Newbie Grokkster needs advice :) page 2

[noodletoy]

stick with the 50-60 range for carbs for now. losing between .5-2 pounds per week is a healthy rate of loss. that initial whoosh can set up false expectations for the rest of the journey.

try adding miso soup and some avocado to help with what may be an electrolyte imbalance.

if you're not hungry, don't eat. eating anyway, or by the clock + snacking, is how lots of people got fat. you need to relearn what actual hunger feels like. not just the insulin crash that feels like hunger.

[NinaV]

Hmm maybe you should try dropping your carbs a bit lower and see what happens? With slightly higher carbs you may not be fully fat burning yet (try dropping the sweet potato, for example). I'm not sure how much a difference it will make, but it's worth a shot to really try and push your body to become fully fat burning!

That's what I was saying in one of the earlier replies - if I drop carbs any lower, I can't sleep at all

[sbhikes]

Well, the other thing you can try is to consume all your carbs at dinner and none during the day. This has worked out best for me. It kind of gives you the benefits of the leptin reset (a high protein breakfast without the crazy Kruse rules) and makes the 60g of carbs or however many it is seem like a lot. It may help you sleep better, which also helps the whole leptin thing.

[NinaV]

Well, the other thing you can try is to consume all your carbs at dinner and none during the day. This has worked out best for me. It kind of gives you the benefits of the leptin reset (a high protein breakfast without the crazy Kruse rules) and makes the 60g of carbs or however many it is seem like a lot. It may help you sleep better, which also helps the whole leptin thing.

I think I'll try that The only thing is - I would have to monitor my blood sugar after dinner, wouldn't want it yo-yo-ing too much.

[Iron Fireling]

That's what I was saying in one of the earlier replies - if I drop carbs any lower, I can't sleep at all

Have you tried other methods of getting to sleep? For example, turning down the lights when it starts to get dark outside, avoiding computer screens etc. etc. You may need to find a way to increase your melatonin production which should offset any benefits you get from carbs helping you sleep (it seems to me that if you NEED more carbs to sleep, there's something wrong?!).

[sbhikes]

It's not so much that someone NEEDS more carbs to sleep, but sometimes when blood sugar falls too low during sleep, it wakes a person up. Then they have trouble getting back to sleep. Also, carbs help raise serotonin and serotonin helps people sleep. I think you can take 5-htp as a supplement before bed to help with that.

[NinaV]

Have you tried other methods of getting to sleep? For example, turning down the lights when it starts to get dark outside, avoiding computer screens etc. etc. You may need to find a way to increase your melatonin production which should offset any benefits you get from carbs helping you sleep (it seems to me that if you NEED more carbs to sleep, there's something wrong?!).

Yes, I tried the turning things off and slowing down 2hr before bed. And it did nothing for me. I'm pretty sure that not being able to sleep when doing very low carb is not unique to me. I have read on other forums where many people run in to the same issue. The only thing that seems to help is raising the carbs. And I'm not talking about a ridiculous amount of carbs.

[NinaV]

It's not so much that someone NEEDS more carbs to sleep, but sometimes when blood sugar falls too low during sleep, it wakes a person up. Then they have trouble getting back to sleep. Also, carbs help raise serotonin and serotonin helps people sleep. I think you can take 5-htp as a supplement before bed to help with that.

5-HTP gives me a headache :/