Preop Diet: No carbs = No energy

Let me start off that I'm lucky I only have to do no carbs and not an all-liquid diet.

With that said, I started the no carb 2 week preop diet yesterday. I've had lots of water and lots of protein but am super sluggish. I'm assuming the lack of carbs.

Has anyone else gone through this? You think B-12 or something would help? It's tough being at work not being able to focus!!

Give it time. Once your body starts burning fat, your energy will come back.

I am pre-op but have been on low carb diets several times (including now). I find them incredibly effective and once you get adjusted, you'll have lots of energy. It takes a few weeks to adjust. I usually suffer from some GI distress in the beginning and then I feel fine (great, really).

I don't know what your pre-op diet specifies, but two things always helped me: making sure I was eating lots of fat, not just protein, and drinking broth once a day. Lite salt is also helpful in addition to normal salt: low carb diets cause you to excrete lots of water and sodium in the beginning and it's important to get enough electrolytes.

Google "low carb flu" and you'll find you're not alone.

I did google that....had no idea it existed! Thanks for sharing!

No, I don't think B12 would help if the problem is a lack  of carbs.  If it's a B12 deficiency, then yeah, B12 would help.

Is your diet supposed to be no carbs?  Or just low carb?  Because our bodies do need some carbs in order to function.  If you're really doing no carbs for two weeks, I don't know if that would be healthy.

It's no more than 20g carbs a day.

Try to space out the few carbs you are allowed, make sure not to eat half or all of them in one or two meals. taking some B-12 shouldn't hurt! I use 5 hr energy shots for a B12 boost. Iron supplements might help too! 

On a funny/frustrating note...I never noticed how many pictures people post of food until now on FB and Instagram!!! Lol

Why do you have to do this no/low carb presurgery diet?

Sue, many docs choose many different types of preop diets. My doc prefers the no carb. There are a few reasons. I believe the main one is to "shrink" the size of your liver so it doesn't get in the way during surgery. (There might be more to it than that). Other benefits are to lose weight beforehand (the less lbs, less risk for issues during surgery from what I understand) and to go ahead and detox from the carbs/sugars before surgery.

Please, anyone speak up if I misspoke.