Hi everyone. This is my second post recently and I am a bit stuck at the moment.
To update - I have intentionally lost weight since the start of the year to get healthy, going from 156lb to 136lb (5'7, 31yr, female) eating about 1800-1900cals. Since then I have been trying to gain a bit of weight and build muscle, because I honestly look too thin for my frame. In August after upping my calories by about 100cal I found I started experiencing a whole bunch of odd symptoms I'd never had before - brain fog and mind blanks, feeling constantly lightheaded... and then when I was in the gym I wanted to pass out during/after sessions. I went to my doctor and she said that she thinks the symptoms were a result of the stress from my job. She did a blood test and everything was fine. I tried to figure out the cause of the symptoms and many people on the forums mentioned "reactive hypoglycemia". Some people mentioned changing their diets to combat it, so I tried the same and went with a keto-like diet (carbs <50g, high protein and fats) and found the symptoms stopped entirely.
I feel way better with lower carbs in regards to how I feel mentally. My training in the gym has also been solid - my weights in the gym are progressing. I certainly have energy to complete my workouts, which is something many people complain about. I've now found that I can tolerate some carbs, especially postworkout (protein oats with fruit). I also had some rice with a meal and a panacotta as a birthday treat this week and felt fine (no symptoms).
I am wondering whether I should slowly introduce carbs back into my diet for the sake of muscle gain, as I feel the current diet might not be working for me. My main issues are:
- I have poor appetite (due to the nature of the diet). I pretty much have to be diligent in ensuring I eat enough, which hasn't really been an issue for me in the past.
- I am losing weight and having trouble maintaining. I hit a low of 129lb recently and certainly don't want to go lower. I eat 2100 on training days and 1900 on off days.
- I suspect I have lost muscle based on my appearance and the feel of my legs, but I haven't formalised that. I'm unsure whether it's due to lack of calories or my diet in general.
I don't know if anyone has experienced stuff like this before and come out from it, but any advice would be welcomed. :)
To update - I have intentionally lost weight since the start of the year to get healthy, going from 156lb to 136lb (5'7, 31yr, female) eating about 1800-1900cals. Since then I have been trying to gain a bit of weight and build muscle, because I honestly look too thin for my frame. In August after upping my calories by about 100cal I found I started experiencing a whole bunch of odd symptoms I'd never had before - brain fog and mind blanks, feeling constantly lightheaded... and then when I was in the gym I wanted to pass out during/after sessions. I went to my doctor and she said that she thinks the symptoms were a result of the stress from my job. She did a blood test and everything was fine. I tried to figure out the cause of the symptoms and many people on the forums mentioned "reactive hypoglycemia". Some people mentioned changing their diets to combat it, so I tried the same and went with a keto-like diet (carbs <50g, high protein and fats) and found the symptoms stopped entirely.
I feel way better with lower carbs in regards to how I feel mentally. My training in the gym has also been solid - my weights in the gym are progressing. I certainly have energy to complete my workouts, which is something many people complain about. I've now found that I can tolerate some carbs, especially postworkout (protein oats with fruit). I also had some rice with a meal and a panacotta as a birthday treat this week and felt fine (no symptoms).
I am wondering whether I should slowly introduce carbs back into my diet for the sake of muscle gain, as I feel the current diet might not be working for me. My main issues are:
- I have poor appetite (due to the nature of the diet). I pretty much have to be diligent in ensuring I eat enough, which hasn't really been an issue for me in the past.
- I am losing weight and having trouble maintaining. I hit a low of 129lb recently and certainly don't want to go lower. I eat 2100 on training days and 1900 on off days.
- I suspect I have lost muscle based on my appearance and the feel of my legs, but I haven't formalised that. I'm unsure whether it's due to lack of calories or my diet in general.
I don't know if anyone has experienced stuff like this before and come out from it, but any advice would be welcomed. :)
from Bodybuilding.com Forums - Nutrition https://ift.tt/2SJSFXd
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