kimemp Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 I didn't see this topic anywhere else... apologies if I missed it. I am on day 13 of my Whole30 and I have been doing very well. I have been eating 1/2 a Larabar here and there as dessert after a meal. I'm starting to think this isn't such a good idea. Today, I was in a rush and quickly ate leftover sausage and asparagus (very little carb) at about 7:30am. At 9:00am, I was still hungry so without thinking I ate an entire Larabar. Shortly after, my vision was blurred and I had foggy brain. I ate leftover salmon and leftover asparagus at 12:30pm. Shortly after, I felt lightheaded and hot... almost as if I would pass out. I ate a clementine at about 1:00pm and started to feel a little better. It is now after 4:00pm and I am feeling weak and lightheaded again. I don't claim to understand completely how my body and the food I put in it works, but I feel like my sugar dragon didn't stay slayed. I don't really have cravings, but I am wondering if the Larabar with 17g sugar is too much sugar for my system at one time. Also, I don't really know how many carbs I should be eating at each meal to hold me over to the next meal. Any thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators ultrarunnergirl Posted January 16, 2015 Moderators Share Posted January 16, 2015 You really want to get rid of your Larabar stash. It is just a candy bar, honestly. No one I've heard of yet can save them just for emergencies! Make sure you are eating the amounts listed in the Meal Template. Those amounts are the minimums. Try eating some more carb-rich veggies like sweet potato, beets, winter squash, rutabaga. Have your asparagus or other green veggie and then also half a sweet potato. See how that goes. Also, your sleep and stress levels could be partially to blame. Assess those as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators ladyshanny Posted January 17, 2015 Administrators Share Posted January 17, 2015 I think you might not be eating enough altogether. It's hard to tell just from what you posted but I get the feeling based on your symptoms and the fact that most people don't eat 2-4 cups of asparagus twice a day. Eat to the template, wherever on the range you need to be in order to get 4-5 hours between meals and throw those Larabars into the depths of your cabinet! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimemp Posted January 18, 2015 Author Share Posted January 18, 2015 Thanks for the tips. I was definitely not eating enough. When I throw some carb in with the green vegetable I feel much better and I don't reach for a Larabar like a zombie a couple hours later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimemp Posted January 26, 2015 Author Share Posted January 26, 2015 I am back with another carb question. I've increased my carbs at each meal, but I am wondering if it's too much. This morning I ate sweet potato hash with one half sweet potato, two eggs, and three strips of sugar-free bacon. At lunch, I had leftover meatloaf (which had grated carrot in it) and the leftover sweet potato hash made from the other half of the sweet potato. After lunch, I felt dizzy, sweaty, and developed a painful headache. I have PCOS so I know I have some insulin sensitivity. But I am wondering if this happens to anyone else? It seems like SUCH a delicate balance to find the correct amount of carbohydrate and I'm not sure what to do. I would ask a nutritionist, but every nutritionist I've seen advises against a paleo diet and definitely against the Whole30 and tells me to eat whole wheat. But even though I still have a hard time managing the carbs, I feel better on a paleo-like diet overall than I ever have so I don't want to stray away from it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brewer5 Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 I would ask a nutritionist, but every nutritionist I've seen advises against a paleo diet and definitely against the Whole30 and tells me to eat whole wheat. This makes me so sad. I do not do well with sweet potatoes. Same type of thing that you are describing, used to happen to me. It just wasn't worth it. Have you experimented with other starchy carbs? What about fried plantains? White potatoes? Have you tried going lower-carb overall... and how does that work for you? I mean, NO Larabars, no fruit, maybe even no starchy carbs... but lots of other veggies... like a big salad or stir-fry with each meal. Have you tried this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brewer5 Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 Also, I don't really know how many carbs I should be eating at each meal to hold me over to the next meal. Any thoughts? Also: Protein and fat are what really "hold you over" to the next meal. Are you having 1-2 Tablespoons of fat with each and every meal? Are you sure? If not, you should be. Are you having a serving of protein at least the size of the palm of your hand (including thickness) -- and maybe two palms -- at every meal? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmdchuckles Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 I used to struggle with blood sugar issues and they were largely lack of protein/fat AND stress! Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melodyg Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 My completely non-medical experience to add here: I have, at different times, been diagnosed with insulin resistance, hypoglycemia, and PCOS. No idea what is really going on (because I really think my last doctor looked at me, said "hey, she's overweight", and slapped on a diagnosis), but I do know there are definite blood sugar issues. A few years ago I went on a lower carb diet, but kept it low fat as well because I didn't know that decreasing carbs meant I needed to increase fats. I felt horrible. I would get shaky and ravenously hungry and dizzy. All low blood sugar symptoms. I went back to my SAD way of eating and those got better unless I went too long without eating. Fast forward to Whole30... I am 3 weeks in and had some of those symptoms for the first week or so. I snacked as I needed to. But right now, I am doing well and going about 4-5 hours between meals. I feel like I'm eating lots of fat but that seems to be working for me. I do keep a LaraBar (and now almonds) in my purse, and I really have used it only a couple of times when I was away from home and ravenous or dizzy. About half of one seems to work for me (I picked the Cashew one last time, which might be a little lower in sugar). I wouldn't just keep one at home for snacks though, especially if it is a temptation. If a sample menu would help, here's a sample for me: Breakfast: 2 eggs fried in about a tablespoon of coconut oil, a handful or so of kale sauteed in the same oil (or more if I need it), a half to whole sweet potato or a piece of fruit, hot tea Lunch: usually supper leftovers, or some leftover meat (which was usually cooked with oil) on top of salad, drizzled with olive oil and white wine vinegar. Yesterday it was a hamburger patty with homemade mayo, veggie fixings,and roasted carrot "fries" Supper: Really varies, tonight was beef chili with red onion/avocado/jalapeno peppers (and I really needed more veggies there), meatloaf is on the menu plan this week too along with a chicken/tomato/olive dish that is sauteed on the stove. I do a lot of roasted vegetables (carrots, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, brussel sprouts, parsnips) along with steamed broccoli. I limit fruit to 1 or 2 pieces a day, and usually that is if I need a meal to take on the go. And I try to eat fruit along with almonds or almond butter so I'm not just eating sugar at once. That seems to be working for me for now - I hope it helps you as well! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimemp Posted January 27, 2015 Author Share Posted January 27, 2015 Thanks for the information, everyone. I do usually cook with at least one tablespoon of fat, but I could try to increase it a little or try more of a variety of fats. I keep hearing that if you go too low carb, it can affect your hormones, especially if you are a woman. But maybe half of a large sweet potato is just too much carb at one time for me. I think I will try to lower the carb load a little bit and increase the fat a little bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brewer5 Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 I don't claim to be an expert on hormones, and I don't have PCOS. But I feel like where women get into the most problems trying to go low-carb is that they don't fully understand that the absence of carbs has to be made up for with fat for energy and well-being. I've been ketogenic off and on for awhile now -- and while I am not here to "convert" anyone -- I will just say that I feel much, much better than I did when I was dealing with the up and down carb roller coaster. (And yes, I am referring to potatoes, here, too.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimemp Posted January 27, 2015 Author Share Posted January 27, 2015 Thanks again for the info. I guess it should be common sense that if you take some source of energy away, you need to replace it with other sources of energy. I think I am still kind of afraid of fat too. I'm not afraid of consuming saturated animal fat, but I think I'm concerned about eating too much of it. I'm going to have to play around with amounts of carbs and see how I feel. And I'm definitely going to try the fried plantains because those sound delicious and less carby. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimemp Posted February 11, 2015 Author Share Posted February 11, 2015 I finished my Whole30 on February 2nd. I reintroduced dairy and found that I don't tolerate it. I then reintroduced non-gluten grains, rice an corn in particular. They don't seem to bother my stomach, which was my concern, but I am having lightheadedness, blurred vision, and a foggy feeling after eating them. This is the same reaction I had to half a sweet potato. I am going to the doctor tomorrow to have my blood sugar tested. I'm curious to see if anyone else has had increased sensitivity to carbs or sugar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.