How can people stand being on low-carb diets?

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hannahamay
hannahamay Posts: 77 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Whenever I eat less than 200 carbs I feel so weak and I have literally no energy. I always try to have some complex carbs for every meal because without them I'm never satisfied. If I could I would live off toast, oatmeal, and bananas. :) I was just wondering what everyone's opinion on low-carb diets were because I know a lot of people swear that carbs are the enemy.
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  • lyttlewon
    lyttlewon Posts: 1,118 Member
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    I am not on a low carb diet, but I eat less than 200 carbs frequently. I don't have problems with energy.
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,554 Member
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    Eh, different strokes....
    Low carb is not for me, but lots of people swear they feel wonderful on it - so, good for them!
    Don't waste time worrying about what other people eating (or not eating), eat what makes you feel good!
  • hannahamay
    hannahamay Posts: 77 Member
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    I am not on a low carb diet, but I eat less than 200 carbs frequently. I don't have problems with energy.

    I usually eat about 185 - 220 carbs a day depending on whether I exercised or not. I understand that eating too many carbs can be bad, but I also think eating less than you should can also affect your health.
  • vytamindi
    vytamindi Posts: 845 Member
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    Check out my diary! I hardly eat any, and the ones I do come from veggies or flax-based goods. I've never had more energy! That change didn't happen overnight, though. Took me about two weeks of cheat-free dedication to get over the initial carb woes.
  • MsMartyMac
    MsMartyMac Posts: 33
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    I don't count carbs but I do try to avoid unnecessary carbs. I don't eat pasta or rice, I don't eat sandwiches everyday, and i opt for salad, veggies, and lean meats when possible.
  • raylenebrooks
    raylenebrooks Posts: 137 Member
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    I Love Love Love all carbs and would love to eat oatmeal daily, But though it is not bad I lose weight so much easier on low carb (not atkins low about 70ish). Sadly diet, healthy is not always as clear cut as some like to say.
  • TyFit08
    TyFit08 Posts: 799 Member
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    I try to eat under 100 net carbs a day. At that level I don't crave them. At 200 grams are higher, instead of being full, I want more and more carbs which for me often leads to hypoglycemic episodes.

    Don't get me wrong, it was up to me I would eat pasta and bread everyday, oh and cake, but that wouldn't be smart.
  • groomchick
    groomchick Posts: 610 Member
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    I'm a low carber & have tons of energy!! When I eat carbs they do nothing but make me tired and lazy!! Everybody's body is different!!! :)
  • hannahamay
    hannahamay Posts: 77 Member
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    I think it's interesting how some people strive off low-carb and others fail. I only allow myself whole wheat pasta and brown rice every once in a while (though I had spaghetti two days in a row this week), and I eat at least one piece of whole wheat bread a day. Most of my carbs are from fruit though. :)
  • emtron500
    emtron500 Posts: 102 Member
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    If you stick to a low carb diet for more than a couple of days, your body adjusts and you start getting energy primarily from fat, not carbs, and the energy issues go away.
  • VelociMama
    VelociMama Posts: 3,119 Member
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    I did low carb for 3 months, and felt horrible. A healthy balanced diet with moderate carb intake made me not so cranky.
  • lyttlewon
    lyttlewon Posts: 1,118 Member
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    I am not on a low carb diet, but I eat less than 200 carbs frequently. I don't have problems with energy.

    I usually eat about 185 - 220 carbs a day depending on whether I exercised or not. I understand that eating too many carbs can be bad, but I also think eating less than you should can also affect your health.

    My daily cals are 1800 and my macros are 40/30/30 which is 180g carbs a day. I was just going off your initial post that if you eat less than 200 carbs you have no energy.
  • devil_in_a_blue_dress
    devil_in_a_blue_dress Posts: 5,214 Member
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    Some days I want ALL THE CARBS, some days I don't. I just eat what my body wants and call it a day. I know some people swear by low carb diets and it it works for them, I say great, it wouldn't for me in the long run so I don't think too much about.
  • k011185
    k011185 Posts: 320 Member
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    As much as I love carbs, I have been low carb for a about a month now, and have no problem with it.
    I lost weight eating carbs, I certainly don't think they are evil, I have medical reasons for cutting them out.

    It took me 3 or 4 days to adjust, since then I feel great, tons of energy.
  • TheVimFuego
    TheVimFuego Posts: 2,412 Member
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    If you stick to a low carb diet for more than a couple of days, your body adjusts and you start getting energy primarily from fat, not carbs, and the energy issues go away.

    Yeeeeup.

    And so do food cravings and needing to eat every few hours.

    Most adjustment fatigue is generally sorted with the addition of some salt.

    We can either be primarily glucose burners or fat/ketone burners, I like the latter as I have some fat to spare that I'd quite like to be used as fuel.
  • hannahamay
    hannahamay Posts: 77 Member
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    If you stick to a low carb diet for more than a couple of days, your body adjusts and you start getting energy primarily from fat, not carbs, and the energy issues go away.

    Interesting! I will admit that I've been eating too many carbs lately and I have been feeling a little bit lazy, but when I don't eat carbs for breakfast, before exercise, and after exercise I get really weak and tired. Those are the only times during the day when I like to eat bread or pasta. Today I kind of went overboard with the carbs and I feel extremely full and tired.
  • jtakingcareofherself
    jtakingcareofherself Posts: 144 Member
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    Some of the side effects of low carb, such as fatigue are due to loss of electrolytes. As you deplete your glycogen stores in your muscles and liver, you will lose a lot of water. With water, there go the electrolytes, so you need to step up your potassium and sodium. This is for ketogenic (50 g or below) diets. Low carb is by far the quickest and least painful way to lose weight, IMO.
  • meeper123
    meeper123 Posts: 3,347 Member
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    Whenever I eat less than 200 carbs I feel so weak and I have literally no energy. I always try to have some complex carbs for every meal because without them I'm never satisfied. If I could I would live off toast, oatmeal, and bananas. :) I was just wondering what everyone's opinion on low-carb diets were because I know a lot of people swear that carbs are the enemy.

    Shrug i eat carbs i have issues getting in complex carbs though
  • emtron500
    emtron500 Posts: 102 Member
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    I actually did a low carb diet for several months and lost over 50 lbs, then switched to a typical low calorie (not low carb) diet and lost some more, but had to switch back because I couldn't ignore how much better I felt on low carb, despite the fact that I REALLY love carbs. My stomach feels better and digestion seems a lot smoother, I have more energy and strength, even my mood is substantially better.

    I do eat a lot of carbs one day a week though, mostly to indulge my cravings, but I'm always happy to see research saying that carb re-feeds are a good idea because the justification helps :)
  • paris458
    paris458 Posts: 231 Member
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    I tried eating no carbs and felt sick after a few days and tired. I ate bread and felt better. I realized it was something I had to do gradually. I try to eat very little carbs from breads and pastas and if I do only one serving a day.

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