On Sep 29, 2010, at 11:01 AM, [log in to unmask] wrote:
> 
> That's a temporary thing that goes away once ketosis is firmly
> established.  I *improved* my athletic performance on very low carb,
> limited protein.  But, again, one can be very healthy following paleo diet
> limitations but ignoring carbohydrate intake altogether, in my opinion.

I've been under 50g of carbs a day for several months, so it's not like I haven't tried it.  I adapt quickly to ketosis in that I don't get crabby, headaches, brain fog, and I don't "crave" carbs.  I like the food just fine, but I seem to get better performance with moderate carbs.  It's not a dramatic thing, but over time, I just sort of let stuff...slide.

Eventually I develop adrenal/cortisol type issues where at about 3 or 4pm I'm very tired and a bit chilled.  At that point I can either nap or drive myself to exercise.  If I exercise, I feel better after that, but I wake up at 3-4am very overheated and a feeling a little startled.  I'm never ever hungry at time - it's not hypoglycemia.  I have a meter, and I do not have messed up BG readings.

This stuff just does not happen if I eat more carbs.  For me, this is 120-150g a day, I think, but I'm taking the "mostly ignore" route.  I can get really obsessed with macronutrient ratios, and it just sucks up too much of my time.

Ketogenic diets just don't work for me at this point in my life in terms of weight loss or athletic performance.  Since I'm not presently overweight, I'm not really trying to lose weight anyway.  I mean, I sure wouldn't mind seeing five pounds of fat disappear, but that's not my primary goal.  

I actually asked Robb Wolf about my inability to lean out on a ketogenic diet at his seminar in July, and he said "cortisol problem", which confirmed what I had already found researched on my own.  Hormones are so complex that it was great to have someone to confirm what I thought was going on.

-Nicole