What happens when you cut out carbs & sugar?

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I want to cut way back on my carbs and sugar intake. I know I get way too many and i don't want to cut them out completely but cut way back. The thing is... I Googled it and now I'm nervous because so many ppl say they felt terrible and sick for a while after they cut out extra sugar from their diet. Personal experiences..?
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  • karenlong7
    karenlong7 Posts: 15 Member
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    I do a modified keto diet. Low carbs (20g), moderate fat and higher protein than the "traditional" keto diet. If you feel like crap on this diet you need to balance your electrolytes. Typically it is a lack of sodium, magnesium or potassium. Some people swear by keeping zip fizz or Propel on hand for times they feel bad. Personally I supplement every day with sole water (salt water), magnesium maleate, and a small amount of potassium (most I get from vegetables.) Hope this helps. Good Luck!
  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
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    I want to cut way back on my carbs and sugar intake. I know I get way too many and i don't want to cut them out completely but cut way back. The thing is... I Googled it and now I'm nervous because so many ppl say they felt terrible and sick for a while after they cut out extra sugar from their diet. Personal experiences..?

    Very low carb diets work really well for a lot of people. They don't work out as well for some of us, though. If it's something you're interested in pursuing, the best thing you can do is try it and see how it works for you.

    But do increase your electrolytes (salt, etc) when you do. Something like 5000mg of sodium tends to get most people past the keto flu. If very low carb isn't for you, then you can always step your carbs up until you feel better.

    This is good advice.

    Also you don’t need to go super low on carbs (under a 100g) is considered LCHF by many.

    There are some really good low carb groups on mfp that will be able to give you some great advice .

    But plan what you are going to eat in advance and give it a go. Give it a month, you will know if it suits you or not by then.

    Good luck, I wish you every success.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,401 MFP Moderator
    edited July 2018
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    I only feel tired and lethargic (and my workouts suffer). And i even eat around 5 -6k mg of sodium. But i still cycle between ketogenic and high carb refeeds for my plan.
  • Moolatta
    Moolatta Posts: 29 Member
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    I find it easier to stay within my calorie limits and not feel hungry. I was a major sugar-eater but didn’t experience any ill effects when reducing my consumption of it.
  • shaumom
    shaumom Posts: 1,003 Member
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    I had to change my diet due to medical records, with no added sugar (not even syrups and honey) and low carb for a while. Still don't really have added sugar and grain free now.

    I definitely had the 'feel like crap' feeling after dropping sugar - seems to be specifically sugar, though, not low carb related. My one piece of advice would be NOT to do them both at the same time. Lower the sugar intake if that's what you decide to do, then after you've managed that for a few weeks, THEN lower the carbs. Doing both at the same time is much more difficult and harder to manage, IMO. It can be done, but if you are hoping for a less difficult process, then that's what I'd recommend
  • kpsyche
    kpsyche Posts: 345 Member
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    Everyone responds differently I guess, but I was drinking 10 to 12 cans of soft drink a day[1] and stopped cold turkey without feeling any different at all really. My eyesight changed though: about 2 days after I stopped drinking all the sugar-filled drinks my close distance vision became very blurry. Both of my doctors said this happened to people commonly and they routinely advised people not to get eye tests or glasses for at least a month after giving up added sugar. My long distance vision just after I gave up the added sugar was the opposite and seemed to be better than it was before. My short distance vision adjusted itself back to normal after about 3 weeks.

    [1] "Soft drink" in Australia is the equivalent of soda pop in the USA except that in Australia it's sweetened with sucrose (about 54g of it per 375ml [12.7oz] can) and not HFCS as I believe is common in the USA
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    I’ve cut out all added sugars and moderated my carb intake to control diabetes.

    I get a headache if I also cut out all caffeine.

    Because of my insulin resistance I feel a lot better if I moderate my carbs.

    I’d never cut carbs out completely as this also cuts out all my fruits and vegetables. A crisp leafy salad with sunflower seeds and feta make me happy.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,988 Member
    edited July 2018
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    I want to cut way back on my carbs and sugar intake. I know I get way too many and i don't want to cut them out completely but cut way back. The thing is... I Googled it and now I'm nervous because so many ppl say they felt terrible and sick for a while after they cut out extra sugar from their diet. Personal experiences..?

    People feeling terrible sounds like the Keto Flu. You can cut back on carbs without going into ketosis. Did you have a carb target in mind?

    I found reducing carbs helpful as I don't find them especially filling and reducing carbs gave me more room for protein, which I do find filling. I shoot for my meals being 25-30% protein. Fat naturally comes to around 30% for me, and I fill the rest with carbs. This was a minor, but significant, change for me.

    Other people love the keto diet, and some have medical conditions that benefit by it.

    Satiety is very individual.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
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    I want to cut way back on my carbs and sugar intake. I know I get way too many and i don't want to cut them out completely but cut way back. The thing is... I Googled it and now I'm nervous because so many ppl say they felt terrible and sick for a while after they cut out extra sugar from their diet. Personal experiences..?

    What you're talking about is the keto flu associated with going keto...which is ultra low carb. Essentially your carbohydrates will be limited to leafy greens and other low carb vegetables. It is on the extreme end of low carb...you don't have to be keto to be low carb. I eat around 150 grams of carbs per day in a cut which I consider to be low carb, but it still has way more room for things like oats and legumes and a variety of fruit and veg and isn't so limited.

    The biggest thing with cutting carbs is a drop in water weight...otherwise, it's no different than anything else. I reduce my carbs because my protein and fat targets stay relatively the same whether I'm cutting or maintaining, so something has to give.