Post low-carb diet trauma

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  • ASKyle
    ASKyle Posts: 1,475 Member
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    Is 30% even considered low carb? I thought it was much less than that.

    If so, this isn't a carb issue.
  • QuilterInVA
    QuilterInVA Posts: 672 Member
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    Gulen28 wrote: »
    DrEnalg wrote: »
    It's perfectly normal in the first 2-3 weeks of starting a low carb diet to feel fatigued. Dr. Atkins specifically mentions it in his book in the context of the Induction phase of the Atkins diet - but also says that if you push through it you get rewarded with greater energy levels, vigor, and weight loss down the line. I certainly found that to be the case myself.

    Thank you for your input. At least I know now it's normal to feel fatigued. What I'm feeling though is a little more than fatigue. My body is in an emergency mode, I feel abnormal. As many people suggested I think I cut my calories too much to feel this bad. I went being super strong and energetic to not being able to hold my arm up.

    Also, feeling strong and being able to exercise as much as I want to is more important to me than weight loss at this moment. Actually, just to feel normal again is more important than weight loss. I gained 2 lbs last week eating more (didn't help me feel stronger) but I don't care.

    Atkins recommends 1500 calories minimum for women.
  • bbontheb
    bbontheb Posts: 718 Member
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    Get your iron checked. You can't tell by what you take in (vitamins or logging food). Often it's not an acccurate example.
  • Gulen28
    Gulen28 Posts: 52 Member
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    OK, as many of you have suggested, I think this may not be low carb issue but too large of a deficit issue. After eating around my maintenance (2200) for about a week, I finally feel normal again. I felt strong during exercise last night and I feel great now.

    Now I need to figure out what is a reasonable deficit for me that will not leave me weak again.

    Thank you for all your input. I sincerely appreciate all the time you have taken to respond to me.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    I agree with your deficit being to aggressive...

    I've experienced that (by mistake) and once I fed myself properly for a couple days things got much better...

    If it doesn't get some blood work done.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    ogmomma2012 wrote: »
    Some people get keto flu really badly. I didn't experience anything but a little brain fog, but I was sure I was drinking tons of water and making sure to get enough potassium, magnesium and sodium. They have keto calculators and you usually get a slightly higher calorie limit than what MFP gives you.

    Sorry low-carb didn't work for you! Hope you find something that DOES! :smiley:

    I doubt 30% carbs would cause ANY symptoms, much less keto flu.

    30% isn't particularly low at all.

    OP: Hope you're feeling better.
  • jgcothern
    jgcothern Posts: 2 Member
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    Low carb diets tend to encourage water loss IME and electrolyte problems can happen. This is very solvable. Whether or not you intend to stick to your low carb diet, supplement with magnesium citrate and get some potassium and sodium in your diet. You'll feel worlds better.
  • Gulen28
    Gulen28 Posts: 52 Member
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    jgcothern wrote: »
    Low carb diets tend to encourage water loss IME and electrolyte problems can happen. This is very solvable. Whether or not you intend to stick to your low carb diet, supplement with magnesium citrate and get some potassium and sodium in your diet. You'll feel worlds better.

    Many others suggested that and I think that's a great idea. But I experienced those symptoms while I was already regularly taking supplements for electrolytes. Anyway, I feel much better now. Thank you.
  • Gulen28
    Gulen28 Posts: 52 Member
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    shell1005 wrote: »
    Gulen28 wrote: »
    OK, as many of you have suggested, I think this may not be low carb issue but too large of a deficit issue. After eating around my maintenance (2200) for about a week, I finally feel normal again. I felt strong during exercise last night and I feel great now.

    Now I need to figure out what is a reasonable deficit for me that will not leave me weak again.

    Thank you for all your input. I sincerely appreciate all the time you have taken to respond to me.

    As for an appropriate deficit, if you took out 500 per day that would leave you with 1700 calories and would set you up on average to lose 1 lb per week. That would seem like a good place to start.

    If I were you, I'd eat another week at maintenance and give your body a full chance at recovering though.

    I started cutting 440 calories today, that is %20 off my maintenance. I think what you said is the voice of reason and I should give my body a little more time to recover, but I am re-gaining all the weight I lost just with maintenance calories. I guess my body is angry at me and wants to store every calorie it gets now. If I feel weak again I'll go back to maintenance. Back and forth for a while until I figure it out. Once it settles to a normal rhythm, I can try cutting 500 calories as you suggested.

    Thank you.
  • rushfive
    rushfive Posts: 603 Member
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    Gulen28 wrote: »
    tomatoey wrote: »
    It might be an idea to talk to your doctor.

    Thank you. I'll keep eating more calories for another week and if it still doesn't get better I'll go see my doctor.

    This. Eat maintenance calories and take your vitamins for a week and if not better, see your doctor.
    Good Luck.
  • rushfive
    rushfive Posts: 603 Member
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    Gulen28 wrote: »
    shell1005 wrote: »
    Gulen28 wrote: »
    OK, as many of you have suggested, I think this may not be low carb issue but too large of a deficit issue. After eating around my maintenance (2200) for about a week, I finally feel normal again. I felt strong during exercise last night and I feel great now.

    Now I need to figure out what is a reasonable deficit for me that will not leave me weak again.

    Thank you for all your input. I sincerely appreciate all the time you have taken to respond to me.

    As for an appropriate deficit, if you took out 500 per day that would leave you with 1700 calories and would set you up on average to lose 1 lb per week. That would seem like a good place to start.

    If I were you, I'd eat another week at maintenance and give your body a full chance at recovering though.

    I started cutting 440 calories today, that is %20 off my maintenance. I think what you said is the voice of reason and I should give my body a little more time to recover, but I am re-gaining all the weight I lost just with maintenance calories. I guess my body is angry at me and wants to store every calorie it gets now. If I feel weak again I'll go back to maintenance. Back and forth for a while until I figure it out. Once it settles to a normal rhythm, I can try cutting 500 calories as you suggested.

    Thank you.

    woops, I posted before I read all the responses...
    Glad you are feeling better !!!!!
    the regain may be water weight, give it more time at maintenance, or 100cal below...it is hard to figure out your actual maintenance amount.
    When you figure out your maint. amount, I would shoot for only 1/2pd loss per week instead of 1pd.. you are in no hurry and want to keep feeling good.
    Again, Good Luck. :)

  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    Gulen28 wrote: »
    OK, as many of you have suggested, I think this may not be low carb issue but too large of a deficit issue. After eating around my maintenance (2200) for about a week, I finally feel normal again. I felt strong during exercise last night and I feel great now.

    Now I need to figure out what is a reasonable deficit for me that will not leave me weak again.

    Thank you for all your input. I sincerely appreciate all the time you have taken to respond to me.

    @gulen28 that's great news

    Eat at maintenance another week then knock off 250 calories ...that's what I'd do
  • ihatetodietalways
    ihatetodietalways Posts: 180 Member
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    Can't see your diary, so I don't know your protein intake, fat intake. How much do you work out? How can a 2 week diet with 30% carbs kill you? VLCD is usually 20g carbs. This will give you symptoms, but if you take in 3g of salt (just salt your food) you are fine.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    VLCD is very low calorie diet isn't it?
  • Gulen28
    Gulen28 Posts: 52 Member
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    ihatetodietalways wrote: »
    Can't see your diary, so I don't know your protein intake, fat intake. How much do you work out? How can a 2 week diet with 30% carbs kill you? VLCD is usually 20g carbs. This will give you symptoms, but if you take in 3g of salt (just salt your food) you are fine.

    My mistake was underestimating my activity level. I work out 4-5 times a week and I'm running after a toddler all day. My days are long, 5:45 am to 10 pm non-stop running around, I get breaks but not much. So I thought 1300 calories would be fine. It wasn't. Then tried 1700 calories. That wasn't enough either. I'm much more active than I initially thought.

    So it wasn't the %30 carbs that killed me in 2 weeks, it was cutting of my calories severely. My maintenance may be even as high as 2500 and I was eating 1300.

    I was doing %30 carb, %25 fat and %45 protein with the 1300 calorie/day. Now I'm doing %45 carb, %30 fat and %25 protein for a week or so at 1760 calories, then I will re-adjust again.

    I'm still very new in this and from what I understood, there are people who are for and against low-carb diets. Also it works for some people and it doesn't work for other people. I would like to find a balance that I can keep for the rest of my life. I don't think I need %45 carbs, but another mistake I made was not eating any carbs after exercise. That never felt good, I could tell my body was unhappy with that. Then a personal trainer told me I should eat some carbs soon after exercise, otherwise I'm depleting my energy levels, not putting back in what I just burned. I don't know if that's true. I only can listen to my body and try to figure out what it needs...

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