Frustrated and Feeling sick after a few days of eating low carb and exercising

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cmh7770
cmh7770 Posts: 31 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So I am 5/5 and have been struggling to lose 25 lbs for years. I am over 50 and very active. I walk 30 mins a day and have worked with Jillian Michaels body revolution, now 21 day fix and other beach body programs. I do the modifications because I need to be low impact. I do have hypoglycemia and some immune system issues. I can get through my workouts great, eat a little before working out and eat dinner within half hour after excercising (hi protein). The problem is every time I start a program like 21 day fix, within a few days I lose weight but get very sick. I get nauseous, headaches and extreme fatigue-and extreme hunger. At that time I usually increase my carbs and calories. I generally follow a 1285-1300 calorie day with 40% carbs, 30% protein and 30% fat until this happens then I just need to eat. I usually do at back half of my exercise calories and sometimes a little more. Frustrated that I just cant lose weight with this issue because it is very difficult to stick to a low carb, low fat regime with this going on. Has anyone experienced this? If so, what is the remedy.
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Replies

  • Ohwhynot
    Ohwhynot Posts: 356 Member
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    I am going to sound like the MFP broken record but are you logging everything accurately? Why are you trying for low carb, especially if you suffer from low blood sugar?
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    Vigorous exercise isn't encouraged in the first few days / 2 weeks of a low carb diet, but 40% carbs isn't especially low carb. Low carn combined with low fat isn't a good idea in general.

    Extra salt, and perhaps potassium and magnesium can alleviate some of the issues.
  • Kimberly_Harper
    Kimberly_Harper Posts: 409 Member
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    Time. Its called "low carb flu" and it takes a few days to a week to get past that point. Once I got past that point I felt great - still do!
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
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    See this poster trying low carb because? Probably saw that thread the other day with wrong results.
  • isulo_kura
    isulo_kura Posts: 818 Member
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    cmh7770 wrote: »
    I generally follow a 1285-1300 calorie day with 40% carbs, 30% protein and 30% fat until this happens then I just need to eat. I usually do at back half of my exercise calories and sometimes a little more. Frustrated that I just cant lose weight with this issue because it is very difficult to stick to a low carb, low fat regime with this going on. Has anyone experienced this? If so, what is the remedy.
    This is not low carb or low fat
  • iLoveMyPitbull1225
    iLoveMyPitbull1225 Posts: 1,690 Member
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    You might simply not be eating enough. Maybe try adding just a bit more calories to your goal (200 or so)?
  • cmh7770
    cmh7770 Posts: 31 Member
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    Thanks!
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,988 Member
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    @cmh7770 - I'm confused because 40% carbs, 30% protein and 30% is just barely low carb and isn't low fat. Is this what you are set for but not what you're hitting? I'm set for the same but inevitably go over my fat. However, I am consistently at a deficit and losing a pound per week.

    Are you eating enough calories for your height and activity level? How tall are you?
  • bmchenry02
    bmchenry02 Posts: 233 Member
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    I'm hypoglycemic too and follow a 40/30/30. Not all carbs are created equal and something's I can tolerate better at different times of day. A small apple with a thin slice of cheddar is a great snack but I will crash if I don't have something else more filling soon (aka dinner in 20 minutes). I love roasted sweet potatoes with my morning eggs rather than bread. When you have a good day compare it to your bad ones and see what might have made the difference...
  • cuckoo_jenibeth
    cuckoo_jenibeth Posts: 1,434 Member
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    Ohwhynot wrote: »
    I am going to sound like the MFP broken record but are you logging everything accurately? Why are you trying for low carb, especially if you suffer from low blood sugar?

    This was my first thought as well. I am a nurse & dont understand why you would strive for lower carbs if you already have episodes of hypoglycemia?? Also, know that activity is great, but all that is needed for weight loss is a calorie deficit.
    I would suggest getting your diet in order while continuing to walk. Also, make sure that you are hydrated.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    jenibethbu wrote: »
    This was my first thought as well. I am a nurse & dont understand why you would strive for lower carbs if you already have episodes of hypoglycemia??

    Reactive hypoglycaemia perhaps ?
  • NoIdea101NoIdea
    NoIdea101NoIdea Posts: 659 Member
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    bmchenry02 wrote: »
    I'm hypoglycemic too and follow a 40/30/30. Not all carbs are created equal and something's I can tolerate better at different times of day. A small apple with a thin slice of cheddar is a great snack but I will crash if I don't have something else more filling soon (aka dinner in 20 minutes). I love roasted sweet potatoes with my morning eggs rather than bread. When you have a good day compare it to your bad ones and see what might have made the difference...

    I'm sorry, but surely a carb is a carb just as a calorie is a calorie?

    There may be other ingredients and components of that food stuffs that may make a difference to how you feel after consuming them, but this feels like an over-complication which is not conducive to weight loss as a specific.

  • 115Everest
    115Everest Posts: 31 Member
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    NoIdea101NoIdea wrote: »
    bmchenry02 wrote: »
    I'm hypoglycemic too and follow a 40/30/30. Not all carbs are created equal and something's I can tolerate better at different times of day. A small apple with a thin slice of cheddar is a great snack but I will crash if I don't have something else more filling soon (aka dinner in 20 minutes). I love roasted sweet potatoes with my morning eggs rather than bread. When you have a good day compare it to your bad ones and see what might have made the difference...

    I'm sorry, but surely a carb is a carb just as a calorie is a calorie?

    There may be other ingredients and components of that food stuffs that may make a difference to how you feel after consuming them, but this feels like an over-complication which is not conducive to weight loss as a specific.

    Disagree. And I thought the opposite and that it explained things in simple terms rather than saying "complex carbohydrates are preferred over simple carbohydrates as the glycemic index tends to be lower, therefore raising your insulin level in less drastic ways, not to mention that they tend to be more nutrient dense." But that's just me...
  • cmh7770
    cmh7770 Posts: 31 Member
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    Wow so many great responses I truly appreciate it. To answer the bulk of these questions...I am following g a 40/30/30 as recommended by the trainer in the 21 day fix. It is lower carb than mfp sets for me and I know that personally I cannot eat alot of carbs and lose weight. I have been eating as clean as possible for the most part 80% of the time and almost never eat processed or white carbs. I honestly think it's reactive hypoglycemia so have opted to eliminate the 30 minute high intensity workouts and focus on walking (got my 11 000 steps in today) and keeping workin my calorie and macro nutrients goals. I just don't know how to maintain my active lifestyle and stay healthy - feel awful for days. Almost like I haven't eaten or slept in weeks.
    I am 5'5 and weigh 185. I lose and gain the same 10 lbs over ans over. What Macromedia would you all devolved for solid shady weight loss?
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    If it makes you sick, you should consider stopping it.

    That's kind of blanket advice,
  • bertobelle77
    bertobelle77 Posts: 17 Member
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    Low carb is a fashionable diet and no doubt it does work for some people but not for everyone healthy, whole grain carbs can be great for you if you don't over do them. I suffer badly with migraine and low carbing put me in the emergancy room some years ago. Probably best to count calories rather than cut back so much on any one food group.
  • amw212s
    amw212s Posts: 11 Member
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    jenibethbu wrote: »
    Ohwhynot wrote: »
    I am going to sound like the MFP broken record but are you logging everything accurately? Why are you trying for low carb, especially if you suffer from low blood sugar?

    This was my first thought as well. I am a nurse & dont understand why you would strive for lower carbs if you already have episodes of hypoglycemia?? Also, know that activity is great, but all that is needed for weight loss is a calorie deficit.
    I would suggest getting your diet in order while continuing to walk. Also, make sure that you are hydrated.

    Oh my gosh! I'm hypoglycemic too. When we eat sugar or anything that turns into sugar we produce too much insulin and this cause our sugar levels to get too low. If we eat low sugar, high protein and moderate fat we don't have the sugar spikes and insulin spikes that take us on the sugar roller coaster. I can't eat sweets or breads without having an hypoglycemic episode. If you are eating low carb and getting sick it's keto flu. When we switch over from sugar burning to fat burning we hit a wall hard. Then you have to produce new enzymes to digest the fat as we are used to using glucose as fuel. It is during this phase that you feel like poo. I've personal had it with low carb. I give in and eat more carbs and feel sick again. Im just counting calories and eating low sugar/ refined carbs and only carbs with protein.
  • Sunny_Bunny_
    Sunny_Bunny_ Posts: 7,140 Member
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    The true "keto flu" you are talking about is caused by low electrolytes from water loss and is 100% preventable. Adequate research should be done before deciding to make a big diet change.
    You would need to be under 50g carbs for at least several days (that's even pretty fast) before you would be dealing with the effects of ketosis.
    People specifically trying to achieve it typically go with 10g or 20g max carbs.
  • 85Cardinals
    85Cardinals Posts: 733 Member
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    My theory is that the whole low carb thing just doesn't agree with some people. It sure didn't agree with me. I went batshit crazy, my blood pressure skyrocketed, I couldn't sleep, and I broke out in zits for the first time in decades.
  • softblondechick
    softblondechick Posts: 1,275 Member
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    Set up for fail. We try to "diet" and change everything in our life on Monday, by Thursday you are sore from working out too much, and ravenously hungry from lack of food, so you stop at McDonalds on the way home, because there is nothing "good" to eat at home. And the binge starts. Then, Friday, you feel like crap, and decide to trash the whole diet and have pizza for dinner, with a side of garlic bread, beer, and ice cream for dessert.

    Story of my dysfunctional life. Which I am changing. I eat salads, vegetables, lots of turkey, salmon, and eggs. I exercise, a short walk, a few yoga poses, and my Pilates routine. No big exercise routine, just a few extra moves.

    You can do it if you make this your life, not a drastic change you can't maintain.

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