Not enough carbs?

bikermike5094

all week I've been focusing on protien and trying to limit carbs but yesterday after my egg and cheese breakfast i felt like crap all day. achy, tired etc. So today i had half a glass of chocolate milk with my eggs and cheese and feel tons better, even on 4.5 hrs sleep thanks to a sick coughing wife. Could my lethergy yesterday have come from a lack of carbs in the am???

pinuplove

I don't know how low you were but I think it's possible. I know someone will chime in and say carbs have nothing to do with it, etc, but I personally have to keep my carbs over 100 or I feel like crud.

bikermike5094

makes me kind of worried that i might be pre-diabetic...

Kelly_1981

If you think that you might be pre Diabetic, I would go to the Dr.

However If you limit your carbs it is common to go through a period where you feel a bit flu-ey. But thats just your body getting used to not being feed loads of carbs so its like carb withdrawel. It could be caffine withdrawel if you gave up caffine? Was you drinking enough water?

bikermike5094

drink tons of water and drink my daily three diet cokes religeously....

seanwebster

Not to get too preachy because I recognize the benefits of high-protein diets but the body needs _some_carbohydrates to function, just like the other macronutrients. Since I started having at least one (sometimes 2-3) pieces of fresh or dried fruit a day I feel so much better. Could be the carbs, could be the vitamins, don't really care as long as I feel good. YMMV.

ArroganceInStep

People react to low carb diets differently. One of the responses is lethargy, particularly if your body is used to getting a certain amount daily or at a specific time. Some people don't really feel any different, and others actually feel more energized. It's very specific to the individual.

brit49

makes me kind of worried that i might be pre-diabetic...

Get checked out to be on the safe side,!!!

bikermike5094

Thanks.. I'm going to stick to high protien meals but maybe just a 1/2 glass of chocolate milk to get some sugar. Sorry, i hate fruits so thats not an option.

grinch031

If this is your first week cutting down on carbs, it is very common to go through the carb-flu and feel sick. I've been eating low carb for about 10 weeks, and the first week felt like a chronic hangover. After that I felt like a million bucks ever since. So I wouldn't be discouraged so quickly, but if it doesn't go away in a week or two, then you might want to re-assess.

Marll

Agreed, this is commonly known at the low-carb (or Atkins) flu. It really is a detox of your system flushing out the sugar. A lot of people never push past this stage and feel that the low carb diet/lifestyle won't work for them, but hang in there and it does get better.

I ate low carb for several years from about 2003-2006/07 and then fell off the wagon and gained a weight back from eating junk (horrible stressful job situation and mild depression can be a real *****). When I started the first time I had the worst headaches of my life (I NEVER get headaches normally) for about 4 days, after that I felt amazing. Same thing happened when I went back to low carb again this time for about 2 days. Just push past it and it'll go away, just make sure you are eating plenty of vegtables and fats. All of your carbs should be coming from sources like vegtables and some fruits (berries are typically lowest in carbs) and the rest of your diet should consist of moderate protein and high fat.

Another pro-tip is when you are feeling achey make a cup of beef broth or bullion and drink that, fixes me up right away, and works as well for sore muscles after working out.

gsager

Hell yes, low carbs means that you don't have the fuel that give your body energy.....don't do that, eat a balanced diet, something that you can do forever......

bikermike5094

yeah, got to find that balance and what works best for my body.. not too brigh on nutrition so its a learning experience.

mmaccree76

I'm on a low carb high proftein program. Doctor and nutritionist recommended and supervised and I was warned that the first 3-5 days I would feel lethargic, which I did and now a week later I have tons of energy and feel good. Like someone else said, it's a withdrawl process your body is going through. If you can stick with it and give it a few days see how you feel.

dane11235813

yeah, got to find that balance and what works best for my body.. not too brigh on nutrition so its a learning experience.

not sure how you prepare your eggs, but try to mix some oatmeal into your eggs when you're cooking them. it will give you a jolt of carbs to start the day.

jbella99

Hey There Biker Mike,

I had the same problem, Until I read an amazing book about clean eating. A light bulb turned on in my head. It takes a bit of getting used to cause i am a total sugar a holic but I feel so much better and the weight is slowly coming off. I stared a blog as a kind of therapy and to keep me accountable, my equivalent of diet coach. I have posted my meal plans, some tips i've tried and loved, also some links to products and foods I had a hard time finding in a regular store. Check it out it may help.

http://mission-size6.blogspot.com/

mjbrenner

The people who are stating that you absolutely need lots of carbs for energy are, frankly, incorrect. Carbs can be your primary source of energy, and that is the common diet that is taught in American education. It is not, however, the only option.

Once you get over the initial "carb flu" which several people have mentioned, your body can adjust to burning proteins and fats as your primary energy source. Many people find that a low carb lifestyle is easier to maintain in the long term, since it can do a better job of keeping your hunger in check and provide a feeling of a more steady stream of energy. People for whom carbs can be a trigger for overeating can be great candidates for a low carb lifestyle.

"Low carb" does not have a universally agreed upon definition, however. I try to eat roughly 60-100g net carbs per day, with as few sugars and as much fiber as possible. Some using a traditional eating strategy would call this low carb, but others within the low carb community view this as a higher carb diet. People are frequently comparing apples and orangutans.

When trying to dissect advice from this forum, it can help to remember that few people agree upon the definition of low carb, fewer still understand that is not an inherently unhealthy eating strategy, and only a handful of commenters have enough of a science background to really understand what is being discussed. At some point in our schooling, we have all received basic instruction on proper nutrition, but this does not give everyone an equal understanding.

If you struggle with "traditional" healthy eating as a lifestyle choice, then you may want to become educated about a lower carb lifestyle. It is not a good fit for everyone, but many people do benefit from it. Regardless, become educated before you dive in.

UpEarly

I personally do much better with more carbs and less protein.

If I have a high protein meal without enough carbs to balance things out, I get a headache, I feel really grouchy and my stomach hurts and feels like it's full of stones.

I stick to 55% carbs, 15% protein and 30% fat. I feel really good at that ratio. I'm energetic, able maintain my weight loss, feel happy and don't have any problem staying lean/recovering from tough workouts.

Every body is different in what it takes to function optimally. :-)

Marll

Wander over to the link below and start reading some success stories of a different kind.

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/category/success-story-summaries/#axzz1m0CYz5op

Acg67

The people who are stating that you absolutely need lots of carbs for energy are, frankly, incorrect. Carbs can be your primary source of energy, and that is the common diet that is taught in American education. It is not, however, the only option.

I suppose that depends on context, are they absolutely needed, no, but for high level athletic performance, sports like running, cycling, boxing, MMA, high volume resistance training, CHO is likely to lead to better performance and improvements in said areas.

killagb