# Low carb diet help.



## alan_wilson (Feb 25, 2012)

I've been eating low carb for about ten days, I'm consuming basically 60g of carbs a day and that's coming from skimmed milk and the carbs in my protein.

I noticed massively today I had absolutely no energy at all In the gym.

I'm consuming about 80g of fats per day, from extra virgin olive oil, poached eggs, omega 3 tablets.

Anyone know a way I can keep my energy levels up so my performance levels in the gym don't suffer.

Thank you


----------



## Mark_08 (Feb 15, 2012)

Im the same mate, I am trying Carb Cycling and at work I feel sleepy around 3pm, Just had a tin of tuna but secretly wished it was a Big Mac.

What about increasing the carbs slightly higher to say 100g?


----------



## alan_wilson (Feb 25, 2012)

Mark_08 said:


> Im the same mate, I am trying Carb Cycling and at work I feel sleepy around 3pm, Just had a tin of tuna but secretly wished it was a Big Mac.
> 
> What about increasing the carbs slightly higher to say 100g?


I'm not tired per say sleepy wise, but today I struggled with weights that I normally do well with.

I've thought about adding an extra 50g of carbs around midday, basmati rice, around 100g of cooked rice.

Mate, I've just bought my Mrs a big mac, as she's hunger over from her works do..why does she taunt me?!


----------



## paul xe (Sep 24, 2011)

You will struggle for the first few days mate. The reason is your body is used to using carbs as its energy supply (think of it like a car fuel tank) and now you've cut the carbs, your effectively running with the warning light on.

After a day or two without carbs your body will start using fat as a energy source (reserve fuel tank) and you should start to feel normal again.


----------



## Huntingground (Jan 10, 2010)

I'm on less than 20g of carbs a day and there is a definite feeling of lethargy. Caffeine helps and also just push your way through the barrier.


----------



## Greenspin (Dec 27, 2010)

I think low carb diets are horrible. I think you'll feel better going virtually no carb, keto style diet, or include a reasonable amount of carbs in your diet plan.


----------



## Malibu (May 13, 2010)

Iv been there and done that, I havnt felt anything as bad as being low carb, tried it over and over and just ended up binging, feeling faint at the gym, no energy. Found out low carbs wasnt the answer and that I'd been sucked into carbphobia, since everywhere say telling me how bad carbs were and how fat youll get if you get just a gram of them...


----------



## skiersteve (Jan 2, 2010)

Malibu said:


> Iv been there and done that, I havnt felt anything as bad as being low carb, tried it over and over and just ended up binging, feeling faint at the gym, no energy. Found out low carbs wasnt the answer and that I'd been sucked into carbphobia, since everywhere say telling me how bad carbs were and how fat youll get if you get just a gram of them...


same feel like total s%&t without carbs, 0 energy, constantly tired at work, no energy at gym, cardio becomes hell, hated every second of going low carb so now i just stay higher carb and reduce overall calorie intake, feels way way better than cutting out carbs completely or just going very low


----------



## Fatstuff (Mar 2, 2010)

Malibu said:


> Iv been there and done that, I havnt felt anything as bad as being low carb, tried it over and over and just ended up binging, feeling faint at the gym, no energy. Found out low carbs wasnt the answer and that I'd been sucked into carbphobia, since everywhere say telling me how bad carbs were and how fat youll get if you get just a gram of them...


was that before or after u dropped most of ur flubber eating ben & jerrys?


----------



## Malibu (May 13, 2010)

Fatstuff said:


> was that before or after u dropped most of ur flubber eating ben & jerrys?


hahaha before IIFYM was the only thing to get me down to that low BF%


----------



## alan_wilson (Feb 25, 2012)

Well I'm gonna up my fats slightly for more fuel, just up my carbs to 100g a day...

Poss get myself a pre workout drink to help.

Cheers for the replies lads


----------



## bobbydrake (Nov 19, 2012)

I did ultra low carb last February, was sick as a dog on days 4 and 5 (wasn't going to gym then though). Still try to stay low carb now though and don't have a problem with it.


----------



## mark_star (Jun 14, 2012)

what's your overall calorie intake and what are your maintenance calories


----------



## eezy1 (Dec 14, 2010)

carbs are fuel mate what did u expect


----------



## Bobby1413 (Dec 29, 2011)

How does anyone eat less than 20g of carbs?

Vegetables, fruits, etc... all have a decent amount of carbs in don't they? So by eating them (which I imagine you do), you'd be instantly over 20g.


----------



## lxm (Jul 26, 2011)

switch to keto.

zero carbs. Instead of carbs have a diet high in fat and your body will start to use fat and bodyfat stores as energy. Read up on 'keto' to understand how it works.

Low carb is no good if you are not substituting the carbs for something else as an energy source.


----------



## alan_wilson (Feb 25, 2012)

For the next week I've added 100g of cooked basmati rice to my pre workout meal, raising my carbs upto 105g a day from 57g

I'm gonna get some udos oil also, and up my eggs from four to sixe a day, add that to my extra virgin olive oil and peanut butter.

Total cals a day I'm consuming are 1937 with these changes (not including the udos oil) up from 1883


----------



## LeBigMac (Jul 17, 2011)

I'd either look into keto or switch to carb cycling or back loading. low carb with moderate fat you are somewhere in the middle which is not going to be great for energy and not optimum for at loss.

(But then I'm a fat ****er what do I know! Lol)


----------



## alan_wilson (Feb 25, 2012)

LeBigMac said:


> I'd either look into keto or switch to carb cycling or back loading. low carb with moderate fat you are somewhere in the middle which is not going to be great for energy and not optimum for at loss.
> 
> (But then I'm a fat ****er what do I know! Lol)


I think times carbs will be my way forward, I'm upping my fats also for the extra fuel

Cheers for the feed back though.

In saying that, as of the 15th el toro from this forum is looking after my diet


----------



## Huntingground (Jan 10, 2010)

Bobby1413 said:


> How does anyone eat less than 20g of carbs?
> 
> Vegetables, fruits, etc... all have a decent amount of carbs in don't they? So by eating them (which I imagine you do), you'd be instantly over 20g.




```
Food                       Amount        Cals          Fat(g)       Carbs(g)      Prot(g)

Whole Egg                  18            1,389         95.1          10.0          112.8

Smoked Mackerel            250g          499           25.1          0.0           63.8

Soya Milk                  2 servings    200           12.0          2.0           20.0

Whey Concentrate 82%       2 servings    400           6.0           6.0           82.0

"Seriously Strong" Cheese  1.5 servings  615           51.6          0.2           37.5

Total                                    3,103         189.8         18.2          316.1
```
My diet at the moment.


----------



## Bull Terrier (May 14, 2012)

I did a Cyclical Ketogenic Diet (basically a carb cycling diet) for a whole year..

It was a brutal experience but it certainly got the job done.

If you need more energy then you should consider taking ephedrine and caffeine. I really don't think it will help much if at all with actual fat loss, but it will give you plenty of energy to get through the day.

Other than that you just have to suck it up.

Personally I don't miss it at all though - eating very low carbs and calories on the low days was really tough. Always felt tired and low on energy. Now I've started CBL and I feel like a different person. However my goals have changed - I'm trying to bulk up without putting on too much fat. Next time I cut I'll probably still go back to a CKD.


----------



## Bull Terrier (May 14, 2012)

Huntingground said:


> ```
> Food                       Amount        Cals          Fat(g)       Carbs(g)      Prot(g)
> 
> Whole Egg                  18            1,389         95.1          10.0          112.8
> ...


If that's all you eat in the day I'd say it's not very complete in nutrients.


----------



## Huntingground (Jan 10, 2010)

Bull Terrier said:


> If that's all you eat in the day I'd say it's not very complete in nutrients.


That is exactly what I am eating at the moment and will be for 12 weeks. Broccoli is thrown in there sometimes and I swap out eggs for fresh fish some nights. Fish oils and multivits are taken.

I lost 28lbs in 10 weeks on that diet last year with no bad sides.

What do you suggest it is missing?


----------



## a.notherguy (Nov 17, 2008)

alan_wilson said:


> For the next week I've added 100g of cooked basmati rice to my pre workout meal, raising my carbs upto 105g a day from 57g
> 
> I'm gonna get some udos oil also, and up my eggs from four to sixe a day, add that to my extra virgin olive oil and peanut butter.
> 
> Total cals a day I'm consuming are 1937 with these changes (not including the udos oil) up from 1883


i know your dieting but those cals seem very low mate.


----------



## Bull Terrier (May 14, 2012)

No fruit and/or vegetables (although if you put in some broccoli that's certainly good but not really enough).

It's a very low fibre diet also.

I know that low-carb diets are excellent for fat loss - I used one myself with great results.

But I'm not convinced that yours is particularly well set up as from what you've shown.


----------



## Huntingground (Jan 10, 2010)

Bull Terrier said:


> No fruit and/or vegetables (although if you put in some broccoli that's certainly good but not really enough).
> 
> It's a very low fibre diet also.
> 
> ...


Fruit and veg (apart from dark green veg) have no place in a keto diet. Fibre does come from the broccoli but this is only eaten 3 times a week. This is only 12 weeks so no damage will be done. Do you want to post up your keto diet then


----------



## Bull Terrier (May 14, 2012)

I'll expand a little on what I said. In my opinion just about all diets would greatly benefit from including the following:

- red meat

- shellfish

- liver

- hard cheese

- probiotic yogurt

- eggs

- red wine

- green tea

- walnuts/almonds

- broccoli/kale

- avocado

- carrots

- mushrooms

- beetroot

- onions

- tomatoes

- bananas

- kiwi

- citrus fruits

That's hardly a complete list.

I'm fully aware that on a ketogenic diet it is easy to fall out of ketogenesis by consuming too much fruit and/or veg. However there are still some good low-carb choices to be had.

Also it seems to me that you rely alot on whey powder for your protein.

Whey powder can cause insulin spikes if you don't eat fat with it to slow digestion. So can eggs.


----------



## Bull Terrier (May 14, 2012)

Huntingground said:


> Fruit and veg (apart from dark green veg) have no place in a keto diet. Fibre does come from the broccoli but this is only eaten 3 times a week. This is only 12 weeks so no damage will be done. Do you want to post up your keto diet then


I followed the Ultimate Diet 2.0, which perhaps by some definitions wouldn't be considered ketogenic even on low-carb days since carbs were limited to 60g.

Anyway here's how I ate on low-carb days:

Breakfast: 1 large boiled egg, 100g full-fat yogurt, green tea

Lunch: large salad (normally with 100g tomatoes, half a green pepper, half an avocado, some beetroot) + 1 tin of tuna in brine + protein shake (40g powder) + 1 banana

Dinner: 200g red meat (sometimes substituted with salmon, liver, chicken) + steamed green veg + protein shake (40g powder)

Nutritional breakdown is as follows:

Protein: 161g

Carbs: 58g

Fat: 37g

It's hard to get in enough nutrients on such low calories, but I tried to make up on medium carb days and refeeds where I was obviously much less limited.

UD2 is a great system but despite everything I still used to suffer from constipation, probably more from lack of oil in diet on low-carb days. Only way of counteracting it to some degree is by using psyllium husk tabs.


----------



## Huntingground (Jan 10, 2010)

Defo not Keto (due to amount of carbs) and I would die on those sort of cals. I started at 282lbs and am now 269lbs.


----------



## Bull Terrier (May 14, 2012)

Huntingground said:


> Defo not Keto (due to amount of carbs) and I would die on those sort of cals. I started at 282lbs and am now 269lbs.


Feck me - I'm alot smaller than you mate and even I thought I was going to die on low-calorie days. :lol:

I remember in the early days of the diet I couldn't even sleep at night because I was so hungry. All I could do was think about food, especially carbohydrate-loaded food.

It was hell, but a masochistic part of me actually liked it because it felt hard core.

My GF got really worried because she was convinced that I'd turned into some sort of anorexic. She said that I looked like I'd just come out of Auschwitz. In fact my face was ultra drawn and gaunt and people who hadn't seen me for a while thought that I'd got ill with AIDS or something nasty like that.

Anyway it did get the job done and I'll go back to it next time I cut. But for now I'm really enjoying CBL and don't want to go through the hell of a low-carb diet again until spring.


----------



## Huntingground (Jan 10, 2010)

Bull Terrier said:


> Feck me - I'm alot smaller than you mate and even I thought I was going to die on low-calorie days. :lol:
> 
> I remember in the early days of the diet I couldn't even sleep at night because I was so hungry. All I could do was think about food, especially carbohydrate-loaded food.
> 
> ...


I had a dream about eating lots of pasta last night 

There is a long way to go before I look anorexic I reckon mate!!

11 weeks to go and then back on the Guinness :beer:


----------



## alan_wilson (Feb 25, 2012)

a.notherguy said:


> i know your dieting but those cals seem very low mate.


Should I push em up to around 2100?

Cheers for the reply mate


----------



## Ballin (Aug 24, 2011)

I regularly go zero carbs as I am super sensitive.

I always find the first few days easy then it gets HARD but by day 10 I get used to it and it's no longer a problem. Black coffee with sweetner is your friend!


----------



## a.notherguy (Nov 17, 2008)

alan_wilson said:


> Should I push em up to around 2100?
> 
> Cheers for the reply mate


tough one cos we all need different cals when dieting.

personally i would push them up and see how you get on. if you still have energy and are loosing bf that stick at what ever cals that is.

if your not loosing bf then drop them a little each week


----------



## Ballin (Aug 24, 2011)

Huntingground said:


> ```
> Food                       Amount        Cals          Fat(g)       Carbs(g)      Prot(g)
> 
> Whole Egg                  18            1,389         95.1          10.0          112.8
> ...


18 eggs- your farts must stink!!! I had 5 last night and I geniunely offended myself :lol:


----------



## alan_wilson (Feb 25, 2012)

a.notherguy said:


> tough one cos we all need different cals when dieting.
> 
> personally i would push them up and see how you get on. if you still have energy and are loosing bf that stick at what ever cals that is.
> 
> if your not loosing bf then drop them a little each week


I agree the cals were low, I feel its good to give the body a small shock..then adjust things slightly.

Ok, ill up the cals, throw some cottage cheese in there.

From the 15th I've got someone doing my diet from this forum, so all the issues I'm having I'm sure will be ironed out nicely.

Thanks for the reply, always grateful mate


----------



## alan_wilson (Feb 25, 2012)

Bull Terrier said:


> I did a Cyclical Ketogenic Diet (basically a carb cycling diet) for a whole year..
> 
> It was a brutal experience but it certainly got the job done.
> 
> ...


Well I think the timed carbs that I saw a post by @Pscarb will be my best approach.

Good idea about the eph as I've used that before, gym experiences were great energy wise!


----------



## Huntingground (Jan 10, 2010)

Ballin said:


> 18 eggs- your farts must stink!!! I had 5 last night and I geniunely offended myself :lol:


Don't get downwind of me


----------



## Bull Terrier (May 14, 2012)

alan_wilson said:


> Well I think the timed carbs that I saw a post by @Pscarb will be my best approach.
> 
> Good idea about the eph as I've used that before, gym experiences were great energy wise!


Do you have a link to that post?


----------



## alan_wilson (Feb 25, 2012)

Bull Terrier said:


> Do you have a link to that post?


Give me a few mins mate, ill try and locate it


----------



## alan_wilson (Feb 25, 2012)

Its a sticky at the top of this forum mate


----------



## Bull Terrier (May 14, 2012)

OK, cheers.


----------



## Bobby1413 (Dec 29, 2011)

Huntingground said:


> ```
> Food                       Amount        Cals          Fat(g)       Carbs(g)      Prot(g)
> 
> Whole Egg                  18            1,389         95.1          10.0          112.8
> ...


How does anyone eat 18 whole eggs in a day.

I think there's more to health than simple figures as 18 eggs I think is just a bad idea


----------



## Huntingground (Jan 10, 2010)

Bobby1413 said:


> How does anyone eat 18 whole eggs in a day.
> 
> I think there's more to health than simple figures as 18 eggs I think is just a bad idea


Why? I have eaten 32 eggs a day and cholesterol was 3.3.


----------



## DoubleXL- (Feb 13, 2012)

I actually feel better and more energetic on low carb, low cal diets. Fast until dinner time daily then eat one big meal (sometimes split it in to two) ie. one for dinner one for tea. And other than that all I have is 2 shakes, works a treat! easy to stick to as I'm not starving myself just restricting calories and keeping protein high!


----------

