What happens when you cut out carbs & sugar?
jenmarie8784
Posts: 23 Member
I want to cut way back on my carbs and sugar intake. I know I get way too many and i don't want to cut them out completely but cut way back. The thing is... I Googled it and now I'm nervous because so many ppl say they felt terrible and sick for a while after they cut out extra sugar from their diet. Personal experiences..?
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Replies
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It works for some people. The feeling ill thing is reduced by increased salt intake.
Personally, I'd probably level the neighbourhood. I like my carbs and it hasn't hindered my progress.9 -
I do a modified keto diet. Low carbs (20g), moderate fat and higher protein than the "traditional" keto diet. If you feel like crap on this diet you need to balance your electrolytes. Typically it is a lack of sodium, magnesium or potassium. Some people swear by keeping zip fizz or Propel on hand for times they feel bad. Personally I supplement every day with sole water (salt water), magnesium maleate, and a small amount of potassium (most I get from vegetables.) Hope this helps. Good Luck!4
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P.S. I've lost 100 pounds in just over 5 months. If you are insulin resistent, eating this way works.19
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You feel fantastic!18
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When I cut out sugar and reduced my carbs, (not at the same time) I never felt different, I thought I would, at least with the sugar, since I am really into sugar..... but no big deal.
Yes, it is possible you'll have issues, depending on how much you eat of both, your body is basically going through detox, it's fighting that your taking away something that it thinks it needs, just keep with it and your body will level out and decide it can survive without so much sugar and carbs.14 -
Just a side note, a friend of mine was just diagnosed with fatty liver disease. She is couple years younger than me, I'm 43. He put her on Keto and all her numbers, I have the picture of the blood levels and stuff but not sure what they meant, and in 2 months they were cut in half! In a good way. So he told her that she may have to be on this WOE for the rest of her life.10
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jenmarie8784 wrote: »I want to cut way back on my carbs and sugar intake. I know I get way too many and i don't want to cut them out completely but cut way back. The thing is... I Googled it and now I'm nervous because so many ppl say they felt terrible and sick for a while after they cut out extra sugar from their diet. Personal experiences..?
Very low carb diets work really well for a lot of people. They don't work out as well for some of us, though. If it's something you're interested in pursuing, the best thing you can do is try it and see how it works for you.
But do increase your electrolytes (salt, etc) when you do. Something like 5000mg of sodium tends to get most people past the keto flu. If very low carb isn't for you, then you can always step your carbs up until you feel better.6 -
diannethegeek wrote: »jenmarie8784 wrote: »I want to cut way back on my carbs and sugar intake. I know I get way too many and i don't want to cut them out completely but cut way back. The thing is... I Googled it and now I'm nervous because so many ppl say they felt terrible and sick for a while after they cut out extra sugar from their diet. Personal experiences..?
Very low carb diets work really well for a lot of people. They don't work out as well for some of us, though. If it's something you're interested in pursuing, the best thing you can do is try it and see how it works for you.
But do increase your electrolytes (salt, etc) when you do. Something like 5000mg of sodium tends to get most people past the keto flu. If very low carb isn't for you, then you can always step your carbs up until you feel better.
This is good advice.
Also you don’t need to go super low on carbs (under a 100g) is considered LCHF by many.
There are some really good low carb groups on mfp that will be able to give you some great advice .
But plan what you are going to eat in advance and give it a go. Give it a month, you will know if it suits you or not by then.
Good luck, I wish you every success.2 -
I only feel tired and lethargic (and my workouts suffer). And i even eat around 5 -6k mg of sodium. But i still cycle between ketogenic and high carb refeeds for my plan.2
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My workout performance and diet adherence would suffer, and my muscles would probably look flat, but YMMV8
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I find it easier to stay within my calorie limits and not feel hungry. I was a major sugar-eater but didn’t experience any ill effects when reducing my consumption of it.3
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I've maintained my weight just fine for years now without restricting any particular kinds of foods. I just keep my calories within goal. I like to keep things as uncomplicated as possible while still eating all my favorite foods. I also enjoy endurance activities, so carbs are helpful to me, personally. So I won't be giving them up any time soon. But I think it's cool for people to eat using whatever method is most convenient and sustainable for them. Give it a try. I would be miserable, but you might like it.
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I've been on a journey of making small modifications and tweaking my diet to find out what works and what doesn't for me. I feel like just being conscious of what you're putting into your body and not shoveling in whatever is around makes a big difference. Read labels, some things that you think are healthy have almost your full daily value of sugar (granola/breakfast bars have been a hurdle). Right now I'm eating the dark chocolate chunk Kind Bars as a quick morning snack and they're not great for you but comparatively better than most on the breakfast aisle. I'm teaching myself to tolerate eggs to have scrambled egg whites in the morning rather than going for the bagel. During a fitness consultation at my gym, I was told that you're not supposed to eat both sides of the bagel unless you're getting ready to run a marathon because your body doesn't need that many carbs. If you're going to eat a bagel (or any high carb foods) just eat half. I've found that it's a lot about teaching yourself moderation and less about trying to restrict things. The more you're told or tell yourself not to eat something, the more you want it and then you binge. You could also try keeping a bar of dark chocolate around (again, make sure you read the label because not all dark chocolate bars are created equal) and when you're craving something sweet, have 1-3 squares. Over the past month I've been using the MFP Premium and though I'm cheap and dreading paying for it after the free trial, I really like that it wayyyy breaks down the nutrition rather than just counting calories. I can see which foods have the highest sugar, carbs, protein, etc. It sets goals and I can see when I go overboard in certain areas and it's helped me pinpoint things that I'm lacking.
Sorry if that's a lot and all over the place, this is my first time responding in a forum and I'm excited to have something relevant to share.
To answer your question though, I wouldn't stress yourself out worrying about possibly feeling crappy doing something so good for you. Dip your toe in the waters, you don't have to jump straight in and cut out all/most of your sugar/carbs consumption. Find those small modifications you can make like drinking water instead of soda, making conscious choices about the processed foods you're eating so you're at least getting the lesser of those delicious evils, and don't completely restrict yourself from "bad stuff" just learn to enjoy in moderation.7 -
I had to change my diet due to medical records, with no added sugar (not even syrups and honey) and low carb for a while. Still don't really have added sugar and grain free now.
I definitely had the 'feel like crap' feeling after dropping sugar - seems to be specifically sugar, though, not low carb related. My one piece of advice would be NOT to do them both at the same time. Lower the sugar intake if that's what you decide to do, then after you've managed that for a few weeks, THEN lower the carbs. Doing both at the same time is much more difficult and harder to manage, IMO. It can be done, but if you are hoping for a less difficult process, then that's what I'd recommend1 -
Everyone responds differently I guess, but I was drinking 10 to 12 cans of soft drink a day[1] and stopped cold turkey without feeling any different at all really. My eyesight changed though: about 2 days after I stopped drinking all the sugar-filled drinks my close distance vision became very blurry. Both of my doctors said this happened to people commonly and they routinely advised people not to get eye tests or glasses for at least a month after giving up added sugar. My long distance vision just after I gave up the added sugar was the opposite and seemed to be better than it was before. My short distance vision adjusted itself back to normal after about 3 weeks.
[1] "Soft drink" in Australia is the equivalent of soda pop in the USA except that in Australia it's sweetened with sucrose (about 54g of it per 375ml [12.7oz] can) and not HFCS as I believe is common in the USA0 -
You get cranky?6
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I have been low carb / Keto since January. It is a journey. The truth is that IF you get the "Keto Flu" (headache, feel bad, no energy) that it is normal. Your body is adjusting to burning fat for fuel instead of sugar. Your body burns fat more effeiciently. I would suggest that you go to two really good solid websites to get the RIGHT information. Drbeckyfitness.com. For free you can learn about her 0,1,2,3 Diet and it is a very healthy eating plan that is low carb. She also has a Keto plan. You can look up her Youtube channels: Becky Gillaspy and 2 Fit Docs where her husband lost 80 pounds in a year going Keto and it is all documented on Youtube. The other source that I rely on is Dr. Jockers.com or on Youtube. He is a welth of free information and really cares that you get the right info. If you have any questions please feel free to ask or friend me. I will always be positive and helpful.
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I’ve cut out all added sugars and moderated my carb intake to control diabetes.
I get a headache if I also cut out all caffeine.
Because of my insulin resistance I feel a lot better if I moderate my carbs.
I’d never cut carbs out completely as this also cuts out all my fruits and vegetables. A crisp leafy salad with sunflower seeds and feta make me happy.2 -
jenmarie8784 wrote: »I want to cut way back on my carbs and sugar intake. I know I get way too many and i don't want to cut them out completely but cut way back. The thing is... I Googled it and now I'm nervous because so many ppl say they felt terrible and sick for a while after they cut out extra sugar from their diet. Personal experiences..?
People feeling terrible sounds like the Keto Flu. You can cut back on carbs without going into ketosis. Did you have a carb target in mind?
I found reducing carbs helpful as I don't find them especially filling and reducing carbs gave me more room for protein, which I do find filling. I shoot for my meals being 25-30% protein. Fat naturally comes to around 30% for me, and I fill the rest with carbs. This was a minor, but significant, change for me.
Other people love the keto diet, and some have medical conditions that benefit by it.
Satiety is very individual.2 -
jenmarie8784 wrote: »I want to cut way back on my carbs and sugar intake. I know I get way too many and i don't want to cut them out completely but cut way back. The thing is... I Googled it and now I'm nervous because so many ppl say they felt terrible and sick for a while after they cut out extra sugar from their diet. Personal experiences..?
What you're talking about is the keto flu associated with going keto...which is ultra low carb. Essentially your carbohydrates will be limited to leafy greens and other low carb vegetables. It is on the extreme end of low carb...you don't have to be keto to be low carb. I eat around 150 grams of carbs per day in a cut which I consider to be low carb, but it still has way more room for things like oats and legumes and a variety of fruit and veg and isn't so limited.
The biggest thing with cutting carbs is a drop in water weight...otherwise, it's no different than anything else. I reduce my carbs because my protein and fat targets stay relatively the same whether I'm cutting or maintaining, so something has to give.3 -
Maybe try just cutting the obvious things like bread and rice and pasta and see what kind of results you get from that? Going to the extreme end of keto just cold turkey might not be necessary.0
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jenmarie8784 wrote: »I want to cut way back on my carbs and sugar intake. I know I get way too many and i don't want to cut them out completely but cut way back. The thing is... I Googled it and now I'm nervous because so many ppl say they felt terrible and sick for a while after they cut out extra sugar from their diet. Personal experiences..?
All your doing is lowering your calories provided that you eat the same number of protein and fats as before. The answer would be the same if you asked the question if you want to cut back on protein or fats. The one question I want to ask you is if there's a reason why you want to get rid of carbs/sugar??? Is it because you have a discipline issue when it comes to eating carbs??? Do you feel satiated by eating only high fatty foods and protein??? Or you're doing it because "everyone is doing it" so therefore you think it's the best diet for fat loss??? The only thing I can tell you is to try it out, if it fails, then move on to something else.5 -
karenlong7 wrote: »P.S. I've lost 100 pounds in just over 5 months. If you are insulin resistent, eating this way works.
Caloric deficit made you lose 100 pounds in over 5 months, but congratulations on finding a tool that helped you achieve your goal.6 -
I cut carbs, sugars and some fats simply because when I cut calories, those seem to be the easiest foods for me to do without. I eat as many veg as I can fit in, my dairy products also have carbs, and I keep the yogurt in.
I always feel better without sugary sweets, but the odd fruit is ok.
When I eat at maintenance, I eat more fruits, legumes and vegetables that are higher in carbs, like potatoes.
For me, I feel better without the heavy foods that are fried or grease laden or sugary, and oddly those are the foods that are higher calorie. I could probably say I like a certain volume of food too, so in other words, I'm not happy with a piece of cheese cake and a bag of chips for the day, it might meet my calorie goal, but I would find that a hard way to stick with my plan of weight loss!0 -
For me it's meant:
- No more daily headache
- No more 3pm crash
- No more knee and joint pain
- Weight loss (finally... finally!)
- No hunger
- No more 'brain fog'
- A WOE that I can do indefinitely
I'm on keto (when my protein goes too high, I keep most of the benefits but stop losing weight) but I would highly, highly recommend cutting back carbs and sugar to as little as possible. It's been a game changer for me.10 -
I get sad and cranky.6
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coolchick207 wrote: »For me it's meant:
- No more daily headache
- No more 3pm crash
- No more knee and joint pain
- Weight loss (finally... finally!)
- No hunger
- No more 'brain fog'
- A WOE that I can do indefinitely
I'm on keto (when my protein goes too high, I keep most of the benefits but stop losing weight) but I would highly, highly recommend cutting back carbs and sugar to as little as possible. It's been a game changer for me.
high protein wont cause you to stop losing weight,unless you are over eating it and its causing you to eat maintenance calories. weight loss comes down to a deficit not matter what way of eating you do including keto. if you are in a deficit weight loss still happens it doesnt matter what your macros are. or it could be you are retaining more water for some reasons during those times of eating more protein7 -
CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »coolchick207 wrote: »For me it's meant:
- No more daily headache
- No more 3pm crash
- No more knee and joint pain
- Weight loss (finally... finally!)
- No hunger
- No more 'brain fog'
- A WOE that I can do indefinitely
I'm on keto (when my protein goes too high, I keep most of the benefits but stop losing weight) but I would highly, highly recommend cutting back carbs and sugar to as little as possible. It's been a game changer for me.
high protein wont cause you to stop losing weight,unless you are over eating it and its causing you to eat maintenance calories. weight loss comes down to a deficit not matter what way of eating you do including keto. if you are in a deficit weight loss still happens it doesnt matter what your macros are. or it could be you are retaining more water for some reasons during those times of eating more protein
This is the one thing that bothers me with keto and how it's thought to those who don't understand about nutrition. People (mainly newbies who start doing keto) fear far too much about the individual macros more than the calories, there's too much bad information that gets played out. It's seem to be always a macros fault if they stopped losing weight (except the fats macro).6 -
I get into an awful mood when I don't get enough carbs. That goes with any macro.4
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karenlong7 wrote: »P.S. I've lost 100 pounds in just over 5 months. If you are insulin resistent, eating this way works.
Caloric deficit made you lose 100 pounds in over 5 months, but congratulations on finding a tool that helped you achieve your goal.
Quite aware of this. However, eating at broader "everything in moderation" calorie deficit DIDN'T work for me... even with added exercise.
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