5:2 diet: serious blood sugar crash

[growingweeble]

I've got friends who are doing this diet with great success and watched the programme, read the book. Everyone seems to say that fasting is easy and you shouldn't experience low blood sugar. So I tried it but had a severe hypoglycemic reaction.

I became extremely cold, legs wouldn't work, foggy head etc. I had to drink some coca cola, which I absolutely never drink and only had in the house because we got some in for Christmas in case someone wanted it. Within 10 mins I was fine.

When I looked this up, it says that fasting hypoglycemia is only caused by diabetes or serious illness. My mum and my grandmother also have hypoglycemia if they don't eat, and they are both healthy. So I doubt I have anything serious.

Seriously, does no one else get a low blood sugar reaction?

Technically a fit person should not suffer hypoglycaemia, no. Neither should a diabetic in fact, unless they are on insulin.

If you are very sick anyway or elderly you can become hypoglycaemic.

But a healthy person can feel grumpy, cold, depressed when they don't eat. It is a response to make you want to eat! But you probably won't actually be hypoglycaemic to dangerous levels. I am a medical student and I have been told to warn patients that any sort of diet will leave them feeling cold and depressed, it is a natural response to calorie restriction, there is less energy available for higher brain function and keeping you warm, your metabolism slows down to conserve calories.

I have tried the fasting diet and it made me miserable, plus I get migraines if I miss meals. I am doing this diet, and have given up booze for january, I am losing weight but feel well fed and my mood is good. Come and join me, feel a bit lonely over there ATM as it's not a very trendy way of doing things!

Have also tried low carbing too. I found that with both that and fasting I lost weight initially, then stalled, felt awful and got nothing done!

Having never been diabetic I have no idea what a "hypo" episode feels like.
I know what hunger is like.
I also know what low iron and low blood pressure feel like.
Having fasted for several months, and compared notes with a wide variety of friends (real and online) none of us have hand anything that could be construed as a hypo from fasting.
Did you have a blood test during one of these hypo sessions?
Just to check that your perception is correct.