Low Carb diet is killing me

Apache

I've been cycling for about seven years and was recently hit on the road by a truck. I've been off the bike for about six months, four from recovery and two due to family. I have put on about 15 to 20lbs and my first month back on the bike wasn't loosing any weight. I was recommended to go low carb and my body would switch to burning fat as its energey source. I have been low carb for two weeks and feel awful. My rides suck, and I'm dizzy all day, but I'm dropping weight. My friend that recommended this says I'll come through this, but I don't know. I feel just wrong! My ride drinks have carbs I use Hammer Nutrion. My system feels way off balance. Can anyone recommend a nutrion plan/lifestsyle. Now that I'm recovered I'm able to ride about 130 to 150 miles per week, should I just eat whatever and let the miles burn it off.

wilmar13

Why do people refuse to do the obvious? Avoiding carbs is dumb, especially if you are doing aerobic exercise as you are experiencing. You were not losing weight because you were eating as much as you burned. Measure the calories you burn via your BMR (basal metabolic rate) and exercise, then count the calories you eat... aim for a daily negative balance like 500 or so. there is no fad diet or way around that. Burn more than you eat. Eat carbs so that you have energy to ride, and you will burn way more than you are now.

FrankBattle

Really, for more people than not, it is simply a math exercise. If [Net Calories Out - Calories Ingested] >= 500 Calories, in 7 days, you will have a deficiency of at least 3500, which should drop about 1 pound of fat off you.

Net Calories Out = BMR + Calories Burned from Cycling

I agree with wlimar. There is no shortcut. It's just discipline. There is a reason you don't feel right. You are doing something not right to your body ..

In my case, I exercised (and cut back on food intake somewhat) down to 215 - 220 lbs. Until I started to do the algebra, I was stuck at this plateau. Doing the 500 calories-a-day deficiency, I have been down to ~ 190 - 195 @ 6'3" for about 6 months. It's become a habit to eat just what I need (for the week, as some days are better than others) and it hasn't been a struggle to maintain my weight.

You will get to a point beyond which it is difficult to lose any more even with counting. This is where your natural weight wants to be .. but it sounds like you are not there yet.

There are no shortcuts. Cutting carbs and riding is like driving your car all the time when the gas gauge is on "E" and then saying "I know I have a few more miles left;" Eventually, it will quit. Same thing with your body.

mikesbytes

Sounds like your body doesn't like switching to burning fat. Mine's fine at switching but I have no idea why.

There is no solution that fits all. Try getting 1/3 of you calories from each of Protein, Carb and Fat. Try to eat more good fat, such as in fish or avocardo than bad fat, like the bacon I eat for breakfast. Don't eat too much sugar carbs, some people talk about good carbs vs bad carbs, by bad carbs they are talking about refined products such as bread, pasta and rice, by good carbs they are talking about fruit and low sugar yougart.

You are loosing weight so it is working even if its painful and once you have met your weight goals, you can relax the diet and your cycling will improve.

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Training Log

WarrenG

I think it's 3 grams of water for each gram of stored carb (glycogen), and now that you have depleted your glycogen (and its associated water) you should weight less, and you do. You can continue to burn muscle tissue for some of your energy needs and you'll lose even more weight.

Archibald

here's a little fact that many people seem to either forget, ignore or may just not realise: your body actually needs carbohydrates to burn fat.
your body uses energy to burn fat, so give it the energy it needs to process the fat...