Tired at all times? Is it low carb effect?
nomorepuke
Posts: 320 Member
Guys, I need your expertise and opinions since I'm fairly new to this Low Carb diet.(doing this diet for a little over a month) I've been having very low energy lately. In the middle of the week, my boss had me do 2 trips from Indianapolis office to Cincinnati office. It was a 4 hour drive each. I tried not fall asleep on the road. It was a torture. Yesterday I fell asleep on my desk for like 5 mins. I never count calories, I count macros and I pig out all day. As far as weight loss goes, I'm still losing a lot of weight. Since my main goal is to lose weight, maybe I shouldn't complain about this. I don't know.
Is feeling exhausted all the time normal? Have you guys experienced this? Am I doing anything wrong?
Is feeling exhausted all the time normal? Have you guys experienced this? Am I doing anything wrong?
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Replies
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You've read plenty of comments about electrolytes by now, I'm sure.
Any idea what your sodium intake was for the last few days?1 -
check out this thread:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10512770/feeling-rough-experienced-lchf#latest
Electrolytes are a likely culprit. There are a couple of short videos @RalfLott added in that thread about potassium, but low sodium can also cause the lethargy.1 -
It could be that you are eating at too steep a deficit since you are not counting calories - this is more likely to be the root cause if you have thyroid issues since a steep deficit will have a greater impact on someone hypothyroid.0
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Nope. Try upping you sodium AND your calories. People's perspective on "pigging out" can be skewed and a typical body does not lose "lots of weight" ongoingly when "pigging out".3
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You've read plenty of comments about electrolytes by now, I'm sure.
Any idea what your sodium intake was for the last few days?
I'd never paid attention to "electrolytes threads" cos I didn't really have knowledge on what they were and why we needed them.
But, I will look into that. Thank you1 -
Nope. Try upping you sodium AND your calories. People's perspective on "pigging out" can be skewed and a typical body does not lose "lots of weight" ongoingly when "pigging out".
Sodium is salt correct?
When I count macros, the chart shows me the calories as well. It's usually anywhere from 1500-2000 calories a day. I'm 5'2. Lost 21lbs so far.
I'm sorry that I said "pig out". The reason I said that is because I eat low carb meals every 2-3 hours, that means I'm eating big plates of food all the time. I don't know about typical body but my metabolism skyrocketed since I started this diet. I think that has a lot to do with my smooth weight loss.0 -
What should I eat to get more electrolytes and sodium?0
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nomorepuke wrote: »Nope. Try upping you sodium AND your calories. People's perspective on "pigging out" can be skewed and a typical body does not lose "lots of weight" ongoingly when "pigging out".
Sodium is salt correct?
When I count macros, the chart shows me the calories as well. It's usually anywhere from 1500-2000 calories a day. I'm 5'2. Lost 21lbs so far.
I'm sorry that I said "pig out". The reason I said that is because I eat low carb meals every 2-3 hours, that means I'm eating big plates of food all the time. I don't know about typical body but my metabolism skyrocketed since I started this diet. I think that has a lot to do with my smooth weight loss.
Yes. In this case consider salt as sodium. In MFP when you add salt to your food diary it shows up as sodium in micronutrients.
Glad to read you are eating.1 -
nomorepuke wrote: »What should I eat to get more electrolytes and sodium?
I drink salt water when necessary (not frequently necessary for me). Some people drink pickle juice, salty broth or just liberally salt their food.
Are you getting enough fat? If so, you won't need to eat every 2-3 hours.2 -
nomorepuke wrote: »What should I eat to get more electrolytes and sodium?
I drink salt water when necessary (not frequently necessary for me). Some people drink pickle juice, salty broth or just liberally salt their food.
Are you getting enough fat? If so, you won't need to eat every 2-3 hours.
That's a good idea, thank you. I'd definitely try it!
Yes I'm getting a lot of fat. I try to eat more protein than fat but somehow my macro shows my fat consumption is always higher than everything else.
I eat 2-3 hours because I hate to be hungry. I get depressed and my mood swings. I used to starve myself for 5-7 days in a row when I was a teenager. I was brought to the hospital once. It was pretty traumatic.1 -
nomorepuke wrote: »Nope. Try upping you sodium AND your calories. People's perspective on "pigging out" can be skewed and a typical body does not lose "lots of weight" ongoingly when "pigging out".
Sodium is salt correct?
When I count macros, the chart shows me the calories as well. It's usually anywhere from 1500-2000 calories a day. I'm 5'2. Lost 21lbs so far.
I'm sorry that I said "pig out". The reason I said that is because I eat low carb meals every 2-3 hours, that means I'm eating big plates of food all the time. I don't know about typical body but my metabolism skyrocketed since I started this diet. I think that has a lot to do with my smooth weight loss.
Yes. In this case consider salt as sodium. In MFP when you add salt to your food diary it shows up as sodium in micronutrients.
Glad to read you are eating.
Thank you! I love salt!0 -
Most folks in the adaption phase of low carbing (at least the first 12 weeks), and sometimes far beyond that timeframe, need to supplement 3000-5000 MG of sodium REPLACING what is being dumped... So your 2000 a day seems quite low to me, personally.5
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The longer you eat this way, the more you will find that eating that frequently is more a habit than for hunger. I used to eat one meal a day starting around 6 am and ending around 11 pm.
After eating this way for a while, I realized I was eating out of habit and not hunger. When I started listening to my body about hunger, I ended up on an IF schedule only eating lunch and dinner. Sometimes I will have a snack between them. Occasionally, I will eat breakfast, but it is getting to be very rare.
You are still fairly early on in this WOE, but don't be surprised if you find you realize you are not actually hungry when you are eating. If you look through the history of the threads here, you will find multiple posts where people talk about accidentally fasting because they weren't hungry and forgot to eat.
This was something that sounded totally bizarro to me. After 20 years with my wife, she knew not to ever ask if I was hungry, but rather how hungry I was. This change has been harder for her in terms of adjusting that it has been for me, I think.2 -
KnitOrMiss wrote: »Most folks in the adaption phase of low carbing (at least the first 12 weeks), and sometimes far beyond that timeframe, need to supplement 3000-5000 MG of sodium REPLACING what is being dumped... So your 2000 a day seems quite low to me, personally.
I will try to eat more food and consume more salt. I think you're right. 2000 calories a day maybe too low, since I do lift training an hour a day and 5 days a week.
Thank you.2 -
nomorepuke wrote: »You've read plenty of comments about electrolytes by now, I'm sure.
Any idea what your sodium intake was for the last few days?
I'd never paid attention to "electrolytes threads" cos I didn't really have knowledge on what they were and why we needed them.
But, I will look into that. Thank you
Look into Brawndo. It's go Electrolytes!
http://brawndo.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tbxq0IDqD04
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Thanks to all of you for taking your time and giving me generous advice. I feel like a million bucks. I appreciate it tons!1
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Hope you know I was just pulling your leg with my thread above.nomorepuke wrote: »Thanks to all of you for taking your time and giving me generous advice. I feel like a million bucks. I appreciate it tons!
I've been hella tired at work, too. I sit in front of a computer for several hours, and try to keep the calories under 2000 a day. At least I sleep like a baby at night though
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KnitOrMiss wrote: »Most folks in the adaption phase of low carbing (at least the first 12 weeks), and sometimes far beyond that timeframe, need to supplement 3000-5000 MG of sodium REPLACING what is being dumped... So your 2000 a day seems quite low to me, personally.
Agreed. 3000-5000mg of sodium is often a minimum too. In 1 tsp of table salt there is about 2300 mg of sodium. Adding a teaspoon of salt to water everyday, on top of your other sodium sources will probably help.
BTW, I hit that lethargy late in the first month of LCHF too. I sort of ignored the electrolyte information because I couldn't believe I needed that much salt. I started getting headaches, fatigue, and eventually muscle cramps in the night. Drinking boullion and salt water REALLY helped with that. I was fine within a day or so.3 -
nomorepuke wrote: »KnitOrMiss wrote: »Most folks in the adaption phase of low carbing (at least the first 12 weeks), and sometimes far beyond that timeframe, need to supplement 3000-5000 MG of sodium REPLACING what is being dumped... So your 2000 a day seems quite low to me, personally.
I will try to eat more food and consume more salt. I think you're right. 2000 calories a day maybe too low, since I do lift training an hour a day and 5 days a week.
Thank you.
She didn't say your calories were too low, but your 2000 MG of sodium. Increase that.
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KnitOrMiss wrote: »Most folks in the adaption phase of low carbing (at least the first 12 weeks), and sometimes far beyond that timeframe, need to supplement 3000-5000 MG of sodium REPLACING what is being dumped... So your 2000 a day seems quite low to me, personally.
Agreed. 3000-5000mg of sodium is often a minimum too. In 1 tsp of table salt there is about 2300 mg of sodium. Adding a teaspoon of salt to water everyday, on top of your other sodium sources will probably help
Wow! You just made it so easy to understand. It made me realize I'm definitely not having enough salt. I sprinkle a pinch of salt on every meal but I'm sure it's lesser than 1 tablespoon of salt overall. Thank you!1 -
IMHO, that's way too high, especially for people with health issues. I have my level set for less than 2300 a day. I had a couple heart attacks last June and both my cardiologist and primary care physician recommended cutting salt out of my diet. I don't use salt anyway, but still get sodium from food.KnitOrMiss wrote: »Most folks in the adaption phase of low carbing (at least the first 12 weeks), and sometimes far beyond that timeframe, need to supplement 3000-5000 MG of sodium REPLACING what is being dumped... So your 2000 a day seems quite low to me, personally.
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BishopLord wrote: »
IMHO, that's way too high, especially for people with health issues. I have my level set for less than 2300 a day. I had a couple heart attacks last June and both my cardiologist and primary care physician recommended cutting salt out of my diet. I don't use salt anyway, but still get sodium from food.KnitOrMiss wrote: »Most folks in the adaption phase of low carbing (at least the first 12 weeks), and sometimes far beyond that timeframe, need to supplement 3000-5000 MG of sodium REPLACING what is being dumped... So your 2000 a day seems quite low to me, personally.
No. On low carb your insulin levels go down and your body sheds sodium since you don't have insulin telling your kidneys to hold onto it. But sodium is a crucial electrolyte and when electrolytes are imbalanced you get things such as dizzyness, fatigue and headaches...AKA "Keto Flu". It's necessary to watch electrolytes when low carb and supplement as needed.5 -
nomorepuke wrote: »Wow! You just made it so easy to understand. It made me realize I'm definitely not having enough salt. I sprinkle a pinch of salt on every meal but I'm sure it's lesser than 1 tablespoon of salt overall. Thank you!
And try to avoid table salt. It can actually create dehydration issues. Stick to sea salts or natural salts where possible.2 -
BishopLord wrote: »
IMHO, that's way too high, especially for people with health issues. I have my level set for less than 2300 a day. I had a couple heart attacks last June and both my cardiologist and primary care physician recommended cutting salt out of my diet. I don't use salt anyway, but still get sodium from food.KnitOrMiss wrote: »Most folks in the adaption phase of low carbing (at least the first 12 weeks), and sometimes far beyond that timeframe, need to supplement 3000-5000 MG of sodium REPLACING what is being dumped... So your 2000 a day seems quite low to me, personally.
You should check out this thread.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10503712/sodium-increasing#latest
It it, I have put part of a recent study, which you can look up yourself on the New England Journal of Medicine site, showing that having sodium levels in the low range recommended is actually more dangerous than if you triple that amount (8000mg) and the optimal amount for longevity is actually from 4000-6000mg a day for people on a standard diet.
Even if you don't go to that thread, here is a helpful chart from it, and it had nearly 102,000 participants, so this is not a small study:
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KnitOrMiss wrote: »nomorepuke wrote: »Wow! You just made it so easy to understand. It made me realize I'm definitely not having enough salt. I sprinkle a pinch of salt on every meal but I'm sure it's lesser than 1 tablespoon of salt overall. Thank you!
And try to avoid table salt. I can actually create dehydration issues. Stick to sea salts or natural salts where possible.
A Good tip. Thank you!0 -
BishopLord wrote: »
IMHO, that's way too high, especially for people with health issues. I have my level set for less than 2300 a day. I had a couple heart attacks last June and both my cardiologist and primary care physician recommended cutting salt out of my diet. I don't use salt anyway, but still get sodium from food.KnitOrMiss wrote: »Most folks in the adaption phase of low carbing (at least the first 12 weeks), and sometimes far beyond that timeframe, need to supplement 3000-5000 MG of sodium REPLACING what is being dumped... So your 2000 a day seems quite low to me, personally.
There is a rare form of genetically driven high blood pressure for which salt is a problem. Folks with already established edema or heart failure might also have issues, but the majority of people with other health issues, including weight related high blood pressure, actually do need the additional sodium. The biggest issues stem from the fact that most folks eat sodium chloride salt. This form can create a large number of problems. Sticking to sea salt and natural salts eliminate the majority of those risk factors. There's a ton of research on this here, and one fabulous thread in the sticky post.
Be sure to read this for some fascinating information! community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10257118/sodium-blood-pressure-and-the-russian-nephrologist/p11 -
BishopLord wrote: »
IMHO, that's way too high, especially for people with health issues. I have my level set for less than 2300 a day. I had a couple heart attacks last June and both my cardiologist and primary care physician recommended cutting salt out of my diet. I don't use salt anyway, but still get sodium from food.KnitOrMiss wrote: »Most folks in the adaption phase of low carbing (at least the first 12 weeks), and sometimes far beyond that timeframe, need to supplement 3000-5000 MG of sodium REPLACING what is being dumped... So your 2000 a day seems quite low to me, personally.
What types of food would you recommend that are high in sodium?
Thank you.0 -
@BishopLord - I think the issue at hand is confusing. You aren't adding additional sodium to your dietary intake. You are replacing the sodium that is being dumped naturally through your low carb dietary intake. I bet it would be eye opening for many of us if we were able to quantify the sodium in our urine. Then we could see that we aren't adding insane amounts of sodium, we're replacing the insane amounts we're dumping, and then adding a little on top for good electrolyte balance. Does that make sense? Your overall daily balance probably comes in right around that 2,300 mg. And as long as you don't have any lethargy, brain fog, or other symptoms of imbalances, you're probably getting what is right for YOU...2
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nomorepuke wrote: »BishopLord wrote: »
IMHO, that's way too high, especially for people with health issues. I have my level set for less than 2300 a day. I had a couple heart attacks last June and both my cardiologist and primary care physician recommended cutting salt out of my diet. I don't use salt anyway, but still get sodium from food.KnitOrMiss wrote: »Most folks in the adaption phase of low carbing (at least the first 12 weeks), and sometimes far beyond that timeframe, need to supplement 3000-5000 MG of sodium REPLACING what is being dumped... So your 2000 a day seems quite low to me, personally.
What types of food would recommend that are high in sodium?
Thank you.
@nomorepuke - Processed meats and cheeses have good levels (salami, pepperoni, etc.). Olives. Pickles. Sauerkraut. Pickle juice. Spice blends...1 -
KnitOrMiss wrote: »nomorepuke wrote: »BishopLord wrote: »
IMHO, that's way too high, especially for people with health issues. I have my level set for less than 2300 a day. I had a couple heart attacks last June and both my cardiologist and primary care physician recommended cutting salt out of my diet. I don't use salt anyway, but still get sodium from food.KnitOrMiss wrote: »Most folks in the adaption phase of low carbing (at least the first 12 weeks), and sometimes far beyond that timeframe, need to supplement 3000-5000 MG of sodium REPLACING what is being dumped... So your 2000 a day seems quite low to me, personally.
What types of food would recommend that are high in sodium?
Thank you.
@nomorepuke - Processed meats and cheeses have good levels (salami, pepperoni, etc.). Olives. Pickles. Sauerkraut. Pickle juice. Spice blends...
I've completely cut out processed foods and I make my own homemade cheese. Thanks tho.1
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