questions on side effects

[lisa6]

I just startes Atkins 6 days ago and my hetosis sick was reading "small" on Tuesday but with that I was lightheaded all day and did not feel very "normal" On day 5 The purple went back down to a trace I felt fine and today again I am feeling lightheaded again and am in the dark purple stage. Has anyone else had this effect??

I did read that the stick could change for various reasons and I have been drinking lots of water. Could this be becuase I always had so much sugar and caffeine through out the day that my body is reacting this way because now it has none??????
If anyone has had this problem--how long did it last???
Any suggestions???

[KvonM]

you're most likely experiencing what we call "induction flu". it's literally the withdrawal your body goes through as it gets rid of the last glucose stores and switches over to burning bodyfat. it can last anywhere from 3-5 days, usually starting around day 2 or 3. if you can last through it, when you come out the other side you'll find you have a lot more energy and stamina, and won't have to deal with mid-day bloodsugar crashes.

it also sounds like you're going through caffiene withdrawal. personally, i chose not to give up my coffee. that's purely a YMMV thing... some people can handle it, some people can't.

if you're getting light-headded, are you eating enough? can you post a day's menu so we can see what you're actually eating?

[penelope]

You just have to eat more and drink more. Because you are drinking a gallon of water you have to remember that you are also peeing a gallon you have to keep your fluid up during the day.

[OtherCher2]

I also chose not to give up my coffee. I drink 2-3 cups every morning as well as soft drinks and iced tea with caffeine and it has not affected my weight loss. However, YMMV.

Be careful not to overdo it on the water. You really can drink too much.

[Demokat]

You may have depleted potassium levels or depleted electrolytes. You may want to buy some Morton's Lite Salt and mix it with water. It helps restore your potassium levels, which can be flushed out of your drinking gallons of water. What helps me when I work out is Smart Water, which contains electrolytes.

[KvonM]

You just have to eat more and drink more. Because you are drinking a gallon of water you have to remember that you are also peeing a gallon you have to keep your fluid up during the day.
*confused* am i missing something? i didn't see where the OP specified she was drinking a whole gallon... just "lots".

also, a gallon of water in wouldn't automatically translate to a gallon of water out. that would assume that her body isn't absorbing any of the fluid, which would be an incredibly dangerous situation. even when we're fully hydrated, our bodies still absorb some water in the process.

we also don't know exactly how much the OP is eating. that's why i asked for a sample menu. :)

[Lucinda36]

I just startes Atkins 6 days ago and my hetosis sick was reading "small" on Tuesday but with that I was lightheaded all day and did not feel very "normal" On day 5 The purple went back down to a trace I felt fine and today again I am feeling lightheaded again and am in the dark purple stage. Has anyone else had this effect??

I did read that the stick could change for various reasons and I have been drinking lots of water. Could this be becuase I always had so much sugar and caffeine through out the day that my body is reacting this way because now it has none??????
If anyone has had this problem--how long did it last???
Any suggestions???

What exactly are you EATING?

Being lightheaded could be a sign that you're not eating enough food.

Don't worry about being "purple" or "pink"... either color is fine for the purposes of doing Atkins...

What exactly is "lots" of water.

[penelope]

*confused* am i missing something? i didn't see where the OP specified she was drinking a whole gallon... just "lots".

also, a gallon of water in wouldn't automatically translate to a gallon of water out. that would assume that her body isn't absorbing any of the fluid, which would be an incredibly dangerous situation. even when we're fully hydrated, our bodies still absorb some water in the process.



Thank you so much for your enlightening post.

[lisa6]

I will give you a menu for the last two days and what I ate so far today

Tuesday I ate
Breakfast
1 cup of decaf and 16 oz of water
2 egg omelet with 2 sl cheese, some bacon, onion, gr. peppers,and a little tomato
Lunch
2 sliss of swiss cheese
2 slices of ham -lunch meat
2 slices of hot pepper cheese
16 oz water
supper
1 porksteak
1/2 c green beans with butter
16oz carbonated flavored water sweetned with splenda
48oz. water

Wed.

16oz water
br-4 cups decaf coffee with splenda(2 packets divided among the cups)
2 scrammbled eggs
6 slices bacon

I snacked in the afternoon on
2 slices of hot pepper cheese
drank a 16 oz of flavored water

supper
can of tuna with a tbs of mayo
1/2 steamed cauliflower with butter

drank through out the rest of the day 52oz of water
and had 6oz of sugar free gelatin with topping

today
br-
2 cups coffee(today was the real thing)
2 boiled eggs with 1 tsp mayo, a little chopped onion, 1/2 teaspoon of brown mustard
22oz water
16oz. flavored water

lunch
1/2 pork steak
6oz sugar free jello with topping

drank 28oz more of water

It seems like the more water I drink the more I want, I also have been going to the bathroom alot and I even woke in the middle of the night to go...which I usually never have to do.
I hope it was ok to post this in the reply area

Any suggestion on my menu or do I just wait this out???

[227]

I have noticed a match between headaches and days when I'm dropping a lb a day.

I appreciate you haven't said you are losing a lot of weight, but "deep purple" would infer it.

The solution...
I think the Atkins book said to give yourself an extra cup of salad. It would slow down the deeper levels, and counteract any side effects.

I only know because I can get rampant headaches when I'm in too deep, and feel generally out of sorts - so increase your carb/salad allowance slightly to offset it.

You sound similiar to me, in that your induction phase will show "low resistance", hence you'll shift approx 12lbs during induction at a guess.

I seem to remember something about you maximise weight loss when you're just in trace - and its that point that you have to maintain.

Too deep can slow the weight loss, not speed it up - which is why I remember reading it, as its the opposite to what you'd expect.

But rampant headaches, for me, indicate massive daily weight loss, taking place.

Which indicates that the Atkins diet will suit you...
Prehaps, a little too much?
You take it easy - the amount of headache pills I went through finding that out, is embarrassing. (I normally go years without headaches, so the effects were striking).

Good luck, its sounds promising!!
I'd put my money on you having a low resistance at the end of your induction.

[227]

Hi Lisa 6. Found the quote in a different threat. The effects are what Dr Atkins were issuing warnings about.

That said, there are a few people who experience fatigue or light-headedness during their first week doing Atkins. Most often this means that the process is going too fast for their particular metabolism-they're losing weight too fast, losing water and certain minerals too fast, and their bodies can't keep pace with these quick changes. One sign is ascent weakness: You feel weak walking up stairs. These reactions can be aggravated by hot weather, when you are already losing minerals through sweat, or by taking a diuretic. Obviously, drinking lots of water is essential.
Usually, I advise patients who have these problems to slow down the weight loss. They should add another helping of vegetables to their evening meal or one or two ounces of nuts or seeds. Although their bodies would almost certainly adjust during the second week, there isn't any good reason for feeling washed out and sickly for even one day. After the symptoms abate, go back to the lower level of carb intake

[KvonM]

Thank you so much for your enlightening post.
*blink* um... ok then. you're welcome, i guess. :confused:

[lisa6]

The last two days I have had headaches also not real bad but enough to know that they are there. I will add a salad back into my diet and see what happens I think I may add reg coffee but limit myself to three cups a day, than slowly go to decaf for me I used to drink about or should I say at least 10 cups a day with lots of sugar and than switch to Pepsi for the rest of the afternoon and evening so I was surely caffeune and sugar dependent.LOL If some LC dieters are not having to much problem maybe I will just try to cut back caffeine and see what happens ...still have not seen any lost of pounds . Thank You for all the helpful info

[Lucinda36]

<<Any suggestion on my menu <<

I suggest more vegetables. Most of your 20 grams of carbohydrates on Induction should come from vegetables on the Induction food list. You need more than "salad".

Get rid of the flavored water... drink plain water. Sweetened water won't help you lose.

Watch the amount of cheese you're eating.

And... what's "topping"? Cool Whip?? If so... please read the list of ingredients... it's not Atkins friendly! Use real whipped cream!

I suspect you could be going over the limit of 3 servings of sweetener per day, too.

Cut back on your caffeine slowly...

[LessLiz]

Caffeine is not a problem What is known about caffeine has changed since Atkins death.

If you are using something like Cool Whip you should get rid of it and use whipped cream. You'll probably find that you use less of the real thing, too.

If you are feeling light headed you should eat more. Just pick a "legal" induction food and eat. As 227 points out, Atkins does indicate that if you stay lightheaded eating induction you should increase your carb intake. Your menus for the 3 days you posted are a little on the low side, but for me they would be fine. You might just need more food, not necessarily more carbs.

There is nothing wrong with flavored water as long as you watch the carb content -- it should be zero. I know that the Atkins police get upset about it but the 3 servings of sweetener are separate from diet drinks, and listed separately in the food lists. Personally, I could give a flip about how many servings of sweetener I use except for tracking carbs. I use Splenda minis for coffee -- 0.2g carb each -- and 0 carb liquid Splenda for everything else.

If you read all 3 Atkins books -- the 1972 original, the 1992 DANDR and the 2002 DANDR -- you'll discover they are all a bit different.

If you feel lightheaded then eat! This lifestyle is supposed to be about becoming healthier and better able to enjoy life.

[ojoj]

I'm a firm believer that sugar is an addictive drug and as such, it may have a few side effects when you go "cold turkey" and stop - just like coming off any addictive drug. The good thing is it doesnt last long and really isnt as severe as some other addictive withdrawals.

In a few days you'll feel great. full of energy, not hungry and altogether better.

I've heard it said that the worse it hits you when you give up sugar, the bigger your dependancy was. So persevere. Just make sure you are eating the right things, plenty of veg etc and drinking plenty of water

good luck

[lisa6]

the topping was the ready whip in the can which I thought would be ok in small amounts because it was less than 1 carb a serving the sweetned water was 0 carbs and I was drinking one a day just when I needed to get over the Pepsi crave LOL so I will add a few more carbs and see were that gets me. I am also going to see about his other books I have Dr Atkins Diet Revolution and the one I have just started reading was Atkins for Life
Thanks Again for all the helpful info that gets me thinking
Hopefully these pounds start going away. LOL

[lisa6]

oops I posted a reply and don't know were it went LOL so if it comes up twice I am sorry.
The flavored water had o carbs and I just drank one a day to get rid of the pepsi crave and the topping was in the can (reddi whip) less than one carb per serving. I have the book Dr Atkins New Diet Revolution which is a pretty old one and the one I have just started looking at was Atkins for life it ha a lot of menus and suggestions -I just kind of wanted to see what I am looking at to make this a life time change.
I will add more carbs and see how I feel and hopefully the pounds will start coming off.
Thanks for all the good suggestions and comments.

[LessLiz]

The 1972 book is Dr. Atkins Diet Revolution. The 1992 edition of Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution is different than the 2002 edition, even though it has the same title.

[KvonM]

one of the things that's so absolutely wonderful about atkins is that it really encourages you to eat whole, non-processed foods. as a society, we've gotten so dependent on ready-made stuff that we've forgotten what it's like to have the real mccoy.

real, heavy cream, the kind that's so thick it's like smooth mud coming out of the container, makes a better whipped topping than anything coming out of a pressurized can. the cream my mom used to be able to get was so naturally sweet that she didn't even have to add sugar when it whipped. you can get something similar at trader joes.

be careful on the "less than one carb per serving" labels. more often than not, they've tweaked the serving size to be so small that it's nearly impossible to adhere to. one serving of heavy cream is about a tablespoon, and it doubles in volume when it's whipped. one serving of reddi-whip is probably less than half the amount of the fluid cream, and it's full of chemicals, preservatives, and high fructose corn syrup.

stick with the whole stuff. it's so much better, on every level.