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Low carb diet & energy levels
- Thread starter Jean
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Northerner
Admin (Retired)
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Hi Jean, my understanding is that carbs are more readily converted to glucose for the body to use, so it would depend on your activity levels as to whether you were providing sufficient readily available energy stores with a low carb diet. I do a lot of running, so like to eat a moderate rather than low amount of carbs. I'm sure some of our low carb experts will be along to give you the 'lowdown' - so to speak!🙂
aymes
Senior Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
I think it's quite a personal thing. Like Northerner I do a lot of running and I found when I was low carbing that I didn't have nearly enough energy for it and perform much better when I eat unrestricted carbs,
However other will find that they have the totally opposite experience and that they feel far better, with more energy, on a low carb diet.
However other will find that they have the totally opposite experience and that they feel far better, with more energy, on a low carb diet.
Its far easier for the body to convert carbs to glucose, although it can produce glucose from fat and protein (glucogenesis). The body gets used to getting all its glucose from carbs, particularly on the recommended 230g/day of carbs.
It can take a while for the body to realise that its not getting its ready supply of carbs to make glucose. This is why the first couple of weeks on Atkins is very low carb (20g/day). Its to force the body into a kind of glucogenesis mode.
Once the body is more used to getting less carbs it performs glucogenesis more readily. It will take all the glucose it can from carbs and then work on getting the rest through glucogenesis.
But until it gets used to the idea, its short of energy because its short of glucose. This is why people on the induction stage of atkins can look like death warmed up.
So it should just be a case of getting your body used to it. Consistency is the key, so don't have a carby meal once a day. Just keep a relatively low level of carbs all day and it should get used to the idea. If you were to go very low carb for a few days, it would force the body into that situation, but I wouldn't personally recommend it.
So its pretty much normal initially while you are retraining your body. Depends how quickly you do it. A gradual reduction in carb consumption should not cause the same problem.
And once your body is used to glucogenesis, there is no problem with low energy. Plus of course your trigliceride levels will drop through the floor since the liver has nothing left to make them with - hence the better cholesterol levels with low carb diets.
Personally I prefer an approach based on working out what meals you can eat without sending your BG too high - all down to personal tolerance of the carb type and quantity in specific meals rather than a "low carb" approach. Still, if it works for you then go right ahead. My usual concern with "low carb" is that it can be excessively restrictive and you are going to have to put up with it for the rest of your life. A personalised approach certainly feels less restrictive so may be better psychologically in the long term.
It can take a while for the body to realise that its not getting its ready supply of carbs to make glucose. This is why the first couple of weeks on Atkins is very low carb (20g/day). Its to force the body into a kind of glucogenesis mode.
Once the body is more used to getting less carbs it performs glucogenesis more readily. It will take all the glucose it can from carbs and then work on getting the rest through glucogenesis.
But until it gets used to the idea, its short of energy because its short of glucose. This is why people on the induction stage of atkins can look like death warmed up.
So it should just be a case of getting your body used to it. Consistency is the key, so don't have a carby meal once a day. Just keep a relatively low level of carbs all day and it should get used to the idea. If you were to go very low carb for a few days, it would force the body into that situation, but I wouldn't personally recommend it.
So its pretty much normal initially while you are retraining your body. Depends how quickly you do it. A gradual reduction in carb consumption should not cause the same problem.
And once your body is used to glucogenesis, there is no problem with low energy. Plus of course your trigliceride levels will drop through the floor since the liver has nothing left to make them with - hence the better cholesterol levels with low carb diets.
Personally I prefer an approach based on working out what meals you can eat without sending your BG too high - all down to personal tolerance of the carb type and quantity in specific meals rather than a "low carb" approach. Still, if it works for you then go right ahead. My usual concern with "low carb" is that it can be excessively restrictive and you are going to have to put up with it for the rest of your life. A personalised approach certainly feels less restrictive so may be better psychologically in the long term.
insulinaddict09
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Hi I am a Low Carber and I have no problems at all with low energy . in fact quite the opposite , if anything I seem to have alot more energy . 🙂 Keep with it and let us know how you get on . 🙂
Thank you, folks, for your responses.
I'm really intrigued by the observations that a low-carb diet can be excesively restrictive.
Given that a reduction in the number of varbs consumed is really a must, in practical terms, surely, the only way that it cannot be restrictive is if medication comes into play. But if there is no resort to medication - or if the dosage is only very low - the only way to limit carbs to an acceptable level is it impose restrictions - and that must mean a sense of being limited.
Or is it psychologically possible not to feel that your new diet is extremely restrictive?
I'm really intrigued by the observations that a low-carb diet can be excesively restrictive.
Given that a reduction in the number of varbs consumed is really a must, in practical terms, surely, the only way that it cannot be restrictive is if medication comes into play. But if there is no resort to medication - or if the dosage is only very low - the only way to limit carbs to an acceptable level is it impose restrictions - and that must mean a sense of being limited.
Or is it psychologically possible not to feel that your new diet is extremely restrictive?
Well if you take a bernstein approach to carb control then you're looking at 30 carbs per day. That rules out an awful lot of foods or reduces portion sizes to the point where its not worth the effort in the first place. That's an extreme example of what I mean be restrictive.
However, if you base your meals on your own tolerance, particularly looking at combinations of foods to produce the correct results then you have a lot more freedom in what you eat.
Also is medication that evil? One way to view it is that it gives you more flexibility so that you can tolerate more. Plus metformin has the additional benefit of being cardioprotective (and entitling you to free prescriptions for anything for life).
Its a question of degree really and down to the individual. I was diagnosed at 32 and I don't want to feel like I am on a highly restricted diet for the next 35 years. I'd rather be in a postion of having to eat "a bit differently" instead.
So its a bit restrictive, but at a level I am comfortable with long-term.
However, if you base your meals on your own tolerance, particularly looking at combinations of foods to produce the correct results then you have a lot more freedom in what you eat.
Also is medication that evil? One way to view it is that it gives you more flexibility so that you can tolerate more. Plus metformin has the additional benefit of being cardioprotective (and entitling you to free prescriptions for anything for life).
Its a question of degree really and down to the individual. I was diagnosed at 32 and I don't want to feel like I am on a highly restricted diet for the next 35 years. I'd rather be in a postion of having to eat "a bit differently" instead.
So its a bit restrictive, but at a level I am comfortable with long-term.
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