Hi all, I am back from 1 week off with 5 extra pound and question. Why do people who were on low carbs retain so much water and feel nauseous after having high carbs days?

I did enjoy my slice of toast with peanut butter and jam, I did really enjoy French fries , and I absolutely love potato chips….but why do I so swollen and feel like I am gonna be sick any moment and I don’t even mention how tired I am? What is going on with body , what kind of processes is involved ?

Capricorn, I wish I knew. I've been LC'ing for months, and went off plan for TWO DAYS and gained 5.5lbs! (I was forced off plan, btw...was supervising a group of students at a contest and all they fed us was crappy carbs. Now I'm wishing I had fasted for two days instead!) I'm still shocked at how much I gained. I hope someone out there has some insights! In the meanwhile, let's just get back on plan!

I won't even pretend to know science or physiology behind it. Someone here probably does. I experienced it heavily this past weekend. Four days of not giving a crap led to me being the puffiest/bloated I have been in a long time. I guess the only good thing is that it serves as a great reminder not to do it again!

After you have been on LC for awhile, you have diminished your glycogen stores in the liver. You go from using glucose as the primary source of fuel to using fat as the primary source of fuel. If you go on a carb binge, you replenish those glycogen stores which is usuall about 3-5 pounds depending on the size of the liver. In addition, for every gram of carbohydrate eaten there is an associated amount of a water molecules attached--that is why people feel bloated and retain water after a carb binge.

If you have been away from wheat and gluten in a while and then re-introduce it, this can also make one feel sick and nauseated. It may be that you have a sensitivity to wheat and wheat products and it's your bodys' reaction to it.

I'm sure even more of the "sceintists" will jump in here. But this can start you out.

HTH

Progress not perfection.

Lisa

Thank you for replies! Yesterday it was my first day back on low carbs and over night I lost 4 pounds!!! I know its water, I am still happy about it. I feel so much energetic today in the morning and I slept very well. Also, I can’t believe how much I eat yesterday!!! I was very hungry all day and eat a lot, but all the good stuff…I love it!

Exactly!! THAT is why I love carb cycling! And knowing that it is simply water weight is not so terrifying.

this is the simple reason why you puff up after a carb binge. When you burn off the extra carbs, the extra water will go along with it.

It takes about 4 days for your body to switch over from producing the enzymes that use carbs to the enzymes that burn fat and vise versa. Until then, avoid the scale

That's the number

Me and my carb baby belly are experiencing this right now

Out of town conference for two days ... decided to have timbits (dognut holes) for dinner on the drive home. Up 5 lbs today. Why'd I do it!