Why do I feel like CRAP on low carbs?

Elizabeth_C34

Mmmmmmmmm ... Popcorn. Delicious!! :bigsmile:

Don't eat any! Popcorn has carbs and carbs make you fat!

hazelsmrf

I like how some of the replies anti-low carb say to basically cut out grains/white stuff/sugars and eat healthy carbs like veggies and dairy... which is basically a low carb diet? So you're advocating a low carb diet by saying that low carb is bad and you need carbs?

To most people, low carb does not mean NO carb.

I'd recommend people watch Sugar: The Bitter Truth, it's on youtube. The truth is if you want to avoid fructose and crap like high fructose corn syrup, you pretty much have to cut out all processed foods... breads, anything that comes in a box etc. So what's left? Whole foods... meats, dairy, veggies and SOME fruit... hey, pretty low carb! Nobody is going to die from such a diet.

I lost succesfully on Atkins but I felt deprived, so I am doing something that doesn't cause me to binge on carbs. I "know" that certain foods aren't good for me, but I still enjoy them, so I allow them in moderation. Whatever it takes for me to make a life long change. Some people can eat 50 carbs a day for life and not feel deprived, because they love eating full fat foods like butter, steak, cheese... others can eat low fat for life because they enjoy eating popcorn and chicken breasts and fruit. Whatever, there's no one size fits all, do what you can stick with... but I still think everyone could benefit from consuming less HFCS and more whole foods.

IHeartNewMe

LMAO

I love how many people think they are experts on Health and Nutrition on this site! Fact, is 90% of the people on here have no idea what's truth and whats a lie. Some People can handle low carb diets, others can't just like everything else in this world. Some can handle peanuts while others can't.

Personally i did a "low carb" diet for 6 months. Consumed never more then 100g of carbs in any given day over those 6 months. Most days it never even reached 75. Wasnt ever moody, or felt like crap, or anything. Since losing most of the weight i set to goal, i've upped my carb intake to 175g, stil most days i'm around 100-125g.

You have to test your body and see if you can handle the low carb diet... It may not work for you. It may. That's my advice for the OP


Too many people on here think they have Doctorate in Nutrition. too funny

People here are just trying their best to give advice based on their personal experiences. Nobody is shoving their advice down the OP's throat. It is after all, the OP's decision to make on which advice she decides to take. Yes, we are not qualified but we sure are entitled to share our own experiences so as to let the OP gain deeper insight on this issue.

Thanks Isazzz, well said! This is a place we should feel comfortable coming to for encouragement, support and advice, instead of being belittled, maligned, ridiculed, and made fun of.

songbyrdsweet

I eat high protein low carbs and haven`t noticed any crap days.

Some carbs are good I havent got a problem with them..I just find high protein helps me lose weight and makes me feel better.

Serotonin (happy hormone) has nothing at all to do with low carb diets.....take this from a psychologist!!!

High protein feeds muscles etc etc lots of threads on this.

Eating clean is more the way to go no processed foods

editing to add eat fat too!!!

well you're NO ENDOCRINOLOGIST and being a psychologist doesn't give you the credentials necessary to claim that serotonin and carbohydrate levels are mutually exclusive. Do a bit of research before disseminating such information please.

And I quote..."Wurtman, director of the Program in Women's Health at the MIT Clinical Research Center, and colleagues have found that when you stop eating carbohydrates, your brain stops regulating serotonin, a chemical that elevates mood and suppresses appetite. And only carbohydrate consumption naturally stimulates production of serotonin."

http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2004/carbs.html

Well actually...that's a bit outdated. Since about 2009 researchers have discovered that short chain fatty acids made from gut bacteria fermenting fiber can bind to certain gut receptors and influence serotonin production. They also influence the endocannabinoid system (the system affected when one smokes cannabis) and can reduce appetite. No carbohydrates needed, just the fiber. Be wary of articles that are nearly 10 years old. We're constantly discovering things about the human body.

songbyrdsweet

I always find it amusing that the low carb fanatics also happen to be government conspiracy theorists. It seems everytime there's a carb debate, there's always at least one anti-carber who gets into the whole "evil government conspiracy to force feed us unhealthy food" nonsense. I wonder if that's what Acg means by cognitive issues...

It's not a conspiracy theory. I actually had the opportunity to meet with one of the head researchers from the USDA as she's an alum from my department. I asked about the corn subsidization and its link to obesity and the early food pyramid. She agreed with me and we discussed the new farm law that's waiting to be voted on, which would end subsidization to big farms growing these crops. The initial farm law was proposed to help small farmers during the depression--pay them to grow certain crops. Now it's funding commercial farms, instead, because they can grow so much. Now I certainly wouldn't go so far as to say the government is trying to make us sick. This was just an unforeseeable result....corn is hardy and cheap and goes in pretty much everything. Corn syrup is metabolized differently from pure sugar because it's high in fructose. No conspiracies, it's just what happens.

That's exactly my point. But there are plenty of low carb "fanatics" (Low Carb Taliban according to Martin from Leangains) that insist that carbs are some evil government conspiracy to kill off all the human race.

I'm pretty sure most fanatics of anything think that the government is going to use that thing to kill off the human race. ^_^ But I suggest you take a look at ThriveMovement. That's some creepy *kitten*.

thistimeismytime

Mmmmmmmmm ... Popcorn. Delicious!! :bigsmile:

Don't eat any! Popcorn has carbs and carbs make you fat!

Sarcasm (and abs) noted, Acg67 :laugh: I'll take my chances.

yustick

I don't understand the 'low carb' diet thing.

I agree, people eat too much white enriched crap. Get that out of your diet - I will COMPLETELY support that.

However, fruits and veggies have carbs. If I eat 4 celery stalks, 1 carrot and 1 apple in a day (those are my snacks for next week) that is 44 carbs right there. No one can tell me that my fruits and veggies are bad for me. Also, I dont see the problem with whole grains in the forms of multigrain/multiseeds breads, whole wheat pasta, wheat cous cous - Etc.

I think a lot of people have the wrong idea -=shurgs=- I also do not believe it is sustainable in anyway.

^^this

hazelsmrf

Actually many people can tell you that fructose is bad for you.

songbyrdsweet

Actually many people can tell you that fructose is bad for you.

True, but not in the form of fruit. Fruits contain both glucose and fructose, and being mostly water, their sugar content is low per their kg of weight. The fructose is also bound in different compounds in fruit as opposed to what's found in HFCS (which also contains a lot more fructose). And fruits have fiber and nutrients, etc.

hazelsmrf

True, I don't worry about giving my children an apple or a handful of strawberries. I wouldn't however give them 12 apples, nor have I ever allowed them to drink fruit juice. Fruit is tasty, I don't think there's anything wrong or lacking in a diet that avoids them though, and I don't think you should eat too much of it... I was just being a smartass I guess to the comment that nobody can say that fruit is bad for you

songbyrdsweet

True, I don't worry about giving my children an apple or a handful of strawberries. I wouldn't however give them 12 apples, nor have I ever allowed them to drink fruit juice. Fruit is tasty, I don't think there's anything wrong or lacking in a diet that avoids them though, and I don't think you should eat too much of it... I was just being a smartass I guess to the comment that nobody can say that fruit is bad for you

Oh agreed! Fruit juice has no fiber and so much of it is from concentrate or has stuff added. Plus I think it's gross. ^_^ I really enjoy berries and apples. Even on a low-carb diet I eat an apple a day (lol) and berries and sometimes mixed fruit without the heavy syrup. So refreshing!

alisonpa7

I am down 105lbs so far and I try to stick to 80 carbs/day about 80% of the time...this has worked for me I hope this helps!! I also find it a HUGE help to eat the 6 small meals/day to regulate my blood sugar too....I hope this helps! Hang in!

love4fitnesslove4food_wechange

I don't understand the 'low carb' diet thing.

I agree, people eat too much white enriched crap. Get that out of your diet - I will COMPLETELY support that.

However, fruits and veggies have carbs. If I eat 4 celery stalks, 1 carrot and 1 apple in a day (those are my snacks for next week) that is 44 carbs right there. No one can tell me that my fruits and veggies are bad for me. Also, I dont see the problem with whole grains in the forms of multigrain/multiseeds breads, whole wheat pasta, wheat cous cous - Etc.

I think a lot of people have the wrong idea -=shurgs=- I also do not believe it is sustainable in anyway.

^^this

what they said

Honestly, I do not imagine myself living on veggies, protein, fat, and the occasional piece of fruit. I LIKE to be able to eat frozen yogurt, a cranberry bran muffin, ice cream, cheesecake, and not have to worry about being bloated up the wazoo for the next 5 days because my body is storing water like crazy. not fun.

huntindawg1962

I don't understand the 'low carb' diet thing.

I agree, people eat too much white enriched crap. Get that out of your diet - I will COMPLETELY support that.

However, fruits and veggies have carbs. If I eat 4 celery stalks, 1 carrot and 1 apple in a day (those are my snacks for next week) that is 44 carbs right there. No one can tell me that my fruits and veggies are bad for me. Also, I dont see the problem with whole grains in the forms of multigrain/multiseeds breads, whole wheat pasta, wheat cous cous - Etc.

I think a lot of people have the wrong idea -=shurgs=- I also do not believe it is sustainable in anyway.

What is sustainable?

Can you believe "vegan" or vegetarian as sustainable? There are a lot of people successfully doing that for decades. Yes - I know, they too take the assaults on their eating wishes. I actually applaud them for their dedication and will certainly honor their wishes when entertaining vegan friends.

---- ACG - pass the popcorn (WITH pasture grazed butter, please)

LabRat529

*Also, i need to qualify 'glucose is the only source' with 'relatively readily available'. plus, as songbyrd says, glucose is made from ketones. i don't know if the ketones themselves cross to the brain or if the glucose needs to be constructed first - songbyrd will know.

You've activated my nerd button. I'm gonna have to find out if ketones cross the blood brain barrier. I'm pretty sure they do, but I'm not 100% positive. It's possible the astrocytes make ketones from some precursor molecule that crosses. I will find out for sure, just because I'm curious.

And the answer is.....

Yes, ketones cross the blood brain barrier. (and of course Songbyrd is correct when she says that ketones can feed into the Kreb cycle... as an aside, I once met Dr. Kreb. How would that be? To have a whole cycle named after you? *jealous*)

References are plentiful. I'll link this one just 'cause I like how neatly the abstract is written:

J Inherit Metab Dis. 2005;28(2):109-21.
Cerebral ketone body metabolism.
Morris AA.
Source
Willink Biochemical Genetics Unit, Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, Hospital Road, Pendlebury, Manchester, M27 4HA, UK. andrew.morris@cmmc.nhs.uk
Abstract
Ketone bodies (KBs) are an important source of energy for the brain. During the neonatal period, they are also precursors for the synthesis of lipids (especially cholesterol) and amino acids. The rate of cerebral KB metabolism depends primarily on the concentration in blood; high concentrations occur during fasting and on a high-fat diet. Cerebral KB metabolism is also regulated by the permeability of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which depends on the abundance of monocarboxylic acid transporters (MCT1). The BBB's permeability to KBs increases with fasting in humans. In rats, permeability increases during the suckling period, but human neonates have not been studied. Monocarboxylic acid transporters are also present in the plasma membranes of neurons and glia but their role in regulating KB metabolism is uncertain. Finally, the rate of cerebral KB metabolism depends on the activities of the relevant enzymes in brain. The activities vary with age in rats, but reliable results are not available for humans. Cerebral KB metabolism in humans differs from that in the rat in several respects. During fasting, for example, KBs supply more of the brain's energy in humans than in the rat. Conversely, KBs are probably used more extensively in the brain of suckling rats than in human neonates. These differences complicate the interpretation of rodent studies. Most patients with inborn errors of ketogenesis develop normally, suggesting that the only essential role for KBs is as an alternative fuel during illness or prolonged fasting. On the other hand, in HMG-CoA lyase deficiency, imaging generally shows asymptomatic white-matter abnormalities. The ability of KBs to act as an alternative fuel explains the effectiveness of the ketogenic diet in GLUT1 deficiency, but its effectiveness in epilepsy remains unexplained.

monty619

ive done low carb for an extended period of time (6 months+) and i can tell you that moderation is the key. some of the down sides of low carbing diets is the fact that ur muscles have much less glycogen (water) so they dont look as good, and the glycogen actually increases ur metabolic rate with the higher bodyweight. low carb diets are also tough because the volume of food you eat is much less because they are all calorie dense foods. carbs are not the enemy you just have to find a sweet spot in ur diet to have sufficient carbohydrates so provide energy for workouts.

HOWEVER... while losing body fat when trying to maintain the muscle mass you have on your body you need a minimum amount of fat and protein in order to maintain the mass.. carbohydrates are not necessary for bodily functions as much as fats or proteins are so when losing fat its only common sense to take away from carbs when u are lowering ur caloric intake because fat and protein requirements have to be met on a daily basis.

songbyrdsweet

*Also, i need to qualify 'glucose is the only source' with 'relatively readily available'. plus, as songbyrd says, glucose is made from ketones. i don't know if the ketones themselves cross to the brain or if the glucose needs to be constructed first - songbyrd will know.

You've activated my nerd button. I'm gonna have to find out if ketones cross the blood brain barrier. I'm pretty sure they do, but I'm not 100% positive. It's possible the astrocytes make ketones from some precursor molecule that crosses. I will find out for sure, just because I'm curious.

And the answer is.....

Yes, ketones cross the blood brain barrier. (and of course Songbyrd is correct when she says that ketones can feed into the Kreb cycle... as an aside, I once met Dr. Kreb. How would that be? To have a whole cycle named after you? *jealous*)

References are plentiful. I'll link this one just 'cause I like how neatly the abstract is written:

J Inherit Metab Dis. 2005;28(2):109-21.
Cerebral ketone body metabolism.
Morris AA.
Source
Willink Biochemical Genetics Unit, Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, Hospital Road, Pendlebury, Manchester, M27 4HA, UK. andrew.morris@cmmc.nhs.uk
Abstract
Ketone bodies (KBs) are an important source of energy for the brain. During the neonatal period, they are also precursors for the synthesis of lipids (especially cholesterol) and amino acids. The rate of cerebral KB metabolism depends primarily on the concentration in blood; high concentrations occur during fasting and on a high-fat diet. Cerebral KB metabolism is also regulated by the permeability of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which depends on the abundance of monocarboxylic acid transporters (MCT1). The BBB's permeability to KBs increases with fasting in humans. In rats, permeability increases during the suckling period, but human neonates have not been studied. Monocarboxylic acid transporters are also present in the plasma membranes of neurons and glia but their role in regulating KB metabolism is uncertain. Finally, the rate of cerebral KB metabolism depends on the activities of the relevant enzymes in brain. The activities vary with age in rats, but reliable results are not available for humans. Cerebral KB metabolism in humans differs from that in the rat in several respects. During fasting, for example, KBs supply more of the brain's energy in humans than in the rat. Conversely, KBs are probably used more extensively in the brain of suckling rats than in human neonates. These differences complicate the interpretation of rodent studies. Most patients with inborn errors of ketogenesis develop normally, suggesting that the only essential role for KBs is as an alternative fuel during illness or prolonged fasting. On the other hand, in HMG-CoA lyase deficiency, imaging generally shows asymptomatic white-matter abnormalities. The ability of KBs to act as an alternative fuel explains the effectiveness of the ketogenic diet in GLUT1 deficiency, but its effectiveness in epilepsy remains unexplained.

Did you know Dr. Kreb actually DIDN'T want that name after him? How ironic! He was specifically like.."Hey guys, don't name this cool thingy after me." And the scientific community was like.."Ok sure....LOL JK already did. BOOSH!"

LabRat529

Did you know Dr. Kreb actually DIDN'T want that name after him? How ironic! He was specifically like.."Hey guys, don't name this cool thingy after me." And the scientific community was like.."Ok sure....LOL JK already did. BOOSH!"

I did not know that! I wonder if that's why it's got three names.... Kreb, citric acid cycle, and TCA (or something like that). Anyhow... he was an Emeritus faculty and he kinda glared at us (we were interviewing for grad school), but he was cool.

msliu7911

Maybe stick to 100 carbs, then gradually reduce them further if its something you want to do. 50 sounds super low! X

I agree that 50 carbs to start is a big stretch. I just started a high protein and lower carb diet. I make sure to get at least 1g of protein per lb of lean body mass, and just make sure that all my carbs come from fruit and vegetables. I had a really bad headache the 2nd day but how, after 7 days... I feel like a million bucks and I'm seeing results. I'm blogging about my journey so check it out if you want. Or add me as a friend so we can stick together with our lower carb journey.

hazelsmrf

You guys think that 50 is too low? Atkins induction is less than 20g, that's what I started at, usually 10-15g a day I ate meat, and veggies. With butter. And eggs, cheese, almonds... Some berries and whipped cream when I needed something sweet.