I might just be an idealist, but I thought that a switch over to a low carb diet would give me an energy boost, but so far I haven't really noticed a difference. I feel tired all the time and it's a major struggle to get to the gym - although when I'm there I do have a little more stamina for the cardio equipment.

I do suffer from depression, and have done for years, so perhaps this is hindering the energy boost I was expecting to get. I also have sleep apnoea which could be another cause of the tiredness. It's annoying though; if I'm not woken up I can quite easily sleep 12 hours straight, and still feel tired afterwards!

Anyone know of any foods or recipes which are particularly good for giving your system an energy boost?

It can take time for your body to adjust to LC and some people never get that extra energy, some just gain more endurance, or need less sleep.

You can try using coconut oil for extra energy.

I upped my greens, including a big salad for breakfast, plus loads more greens elsewhere in the diet.. and that boosted my energy.. I am currently trying a diet devised by a doctor with MS, which directly feeds the mitochondria (energy cell) of the muscle. You can read about it on this page of my journal, ending at the lists of vegetables:

http://forum.lowcarber.org/showpost...6&postcount=181

Also, make sure you're getting enough fat or oil in your diet. I add plenty of olive oil to my salads, and once your body gets more used to burning fats, you'll feel better.

In terms of the gym, I suggest that you write this query in the exercise forum, where there are a lot of people who will have found solutions to this issue. You could try having your highest carb meal before you go, but I am sure you'll get better ideas than that in the exercise forum.

It helps to see what you are eating and how much. Are you eating hidden carbs? Are you eating enough? That sort of thing ...

I'm definitely not eating enough, that's for sure! I know you're meant to have 3 meals and 2 snacks per day, whereas I'm lucky if I have 2 meals and 1 snack. Perhaps that's the problem, I'm not taking in enough nutrients to give me the energy I need. I'm just not hungry anymore though, and I don't like forcing myself to eat!