No energy -please read and help!

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Angie5501
Angie5501 Posts: 15 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I have been on low carb diet for almost two weeks. Have been keeping the total carb count between 40 and 70 grams. At first, I felt great and could take walks. Now I have no energy and can't do much of anything. Even walking around a store, I feel like I am going to faint. MFP calculator says I should eat 1200 calories a day. I am 5'6.5", weigh 147.8 lbs, and would like to weigh about 135. I am female and 58 years old. Before I started the LCHF diet, I weighed about 157 lbs.

Over the last four years, I have had a very bad lifestyle. I began working as a freelance court reporter, driving over a huge area of my state. My schedule was erratic with long hours. Anyway, I did not exercise regularly, ate poorly, and had a ton of stress. Not doing that job anymore; have gone back to graduate school and have just one year left of classes and this semester of a part time internship. Have more time to eat right and exercise.

A little over two weeks ago, I had fasting blood work done. The blood glucose was only 81, but based on the lipid profile, the lab results indicated insulin resistance and a high risk for diabetes. Hence, the LCHF diet. However, I cannot study and do my internship, much less exercise, without enough energy to do anything other than stare at TV.

The lifestyle I've had, plus the extra fat around my middle, would support the Dx of insulin resistance. However, I have no idea how many total carbs I should be eating. I feel better cutting out sugar, candy, corn syrup solid coffee creamer, and other junk foods. However, I need to get some energy back. Is it possible that I should up the total carb number?

Thank you for reading this and for any help you can provide.
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Replies

  • Carnivor0us
    Carnivor0us Posts: 1,752 Member
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    You've got to eat more calories. Up it to at least 1600. 1200 is far too low for your height. 70g of carbs should be enough but I hate MFP for suggesting that anyone eat 1200 calories, it's far too little for the average person.
  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
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    Um... eat?
  • mamma_nee
    mamma_nee Posts: 809 Member
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    Hard to tell without seeing your diary .


    are you eating plenty of green leafy veggies?
  • hananah89
    hananah89 Posts: 692 Member
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    Definitely up your calories. Change MFP to lose only 0.5 a week. You only have 12lbs to go and should not be aiming for big weekly losses.
  • Vicxie86
    Vicxie86 Posts: 181 Member
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    You've got to eat more calories. Up it to at least 1600. 1200 is far too low for your height. 70g of carbs should be enough but I hate MFP for suggesting that anyone eat 1200 calories, it's far too little for the average person.

    Maybe it suggested that because she might have indicated at wanting to lose 2lbs a week.

    I think you need to eat maybe 200kcal more and see how you feel for the first 2 weeks. If you feel better, stick to that but if not, then add 100kcal more. Good luck
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    - 1200 is a really low calorie intake and is pretty much for sedentary. With MFP you're also supposed to log exercise and eat those exercise calories back. 1200 calories is basically ok for short old ladies who are sedentary or young girls who like starving their bodies. 1200 calories is the absolute most aggressive weight loss approach MFP will let you do per it's calculations. It is too aggressive for many people.

    - Even if you have some insulin sensitivities, you can eat more carbs than that. I've done very low carb diets in the past and had nothing in the tank for exercise. I now have a pretty balanced macro ratio of 40carb/30protein/30fat and that seems to work well. VL carb diets aren't absolutely necessary and don't work for a lot of people's lifestyles.

    - Make sure you're getting your vitamins and minerals...lots of veggies and supplement if you have to.
  • edwardkim85
    edwardkim85 Posts: 438 Member
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    Carbs are like premium gasoline for your body(car).

    You are instead trying to use regular or sub-par gasoline to get your car running... which is fat.

    Your car will run for a while but it will eventually poop...

    Same for your body.

    Being on a low-carb diet, your body will not efficiently burn fat to keep your body running long term. It's a short term solution.

    Make sure you eat your carbs, but that it comes from complex carbs like brown rice, steel oatmeal etc.

    I made a mistake of trying low-carb diet before because everybody raved about it. Only realized that all those people that raved about it all re-gained the weight lost and have no energy.... fail.
  • mathjulz
    mathjulz Posts: 5,514 Member
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    Have you had your iron checked recently? Often with changes in diet, it's not hard (especially for women) to become iron deficient. That could explain a lot of your symptoms.

    Although, I do agree that 1200 calories is probably too low. It looks like you're trying to lose 10-15 pounds. Make sure that you set the goal to "lose 1/2 pound per week" and have your activity level correct. It doesn't sound like you're sedentary, so don't use it. :wink:

    Finally, make sure you're getting enough water! (But also don't overdo it, there's a balance)
  • gsheppy
    gsheppy Posts: 283 Member
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    Try to do a but more protein. Try to eat 4-6 meals a day. The same thing happened to me when I first started Mfp. Exersize really helped after a bit. Fresh air helps too.

    Good luck
  • Angie5501
    Angie5501 Posts: 15 Member
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    Thank you to you all who replied. It sounds like I need to eat more calories. I have been eating some green leafy veggies and broccoli each day, but more than twice a day was putting me over the carb limit. I have a hard time with dairy other than cheese or yogurt, so I'm not going to continue eating heavy cream or cream cheese. Do you all think I could add some calories in the form of berries and more almonds and walnuts? Also, what do you think of natures own double fiber bread? I have not been eating any grains, but have been craving a pb sandwich on that bread.
  • kristidem
    kristidem Posts: 160 Member
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    You should talk to your doctor about how much and what kinds of carbs to eat.
  • heymrsun
    heymrsun Posts: 8 Member
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    Avocados and Almonds have a great form of healthy fats, for the amount you're taking in you really reap the rewards.

    & Yes, I would absolutely say increase the Caloric intake. It's just not worth loosing that weight that quickly, if you're going to feel crappy the whole time. ;)

    Best of luck on your weight-loss journey! :D

    P.S. Play around with your food diary, find which foods you like that are low in carbs, and high in other nutrients like healthy fats and protein. :)
  • Angie5501
    Angie5501 Posts: 15 Member
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    By the time I wrote my response, a few more people responded. I am definitely going to change my profile to a not sedentary lifestyle, decrease the amount I want to lose each week, eat more leafy veggies, and add in some complex carbs and a little more protein. I do drink lots of water. Thank you all extremely much for the rational and intelligent feedback!!!!
  • Yanicka1
    Yanicka1 Posts: 4,564 Member
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    I am very sensitive to a calories deficit. It does not take a lot to make me feel like poop. I would suggest talking with a nutritionist and setting yourself for 0.5 pounds lost a week. It is slower but it is worth it to feel normal.
  • Angie5501
    Angie5501 Posts: 15 Member
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    I took the advice and changed activity level and a goal of 1/2 lb loss per week. The MFP calculator upped me to 1510 cal per day. I know that is going to feel much better. I am planning on talking to a doctor and a nutritionist, also. I appreciate so very much all of the wise feedback I have received.
  • Lesa_Sass
    Lesa_Sass Posts: 2,213 Member
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    When I had this issue I added in some low GI carbs like quinoa and sweet potato.

    I think you are going to be mighty surprised that you can eat more and still lose weight, I know I was.

    PS: The double fiber bread is okay, if you can afford it, try Ezekiel 4:19 bread.

    Good luck.
  • pojo30
    pojo30 Posts: 62
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    You need to increase your calorie count and pick GOOD CARBS. I'm not a doctor, but I'm sure he meant cutting out processed carbs. Bananas are great energy booster and good carb. Also try beans and oatmeal. All of them keep you full and provide you with tons of energy. Whole wheat products are great too because they are taking those good carbs out and processing them. Make sure to read the label and the first ingredient should say whole wheat. It has to say "whole wheat" and not just wheat. Wheat means it was processed and they took the good stuff out. One last thing, DRINK LOTS OF WATER! Your body can go into shut down mode when it is starting to get dehydrated. You will feel tired, grumpy, and often times get headaches. Good luck and I hope this helps.
  • danimalkeys
    danimalkeys Posts: 982 Member
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    Thank you to you all who replied. It sounds like I need to eat more calories. I have been eating some green leafy veggies and broccoli each day, but more than twice a day was putting me over the carb limit. I have a hard time with dairy other than cheese or yogurt, so I'm not going to continue eating heavy cream or cream cheese. Do you all think I could add some calories in the form of berries and more almonds and walnuts? Also, what do you think of natures own double fiber bread? I have not been eating any grains, but have been craving a pb sandwich on that bread.

    You should be able to eat a lot of leafy greens and broccoli without going over- are you subtracting the fiber they contain from the total carb count? Net carbs is what you are after. total carbs minus fiber = net carbs.

    Some exanples- A big salad with spring mix, spinach, cukes, sugar snap peas, tomatoes etc has around 15g of carbs and 5g of fiber, so only 10 net carbs. 200g of Brussels sprouts is 20 carbs and 8 fiber, so only 12 net carbs. That's a LOT of sprouts. 365g of cauliflower- a HUGE pile of it, is only 85 calories, 15 carbs with 11 fiber- so only 4 net carbs for a giant, filling portion.

    As far as feeling blah- it's a typical thing to have a "carb flu" for a couple weeks after you start. Stick with it and you'll regain your energy. You should also go to a site like this one:
    http://keto-calculator.ankerl.com/
    and calculate your nutritional needs, it'll help set you up with the right proportions of fat, protein and carbs based on your age, height, weight, and lifestyle. You'll probably find you are not eating enough.
  • Stripeness
    Stripeness Posts: 511 Member
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    Great advice here re: uppping calories. Even a small bump can make a huge difference (100 cal increase was like a night/day difference for me. Your experience may be different of course. Just saying you can start small & experiment upward)

    One other thing: please do ask your doc to *measure* your RMR (resting metabolism rate) so that you're dealing with your very OWN starting number and not something calculated. It's painless & simple. Even the really good online calculators are based on the average population and likely to be wrong if you have anything else going on.
  • grdnrwlt
    grdnrwlt Posts: 1
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    I would get nutrition counseling immediately and see a doctor to make sure your not a diabetic or that everything else is fine. That's my best advice. Fat around the middle at your weight sounds like something else could be going on. I had fat around the middle to and I am 5' 6.5 too. I had some issues. Make an appt to be sure.

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