Why Are So Many People Leaving Keto, Carnivore, and Other Low-Carb Diets?
Why Are So Many People Leaving Keto, Carnivore, and Other Low-Carb Diets?
You've probably seen it happen: A friend raves about their keto or carnivore diet, posting transformation photos and celebrating their newfound energy and mental clarity. Fast forward six months, and they're quietly reintroducing carbs while dealing with a host of unexpected health issues.
This pattern isn't just anecdotal - it's becoming increasingly common as people discover that what initially felt like a miracle solution eventually stops working. Let's explore why this happens and what the bioenergetic approach offers as an alternative.
The Initial Magic of Low-Carb Diets
When people first adopt keto, carnivore, or other low-carb approaches, they often experience remarkable benefits:
Rapid weight loss (primarily water weight as glycogen stores deplete)
Improved mental clarity
Reduced gut symptoms (as fermentable carbohydrates are eliminated)
Stable blood sugar levels
Increased energy
These benefits are real and can be transformative, especially for those coming from a standard American diet. Low-carb diets provide short-term relief for many with gut dysbiosis or bacterial overgrowth by removing fermentable carbohydrates and fiber that feed problematic bacteria. Eliminating irritating plant compounds like oxalates and lectins also allows the gut to heal temporarily.
But here's what's actually happening beneath the surface: Your body is adapting to a perceived famine state.
When the Magic Fades: The Metabolic Reality Check
After months (or sometimes years) on a low-carb diet, many people begin experiencing troubling symptoms:
❌ Poor sleep and insomnia
❌ Declining libido and sexual function
❌ Increasing anxiety and mood disturbances
❌ Stubborn weight gain despite strict adherence
❌ Crushing fatigue and brain fog
❌ Paradoxically high fasting blood glucose
❌ Hair loss
❌ Cold intolerance
❌ Hormonal imbalances
These symptoms aren't random - they're connected through the lens of energy production. When carbohydrates are severely restricted for extended periods, it signals a starvation or famine state to your body. In response, your metabolism down-regulates to conserve energy, reducing resources available for brain function, digestion, immunity, and reproductive health.
The body compensates for low carb intake by releasing stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline to raise blood glucose through gluconeogenesis - an inefficient process that converts protein into glucose. This chronic elevation of stress hormones suppresses thyroid function, reproductive hormones, and overall energy production.
The NAD/NADH Ratio: A Key to Understanding Metabolic Dysfunction
One critical factor in this metabolic downturn is the NAD/NADH ratio. NAD is a crucial coenzyme involved in hundreds of metabolic reactions, including glycolysis, the citric acid cycle, and oxidative phosphorylation.
When carbs are restricted, the NADH/NAD ratio increases, inhibiting key enzymes in energy production pathways and impairing ATP generation. This creates a metabolic environment where:
Thyroid hormone conversion is compromised (NAD is required to convert inactive T4 to active T3)
Stress hormones remain chronically elevated
Cellular energy production becomes increasingly inefficient
Oxidative stress increases due to excess NADH generating reactive oxygen species
This explains why many low-carb dieters eventually hit a wall where their metabolism slows dramatically, energy plummets, and weight loss stalls or reverses despite continued restriction.
The Bioenergetic Approach: A Paradigm Shift
Enter the bioenergetic perspective, which views health through the lens of cellular energy production. This approach recognizes that optimal health requires efficient conversion of food into usable energy (ATP) at the cellular level.
From this viewpoint, carbohydrates aren't villains—they're essential metabolic fuel that:
Optimizes the NAD/NADH ratio for efficient energy production
Supports thyroid function by enabling T4 to T3 conversion
Reduces reliance on stress hormones for blood sugar regulation
Provides glucose for the brain and other glucose-dependent tissues
Supports progesterone production, which is vital for hormonal balance in both men and women
When people discover this approach, it often clicks - they realize they've been running on stress hormones rather than optimal metabolism. They understand that their body has been in survival mode, conserving energy and holding onto fat because it perceives food scarcity.
The Rocky Transition: When Adding Carbs Creates New Challenges
However, reintroducing carbohydrates after extended restriction isn't always smooth sailing. Many people encounter new (or returning) challenges:
Digestive discomfort and bloating
Rapid weight gain beyond expected water weight
Blood sugar fluctuations
Skin breakouts
Anxiety or mood swings
These issues occur because low-carb diets often mask underlying gut dysfunction rather than resolving it. When carbs are reintroduced, they can feed problematic gut bacteria that were merely dormant, not eliminated.
Additionally, the body's ability to process carbohydrates efficiently may be temporarily compromised after extended restriction. The enzymes and metabolic pathways involved in carbohydrate metabolism can take time to upregulate after being downregulated during carb restriction.
Navigating the Confusion: Where to Start
With so many potential approaches to gut healing and metabolic restoration, it's easy to feel overwhelmed:
Should you take probiotics or antimicrobials?
Is the "raw carrot salad" the solution to your estrogen dominance?
Would betaine HCl help your digestion?
Should you eliminate foods based on sensitivity testing?
How do you heal a leaky gut while reintroducing carbs?
The confusion can leave you feeling stuck, chasing solutions without a clear roadmap.
Practical Steps Forward
Instead of seeking quick fixes, consider these foundational approaches:
✅ Shift your mindset: Healing is a process, not an event. Be patient with your body as it adapts.
✅ Practice mindful eating: Remove distractions during meals and tune into your body's signals. Stress literally shuts down digestion through the sympathetic nervous system.
✅ Keep a detailed symptom journal: Track not just what you eat but how you feel afterward. Look for patterns rather than isolated incidents.
✅ Be cautious with testing: Before spending hundreds on gut microbiome or food sensitivity tests, learn the basics of digestion so you can interpret your body's signals.
✅ Manage mealtime thoughts: Food fear and anxiety can trigger a stress response that impairs digestion before you take your first bite.
✅ Ensure adequate calories: Many gut and metabolic issues stem from chronic underfeeding. Your body needs sufficient energy to heal.
✅ Track your intake temporarily: You might be surprised to find your fat intake remains sky-high or your carbs are still lower than optimal for metabolic healing.
The Path Forward
Transitioning from a low-carb diet to a bioenergetic approach requires patience and personalization. Start by slowly reintroducing easily digestible carbohydrates like ripe fruits, honey, and well-cooked root vegetables while supporting your digestive capacity.
Remember that your metabolism has likely been suppressed, so gaining some weight initially is normal as your body restores glycogen stores and rehydrates tissues. This isn't failure - it's part of the healing process.
The goal isn't to swing from one restrictive approach to another, but to restore metabolic flexibility and resilience. By supporting your body's energy production systems rather than fighting against them, you can achieve sustainable health that doesn't require constant restriction or willpower.
Your body isn't broken - it's been adapting to the signals you've been sending it. By understanding the language of metabolism and providing the resources it needs, you can work with your biology rather than against it.
If you'd like to work 1 on 1 with one of our metabolic experts to really help get things dialed in, reach out to Biospark Health today!
