I've been experiencing extreme emotions; i.e., anger, sadness, happiness, etc. In the past, as I recall, I'd experience extreme emotions as part of the carb/sugar high/crash cycle. The Twinkie defense if you will. For the past 18 days, I've had minimal carbs (usually less than 20) and after a couple of days I experienced those extreme emotions for a couple of days as my body rid itself of the carbs. Then I was fine. Until 4 days ago. Monday night I started feeling angry about something and it was extreme. Irrationally extreme - not physically so, just mentally. It abated yesterday afternoon but came roaring back last night. It feels like what I've experienced during carb crashes.

I've also noticed I've lost about 15 pounds during the past 18 days. I'm assuming some of that 15 pounds is fat.

So my question is ... can fat (not water) loss cause a person to experience extreme emotions?

Are you thinking that the strong emotions are primarily a biological reaction? I would think that at least part of it is emotional. I think that I become overweight/overfat for a reason (or for several reasons), and so shedding the weight would bring up the emotions I have been avoiding. I have experienced some of this myself. I won't go into detail at this time, since this may not even resonate with you.

When we store fat, we are also storing whatever fat-soluble chemicals are floating around in our bloodstream at the time. When we release fat, we release those chemicals. People who used heavy drugs as they gained weight very often experience "flashbacks" as those drugs are again released into their bloodstream. Even a lot of non-illegal drugs (medications) can have the same effect. Depending on what you did in your wild youth, this could explain some of what you're experiencing. If it continues (and if you were/are a drug user) I encourage you to speak to your doctor. They aren't going to judge you or arrest you, they want to help you. You have to be honest with them though.

If you have never been a drug user and were never on some serious meds, then the problem could also be hormonal as things settle down/re-adjust in your body. Our hormones are largely lipid-based, did you know? Try to ride out the storm...if you feel yourself getting out of control, just SIT DOWN. That's all you have to do...sit down (on your hands if you have to!) and take a slow count to 10. Breathe. Remind yourself that this feeling will pass.

I feel for what you are going through. I hope it resolves soon. Keep us posted, OK?

Thank you both for your replies. I want to address a couple of points that were raised, and to clarify my initial post. **Note** I took the posts in the spirit meant and realize the advice given was general and aimed at being responsive to the question asked and may well apply to others, even if not to me.

(1) The emotions I refer to are not ones that I've buried. The emotions are legitimate reactions to various situations. And they are not all "negative" feelings - when I'm happy, I'm happier than it would seem possible - same with excited.

(2) Medications and drugs are not an issue with me. I've never taken much medication, going so far as to avoid the doctor for many years because they simply throw meds at problems. As for drugs - I'm reminded of the time in high school when the truancy officer asked me if girls were smoking pot in the bathroom and I replied "How would I know? I don't know what it smells like." I've never known (or desired to find out) how or where to find/buy drugs and am pretty oblivious to their existence. As for alcohol - I rarely drink and then, not much.

(3) While my emotions may feel extreme to me, there is not a chance of me acting on them. My "action" consists of a continuously running commentary in my head about the why behind the particular emotion.

I suspect the second part of Sue's post got it right re: hormones being released as fat loss occurs. That sounds vaguely familiar.

Thank you for the responses!

Interesting. I have been going through some of this. Getting mad/angry at issues that I normally shrug off. Not Take An Uzi To Work mad... just much more emotional about things than I normally am. Some times I catch myself and ask "Who cares?" and drop it.

Strange, now that you mention it.... I can fall into a funk over nothing. And I started noticing it 3 weeks after starting the diet. But I am losing the same 3 lbs, so I can't blame the chemicals in my fat for this.

another idea~you're out of the carb fog now and are experiencing your emotions without the dampening effect of carbs.

I don't know how old you are. You look younger than I am. I noticed that when I quit eating chemicals/wheat, I had a surge of hormones - ones I have not seen in a long time.

I noticed that Reach Out and Touch commercials were making my eyes wet up... or sappy stuff on TV would really touch me... stupid stuff like that. Stuff that used to happen when I was PMSing, which I have not done in 8 yrs. So I knew I was having estrogen/progest/testost surges and I blamed that for the crazy mood swings I have been seeing while I was low carbing. I also cut my carbs to below 5 and that is when I noticed it the most.

Does it have the tale-tale signs of PMS?

Interesting thread. Thanks for bringing it up.

Ohhhhh, I've experienced these emotions while eating carbs. Massively so!

I've never experienced PMS as others would describe it. The closest I would come would be getting extremely hyper a day or two before my period arrived. I never got angry, sad, bitchy, etc. and never experienced pain. I'm not going through and have not gone through menopause yet.

I'm guessing it's just hormones from the fat as a result of cutting out chemicals and wheat.

Yea, your PMS experience is not what I remember .

I will have to read about the my fat cells and any hormones they are holding. I have read that being heavy makes me a higher risk for breast cancer because the fat cells are secreting estrogen (or estrogen mimickers) long after we go through the change. This prolonged exposure to estrogen is what creates/feeds the breast cancer.

Amazing what my fat cells are doing. And I thought they were just hanging out, making my pants tight.

Artificial flavors, some preservatives (BHA, BHT, THBQ), and colors (especially red #40) can do it, too. I know a family member who becomes quite intolerant and angry for truly silly things who is helped by avoiding these things. For further info, check, a voluteer organization. Feingold Association of the United States

I hope you feel better soon..

Thanks for the link algts.

Sometimes I feel like I'm Tripolar... Bipolar on steroids!

I would think the toxins stored in the fat would, indeed, cause the extremity of emotion.

Extra water, extra hugs?
(((((((((((((((((Gypsy)))))))))))))))))))

**ETA**
AWESOME JOB on the fifteen pounds!!!

Just remember, your brain is the smartest organ in the body, and will do almost anything to get glucose. Such as looking for any excuse, like causing stress, to justify carb intake. I keep my brain sated by feeding it fat during the day, mostly coconut oil.

Good point Norton.

Thanks for the hugs Lily!

Good point. When I quit smoking, my brain was extremely clever in finding ways to have a smoke. The justifications for smoking were superb - some of my best work to date.