SockFiddler
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Low-carb flu - how was it for you?
- Thread starter mariavontrapp
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Oldvatr
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Bovril is also good for omnivores and it supplies B12 too. Has a rounder taste than OxO,
Chook
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I felt so rubbish before I 'converted' that it was hard to tell if I had carb flu at all. I would NEVER recommend that anyone convert the way I did because I think it was a bit brutal in my poor body.
So... about two years ago I was an uncontrolled diabetic with my BG running high even though I was on lots of tablets and lots of insulin. I hadn't discovered this forum and felt completely and utterly alone with it. All I knew was that I had a huge list of stuff wrong with me and I felt even worse after eating carbs but my DN had told me that I must eat them with every meal and snack and being a compliant patient that is exactly what I did.
Then after dinner one day I injected a huge amount of the wrong type of insulin and spent the evening sitting on the kitchen floor bawling my head off while drinking sugar dissolved in water. I have been told since that this is quite common and that I should have rung 999.
Anyway, there I was sitting in the kitchen chugging sugar water when I came up with what I thought was a wonderful idea - if carbs made me inject insulin then DON'T EAT THE BLUMMIN' CARBS. So I didn't. I did two weeks of eating no carbs at all - just meat, chicken and eggs. As I said, I felt ill during my conversion to running on fat but I'd felt so ill before that I didn't attribute any new symptoms to the new diet. My BG went down from low 30s to low teens very quickly and I started experiencing false hypos almost every day. By the end of the two weeks I had got rid of a lot of my niggly health issues but couldn't see a way forward - apart from eating zero carb forever - which is when I found this forum and started lurking and learning. I slowly reintroduced some carbs and tested, tested, tested until I found my happy carb and BG level.
So... about two years ago I was an uncontrolled diabetic with my BG running high even though I was on lots of tablets and lots of insulin. I hadn't discovered this forum and felt completely and utterly alone with it. All I knew was that I had a huge list of stuff wrong with me and I felt even worse after eating carbs but my DN had told me that I must eat them with every meal and snack and being a compliant patient that is exactly what I did.
Then after dinner one day I injected a huge amount of the wrong type of insulin and spent the evening sitting on the kitchen floor bawling my head off while drinking sugar dissolved in water. I have been told since that this is quite common and that I should have rung 999.
Anyway, there I was sitting in the kitchen chugging sugar water when I came up with what I thought was a wonderful idea - if carbs made me inject insulin then DON'T EAT THE BLUMMIN' CARBS. So I didn't. I did two weeks of eating no carbs at all - just meat, chicken and eggs. As I said, I felt ill during my conversion to running on fat but I'd felt so ill before that I didn't attribute any new symptoms to the new diet. My BG went down from low 30s to low teens very quickly and I started experiencing false hypos almost every day. By the end of the two weeks I had got rid of a lot of my niggly health issues but couldn't see a way forward - apart from eating zero carb forever - which is when I found this forum and started lurking and learning. I slowly reintroduced some carbs and tested, tested, tested until I found my happy carb and BG level.
SockFiddler
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Chook
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@SockFiddler Usually around 20g but I'm experimenting with the real food version of the Newcastle Diet (which is very low calorie) and I'm finding I can tolerate a few more - up to about 35-40g seems okay. 
Remember that any protein we eat over what body needs is just a very nice tasting very low GI carb once our liver has processed it. (The Newcastle Diet is low protein as it is low calorie).
However, most good meats have about half the calories in fats so working out the grams of protein is not always easy - lean meat is also best avoided.
However, most good meats have about half the calories in fats so working out the grams of protein is not always easy - lean meat is also best avoided.
Robbity
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No low carb flu symptoms at all for me! I was fortunate enough to have gradually eased into reducing carbs consumption over a couple of months before I actually "discovered" LCHF, and this together with the fact that I'd never subscribed to eating low fat was I believe the reason I avoided any issues.
Robbity
Robbity
Kingmob
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Think I encountered this for the first time today, been off work this week which have given me a chance to be a bit more active that normal. Went out for a walk earlier and got about a quarter of the distance been walking all week and was overcome with tiredness, pressure in my head and feeling a bit shaky. BG been averaging towards the low end of 5 the last couple of weeks, today it's been closer to 6.
My diet always was very carb heavy and I've been working on lowering it for a few months, even before I was diagnosed. Generally been under 100g for last 6 weeks or so, around 50g for last few weeks and had cut out rice the last few days taking it to around 20-30g. Had some rice with my dinner earlier and feel better but haven't been out for a walk since. Fluid intake seems good, haven't been cutting down on salt but perhaps need to add more.
Has anyone encountered this when gradually dropping carbs? Will see how tomorrow goes and perhaps try cutting down on rice again. No idea if I've been in ketosis, waiting on tests to arrive. Unclear to me if I've been pushing my carb intake too low, this is something that will improve or completely unrelated to the amount of carbs I've been eating recently.
My diet always was very carb heavy and I've been working on lowering it for a few months, even before I was diagnosed. Generally been under 100g for last 6 weeks or so, around 50g for last few weeks and had cut out rice the last few days taking it to around 20-30g. Had some rice with my dinner earlier and feel better but haven't been out for a walk since. Fluid intake seems good, haven't been cutting down on salt but perhaps need to add more.
Has anyone encountered this when gradually dropping carbs? Will see how tomorrow goes and perhaps try cutting down on rice again. No idea if I've been in ketosis, waiting on tests to arrive. Unclear to me if I've been pushing my carb intake too low, this is something that will improve or completely unrelated to the amount of carbs I've been eating recently.
One issue is that most people with insulin reistance (hence nearly eveyone with Type2) finds it hard switing in and out of ketosis - hence until your body is used to it, advoid having carbs when you think the "ketosis flu" is hitting you, as it will just make the process take longer.
It will improve with time, it takes a few days for our body to get used to ketosis, and the walk could have put you over the edge into ketosis.
It will improve with time, it takes a few days for our body to get used to ketosis, and the walk could have put you over the edge into ketosis.
Blackheath_Teahut
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I had it for a day. I had no idea what was wrong with me at the time but felt sick, shivery and tired then ended up going to bed for a few hours. It passed within a day and to be honest, it wasn't that bad, just a bit draining.
Stumbled across this by accident. I've been lower carb for about a week or so now and last night I awoke about 4am with my head and pillow drenched in sweat and my stomach is really playing up today. Panic mode set in re Covid because within the last week I have seen a dentist, GP and Consultant at the hospital. Thankfully woke up a few hours later and wasn't sweating and have no temperature. So wondering if this is down to the low carb or all the stir fry's and salads have upset my IBS?
