Very Low Carb and depression - how long?

Wondering if you've discussed this with your doctor? Sounds more serious than just going low carb. Perhaps it's related to the endocrine issue or something else, but worth getting checked out before you continue this cycle.

:flowerforyou:

Why are you going low carb? There really is no need, especially if you're miserable.

I've been limiting my carbs to around 50g or so per day for about a week now, and I feel fantastic... lighter, more energetic, stomach cramps are gone, etc. I would say you should see your doctor... I know that the first few days doing low carb are supposed to be tough, but your symptoms sound a bit extreme and worrisome.

Got the very same on a super low carb diet and then regular urges to binge on loads of carbs. I found that a moderate slow low GI carb diet of about 150 per day was better fo me when working out heavily. It stopped the brain drain and gave me more fuel to workout. After a hard workout, I would usually be back in ketosis.

I'm a very low carber (20-25 a day low) and I feel great doing it. My brain function is just fine and I am healthier than I have ever been in my life. I choose to do it because it is easy for me and I feel great.
If you are that miserable, you certainly should not do it. You have to be fine with eating a lot of eggs, lean protein and veggies without eating rice, pasta or fruit.
Low carb isn't the diet for everyone, so maybe you should rethink this option.
Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

If you know that this sort of meal plan makes you utterly miserable, then why do it again?:sad:

My thoughts exactly.

Read to the end of her post.

The lethargic feeling will subside. It is just your body adjusting to a new lifestyle. Give it a few days, if you still feel that way stop the diet or go talk to a doctor. I do a keto diet and only consume max 20g carbs per day. Worth a shot

You'll probably be depressed as long as you are going very low carb.

^^ Might be this, honestly.

I feel like crap when I eat low carb. Miserable, starving, crap. Some people's bodies just don't do well with it. So - maybe stop?

If you have a condition like insulin resistance you can manage it by eating your carbs with fiber and fat - you don't need to stick below a certain number.

I really feel for you - I did atkins many many years ago (probably not correctly I was probably eating less than 40g of carbs a day) I stayed on extremely low carbs for a good few months - I did lose a lot of weight I ended up extremely unhappy, very depressed and just generally unwell.

I know it can and does work for many many people but for me its a total no go.

changing ourselves is tough but you don't need to make yourself ill doing it - try something else please

Make sure you are not doing a low carb, low fat diet. Also sodium, potassium and magnesium are very important in low carb diet. I try to get at least 5 g of sodium per day.

Why are you going low carb? There really is no need, especially if you're miserable.

if you read the OP, she is doing low carb because she has an issue similar to PCOS which does tend to fair better with low carb!

I have the same depressing sypmptoms when I go low carb. I've tried it several times and after 3 or 4 days I'm miserable/angry/irritable. I've also got PCOS.

I understand that the best thing for PCOS is low carb too, however, it obviously doesnt suit you and I so I've decided that it's not the answer....entirely. You CAN go lowER carb and just monitor it. I've found 120/130g is okay. As you're much taller maybe you should try 140/150g?

I've not heard of anyone overcoming the issue - I dont know if your body can just get used to it. Maybe we are just predisposed to NEED a certain amount of carbs for healthy brain function?

i totally agree with this!!^^ i tried VERY low carb (like 20-50g or less) and found my body/mind could NOT handle it! i became RAGEFULL (that is how i show depression) and since i upped my carbs to 100-130g i am MUCH better. for most, that is still low carb. up your carbs until you feel better and it will most likely still be low carb compared to what most do.

good luck and feel better!

ETA: i also have PCOS and that is why i do Low Carb/High Fat

Some interesting stuff here. Sodium and potassium to be looked at, as well as magnesium - will do.

Yarwell - why avoid high water consumption? Because of flushing sodium etc?

Definitely not low-fat - I'm a red meat, full-fat dairy kind of girl - and no 'diet' products in the mix.

sljohnson - I'm not actually doing this at the moment, because my last few experiences with it were so dreadful. Just trying to find out if others have had similar experiences, and whether the symptoms diminished or disappeared if they kept going, in order to assess whether or not I should try again and go all out to push past the effects and come out the other side, where all will presumably be rosy, and I will feel wonderful, as others here have described on VLCarb regimes.

I don't currently have an endocrinologist as such (the last one was a ghastly man, but did at least identify the problem - unfortunately, his 'treatment' recommendation was 'lose weight' - for an endocrine issue which renders this very difficult. Metformin, off license, via my GP has helped to a degree, but not enough to achieve anywhere near my goals - hence why I have tried very low carb) , but I'm going to ask for another referral next time I see my doctor, to see if someone else can come up with something more effective.

Rebeccaplatt - thanks for your feedback. It's good to know that others have experienced this. I may try starting around 140-150 (which isn't much below my normal average anyway) and see how I get on, then maybe scale back gradually and see what level is sustainable without the depression setting in.

Sorry your Endo was not helpful. It's unfortunate when some doctors tell people to "lose weight" yet don't tell them HOW to lose weight (medical school doesn't cover nutrition very well). They just leave it up to the patient to try and figure out what to do, and when it doesn't work, they just keep on telling them to do something without offering good advice for how to go about it. You may want to ask for a referral to a nutritionist/registered dietitian that specializes in working with people that have a hormonal imbalance and have to take medications long term.

I felt pretty bad this time adapting to ketosis. It took me about 3 weeks to fully get over the symptoms. My carbs were at 20-25 NET carbs (carbs - fiber = net carbs) per day. I drink at least 3 liters of water daily, and had to up my sodium intake (I use Celtic Sea Salt because it contains more minerals than just sodium chloride). I also did only gentle exercising while I adapted. Too much exercise while adapting can lead to severe fatigue.

With a goal of 100-130 Net carbs a day, most people would not enter ketosis, but it is much lower carb than most folks eat in the standard American diet.

My own symptoms during adaptation were general fatigue, urinary frequency (diuretic effect of very low carb), constipation, and some insomnia. All of those resolved.

I wonder if your depression is just your adaptation, and one week is not enough time to adapt to any new lifestyle. Think of it like a medication that you just started taking. One week is usually not enough time to see if any side effects are more trouble than the medication is worth. Generally medications should be tried for several weeks before giving up on them, as the side effects may wear off or become less bothersome.

Also, I wonder if taking the Metformin and going low carb causes your blood sugar to plummet too low. Maybe the dosage is too high at that time.

And one other thing, if you weren't doing it already...when you eat your carbs, make sure you also have protein and fats at the same time. So, instead of apple slices alone, dip them in a little nut butter (peanut, almond, cashew, etc.).

Don't be stupid guys, the human body evolved to have carbohydrates as its primary energy source, and it needs all three protein carbs and fats or it doesn't run right. Quit looking for dumb shortcuts and just stick with the caloric deficit and lose weight.

Don't be stupid guys, the human body evolved to have carbohydrates as its primary energy source, and it needs all three protein carbs and fats or it doesn't run right. Quit looking for dumb shortcuts and just stick with the caloric deficit and lose weight.

You should take your own advice. Not everyone is made the same; and many people have issues with certain nutrients. The examples are numerous and well known. For many people with certain conditions a simple mix of carbs, proteins, and fats according to the typical average human WILL NOT WORK. The OP said that she had an endocrine issue similar to PCOS and diet can help (or hinder) living with such a condition. This is not dissimilar to people with food allergies. You basically need to do your best to identify where you have issues; adjust your diet to accommodate what you have learned; monitor your results; and make INFORMED adjustments.

Edited to add the following. Oh, and a low-carb diet is not ipso facto a short-cut. For some that might be the case. No one, on any diet regimen should be looking for a short-cut. In that I agree with you. But to characterize a low-carb diet carefully constructed and monitored to tailor the nutrient mix to your nutrition needs as a short-cut is laughable. Many low-carb dieters are among the most disciplined eaters I know. All the ones that I interact with take the long view. It is borderline offensive to call what we do a short-cut.