Carbs.
Alarmed_one
Posts: 46 Member
What’s the least amount of carbs a person can eat on a daily basis and not get sick? I’m eating under 20g for about 3 weeks now and I’ve lost weight but lately I’ve been feeling light headed. I’m going to start going to the gym so should I up my carb intake once I start going? Thanks!
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Replies
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How many calories are you eating?2
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singingflutelady wrote: »How many calories are you eating?
I’ll be honest here.... between 600 and 900..... I’m not hungry.... ever since I quit carbs I just don’t want to eat....
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You feel lightheaded because you are undereating. Your body needs fuel and you're depriving it of that. Eat more, even if it means eating a few more carbs.15
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You feel lightheaded because you are undereating. Your body needs fuel and you're depriving it of that. Eat more, even if it means eating a few more carbs.
Should I just add some protein shakes to the mix? Is that good enough? I have the premier ones that I never drink but I could put them to good use
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Alarmed_one wrote: »You feel lightheaded because you are undereating. Your body needs fuel and you're depriving it of that. Eat more, even if it means eating a few more carbs.
Should I just add some protein shakes to the mix? Is that good enough? I have the premier ones that I never drink but I could put them to good use
Add whatever you need to add to ensure that you are eating at least 1200 calories per day plus exercise calories.5 -
Only consuming 600-900 calories could explain the light-headedness. That's really hard on your body over time. I'd say that if you plan on going to the gym, you should start eating more so you don't pass out while you're there. You need to fuel your workouts and recovery so you don't burn out or make yourself sick. Personally, I don't restrict carbs because I use them as fuel for my athletic activities, and I feel crappy without them, but I'd say your main problem is too few calories. Try adding back some carbs (without taking away anything else) and really fuel your body. It will thank you. 
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Alarmed_one wrote: »singingflutelady wrote: »How many calories are you eating?
I’ll be honest here.... between 600 and 900..... I’m not hungry.... ever since I quit carbs I just don’t want to eat....
Not being hungry is not an excuse to starve yourself to the point of being sick. You have to eat a healthy amount of calories or you are going to run into all kinds of health problems and they can be FAR worse than being a lightheaded. Adding calories is as easy as adding fat to the foods you eat.
What you are doing is dangerous. Please Stop.
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Alarmed_one wrote: »singingflutelady wrote: »How many calories are you eating?
I’ll be honest here.... between 600 and 900..... I’m not hungry.... ever since I quit carbs I just don’t want to eat....
No wonder you are feeling lightheaded. You are on the path to malnutrition (I eat about the same amount as you but I have a medical condition which causes eating to be very painful and I don't tolerate many solid foods. I'm severely underweight and waiting to get a feeding tube. Malnutrition isn't fun.)16 -
You should be eating at least 1200 cals, probably more. Eat whatever you want to get there.
IMHO you want to find a diet you enjoy that will keep you at the right calorie level for the rest of your life. If you want to do keto, play around with it so you can eat yummy foods and be healthy. I personally could never do keto, it eliminates most of the foods I love and I would need to eat more protein/fat combo foods that I find boring. Other people love eating keto foods. Hopefully you can find your own personal right combo. Good luck!5 -
Put your numbers into MFP's calculator and eat however much it tells you. Trust me, if you stay on very low calorie diets (this is assuming you're weighing your food/measuring your drinks properly and not underestimating calories) without medical approval, you WILL binge and binge and binge. You think it's fine now, but after a few days you will find yourself unable to stop yourself from eating until you've consumed way too much. I've been there, and I know a lot others have been as well.
The only sustainable weight loss 'diet' is one that you can eat for the rest of your life. So do you want to stay on 600 calories the rest of your life? Or do you want to learn how to eat an appropriate amount of nutrition for your body. Macros (protein, carbs, fat) are something you can play around with ratios to find a good balance of nutrition, energy, and satiety.
Please also be aware that losing 2 lbs/week isn't for everyone and isn't even possible for some people with a smaller amount of weight to lose without sacrificing necessary nutrition and calories.5 -
NM0
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Eating 20g of carbs is fine.
Eating 900 calories or fewer is definitely not fine.
You need to boost your calories in any way possible. If you can do it by boosting fat and protein then do it. If not then you will have to bring your carbs up, even if it's only a bit to get your appetite back.
You're harming yourself at these intake levels.10 -
Alarmed_one wrote: »What’s the least amount of carbs a person can eat on a daily basis and not get sick? I’m eating under 20g for about 3 weeks now and I’ve lost weight but lately I’ve been feeling light headed. I’m going to start going to the gym so should I up my carb intake once I start going? Thanks!
T2 diabetics on very low carb programs eat 30g carbs max per day. But those plans are only meant to be followed for three months initially. I think up to 70g a day is considered low carb and weight loss is achievable on that. You could up your intake to 40 or 50g daily and you'd still lose weight. Do some research about carb intake when exercising. On just 20g a day you'd probably collapse at the gym.4 -
The two most likely outcomes if you continue on your current course:
1) Crash and burn. Energy levels through the floor, loss of lean body mass, chronic fatigue, hair loss, and all the other cool things that come along with malnutrition. Metabolic downregulation due to inadequate nutrition, and a lowered TDEE because you don't have the energy to do anything - both of which make it even more difficult to lose weight.
2) Epic binge when you finally can't stand it anymore and lose control, rebound weight gain and you're right back where you started from (or worse) - and most likely at an even higher body fat percentage because you lost lean mass while starving yourself, and put it all back on in the form of fat when you binged your way back up.
Good luck.11 -
The two most likely outcomes if you continue on your current course:
1) Crash and burn. Energy levels through the floor, loss of lean body mass, chronic fatigue, hair loss, and all the other cool things that come along with malnutrition. Metabolic downregulation due to inadequate nutrition, and a lowered TDEE because you don't have the energy to do anything - both of which make it even more difficult to lose weight.
2) Epic binge when you finally can't stand it anymore and lose control, rebound weight gain and you're right back where you started from (or worse) - and most likely at an even higher body fat percentage because you lost lean mass while starving yourself, and put it all back on in the form of fat when you binged your way back up.
Good luck.
And 2) can set off an endless restrict-binge cycle which is very difficult to break free from.6 -
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Alarmed_one wrote: »What’s the least amount of carbs a person can eat on a daily basis and not get sick? I’m eating under 20g for about 3 weeks now and I’ve lost weight but lately I’ve been feeling light headed. I’m going to start going to the gym so should I up my carb intake once I start going? Thanks!
Zero. I am usually under 5 g now and have been for months, but I have kept it under 20g-50g for years. Eating carbs is completely nonessential for your energy needs (or overall health) and will not cause lightheadedness.
...now reactive hypoglycaemia could. A sudden fall in blood glucose will create a light headed feeling. It would be made worse by low BP too. But that is more of an issue for people eating more carbs. Meals of under 10-20 g if carbs won't cause much of a glucose spike or fall.
The lightheadness could be from low sodium if you did not increase sodium to at least 3000-5000 mg a day. You probably lost water and your BP fell. Try eating salt or a couple of cups of boullion. It may help.
Not eating enough could do it too.11 -
Millicent3015 wrote: »Alarmed_one wrote: »What’s the least amount of carbs a person can eat on a daily basis and not get sick? I’m eating under 20g for about 3 weeks now and I’ve lost weight but lately I’ve been feeling light headed. I’m going to start going to the gym so should I up my carb intake once I start going? Thanks!
T2 diabetics on very low carb programs eat 30g carbs max per day. But those plans are only meant to be followed for three months initially. I think up to 70g a day is considered low carb and weight loss is achievable on that. You could up your intake to 40 or 50g daily and you'd still lose weight. Do some research about carb intake when exercising. On just 20g a day you'd probably collapse at the gym.
Low carb does not need to be of short duration. It's fine for a long term diet.
I'll assume the comment about collapsing at the gym was just an exaggeration. Some will notice a dip in energy when they first go ketogenic until they are fat adapted. Some avoid that by timing their carbs around exercise. It doesn't happen to everyone though.6 -
I have been <20g net carbs a day for 10 months and have no problem with feeling lightheaded except when my blood pressure is a bit too low. I usually run on the low side of normal but some days it will dip under 90/50 and on those days I have to be careful when standing up or stooping. I think your problem is inadequate calorie intake. If you are eating low carb it is essential to have an adequate fat intake of healthy fats to meet your metabolic requirement. Try adding MCT, coconut or olive oil to your food where possible. Butter is also a good option. Avocados and nuts can also give you a boost of healthy fats.1
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Alarmed_one wrote: »singingflutelady wrote: »How many calories are you eating?
I’ll be honest here.... between 600 and 900..... I’m not hungry.... ever since I quit carbs I just don’t want to eat....
You are under eating!!! By a lot! You are feeling lightheaded because your body needs more energy (calories). The minimum calories for women is 1200/day, and even that is quite low unless a woman is very petit and sedentary.0 -
You are massively undereating, and this will not go well for you.
There's great advice in these replies so I strongly suggest you take it onboard.0 -
Focus on eating more calories, but also, while in ketosis you'll need to increase your electrolyte intake. You simply can not take in enough nutrients and electrolytes eating that small of an amount day after day.
Keto electrolytes ranges:
Sodium = 3500-5000 mg
Potassium = 1000-3500 mg
Magnesium = 300-500 mg
Calcium = 1000-1200 mg
Electrolyte imbalances can cause weakness on the low end and heart palpitations on the high end.
I recommend adding chicken broth and V8 for sodium and potassium. I've been in ketosis for over 8 months and still drink 2 cups Kitchen Basics chicken stock and one low sodium V8 5.5 oz every day. Both of course have sodium (820 mg per 2 cup and 95 mg per 5.5 oz) but also have high amounts of potassium (840 mg per 2 cup and 700 mg per 5.5 oz) and both are low calorie.
A 3.5 oz avacado is a great addition to add calories, potassium and magnesium.
Calories: 160 kcal
Potassium: 485 mg
Magnesium: 29 mg
Net Carb: 2
You can also add in a 1 oz serving of nuts to increase your calories without a lot of bulk since you're not feeling hungry.
Pecan: 1 oz
Calories: 196 kcal
Potassium: 116 mg
Magnesium: 34 mg
Net Carb: 1.2
You said you just don't feel hungry but if you can add in an additional couple of calorie dense foods items daily your body will come out of starvation mode and you'll start to feel much, much better. Focus on balancing your electrolytes and making sure you're getting the amount of calories your body requires to stay out of starvation mode.
Depending on your height, weight and activity level your minimum caloric intake is going to be somewhere between 1200 to 1400 kcal daily typically. Going below that isn't going to help you reach long term success and your body will start to eat your muscles because it doesn't have enough food.0
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