No Carbs, More Energy?

homie_94
homie_94 Posts: 18
in Health and Weight Loss
When I say no carbs, I mean no bread/pasta/rice/cookies/cakes etc, I do get complex carbs from vegetables and fruits.I find that on days with no "carbs", I can exercise for longer and harder. I feel like I have more energy for some reason. As opposed to days where I eat brown bread toast for breakfast or brown rice for lunch - I feel much less motivated to workout. My cardio workouts become shorter and less intense. This is kinda weird, right? I just want to know why.. any possible explanations? :/

Replies

  • homie_94
    homie_94 Posts: 18
    Bumppp
  • rprussell2004
    rprussell2004 Posts: 870 Member
    Maybe this?

    http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/keto.htm
  • kshadows
    kshadows Posts: 1,315 Member
    Some people react differently. I eat 200+ grams of carbs a day and it doesn't have any effect on my energy levels. I am a runner so I need the energy I get.

    Figure out what works for you, and go with it.
  • LadyRavenRain
    LadyRavenRain Posts: 2 Member
    This is probably not much help, but I've found carbs such as breads and pastas make me want to nap. However, if it is homemade bread or etc this is not true.
  • Chief_Rocka
    Chief_Rocka Posts: 4,710 Member
    Or this:

    http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/psychosomatic
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    Fruits are simple carbs......you should be getting some energy from those.
  • moveyourself
    moveyourself Posts: 40
    Well, I can't tell you the science behind it, but I'm the same way. For me, if I am eating carbs, I will have a harder time wanting to work out, and if I do work out, I don't sweat as much or feel like I can give it my all.
    Without carbs, I feel lighter, making it easier for me to want to move around.
    I guess it depends on the person. I'm sure there's a lot of people who'll disagree and tell you cutting carbs just makes them weak and sluggish.
  • 4anthistime
    4anthistime Posts: 10
    Everyone is different,if it works for you,keep doing it.
    Im the exact opposite,I eat 300-320g of carbs every day and lose about 3lbs weekly..maybe your body got used to use stored fat for energy.
    Just dont go stupid low for long periods of time,your brain needs carbs to function.
  • rprussell2004
    rprussell2004 Posts: 870 Member
    Or this:

    http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/psychosomatic

    :) Now, now, be nice.
  • baconslave
    baconslave Posts: 7,021 Member
    Or this:

    http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/psychosomatic

    :) Now, now, be nice.

    If I held my breath on that one, I'd die.
  • JennyToy
    JennyToy Posts: 149 Member
    I feel amazing since trying Atkins induction and now keto. i have alot more energy. my workouts feel different. I love the way i feel. I am not sure if it's for everyone, but i believe this: for SOME people (ie, me) Carb reduction is the key that has kept them from being able to change their WOE and lose weight successfully. Carbs effect me differently than others perhaps but if it works for you... keep reading up on it. Try "death by food pyramid" and "keto clarity".

    HTH!
  • Patrick0321
    Patrick0321 Posts: 102 Member
    After trying low carb like yourself, no pasta, rice and changing my lunch from bread based to a salad, I found the same. I was no longer feeling wiped out in the afternoon and wasn't falling asleep on the sofa in the evening. The days I do have a sandwich for lunch I do end up feeling sluggish in the afternoon
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    I've eaten low carb for long periods of time and trained for half marathons while doing so. I had lots of energy for running and everything else. However, if the OP is eating fruit, wrongly identifying it as a complex carbohydrate, that isn't keto or low carb.

    Fructose, the sugar in fruit, is a simple carb and your body breaks down the single sugar molecule very quickly, more quickly than many other types of sugars. For comparison, starch, on the other hand, IS a complex carbohydrate. Starch is what is found in potatoes, pasta, and rice. Because complex carbohydrates are, well, complex, with anywhere from three to a zillion units of sugars, your body takes longer to digest them than it takes to digest the simple carbohydrates in fruit. As a result, digesting complex carbohydrates releases glucose into your bloodstream more slowly and evenly than digesting simple carbs.

    Perhaps what the OP is experiencing is a sugar rush from eating fruit. I have to wonder if she's exhausted after those workouts when the sugar crash happens.
  • BevRodriguez52
    BevRodriguez52 Posts: 13
    That sounds like leptin or insulin resistance, which if not controlled could lead to diabetes. If you want more information on this you can access sites on the internet, Byron J Richards has a book "Mastering Leptin: Your Guide to Permanent Weight Loss and Permanent Health"; Dr Charles Webb has "Metamorphosis" and there are other web sites without ordering books with information. I'm glad you found a trigger at your young age. I'm 62 and only found my triggers in the past 10 years--carbs and, believe it or not, milk. Milk is loaded with the milk sugar lactose. Good luck in your good health journey. :}
  • rprussell2004
    rprussell2004 Posts: 870 Member
    Milk is loaded with the milk sugar lactose. Good luck in your good health journey. :}

    This is why I never touch the stuff.

    Heavy whipping cream ALL THE WAY, baby!
  • RHachicho
    RHachicho Posts: 1,115 Member
    I can do cardio ok on low-moderate carbs. But if I don't get my carbs in my weight training sucks. I notice a serious reduction in power and stamina when it comes to lifting. So no thanks.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,432 MFP Moderator
    When I say no carbs, I mean no bread/pasta/rice/cookies/cakes etc, I do get complex carbs from vegetables and fruits.I find that on days with no "carbs", I can exercise for longer and harder. I feel like I have more energy for some reason. As opposed to days where I eat brown bread toast for breakfast or brown rice for lunch - I feel much less motivated to workout. My cardio workouts become shorter and less intense. This is kinda weird, right? I just want to know why.. any possible explanations? :/

    Is it possible that you are getting more nutrient dense foods now then when you were eating bread/pasta/rice/cookies/cakes? It's not unusual for a person who is new to dieting/exercise to experience this symptoms.


    Personally, if I eat under 200g of carbs consistently, i feel like i have no energy.

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