Why do I feel like CRAP on low carbs?

IHeartNewMe

From my own experience and from what I have read, carbs are addicting, and your body really has no need for them, except to use as an energy source. According to Atkins' book, carbs act as a sort of "bully" in your body. They insist on being burned first for energy. Whatever cannot be burned is stored as fat which is what leads to diabetes, heart attack, stroke, high cholesterol, etc... When you go low carb to lose weight, like you are doing (or in my case extreme low carb-under 25 grams/day-under a doctor supervised diet) you are telling your body to draw energy from fat, either fats that have been eaten or stored fat, all the same to your body. That's called ketosis which takes about 3-5 days (different for everyone) to get into ketosis. You must drink lots of water. Also, dehydration can cause headaches. I've been eating like this for over a year and have lost 107 lbs.. I can only tell you that I feel terrific. All my doctors say I'm in great health. I was able to stop taking my diabetes medication after 2 months of eating this way. I haven't eaten, nor do I want to eat, a potato, rice, pasta, popcorn, or bread in over a year and they pop microwave popcorn in my office every day. I only eat low carb wraps and pita. I'd be happy to help you or answer any questions you have.

Acg67

From my own experience and from what I have read, carbs are addicting, and your body really has no need for them, except to use as an energy source. According to Atkins' book, carbs act as a sort of "bully" in your body. They insist on being burned first for energy. Whatever cannot be burned is stored as fat which is what leads to diabetes, heart attack, stroke, high cholesterol, etc... When you go low carb to lose weight, like you are doing (or in my case extreme low carb-under 25 grams/day-under a doctor supervised diet) you are telling your body to draw energy from fat, either fats that have been eaten or stored fat, all the same to your body. That's called ketosis which takes about 3-5 days (different for everyone) to get into ketosis. You must drink lots of water. Also, dehydration can cause headaches. I've been eating like this for over a year and have lost 107 lbs.. I can only tell you that I feel terrific. All my doctors say I'm in great health. I was able to stop taking my diabetes medication after 2 months of eating this way. I haven't eaten, nor do I want to eat, a potato, rice, pasta, popcorn, or bread in over a year and they pop microwave popcorn in my office every day. I only eat low carb wraps and pita. I'd be happy to help you or answer any questions you have.

You should do some more reading on DNL

jenilla1

It sounds like you were already eating the good carbs - high fiber, whole grains, etc. The only thing I would cut down on is processed carbs and sugars. Whole grains and fiber are really important parts of a healthy, balanced diet. I love my whole grains and fiber! :drinker:

DoctorKyrina

how low are we talking? I am on a low carb (dr. perscribed diet, and my carb intake is 70-100g a day. 20?? how do you even do that?

I have to admit I've been on a 20g per day recently (I'm just at the end of day 3). I'm having a lot of protein, salads, and low carb veggies. I definitely don't see it as a long term diet, but i was really having a hard time getting into a well established healthy eating pattern.

RachelsReboot

Good carbs are fine, but prolonged low carb diets will make you moody, irritable and if training/exercising too you will feel tired.

Do you have any studies to back this up? I am neither moody or irritable, happier than I have ever been and better able to deal with stress than I could have when I was 174lbs heavier, I train heavily and I am not tired, have energy enough to run circles around my teenage boys and their friends.

Lolli1986

glucose is the only energy source that can cross the blood-brain barrier. glucose can only be found in an easy-to-obtain form in carbs/sugars. once all the freely available carbs have been used from your blood, there is nothing to fuel your brain. the only other place that you can get the necessary glucose from to fuel your brain is proteins. deconstructing proteins in order to obtain energy is not a simple chemical reaction... it is slow, and cumbersome, and does not result in very high blood sugar levels, so your brain remains rather starved.

personally, i am a scientist so i need my brain to be functioning at optimal all day. if i can't think then i can't justify being paid to think. i do eat a fairly low carb diet, but cutting them out in an atkins style diet is not an option.

also, i want to keep my proteins! there is no 'storage' mechanism for proteins - if you are burning them, you are burning and actual building block of your body. do not want!

through trial and error, i have found a happy amount of carbs to consume, which is fairly low.

Will_Lift_4_Shoes

So sorry you feel like crap. That is the worst when you are trying to lose weight. My husband and I eat low carb cuz of dietary needs (pre type 2 diabetes). We eat 30 carbs per meal and 15 per snack. If you look at my diary I tend to be higher than that but I work to stay fairly close most days. We have been trying a lot on new recipes from dlife.com. It makes which recipes are low carb. Using the scan function on my phone I have entered the recipes on my phone and found they can actually be lower than what is posted there. Low carb can work, be tasty, keep you full, not be all about eggs, nuts, and bacon. We are losing weight, and feeling good. We have to be selective with the carbs we choose--it has forced more veggies into our diet. This is not a bad thing. There is less pasta in our diet. We have gotten creative with desserts (jello is super cheap in carbs with whipped cream even when you pick the sugar free kind) and they have tasted good. Maybe you should up your carbs. You aren't getting very many if you are only allowing 50 a day. That might help you feel better.

LabRat529

just started doing low carb since yesterday and I seriously felt like CRAP!! is it because my body is so used to eating alot of carbs like whole grain bread/wheat cereal/brown rice..? I am aiming for under 50 carbs and high protein with cardio to lose weight.. is this just how you feel in the beginning but eventually your body adapts?

I felt like crap when I tried low carb... and the feeling stayed with me for a couple of months before I gave up.

Some people just do not handle ketosis well. I'm one of them. You could be too. My body NEVER adapted. I was nauseous, had low energy, could not climb the stairs to save my life. You couldn't pay me enough to try low carb again.

And here's the kicker... low carb is not necessary to lose weight. Plenty of people lose weight while eating carbs. So..... if the feeling doesn't pass... why be miserable? You might add carbs back into your diet.

LabRat529

glucose is the only energy source that can cross the blood-brain barrier. glucose can only be found in an easy-to-obtain form in carbs/sugars. once all the freely available carbs have been used from your blood, there is nothing to fuel your brain. the only other place that you can get the necessary glucose from to fuel your brain is proteins. deconstructing proteins in order to obtain energy is not a simple chemical reaction... it is slow, and cumbersome, and does not result in very high blood sugar levels, so your brain remains rather starved.

personally, i am a scientist so i need my brain to be functioning at optimal all day. if i can't think then i can't justify being paid to think. i do eat a fairly low carb diet, but cutting them out in an atkins style diet is not an option.

also, i want to keep my proteins! there is no 'storage' mechanism for proteins - if you are burning them, you are burning and actual building block of your body. do not want!

through trial and error, i have found a happy amount of carbs to consume, which is fairly low.

<

---

also a scientist.

I also think glucose is the best fuel for the brain.

BUT... I'm pretty sure ketones get past the blood brain barrier, and ketones are an energy source. That's why the body goes into ketosis in the first place- gotta keep the brain alive. Or so I thought.

indigenousnudity

Once your body gets into ketosis and starts using ketones for energy instead of glucose you will feel better. Just keep your fat and protein intake high. Your body will start breaking down its own fat for energy and you will feel great.

I think a lot of people don't eat enough fat on a low carb diet, when it needs to be your main source of energy.

A ketogenic diet is fantastic for losing weight and improving overall health. I've lost over 60lbs doing it, I try and keep net carbs under 30 a day.

hummingbirdxss

Because low-carb is NOT a healthy way to eat. Yes, you'll lose weight more quickly, but it won't be healthy or sustainable. Your body NEEDS carbohydrates to carry out various functions, and decreased serotonin (happy hormone) production is a very common side effect of low-carb diets.

Just my opinion.....but....... I've low carb dieted before very successfully. Now I am doing again and down 6 pounds. There are A LOT of false statements out there about the lowcarb diet such as "Eat all the meat you want" but that is not the true way it works. I run about 20 to 35 carbs per day and they are from veggies and such. I did feel a bit sluggish the first day or two but now I feel better than ever. I have more energy. And instead of running way up on a sugar high, crashing, eating more sugar and so on, I now have a constant level of energy.

The most important thing to remember is we are all different !! Just as some people can loose weight on low fat, or low calories, there are many of us that dropping the massive carbs out of our diet works. To each his own and Success for All !!!!

Lolli1986

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

I'd take it from a psychiatrist, maybe, but a psychologist has no medical qualifications so why would I care what a psychologist thinks?

... a psychologist most certainly can tell you that carbs have nothing to do with serotonin using their degree as a qualification for their opinion. the reason for this is that a chemical understand of serotonin is taught as part of their degree.

i am a biologist. i did not learn a thing about serotonin and i barely learned a thing about carbs during my degree. however, i too can tell you about carbs and serotonin 'because of my degree' because i am qualified in critical reading of scientific literature. i have been given the base knowledge of biological systems which i can use as a jumping point from which to further expand my knowledge.

however, i personally can't tell you anything about serotonin - carbs relationships because i haven't bothered to jump into that pool of literature. i've got a doctor and psychologist who are qualified to tell me about those things.

Acg67

glucose is the only energy source that can cross the blood-brain barrier. glucose can only be found in an easy-to-obtain form in carbs/sugars. once all the freely available carbs have been used from your blood, there is nothing to fuel your brain. the only other place that you can get the necessary glucose from to fuel your brain is proteins. deconstructing proteins in order to obtain energy is not a simple chemical reaction... it is slow, and cumbersome, and does not result in very high blood sugar levels, so your brain remains rather starved.

personally, i am a scientist so i need my brain to be functioning at optimal all day. if i can't think then i can't justify being paid to think. i do eat a fairly low carb diet, but cutting them out in an atkins style diet is not an option.

also, i want to keep my proteins! there is no 'storage' mechanism for proteins - if you are burning them, you are burning and actual building block of your body. do not want!

through trial and error, i have found a happy amount of carbs to consume, which is fairly low.

Although highly unlikely, pretty sure protein can be stored.

LorinaLynn

If you have diabetes or a gluten intolerance, you should avoid those carbs, but otherwise, just have a healthy balance. I typically have 200-250 g of carbs a day. Granted, I also eat over 2000 calories a day, so it's usually about 50% of my daily intake. But I had no problem at all losing weight and felt fantastic the entire time I was losing.

Acg67

Once your body gets into ketosis and starts using ketones for energy instead of glucose you will feel better. Just keep your fat and protein intake high. Your body will start breaking down its own fat for energy and you will feel great.

I think a lot of people don't eat enough fat on a low carb diet, when it needs to be your main source of energy.

A ketogenic diet is fantastic for losing weight and improving overall health. I've lost over 60lbs doing it, I try and keep net carbs under 30 a day.

Too bad keto diets have no metabolic advantage...

RachelsReboot

glucose is the only energy source that can cross the blood-brain barrier. glucose can only be found in an easy-to-obtain form in carbs/sugars. once all the freely available carbs have been used from your blood, there is nothing to fuel your brain. the only other place that you can get the necessary glucose from to fuel your brain is proteins. deconstructing proteins in order to obtain energy is not a simple chemical reaction... it is slow, and cumbersome, and does not result in very high blood sugar levels, so your brain remains rather starved.

personally, i am a scientist so i need my brain to be functioning at optimal all day. if i can't think then i can't justify being paid to think. i do eat a fairly low carb diet, but cutting them out in an atkins style diet is not an option.

also, i want to keep my proteins! there is no 'storage' mechanism for proteins - if you are burning them, you are burning and actual building block of your body. do not want!

through trial and error, i have found a happy amount of carbs to consume, which is fairly low.

So then as a scientist you would say that all of use insulin resistant/diabetic/glucose intolerant/carbohydrate intolerant people have nothing left for our brains to function off of and we should just close up shop and call it quits because without carbs our brains will cease to function and we will essentially start the zombie apocolypse, being that we will be a group of walking brainless freaks walking around trying to get our next protein fix?

BeetleChe13

Anytime you change up your diet dramatically, your body will react to the change in unexpected ways for the first few days. This happened when I upped my protein, but it was a good change. Carbs=energy, and often boost our moods. I'm not sure how low carb you are going, but you may try slowing backing them down so your body adapts to the change better.

indigenousnudity

Once your body gets into ketosis and starts using ketones for energy instead of glucose you will feel better. Just keep your fat and protein intake high. Your body will start breaking down its own fat for energy and you will feel great.

I think a lot of people don't eat enough fat on a low carb diet, when it needs to be your main source of energy.

A ketogenic diet is fantastic for losing weight and improving overall health. I've lost over 60lbs doing it, I try and keep net carbs under 30 a day.

Too bad keto diets have no metabolic advantage...

Ketogenic diets have been proven in mice to have greater metabolic effects. Also the lack of hunger that comes with a keto diet does help people stick to it and reduce their calories without trying. Ketones have also been shown to improve brain performance.

The fact remains that the body doesn't need carbohydrate to survive, but it does need fat and protein. Sure carbs give you energy if that's what you put in your body. But if you're obese, insulin resistant or just looking for a better source of fuel, a keto diet works wonders.

Acg67

Once your body gets into ketosis and starts using ketones for energy instead of glucose you will feel better. Just keep your fat and protein intake high. Your body will start breaking down its own fat for energy and you will feel great.

I think a lot of people don't eat enough fat on a low carb diet, when it needs to be your main source of energy.

A ketogenic diet is fantastic for losing weight and improving overall health. I've lost over 60lbs doing it, I try and keep net carbs under 30 a day.

Too bad keto diets have no metabolic advantage...

Ketogenic diets have been proven in mice to have greater metabolic effects. Also the lack of hunger that comes with a keto diet does help people stick to it and reduce their calories without trying. Ketones have also been shown to improve brain performance.

The fact remains that the body doesn't need carbohydrate to survive, but it does need fat and protein. Sure carbs give you energy if that's what you put in your body. But if you're obese, insulin resistant or just looking for a better source of fuel, a keto diet works wonders.

And the the mice studies are relevant, why exactly? Esp considering in human trials that metabolic advantage doesn't appear. Can you link me to some studies show increased brain performance on ketones, I've seen plenty on low carb diets negatively effect cognitive performance, not bettering it

LabRat529

glucose is the only energy source that can cross the blood-brain barrier. glucose can only be found in an easy-to-obtain form in carbs/sugars. once all the freely available carbs have been used from your blood, there is nothing to fuel your brain. the only other place that you can get the necessary glucose from to fuel your brain is proteins. deconstructing proteins in order to obtain energy is not a simple chemical reaction... it is slow, and cumbersome, and does not result in very high blood sugar levels, so your brain remains rather starved.

personally, i am a scientist so i need my brain to be functioning at optimal all day. if i can't think then i can't justify being paid to think. i do eat a fairly low carb diet, but cutting them out in an atkins style diet is not an option.

also, i want to keep my proteins! there is no 'storage' mechanism for proteins - if you are burning them, you are burning and actual building block of your body. do not want!

through trial and error, i have found a happy amount of carbs to consume, which is fairly low.

So then as a scientist you would say that all of use insulin resistant/diabetic/glucose intolerant/carbohydrate intolerant people have nothing left for our brains to function off of and we should just close up shop and call it quits because without carbs our brains will cease to function and we will essentially start the zombie apocolypse, being that we will be a group of walking brainless freaks walking around trying to get our next protein fix?

I know... not directed at me... and you probably know the answer anyway judging by the mildly snarky tone of your post :P BUT... neurons can survive on ketones. For those who are insulin resistant (REALLY insulin resistant, not just claiming to be because it's a fad), the advantages of "manually" regulating your blood sugar via a low carb diet outweigh the advantages of eating carbs.

Individuals in other disease states (people with epilepsy, MAYBE people with neurodegenerative diseases (data still unclear), and so forth) might also benefit from low carb.

But for the non-diseased person, your brain really does prefer glucose. Really really. And since there's no metabolic advantage to low carb... I don't know why anyone does low carb unless they're diseased or they really like the life style. Some people DO really like the high protein/high fat type foods. And high protein does help with fullness... so... some people do just awesome on a ketogenic diet. But far too often, people think it's the only way to lose weight and they torture themselves trying to eat low carb when there just isn't a need.

LabRat529

Ketogenic diets have been proven in mice to have greater metabolic effects. Also the lack of hunger that comes with a keto diet does help people stick to it and reduce their calories without trying. Ketones have also been shown to improve brain performance.

The fact remains that the body doesn't need carbohydrate to survive, but it does need fat and protein. Sure carbs give you energy if that's what you put in your body. But if you're obese, insulin resistant or just looking for a better source of fuel, a keto diet works wonders.

Mice and rats metabolize differently than humans anyway. I work with them on a daily basis. They're just different critters. They make good animal models because we can genetically engineer them and because they breed quickly and are inexpensive to feed/house... but they're not human. A metabolic advantage in mice and rats is not likely to translate directly to humans.

indigenousnudity

Once your body gets into ketosis and starts using ketones for energy instead of glucose you will feel better. Just keep your fat and protein intake high. Your body will start breaking down its own fat for energy and you will feel great.

I think a lot of people don't eat enough fat on a low carb diet, when it needs to be your main source of energy.

A ketogenic diet is fantastic for losing weight and improving overall health. I've lost over 60lbs doing it, I try and keep net carbs under 30 a day.

Too bad keto diets have no metabolic advantage...

Ketogenic diets have been proven in mice to have greater metabolic effects. Also the lack of hunger that comes with a keto diet does help people stick to it and reduce their calories without trying. Ketones have also been shown to improve brain performance.

The fact remains that the body doesn't need carbohydrate to survive, but it does need fat and protein. Sure carbs give you energy if that's what you put in your body. But if you're obese, insulin resistant or just looking for a better source of fuel, a keto diet works wonders.

And the the mice studies are relevant, why exactly? Esp considering in human trials that metabolic advantage doesn't appear. Can you link me to some studies show increased brain performance on ketones, I've seen plenty on low carb diets negatively effect cognitive performance, not bettering it

Mice studies are used frequently in many sciences to simulate certain conditions. I agree it's not 100% accurate to use mice but when most studies on humans are weak observational experiments I'd prefer to go with the mice.

I can't access the specific reports as I'm on my phone, but here is a good summation of how ketones affect your brain:
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/evolutionary-psychiatry/201104/your-brain-ketones

My understanding is that ketones are just more efficient when it comes to getting broken down for brain energy.

Acg67

Once your body gets into ketosis and starts using ketones for energy instead of glucose you will feel better. Just keep your fat and protein intake high. Your body will start breaking down its own fat for energy and you will feel great.

I think a lot of people don't eat enough fat on a low carb diet, when it needs to be your main source of energy.

A ketogenic diet is fantastic for losing weight and improving overall health. I've lost over 60lbs doing it, I try and keep net carbs under 30 a day.

Too bad keto diets have no metabolic advantage...

Ketogenic diets have been proven in mice to have greater metabolic effects. Also the lack of hunger that comes with a keto diet does help people stick to it and reduce their calories without trying. Ketones have also been shown to improve brain performance.

The fact remains that the body doesn't need carbohydrate to survive, but it does need fat and protein. Sure carbs give you energy if that's what you put in your body. But if you're obese, insulin resistant or just looking for a better source of fuel, a keto diet works wonders.

And the the mice studies are relevant, why exactly? Esp considering in human trials that metabolic advantage doesn't appear. Can you link me to some studies show increased brain performance on ketones, I've seen plenty on low carb diets negatively effect cognitive performance, not bettering it

Mice studies are used frequently in many sciences to simulate certain conditions. I agree it's not 100% accurate to use mice but when most studies on humans are weak observational experiments I'd prefer to go with the mice.

I can't access the specific reports as I'm on my phone, but here is a good summation of how ketones affect your brain:
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/evolutionary-psychiatry/201104/your-brain-ketones

My understanding is that ketones are just more efficient when it comes to getting broken down for brain energy.

If you only think there are "weak observational studies" done on low carb/keto diets in humans, you haven't looked hard enough. There are plenty tightly controlled studies on this subject matter.

Here's a more recent one

Johnston CS et. al. Ketogenic low-carbohydrate diets have no metabolic advantage over nonketogenic low-carbohydrate diets. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. (2006) 83: 1055-1061

www.ajcn.org/content/83/5/1055.full.pdf

LabRat529

Although highly unlikely, pretty sure protein can be stored.

I don't think it can really... unless you count muscle as storage. Otherwise, I think it's got to be converted to something else for long-term storage.

I DO think it will last a while (days?) in the form of amino acids... which is why I really don't think "timing" is an issue when you're eating post-work out protein shakes or whatever...

I could be wrong though. Admittedly, I'm a bit rusty on my biochem.

Psst... I'm also stuck at work waiting for my gels to solidify. Carb threads are a great way to kill time, yes?

Acg67

Although highly unlikely, pretty sure protein can be stored.

I don't think it can really... unless you count muscle as storage. Otherwise, I think it's got to be converted to something else for long-term storage.

I DO think it will last a while (days?) in the form of amino acids... which is why I really don't think "timing" is an issue when you're eating post-work out protein shakes or whatever...

I could be wrong though. Admittedly, I'm a bit rusty on my biochem.

Psst... I'm also stuck at work waiting for my gels to solidify. Carb threads are a great way to kill time, yes?

Yeah, some of the aminos would have to be converted to something else for it to then be stored. I had just read something on this on another forum

Proteins follow a more circuitous route to becoming fat. First, they must be deaminated. After deamination, the amount of processing required depends on the individual structure of the amino acid.

The poster that stated that certain amino acids bypass gluconeogenisis and take a more direct route to becoming Acetyl-coA is correct. Alanine is converted through the Cori cycle (alanine cycle) into pyruvate, a molecule that is one step away from Acetyl-CoA. Alanine is the most abundant amino acid in nature. Glutamine is the second most abundant. Both of these amino acids funnel into gluconeogenisis and conversion into fatty acids.

Now, some will undoubtedly point out that not all amino acids can be converted to glucose. This to is true, but unfortunately, the most abundant amino acids in nature are the amino acids that when consumed in excess are most readily stored as fat.

lesle1

I love my carbs. Without carbs I'd never have lost 115 pounds because I'd never have had the energy to run out the door. : )

LabRat529

Although highly unlikely, pretty sure protein can be stored.

I don't think it can really... unless you count muscle as storage. Otherwise, I think it's got to be converted to something else for long-term storage.

I DO think it will last a while (days?) in the form of amino acids... which is why I really don't think "timing" is an issue when you're eating post-work out protein shakes or whatever...

I could be wrong though. Admittedly, I'm a bit rusty on my biochem.

Psst... I'm also stuck at work waiting for my gels to solidify. Carb threads are a great way to kill time, yes?

Yeah, some of the aminos would have to be converted to something else for it to then be stored. I had just read something on this on another forum

Proteins follow a more circuitous route to becoming fat. First, they must be deaminated. After deamination, the amount of processing required depends on the individual structure of the amino acid.

The poster that stated that certain amino acids bypass gluconeogenisis and take a more direct route to becoming Acetyl-coA is correct. Alanine is converted through the Cori cycle (alanine cycle) into pyruvate, a molecule that is one step away from Acetyl-CoA. Alanine is the most abundant amino acid in nature. Glutamine is the second most abundant. Both of these amino acids funnel into gluconeogenisis and conversion into fatty acids.

Now, some will undoubtedly point out that not all amino acids can be converted to glucose. This to is true, but unfortunately, the most abundant amino acids in nature are the amino acids that when consumed in excess are most readily stored as fat.

Cool! Thanks for the info

tinabell153

Low carb diets aren't for everyone. I went on a low carb diet and felt AMAZING! Everyone's body is different. You need to find a meal plan for your specific body type, metabolism and how much activity you do in a day. Plus, if you are on a low carb diet you need to eat fats, specifically healthy fats in eggs, meat, fish, olive oil, etc. This will help your body learn to burn fat instead of carbs. Also, you need to just do light exercise to begin with and gradually increase. (ex. 10 min. then 20min. then 30 and so on.) You also should contact your doctor about vitamin deficiencies and make sure you take a fiber supplement to keep your digestive system healthy.

GurleyGirl524

not eating enough carbs will cause low blood sugar. Eat a carb, you will feel better. Eating carbs won't hurt you, not eating them can.

songbyrdsweet

Give it some time. I LOVE low carbs. I love the food, love that I have no bloating or 'bubblies', love that my energy is consistent throughout the day. The first week or so can be rough.