Low Carb and Energy???

chelbel89
chelbel89 Posts: 161 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Ok, this may be because I am only on Day Four of my new Low Carb regiment (recommended by my doc), but I am reading all these posts on Low Carbing that claims it gives you more energy, you are never hungry, and you do not miss carbs at all. I call BS. :noway: I am hungry ALL THE TIME. I hardly ate meat before, and now I can barely get my cals up to 700 a day because too much meat is making me sick. So on top of trying to decrease my carbs and increase my protein, I am constantly sick to my stomach. Is this normal at first? Will I get the fairytale not hungry, high energy, do not need any carbs happy ending?? Has anyone else had any success after such immediate shock to the body? :frown:

Replies

  • Ashikata1983
    Ashikata1983 Posts: 34
    You need to eat more calorie dense foods.

    Look at a system called Keto. It's what I'm on, ultra low carb (-20 a day) with lots of fats and veggies and the weight is dropping off and I truly am never hungry.

    Nuts, oils, oily fish, low sugar-cream, avocados etc are all good places to start.
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    Some people do really well on low carb. Some people don't. It may not be right for you. I know that it is typically not recommended for people with serotonin deficiency. They need carbs to keep their moods from tanking. Keep at it a little longer and see if your body starts to adjust. If you're still miserable it might be time to reevaluate. Good luck!
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Where's the fat?

    Gotta increase fat too.

    And yeah, you don't get fat from eating fat, you get fat from eating over maintenance or TDEE.
  • chelbel89
    chelbel89 Posts: 161 Member
    I looked up the Keto Diet, it seems like a good compromise. But it also sounds too good to be true lol. Increasing fat is really a good idea? And carb loading on weekends? Is this the way you follow the diet? And it has worked? Just needing some clarification that the info I am getting is correct lol.

    I did a bit more research, and it is primarily meat based too.
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    Are you going all the way to ketosis or just lower carb? If you're going to ketosis, I have heard the beginning called a "carb flu" that you eventually get over. I have no experience with ketosis so I won't pretend to know more than I do.

    If you are doing low-ish carb, I know for me there is a "zone" under ~100g carbs daily that I call the carb danger zone- above ketosis but too low for me, and I have found for myself that it never gets better in the danger zone. I am miserable, cranky, tired, nauseous, and ready at any moment to cut a bisch for a pancake. If some medical reason forced me to eat in the danger zone and not above, I would seriously consider going to ketosis.

    About the 700 cals, it sounds like you need a lot more fat, as someone else said. You really have to have high fat to do low carb, otherwise all that's left is protein. Protein in general is a good thing and most people fo well with increasing protein, but an almost all protein diet can actually get dangerous. You really need more fat.
  • jlohcook
    jlohcook Posts: 228 Member
    When your doc recommemd low carb, what is the %?

    I find that I cannot completely cut out carbs. I used to be at 55-60% carb including white carb, and now I'm trying to keep to 45-50%, which I find more sustainable than cutting it down to 30% or less.

    So, you may want to try to cut out slowly and not entirely. Carbs help the brain to think, it keeps me sane, and happy, I won't cut it too low especially when I have increased intensity of my workout.
  • symonspatrick
    symonspatrick Posts: 213 Member
    The first week or two seemed the most difficult. If you are hungry all the time then eat more. A handful of almonds or walnuts is like 4 or 5 hundred calories. I find chicken breast and tuna and cheese and eggs all help to make me feel full. Make sure you are getting plenty of vegetables because you need fibre. If you are looking to up your calories then fat calories add up the quickest. Try to stick with it for at least a month. It takes your body time to adjust to any new type of eating habits. I definitely felt way less hungry than with eating high carbs but I would not say way more daily energy. Drink plenty of water especially if you up your protein intake. The longer you go with eating less sugars and starches the less your body will crave them.
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    A handful of almonds or walnuts is like 4 or 5 hundred calories.
    you must have really big hands.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Did your doctor explain why he wanted you on low carb?
  • bdamaster60
    bdamaster60 Posts: 595 Member
    why a doctor would recommend a low carb diet is beyond me..
  • rotill
    rotill Posts: 244 Member
    First: Did he recommend low carb or no carb? There is a significant difference.

    On low carb you cut out all kind of sugars, you go very easy on the fruit, but you can eat a lot of vegetables. Mainly avoid the starchy ones, like potatoes, and be a little careful about cooked carrots (try to find a table of glycemic index of vegetables - you want a low GI), but otherwise, have fun!

    OK, avoid rice, pasta and bread too, as well as cakes, soda, beer. You can drink a little bit of wine, but check the sugar content first. Many types of wine now has that listed on the label. You want it well below 10 gram.

    Eat fish, avocado, nuts, beans and lentils when you don't feel like eating meat.

    If you do eat carbs, make sure to get lots of fiber, so use brown rice or whole grain. These slow down the release of carbs into your bloodstream, and keep you from getting high blood sugar.

    I suspect the doctor did not recommend no carb. If he did, as a cure for a severe yeast infection or something similar, please ask him about a plan for what you should eat, and also for how long you have to stick with it. If that is what is going on, you may get to the point where you feel more energetic once your body remembers how to process fat properly. Some people don't, in which case this is a matter of suffering now for a greater gain later on.

    Good luck!
  • georgina1970
    georgina1970 Posts: 333 Member
    First: Did he recommend low carb or no carb? There is a significant difference.

    On low carb you cut out all kind of sugars, you go very easy on the fruit, but you can eat a lot of vegetables. Mainly avoid the starchy ones, like potatoes, and be a little careful about cooked carrots (try to find a table of glycemic index of vegetables - you want a low GI), but otherwise, have fun!

    OK, avoid rice, pasta and bread too, as well as cakes, soda, beer. You can drink a little bit of wine, but check the sugar content first. Many types of wine now has that listed on the label. You want it well below 10 gram.

    Eat fish, avocado, nuts, beans and lentils when you don't feel like eating meat.

    If you do eat carbs, make sure to get lots of fiber, so use brown rice or whole grain. These slow down the release of carbs into your bloodstream, and keep you from getting high blood sugar.

    I suspect the doctor did not recommend no carb. If he did, as a cure for a severe yeast infection or something similar, please ask him about a plan for what you should eat, and also for how long you have to stick with it. If that is what is going on, you may get to the point where you feel more energetic once your body remembers how to process fat properly. Some people don't, in which case this is a matter of suffering now for a greater gain later on.

    Good luck!



    THIS!
  • lose3stone
    lose3stone Posts: 76 Member
    Hi, I am on day 4 of a ketosis diet. The way you are feeling is normal when you begin this process as it take approx that time for the ketosis to kick in but once it has you should feel more energised as long as you space out your small meals evenly. I'd be surprised tho if your GP has recommended this extreme and would advise you to recheck with them or just cut the carbs by half initially then a little more if you are still experiencing what ever symptoms you are trying to avoid. Good luck :)
  • 000WhiteRose000
    000WhiteRose000 Posts: 266 Member
    YOU MUST INCREASE FAT. High protein and low carb AND low fat diets are a bad, dangerous idea. Don't worry, you will still lose weight. INCREASE FAT!
  • chelbel89
    chelbel89 Posts: 161 Member
    My Gyno recommended a Low Carb diet to help my with my PCOS. My insulin resistance is bad, and therefore lowering my carb intake will help with this. Or at least that is what she said. I am calling back to get further clarification. Thanks for all the help guys!!! :flowerforyou:
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    Are you going all the way to ketosis or just lower carb? If you're going to ketosis, I have heard the beginning called a "carb flu" that you eventually get over. I have no experience with ketosis so I won't pretend to know more than I do.

    If you are doing low-ish carb, I know for me there is a "zone" under ~100g carbs daily that I call the carb danger zone- above ketosis but too low for me, and I have found for myself that it never gets better in the danger zone. I am miserable, cranky, tired, nauseous, and ready at any moment to cut a bisch for a pancake. If some medical reason forced me to eat in the danger zone and not above, I would seriously consider going to ketosis.

    About the 700 cals, it sounds like you need a lot more fat, as someone else said. You really have to have high fat to do low carb, otherwise all that's left is protein. Protein in general is a good thing and most people fo well with increasing protein, but an almost all protein diet can actually get dangerous. You really need more fat.

    QFT
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    My Gyno recommended a Low Carb diet to help my with my PCOS. My insulin resistance is bad, and therefore lowering my carb intake will help with this. Or at least that is what she said. I am calling back to get further clarification. Thanks for all the help guys!!! :flowerforyou:

    Deceasing carbs makes sense then - but telling you to go as extreme as keto does not.

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