How can people stand being on low-carb diets?

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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Replies

  • lyttlewon
    lyttlewon Posts: 1,118 Member
    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: 6,423 Member
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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: 229 Member
    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.
  • sh4690
    sh4690 Posts: 169 Member
    I'm not on a low carb diet, but I have cut out bread completely from my diet.
    Try to eat minimal pasta/ rice (I HATE brown pasta/rice, so ya it's white)

    I don't find it bothers me too much though.
  • TyFit08
    TyFit08 Posts: 799 Member
    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.

    Even though I love breads and pasta, my body reacts very differently when I have a lot of those types of carbs as opposed to fruits and veggies. I used to think that I had to keep my carbs high since I would crash and have hypoglycemia until I realized it was the kind of carbs that was was causing that groggy feeling. I still treat myself, but getting majority of my carbs from veggies and fruit has actually helped with those energy spikes and curb the cravings. I guess you have to find out what works for you. It is a balance, some people can tolerate more than others, figure out what your body needs.
  • Ellas_Time_4_Change
    Ellas_Time_4_Change Posts: 171
    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.

    Exactly! 100 grams carbs tops for me and for the last month, I believe I've averaged at 50 grams, I have more energy now than before but I agree with another poster, you need to get over the initial shock which sometimes takes 2 weeks.
  • NanoBear
    NanoBear Posts: 67
    the low carb idea tends to be an example of a little knowledge being dangerous. Unless you're going for full on ketosis (you think reduced carbs are hard now!?), carbs are actually required for the chemical reaction that burns fat. I currently aim for about 180g carbs per day (it's gone down a bit as my weight dropped), and I'm 77 pounds down so far, but I love protein rich foods anyway. Getting most of your energy from fat still requires some carbs for the chemical reactions to go ahead.

    The extreme end of low carb is ketosis, where the body changes the chemical reactions it uses to burn fat. In my opinion it should be a last resort, but some people love it. It really requires a lot of planning and dedication, especially in the 1st month or so when your head feels cloudy and slow as the brain adapts.

    Something else to keep in mind: the average 'commercial' diet (atkins, etc) only works for about 6% of people. It takes some time to work out what is going to work for you, and chances are it will be different to what works for the haters.
  • Hezzietiger1
    Hezzietiger1 Posts: 1,256 Member
    When i'm eating "right" according to how I want to be eating the only carbs I consume come from fresh fruits, veggies, and some dairy. I stay clear of breads, grains, pasta's etc. The theory behind that is carbs drive insulin and insulin drives body fat. On a lower carb diet (80ish carbs) I feel better and my body fat percentage drops more quickly with my weight. When I consume over 100 carbs I still drop weight but my body fat percentage moves slower. So, I'm a believer. I dropped 60 lbs and went from 22-16. When I switched my diet to lower carb i dropped 9 lbs and went from 16-12. the sizes changed much more rapidly. I think the key to doing well on a lower carb diet is the right fats and lots of fiber from the carbs you are consuming.
  • munchkinhugs
    munchkinhugs Posts: 278 Member
    Not sure. I LOVE the taste of carby foods.

    Trying to reduce at the moment - but don't think I could completely cut back!
  • TravisBurns
    TravisBurns Posts: 353 Member
    On my lowest day I'll have like 100 some carbs. No idea how others do it either.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    I am just glad to be one of the ones that thrive on carbs! I eat about the same number as you, OP.
  • refinley2
    refinley2 Posts: 52 Member
    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. :)

    That's actually the best way to consume carbohydrates. Carbs get a bad rap because consuming excessive amounts of highly complex, chemically enriched starches is often the cause of excessive weight gain (honey buns and bagels.) But the carbohydrates found in fruit, whole wheat, and rice are great for healthy growth and metabolism. They store energy that is used throughout the day, and make great building materials for proteins on a cellular level. However, It is true you can survive perfectly well without bread and pasta, and many people find they have more energy as their body learns to adjust to a carb free diet.
  • kmacgera
    kmacgera Posts: 137 Member
    I used to live on high carb, but good quality foods. Didn't understand that it was still high carb and therefore affecting my blood sugar levels. MFP helped me understand that a cup of rice, a cup of beans, or 2 pcs of whole wheat bread are Expensive on many levels. So portions are down to 1/2 a cup of carbolicious stuff per meal. Last year I lost a pound a month, and it was hard to do. This year I'm losing 2 pounds a month, with it being sometimes challenging & sometimes easy. My blood sugar (A1C) is down to normal. I eat about 100-110 carbs a day now.

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