Hi all!
I'm a newbie and just started the Atkins induction on Monday.
I seem to have already lost 3-4 lbs which is great if I can keep it up.
Problem is I'm a freelancer and a bunch of projects came my way yesterday and I nee to get some work done.
Which wouldn't normally be a problem but I'm getting incredible headaches and dizzy spells and can't think straight!
I'm not big on caffiene so not missing out there but I was (am) a major carbohydrate addict.
I'm eating pretty well I think.
burger patty with cheddar and salad for breakfast
snack of bacon
cream of broccoli soup for lunch.
about 80 oz water so far today.
What can I do?
I feel really drained and just want to give in to anything that'll make me feel better!
Any help or encouragement would be greatly appreciated!

You could try adding in an extra cup of vegetables, according to DANDR. I felt so bad my first week also, almost gave up, but it does go away.

I'm sooo new! What does DANDR stand for?
Thanks!

I just figured it out. DUH!

This is also my 3rd day of induction, although I restarted after the weekend cause I messed up ALOT. But the week before when I had done induction I too got horrible headaches....2 tylenol did the trick, thats if you don't mind taking it.

Good luck, hope it passes fast!

Charlene

I started induction 10 days ago and days 2 and 3 I felt unbelievably bad!! I also had headaches and was light-headed, not able to concentrate. Unfortunately I didn't find much that helped, aside from time (by day 4 I was feeling quite a bit better, though still not much energy) and finding marvelous support and encouragement from the friendly folks here.

If you stick with it, it will get better. I was a bread-loving, sugar-addicted, milk-drinking fool. And giving that all up at once was a major shock to my body. Luckily it doesn't seem to take too long for most to adjust to this WOE.

Continued blessings on your lc journey. And if you ever need anything, just ask. There are countless people who are ready, willing and able to help.

anonyMouse

what you are experiencing is CARB withdrawal... not pleasant but usually gone in less than a week so you should be close to getting over the hump. It can be really bad, I had terrible headache. If you can cope with them, take tylenol and drink +++ water that, keep to induction and it will be over soon.

good luck

Eat often and try to eat some veggie carbs with each small meal. That will keep your blood sugar levels stable. A few extra veggie carbs are NOT going to hurt you.

The "can't think straight" is the brain fog that is part of withdrawal. As Lise said, all this is usually over by Day 5.

Try some L-Glutamine and Gingko Biloba- both supplements really helped me through that difficult first week of breaking the carb addiction.

I also snacked on some nuts to help with the fatigue.

Hope this helps! Best of luck to you!

-Petrina

also you may want to add some supplements to your diet...

Thanks all!
I did end up cheating a bit last night...about 5 tablespoons of white rice.
It helped me get through some work but I'm going to start adding some fresh carby veggies/nuts into the diet.
I think I was being too strict about not having ANY carbs so I could loose weight faster.
Didn't gain last night though. It sais I lost another lb.
Should prolly stop looking ~ the scale!
I wish I could just take off work for a week!
Thanka again for all your help/advice!
mspygmy

Hi and welcome to the forum

The headaches, dizzieness and other feelings of not quite being connected to your body are quite normal. Believe it or not but your are detoxifying your body from all the carbs that have be poisioning you. It will pass with in 7 - 10 days and you will feel much better. I was lucky enough to have a friend who started Atkins a couple of months before me and she said she went throught the same things.

wow, I am glad I read this post. I just started yesterday and haven't yet experienced any of this but it sure is nice to get a heads up about it.
Hope this passes for you very soon!

Rhonda

Anyone new to lc, listen to these people. I would feel so incredibly weird during induction at work...just spacey and like (don't laugh now) my face was sliding off! I was able to mostly just add supplements (calcium really helps your legs at night, and the Atkins supplements gave me most of my energy back) and veggies earlier in the day. I was getting most of my vegs at night. Just work through it any way you can!