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Low carb Newbie and I feel terrible - is it carb 'withdrawal'?

I will try again. I will use myself as an example. I am pre diabetic and very carbohydrate sensitive. Lately I have been doing a trial to see how much I need to reduce carbohydrates in order to get "normal low" FBG results. By using a diet of 14 grams carbs, 56 grams proteins and 155 grams fats I can get down to Av FBG ca 76 mg/dl, thats about 4.22 mmoles/l.

According to the post made by Jack 412 I should be able to increase the fat content and hence calorie content of my present diet composition and still retain a constant weight. I will put this to the test soon.

With the previous tests I have done with 20- 25 carbs my FBG was higher, and increasing the fats caused a weight gain. This is why I thought that everybody will have their own critical carbohydrate level above which they will be far less able to efficiently oxidise the fatty acids to acetone, acetoacetic acid and beta hydroxy butyric acid, and so gain weight.

I also think its a bit misleading to hint to people that they can slap on the fat and not worry about weight gain. I have not seen anything published for a study on a large number of people on the low carb diet to show that these very high amounts of fat dont influence weight .

Hope that this is a bit clearer.And I welcome any comments.
you are calorie reduced 1630 cal and are either/both burning body fat / your body is shutting down to famine mode.
these example are on full calorie diets..I think it would make a difference?
 
@ Jack412. " I think it would make a difference?"

Who knows, as I said I dont know of any published work re this issue, just the sweeping statements. I shall have to do my own n=1 expt.
 
Hello, Kiara. Sure I will send you a copy of meal plan, I still not finish the writing yet as I was busy today, I will let you know. Don't worry too much.

Would you mind passing it along to me too? Like Kiara, I am new to this and fear that I am still eating too much protein.
 
@Pasha you might be right about there being a critical threshold. Strictly it would be a blood insulin threshold not a blood glucose threshold, though obviously there is a close relationship between the two. Insulin is the switch that controls storage of carbs as fat vs metabolisation of stored fat. The same switch regulates glycogen release and gluconeogenesis.

However my understanding is that this insulin switch is a "dimmer switch" rather that an all or nothing on/off switch. So a sharp "critical threshold" may not be apparent, just some kind of curve.

As you rightly say not a lot of research on this. Have you checked Phinney and Volek?
 
@ Jack412. " I think it would make a difference?"

Who knows, as I said I dont know of any published work re this issue, just the sweeping statements. I shall have to do my own n=1 expt.
Personally I suspect we don't need to control for calories if we have already controlled for blood insulin level. A starvation calorie input is a low blood insulin state. The low blood insulin state then explains the up-regulation of lipid and protein metabolism.

I will be very interested to see the results of your N=1 study Pasha. :-)
 
@Pasha you might be right about there being a critical threshold. Strictly it would be a blood insulin threshold not a blood glucose threshold, though obviously there is a close relationship between the two. Insulin is the switch that controls storage of carbs as fat vs metabolisation of stored fat. The same switch regulates glycogen release and gluconeogenesis.

However my understanding is that this insulin switch is a "dimmer switch" rather that an all or nothing on/off switch. So a sharp "critical threshold" may not be apparent, just some kind of curve.

As you rightly say not a lot of research on this. Have you checked Phinney and Volek?

I did read Phinney and Volek but dont recall the issue being dealt with. I am not expecting a "sharp critical threshold" but as you infer something more muted ie no cliffs, just a more moderate gradient.

Anyway we shall see from the results I get with the n=1 expt
 
Hi, Eille. I still have not finsh the writing yet and I was busy today, I will let know you :)
Hi, Ellie. Here is the meal plan sheet, you can visit myblog and download the pdf file or here. I hope this will help you and let me know if you have any questions. Plus if you like my idea then please share it with your friends and family. Thanks
 

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Could I have a copy of the meal plan too as I am a total newbie and have no idea what I should be having. I am Type 2 and not managing my results at all. on metformin and glicazide
Hi, Kiara5. I hope you are well. Here is the meal plan sheet, you can visit myblog and download the pdf file or here. I hope this will help you and let me know if you have any questions. Plus if you like my idea then please share it with your friends and family. Thanks
 

Attachments

Here is the meal plan sheet, you can visit myblog and download the pdf file or here. I hope this will help you and let me know if you have any questions. Plus if you like my idea then please share it with your friends and family. Thanks
Thank you very much for your meal plan
 
Hello everyone,
I have been restricting 'bad' carbs e.g chocolate and biscuits, for a month but I have only been restricting all carbs to 50 - 60g per day for the last week. Yesterday I felt terrible - lethargy, irritability, aches and pains, feeling chilly and generally under the weather and I had no energy at all. I ate less than 20g of carbs yesterday because I slept on and off all day. Today I feel the same and I am craving sugar and carb foods - for some reason I am longing for ripe bananas!
I ate a good breakfast, I fried 2 eggs, 2 tomatoes and 2 big mushrooms and I had tea with cream. I also had sugar free jelly with cream afterwards as I still felt hungry and was craving something sweet. I am trying to reduce my carb intake to about 40grams per day as my blood glucose levels are still often in the eights after eating and I also have a lot of weight to lose.
I caved in half an hour ago and ate some Greek Yoghurt sweetened with Xylitol and I feel a bit clearer mentally but my body is exhausted and aching. I would kill for a cup of tea and half a dozen McVitie's Digestive biscuits right now! I just want to go to bed and stay there.
Did anyone else feel like this with they first went low carb? I have seen lots of posts on the forum from people eating as little as 20g of per day and they say they feel well. I have read a lot of articles online about 'carb flu' etc but I want to hear from real, living people who have been through this personally.
Please advise,
Ellie
Omg just posted going thru the same thing, no carbs for two weeks because I was feeling the same eating the limited carbs I was eating. with the glipzide and 2000mg metformin my sugar was 170-never below 130. No carbs I check it 149! And extreme diarrhea again. After running this all by my doc. So I'm with ya but don't have an answer yet. I am trying so hard. I'll keep us in prayerprayer. Peace
 
It's called the carb flu , I went through it fir a few weeks after being diagnosed and starting a low carb diet , it does pass but it's pretty horrible s the time ..
 
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