Carnivore diet and working out

[Kbolton]

I have been on the carnivore diet for around 75 days now. I wanted to start working out around the beginning of the new year. No matter what I do, weather its just walking for 15 minutes or weight lifting for 15 minutes. I have to stop. I get dizzy and feel like passing out almost like the overly exhausted feeling. I always eat before, drink electrolytes, and plenty of water. This feeling lasts about 1-2 hours after. How can I work though this so I can start working out more!?

[Scott F.]

I'd say gradually. I would also get a check-up to see if there are underlying issues you could address, maybe even being addressed with carnivore. 

This is me personally, and by no means advice for anyone else, I do better when I eat afterwards. I get up and drink a large glass of cold water and go to the gym. As of late the intensity/weight and volume have increased. I come home and walk anywhere from 3-4 miles. I try to do this around my work schedule and it ends up averaging between three and four time per week.

I come home and do the three-to-four-mile walk. (Treadmills are really boring to me. I like to walk outside so I can critique yesterday and sort of make a plan for today, sometimes even planning for tomorrow-but that seldom pans out-LOL)

From there I eat a big egg/meat breakfast. 

Eating afterwards works for me. 

Go slow and hopefully you can figure out what is limiting your efforts and get better from there. 

Scott

 

[Orweller]

19 hours ago, Kbolton said:

I have been on the carnivore diet for around 75 days now. I wanted to start working out around the beginning of the new year. No matter what I do, weather its just walking for 15 minutes or weight lifting for 15 minutes. I have to stop. I get dizzy and feel like passing out almost like the overly exhausted feeling. I always eat before, drink electrolytes, and plenty of water. This feeling lasts about 1-2 hours after. How can I work though this so I can start working out more!?

This may indicate a drop in blood sugar. When this only occurs during workout, this may be the explanation as your body needs that energy source. 

Within the 90 day period, you're still in the adjustment phase, and you have now introduced new activities since you started on carnivore. Especially if you were diabetic, pre-diabetic, or just ate a lot of carbs.

Cut your activities in half, eat more fat, make sure you don't drink too much or too little, and mind your electrolytes, not just salt. Potassium and magnesium supplements would be recommended. An electrolyte pouch maybe on the days that you do work out. 

[Kbolton]

4 minutes ago, Orweller said:

This may indicate a drop in blood sugar. When this only occurs during workout, this may be the explanation as your body needs that energy source. 

Within the 90 day period, you're still in the adjustment phase, and you have now introduced new activities since you started on carnivore. Especially if you were diabetic, pre-diabetic, or just ate a lot of carbs.

Cut your activities in half, eat more fat, make sure you don't drink too much or too little, and mind your electrolytes, not just salt. Potassium and magnesium supplements would be recommended. An electrolyte pouch maybe on the days that you do work out. 

Thank you so much for this, this is very helpful. I have seen very little info on this topic but what I have seen is the drop in blood sugar along with our bodies still adjusting to properly fuel our body. Slow and steady wins the race right?!

[Orweller]

6 hours ago, Kbolton said:

Thank you so much for this, this is very helpful. I have seen very little info on this topic but what I have seen is the drop in blood sugar along with our bodies still adjusting to properly fuel our body. Slow and steady wins the race right?!

I promise.

[Geezy]

I experienced this especially in the first 90 days and a few times since. At first it was due to the diet bringing my blood pressure down to normal levels naturally and my medication taking it even lower artificially. Once my cardiologist took me off of the medication I would still experience it occasionally while working outside in the heat. I found that using electrolytes before hand helped but the overall thing I found was that I wasn’t eating enough. Many people, when the first get started on carnivore tend to under eat. Either they are still caught up in that fable of CICO or they just don’t eat as much because they don’t get as hungry on carnivore. 
Try to remember that when we become fat adapted we are no longer using glucose for fuel. In fact, if we are eating properly, we no longer have any glucose left to burn except what our bodies make naturally. We now use ketones for fuel which come from the fats stored in our bodies and the fat we consume. Therefore it’s important that we get plenty of fat when we eat. 

[Kbolton]

This is great! I do believe that I do not eat enough, therefore I don't get enough fats. Even before carnivore I like to eat small meals though out the day. This is something I have been working on to hopefully fuel my body properly. 

I have also noticed the blood pressure decrease. Mine always ran just a little higher but now its under normal. Neither was enough for any concerns but this could also contribute to the exhaustion feeling!