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To low carb?

Sirzy

Sirzy

Well-Known Member
Messages
266
Location
Glasgow
Type of diabetes
Other
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi everyone,

After finding out about my db in the summer I deceided to try a low carb approach, and after a couple of weeks of wobbly legs and headaches I seemed to swap over to buring fat/protein instead of carbs and felt great, I was up and about before 8.00am most mornings (unheard of for me before, particularly at weekends!) and had bags of energy. However, for the past couple of weeks I've been so tired all the time, all I want to do is sleep and I'm finding it hard to get out of bed again and concentrate on my studying :eh:

I worked it out, and I'm eating around 30 grams of carbs a day, maybe a bit more at weekends, but still under 50 grams. I'm not intentionally trying to be ultra-low carb, it just seems that now that I've cut out rice and bread from my diet and replaced it with more veggies and salad, I just don't seem to be eating alot of carbs.

Do I need to be eating more carbs, is this why I'm feeling so tired? But if that's the case, why did I have so much energy initially? I have fish or eggs and cheese most days, so seem to be getting enough protein, and I take a multivitamin, the only thing I can think of is that I've started exercising more, but this only consists of a half hour walk 4-5 times a week, so nothing too strenuous, although this has been lowering my bgs a bit, which I've been quite pleased about!

I'm just a bit puzzled about having gone from loads of energy to being so tired just recently :?
 
Don't really know, but if you have lost weight you may have got rid of your energy reserves (fat) so you're relying on your carbs now and not getting enough. Maybe you should try upping them a little with some low GI additions and see how you feel. I was worried about losing too much weight, so upped my intake by grazing on nuts (good low gi, but quite a lot of energy) and adding things like an advocado and a boiled egg (no carbs of course) to my salads, with a cold boiled new potato for extra carbs. Also had an apple extra every day,.
 
Thanks for the reply Grazer :)

I was slim before I started low carbing, and I lost half a stone once I started. I've been eating alot of cheese trying to keep up my weight (it's makes me a bit nervous about what this could be doing to my LDL cholesterol though), and I've added in almonds too for a bit of fibre and good fat.

Adding a boiled egg to my salad is probably a good idea too. Since I started doing a bit of exercise I seem to be able to handle a snack in the evening without pushing my bg up the next morning, so maybe I should start having a few more carbs for tea and before bed :think:

I've become a bit scared of carbs now though, and steer clear of them most of the time except for veggies and salads, might be time to start experimenting with adding a few things back in and seeing how my bg handles it.
 
You could try upping your carbs a bit, Sirzy, and see what happens - you can always drop them down again if you don't like the results. Try going up to 50g, then 70g first, and see what happens. Grazer's suggestions are good. I always find I crave a few more carbs at this time of year.

The other thing about this time of year is lack of sunshine, which means lack of Vitamin D. This can make you tired. At the latitudes we live in, the winter sun is not strong enough for us to get enough Vit D, let alone the fact that we don't expose enough skin in this weather! We store some of what we make in the summer, but not enough to get us through. Also, as we get older we make less Vit D. It's almost impossible to get enough from diet alone, though your eggs and fish should be helping, also your vitamin tablet. I take quite a lot of Vit D3 (which is the sort we need to supplement) summer and winter alike. Less in summer. Have a search around on Google - there's quite a lot on there about it. I take far more than the RDA - you must make up your own mind on it.

I also have a SAD lamp (daylight replacement) which sits beside my computer. I have it on while I'm working, and it does help.

Another thing that can make you tired is an underactive thyroid, which is often associated with diabetes. It can also give you things like thinning hair and a dry skin. Google 'British Thyroid Association', or similar, and check out the symptoms. It's possible to have an underactive thyroid even if your tests are within the accepted range.

Finally - when you've armed yourself with all this knowledge :D go along to the doctor and have a thorough discussion with your GP. In my experience, you shouldn't run out of energy while low-carbing, even if you're exercising. I used to walk 25 miles a week with the Wolfhounds while doing Atkins the first time, and always had plenty of energy. Mind you, we are all different - so check Vitamin D3 and hypothyroid on the net, and then go and talk to your GP.

Vitamin D tests are expensive, so they might not give you one just on asking. That's one of the reasons it's always useful to do your reading round first.

Good luck!

Viv 8)

PS I thought sheep nuts were very high carb, Grazer! all that cereal :lol: :wink:
 
Thanks for the advice Viviennem,

I've been taking vitamin D3 5000 IU per day for a month or so, I also suffer from SAD, and mild to moderate depression during the winter, so I did wonder if maybe my symptoms are kicking in a bit more at the moment. I have a light box but haven't been using it this year so far as I've been feeling great with all the energy I've had since I went low carb. Maybe I need to start using this regularly again, along with taking some St Johns Wort (I've found this helped in the past, but it made me even more tired when I tried it again recently, even at low doses).

I don't think I have an underactive thyroid, but I'll have a bit of a read around and mention it to my GP next time I'm in and see what she thinks. I'm relieved to hear that low carbing shouldn't make me tired though, even with exercise on top.

Thanks for all the great suggestions, I love this forum, somebody always seems to have some relevant info, no matter what you ask :D
 
Sirzy said:
I have fish or eggs and cheese most days, so seem to be getting enough protein, and I take a multivitamin,
Click to expand...

It could be some form of vitamin deficiency Sirzy as there is a school of thought that thinks that all you get from taking multivitamins is expensive wee, there are thousands of links about whether multivitamins are a waste of time just google 'are multivitamins a waste of time'

Have a read of this one I just found.

Extract:
People who eat a healthy diet get all the vitamins they need from their food. Any excess of vitamins (the water soluble C, B1, B2 and B6), whether in the food or in dietary supplements, is excreted. Fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) are stored in the liver and an excess can result in side effects.

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style ... 05377.html
 
Hey Sid,

I know that there's valid arguements on both sides as to the usefulness of dietry supplemental vitamins, but of the supplements I've taken/do take I generally tend to see positive results. Of course this may be nothing more than the placebo effect, but, anecdotally, from my own personal experience, I've found that the ailments I have/do take supplements for tend to improve whilst taking them (i.e. evening primrose oil - breast pain and mood swings improve before my period, St John's Wort - moderate depression, magnesium - constipation). I'm not sure if you'd class herbal remedies along with vitamin supplements, but as I said, in my personal experience they seem to work for me :)

I'm also a vegetarian who now also eats fish (went back to seafood a few years ago), so i think B vitamins and a certain amount of iron in supplement form are also a good idea for me. I may well be flushing my money straight down the toilet, but I'm willing to take that risk, particularly when I feel I'm gaining a benefit from the supplements I take.

I always do plenty of reading around before taking a new vitamin or herbal supplement (I recently stopped taking Angus castus, as it increases pregesterone, which can lead to increased insulin resistance, and I've deceided against taking a high dose of vitamin C, as there's still debate over whether this does more harm than good).

But on the whole, I agree with what you're saying, it's important to do your research before deceiding to take any dietry supplement :wink:
 
I think its mainly mutivitamins that are a waste of time and money Sirzy not individual vitamin supplements or even herbal remedies taken for a purpose. :thumbup:
 
Hey Sid,

Do you know why multivitamins aren't as good as taking seperate vitamin supplements? I did consider buying them seperately, particularly the B's, but it would have cost a small fortune, which is why I went for the multivitamin. Is it something to do with potency? At the moment, I just buy the vitamin D3 and magnesium seperately as I take these in high doses.
 
May have nothing to do with your diet and there's a list as long as your arm for the cause of tiredness and lethargy, see your gp and discuss.
 
We seem to have some things in common, Sirzy - as well as the Vit D3 I take quite a lot of magnesium too!

I have never had a thyroid test result outside of the accepted range, but nevertheless I had a long list of symptoms, including bursting into tears all over the doctor every time I went to see him at this time of year. Poor man! :lol: So he listened to me and worked me up to 100mg of levothyroxine daily. Tests are still within range and I have no symptoms of hyperthyroidism. I feel a lot better for it. I believe sub-clinical hypothyroidism is not unusual.

Have you seen Rose Elliott's book on low-carbing for vegetarians? Can't remember the exact title but it should be under her name on Amazon etc. It might give you some ideas.

Viv 8)
 
Sirzy said:
Hey Sid,

Do you know why multivitamins aren't as good as taking seperate vitamin supplements? I did consider buying them seperately, particularly the B's, but it would have cost a small fortune, which is why I went for the multivitamin. Is it something to do with potency?
Click to expand...

I would imagine that is part of it some vitamin supplements are very expensive so to combine loads in one pill you are never going to get the benefit of every vitamin also most vitamins will not be absorbed into the body but just go straight through it which is why it is best to eat a balanced diet taking in all the vitamins, nutrients, fats and amino acids that the body needs that way all the vitamins, nutrients eaten are gained as nature intended.

To start taking more vitamins without knowing if you are deficient in them is at best a waste of money and at worst dangerous IMHO.
 
Could be lots of reasons. but the most obvious is that you aren't eating enough fat. low carb needs high fat to offset, otherwise you're basically starving yourself. Also, protein releases energy slowly, so i kind of see it as follows:

Energy modulation:

Base1: slow protein energy release, ensure constant but not too much for kidneys (you'd need loads). least signifigant energy source, but constant.

Base2: Carbs from veg (or any low carb slow release carbs really). ups blood sugar and because of slow release that sugar level will stay for a long time - therefore harder to adjust by exercise once eaten too much. Logic says this should also be a small % of total energy sources, and consistent. Ie. the intake shouldn't vary much and should be well below total energy requirements to avoid spikes.

non-base adjustment on the fly: Fat. Fat is burnt or stored fast, so won't cause slow release spikes as easily and is easier to adjust via exercise because it can all be used quickly. fats are your immediate energy modulators.

So adjust by increasing / snacking more on fat (since protein is minimal fat plus protein is good (and easier)).
Fat and carbs both can add weight if you eat too much of either of course. Also, there are arguments for making sure fat is a healthy type, not all paleo saturated fat.

Personally, unless you have a medical condition, there's no point in consuming supplements. Other than fish oil 2000mg a day possibly. most of vit C is excreted, same with a lot of them.

eat a good low carb high protein / fat diet and you will be swimming in magnesium etc due mainly to wider range of veg, nuts etc.
 
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