I'm brand new and don't feel too good? page

[fomar]

Hi all- I apologize in advance if this issue has been addressed but I couldn't find any discussion of it. I dropped all grains and sugar this week (like, 2 days so far) except for about a cup of regular milk.

Basically, I feel like crap. I am supposed to for a little while? I have a toddler who (still) wakes up at least once a night so sleep is always somewhat of an issue for me, but I feel worse than usual. I feel tired and sluggish and bloated.

[Lewis]

It could be a temporary effect of your system adjusting to not relying on excess carbohydrate for energy. And if you cut down on caffeine at the same time - coffee, tea, cola, chocolate - that could cause issues.

But are you eating enough other things to make up for what you've dropped? Sometimes that's not as easy as it sounds, and you end up with a calorie deficit. Some people here use Fitday to check whether they're getting the calories (and micronutrients) they need:

http://www.fitday.com/fitness/Login.html

[jastclark]

sounds like the low carb flu to me, it does pass but it takes a little while a week or so for me...
one thing i did that helped was i stopped all exercise for the first few weeks since i felt like crap and had no energy anyway i just chilled and dialed in my diet and got to where i was feeling better....then added exercise back and WOW tons of energy and feel great always..

[fomar]

Thanks guys. I don't think I've cut back too much on caffeine, though maybe a little. I don't drink soda or eat much chocolate, but I do usually have an iced soy latte which I've dropped because of the sweetened soy milk.

The low carb flu, what's that feel like? I am also congested and woke up with an upper respiratory tightness. Is that related?

[Metismomma]

Possibly. For me, a week after I went Primal I got strep throat. I don't know why it happens but it does seem to be common. It seems bizarre that so many people get some sort of flu after stopping grains and sugars. I'm sure there is no true "correlation=causation" but it still happens.
Hope you feel better soon.

[cillakat]

Hi all- I apologize in advance if this issue has been addressed but I couldn't find any discussion of it. I dropped all grains and sugar this week (like, 2 days so far) except for about a cup of regular milk.

Basically, I feel like crap. I am supposed to for a little while? I have a toddler who (still) wakes up at least once a night so sleep is always somewhat of an issue for me, but I feel worse than usual. I feel tired and sluggish and bloated.

I was convinced it wasn't the low-carb flu for me. I felt sick.....except not sick. I also had the weird upper respiratory symptoms you describe. Finally, I realized it was indeed the low carb flu.

Be sure you're getting enough potassium (see my doc below) and enough vitamin d (see doc below).


K

[Minxxa]

I definitely agree to keep track of what you're eating for a little bit, as after removing grains and milk it can be easy to be way under. You'll also find out where you stand re: proteins and fats... and as you remove carbs fats become your major fuel, so you'll need to beef up on those.

Definitely recommend checking out cilla's info above... D is important.

It can take a bit to get your body used to burning fats instead of carbs... take it easy on yourself (as much as you can with a toddler!)

And... if you search for "low carb flu" you'll find a lot more posts from the past with a lot of helpful info and suggestions.

In fact, you can just google "low carb flu", and you'll get a ton of info...

[Griff]

This is called the low-carb flu because of the tiredness, crankiness and occasional muscle aches - not because of any respiratory issues. Essentially, your body is kicking its addiction to carbs, and you're going through withdrawal. It's like kicking heroin, so be prepared to fight it with everything you've got. Cut out the milk - it's too high in sugar (lactose) and all it will do is prolong the low-carb flu. When you get cravings for sugary food (and you will), eat something fatty instead like bacon or high-fat beef. Give your body time to detox.

This is normal, and almost everyone I know who's gone Primal has gone through it.

[fomar]

Thanks all, this is very helpful input. I thought of something else- I never drink milk, and only have had it the last few days to replace the soy milk that I dropped out. Taking a cue from some of the comments in the low-carb flu thread, I might slow things down a little and not ditch the soy milk yet. It's about a cup and a half a day, organic and unsweetened. I have removed all grains, sugar, and dairy (other than the ill-advised milk) and I think that might be enough to concentrate on for now. Especially in light of the two-year old (and full time career, commute, etc.)

As bad as I feel, something tells me this is the way to go-

[fomar]

Oh and, I think I was eating a lot more crap than I was admitting to myself. Maybe not to some but for me, who is someone that doesn't tolerate most grains very well to begin with (even whole grain), I have let it creep up in the last few years. That might help explain the rough transition. Also also , it took a long time to even admit that I might have to get rid of the grains and sugar to feel better, lose fat, have energy, etc. I just couldn't understand (or accept) why some people could eat that way with no problem, and I couldn't. I guess I felt left out, which is ridiculous but true.

Maybe some other moms have had similar experiences- I had a lot of time to throw at maintaining weight pre-baby, so any underlying issue was masked, plus I think my body has changed post-partum. Now that I look back, under conventional thought I *should have* progressed much more than I did, and all I really did was maintain my weight (though I did achieve a better fitness level). Being a full-time working mother really pushed the issue: I don't have the time or resources to do what I have done in the past just to maintain my weight really, and that led me to either accept that I would be overweight and feel like crap, or try to find another approach. Before coming across primal eating, I had cut my calories so much that a few bites would make me full, and as you can guess, I haven't lost much fat at all. I also tried intuitive eating, which I think gets the "no diet" across very well, but if you have no tolerance for grains that approach does not help much.

In light of all this, as I mentioned, something tells me this is the right way to go.