Too few carbs?
 

Is it possible to not eat enough carbs? Is that bad for you? I haven't hit 20 carbs for the past 2 days now that I've cut out the Atkins products.

I don't think so. I have always observed that my BEST losses occur when I'm at 5-10g carbs levels. There are a whole cascade of things that happen at that level: much lower hunger, you eat fewer calories. All good. And this is when I get my weight drops.

In first few weeks, your body switching from a sugar burner to a fat burner. You may have days you are not hungry at all, or you don't recognize real hunger for food rather than cravings driven by low blood sugar. Just eat when hungry, though it is suggested that you eat 3 cups of green veg/salad to keep digestion working. But there are zero-carbers who do just fine without any carbs, so no problem if you are low some days. If you are not hungry, don't eat, your body is getting all the energy it needs from "your on board pantry". There is a Newbie Questions forum above this Atkins section that also answers many of the common issues when starting..read back through that forum for other tips. http://forum.lowcarber.org/forumdisplay.php?f=110

I don't eat the carbs for the carbohydrate. Half a pound to a pound a day of spinach, celery, lettuce and their ilk won't add a whole lot of carbohydrate, but they add a lot of bulk and interest to the diet. That can slow down consumption, which might increase satiety, and I find that it also makes the food more satisfying--if I eat very boring food, I might not want to eat much of it, but I'm more likely to be on the lookout for something more interesting--and maybe less helpful to my goals--afterwards.

Good for you for cutting out the Atkins products... IMHO you're better off without them!

I don't eat more than 4-5 carbs a day and I've been doing that since 5 July 2013... Imma über carb sensitive.

I've found that sticking to ultra-low carbs not only helps me maintain my weight loss but I get the added benefits of little or no cravings for carb-age, diminished appetite and energy to the MAX! :hyper:

Wishing you much success on your journey to better health! :thup:

There is no such thing as an "essential carbohydrate."

Generally, lower carb foods are higher in essentials; protein, fat, micronutrients, vitamins, and amino acids. I do well with the very low carbs in salad greens, but I also handle carrots and onions and low sugar fruits like berries, for satiety and nutrients.

There are folks who struggle if their carbs get too low, as though their body is not able to get into deep enough ketosis; I have seen it in myself, when I got really sick and had to change the way I ate.

But if you are doing well, then it is nothing to worry about.