Newbie quitting Atkins on Day 7

Kiwi Byrd said:

x-no-archive:yes

Hi there
I am on day 7 of Atkins and about to give up. The first four days my energy
levels plummeted to the point that all I wanted to do was sleep. Day 5 this
improved somewhat, but not to pre-diet levels. The fatigue has been
replaced by a constant nausea which worsens in between meals. As if these
two factors weren't enough to make me give up, not only have I not lost any
weight but it has increased by 1kg (that's 2.2lbs) and measurements reflect
the increase. Clearly something is very wrong.

I have a non-sedentary job, I jog every weekday morning and train with
weights 4x a week. I have been strict about limiting my carbs to 20g and do
not gorge on protein-rich or fat-rich foods. I eat 5 small similar-sized
meals a day. Ketostix results read "small".

My next step is to minimise my fat intake and increase my carbs. Any other
advice?

Kiwi Mel

I found that my third day of a bike trip was tough, after starting Atkins.

I would grab some carbs like ground peanuts and rasins and then the
energy would surge.

You should increase your carbs if you are going to try to work the
Atkins approach.

IF, and I repeat IF, you have done the other things like vitamins and
all that.

IF you tried to do Atkins and LOW FAT, you almost surely won't have energy.

You might find that Atkins won't EASILY work for you, because not
everybody works the same. Some of the others here have probably been
through the same thing, and they are the best folks to listen to.

Wishing you well.

Jim

Kiwi Byrd said:

x-no-archive:yes

Hi there
I am on day 7 of Atkins and about to give up. The first four days my
energy levels plummeted to the point that all I wanted to do was
sleep. Day 5 this improved somewhat, but not to pre-diet levels.
The fatigue has been replaced by a constant nausea which worsens in
between meals. As if these two factors weren't enough to make me
give up, not only have I not lost any weight but it has increased by
1kg (that's 2.2lbs) and measurements reflect the increase. Clearly
something is very wrong.

<snip>

Atkins isn't for everyone but before you give up why don't you post
everything you ate on one of those days including amounts. (For example
don't post I had chicken for lunch. That could mean a slice or a whole
chicken.)

That's the only way anyone will really be able to give you any meaningful
advice. Include any meds and supplements you take.

jbuch <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Kiwi Byrd said:

x-no-archive:yes

Hi there
I am on day 7 of Atkins and about to give up. The first four days my energy
levels plummeted to the point that all I wanted to do was sleep. Day 5 this
improved somewhat, but not to pre-diet levels. The fatigue has been
replaced by a constant nausea which worsens in between meals. As if these
two factors weren't enough to make me give up, not only have I not lost any
weight but it has increased by 1kg (that's 2.2lbs) and measurements reflect
the increase. Clearly something is very wrong.

I have a non-sedentary job, I jog every weekday morning and train with
weights 4x a week. I have been strict about limiting my carbs to 20g and do
not gorge on protein-rich or fat-rich foods. I eat 5 small similar-sized
meals a day. Ketostix results read "small".

My next step is to minimise my fat intake and increase my carbs. Any other
advice?

Kiwi Mel

I found that my third day of a bike trip was tough, after starting Atkins.

I would grab some carbs like ground peanuts and rasins and then the
energy would surge.

You should increase your carbs if you are going to try to work the
Atkins approach.

IF, and I repeat IF, you have done the other things like vitamins and
all that.

IF you tried to do Atkins and LOW FAT, you almost surely won't have energy.

You might find that Atkins won't EASILY work for you, because not
everybody works the same. Some of the others here have probably been
through the same thing, and they are the best folks to listen to.

Wishing you well.

Jim

Exactly how small are those 5 meals and what have you been eating?
It's hard to give advice with little info. From what I do see, with
all that excercise and lack of energy, it sounds like you may not be
eating enough.

Most of what you describe is not typical. Did you read the book?

More info is needed. Try: http://www.Fitday.com

Many in this group can help. We will need to know your weight, carbs,
calories, and percentage of fat eaten measured by calories.

Nausea could be a sign that your portions are too large. You should not
force-feed yourself a large portion.

Temporary reduction in energy is common for a transition into or out of
ketosis. Many on LC report improved energy and a reduced need for sleep.

"Kiwi Byrd" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:1102047026.22777@ftpsrv1...

Quoted message said:

x-no-archive:yes

Hi there
I am on day 7 of Atkins and about to give up. The first four days my

energy

Quoted message said:

levels plummeted to the point that all I wanted to do was sleep. Day 5

this

Quoted message said:

improved somewhat, but not to pre-diet levels. The fatigue has been
replaced by a constant nausea which worsens in between meals. As if these
two factors weren't enough to make me give up, not only have I not lost

any

Quoted message said:

weight but it has increased by 1kg (that's 2.2lbs) and measurements

reflect

Quoted message said:

the increase. Clearly something is very wrong.

I have a non-sedentary job, I jog every weekday morning and train with
weights 4x a week. I have been strict about limiting my carbs to 20g and

do

Quoted message said:

not gorge on protein-rich or fat-rich foods. I eat 5 small similar-sized
meals a day. Ketostix results read "small".

My next step is to minimise my fat intake and increase my carbs. Any

other

Quoted message said:

advice?

Kiwi Mel

:
: Hi there
: I am on day 7 of Atkins and about to give up.

Are you really following the Atkins diet as laid out in his book? I get the
impression that you are not; that you are 'winging it' with some low carb
ideas of your own.

Pat in TX

jbuch said:

Kiwi Byrd said:

x-no-archive:yes

Hi there
I am on day 7 of Atkins and about to give up. The first four days my
energy
levels plummeted to the point that all I wanted to do was sleep. Day
5 this
improved somewhat, but not to pre-diet levels. The fatigue has been
replaced by a constant nausea which worsens in between meals. As if
these
two factors weren't enough to make me give up, not only have I not
lost any
weight but it has increased by 1kg (that's 2.2lbs) and measurements
reflect
the increase. Clearly something is very wrong.

I have a non-sedentary job, I jog every weekday morning and train with
weights 4x a week. I have been strict about limiting my carbs to 20g
and do
not gorge on protein-rich or fat-rich foods. I eat 5 small similar-sized
meals a day. Ketostix results read "small".

My next step is to minimise my fat intake and increase my carbs. Any
other
advice?

Kiwi Mel

I found that my third day of a bike trip was tough, after starting Atkins.

I would grab some carbs like ground peanuts and rasins and then the
energy would surge.

You should increase your carbs if you are going to try to work the
Atkins approach.

IF, and I repeat IF, you have done the other things like vitamins and
all that.

IF you tried to do Atkins and LOW FAT, you almost surely won't have energy.

You might find that Atkins won't EASILY work for you, because not
everybody works the same. Some of the others here have probably been
through the same thing, and they are the best folks to listen to.

Wishing you well.

Jim

Hang in there, it took me a few days before I got my energy back. As for
the weight gain, make sure you keep up on your water intake. And for the
nausea, ???? When ever I start to lo-carb, I end up taking a Zantac 150
for a day or so. I guess it's the change in diet.

x-no-archive:yes

Thanks for everyone's replies and suggestions.

I am female, and about 10kg overweight. From what I have since read about
LC diets, even those who are critical of them admit that people will lose
weight on them. That is why I was surprised to have actually gained a kilo.
Nausea IS a side effect of ketosis for some people . I have followed the
guidelines in the book religiously, and that is where I think I have gone
wrong. Even if I had lost weight, the nausea was unbearable. If anything,
I was force feeding myself to eat at all.

Here is what I have done since Day 8: Cut out butter and cream, cut down on
eggs, replaced any cheese with cottage cheese. Increased green veges. Two
days on the Ketostix are still reading "small" or "trace". Now yes, I am
"winging a form of LC diet of my own" as someone put it. Guess what. The
nausea has gone and my energy has returned.

I suspect that given my activity level, 20g of carbs just wasn't enough for
me to function on. Also, I have never been a big eater of eggs and dairy as
I find it too rich.

I will let you know how I get on.

Kiwi Mel

In article <1102047026.22777@ftpsrv1>, [email hidden]
says...

Quoted message said:

x-no-archive:yes

Hi there
I am on day 7 of Atkins and about to give up. The first four days my energy
levels plummeted to the point that all I wanted to do was sleep. Day 5 this
improved somewhat, but not to pre-diet levels. The fatigue has been
replaced by a constant nausea which worsens in between meals. As if these
two factors weren't enough to make me give up, not only have I not lost any
weight but it has increased by 1kg (that's 2.2lbs) and measurements reflect
the increase. Clearly something is very wrong.

You may actually have an illness that coincided with beginning to low-
carb. In my own experience, I did have some brief (just for a few
seconds here and there) bouts with nausea in the beginning, but not
enough to make me give up and they disappeared completely after about 2-
3 weeks. One thing I DID discover over this last year is that I have
become sensitive to some of the vitamins/oils I was taking. I'm STILL
trying to narrow it down, but for sure borage oil and fish oil were a
problem.

Quoted message said:

I have a non-sedentary job, I jog every weekday morning and train with
weights 4x a week. I have been strict about limiting my carbs to 20g and do
not gorge on protein-rich or fat-rich foods. I eat 5 small similar-sized
meals a day. Ketostix results read "small".

We need to know more specifics before we can help you. Low carb is NOT
a high-protein diet, but it IS a high-FAT diet. Trying to do low-fat is
counterproductive while low-carbing, so you should probably UP your fat
intake. Also, calories DO count, especially if you don't have a lot to
lose to begin with. A good rule of thumb is to eat 10-12 times your
current body weight.

Water is important, inside and out. You should drink LOTS of water. As
a woman, you will also RETAIN a certain amount of water periodically and
there's not much you can do about it other than to wait it out. Besides
retaining during your time of the month (aka TOM), excess sodium can
also cause water retention.

Quoted message said:

My next step is to minimise my fat intake and increase my carbs. Any other
advice?

Yes, don't do that if you plan to eat low-carb (advice subject to change
depending on how you are currently eating). You are getting lots of
exercise, so there is no obvious reason at this point why you should not
be losing weight. You should start feeling MUCH better very soon, but
the first 4-5 days can be quite draining (we refer to it as the "carb
flu"😉. After that you will probably experience a SURPRISING burst of
energy.

If you do not have a lot to lose in the first place (10-30 lbs), you may
not lose very quickly. People who have much more to lose tend to lose
quickly at first, but it tapers off as they get closer to goal. Also,
if you had already been fairly low in carbs, you may not lose as quickly
because the glycogen store in the liver has ALREADY been depleted or
nearly so. Each molecule of glycogen has 4-5 molecules of water bound
to it, so the impressive loss most people see during the first week or
so really IS mostly water. After THAT, it will start burning fat in
earnest, but it will slow to 1-2 lbs/week (some lucky people lose more
rapidly -- unfortunately, *I'm* not one of them :-)

Hang in there!

--
Saffire
205/147/125 - 5'1.5"
Atkins since 6/14/03
Progress photo: http://photos.yahoo.com/saffire333

In article <1102127036.629377@ftpsrv1>,

Kiwi Byrd said:

x-no-archive:yes

Thanks for everyone's replies and suggestions.

I am female, and about 10kg overweight. From what I have since read about
LC diets, even those who are critical of them admit that people will lose
weight on them. That is why I was surprised to have actually gained a kilo.
Nausea IS a side effect of ketosis for some people . I have followed the
guidelines in the book religiously, and that is where I think I have gone
wrong. Even if I had lost weight, the nausea was unbearable. If anything,
I was force feeding myself to eat at all.

Here is what I have done since Day 8: Cut out butter and cream, cut down on
eggs, replaced any cheese with cottage cheese. Increased green veges. Two
days on the Ketostix are still reading "small" or "trace". Now yes, I am
"winging a form of LC diet of my own" as someone put it. Guess what. The
nausea has gone and my energy has returned.

I suspect that given my activity level, 20g of carbs just wasn't enough for
me to function on. Also, I have never been a big eater of eggs and dairy as
I find it too rich.

I will let you know how I get on.

Kiwi Mel

I don't think limiting dairy will hurt you at all. You may have a dairy
sensitivity, in fact. I'm starting to think I might too. I also don't
think increasing green veggies will hurt either. I'm "winging it" too, and
for the first 45 pounds or so I had no problems losing, and I never limited
green veggies. The only things that inhibit my weight loss are sugar,
starchy foods like potatoes, rice, pasta, etc, and nuts.

Oh, I wouldn't worry too much about having to "force feed" yourself. A lot
of low-carb stuff is quite filling, so just eat less of it. If you don't
feel like eating heavy stuff, just have a salad. No biggie, won't hurt
you.

--
Michelle Levin
http://www.mindspring.com/~lunachick

I have only 3 flaws. My first flaw is thinking that I only have 3 flaws.