunch and then dinner almost always involves more salad or veggies. I do eat a lot of apples (I eat more variety of fruit in the summer time).
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mountainrun73 wrote: »@Sunny_Bunny_ I couldn't agree more about the magnesium. I take one that's a combination of oxide, citrate, and malate by nature's life. It was recommended by a natural health practitioner a little over a year ago before i even started reducing carbs. I also like Natural Calm. Clears up leg cramps and really helps with sleep!
I've also been reading about supplements and the high dose vitamin c is amazing. Abel James had a podcast about it with Dr. Andrew Saul (Fat Burning Man show). I'm working on getting lots more C in my system, since my immune system is not functioning optimally (up to 5,000mg/day for past week). Dr. Saul's website has a bunch of articles about the benefits of megadoses of Vitamin C. Amazing!
Yes! I heard that podcast too and immediately checked out Dr Sauls site. Though I had stumbled across it somewhere else before that too. I'm up to 6000mg a day and have my kids taking 3000mg. I think 6000 is a good spot for daily maintenance for me and will increase upon any symptoms of illness. At least that's the plan for now. I haven't gotten to the point he suggests you stop at based on digestive response. At 6000mg I have no digestive response at all. So, that would suggest that I am using all of what I'm taking and none of it is being dumped through elimination. I guess I could still take more. But I'm baby stepping it. I feel like I have a pretty good immune system. No health issues and I rarely get sick. So the fact that my body is putting all that C to use really goes to show how much we really need even when healthy. I've become so addicted to learning this stuff since going Keto because you can literally see/feel the differences in adjustments that are made so you know you're on the right track or not. Gotta love not being so overloaded with inflammation, water retention and brain fog that we can actually reap the benefits of nutrient and mineral additions to our diets in noticeable ways! And the fact that even with my ADD symptoms, I am able to seek out information, read it once and retain a fair amount of it! Granted, it starts to fade from memory if I don't refresh my memory on occasion, but that's huge for me!
I hope your able to see a noticeable improvement with your immune system with the C. I believe you're doing a great thing for your body.0 -
Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »If you read The Magnesium Miracle, The Magnesium Miracle (Revised and Updated Edition) https://www.amazon.com/dp/034549458X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_shoLwb62CNBWE , you will never go another day without supplementing.
Thank you too. This looks interesting. I hope to read it next week.0 -
Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »If you read The Magnesium Miracle, The Magnesium Miracle (Revised and Updated Edition) https://www.amazon.com/dp/034549458X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_shoLwb62CNBWE , you will never go another day without supplementing.
Thank you too. This looks interesting. I hope to read it next week.
Reserved it at the library today - should be able to pick it up tonight or tomorrow! Thanks for the recommendation.0 -
@Sunny_Bunny_ Do you take the orange flavour vitC or regular C tablets?0
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Christine_72 wrote: »@Sunny_Bunny_ Do you take the orange flavour vitC or regular C tablets?
Regular C tablets. Super cheap, Walgreens brand, buy 1 get 1 free. They are 1000mg each ascorbic acid. 180 per bottle, so 360 for $9.99. It's cheaper to buy the powder on Amazon though.0 -
I currently started keto again, but when I was eating more carbs 100ish, I was eating some breads. Wheat products are my downfall, even organic/full grain. My trigger for hunger cravings is wheat grain. Pasta, bread, cake, cookies...I'm off to the races if I eat those regularly. Perhaps it is the added sugar in those products? Not sure.
So after I achieve my GW by June 2016 I plan on steering clear of those and instead reincorporating organic brown rice, organic squashes and organic potatoes as my higher-carb foods. Maybe even legumes. However peanut butter is another trigger food for cravings for me.0 -
Anything that has sugar (even peanut butter) is a trigger for me! I will crave foods and feel like I'm starving to death for 2 days after just one serving of anything with sugar!!!0
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Deena_Bean wrote: »Do you still eat any breads/pastas or is your carb allotment to allow for fruits/veggies that are higher in carbs? I stay under 100 carbs (total, not net) per day. I've had a few occasions where I've chosen pasta or bread (in the form of pizza only) as my carbs for the day - or a breakfast bar (usually Atkins). For example, last night I had homemade lasagna that was around 45 or so carbs (noodles/sauce/cottage cheese,etc). I'm just curious if many people fall in the "no bread, no pasta, no rice" or just sort of go with whatever they want that fits in. I haven't suffered any cravings or weird hunger from going this route, so I plan to stick to it - just wondering how others handle it.
I am not eating white potatoes, rice, bread, cakes, cookies, pasta and I have been very sparingly on the sweet potatoes and quinoa and my carbs stay close to the 100 side... I do eat oatmeal for the fiber and I see carbs in crazy things like cherry tomatoes... and some of my protein. I am finding it very hard to get to the 25-50 range that I want to be in.0 -
mandycat223 wrote: »I follow the example of Benjamin Franklin: "Abstinence is as easy for me as temperance would be difficult." If there is anything I shouldn't eat a lot of, I avoid it completely. I personally find that easier and less stressful than fretting about frequency and quantity. But, hey, I never claimed to be totally sane.
This is how it works for me also. None is easier than moderation at least for my triggers.0 -
ettaterrell wrote: »Anything that has sugar (even peanut butter) is a trigger for me! I will crave foods and feel like I'm starving to death for 2 days after just one serving of anything with sugar!!!
Oh man, that's rough! Thankfully I don't have that problem, I'm sorry to hear you do, though - so frustrating! Prior to this WOE I was always, always hungry feeling. So much so that my husband nicknamed me "The Hungry Girl"! So glad that's mostly resolved now!0 -
Yeah it's sucks but I've tried several times just to test thing out and every time I stay hungry for 2 days. One time it was sugar free syrup for my coffee, another 2tbs of peanut butter then I tired this skinny girl mix in a cocktail. I learned to like my coffee with just HWC and Coconut oil and my drinks with just vodka and water with lemon lol.0
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KETOGENICGURL wrote: »AuntStepie..yes Mg does NOT show up in a normal blood test, it takes a very special and hard to find lab that does the Magnesium RBC test…unless people are near death they will show NORMAL every time, even when they are VERY low..this confuses doctors who know very little about Mg. ..up to 80% of USA adults are way too low in Mg..and too high in calcium( which causes th cramping and heart attacks) …so a good MG supplement is necessary, even VEGGIES no longer have the correct Mg or Iron content as ourgranparents got, due to factory farming..this is where buying from a local organic farmer who DOES amend soils, or rotates crops will deliver Mg in food..otherwise you have to supplement.
@KETOGENICGURL So, what does it say about me that my magnesium actually tested low on the blood test. Does anyone know?0 -
I'm a lower carber 50ish. My carbs are lots of veggies and one fruit a day. I haven't had bread, pasta, rice, grains, potatoes etc..in nearly 4 years. I prefer the total abstinence method and don't miss it. If I could do anything in moderation I wouldn't have gotten fat0