Gave up sugar, EXTREME hunger!!
ShayCarver89
Posts: 239 Member
I gave up sugar 6 days ago and I swear to you I feel like a vacuum. I just ate a full meal and still feel like i could keep going. It started about 3 days into everything. I also am very, very thirsty.
When I get hungry, which is basically all the time now, I feel like I'm going to die if I don't eat. I get a headache, start to shake, and become extremely agitated.
Is this normal and when can I look for it to pass? Its miserable.
When I get hungry, which is basically all the time now, I feel like I'm going to die if I don't eat. I get a headache, start to shake, and become extremely agitated.
Is this normal and when can I look for it to pass? Its miserable.
2
Replies
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Have you been tested for diabetes? Why did you give up sugar?9
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You must've been taking in a boatload of sugar. Sounds like actual withdrawal symptoms.
What was your daily sugar intake before and what are you consuming now?10 -
I'm actually in pre diabetes. That's why I gave up sugar. And my diet was basically made up of sweets and carbs.4
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If you are pre diabetes then you need to be under a medical professional’s care while you adjust your diet.9
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get a help with the doctor about less sugar diet. IF you are pre diabetes, maybe some prescritpion to control sugar levels. Do you not have equipment to check sugar levels in blood?3
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A few things are possible. You may have gone too far too quick and crashed your blood sugar levels (ie the shaking) or it could just be the sudden change to your system. If it is your blood sugar crashing, it could be dangerous. This is worth getting a blood glucose monitor over.
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I am. He actually suggested the keto diet and but I cannot give up carbs completely. I need my bread. That's the thing too..I haven't completely given up carbs. I still eat wraps and sometimes subs and sandwiches. I cannot imagine how bad this would be if I gave up carbs and sugar cold turkey. I go back for blood work next month.5
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Maybe decline your sugar instead of going cold turkey or replace processed sugar with fruits4
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That's yet another thing. I still eat fruit. I had fruit salad and a turkey wrap for lunch. There's carbs and sugar. But I haven't had like chocolate, cookies, candy, cake..nothing like that in 6 days. I used to eat junk every single day if it fit into my calories. My body is being slammed for it. I also have been extremely tired and my body aches all over. I'm going through actual withdrawal. I just want to know when and if it'll end.2
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Have you sought out the help of a registered dietitian to construct a diet for pre-diabetes? I strongly recommend you do that rather than just adjusting on your own to a diet that doesn't seem like it is serving you well.5
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If you would open your diary so that folks could see what you actually are consuming, there might be some helpful input. At this point, it's really hard to guess what might be happening although the symptoms sound like hypoglycemia or an electrolyte issue. If it continues, though, consult your primary care provider.2
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ShayCarver89 wrote: »That's yet another thing. I still eat fruit. I had fruit salad and a turkey wrap for lunch. There's carbs and sugar. But I haven't had like chocolate, cookies, candy, cake..nothing like that in 6 days. I used to eat junk every single day if it fit into my calories. My body is being slammed for it. I also have been extremely tired and my body aches all over. I'm going through actual withdrawal. I just want to know when and if it'll end.
Are you sure it's not the keto flu? Presumably, if your body is used to 500 grams of sugar daily and you cut it down to 100-150 i would imagine that could happen. How much protein are you getting?3 -
Time for a trip to the doctor to get him/her up to speed regarding these severe reactions to diet change.6
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You didn’t give up sugar if you’re still consuming sugar. You’re just eating much much less of it than before, which is fine.
Are you eating enough? Is your diary open? Are you consuming enough protein/fiber/fat to keep you satiated?6 -
Stay your course. It’ll pass3
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1BlueAurora wrote: »Time for a trip to the doctor to get him/her up to speed regarding these severe reactions to diet change.
Agree with this completely ^^^^^
I'm speaking as a diabetic. Your glucose levels are not something you can afford to fool around with.
Your endocrinologist should have had you meet with his office's dietician before you started something new.5 -
1BlueAurora wrote: »Time for a trip to the doctor to get him/her up to speed regarding these severe reactions to diet change.
Agree with this completely ^^^^^
I'm speaking as a diabetic. Your glucose levels are not something you can afford to fool around with.
Your endocrinologist should have had you meet with his office's dietician before you started something new.
In the US, it is not common to have an endocrinologist unless you are an insulin dependent diabetic or otherwise having issues that warrant more care than Metformin and monitoring.
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ShayCarver89 wrote: »That's yet another thing. I still eat fruit. I had fruit salad and a turkey wrap for lunch. There's carbs and sugar. But I haven't had like chocolate, cookies, candy, cake..nothing like that in 6 days. I used to eat junk every single day if it fit into my calories. My body is being slammed for it. I also have been extremely tired and my body aches all over. I'm going through actual withdrawal. I just want to know when and if it'll end.
I'd suggest seeing a registered dietitian for more informed advice on how to manage this. Many have had success with managing prediabetes without going to the extreme of keto.5 -
I'm a little confused between OP'S posts and some of the replies. If OP was simply told they were pre diabetic, this doesn't mean they necessarily need to control carbs or track blood sugar levels or has an endocrinologist. Pre diabetes isn't a condition or diagnosis, it's just a warning that you're headed in that direction. And OP says they are still eating wraps, sandwiches, and fruit.
OP, do you have weight to lose, and are you eating at a deficit? What are your height, weight, and how many calories and carb grams are you eating?
Just cutting out sweets shouldn't affect you this way in and of itself. Off the top of my head, I'd guess either you're under eating or you're sick and it's just a coincidence that it's at the same time as you've cut out treats.17 -
concordancia wrote: »1BlueAurora wrote: »Time for a trip to the doctor to get him/her up to speed regarding these severe reactions to diet change.
Agree with this completely ^^^^^
I'm speaking as a diabetic. Your glucose levels are not something you can afford to fool around with.
Your endocrinologist should have had you meet with his office's dietician before you started something new.
In the US, it is not common to have an endocrinologist unless you are an insulin dependent diabetic or otherwise having issues that warrant more care than Metformin and monitoring.
I'm in the US. That said, I also had my thyroid removed, so I had an endo anyway.1 -
This does not sound like something a pre-diabetic should be going through. I am a little worried that your diagnosis is incorrect.3
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I'm a little confused between OP'S posts and some of the replies. If OP was simply told they were pre diabetic, this doesn't mean they necessarily need to control carbs or track blood sugar levels or has an endocrinologist. Pre diabetes isn't a condition or diagnosis, it's just a warning that you're headed in that direction. And OP says they are still eating wraps, sandwiches, and fruit.
OP, do you have weight to lose, and are you eating at a deficit? What are your height, weight, and how many calories and carb grams are you eating?
Just cutting out sweets shouldn't affect you this way in and of itself. Off the top of my head, I'd guess either you're under eating or you're sick and it's just a coincidence that it's at the same time as you've cut out treats.
This.concordancia wrote: »1BlueAurora wrote: »Time for a trip to the doctor to get him/her up to speed regarding these severe reactions to diet change.
Agree with this completely ^^^^^
I'm speaking as a diabetic. Your glucose levels are not something you can afford to fool around with.
Your endocrinologist should have had you meet with his office's dietician before you started something new.
In the US, it is not common to have an endocrinologist unless you are an insulin dependent diabetic or otherwise having issues that warrant more care than Metformin and monitoring.
I'm in the US. That said, I also had my thyroid removed, so I had an endo anyway.
You are also diabetic, from what you've said. OP is not.
OP, how many cals are you eating? What are your current macros?
I would not think that extreme hunger was a typical response to cutting down on carbs some (also dessert type foods are often as much fat as carbs), and it's entirely possible this is just you being sick or cutting cals too low.7 -
Wheat flour is better for you, however anything with flour will break down into sugar.
If you eat flour products eat lots of protein with it as it counter balances the sugar.
If you want to keep eating fruit, eat fruit at the end of the day after a full day of high protein meals. The protein you consumed through the day helps counter the sugar in fruit. Avoid high sugar fruits.
Try berries, or cantaloupe. Avoid oranges, bananas, and grapes as they some of the highest sugar content of fruits.
If you are pre diabetic you shouldn't need to change so drastically, just reduce.
You shouldn't be getting the shakes if you are pre diabetic from reducing your sugar intake.
Do you know what your A1C is?
I'm diabetic, but my diabetes is in remission.
Good luck
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greyhoundwalker wrote: »I'm a little confused between OP'S posts and some of the replies. If OP was simply told they were pre diabetic, this doesn't mean they necessarily need to control carbs or track blood sugar levels or has an endocrinologist. Pre diabetes isn't a condition or diagnosis, it's just a warning that you're headed in that direction. And OP says they are still eating wraps, sandwiches, fruit.
I don’t know where OP is from, but in the UK the standard advice for blood sugars that are above the healthy range but below diagnosed diabetic range (not all doctors in the UK even use the term “prediabetic” though mine does) is to lose weight to a healthy BMI if overweight, cut out added sugars and reduce “white” starches, by which they mean go for Wholemeal versions of bread, pasta, rice etc with more fibre. They don't limit fruit but suggest you go for at least 3 portions of veg a day. . We wouldn’t be referred to an endocrinologist but our blood sugars would be checked at the GP approx every six months.
This seems normal for here too. Advice to lose weight, cut back on added sugar (which very often comes with fat, btw), and switch out refined for whole grain foods is not all that specific to "prediabetes" (on what that means I recommend the recent Sigma Nutrition interview with Nicola Guess). But this isn't really a special diabetic diet, it's what the dietary guidelines recommend for healthy eating and common advice to people trying to lose.
It's also not inconsistent with what kimny said about there being no necessary reason to assume OP needs to control carbs or track blood sugar levels, etc.
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greyhoundwalker wrote: »I'm a little confused between OP'S posts and some of the replies. If OP was simply told they were pre diabetic, this doesn't mean they necessarily need to control carbs or track blood sugar levels or has an endocrinologist. Pre diabetes isn't a condition or diagnosis, it's just a warning that you're headed in that direction. And OP says they are still eating wraps, sandwiches, fruit.
I don’t know where OP is from, but in the UK the standard advice for blood sugars that are above the healthy range but below diagnosed diabetic range (not all doctors in the UK even use the term “prediabetic” though mine does) is to lose weight to a healthy BMI if overweight, cut out added sugars and reduce “white” starches, by which they mean go for Wholemeal versions of bread, pasta, rice etc with more fibre. They don't limit fruit but suggest you go for at least 3 portions of veg a day. . We wouldn’t be referred to an endocrinologist but our blood sugars would be checked at the GP approx every six months.
This seems normal for here too. Advice to lose weight, cut back on added sugar (which very often comes with fat, btw), and switch out refined for whole grain foods is not all that specific to "prediabetes" (on what that means I recommend the recent Sigma Nutrition interview with Nicola Guess). But this isn't really a special diabetic diet, it's what the dietary guidelines recommend for healthy eating and common advice to people trying to lose.
It's also not inconsistent with what kimny said about there being no necessary reason to assume OP needs to control carbs or track blood sugar levels, etc.
Yeah, and my concern is more that everyone is focusing on cutting too much sugar for a diabetic, but if she just had a checkup and is not diabetic, there's no reason for cutting out sweet treats to cause extreme hunger, headache, shakes, fatigue etc. And I don't want OP to just shrug it off as getting used to the diet change when it is most likely something else.5 -
greyhoundwalker wrote: »I'm a little confused between OP'S posts and some of the replies. If OP was simply told they were pre diabetic, this doesn't mean they necessarily need to control carbs or track blood sugar levels or has an endocrinologist. Pre diabetes isn't a condition or diagnosis, it's just a warning that you're headed in that direction. And OP says they are still eating wraps, sandwiches, fruit.
I don’t know where OP is from, but in the UK the standard advice for blood sugars that are above the healthy range but below diagnosed diabetic range (not all doctors in the UK even use the term “prediabetic” though mine does) is to lose weight to a healthy BMI if overweight, cut out added sugars and reduce “white” starches, by which they mean go for Wholemeal versions of bread, pasta, rice etc with more fibre. They don't limit fruit but suggest you go for at least 3 portions of veg a day. . We wouldn’t be referred to an endocrinologist but our blood sugars would be checked at the GP approx every six months.
This seems normal for here too. Advice to lose weight, cut back on added sugar (which very often comes with fat, btw), and switch out refined for whole grain foods is not all that specific to "prediabetes" (on what that means I recommend the recent Sigma Nutrition interview with Nicola Guess). But this isn't really a special diabetic diet, it's what the dietary guidelines recommend for healthy eating and common advice to people trying to lose.
It's also not inconsistent with what kimny said about there being no necessary reason to assume OP needs to control carbs or track blood sugar levels, etc.
Yeah, and my concern is more that everyone is focusing on cutting too much sugar for a diabetic, but if she just had a checkup and is not diabetic, there's no reason for cutting out sweet treats to cause extreme hunger, headache, shakes, fatigue etc. And I don't want OP to just shrug it off as getting used to the diet change when it is most likely something else.
What she described sounds exactly like a low blood sugar event which is why I think people are responding the way they are. I don't think it makes sense with a pre-D diagnosis so I agree with you. This is why I am concerned that her diagnosis is incorrect. I am not sure how that can happen. If she was not properly fasted her BG would be high so that is easy. I am not sure if a very high carb diet can goose an a1c but I barely understand what that is only that it is a result of ~90 days.2 -
greyhoundwalker wrote: »I'm a little confused between OP'S posts and some of the replies. If OP was simply told they were pre diabetic, this doesn't mean they necessarily need to control carbs or track blood sugar levels or has an endocrinologist. Pre diabetes isn't a condition or diagnosis, it's just a warning that you're headed in that direction. And OP says they are still eating wraps, sandwiches, fruit.
I don’t know where OP is from, but in the UK the standard advice for blood sugars that are above the healthy range but below diagnosed diabetic range (not all doctors in the UK even use the term “prediabetic” though mine does) is to lose weight to a healthy BMI if overweight, cut out added sugars and reduce “white” starches, by which they mean go for Wholemeal versions of bread, pasta, rice etc with more fibre. They don't limit fruit but suggest you go for at least 3 portions of veg a day. . We wouldn’t be referred to an endocrinologist but our blood sugars would be checked at the GP approx every six months.
This seems normal for here too. Advice to lose weight, cut back on added sugar (which very often comes with fat, btw), and switch out refined for whole grain foods is not all that specific to "prediabetes" (on what that means I recommend the recent Sigma Nutrition interview with Nicola Guess). But this isn't really a special diabetic diet, it's what the dietary guidelines recommend for healthy eating and common advice to people trying to lose.
It's also not inconsistent with what kimny said about there being no necessary reason to assume OP needs to control carbs or track blood sugar levels, etc.
Yeah, and my concern is more that everyone is focusing on cutting too much sugar for a diabetic, but if she just had a checkup and is not diabetic, there's no reason for cutting out sweet treats to cause extreme hunger, headache, shakes, fatigue etc. And I don't want OP to just shrug it off as getting used to the diet change when it is most likely something else.
What she described sounds exactly like a low blood sugar event which is why I think people are responding the way they are. I don't think it makes sense with a pre-D diagnosis so I agree with you. This is why I am concerned that her diagnosis is incorrect. I am not sure how that can happen. If she was not properly fasted her BG would be high so that is easy. I am not sure if a very high carb diet can goose an a1c but I barely understand what that is only that it is a result of ~90 days.
So OP, I think our amateur consensus is this is NOT normal. If you are eating at a steep deficit, eat more. If you are still feeling this way today, especially the shakes, agitation, and body aches, it might not be a bad idea to pop into your doctor's office or an urgent care office and see if a pro can spot the cause.
Just cutting back on sweet treats while still eating other carbs should not lead to these symptoms, or really any noticable symptoms, assuming you are not in fact diabetic. Let us know!3 -
greyhoundwalker wrote: »I'm a little confused between OP'S posts and some of the replies. If OP was simply told they were pre diabetic, this doesn't mean they necessarily need to control carbs or track blood sugar levels or has an endocrinologist. Pre diabetes isn't a condition or diagnosis, it's just a warning that you're headed in that direction. And OP says they are still eating wraps, sandwiches, fruit.
I don’t know where OP is from, but in the UK the standard advice for blood sugars that are above the healthy range but below diagnosed diabetic range (not all doctors in the UK even use the term “prediabetic” though mine does) is to lose weight to a healthy BMI if overweight, cut out added sugars and reduce “white” starches, by which they mean go for Wholemeal versions of bread, pasta, rice etc with more fibre. They don't limit fruit but suggest you go for at least 3 portions of veg a day. . We wouldn’t be referred to an endocrinologist but our blood sugars would be checked at the GP approx every six months.
This seems normal for here too. Advice to lose weight, cut back on added sugar (which very often comes with fat, btw), and switch out refined for whole grain foods is not all that specific to "prediabetes" (on what that means I recommend the recent Sigma Nutrition interview with Nicola Guess). But this isn't really a special diabetic diet, it's what the dietary guidelines recommend for healthy eating and common advice to people trying to lose.
It's also not inconsistent with what kimny said about there being no necessary reason to assume OP needs to control carbs or track blood sugar levels, etc.
Yeah, and my concern is more that everyone is focusing on cutting too much sugar for a diabetic, but if she just had a checkup and is not diabetic, there's no reason for cutting out sweet treats to cause extreme hunger, headache, shakes, fatigue etc. And I don't want OP to just shrug it off as getting used to the diet change when it is most likely something else.
Yes, good point.0 -
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One more thought... Did you by any chance give up Coke or Pepsi at the same time? I'm wondering if you might be having some caffeine withdrawl. Don't forget that along with the sugar, chocolate and cola type drinks have caffeine in them. What you described (shaking, hungry) does sound like low blood sugar but if you are eating the same amount of calories that doesn't make sense. If you dropped your calories dramatically that could account for it as well. If none of those things apply, I would for sure go back to the doctor if it continues.10
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