No workout=feel GREAT! Workout= feel TERRIBLE!!

GPSHEALTHCOACHING
GPSHEALTHCOACHING Posts: 497 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So a few weeks back I was eating pretty low carb.... Under 75 per day... And I have to say, I FELT GREAT! No afternoon crashes, slept great at night, felt full- not starving at all and....... I was only doing some weight lifting and walking. It was hard to not eat carbs though.

So............ I decided to add back in carbs and I would workout harder! I burned over 250 calories doing cardio 5x last week. I didn't go too crazy or so I thought. But.............. I FEEL LIKE CRAP!!!!!!!! I'm tired, I'm sore as hell, NOT SLEEPING GOOD, had to lie down every afternoon and to top it off I have a kink in between my shoulders that is KILLING ME!!! I just feel TERRIBLE!!!

Is this crazy? Why do you think this is happening? Life was better on low carbs/ little workouts and feeling GREAT! I think I'm gonna go back to that. Has this happened to you? Is there a medical explanation that I can't handle carbs? I felt like my blood sugar was stable whereas now, I FEEL THE UPS AND DOWNS! Btw.... My carbs are whole grain / fruit with the exception of some baked tortilla chips. :-).

Replies

  • gogophers
    gogophers Posts: 190 Member
    It could be that your body can't handle carbs very well. It could be that your body got used to low carb and now that you are adding in carbs again it's having trouble digesting them. It could be you weren't used to exercising. There are too many variables to know for sure.

    What kind of carbs did you add in? Instead of getting your carbs from things like pasta, try to get them from fruit and nuts and see what happens.

    As for the pain between your shoulders (I assume you mean around your rhomboid area), that sounds like a sleeping/sitting/bed issue. Or, did you recently start doing pullups or lat pulldowns or something like that? What kind of cardio are you doing? If it's running, maybe you're running with improper form.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    All carbs are NOT alike.
  • GPSHEALTHCOACHING
    GPSHEALTHCOACHING Posts: 497 Member
    I've had whole grain bread, watermelon, oatmeal- weight control, bananas, and yes, I had 2 pieces pizza and baked tortilla chips. As far as types of cardio, I have run 1 mile and today ran 1.5. Or I've done eliptical or walking. I think the shoulder issue is from the eliptical with arm motions. Today's run didn't help. :(

    I just really thought I'd feel great getting some cardio in and I would need carbs to fuel my workouts. Im just SO SLUGGISH!!! Would just a few weeks low carb make my body not process carbs as well? If I had to choose, I'll eat low carb and feel great vs. this. :(
  • baabaabetsy
    baabaabetsy Posts: 49
    What are you eating right after you work out? If you don't eat anything or don't eat carbs+protein right after a work out, it affects your energy levels all day. After cardio especially try to get in some good carbs (fruit, whole grain bread, brown rice, etc) and protein to repair your muscle. That could help. Also, if you made the switch suddenly to higher carbs/more cardio, your body could just be getting used to it. Keep at it--it takes a while for your body to adjust!
  • ZeroWoIf
    ZeroWoIf Posts: 588 Member
    So a few weeks back I was eating pretty low carb.... Under 75 per day... And I have to say, I FELT GREAT! No afternoon crashes, slept great at night, felt full- not starving at all and....... I was only doing some weight lifting and walking. It was hard to not eat carbs though.

    So............ I decided to add back in carbs and I would workout harder! I burned over 250 calories doing cardio 5x last week. I didn't go too crazy or so I thought. But.............. I FEEL LIKE CRAP!!!!!!!! I'm tired, I'm sore as hell, NOT SLEEPING GOOD, had to lie down every afternoon and to top it off I have a kink in between my shoulders that is KILLING ME!!! I just feel TERRIBLE!!!

    Is this crazy? Why do you think this is happening? Life was better on low carbs/ little workouts and feeling GREAT! I think I'm gonna go back to that. Has this happened to you? Is there a medical explanation that I can't handle carbs? I felt like my blood sugar was stable whereas now, I FEEL THE UPS AND DOWNS! Btw.... My carbs are whole grain / fruit with the exception of some baked tortilla chips. :-).


    We don't have any information at this point to give you an accurate assessment. My advise to you is to get your blood work done first with your doctor. Go over with the results and take what he says seriously. Im not sure what else you take other than food so you may want to specify. Any supplements you are taking? Do you feel sleepy after eating? Are you working out for crazy number of minutes? How long are you working out for?
  • wookiemouse
    wookiemouse Posts: 290 Member
    I'm wondering if it's not the carbs so much as it may be gluten? Have you ever been tested for celiac disease?

    Try it again with NON-gluten carbs (certified gluten-free oats, rice, corn products) and see if it makes any difference.
  • LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo
    LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo Posts: 3,634 Member
    I've had whole grain bread, watermelon, oatmeal- weight control, bananas, and yes, I had 2 pieces pizza and baked tortilla chips. As far as types of cardio, I have run 1 mile and today ran 1.5. Or I've done eliptical or walking. I think the shoulder issue is from the eliptical with arm motions. Today's run didn't help. :(

    I just really thought I'd feel great getting some cardio in and I would need carbs to fuel my workouts. Im just SO SLUGGISH!!! Would just a few weeks low carb make my body not process carbs as well? If I had to choose, I'll eat low carb and feel great vs. this. :(
    No wonder you feel so sluggish. You're eating too many processed carbs. Stick with veggies, quinoa or brown rice instead. Fruits are OK but since they're high in sugar (especially banana) so eat them in moderation.

    EDIT to add: Limit your starchy carb intake (brown rice, old-fashioned oatmeal, quinoa, potato). It is best to eat them as a post-workout meal after a weight lifting session to replenish lost glycogen in our muscles.
  • GPSHEALTHCOACHING
    GPSHEALTHCOACHING Posts: 497 Member
    I didn't eat all this in a single day... These are just some things I ate this WEEK.......

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