Oh carbs, how I love you!

SorchaEilis

There is so much controversy out there about carbs. Carbs are bad? Carbs are good? Which is it? Do I really need to eliminate or at least minimize a food group from my diet? Are carbs truly making me fat? Are grains causing some strange, unnoticed inflammation that might explain why it's tough to lose weight? After some hard lessons, I thought I would share my personal experience with carb cutting.

But first, a bit of science. Carbohydrates are an essential nutrient. The human body uses carbohydrates to make glucose, which is the only fuel normally used by brain cells and which is the preferred fuel for muscles. Glucose is essentially what provides energy for daily activities. Now, the body is capable of making glucose without carbs. It can convert protein to glucose through gluconeogenesis. Normally, gluconeogenesis is a starvation response, but it becomes necessary when you deprive your body of carbs, because your brain must get the glucose it needs somehow.

The thought behind most low carb diets is that if you do not give your body a steady source of carbs to turn into glucose, aka energy and brain fuel, your body will turn to fat stores to provide energy. This isn't entirely the way it works, but you get the picture. So, even though I've thus far been anti- low carb, I thought, well, I'll give it a shot. After all, body builders do it to 'cut' before a competition, so maybe it would help break the plateau I'd been experiencing.

I didn't entirely eliminate carbs from my diet, but I eliminated all sources of simple carbs and severely reduced my intake of complex carbs. I also increased my protein and fat intake. I felt like garbage! At first, I thought "well, the first few days are supposed to be hard, I'll get used to it." Unfortunately, that didn't happen. I started passing out after workouts. Then I started passing out DURING workouts. I also started getting horrific exertion headaches, and not the ones that only last a few minutes. I'm talking hours of agony. I stopped cutting carbs then, in hopes that things would return to normal. I felt a little better, but the passing out and headaches didn't stop. Finally, I went to the doctor. They can't tell for sure yet, but they suspect hypoglycemia.

I'm certainly not blaming the low carb attempt for my likely case of hypoglycemia. It's probably been waiting there most of my life, since my Dad is hypoglycemic. And most likely, it isn't going to kill me. But just be aware that if you decide to eliminate a nutrient from your diet, use caution, just in case something is lurking in your system waiting to make you pass out mid spin class.

The verdict? I will not EVER give up my beloved carbs. I rarely consume added sugar, but now, at least for the time being, I have to sugar load before I work out so I don't crack my skull on the gym floor. Carbs are not the enemy!