New to LCHF diet

I had a terrible time of it when I started LCHF , those symptoms you describe are just the pants. It's normal to think that you should be going with minimal carbs as possible, some say none at all however the amount of energy our bodies and brains need , do vary from person to person. I upped my carb intake to between 50 - 70g per day, sometimes more, sometimes less, but it was what my blood sugars needed to keep them in check. Since I upped them, the washed out, listless, and weak and wobbly feelings have gone.

Good luck

Cracker467 said:

I won't be having sweetcorn again that knocked my sugar levels up to 7.4 and put me to sleep.

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if you google the atkins induction diet, it has food lists and recipe and meal plans and will give you a good foundation to build on and your meter is going to be your best friend

bookmite said:

I had a terrible time of it when I started LCHF , those symptoms you describe are just the pants. It's normal to think that you should be going with minimal carbs as possible, some say none at all however the amount of energy our bodies and brains need , do vary from person to person. I upped my carb intake to between 50 - 70g per day, sometimes more, sometimes less, but it was what my blood sugars needed to keep them in check. Since I upped them, the washed out, listless, and weak and wobbly feelings have gone.
Good luck

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it's all about finding your carb tolerance level and the higher the BMI, generally the less carbs you can tolerate
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/lowcarb101/a/carblevel.htm

giving up carbs was the worst fortnight of my life for me, far worse than giving up smoking

Cracker467 said:

I'm consuming loads of cheese and fat so can't be salt I don't think.

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Hi Cracker,

i actually did blood tests and found my salt (sodium) and potassium to be within "normal" range.

but i was still getting rapid and skipping heartbeats. so i started taking 2 extra grams of salt per day and potassium (once a week). it all went away.
Brunneria is spot on. you need to eat a small cup of broth daily.

Cracker467 said:

Does Bovril replace all the sodium, potassium and salt I need then or do I need to supplement?

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Did you get any print outs from your last lot of full blood tests? If not, perhaps you could ask for them. The renal function tests will show the sodium and potassium levels. You can then see if they are bang in the middle of normal, or towards the lower or higher end. Mine are all towards the higher end, although still within the normal range, so I keep away from any extras or supplements.

Hi again,

Good to hear from you,

regarding the minerals, I should just see how you go.

Provided the symptoms you were experiencing have disappeared, then I should wait and see. (I'm not advising you, just saying what I would do ).

Are you back in the gym yet? Perspiration lowers these minerals, so I would bear that in mind.

If you look up the symptoms of deficiency for those minerals, then just keep an eye out for them reappearing.

Having said that, I have recently started supplementing chelated magnesium glycinate, because I have been reading a book by maria emmerich called 'Ketone Adapted'. In it, she states that approx 70% of Americans have lower than ideal levels of magnesium, and that it plays a huge role in glucose handling in the body. I didn't follow her refs back to source, and I'm a Brit , but the likelihood seems high in my case.

I won't go into detail about Emmerich's argument (I'd have to quote half a chapter! ), but since magnesium is such an abundant dietary requirement, I have no qualms about supplementing for a while to gauge how I feel. And I have a history of cramps and muscle weakness so wonder whether my long term low carbing has seen a long term deficiency. Time will tell. My symptoms have always been worse in hot weather.

The world seems to be divided into people who are willing to supplement, and those who don't. Personally I have no faith that foods produced using modern uk farming techniques and manufacturing processes are going to supply me with everything my body needs. Besides, nhs professionals tell me not to supplement. So of course I take that with a pinch of salt, considering the diabetic (and other) advice they have given me!

Cracker467 said:

Is there anything I can do about stomach aches?

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It depends what is causing them. I'm not aware of LCHF itself causing stomach aches. If you have too much vegetable oil (eg coconut oil) too quickly that can cause stomach upsets.

Cracker467 said:

Is there anything I can do about stomach aches?

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It will be the Metformin. It is a common side effect but should disappear in a week or two. If not, ask for the slow release version as this is kinder on the tummy.

Cracker467 said:

Is there anything I can do about stomach aches?

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Are you possibly doing more harm than good. I think you should take a tip from what @bookmite has said.

Cracker467 said:

Slow releasing metformin (Metformin Hydrochloride)? That is what I've been on for over two year's. Is it due to the LCHF diet?

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It has got to be related to the diet, in particular with your activities.

Cracker467 said:

Hello everyone I'm a week in so far and I have been very strict with my carbohydrate intake so far consuming less than 10g or less a day. Can anyone recommend a website that can be used as gospel as many LCHF websites conflict with one another, for example have any fruit in moderation, only have certain types of fruit, only have berries etc.

This feeling of chronic fatigue is worrying me, is this common will it lift? I'm a huge fan of weight lifting and there is no way I can hit the gym feeling like this .

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Diet doctor.
Www.dietdoctor.com
Look at my stats!
Try upping your fat intake. Are you eating enough?

Cracker467 said:

Over two weeks in now and I still feel like a Sloth on rohypnol. I'll give it until February and throw the towel in if there isn't any improvement as this is no way to live.

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@Cracker467 , because of your weight lifting and visits to the gym, why did you decide to go on the LCHF diet.