carb withdrawal

[lynnnriver]

hello...I am returning to protein power after unsuccessfully playing around with Weight Watchers for a couple of years. I did lose 20 lbs on my own just by cutting down, but I am stuck. I am also really looking for sustained energy throughout the day, even moods, and less asthma/allergy problems and acid reflux.

Anyway, I just can't seem to get past that third day, I get so tired and irritable and get a headache, and I have to go to a job fair on Saturday and I have a final for my master's degree program, plus I work and have a special needs child. Who has time to feel worse? I want to take a week off and just get through the carb withdrawal, but who has time?

Has anyone successfully tried gradual carb withdrawal rather than reducing more strictly in the beginning and then increasing? I would like to lose weight, but am not in a hurry.

Thanks,
Lynn

[maxlharris]

I'm going to suggest that there is never an ideal time to start. Who wants to blow vacation days on carb withdrawal? Who wants to blow a weekend? Who wants to take a test, attend a class, go to work, stay home from work, etc, while they are switching to fat burning metabolism.

Ultimately, it makes every day the ideal day, since there is no real good time. I started the day I started a new work assignment. It wasn't easy. But, it's day three now and I feel pretty good. I think the worst is over.

I don't mean to offer "Butch Up" as advice, but if you drop your carbs gradually, you keep all the problems people have with carbs (binges and cravings) with limited use. I think it's asking for trouble. I know every time I try to wean, I do not wean. When I cut it off, that's when it works.

Good luck in your weight loss. If you stay focused on the goals, it should be easier. You know it's gonna work and you know the withdrawal is only temporary. One or two days of lousy vs. a lifetime of good. You make the choice.

[Mitra]

If you feel really bad (assuming you're taking potassium, drinking lots of water...) then I'd increase carbs slightly - maybe eat a little fruit with your meal, or have some carbier vegetable, like celeriac (celery root) or swede (rutabaga). But make it something that you don't feel is too much of a treat, or a temptation food, so you don't allow yourself to get used to the idea that every time you feel a bit off colour you can eat sugar, or pasta, or potatoes, or doughnuts, or whatever is a temptation for you.

Good luck - and remember how much better you'll feel once you get past those first few days :).

[WakefieldWendy]

My own personal experience is as Max describes. Low levels of carbs are what makes the cravings and other stuff go away, so tapering doesn't work for me.

However, you may be different. If that is something you want to explore, can I suggest the following, to be changed or augmented according to your own needs:

Week 1 - eliminate all sugar and refined flour; eat adequate protein at every meal (I have a little bias here, in that I think most people would do fine on this diet forever, if we hadn't screwed up our metabolism with all the sugar)

Week 2 - eliminate all carbs except dairy, fruit, vegetables, and smallish portions of yams, steel cut oats, unprocessed rice (include other unrefined non-wheat/corn grains); eat adequate protein at every meal

Week 3 - eliminate all carbs except dairy, fruit, vegetables; eat adequate protein at every meal

Week 4 - count carbs from dairy, fruit, vegetables; eat adequate protein at every meal

This is just an example of a taper. You will have to decide what is the worst stuff for you and what is not so bad. Definitely I do not think a taper will work unless you cut out the worst stuff (which for most of us is sugar and refined flour).

[laughingW]

I did it gradually and it felt marvelous. To my mind it's more respectful of body healing than to throw the car in reverse while barreling down the highway, metabolically speaking. Plus, doing what your mind wants while the body is screaming with symptoms that say do something else,... why that is just reinforcing how I got here!

So, something like doing the transition amounts (55 net grams) or even just cutting your normal hedonistic grains and sweets to half or quarter servings for a week or three.

As your body ramps up the ability to run on fat instead of sugar, then it gets easier and easier to get to intervention levels.

[mallory08]

personally, if you dont "mail the horse" down and cold turkey the carbs(like quitting smoking or something) then you are gonna want your carbs... when you are upon "entering ketosis" and your body is in the process of switching from carbs to fat burning is the worst(like a stressed out day when you want a cig lol) then the next day youll wake up and feel like someone gave you a million bucks and youll be full of energy!!

[laughingW]

personally, if you dont "mail the horse" down and cold turkey the carbs(like quitting smoking or something) then you are gonna want your carbs...
That was not true for me. It's the excess insulin that causes cravings, plus the spike and resultant crash.

If you have amounts small enough to stay "under the radar" of insulin problems, you don't want carbs. That's why the Eades have the hedonist program.

[maxlharris]

If you have amounts small enough to stay "under the radar" of insulin problems, you don't want carbs. That's why the Eades have the hedonist program.

As a mostly hedonist, I keep carbs very low, and cold turkey it. You are clearly mischaracterizing the hedonist approach. In Eades' style hedonism, the goal is the number, not the food selection. If cheese popcorn is part of your 40, then you just have to keep it low in the serving. At no point does hedonism = tapering, probably because it doesn't work for a large number of people. I'm not saying all. I'm not even saying most. I'm saying many. Your experience doesn't invalidate "many".

But the experience of the many might suggest that your "throwing a car in reverse" analogy is a bit off the mark. I would liken it more to stopping a car on a dime when there is a wall in front of you. The tires squeal for a couple seconds, but everyone in the car lives happily ever after, and their insurance rates get better (time w/o accidents does that).

Different people's experience fits different frames and different analogies.

[Brad]

I don't mean to offer "Butch Up" as advice, but if you drop your carbs gradually, you keep all the problems people have with carbs (binges and cravings) with limited use. I think it's asking for trouble. I know every time I try to wean, I do not wean. When I cut it off, that's when it works.


For myself, I have to agree with this assessment. After successfully losing 40 pounds the first time around, then gaining it all back, plus some, during the last couple of years of nice stressful life, I've found that "gradual" just doesn't work for me. A "little bit won't hurt" just gradually works it's way back up to "I ate too much and god, my stomach hurts, and why am I so tired". It's been a week now without soft drinks (even artificially sweetened ones), chocolate, french fries, potato chips, bread, corn, mashed potatoes and gravy, fresh hot cinnamon rolls and apple cobbler, and I haven't felt this good since the first time.

Brad

[gator8me]

Welcome to the Board. Well as you can see already you have quite the differing opinions as to what works best. It really is a personal decision and a "YMMV" (your mileage may vary) thing. Whats great about PP is that their intervention stage is ALOT less restricting than Atkins. You can go clear up to 40g. Just be careful where you get those carbs from and you'll be fine. :) Choose things that don't bring on the cravings.
Good Luck!