Hi,

I was sleeved December 22, 2016. I have lost 61 pounds so far. My surgeon recommends to stay under 20 carbs a day. I was fine with this until just recently. About a month ago I added walking to help boost my metabolism and make me more energetic. It worked...for a while. The last few days I feel like I have been hit by a bus. I usually do about 3-5 miles a day walking and the past few days I am lucky to do a mile. I feel wiped out, loss of stamina, no energy, just plain exhausted. I drink a lot of water during the day, so I know I am well-hydrated.

My questions is...is staying under 20 carbs a day adding to my exhaustion? I take in a lot of protein during the day and hang around 600 calories a day. Is my calorie count too low?

This is what my surgeon recommends, but am starting to wonder, am I walking too much for this low carb/calorie count?

Edited April 13, 20179 yr by NCGURL

I would worry about your vitamins more than carbs. Coming off winter it is pretty easy for your vitamins D to be low.

Your body has no metabolic needs for carbs. You do not need carbs for energy.

Ask for a blood draw, specifically vitamin d level.

I run on 0 to 25 carbs and have for almost 2 years. My energy levels are tremendous.

I'd say that your calories are too low, especially given all of the walking you are doing. You can't live on 600-800 calories per day forever, and I'd be really leery of any medical doctor that encourages that. I'd have another conversation with your team and make it really clear how much walking you are doing.

Good luck!

^^^^ Absolutely what he said

Nc, focus on the % of nutrients to total calories. If you are increasing calories burned through walking, you are burning other nuts too. Use an app like myfitnesspal to log your meals and set your nut %'s. Your doctor can advise these targets, but for example mine are 60% protein, 30% fat (good fats), and 10% carbs. I burn about 1200 additional calories from walking but the app takes this into consideration. Don't focus on the grams but stay in the range of your target % intake.

By the way, are you using Fitbit?

I also agree that your calories may be a little low. My NUT and Doctor wanted me right around 1000 calories a day by 3 months. I'm almost 4 months now and I bounce between 900-1000 calories, 90-100 grams of protein and around 60 g of carbs. My NUT said natural carbs are important to the body and she said to keep it below 65g a day. She is a bariatric nutritionist so I'm comfortable following her advice. I'm down 76 pounds and I'm 15 wks out.

I do log all my foods into myfitnesspal and yes I do wear a fitbit. I really think I do indeed need to up my calorie intake, that may also be why the past few night I am waking up in the middle of the night hungry. Has anyone ever had that happen?

Edited April 14, 20179 yr by NCGURL

8 minutes ago, NCGURL said:

I do log all my foods into myfitnesspal and yes I do wear a fitbit. I really think I do indeed need to up my calorie intake, that may also be why the past few night I am waking up in the middle of the night hungry. Has anyone ever had that happen?

I know it seems counterproductive, but upping your calories will likely help you to get the scale moving. And it would help with the hunger. Also, I eat 7 times per day, about 2 hours apart. That structure has really helped me to stay focused, and since I know that I will be eating again pretty soon, I don't have a hunger issue. I just keep the day's total around 1200 calories, 20 carbs, and 100-120 grams of protein.

Thanks so much for the advice! I will start eating more calories and more often. (I have been going a long time between meals.) Lately I have been working 12 hours at work 6 days a week, and between that and all the walking I do, I think maybe my body is trying to tell me I need more to function.

NC, if you want friend me on Fitbit to join our group challenges. I'm at vban@charter.net

It could well be the low carb count - such lethargy is a hallmark of low carb dieting (one of the reasons that I never went that direction - I couldn't afford the side effects.) The keto enthusiasts insist that you are supposed to be able to burn fat to get that energy, unfortunately, our bodies don't read those diet books so don't always know what they are "supposed" to do. Talk to your surgeon about your needs and what can be changed if his program isn't working out for you - you may be doing more work than your surgeon was anticipating in providing those instructions. Timing can be an important consideration if you have specific workout times when you do your walking and run into your problem. A small snack an hour or so ahead of time, composed of something relatively high in complex carbohydrates, moderate in protein and low to moderate in fat can provide the longer enduring energy needed to extend things some - this is what I worked out with my RD when I was running into a wall about an hour into my swimming at about 4 months out and hit the spot just right. I did not increase my calories for the energy, but just reallocated what I was already consuming. If your walking is more spread out during the day, it may take a more generalized increase in complex carbohydrates or fats, or a bit more of both, during the day to meet those needs.

Another thought is that it could be a bit of anemia - have you had labs checked lately. Iron is the traditional problem but B12 is sometimes a problem - some programs recommend B12 supplements as a matter of course and some don't, and some people are more sensitive to it than others as well. Also, double check your hydration, as you may think that you have been well hydrated, but if you just increased your exercise levels a month ago and didn't increase your hydration to compensate, you may not be doing as well as you think.