Undereating, Overtraining and Hypoglycemia

[amyem]

I have a history of undereating and overtraining, which included heavy weight training 4x/week combined with HIIT and other cardio while consuming a low calorie (and very low carb) diet. I started having symptoms of lethargy, joint aches and muscle pains, extreme irritability, fluid retention (!), new food allergies, and blood sugar issues. My body is upset...with good reason.

I am in the process of taking the necessary steps to get back to a non-obsessive moderate approach to training and nutrition and am currently working my way through Leigh Peele's Metabolic Repair Manual. I am going into my 3rd week of complete rest and have upped my carbs considerably (from ~30-40 to ~150-200). I had my bloodwork done last week, and my non-fasted blood sugar was 2.8mmol/l (~50mg/dl I believe). I have never had abnormal BS readings in the past.

Is this hypoglycemia likely self-induced from the stress on my body? And if so, am I on the right path by continuing with the increased carbs? I try to combine my carbs with protein (apples w/ CC; rice cakes and egg whites), and I avoid eating sugar, especially on an empty stomach. Is this reversible?? I don't want to be on a low-carb diet or have any food restrictions, but I want to be making the right choices for my health. Is a low-carb diet a good recommendation for reactive hypoglycemia?

Any thoughts/opinions/personal experience would be EXTREMELY helpful!

[Leigh P.]

*note not a doctor*

Reactive hypoglycemia, if that is what you are dealing with, is common with that type of training and eating behavior. Usually it clears up with moving into a healthier diet and training program that lacks extremes on both ends.

If you are resting more, trying to take care of yourself, and slowly make changes for the better in diet training, then that is the right path.

[amyem]

Originally Posted by Leigh P.

*note not a doctor*

Reactive hypoglycemia, if that is what you are dealing with, is common with that type of training and eating behavior. Usually it clears up with moving into a healthier diet and training program that lacks extremes on both ends.

If you are resting more, trying to take care of yourself, and slowly make changes for the better in diet training, then that is the right path.

Thanks Leigh! I've never had issues with my bloodsugar in the past, so I'm hoping the low value is/was due to my history. I checked it last night and this morning (both non-fasted) and had values of 4.5 and 6.6. So, in the normal range I'll just keep on doing what I'm doing!