Author Topic: Why is the caveman diet making me very tired? (Read 54927 times)

phrakture · « **Reply #90 on:** February 23, 2010, 01:59:26 PM »

Quote from: rentawitch on February 23, 2010, 04:38:31 AM

Hi guys,
I have been patient. I have been eating virtually no carbs just very good quality meat with fat.

I still feel tired almost all the time but really slump in the afternoons and then again around 8-9pm.

I am sleeping 7-8 hours and still feel I need more rest.

Any suggestions. I certainly haven't had any big energy boost.
I love the food but am getting kind of discouraged.

I'm not going to try to mince words here. It's entirely possible that you still feel like crap because you're still overweight (judging solely by the ticker in your signature and guessing at your height). Are you consistently losing weight? Has anything changed, even by small amounts over that time period?

Has anything else changed that could be related to energy? Are you drinking more? Did you stop drinking coffee? Any supplements? Are you drinking enough water? Etc. Considering most people feel an energy boost from this diet, and you do not, I would venture there's a likelihood it is something other than the diet.

Another thing: depression. Do you have a history of it? Have you been spending more time sitting? Lots of stress? Watching more TV? Spending more time on the computer? Less social interaction?

NutMeg · « **Reply #91 on:** February 23, 2010, 02:07:18 PM »

Quote from: rentawitch on February 23, 2010, 01:31:33 PM

i queried that at the time. Because my symptoms were so typical of a thyroid problem.
But I was assured my test was bang in the middle of the 'normal' range. I don't have the actual numbers - sorry.

Is there anything I can do to stimulate the thyroid myself?

Without doing any harm I mean.

If you are low on iodine it could be a factor. And avoiding goitrogenic foods would help too.

Quote

Certain foods besides soy can also have what's known as a goitrogenic effect, or the ability to enlarge the thyroid and make it form a goiter. These foods can act like antithyroid drugs in disabling the thyroid, and causing hypothyroidism. If you still have a thyroid, you need to be more concerned about not overconsuming these goitrogens, particularly raw. What foods are goitrogenic? Brussels sprouts, rutabaga, turnips, kohlrabi, radishes, cauliflower, African cassava, millet, babassu (a palm-tree coconut fruit popular in Brazil and Africa) cabbage, and kale are all considered goitrogenic. Some experts believe that the enzymes involved in the formation of goitrogenic materials in plants can be destroyed by cooking, so thorough cooking may minimize some or most goitrogenic potential. Eating reasonable amounts of goitrogenic foods, raw or cooked, are probably not a problem for most people.

the problem with mid-range is that all labs have different reference ranges. Some labs consider 'normal' to be between 1.0 and 5.5 for TSH. Well, a TSH over 3.2, especially with other markers such as high cholesterol or increased fasting blood glucose, insulin resistance or high blood pressure, indicates hypothyroidism. And then even a TSH well in the normal range of 2 with classic hypo-thyroid symptoms may still need treatment. FOr me, when my TSH is above 1.75 I can't function. I am tired, my nails break I lose hair, my skin is dry and I can't lose weight. I need to have my TSH almost at zero to fell well.

confoundit · « **Reply #92 on:** February 23, 2010, 02:37:28 PM »

Renta!

Get them to test your Thyroid Antibodies....NOT TSH only. I agree with Nutmeg...my TSH has to be very low for me to function well. For example...my TSH is 0.27 which most docs would call Hyper thyroid...but my free T4 is 12. Which is normal. So my thyroid is functioning well. My endocrinolgist feels women should have TSH 2 and under.

samjohn · « **Reply #93 on:** February 23, 2010, 03:53:41 PM »

Where do we get iodine in the paleo diet?

rentawitch · « **Reply #94 on:** February 24, 2010, 08:24:36 AM »

there is not much in meat unless the meat is fed on something which is iodine rich.

I have started supplementing - last night - with kelp tablets.

I wonder how much of this is mind over matter? Can I think myself untired?

NutMeg · « **Reply #95 on:** February 24, 2010, 08:55:08 AM »

You can also get iodine from shellfish, shrimp, lobster, etc.

Lone_woLf · « **Reply #96 on:** February 24, 2010, 09:58:08 AM »

Taking a page from Nora Gedgaudas' book Primal Body, Primal Mind Sometimes people have problem switching over from running on sugar/carbohydrates to running on fat. This can result in fatigue and a stall in weight loss.

She recommends taking L-Carnitine supplements for that. I have taken them before, and the first time it was a nice pick-me-up. I didn't notice a change after that as I felt fine. I didn't notice an increase in weight loss, but I don't think I took them long enough.

The brand I used is called "Mega L-Carnitine" from Twinlab. It was expensive, I think I paid about 35usd. I can't find her book right now (I'll update if I do), so I don't remember how many you're supposed to take. All I remember taking four at a time in the morning, I don't remember how many times a day you're supposed to do that. She recommended taking a lot more than they recommend on the bottle.

rentawitch · « **Reply #97 on:** February 24, 2010, 10:44:12 AM »

Quote from: Lone_woLf on February 24, 2010, 09:58:08 AM

Taking a page from Nora Gedgaudas' book Primal Body, Primal Mind Sometimes people have problem switching over from running on sugar/carbohydrates to running on fat. This can result in fatigue and a stall in weight loss.

She recommends taking L-Carnitine supplements for that. I have taken them before, and the first time it was a nice pick-me-up. I didn't notice a change after that as I felt fine. I didn't notice an increase in weight loss, but I don't think I took them long enough.

The brand I used is called "Mega L-Carnitine" from Twinlab. It was expensive, I think I paid about 35usd. I can't find her book right now (I'll update if I do), so I don't remember how many you're supposed to take. All I remember taking four at a time in the morning, I don't remember how many times a day you're supposed to do that. She recommended taking a lot more than they recommend on the bottle.

Interesting. Although wikipedia says beef is the primary source of this substance anyway?

I may be kidding myself but I feel better today. Placebo, kelp or just me - dunno!

ajmesa · « **Reply #98 on:** February 24, 2010, 10:53:26 AM »

I think the role of fish and seafood is underplayed in most paleo communities. I think we may have lived along the shorelines for very long.

Coconut oil might help as well.

Warren Dew · « **Reply #99 on:** February 24, 2010, 11:06:55 AM »

Quote from: rentawitch on February 24, 2010, 10:44:12 AM

I may be kidding myself but I feel better today. Placebo, kelp or just me - dunno!

The "burning carbs" to "burning fat" transition problems are temporary, anyway.

For example, day before yesterday I didn't have any carbs. That night, I had a terrible headache. I got over it late yesterday morning, at which point I got that really great feeling. I knew I'd gone into ketosis because of the kind of sweet smell of acetone in my urine.

That transition used to take me a lot longer. I'm hoping that in the future, I'll be able to do the switch without any trouble.

Il Capo · « **Reply #100 on:** February 24, 2010, 11:22:39 AM »

Quote from: Warren Dew on February 24, 2010, 11:06:55 AM

sweet smell of acetone in my urine.

I noticed a change in urine smell when experimenting with no fruit paleo for a couple of days. I don't know how to identify whether I'm in ketosis or whether my acid load is high, though, as such a diet would usually prompt both.

rentawitch · « **Reply #101 on:** April 08, 2010, 07:33:16 AM »

I am still tired. Not sure what to do. Do i try and get the thyroid re-tested.

I haven't tried the L-Carnitine supplementation yet but by the amount of meat I am eating, I shouldn't need to.

Any thoughts. I am past the switch over period suggested by Dr Loren.

phrakture · « **Reply #102 on:** April 08, 2010, 08:24:25 AM »

Are you sure it isn't your sleep schedule? How much do you sleep? Do you sleep in total darkness? How late do you have the TV and computer on at night? Do you have cool or warm bulbs at home?

rentawitch · « **Reply #103 on:** April 08, 2010, 09:34:17 AM »

I sleep like the dead. I never have any trouble going to sleep. But I have been crashing out before 10 and don't get up until 6. So I really don't think that is the problem.

ajmesa · « **Reply #104 on:** April 08, 2010, 09:41:20 AM »

I don't know if I mentioned this before in this thread, but I feel tired when I lack carbs for multiple days.

« **Reply #104 on:** April 08, 2010, 09:41:20 AM »

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Author Topic: Why is the caveman diet making me very tired? (Read 54927 times)

phrakture

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NutMeg

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confoundit

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samjohn

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rentawitch

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NutMeg

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Lone_woLf

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rentawitch

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ajmesa

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Warren Dew

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Il Capo

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rentawitch

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phrakture

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rentawitch

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ajmesa

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