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Low Carb and getting enough energy

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ghost_whistler

Well-Known Member
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How do i make sure i get enough energy on a reduced carb/no bread (main source of carbs for me) diet?

I had 2 slices bacon, 2 sausages, half an avocado, some spinach/lettuce and a little bit of plain full fat live yoghurt to fill up for breakfast. I don't feel hungry, which is a plus, but after gong for a walk, I'm rather exhausted. It may be stress, which i suffer from, but then I want to make sure I'm getting enough. I'm not ketotic, but i'm concerned that low carb otherwise means not enough energy.
 
What is your idea of "low carb" in terms of grams of carbohydrate per day?
 
I get very tired due to stress/depression but have found since following a low-carb diet (for one week so far) that I have more energy. I do however have a ton of weight to lose and having lost half-a-stone so far I think that has helped my energy levels. Hopefully it's an anomaly.
 
GrantGam said:
What is your idea of "low carb" in terms of grams of carbohydrate per day?
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I don't really have a number. I'm just experimenting with cutting bread/wheat out, which means as its my main source of carbs. I'm not talking about ketosis specifically.
 
how low is low carb for you?
 
Do you mean energy in a colloquial sense or calories? If the latter, MyFitnessPal or similar can help you record food intake.
 
@ ghost_whistler

It will take your body about 10 days to adjust to burning fat instead of carbs, so it's early days yet. Plus, you may get a bit of carb-flu as your body switches over; this may make you feel tired/lethargic but passes very quickly.
 
Nidge247 said:
@ ghost_whistler

It will take your body about 10 days to adjust to burning fat instead of carbs, so it's early days yet. Plus, you may get a bit of carb-flu as your body switches over; this may make you feel tired/lethargic but passes very quickly.
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Right, but its only been today and yesterday that i've stopped eating carbs, and even then not that much to be in ketosis. I nibbled on a sandwich and a sausage roll for one thing (i was in town and brought something just in case, and because it was lunch time)
 
Keep going for at least 10 days and then you might be surprised at how energetic you feel. I went from feeling I needed a nap every afternoon to being fully alert and energetic for 20 hours a day. I've run a 10 K and taken up weight training and i also find if I am out all day walking or sailing i am the only one who doesn't need food at lunchtime and still feel good. I used to have to eat at regular times and get very irritable when hungry. This way of eating is amazing apart from it's benefits to blood sugar levels. I don't count calories and just eat when hungry with lots of good fats.
 
I haven't noticed any problems. Generally eat bacon and egg or full fat yoghurt with walnuts for breakfast, meat and none root veg for lunch and dinner; and occasional salad with olive oil, Avocado.
 
dbr10 said:
I haven't noticed any problems. Generally eat bacon and egg or full fat yoghurt with walnuts for breakfast, meat and none root veg for lunch and dinner; and occasional salad with olive oil, Avocado.
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What type of low carb are you pursuing?
 
Most of the time, even when not eating low carb, you get your energy by breaking down what your body stores either as glycogen or fat. You don't need carbs for energy. You don't actually need carbs at all.
During the time after a meal when you have high glucose from digesting foods you can take the glucose from your blood before the liver processes it, but once insulin has done its job and removed it, your liver releases glucose or ketones into your bloodstream. The ketones are actually a better form of fuel for your brain, and I dance about and expend energy far more when I low carb as I feel so much better than when using carbs for fuel. In the first few days, before your body adapts you can feel weary - but it soon passes as long as you don't keep topping up the carbs with snacks and reversing the change to fat burning.
 
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