Sugar detox and symptoms

[Sugaraddict12]

Has anyone had symptoms when giving up sugar and carbs? I'm pre diabetic so have completely cut out sugar and simple carbs in my diet. It's a complete change. So far I've felt dizzy, anxious and now I keep having very vivid dreams/nightmares. I'm so tired! It's only day 5! Has anyone else experience the same? How long did this last for you? Hoping it eases off. The anxiety I'm finding the hardest I think.

If you have completely cut carbs then there is keto flu. You need to eat sufficient healthy fats instead of carbs as the brain and body need a source of fuel to burn. If not glycogen from carb then it will burn fat but it needs a couple of days to switch into ketosis.

Cutting out sugar at the same time is pretty hard-core! I'd have cut sugar first then carb personally having gone Cold turkey on sugar and caffeine at the same time once I thought I might die!

What's a typical day? How many calories?

You need to replace sugar with healthy fats.

Your body still needs an energy source and if it's not carbs, it needs to be fats.

Make sure you're also consuming a good quality salt (rock, sea or pink not normal table salt) and magnesium (for muscle function).

Your body doesn't retain water if you stop eating carbs and electrolytes are stored in the water in your body so you need to replace them.

It's the lack of electrilytes rather than the lack of carbs per se that is causing the symptoms.

You can't just cut out sugar and carbs without finding a replacement - your body has to get its' energy from somewhere.

What's your current diet like?

Do you really need to cut out all carbs? Wouldn’t it be better to focus on low GI carbs instead? Generally your body does still need carbs as part of a balanced diet. Also eat more natural fats and protein. I found it tough giving up sugar suddenly when diagnosed with GD but it did get easier after a week or two.

You do not have to cut these out completely. This is bad advice!
Our bodies need carbs for cell regeneration.
It's about moderation of consumption.
Even Type 1 diabetics do not eliminate food groups completely
You need to get some advice from the BDA or a health care professional with expertise in diabetes

Sorry to clarify I haven't cut carbs completely just simple carbs so I'm having wholewheat bread, pasta, crackers. I'm having fats such as avocados, dark chocolate. I've switched to eating alot more eggs and veg such as peppers, mushrooms etc. I've been having plain yogurts with berries for breakfast as 1 example. My tea last night was brown fried rice with chicken and veg with a salad followed by strawberries dipped in dark choc.
But this healthier diet is completely different to my previous one. I had so much processed foods, alot of white carbs. So many biscuits, cakes and takeaways. I'm not huge but slightly over weight for.my height. Plus it runs in my family

Its the anxiety and wild dreams I'm having that are the toughest to deal with. Just want a good night's sleep

I'm kind of the same, a few days in and still having a few things but mostly no sugar and no refined cars. I'm tired but I was always tired anyway it's just a different type. On Saturday I caved and ate a doughnut, an iced one. It was delicious but the sugar crash I had was sudden and severe, and the next morning i was groggy and puffy eyed again. It made me realise that however tired this regime makes me feel it's better than my bodies reaction to sugar which I have been living with for years.

@Sugaraddict12 I had a few wierd dreams too, that's unlike me. No anxiety though. I've a lifetime of treating stress with sugar so maybe that's the issue rather than increased anxiety as such. Sorry I can't be of much help

That's ok sometimes it's nice to speak to people going through the same. My partner is supportive but doesn't really get it as isn't going through it.

I'm the same always been an emotional eater. Eat when I'm down, bored, stressed

Your diet sounds quite healthy now! I crave biscuits and chocolate almost all the time like i can have a mental battle every 20 minutes all day long and eventually I give in just once and eat a bar of chocolate. So I'm overweight and it looks like I'm not even trying but i try so hard. I've noticed certain foods trigger cravings even though not harmful in themselves. I would be 'hungrier' at the end of a meal than at the beginning. I'm trying to learn to read hunger v cravings. At the moment I've eliminated carbs at breakfast which is fine but lunch also, which is much harder. I have a small carb portion at dinner. Within 2 days the cravings almost stopped mid afternoon. That was my worst time for snacking sugary stuff. So it's working but it involves being highly organised with prepping foods.

Yea I know what you mean. Atm I'm just not feeling full at all and finding the food I'm eating doesn't fill me up but don't want to eat too many brown carbs.
I caved today and had half of a chocolate slice! I'm starting to find it hard with cravings now. If anyone knows any good ways to help cravings or anything I can eat that's like a "treat" but not full of sugar etc.

What result where you given for your pre-diabetes result? Also, has your GP's surgery signed you up to a local pre-diabetes programme?

I was diagnosed in August. I haven't completely cut everything but made adjustments, ie lower carb breakfast than I was having (weetabix or full fat greek yogurt and berries, morning snack was often a cake or two biscuits, I now have one rich tea which is better etc. Unless you know they affect you, carbs as long as they're wholegrains/wheatwheat and not a massive proportion, as they're slower release. I thought it was the menopause as I sometimes felt suddenly tired/dizzy - now realise this was an hour or two after eating and the adjustments I've made have made a huge difference.

If cutting carbs and sugar is the right decision for you, then you need to make up calories with fats and protein.