Help needed - too much protein? Too little sodium?
MidModJenn
Posts: 216 Member
Hi, everyone! I'd love some hand-holding by our more experienced members, to help me figure out why I've been so darn exhausted in the evenings the past few days. Here's the deal:
- I've been Paleo/low-carb for about a month now; I've eaten this way before and it's always been great for my energy level. I'm hypoglycemic, so cutting back on carbs keeps my sugars from swinging drastically.
- I've felt good for the past month... but then for the past few days, I have been so exhausted in the evenings I've gone to bed before 8pm (and slept a solid 9 hours).
- I have a food sensitivity to soy, it makes me sleepy because of my thyroid condition. I've had work functions at lunchtime on a couple of those days, so it's possible the food I ate (since it wasn't cooked by me) had soybean oil or something else snuck into it... but I've also been tired on a couple of days where I cooked myself and know there was no soy in the food.
Any-hoo... so this weekend I'm going to eat 100% self-cooked stuff and see if that helps at all, but in the meantime I'm wondering if my protein and sodium levels are off in my daily meals. I've read on these boards that sodium actually helps with energy, but I have no idea how much I should be shooting for. Here's my diary from yesterday, it's open to read: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary?date=2017-08-04 I ended the day over what MFP says my protein should be, and under on my sodium... could this be causing me to be so falling-down sleepy?
Thanks in advance for any advice!
- I've been Paleo/low-carb for about a month now; I've eaten this way before and it's always been great for my energy level. I'm hypoglycemic, so cutting back on carbs keeps my sugars from swinging drastically.
- I've felt good for the past month... but then for the past few days, I have been so exhausted in the evenings I've gone to bed before 8pm (and slept a solid 9 hours).
- I have a food sensitivity to soy, it makes me sleepy because of my thyroid condition. I've had work functions at lunchtime on a couple of those days, so it's possible the food I ate (since it wasn't cooked by me) had soybean oil or something else snuck into it... but I've also been tired on a couple of days where I cooked myself and know there was no soy in the food.
Any-hoo... so this weekend I'm going to eat 100% self-cooked stuff and see if that helps at all, but in the meantime I'm wondering if my protein and sodium levels are off in my daily meals. I've read on these boards that sodium actually helps with energy, but I have no idea how much I should be shooting for. Here's my diary from yesterday, it's open to read: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary?date=2017-08-04 I ended the day over what MFP says my protein should be, and under on my sodium... could this be causing me to be so falling-down sleepy?
Thanks in advance for any advice!
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Replies
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I'm not an expert, but I'd say your prootein numbers look great to me. Sodium on the other hand does look a little low. They say you want to be between 3000 and 5000 mg of sodium every day. How's your water intake? You're getting enough to make sure you aren't dehydrated?
FWIW I went through several days of feeling really tired / exhausted several months ago. I can't find the thread because MFP's search function is... somewhat lacking. Anyhow, it ended up resolving itself after a few days and my energy returned.
Apart from increasing sodium, it may just be your body going through an adjustment phase. I think that's what happened to me anyways, just a few days' recalibration or something then back to business as usual.
Good luck, I hope you're feeling back to 100% soon!2 -
I am not the big expert, and we are all different anyway. Having issued the disclaimers, I claim the protein is a minimum. I am fine going over the protein in terms of glucose readings (I am T2D).
The sodium thing and hydration are where I would be looking. I drink a gallon of electrolyte drink I make myself every day. My sodium goal is 4000. Now that it is summer and a little perspiration is added to the mix, I am more careful to be over. I am 5000(ish) most days right now.0 -
I'm not an expert either but you appear to be getting more than adequate protein with 149, 137, 121 and 158 grams the last 4 days so my opinion is to not consider protein being too low.
Sodium on the other hand: you might benefit by increasing sodium while eating low carb unless you have a medical reason to limit sodium. I'm not one to "keep my sodium up" and on days I'm feeling a bit lethargic, sodium is my "go to" and it fixes me right up. That lethargy can happen on days I'm just hanging around the house. I've definitely learned that (for me) if I don't take an extra hit of sodium on days I go out for a brisk walk...I'll drag. I keep boullion cubes in my purse, backpack, beach bag, glove compartment, etc. just in case. I've chuckled on more than 1 occasion while watching a Phinney video and seeing him dangle his bag of boullion cubes.0 -
Thanks guys, this is a huge help! I was actually thinking my protein might be too high... sounds like my bigger concern is the sodium part. I'm drinking a ton of water, but not watching the salt. I'll up it this weekend and see if I perk up a bit. Thanks!!!! 1
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Steph_Maks wrote: »I'm not an expert, but I'd say your prootein numbers look great to me. Sodium on the other hand does look a little low. They say you want to be between 3000 and 5000 mg of sodium every day. How's your water intake? You're getting enough to make sure you aren't dehydrated?
FWIW I went through several days of feeling really tired / exhausted several months ago. I can't find the thread because MFP's search function is... somewhat lacking. Anyhow, it ended up resolving itself after a few days and my energy returned.
Apart from increasing sodium, it may just be your body going through an adjustment phase. I think that's what happened to me anyways, just a few days' recalibration or something then back to business as usual.
Good luck, I hope you're feeling back to 100% soon!
I am by far an expert. But it really could be, your body is still adjusting. I started on June 26th and I just started feeling like myself. I was also very tired and sorta hypoglycemic feeling. It was pretty severe first 4 weeks and now has almost completely faded away. I even went to see my doctor, he said I needed more electrolytes. So I now really focus on all things that involve that. Hope you feel better soon.0 -
I quoted the wrong post....sorry.
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MidModJenn wrote: »Thanks guys, this is a huge help! I was actually thinking my protein might be too high... sounds like my bigger concern is the sodium part. I'm drinking a ton of water, but not watching the salt. I'll up it this weekend and see if I perk up a bit. Thanks!!!!
Lots of water and no salt in early keto could lead you to low-sodium blahs.
(A big heap of sodium all at once has long been used for laxative purposes, so if you're touchy that way, best to spread the extra throughout the day.)
I'd ageee with erring on the high side of protein, too.
If you have blood glucose issues, hormonal issues are not always simple to pinpoint. A couple Qs and half-baked ideas...
Have you been testing your glucose regularly throughout the day? Blood pressure? Are you on diabetes meds? Why do you think reducing carbs would prevent hypoglycemia episodes? (Or are you only thinking about the swings rather than absolute lows ?) Have you had a full thyroid workup?
Good luck!0 -
Everyone is right about the sodium. Up your sodium and see how you feel. For me personally, when I find myself completely exhausted it's due to dehydration. I keep a gallon of water next to me at work and I drink constantly... but on days that I have no energy it's usually when I'm out and about (weekends) and don't make a dent on my water consumption.0
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Have you been testing your glucose regularly throughout the day? Blood pressure? Are you on diabetes meds? Why do you think reducing carbs would prevent hypoglycemia episodes? (Or are you only thinking about the swings rather than absolute lows ?) Have you had a full thyroid workup?
- testing my glucose throughout the day - nope, never done that. How does one test, is it with those urine sticks?
- Blood pressure has always been fine, just got my annual workup a couple of weeks ago and it was great.
- No diabetes meds. Reducing the carbs helps with my hypoglycemia because it keeps me from crashing... if I ate a bagel with cream cheese for breakfast, within 90 minutes I'd be shaking and weak. What I felt the past couple of days has been different from a blood sugar swing -- more sleepiness/exhaustion than low sugar.
- I'm hypothyroid, and my med dose is right for me (just got the blood work done at my annual). Again, this feels different from what I've experienced before... closest thing I've felt is when I've eaten something with soy in it, that makes me completely exhausted.
Good news is I feel a little bit better today, especially this evening (which is when the exhaustion's been hitting). I added a little more salt to my food today, so maybe that'll be the magic solution. 0 -
MidModJenn wrote: »
Have you been testing your glucose regularly throughout the day? Blood pressure? Are you on diabetes meds? Why do you think reducing carbs would prevent hypoglycemia episodes? (Or are you only thinking about the swings rather than absolute lows ?) Have you had a full thyroid workup?
- testing my glucose throughout the day - nope, never done that. How does one test, is it with those urine sticks?
- Blood pressure has always been fine, just got my annual workup a couple of weeks ago and it was great.
- No diabetes meds. Reducing the carbs helps with my hypoglycemia because it keeps me from crashing... if I ate a bagel with cream cheese for breakfast, within 90 minutes I'd be shaking and weak. What I felt the past couple of days has been different from a blood sugar swing -- more sleepiness/exhaustion than low sugar.
- I'm hypothyroid, and my med dose is right for me (just got the blood work done at my annual). Again, this feels different from what I've experienced before... closest thing I've felt is when I've eaten something with soy in it, that makes me completely exhausted.
Good news is I feel a little bit better today, especially this evening (which is when the exhaustion's been hitting). I added a little more salt to my food today, so maybe that'll be the magic solution.
Glad you're feeling better!
YMMV, but as a 15-year Type 2 diabetic, I can tell you I might as well throw darts blindfolded than try to guess my blood sugar on the basis of how I feel! f you haven't tested your blood glucose with a glucose meter, I'd caution you to keep an open mind as to what your blood sugar is actually doing.
More common causes of "crash" symptoms, I believe, are sodium deficiency, low blood pressure, dehydration, or some sort of hormonal dysregulation. (Or those dang "just-started-keto" adjustments.. )
Unless you're diabetic, you probably don't have wide blood sugar swings. But if you have any reason other than intuition to suspect that you do, you could go buy a Contour Next EZ blood glucose meter (under $20) and 20-30 test strips (cheap online, eBay or Amazon), and check your blood glucose before and every 30 minutes after meals for a few days. At the very least, ask your doctor to order an A1c test to estimate your average blood sugar over the last several weeks. (You can also get test kits to measure your A1c at home.)
FYI, Robb Wolf's latest book Wired to Eat has a 7-day carb test protocol, if you find yourself eating carbs again some day. You can find vids on YouTube that explain it, such as:
https://youtu.be/ZHEf3magx_U 0 -
Thanks @RalfLott - I probably should have clarified - I was officially diagnosed with hypoglycemia about 15 years ago. I did a 7-hour glucose tolerance test... 3 hours into it, I was on the verge of collapsing and they called my doctor to tell me they were stopping the test and feeding me. Might be interesting to test my own sugars, I'll look into it... But I can tell you from having this issue most of my life, when my meals are carb-tastic I crash quickly and when they're low-carb I'm even for many hours until my next meal. Runs in my family, unfortunately.
Thanks again!0 -
MidModJenn wrote: »Thanks @RalfLott - I probably should have clarified - I was officially diagnosed with hypoglycemia about 15 years ago. I did a 7-hour glucose tolerance test... 3 hours into it, I was on the verge of collapsing and they called my doctor to tell me they were stopping the test and feeding me. Might be interesting to test my own sugars, I'll look into it... But I can tell you from having this issue most of my life, when my meals are carb-tastic I crash quickly and when they're low-carb I'm even for many hours until my next meal. Runs in my family, unfortunately.
Thanks again!
Wow! I guess you've got very solid ground for suspecting hypos (and for going keto). Good for you for getting on top of it!
No sign of diabetes, it appears - yippee! But still something to keep an eye on (as an adult living in the US....).1 -
MidModJenn wrote: »Thanks @RalfLott - I probably should have clarified - I was officially diagnosed with hypoglycemia about 15 years ago. I did a 7-hour glucose tolerance test... 3 hours into it, I was on the verge of collapsing and they called my doctor to tell me they were stopping the test and feeding me. Might be interesting to test my own sugars, I'll look into it... But I can tell you from having this issue most of my life, when my meals are carb-tastic I crash quickly and when they're low-carb I'm even for many hours until my next meal. Runs in my family, unfortunately.
Thanks again!
Wow! I guess you've got very solid ground for suspecting hypos (and for going keto). Good for you for getting on top of it!
No sign of diabetes, it appears - yippee! But still something to keep an eye on (as an adult living in the US....).
That sounds exactly like hyperinsulinemia to me, which of course we know is driven by insulin resistance and leads to T2D.
My own sister had a hypoglycemia diagnosis about 10 years before she ever started having any rising A1c's. Her doctor told her to eat carbs and eat them often... which of course was the worst possible thing to do. But no doubt, it was a road to T2D.
OP, may benefit from an A1c or testing blood. But it may still never get high since the hyperinsulinemia seems to be in high gear.1 -
Steph_Maks wrote: »I'm not an expert, but I'd say your prootein numbers look great to me. Sodium on the other hand does look a little low. They say you want to be between 3000 and 5000 mg of sodium every day.....
Could we just establish that when we talk about eating between 3000 - 5000mg of salt during the day, we're talking about MICROgrammes, not MILLIgrammes?? 3000 - 5000mg - is 3 to five kilos of salt....! In my opinion, (poor as it may be due to my considerable ignorance on the subject of sodium, electrolytes et al) It's really important for newbies that we clarify...
Perhaps, for the purposes of accuracy, we could either use µg (the proper symbol for 'microgramme) or McG....?1 -
A milligram is one one thousandth of a gram - no kilos in this case . I regularly take 1 gram of vitamins C consisting of 2 500 mg tablets. One microgram is one one thousandth of a milligram.1
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I used mg because I mean milligrams. 3000 to 5000 milligrams is 3 to 5 grams.2
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So a telegram is when you're just thinking about a salt lick?5
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AlexandraCarlyle wrote: »Steph_Maks wrote: »I'm not an expert, but I'd say your prootein numbers look great to me. Sodium on the other hand does look a little low. They say you want to be between 3000 and 5000 mg of sodium every day.....
Could we just establish that when we talk about eating between 3000 - 5000mg of salt during the day, we're talking about MICROgrammes, not MILLIgrammes?? 3000 - 5000mg - is 3 to five kilos of salt....! In my opinion, (poor as it may be due to my considerable ignorance on the subject of sodium, electrolytes et al) It's really important for newbies that we clarify...
Perhaps, for the purposes of accuracy, we could either use µg (the proper symbol for 'microgramme) or McG....?
It's definitely mg. Just use grams if you prefer. 3-5 grams of sodium is the absolute minimum.
Ketogains actually suggests 5-7g as the starting point. I generally say 3-5 because not everyone is keto and all low carbers need more sodium. So it's a better fit for our group.2 -
AlexandraCarlyle wrote: »Steph_Maks wrote: »I'm not an expert, but I'd say your prootein numbers look great to me. Sodium on the other hand does look a little low. They say you want to be between 3000 and 5000 mg of sodium every day.....
Could we just establish that when we talk about eating between 3000 - 5000mg of salt during the day, we're talking about MICROgrammes, not MILLIgrammes?? 3000 - 5000mg - is 3 to five kilos of salt....! In my opinion, (poor as it may be due to my considerable ignorance on the subject of sodium, electrolytes et al) It's really important for newbies that we clarify...
Perhaps, for the purposes of accuracy, we could either use µg (the proper symbol for 'microgramme) or McG....?
Your math is wrong. A kilogram is a thousand grams, as the name says. A milligram is 0.001 (or one thousandths) of a gram, so 1000mg is 1g. A microgram is 1x10e-6 or 0.000001 of a gram (1000000ug = 1g).1 -
I'd say the Greek is off.
(That said, it's all Geek to me....)0 -
Oh good grief. I got up this morning and the brains definitely didn't get up with me.
And I'm Italian - you'd think metric would be second nature...! Jeesh.... Sorry about the mix-up folks, Apologies. Ignore my faux pas if you would....!
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Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »MidModJenn wrote: »Thanks @RalfLott - I probably should have clarified - I was officially diagnosed with hypoglycemia about 15 years ago. I did a 7-hour glucose tolerance test... 3 hours into it, I was on the verge of collapsing and they called my doctor to tell me they were stopping the test and feeding me. Might be interesting to test my own sugars, I'll look into it... But I can tell you from having this issue most of my life, when my meals are carb-tastic I crash quickly and when they're low-carb I'm even for many hours until my next meal. Runs in my family, unfortunately.
Thanks again!
Wow! I guess you've got very solid ground for suspecting hypos (and for going keto). Good for you for getting on top of it!
No sign of diabetes, it appears - yippee! But still something to keep an eye on (as an adult living in the US....).
That sounds exactly like hyperinsulinemia to me, which of course we know is driven by insulin resistance and leads to T2D.
My own sister had a hypoglycemia diagnosis about 10 years before she ever started having any rising A1c's. Her doctor told her to eat carbs and eat them often... which of course was the worst possible thing to do. But no doubt, it was a road to T2D.
OP, may benefit from an A1c or testing blood. But it may still never get high since the hyperinsulinemia seems to be in high gear.
@MidModJenn I'm afraid that I agree with this. I had the sugar roller coaster for many years without knowing what it was.
A few years ago I had an OGTT test. I started a bit high (close to a 6), had the drink. It went way up to about a 9. Two hours later it was in the 4's and still falling. They made me eat before they would let me go.
I am prediabetic now. Or I was.
No more high postprandial BG readings wiothout high carbs. 3 -
Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »MidModJenn wrote: »Thanks @RalfLott - I probably should have clarified - I was officially diagnosed with hypoglycemia about 15 years ago. I did a 7-hour glucose tolerance test... 3 hours into it, I was on the verge of collapsing and they called my doctor to tell me they were stopping the test and feeding me. Might be interesting to test my own sugars, I'll look into it... But I can tell you from having this issue most of my life, when my meals are carb-tastic I crash quickly and when they're low-carb I'm even for many hours until my next meal. Runs in my family, unfortunately.
Thanks again!
Wow! I guess you've got very solid ground for suspecting hypos (and for going keto). Good for you for getting on top of it!
No sign of diabetes, it appears - yippee! But still something to keep an eye on (as an adult living in the US....).
That sounds exactly like hyperinsulinemia to me, which of course we know is driven by insulin resistance and leads to T2D.
My own sister had a hypoglycemia diagnosis about 10 years before she ever started having any rising A1c's. Her doctor told her to eat carbs and eat them often... which of course was the worst possible thing to do. But no doubt, it was a road to T2D.
OP, may benefit from an A1c or testing blood. But it may still never get high since the hyperinsulinemia seems to be in high gear.
@MidModJenn I'm afraid that I agree with this. I had the sugar roller coaster for many years without knowing what it was.
A few years ago I had an OGTT test. I started a bit high (close to a 6), had the drink. It went way up to about a 9. Two hours later it was in the 4's and still falling. They made me eat before they would let me go.
I am prediabetic now. Or I was. No more high postprandial BG readings wiothout high carbs.
So no hypos, either?0
This discussion has been closed.