Does low Carb Diets cause depression

[Josiemk]

I been on the Atkins diet for 4 days now ,it's also TOM. I'm usually in a better mood but lately I have been feeling down. I think that it's from not eating all those carbs plus I'm hungry , I thought with this diet you aren't suppose to be hungry. Is this going to pass? I hate to live like this I'm not happy , my head hurts, I'm hungry & I'm tempted to quit. Does anyone eles go through this?

Josie

[agonycat]

In a way I suppose low carb does cause depression. Reason being is your body is detoxing and going through withdrawals from an addiction of carbohydrates.

It does pass quickly enough. Once your body switches over to it's new fuel source you feel quite good and energetic. I would say probably another couple of days you should be feeling right as rain :)

If you are hungry, EAT. Don't starve your body while it is detoxing. The more fat in your diet the less you feel hunger pains. Fat is quite filling and satisfying.

[Colleenski]

Hi Josie :)
For me, eating high carbs was causing depression. You get wild insulin swings which affects seretonin levels and the hormones suffer big time! I had a breakdown last summer for no apparent reason and was gaining weight steadily.
I found that this woe was the only answer to "fixing" this problem. All the other options were medication and eating small meals at least 6-10 x a day.
It took me about 3-4 days to get through the yucky part and afterwards, I have been dry eyed ever since.
I can tackle daily life now and have been given a new lease on life, Thank the Lord!
I don't think people realize how what we eat affects how we feel these days and right now your body is not getting the insulin "fix" that it is used to getting. So you will feel kinda sick and glum until It figures out, "Wow, I can get fuel from fat!"
With ANY new program or diet (woe), you need to give it at least 6 weeks time for your body to adjust. Only then can you see if it really works.
I would like to encourage you to stick with it and after you are feeling better, you will see things differently :thup:

[lyndat]

Don't give in! It will pass...just go make yourself whatever "I can't believe I'm eating this" food you love...Like bacon and eggs, spinach and cheese omelet, deviled eggs, sausage pattie, a string cheese stick...every 30 minutes if necessary. Then-take a walk! Down the hall if you're at work, around the block if you're at home. It will soon pass and you'll feel wonderful and full of energy! Good luck :daze: Lynda

[Josiemk]

For your support. I am so use to eating low fat & not much meat. I did go for a walk today it was so nice out finally a day that's not around 100. I also notice my stomach is looking a little flatter & I'm not blotted all the time. I'm starting to feel a little better anyways.
I'm going to try and stick w/ it , hopefully this part will be over soon.

Josie

[Marlaine]

Josie.....

I felt so wretched at the beginning of LCing that I spent 2-3 days mostly on the couch. I was too crabby for public consumption and did a lot of sleeping just to help time to pass. Fortunately, I'd made up my mind that I would give myself the two weeks of Induction done by the book before I made any kinds of decision about quitting. And by the end of the first week I was feeling a lot better.

I have never been so even tempered and consistently in a good mood in my whole life as I am now on LC.

Hang in there....it definately gets better.

Marlaine

[Kristine]

Yup, I can see how it'll cause mild depression. We tend to "use" carbohydrates to give us a serontonin lift. Of course, TOM doesn't help, either. Stick with it! Give it that full two weeks before you make a decision. :thup:

[AmberAA1]

Hey Josiemk, :wave: I was lowfat for the last 10 years. It worked great. Then I got hurt and gained 30 pounds. The lowfat was yo-yoing me on the scale. Plus I always had alot of gas and bloating on it. I have only been lowcarbing for a week, but I have never felt better. No bloating I always feel full, no hunger pangs. Maybe the depression is because you miss your sweets or whatever it was you can't eat now that you use to eat alot of before. What was your favorite food when you were lowfat. The first day I went to low carb I looked in the frige and there was nothing for me to eat. My entire frige was lowfat. I mean nothing. You'll feel better everyday you stick with it. Keep your head up.

Amber

[Josiemk]

I still miss the sweets. I'm use to living off of pasta , rice & bread. My waist is getting smaller, I've lost 1/2 inch around my waist & I haven't felt bloated, I use to just eat alittle & bloat so easily I never realized that those starches cause that. I want to lose
1 1/2 off my waist then I'll reach my goal . I have never came this close before on other diets. I'm so excited.

Josie

[AmberAA1]

You goooo girl! Just needed a lil push. The more I lost the more I want to stick with it too. I still have a way to go but now it just seems easier to do. I feel like a weight has been lifted off of me, I can see and feel clearer. I don't really know how to explain it. But it feels good.

[Josiemk]

Next week I'll be on week 3 , I know that for the frist time I'll reach my goal. This is the smallest I' ve been , since my early 20's. I am shaped more like a woman then an overweight guy. I can't believe all that rice,pasta , pasta, bread & friut can make a person over weight, that's what I mainly eat on low fat diets. It was so hard to give up the sweets too.
I 'm glad to see that you are doing good too. I think w/ it being that TOM, was the reason I was down for a while , along w/ all the temptation I had.

Josie

[AmberAA1]

I know what you mean about the lowfat stuff. I stayed on pasta and rice just about everyday. Good going on the loss. I'm just coming to the TOM and hope I won't get a sweets craving. I'm on and off with that. I don't do any chocolate, so I'm safe there. Did you ever try Don Quai? It helps with TOM. I just got home, so I guess I'll go weigh myself to see if I did any damage. I didn't really cheat, but I was afraid about eating out for the first time. You know if you don't make it yourself, you don't know what they put in food. I'm glad your ok and keep up the good work.

[Josiemk]

Amber
No I never tried Don Quai. I sarted Atkins & about a week before I was due for my monthly, which caused my cravings to be worst , I believe. But when I do have a craving I eat a couple of peanuts. It's not as bad as chocolate. I eat out alot. I eat chicken . You can get burgers too , just don't eat the bun or order fries or bake potatoe. Just eat meat & non starchy veggies. And no croutons on your salad.

Josie

[AmberAA1]

It showing 1 pound, but that could be bloating. This is my pms week so I really won't be able to tell for 2 weeks. Way to much time. I was afraid to try the hamburgers while I was out because you never know what they season them with or if there is fillers in the meat. My keto strip didn't change at all and thats a first. This is my third week too. I have alot more to lose than you. Your almost there, Congrats girl! :thup: Thanks for the info and have a great day.

Amber

[Josiemk]

I didn't think fillers for a hambruger would have carbs, I know meat loaf has carbs. Do you exersize? Just stick with it. You'll get there.

Josie

[AmberAA1]

Don't some places put like bread crumbs in their hamburgers? I know some people told me to go to McDonalds, but I was afraid to. Yeah I do like execercise 35 -40 minutes on the bike in the morning. I drink a ton of water all day. Even get up in the middle of the night. Thanks for the info and have a good day.

Amber

[thinsoon6]

I was lc for 4 days and lost 5 lbs and then tom struck. I to was way more grouchy and tired. I totally carbed out!!!!! Way more thay usual. Now that I'm over it and carbed up I feel great and full of energy. Today in my 1st lc day since tom. Hope I'm not so grouchy and tired again

[Josiemk]

Amber,
I haven't eat a hamburger at a resturant in a long time. But make sure you drink lots of water & get some fiber, on that day.

Josie

[Josiemk]

It will pass as you can tell I 'm feeling better but I only had one TOM since I started Atkins, next Sunday will be my 4th week. Hope I don't feel this way again next TOM. I was going to quit I felt so bad.

Josie

[JudyinFL]

Hi -

I've been doing this 7 weeks now and am happy to report that it gets LOTS better. When I began I wasn't happy and I wasn't sleeping well. I read up on this forum and lots of books and stuck to it. I don't believe how much thinner I feel - I walk around being a wonder to myself! :D

I did adopt a couple of supplements that helped...potassium for the blah feeling, and magnesium, which, IMHO, helped with both sleep and depression. (bad sleep --> bad feelings)
You can read about them in this forum and in Atkins and in Protein Power Lifeplan.

I'm coping with an stressful workload, on LC, and never felt better!

The no bloat keeps happening, and the energy just never stops.
This morning I got up cheerful, and didn't believe it...even before coffee.

Keep on...

[AmberAA1]

My TOM is starting today, plus I am going out of town. I was hoping this would make it better. Before I picked up this weight when I got hurt I never had it as bad as now. I was hoping that losing the weight would lose the problems. I started taking Iron pills and that really helped though. I'll be wishing and hoping the entire 3 hour drive down.... :(
Everyone have a good weekend.


Amber

[Josiemk]

I'm still not sleeping as good as I use to. I'm not sure if it's the extra energy or waking up to go to the bathroom but I'm in better mood.

Josie

[Josiemk]

Since I Started Lo carbing I don't have very many headaches ( well once I got past my addictions )& my stomache rearly hurts now. I notice that my feet are not so sensitive with less weight on them. I can also exersize longer as well. BTW where are you going is it business or vacation.
Have a safe trip & a good weekend.
Write me when you get back & let me know how you are doing.

Josie

[AmberAA1]

We have a house in Cape May, NJ. I went to Atlantic City for Thurs and Fri all pleasure, then spent Sat and Sun in Cape May. It was ok, great for BF in both places. He won, I lost. AGAIN. I ate good, but felt lousy. Alot of the medication I have to take have ose words in them, so I thought Sunday everything should be fine with TOM gone, I could stop all the pills, I woke up and drank a premade shake from Atkins. It said it had 2gs of sugar, and cellulose gel? Plus it has 2 carbs. The powder mix I have isn't like that. I was disgusted to start my day off like that. I did ok the rest of the day. What did you do this weekend? Have any fun? It rained all the way home, but we needed it. Have you ever tried melatonin about an hour before you sleep? I take it, mostly because I use to wake up all night long. Now I still wake up ( just to run to the BR) but I fall right back asleep when I get back in bed. It doesn't have any side effects at all, actually I wake up with more energy. It's all natural. I started with the 1 mg., you should give it a try. Well I thought I turned off my mail, but must have been mistaken, I have a ton to answer. Thanks for everything.

Amber

[Josiemk]

That sounds nice, did you go fishing? I love to go fishing we go do to Corpus Cristi. We didn't do much this weekend my husband has been sick w/ a cold.
It has been rainy here to ,we are usually in a drought at this time of the year.
:( I didn't do so good I am having cravings again I start TOM in a week & I have been sneaking in little pieces of candy I guess it was due to boredom & TOM coming. I got on the scale & it seems it's weight lose has slowed down, well least I didn't gain any of it back. This is usally the time I put on a few pounds. But I'm not having the other PMS side affects least not yet.
I never tried Melatonin, I never had trouble sleeping until I started Lcarbing. But my sleeping has returned to normal.
Well I need to go & do my work out . Take care

Josie

[AmberAA1]

No I didn't fish here. I go at my house in MD. I live on the water and have a 50 ft pier. We have a jetski and lift on the pier too. I do alot of crabbing, we have big crab pots around the entire pier. I don't eat fish cause I already have too much mercury in my blood. I love to eat it, but then I get sick. Hope your husband is feeling better. So normally I catch the fish and use them as crab bait. Then I catch the crabs and give them to my sister and neighbors. I love crabmeat, but more in the crab cake style. Just get tired of picking the crabs. LOL.

Amber

[Josiemk]

:wave: That sounds like fun. Have you always lived there? I always wanted to go up north . I'm at the other end of the country. I'm just north of San Antonio , Texas. We live out in the country on a small ranch, owned by my inlaws. They have a good size pond out here. I grew up in South Texas & Louisiana. I never had a white Christmas either. My inlaws are from Ohio. My family is from Missouri. So maybe one day I will. It snows here once every 20 years.
I don't eat much sea food, I wish I did. But I love to fish. I'm training my self to like more fish but it seems most of it is breaded so it has alot of carbs which I'm not suppose to have.

[AmberAA1]

I live in Chase, MD. It's off the chesapeake Bay, I live off the Gunpowder river.
http://community.webshots.com/photo/14414423/14414484PLIPgPOceh
Heres a pic of one part of it, theres lots more if you look in the same place. This is Downtown Baltimore, It's about 20 mins from my house with my jetski.
The snow thing ain't that big a deal, especially when the ice comes with it. You can't really do anything. Except slide. You have never had your hands so cold it hurts, or so frozen you can't feel it. If you ever get up north you have to have the seafood. Crabs and fish, oysters, clams are all plentiful here. Atkins says you can have seafood, boiled and baked or broiled. He has a really nice shrimp & feta recipe on Atkins that I want to try.
http://atkinscenter.com/food/recipes/all/Shrimp_and_Feta_Stew.html
Maybe when I get off of induction. They sell Maryland crabcakes on QVC. You should try them sometime. This is getting too long. Check out the pics. See ya

Amber

[Josiemk]

I might have to go back to it. I stop losing.I still have 10 more pounds to go till I reach my goal. But this is the closest I ever been to my goal weight. I start next Monday (TOM) & I am fighting tempations again but least I'm not bloated anymore. I have given into it a few times & resulted in belly aches & run to the restroom.:(
Wow I could stay on that website for hours.:cool: They didn't have San Antonio or Austin , I live between them but closer to S.A.

Josie

[AmberAA1]

Yeah it is really nice. I have some pictures on there also. Just do a search and put AmberAA1 under the search name or author. I have been on induction since the last week in August, I think. On TOM I have to take these pills that have sugar in them and they take me out of ketosis. So I am at a loss of what to do myself.
You should take some pic and put them in there for your area. Then we can all see the place where you live. If you can think of what I should do let me know. Thanks and I hope you have a great day.


http://www.dreamwater.com/angelsinside/ang20003_small1.jpg

[Josiemk]

:wave: Hi, I rember that you started around the time that I did.
Why do you have to take those pills? If you don't mind me asking. I looked at your journal it looks like you are eating less then I am. I ate every couple of hours that I'm awake I just eat little at a time. Maybe you need a little more fat, because you have slowed your metabolism by low fat diets. I think I need to quit the nuts & seeds or go back to induction phase. But I heard that taking L Carnitine &/or taking Green Tea helps to boost your metbolism. Maybe you should try them, I'm thinking about it if after I start & I don't see a drop. Or if you have time exersize a little longer. I average 2 hours a day when I have time.
Take care.

Josie

[AmberAA1]

wow, I wish I had 2 hours a day to excercise. I'm lucky I get the 35 mins in the morning and the lunch walk. As far as the vitamins, I take the L- Cartadine already, well most of the time. YOu and a couple of people have suggested I add more fat. They also said to eat real hamburger instead of turkey hamburgers. I eat three fair sized meals a day and normally a snack. Or a little breakfast and a larger dinner. So I guess I'll go back to real hamburger, I just like the taste of the turkey burgers. I read a lot of peoples journals where they don't even excercise and they lose more. I guess it's one of those things where it depends on the person. Well I'm off for the weekend away again. Talk to you soon and thanks for the link on the vitamins.


Amber
:roll:

[Josiemk]

:wave:It doesn't look like you are getting much fat. I even eat more snacks then you do , but I think I have to eat more for all the exersizes I do. If I didn't exersize I probably would need less food. But I get a rush from exersize. If I don't I feel so sluggish & lazy. How much weight have you lost so far / or how much more do you have to go? Because in Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution it mentions in chapter 16 on the pre maintenance part of the diet that you should lose the last 5 to 10 pounds real slow in order to maintain the weight for life. He says you should spend ideally at least a month & preferably two or three in this phase.
I haven't started yet ,I wish that it would hurry up because it makes me hungry when I have pms. Plus it makes me want to cheat & sometimes I give in like last night & then it makes me fell sick afterwards. I won't even check the scale because I'm afraid I may gain weight. :tears:

Josie

[AmberAA1]

I am in my third week of induction. Because I have to go back and fourth with the pills every 2 1/2 weeks for TOM, I stayed on induction longer. Everyone else is telling me to go on to the next phase. I haven't really read that part yet, but think I will tonight. I think one main thing is that I eat alot of turkey meat instead of real meat. So I went shopping yesterday and bought all real meat. Ground beef, bacon and sausage. So let see what this week holds. I'm in ketosis in the 80s, so I'm ok there. I love to excercise too, if I don't I feel the same way as you. Can't get my day started. I read alot on this link too.http://pub35.bravenet.com/faq/show.php?usernum=2948635214&password=&catid=795&action=showcat
Gotta finish dinner. talk with ya later.


Amber

[Josiemk]

Well I started this morning , so hopefully another pound or two will come off as well. I just read you can have peperoni as snack , cool I'll have to get some , I thought they were the same as salami , I love salami, but I haven't had it in so long. Sun flower seeds are also good because they take a while if you get the ones w/ the shells.
Are you a police woman, my brother is a policeman for Austin ,Texas?

Josie

[AmberAA1]

I use to be a police officer for the state of MD. I did it like 5 years, got tired of all holidays and weekend work. Now I make my own schedule and if I want to do nothing today and really bust my butt tomorrow I can pretty much do just that. Except for emergency jobs. Now I do security and locksmithing for the state in a mental institution. We have mentally insane and criminally insane patients. You see some pretty weird stuff.
I saw we can eat beef jerky and sausage along with pepperoni and cheese.

Amber

[Josiemk]

the nutrition label some have quite a bit of carbs. That's cool that we can have sausage though. Because it's cheap , easy,& quick. Beef here is pretty cheap the area I live in people raise cows for beef.:yum:
You job sounds interesting. Least you don't have the same old routine every day. I'm not working right now. I might open my own business soon, if Lord willing, I'm a licesenced esthetician, in other wards I'm a skin care specialist. No not like a sales person, like Mary Kay, that's what some people think a skin care specialist does. I personally hate sales.
Well I have to go. Take care.

Josie

[AmberAA1]

yeah some do have a lot of carbs. It's weird it's all called the same thing but the labels read all different stuff. I was in Virginia and they must be the beef jerky capital or something. They had like 50 different flavors in this little store we stopped in, (check this out, for gas!). I couldn't belive all the different flavors. I can't see eating it because it's not fresh and you never know when this stuff was made. They say it doesn't matter, but I don't know if I could really eat it. Well I'm going into phase 2 this week. Started yesterday, so hopefully this will resolve the stall issue. Gotta get ready for work. See ya later.

Amber
http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/SWeiss7750/Angelaniang1.gif

[Josiemk]

Hi,
Yeah I know what you mean about freshness , You go into some of these butchers & they have all the beef jerky in like a box & it ain't even wraped. You never know who's hands have been in there, someone could have just gotten done tending cattle & then run in to get something & decided they would like some jerky. Excuse the graphics.
I just got back from my walk, I went walking in Seguin park, it's so pretty out there I could have stayed there all day, but my pockets were filled ; there's pecans every where so it was little distracting. I hate buying them when I can go to the park & get them free, may be one day I'll have some planted in the yard.
I hope it helps you, I wish my weight would drop, it dosen't even seem to budge.

Josie

[AmberAA1]

My weight hasn't budged in 2 weeks, oh maybe 1 pound.WOW I have been going through and through DANDR. I read the entire thing. I can't see where I am doing anything wrong. I do the supplements he requires, the oils and everything. One thing I did notice is that in every supplement I take, they have some sort of Ose in them. Most of them have cellulose something or other, either gel or gum or something similar. Look-
L- Carnitine - microcrystalline cellulose & ethylcellulose & croscarmellose sodium
b100 B complex - just cellulose
Hydroxycut - cellulose
centrum -lactose, the micro cellulose, methylcellulose,glucose, and nickelose sulfate
Iron pills - cellulose hydroxypropyl methicellulose and carboxymethylcellulose
Melatonin - cellulose and cellulose gum

WHAT ARE ALL THESE OSE's??? and can we have them? Is there a forum for these? All these oses and all these questions. LOL
Do you have to be a pharmacist to figure this out?

Amber

[Josiemk]

Amber, those are a form of sugar. I don't know what those are.I just know the main ones. You should post that question over in the nutritional supplament section on the forum I don't really pay attention to the ingredients of vitamins , just the nutrients,but it looks like I should.:doah: But I just checked mine & it looks like I'm getting alot more carbs then I thought I was. That really stinks, maybe that's why I have been in platua for awhile. I am a vitamin & herb freak, I am probably taking to many. Here what I take a day: Gynemna Slyvestre,L lysine, Green Tea, Chromin Picolinate, B 100 Complex, Women's one aday, Vitamin E, Omega 3 fatty Acid, Calcium, Magnesium, & Zinc I think that's it.
Are you close to your goal. 1 pound in two weeks is good , At first you lose fast then it slows down, plus you are probably building muscle,but you are losing fat.
Well I have to go we have family coming for the week end. Have a good week end talk to you later.

Josie

[Josiemk]

In your vitamins & if it's ok to have them. I was just wondering because I see them in most vitamins. I finally lost a few more pounds over the week end. I guess it just takes time. So I shouldn't let it get to me.

Josie

[AmberAA1]

Nah, I didn't get an answer yet. I really don't know where to post it to get an answer. I didn't see a vitamin link here. Am I missing it? Glad you lost more weight. Congrats! :clap: I might go talk with trainer Dan when he is in the chat room once a week. He seems like he knows what he's talking about. Do you know where else I could post it? Let me know, k. Have a great day and congrats again..Your turning into to a BIG LOSER!!! Good for you.
Amber

[AmberAA1]

I got an answer to the questions about vitamins and posted it in your journal.

[MarieB]

When you are on the first week of induction, you might feel depressed and discouraged. You are going through withdrawls from an addiction to carbohydrates. It's just like qutting smoking or a drug you are addicted to, and it can be diffifult but stick with it for at least 2 weeks and you should come out of it and be much better off.
I am manic depressive, and I have noticed that I hardly ever suffer from depression anymore. I do get down, and I am still more emotional than I might like, but the mood swings and the highs and lows are MUCH better. My lows are NEVER as low as they used to be, and I seem to have a more stable and happy mood on a regular basis, rather than up and down like a roller coaster.
A combination of a balanced, low-carb diet, proper vitamin and fatty acid supplements as well as regular exercise should clear up your depression problem. I have been on this woe for amost 4 months and I am the most healthy I have been in my entire teenage and adult life. It isn't a fad diet, it is a way of life and it is an excellent choice if you suffer from obesity, depression, fatigue, diabetes, etc.
Keep your chin up, do good things for yourself and just picture how great you will feel when you get through the withdrawls. It will help. Good luck to you! Hugs

[Josiemk]

:wave:
AMber, I'll have to check my journal , I don't post as often as I should though.

Marie B.,
Thanks, I am over my depression,you are right about the withdrawls , that was my problem, I couldn't eat what I was craving. I'm off the induction part, & I am doing great now, I feel so much better, I'm also more active, i'm even happy w/ my size. I do plan on living a Low carb life style for the rest of my life, because of my sugar addictions, plus I don't bloat so easily.

Josie

[MarieB]

I'm glad to hear you're feeling better:) Congrats and good for you for sticking with it!
Hugs
Marie