If you’re desperately trying to lose weight, your first line of effort may be to slash any and all carbs from your diet. Everywhere you look there seems to be a low-carb/keto revolution happening, and everyone is hopping aboard the low carb train. While lowering carbs may help with weight loss because you are eating less calories overall, there are also some telltale signs that you may need to fold this feared foe back into your diet.
Your head is killing you – We all have headaches. Sometimes it’s allergies or sinus issues and sometimes it’s stress. However, if you’re having headaches on a daily basis, your low carb diet may be to blame. The body needs a certain amount of calories and carbs to function properly. Too much of a deficiency can cause your blood sugar to drop resulting in major headaches. If you still want to avoid carbs like bread and pasta, go for it! But adding in a higher carb veggie or even some apples or berries can help give you balance without negating your weight loss efforts.
Your breath is funky – The beauty behind a low carb diet is that it uses stored fat for energy. The beast behind the diet is that it can make your breath so funky that kissing can come off the table as well. The process of using stored fat for fuel is known as ketosis, and while this is the key to shredding weight, the more in ketosis you are the smellier your breath becomes. Raising your carbs by even 3% can help due away with the dragon breath.
You just can’t seem to “go” – Another bad thing about going low carb is that is usually also means low fiber. Without adequate fiber in your diet, you may notice your bathroom trips to be less frequent and far more uncomfortable or an increase in flatulence. To ease constipation, try to aim for at least 25 grams of fiber a day. Just doubling up on veggies could be enough to do the trick.
You’ve got no hustle to build your muscle – If you’re hitting the gym hard but 15 -20 minutes in you feel like you need to quit (or at least take a break), your low carb diet may be the reason. To power through a high-intensity training session, your body needs a little bit of carbs. To ensure you avoid this energy dip, try eating a snack that includes a little carbs about an hour or so before hitting the gym. A banana or any type of fruit is a great choice.
You’re crazy crabby – While it may not last forever, when starting a low carb diet, you and your loved ones, may notice that you’ve cranked up the crab level just a bit. When cutting carbs, your blood sugar drops, you get headaches, you’re likely hungry due to the lower calorie/sugar content and, there’s no cookie waiting at the end of the day to make the bad mood go away. To ensure you don’t completely snap on everyone around you, try adding in a little extra carbs. By no means do you need to devour a loaf of bread to balance things out, but you may want to fold in rice cakes, any type of whole grain, fruit or extra veggies to give you your body the extra kick it needs.
Remember, there’s nothing wrong with putting in the effort to get the weight loss scales tipping in your favor, but you should always be listening to what your body is trying to tell you. If you’re not feeling good on a low carb diet, then it’s likely not the answer to your long-term weight loss dreams. And truth be told, you should eat carbs and can eat carbs without gaining weight, its more about finding the right amount that your body requires.
Looking for a more personalized nutrition program to see how many carbs you should be eating? Click here.
