Hi everyone, I’ve been doing the LBS diet for just over two weeks now and lost ten pounds. I have stalled now for the past 4 or 5 days, but my real problem is that I am so tired, exhausted actually. My husband is eating the same as me at meal times for support, although he’s not following the rest of the diet, and his energy levels have increased tremendously, he cycled 82 miles yesterday and felt great. I can hardly get myself out for a one and a half mile walk each day. I am drinking 2 litres of fluids a day, keeping below 800 calories, eating full fat yoghurt and milk etc. What can I do to improve my energy levels.

Hi Annie, that is a good weight loss – well done. Check how many carbs you are eating per day – it is not just the calories you need to monitor. Check you have a good balance of protein and fat so you are getting all you need for your body to function, too many carbs will cause sugar spikes and tiredness.
There are others on the forums that have medical experience so can probably help more. Is this is a change for you or were you very tired before this? If you have been anaemic in the past, it may be worth taking iron supplements for a short period, although having been anaemic in the past myself, it normally comes with a raging headache as well as tiredness.
There is a period of lethargy that some people experience in the first few weeks, I didn’t but for most it went away weeks 3-4.
Hopefully it will for you as well.

If you’re below 800 calories every day, maybe you need to eat a little more?

Thanks for replying, I hope this is just temporary, yes, I do suffer from lack of energy and tiredness due to having Lupus, but this is much worse than normal. I have a suspicion that I may not be eating enough fat and protein so I’ve upped them both a bit in the hope it will make a difference. I don’t think i’m eating too many carbs. I have been anaemic in the past so that’s something to consider. Thanks for the help

Its probably partly because your body is switching from carb burning to fat burning. There are quite commonly symptoms at the start of the programme but they usually settle down within a few days.

Hi Annie
Try eating more fat and protein and see if that helps, but keep an eye out in case it is a flare up of your lupus. A radical change in your diet may be enough to trigger a flare. It should only be temporary though as your body adjusts and settles into fat burning.
There are a few people who’ve had improvement in symptoms of their auto immune diseases after going low carb. Would be great if it happened for you too!
Two weeks into the diet is when many people hit the plateau, or what I call the week two blues, but this will pass.
Don’t push yourself too hard while you are so fatigued. Give yourself permission to rest and recover when you need to. The lupus does make a difference and you will need to take a bit more care of yourself.
10lbs in two weeks is a pretty impressive result though 🙂

Thanks Cherrianne,
So far the diet seems to be having a positive effect on the lupus, lets hope that continues. I am two and a half weeks in now and hoping that the plateau won’t last too much longer. I have been making an effort to eat more protein and fat over the last few days and I think I am feeling slightly better. Thanks again to you and everyone else for your help and support.