Does anyone find that they have less energy when they eat low carb? I know that carbs are the body's primary source of fuel, so where do you get your energy when you reduce carbs? I eat about 30 grams of carbs a day and I do a lot of cardio, but I have been struggling with my jogging ever since starting low carb. What do you do to avoid this kind of lethargy?

Ruby, I actually have *more* energy when I control carbs, but it's very important to make sure that while you're cutting carbs, you're not shortchanging yourself on protein. You need to figure that your body needs at least 1/2 gram protein for each pound of your current body weight, and more if you're very active or bodybuilding. If you're not getting enough protein, or enough good fats, then you will experience fatigue or general lethargy. How much high quality protein are you getting per meal, and/or per day?

Hi Ruby!

I have no energy on less than 50 g of carbs a day. (with adequate protein - about 100-125 g) And even at 50 g of carbs I have nightmares and I wake up my family with my screaming! (I have no recollection of them, either! )

I like the way I have less of an appetite on 50 g, but I need to get some rest, so I am starting (as of today, actually) to have about 70g a day. For me, that should be OK, where I will still lose weight, keep the appetite low, and be able to sleep. I've tried 70g a day before, during carb cycling (Low, Med, High carbs on varying days), and I felt really great on 70g.

I exercise a lot, and I need to have the energy, too. I'd rather have more carbs and be able to exercise, than to be wiped out and drained.

A lot of people feel just great in ketosis, even. I guess there are just some of us who don't. Each person has to find their own level of carbs.

I looked at the Atkins website, and even Atkins says that if you exercise for 45 min a day, 5 days a week, you could go as high as 90 g of carbs.

Why not try increasing a little at a time, and see how you feel?
I'm sure you can work this out!

Umm...Ruby? Carbs are only the body's 'preferred' source of fuel, not their primary source. On a low carb diet, you teach your body to use fat and protein as primary fuel sources--that's why a low carb diet works to burn stored fats and help reshape your body. However...I just read your stats...and now I really have some questions. Your profile says that you are:
Start weight: 121.8
Current weight: 111.6
Goal weight: 90
Height: 60 inches
Gender: Female

All due respect, Ruby, but have you considered that you already may be AT a healthy weight? Unless you are extremely petite, with a very small frame, 90lbs could very easily be UNDERweight, with too little lean muscle and too low a body fat percentage for an average woman of five feet tall who isn't a competition athlete.

I'm five feet tall, with a heavy frame (when I try to circle my wrist with my middle finger and thumb, they do not meet, which is an indication of a heavy bone structure.) Even at my least fit, I carry 99 lbs of lean body mass--and there is no way that I could be healthy (read: carrying sufficient body fat for normal cell and hormone functions) at less than 22% body fat, which would put my goal weight at least 120 lbs, if not more. At my most fit, I carried 118 lbs of lean body mass, and had a goal weight of between 140 and 150 lbs.

If you can circle your wrist with your thumb and middle finger, and they overlap, you have a small bone structure/frame. If your fingers just touch at the tips when you do this, you have a medium bone structure/frame. If your fingers don't meet (mine don't), you have a heavy bone structure/frame.

While I realize it's POSSIBLE to weigh 90 lbs at five feet tall, depending on your frame size 90lbs may NOT be a healthy goal weight for you to either aim at or maintain. It may sacrifice the lean body mass, muscle and healthy body fat percentage which you need for optimal cell and hormone health, especially if you are over 25. Is it possible that you are over-doing the cardio, and that you aren't taking in enough calories, period? Just a thought.

Gaelen

I definitely noticed less energy during the first week, but now that my body has adjusted to ketosis (and I'm no longer counting carbs so I may be eating more than I realize, although my ketosis strips say I'm still in ketosis...) I've noticed that my energy level is back to normal. I definitely don't have the highs and lows that I had before starting this diet (late afternoon crash, etc). Have you noticed that your energy level has evened out by now or are you still feeling lethargic?

Thanks for responding! According to the test of circling my wrist with my fingers, I have a medium frame. I am 20 years old, and the lowest weight I have ever been at this height is 96 pounds. I looked healthy at that weight, but I could see that if I lost five more pounds, I still would not look too thin. When it comes to my weight, I go by how I look, not by numbers. If I looked skeletal and emaciated, then of course my body weight would be too low. At 90 pounds, I think I would look slender but definitely not thin enough to alarm anyone. I would have to weigh 80 pounds before I would start to look boney.

I increased my carbs to 50 grams a day because, rather than my body adjusting to low levels of carbs, I found that I had less and less energy every day. I just try to eat most of my carbs early in the day, and eat some type of soy meat or eggs at dinner. I am still eating about 75 grams of protein a day, about the same as before.

The scale for adult women is as follows: At 5'0" tall, she should weigh 100 pounds. For every inch over five feet, add five pounds. There is a 5-pound leeway either way. So as I understand it, the ideal weight range for a woman of my height would be 95-105 pounds. I now weigh 106.8 pounds, so I am technically overweight, although I am by no means unhealthy. As superficial as this sounds, I am not trying to lose weight for my health. I'm sure that my current weight is considered healthy. I'm doing this so I can be happy with myself, because right now I'm not comfortable in my own skin. This is for my mental health. Besides, I don't carry my weight well at all. If someone were to look at me and estimate my weight, they would probably say 115 pounds. Lucky me, I look heavier than I am, lol. I would like to be able to wear a swim suit in summer and not cringe at my reflection in the mirror.

Actually, Ruby, while I understand self-image issues and the idea of being comfortable in your own skin all too well, I think the numbers you're basing your goal weight on are flawed. Even MetLife tables, still acknowledged by many as too low because they don't adequately allow for muscle mass, gave up the whole five feet = 100 lbs. years ago! The body weights from the current Metropolitan Life Insurance calculator are a bit more realistic--and they only go down to 95 lbs for women with small frames. Those tables are what the desireable body weights at this site's calculator are based upon. Check them out: http://www1.wfubmc.edu/heart/Being+...lth+Calculators

According to the Desireable Body Weight Calculator:
RubyTears' stats (5'0" female, medium frame) recommend as follows:
Based on the information you provided your desirable body weight without clothes should fall between
103 lbs and 117 lbs

If you punch 90 lbs into the BMI calculator at the same site, you get this message:
According to the information you provided, your BMI is 18
This indicates that you are underweight and weigh less than the healthy range for adults your height. A BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is generally considered a healthy weight for most people. Research has indicated that lower BMIs (less than 18.5) and higher BMIs (25+) are associated with increased health risks.

If you punch 95 lbs into the same BMI calculator, you barely make 19 BMI.

There are documented studies of issues with both young and aging women who permit their weights and body fat indexes to drop too low. Body fat percentages and weights that are too low can lead to osteoporosis, hormonal issues and all sorts of other complications.

Body image doesn't need to depend on how you look...and it definitely shouldn't depend on plus or minus five pounds. You're worth more than that, RubyTears.

Gaelen

I appreciate the informative response, and the concern. I am now down to 103.6 pounds, and I am starting to feel better about myself. But I'm pretty sure that my thighs are not actually supposed to be as big as they are at a "healthy" weight, lol. How can I be at an ideal weight when I still look heavy? I probably won't go all the way down to 90 pounds though. Don't know if I could even if I wanted to! Most likely, I will stop and try to maintain at 95 pounds. At that weight, I would have a BMI of 19, which is within a healthy range. I really don't think I should aspire to be at the high end of a healthy weight range. A loss of 8 more pounds is certainly not going to kill me, lol.

It may sound like I don't care about my health, but I do try to take care of myself. I exercise every day and I do some light weight lifting so I don't lose muscle mass. I also take a multi-vitamin and a calcium supplement. Being healthy and happy is very important to me, and good health includes high self-esteem. Thanks for being so caring!