Does anyone else feel ill when they go on a low carb diet?

[silver73]

I know they work but I just don't feel well on them. I get to four days and then give up... Will 1200 calories a day with some exercise give similar results?

Hi Silver, yes I think you would get similar results BUT and a big but is that can you really maintain your weight loss on such a low cal diet? plus it will probably take a lot longer to lose the weight too. I say this from bitter experience, I spent a year low cal'ing pre wedding a few years ago (around 1200 per day), lost 2 stone and then put it all back on over the following 4 years - and I really didn't binge I just ate a healthy normal diet with a few treats and wine, but nothing over the top....and it just crept up on me.

I've spent 5 months this year low carbing with exercise and lost the same amount of weight so much quicker. I'm finding it much easier this time to keep it going without cal counting - and I'm not no carb, just low carb i.e. still eat bread for breakfast only, have milk etc - my biggest things are avoiding pasta, bread and rice for the rest of the day, restricting fruit and wine only 2 or 3 nights a week.

Thanks ifink I just don't seem to be able to get past the feeling unwell stage when low carbing. In an ideal world I would spend the next 8 weeks on a vlcd like Exante and loose maybe 2 stone but don't think I can. Did you feel unwell initially and then after x amount of days start to feel better?

At the moment I am dieting and doing 1 hour of Callanetics and 2 x Tracey Anderson arms workouts which are brilliant as only 8 minutes and one is with weights and the other without weights. I don't want weight loss to cause problem with my arms...

Yes! I tried low / no carb last November. And got really sick - it affected my blood sugar levels really badly and it took me months to recover.
After much research it appears I am/was wheat intolerant and since giving that up have felt much better.
Now I just have to cut out sugar completely which is proving much harder.

And I still haven't lost any weight

Day 4-5 are well known to be the worst days on a low-carb diet. You're effectively withdrawing from sugar and most people feel pretty rubbish. All the low-carb books etc are clear that this will probably happen and to expect it!

However, if you carry on through for a couple of days the likelihood is that you'll start to feel great after - much better than normal and certainly better than you would on a VLCD, imo.

Low-cal diets don't work - at least not long-term. You may lose weight if you drastically cut calories and exercise yourself to exhaustion, but you'll be hungry and knackered and all the weight will go back on as soon as you take your eye off the ball. Who wants to live like that?

Plus, you say you're worried about your arms - VLCD can make you lose muscle mass in a way that low-carb simply doesn't.

If you come to the Bootcamp threads we'll give you tons of advice and help to get through the low-carb flu!

As tea said, the first few days to a week is the hardest part of low carbing as you basically detox your body of sugar. It is very common for new low carbers to give up in the first week because they don't expect or understand why they feel crap. It is when your body is switching from carb burning to fat burning and if you just push through you will feel great. Some people even report a feeling of being on a high once their body has gone into ketosis, I certainly did. When feeling rubbish in thos first few days it is best to drink lots of water but add salt or lo-salt to your foods to keep the electrolytes up and eat more fat as that is what your body is starting to use as fuel and if you eat more it will help it to switch over fully to fat burning.

I lost 3st 7lb on weightwatchers but maintaining it was difficult as I had to constantly count stuff, was hungry all the time and all those diet foods full of artificial sweetners and other nasty chemicals are not good for your body. I switched to low carb to lose the last 7 -14lb and i feel so much better for it. Food is tastier and the change in my body shape is very noticeable as my muscle tone has improved due to eating low carb.

Come over to the bootcamp week 11 thread if you want to try it again with lots of support.

I feel really dizzy doing low carbing as such. What works better for me is cutting right down on bread and no biscuits or cakes and I've cut out sugar in tea. Ryvita instead of bread and some rice and potatoes. But not doing very well at the moment. Never do very well on weight watchers as always starving and thinking constantly about food. Slimming World is better for me but very slow going. Took me nearly a year to lose a stone.

I honestly don't think any need to do ketosis diet. Try 1200 calls where you eat at least 100g protein and no more than 100g carbs (low gi only). Ketosis doesn't work forme as I get too constipated, I got down to target and new on moderate carb lowishfat high protein.

Hi everyone thanks for your posts. I have posted on the bootcamp thread as well as happy to give it a go x

I cannot do it as I am hypoglaecemic, ie my bloodsugar keeps going down and down and down, then I get sweaty, nauseous, and I have even fainted 3 times. One of my DS has the same problem, as does my dad. Most people's blood sugar goes down and stabilises at a point, but mine goes "through the barrier".

I try to limit sugar, and eat brown rice instead of white, and brown bread and baked potato. But no refined carbs.

Personally i do not believe in starvation diets being the answer, instead cut out "crap" like sugar, alcohol, puddings and cakes. up your exercise, and you will lose weight slowly and sustainably. I swim 4 times a week, and limit "crap food" and booze, and find it has given me a stable weight, BMI of 22.5.