Fell off the LC wagon...

PicNic00

I have been successfully losing weight on low carb for months, and with all my genius I decided to go full throttle back on carbs with a calorie controlled diet. I of course put 9lbs of water back on within days, and now I feel disgusting. No energy, and I feel my anxiety, and depression slipping back. Does anyone know if LC lifestyle can affect mental health as well as general health?

Thank You!

bisky

I know I feel much better mentally and physically on low carb. Less moodiness and hunger pains. Less drops in blood sugar which brings on the grouchies. Remember getting back on plan is the next meal .

LowCarbInScotland

I think feeling good about yourself and positive about your woe affects your mental health significantly and when you don't feel good about those things, it's easy for depression to kick in... I've been there a million times. That said though, this woe has definitely improved my mental health, I no longer feel like a complete and total food addict, my emotional eating is massively under control and I no longer feel like a slave to my cravings, which resulted in plenty of depression for me over the years.

Sounds like it's time to make the decision to get back on track. You know this worked for you and what you're doing now is not working. Don't wait until tomorrow, we all know how long it can take for tomorrow to arrive when we're trying to change our eating habits. Give your kitchen a good purge and buy a big pack of bacon or something LCHF that you really really enjoy. Don't worry about the calories, at least not in the beginning, and just get those carbs out of your system. You'll start feeling better again so quickly.

Sunny_Bunny_

Fat is very important for hormone production, so for many people, it's the first time they are getting enough of the right fats. As in not margarine and vegetable oils. So, I don't know, but it seems like keeping healthy fats in the diet that includes carbs could keep the hormones happy, but then you have that delicate balance of how much fat is going to be ok since high carbs are a factor?

phxteach

yep... same here. I was doing decently, then right at the first of the year, got off LC for a variety of not great reasons. Trying to eat better the last few days, and sure enough, my extreme melancholy and emotional regret, sadness, hopelessness is popping back up. Fortunately going into ketosis this time has not produced as severe symptoms as last time. But... and this is the good part... when I got past this stage last time, I felt SO much better, positive outlook, less physical pain, and was able to lose weight easily. For me, the reality based stressors are constant and growing. The difference seems to be the method my body chooses to cope based on what fuel it is operating from. Interesting, scary, weird. I would not say my diet is altogether drastically higher in fats, just better ones, maybe? I just need to work on keeping those carbs lower. Hopefully, we shall succeed.