Getting used to the low carb thing

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  • astartig
    astartig Posts: 549 Member
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    there is not one diet out there that will work for everyone... If OP wants to do low carb approach then let them experiment...

    Anyways I do a cyclical ketogenic diet. I eat less than 25g net Carbs for 7~14 days then have a 24 hr carb refeed (I lift often which is why I do this carb cycle to restore muscle glycogen and keep strength up for gym). Rinse and repeat.

    When starting low carb you have to give your body time to adjust. Can be a matter of 2~3 Weeks. The first week will be hell. Fatigue, lethargic, weakness... But as the body adjust you'll pull free away from those systems.

    The degree of those symtoms depends on "how" low carb you go. Keto (50g Carbs or less a day), 100g, 150g?

    It depends on the person how many carbs they can take in and remain in ketosis. Some people can go up to a 100 grams a day and be in keto still. you have to experiment with the keto sticks to know how it works for you.
  • Jenny9000
    Jenny9000 Posts: 45 Member
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    Eat carbs. You need them for energy. Thats why you feel like garbage. Just eat HEALTHY carbs. Like whole wheat bread,pasta,etc and fruit. You have no reason to cut out carbs.
  • JisatsuHoshi
    JisatsuHoshi Posts: 421 Member
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    there is not one diet out there that will work for everyone... If OP wants to do low carb approach then let them experiment...

    Anyways I do a cyclical ketogenic diet. I eat less than 25g net Carbs for 7~14 days then have a 24 hr carb refeed (I lift often which is why I do this carb cycle to restore muscle glycogen and keep strength up for gym). Rinse and repeat.

    When starting low carb you have to give your body time to adjust. Can be a matter of 2~3 Weeks. The first week will be hell. Fatigue, lethargic, weakness... But as the body adjust you'll pull free away from those systems.

    The degree of those symtoms depends on "how" low carb you go. Keto (50g Carbs or less a day), 100g, 150g?

    It depends on the person how many carbs they can take in and remain in ketosis. Some people can go up to a 100 grams a day and be in keto still. you have to experiment with the keto sticks to know how it works for you.

    I envy those who can handle that much Carbs and still be in ketosis... Lol
  • booyainyoface
    booyainyoface Posts: 409 Member
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    eat fat! lots of it, it will fill you up. i cook everything in bacon fat, butter, and coconut oil. yumm.
  • JisatsuHoshi
    JisatsuHoshi Posts: 421 Member
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    eat fat! lots of it, it will fill you up. i cook everything in bacon fat, butter, and coconut oil. yumm.

    ^ this

    Yes you need the fats for low carbing. I pretty much drink EVOO from the bottle! Put butter in my coffee (black only), and make fat bombs with coconut oil.
  • 22dream
    22dream Posts: 60 Member
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    Unless you're medically restricted, it doesn't matter. You get more nutrition with whole grain carbs, but I'm not sure if you're cutting those out too. If you're trying to cut out all carbs, your body will be depleted of glycogen and you'll get a false sense of weight loss. Once you eat carbs again, it will all come right back until depleted. Your body burns carbs for energy more efficiently than protein, so I wouldn't deny myself - but I'm a biased, athletic carbivore (~300g/day).

    Eat what you want, eat in moderation, and try to hit your macros.

    my life would be HEAVEN if i could eat 300g a day with no problem!!!!! tuh smh
  • 22dream
    22dream Posts: 60 Member
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    Takes a week or two. Then it's all good.

    For those saying that low carb is not sustainable, I can't argue with that other than to say I have been doing it for 17 months. Does that count as sustainable?

    THATS WHAT IM TALKING ABOUT!!!!!
  • Barbellgirl
    Barbellgirl Posts: 544 Member
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    You'll need to replace the carbs with healthy fats unless your comfortable just increasing your protein to make up for it. If you do, be sure to drink a lot of water.

    P.s. read up on ketogenic diets, carb cycling, and carb back loading. Figure out what sounds like the best approach to you and give it a try. Our bodies are very resilient and can adapt to different fuels unless you have a medical condition not mentioned.
  • GingerPwr
    GingerPwr Posts: 1,979 Member
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    Thank you, everyone for all the tips and advice. Just to clarify I'm not trying to cut out ALL carbs, just the white starchy ones, so I'm definitely going to cook with brown rice and whole grain pasta, just not white pasta and breads.

    I started this in earnest on Sunday - eating meats and nuts, more veggies, and getting my carbs and natural sugar from fruits. I have already lost 1lb, and (this sounds weird) actually tucked in my shirt today and was able to wear a belt around my ACTUAL waist. I know lots of people won't understand the significance, but trust me, that's big.

    I'm concerned about the backlash of this type of dieting still - saw lots of people say that if they indulge in bread or white pasta they instantly gain weight back or feel bloated and icky. I really don't want that.
  • Tubbytucka
    Tubbytucka Posts: 83 Member
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    I've been LC/ketogenic for about 4 months now - I cut out all starchy/sugary stuff, even wholemeal pasta etc - and I feel great. I have lost 15lb or so, not dropping much weight-wise the last couple of months but my body is definitely changing. My belly flab is much less and my thighs are getting bigger as I cycle a lot.
    I didn't have much trouble cutting the starch/sugar as I was pretty low carb any way, I used to eat a bit of quinoa, squash and some wholegrain bread but I wanted to get rid of them too. I eat lots of dairy, meat, non-starchy veg and generally stay under 30g carbs a day. The fats make me feel fuller for longer so it's easy to eat at a calorie deficit.

    Some folks believe you need carbs for physical stuff but I regularly ride 2-3 hours without carb loading and feel fine after it; I am feeling fitter than I have ever been and regularly set new PR's on strava.

    As far as reintroducing processed starch/sugar I'd say try a little at a time, and track your quantities, then you'll be able to see how many grams you can eat without gaining weight/bloating.
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,835 Member
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    I'm low carbing on 250g a day. It sucks. It normally takes about 3-4 days to get used to.

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