Carbs and mood

Tink6366

Member
Messages
23
Hi everyone,

newbie to low carb and BG sugar monitoring.

Im experiencing some severe low moods. im down to 49g of carbs today and the only way to describe my mood is meh! Feel a little weepy, but i also slept rubbish last night, so prob a contributing factor.

Only just starting the journey, please tell me this is a phase and it gets better.

If so how long does it last?
 

Goonergal

Master
Retired Moderator
Messages
13,465
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi there

It could be the lack of sleep causing the low moods or you could be experiencing some withdrawal symptoms from the carbs. Make sure you’re drinking enough water, getting enough salt and eating enough fat and protein to give you energy.

I didn’t get low moods but did get headaches and felt very tired when I first cut carbs. It did pass!

Has anything else changed for you?
 
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Tink6366

Member
Messages
23
Thanks for the response. No nothing else, started metaformin, have adopted low carb diet, but slept awful last night.

The only other thing is calories are down while im trying to find ways to up them, while staying low carb.

I think its like you say sleep and withdrawal from higher sugars from carbs.

Im persevering and will get off the sugar roller coaster.
 

Resurgam

Expert
Messages
9,872
Type of diabetes
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Diet only
When I was diagnosed I was put on Metformin and Atorvastatin. I began to have suicidal thoughts maybe 3 or 4 times in the week before Christmas 2016 - it was the tablets.
 

Tink6366

Member
Messages
23
When I was diagnosed I was put on Metformin and Atorvastatin. I began to have suicidal thoughts maybe 3 or 4 times in the week before Christmas 2016 - it was the tablets.

Thank you for the heads up. Im sorry you had to go through that.

I’ll stay alert in case of thoughts of this nature creep in. If they do i’ll stop the med immediately without hesitation.

I feel marginally better this morning. So my mood is up and down. Hopefully it will stabilise along with my BS.
 

DCUKMod

Master
Staff Member
Messages
14,298
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Thank you for the heads up. Im sorry you had to go through that.

I’ll stay alert in case of thoughts of this nature creep in. If they do i’ll stop the med immediately without hesitation.

I feel marginally better this morning. So my mood is up and down. Hopefully it will stabilise along with my BS.

Change can be tough, and any change can lead to a rollercoaster of physical and emotional feelings.

I bleat on about this, but whilst this graphic is very simple, it tells the story. We can enter and leave the curve at any point, and will quite often jump back on again for a while. Have a quick look:

upload_2020-7-30_9-9-17.png
 
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Tink6366

Member
Messages
23
Thank you :) i think i jumped on at experiment. Made a decision am running with it then jumped to the depression.

Got up this morning and realised ive lost half a stone in a week and a half. So where i would normally have treated that low mood with food, i didnt this time. The reality of my diabetes stopped me.

Got up this morning rather pleased with myself! So feeling much better. I guess the low mood will come back in waves. I just need to learn how to surf i guess!
 

bulkbiker

BANNED
Messages
19,575
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Thank you :) i think i jumped on at experiment. Made a decision am running with it then jumped to the depression.

Got up this morning and realised ive lost half a stone in a week and a half. So where i would normally have treated that low mood with food, i didnt this time. The reality of my diabetes stopped me.

Got up this morning rather pleased with myself! So feeling much better. I guess the low mood will come back in waves. I just need to learn how to surf i guess!
Superstar.. have some more bacon immediately!
 

DCUKMod

Master
Staff Member
Messages
14,298
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Thank you :) i think i jumped on at experiment. Made a decision am running with it then jumped to the depression.

Got up this morning and realised ive lost half a stone in a week and a half. So where i would normally have treated that low mood with food, i didnt this time. The reality of my diabetes stopped me.

Got up this morning rather pleased with myself! So feeling much better. I guess the low mood will come back in waves. I just need to learn how to surf i guess!

Like most of us, there's a good chance you'll visit Frustration at some point. That's fine. Have a sulk, have a moan, or however else you deal with these things, but it'll pass.

I think it's just good to know these things happen. That they do doesn't make you, or anyone else a failure, or weak, but they make you pretty normal (whatever that means).

It's easy for me, almost 7 years in, to say go with the flow, but it's true. Being hard on yourself usually solves little.
 
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JMcB

Well-Known Member
Messages
125
Type of diabetes
LADA
Treatment type
Insulin
Change can be tough, and any change can lead to a rollercoaster of physical and emotional feelings.

I bleat on about this, but whilst this graphic is very simple, it tells the story. We can enter and leave the curve at any point, and will quite often jump back on again for a while. Have a quick look:

View attachment 42997

What’s the y-axis? Can’t see it.
 

DCUKMod

Master
Staff Member
Messages
14,298
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
That’s great and describes perfectly the stages I am going through with my LADA diagnosis and learning to deal with diet and insulin. Luckily I’m nearing the right side of the curve now.

Excellent new you feel you're making progress, but whatever you do; don't be concerned if you revisit some or all of it in the future.
 

JMcB

Well-Known Member
Messages
125
Type of diabetes
LADA
Treatment type
Insulin
Excellent new you feel you're making progress, but whatever you do; don't be concerned if you revisit some or all of it in the future.

Ha. I’m sure I will. What goes up must come down in diabetes, BS and mood. But it’s so nice when things are falling into place and working!
 

MarkMunday

Well-Known Member
Messages
421
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
People get addicted to carbs because consumption of them sends a shot of seratonin to the brain. Feeling better promotes more carb consumption, and so the cycle continues. Depressed mood is not unusual when suddenly cutting carbs, but it is temporary. Unstimulated seratonin production is upregulated.

If protein consumption is adequate, reducing calories from carbs has to be matched by increasing calories from fat. Increasing protein above the required level is just wasteful as much of it is converted to glucose anyway. There are lots of fat calories in foods like avocado, nuts, cheese and eggs.
 
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JMcB

Well-Known Member
Messages
125
Type of diabetes
LADA
Treatment type
Insulin
People get addicted to carbs because consumption of them sends a shot of seratonin to the brain. Feeling better promotes more carb consumption, and so the cycle continues. Depressed mood is not unusual when suddenly cutting carbs, but it is temporary. Unstimulated seratonin production is upregulated.

If protein consumption is adequate, reducing calories from carbs has to be matched by increasing calories from fat. Increasing protein above the required level is just wasteful as much of it is converted to glucose anyway. There are lots of fat calories in foods like avocado, nuts, cheese and eggs.

Ah. Not addicted to carbs. Was in keto the last 2 years before diagnosis. Was more looking at the curve regarding getting a handle on the new insulin situation. Also initially followed endo advice and quit keto as she said it wasn’t compatible w T1. That was a disaster. Now following Dr Bernstein low carb and things are settling down.