Help! Atkins veterans!

[snoopy]

I feel like such a loser coming here begging for HELP when I really should be over here more offering you guys support. Please bear with me though, just for a bit.

O.K., I started on Atkins 8 days ago. I have followed the induction foods to the letter. I work out at Curves 3 x per week, on the other 4 days I either run on my treadmill or rollerblade around my neighborhood. I'm in pretty decent shape health-wise, but I have 25 lbs. to lose.

Here is the thing - yesterday at Curves, I was using one of the machines and I got REALLY short of breath. This is a machine I have used many times and have never had that experience. Now today I feel VERY sluggish, my legs feel a bit crampy, and I am most definately short of breath. Is this normal?

I read in the book that leg cramps in the middle of the night are common, but this is a little different. I feel more achy, its not like I am having Charley Horses. And the shortness of breath thing is sort of scaring me!

Also, in the 8 days I have been on the diet I have lost 9 lbs. That seems like a lot, maybe its too much?

Any guidance will be appreciated. I don't want to get off the diet, because so far its been pretty easy, and the BEST thing is that I have stayed off sugar/bakery products - a HUGE weakness for me - with very few cravings. This is definately a first, any other time I have tried diets (Weight Watchers) all I ever thought about was eating sweets. But I'm worried about these side effects! Anyone else experience these problems, particularly the shortness of breath?

[LisaTx]

I'm no expert on this, but your body is going through some major changes right now. You're going through a detox from carbs. Your body normally uses carb for fuel. After 8 days, your body is running low on carbs and is looking for another source of fuel. It's not at all uncommon to feel almost flu like in the first few days. I'm not sure how the shortness of breath comes in here, but it's not surprising you're feeling different.

If the shortness of breath continues though, I would definitely see your Dr. That could be a sign of some more serious health concerns.

Losing 9 pounds in 8 days is not at all unusual. A lot of it is water weight and the loss will definitely slow down soon.

You're doing great, Snoopy. I hope you get to the bottom of this and can stay with it. :)

[snoopy]

Thanks Lisa - I'll give the shortness of breath one more day, if it continues I'll call the doctor.

If anyone else has experienced this, particularly the shortness of breath, I'd be much obliged to hear about it. Thanks. :)

[RUDisney]

Are you taking a multi-vitamin every day? My SIL experienced this when she was on Atkins and she wasn't taking vitamins. She went off and is thinking about starting again since she's seen what it has done for me. She said that if she starts again, its definitely going to be with a vitamin each day.

[Rhonda]

Snoopy - the shortness of breath could be coming with the overall sluggishness, etc. that you should be going through your first few days. But, like you said, if it keeps up more than a couple of more days I would call the doctor just in case. Shortness of breath is not normally a side-effect of a low-carb diet, but your body might just need a few days to adjust.

You might want to keep from working out just during Induction. After Induction, you could slowly work back up to your workout schedule, as you slowly add more carbs into your diet.

And, like RUDisney says - vitamins and minerals are very important! Make sure you're getting a multi-vitimin every day, along with extra Potassium (for cramps), Vitamin E, and Calcium! Fish oil capsules are very good to take while on a low-carb diet too.

[mum4jenn]

You are off to a great start. I lost 13 my very first week. Everyone is different.

[septbride2002]

A multi vitamin would help. And you may need one that carries a lot of potassium. I've been taking One a Day weight control vitamins and that seems to be working fine for me. But it doens't have much potassium in it.

How many carbs is in a bannana anyway?

Also a lack of iron can make you feel sluggish. If you've been sticking to chicken and white meat you may need to eat a hamburger (minus the bun). I am borderline anemic (sp?) and whenever I start to feel sluggish a cheeseburger purks me right up.

~Amanda

[RUDisney]

A small banana has 21.2 net g carbs. YIKES!

Broccoli is a better alternative at 1.5 net g carbs per 1/2 cup for potassium.

[snoopy]

Well, I decided to go off the Atkins diet. I woke up last night dizzy, and while perhaps one is SUPPOSED to feel this way, it scared me half to death. This morning I had some peanut butter on an apple and I feel SO much better.

I guess its back to Weight Watchers for me.

Thanks to all for your support, and best of luck to those of you who have had so much success with this diet. If nothing else, I am glad I read the book - so many myths that I had always believed to be true of the Atkins diet are just that - myths - it really is a healthy way to eat. I'm going to take some of it and incorporate it into my new plan, just not all of it.

[Rhonda]

Snoopy - you CAN have peanut butter on an apple when you're on Atkins! I do all the time! I just be sure to buy the "Real" peanut butter (in the refrigerator section) because it's sugar free! I wouldn't give up on low carb yet. Your body was just telling you to not give up all your carbs at once! I think if you wean yourself slowly over a couple of weeks, you will feel much better. Some people need to do this.