so frustrated...low carb works as far as controlling my diet/appetite but i feel so sluggish

kimber0607

Hey all

Im a true sugar junkie and cant seem to consume any sugar in moderation
when i go low carb,...I can easily eliminate bad sugars, carb, sweets and not even miss them (no cravings)
BUT i have low energy so its harder to work out
Im 44 now so I know working out and building muscle is important..any advice/suggestions?

thanks much kim

Zeuggma

How long do you stay on the low-carb diet? It took me about three weeks to get used to the energy levels. When in a calorie deficit, you might not make any gains at the gym, but you'll definitely notice the difference on the scale.

Also, don't be afraid to eat some extra veggies to help fill you up! I personally do low-carb 3 meals a day, and 2 small snacks in between which keeps me pretty energized.

leggup

Lol "bad sugars." When you say building yourself, do you mean building muscle? Because that's more about a calorie surplus. I'm confused about your goals.

livingleanlivingclean

Why don't you eat carbs, but avoid sugars if that's what works for you? Add grains or starchy vegies to your meals... It might give you the energy you're looking for.

kimber0607

leggup wrote: »

Lol "bad sugars." When you say building yourself, do you mean building muscle? Because that's more about a calorie surplus. I'm confused about your goals.

sorry! yes it should have read build muscle..LOL
I would like to lose a few pounds and gain/build muscle..thanks!

psuLemon

How low is your carb level? And how are your sodium levels?

Also, what kind of workout are you doing?

tulips_and_tea

More info would be helpful because the first question that came to my mind was the first one @Zeuggma asked: do you give it enough time to adjust? If so, then maybe low carb isn't for you. The process of finding what works for each of us is trial and error. You may not need to eliminate carbs but just cut back on sugar, as has already been mentioned.

timtam163

What about introducing fruits and whole-foods sources of carbohydrates, at least around workout times?

kimber0607

psuLemon wrote: »

How low is your carb level? And how are your sodium levels?

Also, what kind of workout are you doing?

Im doing work out videos at home..strength training..light weights and yoga
to be honest Im eating low cal foods and making sure to keep my cals reasonable but not counting the number of carbs etc

kimber0607

BZAH10 wrote: »

More info would be helpful because the first question that came to my mind was the first one @Zeuggma asked: do you give it enough time to adjust? If so, then maybe low carb isn't for you. The process of finding what works for each of us is trial and error. You may not need to eliminate carbs but just cut back on sugar, as has already been mentioned.

In the past I did it for months...but when i was doing strict low carb I wasnt working out
recently it has only been about 2 weeks but the thought of really pushing myself to work out is exhausting to just think about..LOL
Its hard for me to count cals or do thing sin moderation..to keep my food intake reasonable and healthy I cant have a just a little...even good carbs open the flood gates...so eliminate all white bread/rice/pasta etc and even whole grain or whole wheat
I eat veggies, fish, dairy (cheese yogurt) etc

rheddmobile

I find that fruit, potatoes and whole grains don't trigger cravings for me in the same way that soda, bread, and added sugars did. If you can eat dairy, which has carbs, without problems, maybe you can eat enough carbs to be comfortable without eating your trigger foods.

psuLemon

kimber0607 wrote: »

psuLemon wrote: »

How low is your carb level? And how are your sodium levels?

Also, what kind of workout are you doing?

Im doing work out videos at home..strength training..light weights and yoga
to be honest Im eating low cal foods and making sure to keep my cals reasonable but not counting the number of carbs etc

Well if you are doing more low cal, you probably feel sluggish from the lack of adequate calories. If carbs are low, it's possible you aren't consuming enough sodium. When you cut carbs, you deplete glycogen and reduce insulin which stores water. As you lose that, you also can affect electrolyte levels, which can cause tiredness, dizziness, cramping, etc...

So it may be a combination of inadequate calories for your size; inadequate sodium; or both.


So what are you deeming reasonable calorie levels. For me, that is 2300 calories or so. But I maintain at 3K.

nvmomketo

If you have cut carbs and not increased sodium to at least 3000-5000 mg a day, your sluggishness could be attributed to low electrolytes from lowered insulin. Symptoms of low electrolytes include headache, fatigue, brain fog, nausea, BM issue, muscle aches and weakness.

A cup of salty broth, a salt tablet or a teaspoon of salt in water (1 tsp salt = 2300mg sodium) may make all the difference for you. Low energy is NOT a normal symptom of cutting carbs unless you have some sort of fat metabolism problem. There may be a slight dip in energy, but unless you are a competitive athlete it sill probably not be noticeable, and it generally goes away once your body is more fat adapted (more commonly seen when switching to a ketogenic diet).

Good luck.

LiveLoveFitFab

I get super low energy when I don't eat enough carbs. I've tried low carb, and it just made me an awful person. I felt awful, I couldn't workout and I was a grump. Salt didn't help. I get more than enough sodium, I'm a salt addict, but that's for another thread.

Now I just watch my sugar, because I am like an addict, once I get too much I'm looking for more. And I get my carbs from veggies, fruit (in moderation), and from beans and pulses.

Low carb isn't for everyone I don't think. I have hypoglycemia problems, which I found out afterwards. So it was really not for me.

Just remember, just because everyone else seems to be doing it, doesn't mean it is right for you. I'd give it a good try with the low carb or keto, but if you feel like crap to the point where you can't even work out, it might be time to try something else.

kimber0607

psuLemon wrote: »

kimber0607 wrote: »

psuLemon wrote: »

How low is your carb level? And how are your sodium levels?

Also, what kind of workout are you doing?

Im doing work out videos at home..strength training..light weights and yoga
to be honest Im eating low cal foods and making sure to keep my cals reasonable but not counting the number of carbs etc

Well if you are doing more low cal, you probably feel sluggish from the lack of adequate calories. If carbs are low, it's possible you aren't consuming enough sodium. When you cut carbs, you deplete glycogen and reduce insulin which stores water. As you lose that, you also can affect electrolyte levels, which can cause tiredness, dizziness, cramping, etc...

So it may be a combination of inadequate calories for your size; inadequate sodium; or both.


So what are you deeming reasonable calorie levels. For me, that is 2300 calories or so. But I maintain at 3K.

sorry ..i meant to say low carb and within reason as far as cals
for me that is somewhere between 1400-1600

kimber0607

LiveLoveFitFab wrote: »

I get super low energy when I don't eat enough carbs. I've tried low carb, and it just made me an awful person. I felt awful, I couldn't workout and I was a grump. Salt didn't help. I get more than enough sodium, I'm a salt addict, but that's for another thread.

Now I just watch my sugar, because I am like an addict, once I get too much I'm looking for more. And I get my carbs from veggies, fruit (in moderation), and from beans and pulses.

Low carb isn't for everyone I don't think. I have hypoglycemia problems, which I found out afterwards. So it was really not for me.

Just remember, just because everyone else seems to be doing it, doesn't mean it is right for you. I'd give it a good try with the low carb or keto, but if you feel like crap to the point where you can't even work out, it might be time to try something else.

thanks.....de feel low energy and grumpy....i may try to tweek with some fruits and healthy crabs..love beans!

Confuzzled4ever

I used to eat an apple befits hitting the gym. Helped a lot.