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Low-carb diets

Share advice and experiences of following a low-carb diet.Mumsnet hasn't checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. You may wish to speak to a medical professional before starting any diet.

what am i doing wrong? why do i feel like this?

9 replies

loombands · 02/09/2014 22:00

I'm on my 4th week of low carb. First week I was very strict and lost 4lb. Second week i was on holiday, was mainly good but had some treats and put 3lb back on. Last week was strict and didn't loose anything. So net loss of 1lb

this week i am strict, but last 2 days or so my muscles in my thighs are SO sore...feels like ive run a marathon sore. And i feel really weepy and emotional

WTF?

could the legs and the crying be down to low carb diet?

and WHY haven't i lost weight???? I know people say it can take a while to get ketosis going. Buut, that aside, I'm no longer eating an extra c1000 calories of chocolate and cake in a day, or snacking in the evening. So, i should have lost weight?

OP posts:
loombands · 02/09/2014 22:01

AND my head is really itchy

OP posts:
Esmum07 · 03/09/2014 09:56

You could be getting 'low carb flu'. I got this and it knocked me for six for a couple of days. It is your body adjusting to a low carb diet. You feel very low in energy and ache like you have flu. It will pass!

I also found, in my first few weeks low carbing, that I got really crampy legs when I woke up. I never get leg cramp so it was a real shock. I read a few blogs by low carb people and it seems it is a definite low carb diet thing. A suggestion I followed that helped was to increase salt intake a little and eat a banana now and then for the potassium. I have a banana twice a week. Doesn't seem to hurt the diet and the cramps have gone.

Not had any itchy head so can't help with that!

Obviously if the symptoms get worse or don't clear in a few days see your GP. It could be totally unrelated to the diet.

As for not losing weight, a couple of things could be happening. You may actually not be eating enough so your body is going into starvation mode. It doesn't know you are dieting so if you're limiting food it thinks you need to hold reserves. You may also not be having enough fat. Your body needs fuel. If it isn't carbs it has to be fat. So add butter to veg, use double cream and full fat Greek yogurt every few days, pop a little olive oil on a salad.

If it helps this is my diet for the past two days (I was on holiday recently and went off the rails and have lost 2lb this week). It may help you see whether you're dieting too fiercely.

Monday

Two rashers of back bacon, mushrooms and a poached egg

Roast chicken leg with skin on and a large salad with cider vinegar and salt

Meatballs in a tomato sauce with grated cheese on top with a large salad with vinegar and salt

Strawberries and double cream

Tuesday

Two sausages and a large handful of cherry tomatoes

McDonalds chicken and bacon salad with balsamic dressing and a diet cola

Three of the remaining sausages with tomatoes, cauliflower and green beans with butter on veg

A banana and two squares of 85% cocoa chocolate

Drinks were tea with full fat milk, coffee either black or with double cream and lots of water. I have a glass of water with every hot drink just to negate the diuretic effect of tea and coffee.

I don't know if you use them, but the diet I follow recommends using ketostix. They measure if you are burning fat (ketosis) or carbs. It is a crude measure but if you use them and are in ketosis and still not losing weight you can look at hidden carbs, not enough water (the stick will be very pink, almost at the top level of the scale provided in them) or amounts you're eating.

Hope that helps

Esmum07 · 03/09/2014 09:58

Oh re reading. When I say I lost two pound this week I meant in the seven days from last Wednesday to this one - not in this 'week' alone. That'd be a miracle!

miffy49 · 03/09/2014 12:16

You may only just be getting into fat burning. You would just have been starting to adapt when you went on holiday and that would have set you back to burning glucose. Basically you need to put those days behind you and start from when you got back. That puts you at the end of your second proper week of LC so you are well in line for feeling off colour.

If your muscles are sore add some extra salt. You lose a lot of fluid in the first couple of weeks and it takes salt with it. Get plenty of water down you and have a cup of bouillon or Bovril. If the cramps persist look at increasing your magnesium intake.

Everyone is different and takes a different time to get into fat burning. Some can take up to 4wks! LC doesn't take well to swapping and changing so your holiday week will have pretty well blown that first good week. Draw a line under it and see how you go from here. I've been low carb for about 3 or 4 yrs now and its brilliant! Smile

loombands · 03/09/2014 16:51

Hi, thanks for your replies. I have some Ketostix coming from Amazon so that will be interesting. I will up salt and ive now ordered magnesium supplement..and ill get a multi bit locally

comparing what i eat with your food diary, i don't think i am under eating. Or over eating

the pain moved/spread today. My calves were sore when i got up. As the morning wore on, my pelvis/lower back area got really painful. Then i started to get that skin crawling/shivery sensation you get when poorly. So i took ibuprofen

i hope it is low carb flu then, and not proper poorliness

despite this, it still feels 'right' ...that probably makes no sense. But in really enjoying being free from cravings and not feeling bloated. I definitely have much better mental clarity

OP posts:
loombands · 03/09/2014 19:53

I got ketostix in the chemist. i have NO ketones Confused

OP posts:
miffy49 · 03/09/2014 23:23

The sticks aren't totally reliable. Usually they show ketones at the start of fat burning as the ketone most in evidence at the start is acetone. As you get into proper ketosis you change over to a different one ( I forget the name) and that is only recordable by a blood test. The blood ketone meters are available but the test strips are mega expensive. Most people can usually tell when they are producing acetone as you get an odd, metallic taste in your mouth.

I would give it a day or so for the level to rise. If you are feeling rough your body is likely kicking against the lack of glucose. Once it starts to accept the fat as fuel you usually get a burst of energy.

Test your urine in the morning when you first get up and its more concentrated. Be sure to drink lots of water. You can't burn fat effectively without it.

olivesnutsandcheese · 08/09/2014 12:44

if you have achy legs you need to seriously up your water and salt.

you need at least 3 litres a day and more if you drink tea or coffee.

add salt to all your food. buy lo ' salt which is high in potassium. and don't cheat Grin

RubySlippers77 · 08/09/2014 19:47

I was getting achey legs too! I have high blood pressure so adding extra salt to food now feels weird to me, but it did work.

Does anyone know of a decent low carb diet app? I was using My Fitness Pal but of course olive oil, butter etc send it off the scale! All I want is something basic to keep a food diary, log exercise and remind me to do my Pilates exercises every day. Failing an app, I'll be back to a notebook, which did the trick when I did Weight Watchers many years ago...

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