Headaches?

[Hathor68]

Today is my first day doing a low carb thing and I was forwarned of the no caffeine rule..headaches. Maybe I created it myself, but I'm getting one. I typically would have 1 cup of coffee in the AM and that's it. Sometimes, coke for lunch but not always.

Would one cup of coffee in the AM hinder the Induction that much? Or, can I take some excedrin or something (it has caffeine in it?)

[Gaelen]

Hathorn, I didn't do Atkins, but Protein Power--which I started at 30g ECC/day and then moved up to 40g ECC/day after a month. For most of my time on PP (more than two years) I drank 2 16 oz. cups of coffee, with half and half (but no sweetener of any kind). I'm a stroke survivor and need to avoid migraines or headaches of any type at all costs, so unless I was on meds that interacted with caffeine, I've never given it up. I've lost nearly 50lbs. since I began in Feb, 2002. I lost about 12lbs. in the first three weeks, and then lost pretty steadily for the rest of the first year. The second year I lost inches steadily, and pounds at a few ounces per month...but they all added up, and I was MUCH closer to goal the second year, so it stands to reason that weight would be harder to lose.

IMO, coffee doesn't really either help or hurt a diet plan, especially at the one-cup-a-day level. But YMMV, and the Atkins plan does recommend that you forego caffeine for the two week induction.

[Hathor68]

Well, I caved and took some Excedrin and it helped. I'm only on day 2, so we'll see what happens. I also live in Georgia and pollen is at an all time high, so I'm sure that's contributing as well.

I'm anxious and positive about this though, never thought I could do it as a vegetarian; but I would LOVE to lose the 20+ lbs I packed on last fall and the other 10lbs that I never ever could drop.

These posts have been inspiriing. Thanks!

[sjkling]

Hathor, i have to confess that i never gave up my coffee or the occasional diet coke. i just couldn't do it! but i had headaches anyway! i think i suffered from carb withdrawal! i think everyone has to do what they have to do to succeed, and for me, it was to continue with my cup of black coffee!

[janellmd]

Do you think the cause of the headaches are from caffeine withdrawal or from something else? I really don’t see why caffeine would have an adverse effect on induction but I haven’t read the actual Atkins book. A lot of the diets are just trying to reduce the chemicals in your system.
If you don’t know what the cause is, you may want to consider removing aspartame/NutraSweet from your diet. Instead, try to use Stevia or Splenda. There has been a lot of controversy about NutraSweet, most people don’t have a problem, but occasionally some people have severe reactions that come on so slowly they usually are unable to determine the cause.
Several years ago I started to suffer from severe headaches that landed me in the ER several times. Multiple doctors and dozens of tests and they couldn’t find the cause. My brother talked me into eliminating NutraSweet and within several weeks the headaches improved. I still get the occasional headache, of course, but nothing as severe as I used to. My general health has also improved, I don’t seem to get sick as much as I did.
Just something to think about. Good Luck, hope the headaches improve.

[Hathor68]

Who knows, today has been better though. My only other real experience with headaches was last year when I developed high blood pressure. (Which was un-nerving being a vegetarian, aren't I healthy?) I found out I had it because I was getting continual headaches at work and taking large amounts of ibuprofen. Anyway, the headaches were due to the blood pressure level. As soon as I began taking meds, they went away.

I'm hoping if I lose this excess weight, I can either lower the dose of meds for blood pressure or quit it all together. We'll see!

Being positive today!
:-)