# Can't think straight with low carbs..



## cheappinz (Mar 25, 2010)

I get stupid with low carbs..my memory goes and I have trouble with basic thinking..adding, etc.. I know this happens to others.  What supps do you guys take to not be a moron?  I've heard alcar does the trick.  And I've heard alcar can be used either orally or im.  Any experience with this?


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## Merkaba (Mar 25, 2010)

define low carbs


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## theCaptn' (Mar 25, 2010)

same deal . . low carbs = 50g or less a day . .  by Day 4 I feel like a goddam retard and irritable . . then blessed refeed occurs . . .


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## forciano (Mar 25, 2010)

I do just fine with low carbs 30- 40grams, I got used to it. Not getting enough sleep though really kills my mental focus...


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## DaMayor (Mar 26, 2010)

I've been living off of less than 20 grams of carbs a day for over a month, and I'm not.....a.............Mor.....on.........


Seriously, in most cases, once the glycogen has cleared out of your system, most report thinking more clearly. If I go from "normal" carb levels to a carb restrictive intake, I crash hard then level out. If I were to consume carbs in that 50g range mentioned above, I'd be one irritable s.o.b....


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## sassy69 (Mar 26, 2010)

cheappinz said:


> I get stupid with low carbs..my memory goes and I have trouble with basic thinking..adding, etc.. I know this happens to others.  What supps do you guys take to not be a moron?  I've heard alcar does the trick.  And I've heard alcar can be used either orally or im.  Any experience with this?



My saving grace when I do competition prep (and I've done keto, carb cycling, CKD and just plain old carb depletion pre-show) is some nootropics:

Neurogenix  . This stuff has gotten me thru my last 3 competitions - I work a desk job in the tech industry so if I can't function at work, I may as well quit & get a job as a test subject in clinical sleep studies. If I have it I'll also stack in ALCAR.



CaptRichArund said:


> same deal . . low carbs = 50g or less a day . .  by Day 4 I feel like a goddam retard and irritable . . then blessed refeed occurs . . .



Are you staying at 50 g for 4 days at a time? Is this supposed to be a CKD diet or carb cycling? If you are tryign to do CKD, then I'd do CKD - i.e. drop yoru carbs lower and get into ketosis quickly so you aren't all flaked out. Otherwise I'd carb cycle or up the carbs a little, or drop the interval between refeeds.



DaMayor said:


> I've been living off of less than 20 grams of carbs a day for over a month, and I'm not.....a.............Mor.....on.........
> 
> 
> Seriously, in most cases, once the glycogen has cleared out of your system, most report thinking more clearly. If I go from "normal" carb levels to a carb restrictive intake, I crash hard then level out. If I were to consume carbs in that 50g range mentioned above, I'd be one irritable s.o.b....



Meaning you're in ketosis? So you have ketones available as the next best choice for your brain as an energy source? I went 11 months on a keto diet last year and had very little problem -- it got a little dicey towards the final weeks of my contest prep, but overall not bad once I'm in ketosis.


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## FMJ (Mar 26, 2010)

I'm on about 50 grams, 4 days a week. You get used to 







it.


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## sassy69 (Mar 26, 2010)

FMJ said:


> I'm on about 50 grams, 4 days a week. You get used to
> 
> 
> 
> ...



LOL I like the delay in sentence completion....

So my question is why? Is it a CKD style diet?


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## FMJ (Mar 26, 2010)

sassy69 said:


> LOL I like the delay in sentence completion....
> 
> So my question is why? Is it a CKD style diet?


 
Myself and Capt are on UD2. 
UD2 utilized low carb days and depletion training to deplete Glycogen. After 4 days, you switch to a carb up and progressively more intense training until you cycle back to low carbs.
So it's like Day 1 and 2, low carbs, depletion training.
Day 3 Low carbs, rest
Day 4 AM, low carbs, Day 4 PM carb up, tension training
Day 5 carb up continues, rest
Day 6 Maintainence calories, power training
Day 7 AM, maintaince calrories, Day 7PM low carb, rest

And so forth...

Now DaMayor, he's on PSMF, which is a mix between, starvation, insanity and suicide.


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## kyle64 (Mar 28, 2010)

DaMayor said:


> I've been living off of less than 20 grams of carbs a day for over a month, and I'm not.....a.............Mor.....on.........
> 
> 
> Seriously, in most cases, once the glycogen has cleared out of your system, most report thinking more clearly. If I go from "normal" carb levels to a carb restrictive intake, I crash hard then level out. If I were to consume carbs in that 50g range mentioned above, I'd be one irritable s.o.b....


 
How do you manage your fiber intake without Carbs? Would you not be very constipated without fiber? Unless you are taking laxatives


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## danzik17 (Mar 28, 2010)

kyle64 said:


> How do you manage your fiber intake without Carbs? Would you not be very constipated without fiber? Unless you are taking laxatives



He's probably talking normal starchy carbs.  On a PSMF, you consume as much fibrous veggies (spinach, brocolli, etc.) as you want.


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## kyle64 (Mar 28, 2010)

danzik17 said:


> He's probably talking normal starchy carbs. On a PSMF, you consume as much fibrous veggies (spinach, brocolli, etc.) as you want.


 
I am confused now! I thought there were only 3 macronutrients, carbs, fat and protein. Aren't calories from carbs the same no matter what carbs you eat?
Please explain how he can eat as much as he wants spinach, brocolli and other fiboruos veggies all day without going over 20 grams of carbs.


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## danzik17 (Mar 28, 2010)

kyle64 said:


> I am confused now! I thought there were only 3 macronutrients, carbs, fat and protein. Aren't calories from carbs the same no matter what carbs you eat?
> Please explain how he can eat as much as he wants spinach, brocolli and other fiboruos veggies all day without going over 20 grams of carbs.



Because though fiber is technically a carb, we can't digest it entirely the same way we can with starchy carbs.  I think the value assigned per gram to fiber is somewhere around 1-1.5 calories per gram.

Again it's not that he's eating that few carbs, it's just that no one really counts fiber in their diet setups.  I know I don't.


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## kyle64 (Mar 28, 2010)

So my cup of fiber 1 57% I eat everyday does not count towards my total calories and carb count?


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## danzik17 (Mar 28, 2010)

I don't count the fiber.  I'm sure there's more than just fiber in your cereal.


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## kyle64 (Mar 28, 2010)

Here is the link to the nutri info on this cereal http://www.generalmills.com/stream_image.aspx?rid=28681


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## stepaukas (Mar 28, 2010)

carb up, so you're at a non stupid level. then start eating a balanced diet.


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## DaMayor (Mar 28, 2010)

kyle64 said:


> How do you manage your fiber intake without Carbs? Would you not be very constipated without fiber? Unless you are taking laxatives



Fibrous vegetables.....in _reasonable_ amounts.....I usually try to eat at least two servings a day. Otherwise I just maintain my water intake. 





			
				sassy69 said:
			
		

> Meaning you're in ketosis? So you have ketones available as the next best choice for your brain as an energy source? I went 11 months on a keto diet last year and had very little problem -- it got a little dicey towards the final weeks of my contest prep, but overall not bad once I'm in ketosis.



Exactly. Once I'm in ketosis, I'm okay. But I have found that it is an _all or nothing_ scenerio for me....similar to how Built described hunger during a PSMF.....it's a sort of *binary* response. Although I have found that _over an extended period of time _on a low carb diet, I can go in and out of ketosis a little easier.


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