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Prediabetes How to keep up with a super low carb diet and exercise

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yellowhaze

Newbie
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4
Hi,
I tried going on a low carb diet (very close to under 20gm carbs)

However I found I had no energy to complete a 2-3 mile run or do an hour of spin or any high intensity exercise.
Even if I fgot through I found myself craving sugar and carbs after.

I was wondering if others have gone through this experience and how they feel energetic on a low carb diet and being able to fuel their activity without feeling sick/blood pressure being low (borderline) and light headed ?
Thank you so much for sharing.
 
yellowhaze said:
Hi,
I tried going on a low carb diet (very close to under 20gm carbs)

However I found I had no energy to complete a 2-3 mile run or do an hour of spin or any high intensity exercise.
Even if I fgot through I found myself craving sugar and carbs after.

I was wondering if others have gone through this experience and how they feel energetic on a low carb diet and being able to fuel their activity without feeling sick/blood pressure being low (borderline) and light headed ?
Thank you so much for sharing.
Click to expand...

I'm so energetic on my ultra low carb diet that I joined a gym 2 months ago after 15 years off...now work out fasted and swim 5-8km per week
How long have you been low carb?
 
welcome here yellowhaze :)

if you have just started low carbing , just keep on for a month more ...but when low carbing one need more fat... I eat around like 100-200 grams of fats a day.
 
bulkbiker said:
I'm so energetic on my ultra low carb diet that I joined a gym 2 months ago after 15 years off...now work out fasted and swim 5-8km per week
How long have you been low carb?
Click to expand...

I've been low carbing for about a week.
I should point out that I am not much of a meat eater. I eat a few egges a week and chicken a few times a week.
I got orthodontics done recently so my salad chewing is low so cna't eat too much of sald coz the chewing is painful and nuts are out of the question. Maybe I need to find a way to eat more.
Sometimes I am so hungry I can't sleep and often I wake at about 4 am with my stomach rumbling.. I obviously am doing something wrong.
 
Last edited:
Try making small drinks with a Nutribullet or similar high powered doo dad.
You will need to pick your recipes carefully, and make them with more liquid than the standard thick ones as you will get a powerful kick of carbs almost at once due to the smashing of the ingredients, but you should find that an advantage for exercise.
You might well require more than 20 gm of carbs to feel normal - I tried 20 gm of carbs for three days and lost 7lb - far too much far too fast. I was still losing 2Kg a week at 60 to 80gm depending on my exercise, so do be aware that the only thing we all have in common is that we are all different.
These days, of course, I have had to start all over again, and I am so much older now.
You might find it useful to read Dr Atkins New Diet Revolution - I think that there are several different editions around on the internet - as I have had great success following the instructions in that - though I have never progressed beyond part way through the second stage - as alcohol is not my friend and all the other types of foods, legumes, sweet fruits and grains etc stop weightloss dead, and they are also the foods which raise my BG levels into double figures.
 
yellowhaze said:
I've been low carbing for about a week.
I should point out that I am not much of a meat eater. I eat a few egges a week and chicken a few times a week.
I got orthodontics done recently so my salad chewing is low so cna't eat too much of sald coz the chewing is painful and nuts are out of the question. Maybe I need to find a way to eat more.
Sometimes I am so hungry I can't sleep and often I wake at about 4 am with my stomach rumbling.. I obviously am doing something wrong.
Click to expand...

Sounds like you are low on fats.. how about avocado mashed into mayonnaise. soft and fatty and filling.. Mince if you can cope with that maybe try some crackslaw recipes. I quite often have tinned crab with mayo and black pepper on an avocado for a light lunch.
have you checked out
https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb
loads of free low carb recipes.. and I think they are having a vegetarian week this week if you don't like meat.
It sounds like you aren't eating enough .. remember this isn't a calorie controlled way of eating.
 
yellowhaze said:
I've been low carbing for about a week.
I should point out that I am not much of a meat eater. I eat a few egges a week and chicken a few times a week.
I got orthodontics done recently so my salad chewing is low so cna't eat too much of sald coz the chewing is painful and nuts are out of the question. Maybe I need to find a way to eat more.
Sometimes I am so hungry I can't sleep and often I wake at about 4 am with my stomach rumbling.. I obviously am doing something wrong.
Click to expand...
If you're hungry, you are definitely not eating enough. Fat helps you to feel full and contrary to all the so called advice we have had over the years there is no need to avoid it. Full fat yogurt ( I even add double cream to mine ) or bulletproof coffee helps to up the fat intake and shouldn't cause you problems with your teeth.
I have loads more energy on LCHF.. I'm in my third year of it now and wouldn't change back. I'm so much healthier.
 
Definitely up the fat to replace the energy you were previously getting from carbs.

And get thee to Amazon for a copy of The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Performance by Stephen Phinney & Jeff Volek.

Robbity

PS And consider eating more soft foods: fish, minced/ground meats, eggs, avocados, butter, full fat yoghurts, cream, soft cheeses, ground up nuts, nut butters... There's a lot of LCHF foods than don't always need much chewing - take it from a getting-rather-toothless-low-carbing-old-lady...
:D
 
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If your low carb .. then you must replace your sugars with good fats .. So no low fat products and fill up on good fats like coconut oil & olive oil. You should not feel hungry eating LCHF .. However you are only a week into it and may still be feeling the effects of your body wanting sugar.. its called carb flu.
 
Resurgam said:
Try making small drinks with a Nutribullet or similar high powered doo dad.
You will need to pick your recipes carefully, and make them with more liquid than the standard thick ones as you will get a powerful kick of carbs almost at once due to the smashing of the ingredients, but you should find that an advantage for exercise.
You might well require more than 20 gm of carbs to feel normal - I tried 20 gm of carbs for three days and lost 7lb - far too much far too fast. I was still losing 2Kg a week at 60 to 80gm depending on my exercise, so do be aware that the only thing we all have in common is that we are all different.
These days, of course, I have had to start all over again, and I am so much older now.
You might find it useful to read Dr Atkins New Diet Revolution - I think that there are several different editions around on the internet - as I have had great success following the instructions in that - though I have never progressed beyond part way through the second stage - as alcohol is not my friend and all the other types of foods, legumes, sweet fruits and grains etc stop weightloss dead, and they are also the foods which raise my BG levels into double figures.
Click to expand...

Thanks Resargum,
I need to find a way to get this lifestyle change done easier.
 
I would definitely eat more (enough that you leave the table satisfied, and don't get hungry for hours).
And i would ease off on the exercise until you have transitioned. :) there is no virtue in driving yourself into wobbliness and exhaustion. Think of it as easing back into a holding pattern.

My experience is that there's a phase when you feel less than great. It will last from a few days to a few weeks, while your body learns to switch from glucose as a fuel source to either fat AND fuel, or just fat as fuel (depends on how low carb you are going).

Then, one day, you will wake up feeling great. Energetic, alert, awake, more stamina, more focus.
And that is the point you can move out of your exercise holding pattern, and start pushing again.
 
yellowhaze said:
I've been low carbing for about a week.
I should point out that I am not much of a meat eater. I eat a few egges a week and chicken a few times a week.
I got orthodontics done recently so my salad chewing is low so cna't eat too much of sald coz the chewing is painful and nuts are out of the question. Maybe I need to find a way to eat more.
Sometimes I am so hungry I can't sleep and often I wake at about 4 am with my stomach rumbling.. I obviously am doing something wrong.
Click to expand...

It can take more than a week to transition comfortably to low carb, particularly if you have other issues. With so few carbs, you may be suffering carb (keto) 'flu where your body is changing to fat burning rather than glucose-dependent. Don't worry, and don't try to do too much. Once you've changed over, you'll feel terrific with plenty of energy.

If you have continuing probs, do see the doc. But chances are, you just need to give it a little time. :)
 
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