Very lethargic.

karenowen60
karenowen60 Posts: 73 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
Please help. I have very low ph levels and I have been feeling extremely tired. I have been told to have fruit smoothies to build my levels up. Breakfast every morning consists of fruit smoothie & lunch has been a green smoothie, with my evening meal being "normal ".
Now I have been told that I don't eat enough carbs which is making the situation worse. I am very active exercise wise, as I play sport 3 days a week for 3hrs each day, tap dance 2hrs x1 day & bike ride 50kms once or twice a week. My Fitbit doesn't show any of that, so it doesn't appear on MFP.
I have been given a diet sheet to follow which involves eating a minimum 8 serves of bread,rice,cereals,grains. 5 serves of salad/veg, 4 serves of dairy, 2 of fruit & 2 of meat, all this in a day as well as the smoothies.
I am feeling very very bloated as I have never eaten this much before, ever, plus trying to keep within my 1400 cals limit.
I have never eaten 8 slices of bread in a day & am worried I will stack on the weight.
Is there anybody who can perhaps give me some alternative ideas, as I feel all this is excessive. I will add to this, the diet sheet is from the diabetes association & follows the Australian guidelines for healthy eating.

Replies

  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    Read the Sexypants post. It's full of good "how-to" information: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1

    Your Fitbit burn is TDEE, the calories necessary to maintain your current weight. If you eat at a reasonable deficit from that (way more than 1,400 calories), you will lose weight.

    Connect your accounts at http://www.myfitnesspal.com/fitbit

    Enable negative calorie adjustments: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings

    Set your goal to .5 lb. for every 25 lbs. you're overweight: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/change_goals_guided

    You can learn more in the Fitbit Users group: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/1290-fitbit-users
  • tiptoethruthetulips
    tiptoethruthetulips Posts: 3,372 Member
    edited June 2015
    Who tested you and how were you tested for the ph levels?

    This is the current government guidelines: https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/_files_nhmrc/publications/attachments/n55g_adult_brochure.pdf - only six serves of grain (with four serves for a female over 51), the guidelines you have been given look like the old dietary guidelines.

    I wouldn't be having any additional fruit if you are getting two serves from your smoothies and I would be certainly counting the veg going into your smoothies from your 5 veg serves. Does your fruit smoothie consist of any dairy count that towards your dairy serves.
  • karenowen60
    karenowen60 Posts: 73 Member
    editorgrrl wrote: »
    Read the Sexypants post. It's full of good "how-to" information: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1

    Your Fitbit burn is TDEE, the calories necessary to maintain your current weight. If you eat at a reasonable deficit from that (way more than 1,400 calories), you will lose weight.

    Connect your accounts at http://www.myfitnesspal.com/fitbit

    Enable negative calorie adjustments: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings

    Set your goal to .5 lb. for every 25 lbs. you're overweight: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/change_goals_guided

    You can learn more in the Fitbit Users group: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/1290-fitbit-users

    Thank you for your reply, I will check those links out.I have connected both my accounts already, I had the neg adjustable turned on, but didn't understand it, so I turned it off
  • karenowen60
    karenowen60 Posts: 73 Member
    tiptoethruthetulips wrote: »
    Who tested you and how were you tested for the ph levels?

    This is the current government guidelines: https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/_files_nhmrc/publications/attachments/n55g_adult_brochure.pdf - only six serves of grain (with four serves for a female over 51), the guidelines you have been given look like the old dietary guidelines.

    I wouldn't be having any additional fruit if you are getting two serves from your smoothies and I would be certainly counting the veg going into your smoothies from your 5 veg serves. Does your fruit smoothie consist of any dairy count that towards your dairy serves.

    I was tested via a urine specimen, by my Dr. My reading is the lowest it can go at 5.2. Should be between 7-8
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
    how much protein are you getting?

    I am not a fan of 'smoothies for meals'. eat food, dont drink it (jmo). and make sure you weigh your fruit if you do continue with the smoothies, they can have a lot of calories.
  • karenowen60
    karenowen60 Posts: 73 Member
    callsitlikeiseeit wrote: »
    how much protein are you getting?

    I am not a fan of 'smoothies for meals'. eat food, dont drink it (jmo). and make sure you weigh your fruit if you do continue with the smoothies, they can have a lot of calories.

    I am only having smoothies on advise from my gp at the moment to build up my ph levels & protein is meat for dinner & 2 eggs everyday for lunch, also on her advise. I have a recipe book of smoothies, especially for my machine & it has the quantities & the calories, all of which are under 300 unless I add something else, which is very rare.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    edited June 2015
    This content has been removed.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    karenowen60 wrote: »
    callsitlikeiseeit wrote: »
    how much protein are you getting?

    I am not a fan of 'smoothies for meals'. eat food, dont drink it (jmo). and make sure you weigh your fruit if you do continue with the smoothies, they can have a lot of calories.

    I am only having smoothies on advise from my gp at the moment to build up my ph levels & protein is meat for dinner & 2 eggs everyday for lunch, also on her advise. I have a recipe book of smoothies, especially for my machine & it has the quantities & the calories, all of which are under 300 unless I add something else, which is very rare.

    I need protein with every meal otherwise I don't feel satisfied or energized. YMMV.

    Here's my version of a fruit smoothie:

    997925712e749f9248250622c717ad4b.png


  • abatonfan
    abatonfan Posts: 1,120 Member
    edited June 2015
    sunn_lighter wrote: »
    Well, I have a bit of experience in low blood PH (slightly different). I was diagnosed with medication-induced metabolic acidosis, and I can tell you, it sucks the life out of you. In the end it damaged my heart, but I lived, and now have the energy to resume exercise and weight loss.

    While people think metabolic acidosis can be caused by low carb, it rarely is. It can be caused by a host of medical problems (or in my case, medication). At the very minimum you could be critically dehydrated. I doubt your slightly lower carb diet would cause low PH to the point where you feel sick.

    Two things:

    Low blood PH and low urine PH aren't the same thing, but they are related. Hopefully your doctor has followed up your testing with a full metabolic panel to check your blood electrolyte levels and kidney function. If not, ask for it. I can tell you from personal experience that there are doctors brush off electrolyte imbalances, not realizing what they can indicate.

    Then if you check out OK, you can increase your body PH with Alkaline drops (available on Amazon) or homemade electrolyte drinks, like this:

    ½ teaspoon salt
    ¼ teaspoon baking soda
    7 cups water
    ½ cups lemon juice
    1 tablespoon. lime juice
    ¼ c. honey OR ¼ tsp. clear liquid stevia/preferred sweetener

    Good luck!
    I ended up going through ketoacidosis (yay, undiagnosed type 1 diabetes :neutral: ), though I don't agree with supplements designed to change body pH. The bicarbonate buffer system within the blood keeps blood pH within its normal range (I believe 7.3-7.45, though I may be off) in most cases.

    I'm doing some reading (I know, healthline is not a reputable source), but a high-meat diet can cause acidic urine. In addition, acidosis, kidney stones, and dehydration can cause urine to have a pH below 6.0 (normal urine pH is slightly acidic in the morning and slightly alkaline in the evenings).

    To the OP, I'm assuming that you might be diabetic (you're following a diet from the diabetes association). Could it be that you're lethargic because of elevated blood glucose levels? If you are a diabetic, have you done a urine ketone check to rule out ketoacidosis (which would require you to get to the ER ASAP for IV insulin, fluids, and potassium)?
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    edited June 2015
    This content has been removed.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    karenowen60 wrote: »
    I have connected both my accounts already, I had the neg adjustable turned on, but didn't understand it, so I turned it off

    Your Fitbit burn is TDEE (total daily energy expenditure), the calories necessary to maintain your current weight. Your default MFP calorie goal is activity level minus deficit. Adjustments are the difference between your Fitbit burn and your MFP activity level.

    If you disable negative calorie adjustments, you'll never eat at a true deficit on days you burn less than your MFP activity level.

    With them enabled, MFP adjusts your calories every day to TDEE minus deficit.
  • pollypocket1021
    pollypocket1021 Posts: 533 Member
    Hmm. There are a couple of red flags in the OP. For one, it sounds like all of the dietary recommendations were made based on a very flawed test with no clinical ramifications in and of itself.

    This link is excellent and explains it better than I have time to: http://chriskresser.com/the-ph-myth-part-1/

    The only reason I know of to limit protein intake is renal impairment. It doesn't sound like that is the case in your situation. Therefore, make sure you get adequate fat and protein.

    Personally, I would feel terrible in that diet too. Smoothies are not my cup of tea and leave me feeling lethargic an bloated. I would rather just eat a sandwich.

    Maybe try seeing a registered dietician. They can help sort out food choices that make you feel better.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    edited June 2015
    karenowen60 wrote: »
    Please help. I have very low ph levels and I have been feeling extremely tired. I have been told to have fruit smoothies to build my levels up. Breakfast every morning consists of fruit smoothie & lunch has been a green smoothie, with my evening meal being "normal ".
    Now I have been told that I don't eat enough carbs which is making the situation worse. I am very active exercise wise, as I play sport 3 days a week for 3hrs each day, tap dance 2hrs x1 day & bike ride 50kms once or twice a week. My Fitbit doesn't show any of that, so it doesn't appear on MFP.
    I have been given a diet sheet to follow which involves eating a minimum 8 serves of bread,rice,cereals,grains. 5 serves of salad/veg, 4 serves of dairy, 2 of fruit & 2 of meat, all this in a day as well as the smoothies.
    I am feeling very very bloated as I have never eaten this much before, ever, plus trying to keep within my 1400 cals limit.
    I have never eaten 8 slices of bread in a day & am worried I will stack on the weight.
    Is there anybody who can perhaps give me some alternative ideas, as I feel all this is excessive. I will add to this, the diet sheet is from the diabetes association & follows the Australian guidelines for healthy eating.



    What is your calorie intake?

    Stats? Weight loss goals?
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    karenowen60 wrote: »

    Thank you for your reply, I will check those links out.I have connected both my accounts already, I had the neg adjustable turned on, but didn't understand it, so I turned it off

    Enable negative calorie adjustments.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    I think you should do what the doctor tells you do and not what you hear from strangers online. I think everyone should do that. If you don't think the doctor is right, see a different doctor. :)
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
    edited June 2015
    Unless you got that 'diet' from a registered dietitian, don't follow it. MD's do not have a proper nutrition background.

    Also, do you have any medical conditions?
This discussion has been closed.

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