Feeling Dizzy/Deprived-Am I doing this Right?

[meows]

Hello, I was hoping someone could take the time to look at my journal and tell me if I'm doing ok. I started whole-heartedy this past Monday and started the journal 2 days ago. I take Atkins Basic 3 and Essential Oils supplements. I have diabetes II, and my health food store recommended taking Biochem's Glycemic Factors to help curb cravings.

Here's my journal so far:
http://www.fitday.com/WebFit/PublicJournals.html?Owner=meowsnpurrs

Do you really need to count decaff coffee? I had some and looked on FitDay and was shocked to see it counted as 4 carbs--I didn't think there was anything in coffee.

Also--there is only 2 cups of romaine for salad then 1 cup of veggies allowed, so is it is ok for me to have the Atkins and other LC breads/mixes upon induction?

I've just not been feeling great and don't know what to do.

Cals: between 1100-1500
Fat 64%
Carbs 4%
Protein 32%

Am I getting enough calories?

Thank you so much for any input :roll:

[MaryToU]

I will start off by saying you really should not have anything that is not on the approve list for foods in the fist two weeks. Sadly that means the low carb breads. This is a time for you body to cleasing itself out, and breaking the carb addiction.After the two weeks you can add them into your eating plan if you want.

I think the 4 carbs in your coffee count, had the assumintion that thing like sugar and cream were already added in. Just a guess.

For best results try to get your fat count around 70%. And you can go anywhere between 1500 - 2000 calories a day. SO eat up. You should not feel deprived. Cutting you calories will stall off your weight loss. Not to mention making it harder for you to follow the eating plan if you are always hungery.

But if I were you, I would not even worry about calories and such yet. Just count the carbs! That is the best place to starts. There is plenty of time to tweak the diet once you get futher down the road.

Good Luck!!!

[Kristine]

Howdy. I agree with MaryToU. Stick with the acceptable foods list. An additional point: I'm not sure whether or not you care too much about the numbers, but if you're trying to get something accurate from fitday, be sure you watch the quantities it enters for you. You have one cup of tuna and one cup of mayo entered for the 23rd. :daze: Also an entire chicken. :D If that's an error, you're definitely not eating enough because that day totalled only about 1700 calories. No wonder you're dizzy and hungry! If you're hungry, eat. Just count the carbs. (If I'm wrong and that's really what you ate, my apologies - there's nothing wrong with that, but it looks like a mistake. :daze: )

Good luck!

[Jannie]

Truly, you only need to count carbs, but do count them all. And, stick with the approved list only for induction--it's for a very limited time and it will break the cravings, addictions, etc. Eat until you are comfortable--if you get hungry between meals, eat a snack-small to medium sized. Learning to STOP when you are comfortable is a big lesson to learn and a VERY important one, as you need to establish control over your quantities--this will aid you greatly in the other stages of Atkins. Remember, maintenance is for life! :wiggle:

[meows]

Ooooops, lol Christine, you're right--I did not eat a whole chicken, and had a Tbsp. of organic mayo! Omg-how funny--I find some things easy to customize on Fitday but others not so easy-like the chicken-made a whole one and had some.

Thank you for your replies :)

[Melanie C]

Hi there; I started on Atkins a week ago and I just wanted to let you know that I felt terrible for the first 4 days, dizzy and headache - but just as it says in the book by the fifth day it all cleared up and my cravings went away. Now truly If I eat my fats and protiens early in the day I am good by having just my veggies for supper time - not hungry at all. Hang in there because it takes time for your body to change the way it produced energy!

[kara-z]

Hi all, I wonder what kind of coffee that your putting in, because I click on decaf coffee and its 1 carb per 8fl oz mug. I have half decaf and half real stuff and its 1 carb per mug. I drink between 3-4 cups per day, thats my breakfast and snacks for the most part, healthy no, honest yes.
take care all
kara

[ssibtain]

you know, it's funny....i work night shift, and i've been on the Atkins since this past monday. it's seems that every morning, at about 3:30-4:00AM, i get lightheaded, LIKE CLOCKWORK!!!! i don't drink coffee anymore....no saccharin or aspartame. it just blows my mind the way it's so regular every morning. any ideas???? lololol

[LilaCotton]

it's seems that every morning, at about 3:30-4:00AM, i get lightheaded, LIKE CLOCKWORK!!!!

Yes, I experienced this same thing, only it was during the afternoon. What took care of mine was to get a snack. Cheese is great, or boiled eggs or tuna or anything like that. You are most likely hungry, and from what I can tell, because your body's getting used to eating this way, it's not quite sure just yet how to tell you. :) Before starting Atkins I would get low blood sugar when I was hungry. Now I get good old-fashioned hunger pangs! :yay:

[ssibtain]

Lila, thanks for the advice. It's the strangest thing, the light-headedness only last a few brief moments. But you're right, I guess that IS my body's way of telling me to eat.

Weight loss is slow right now, but I'm starting to feel much better than I have in a long time. I think this will work!!!!!

[tofi]

Yes, for sure eat something when you feel weak, dizzy, tired but keep to LC stuff. Try eating 6 small meals instead of 3 big ones. Protein & fat snacks are allowed and very satisfying.

[meows]

I'm wondering what kinds of things you're eating for snacks or for 4-6 meals a day--I seem sort of confused when I do get hungry and paranoid about having too many carbs b/c I want to have my salad and veggies for dinner. I know I can have eggs and bacon and meat, but I'm limited to the 4 oz. of cheese per day. I think maybe I'm not using my imagination to the fullest and would appreciate some low-carb snack ideas or what you would have for 4-6 meals short of eating a hunk of meat...thank you very much!

Oh, I lost another pound! Grand total 5 lbs. in a week!!! So, it is working, but need to find some alternative ideas so I don't feel deprived and quit...I want so badly to succeed :yay:

[ESPNLady]

Meows:

If Atkins is truly your way of life or way of eating, then you shouldn't feel deprived at all! First of all, there are so many choices that you can have that will give you the satisfaction when you do get hungry. If you have read the book, from cover to cover, you understand the whole reasoning behind purging certain things out of our lives. I guess I see things differently and forgive me if I'm wrong. In my mind, getting healthy and fit gives me more satisfaction than a piece of bread, a little bit of this and that, or a 'this won't hurt - its only a bite". I guess my question to you is how bad to you want to be healthy? The answer is up to you.

I think you are doing great! Keep the attitude positive and strong. You will succeed....just keep your eye on your goal. You cannot fail!

--Michele

[woolina]

some of the snacks I have are celery w/ cream cheese, peperoni sticks, beef jerky (make sure you check the carb count on the bag, some have added sugars), pork rinds, boiled eggs. I have a lot more different ones now that I have added nuts and some berries, but you dont add those till after induction. I felt horrible the first week, felt like I had the flu and kept getting dizzy, about a week and a half into Atkins, this energy just came out of no where and hit me like a ton of bricks. i remembered other people talking about this happening to them after 3 or 4 days, mine took almost 2 weeks, I guess I had more "detoxing" to do than they did. You will feel so much better once you figure out what your body is trying to tell you!

[PurpleStix]

I went through about 24 hours of difficulty about the end of two weeks. Unfocussed brain, dizzy, nauseous, muscle cramps. It could be the brain switching over from glucose to ketones. I think it took me a while to draw down my liver glycogen reserves, then I got nailed when it was gone. Then the brain adapted, and mostly switched over even though my heart and muscle had switched fuels days before. Well that's how I explain it anyway. Some brain tissue still requires glucose, which is why the 20g of carbs.

Looks like you are getting enough calories. If you have low insulin and are producing glucagon then you are accessing your fat stores; the protein seems about right, and you are taking supplements. So all should be ok.

Make sure you are getting electrolytes (Ca,Mg.K) and water. I had similar symptoms to the above before LC when I had low 'lytes.

IMHO when you adapt, most of your tissues will be burning ketones, so that the tissues requiring glucose won't have to compete for it.

[meows]

Thanks everybody :)

Today is day 9, and I felt so good today! 7 lbs lighter, and I'm putting some more salad into my diet--I was measuring it into a measuring cup and feel a bit better with more. Also speaking w/ friends at health food shop, and they also agree I'm just still detoxing and my body's adjusting. I'm in high side of ketosis and hope I'll continue to feel better like I did today--whew!

I'm not having any more of the bread and got Atkin's cookbook so will make sure all ingredients are in my acceptable foods and try to be more creative. I think that's part of my problem, I've been making everything so plain and feeling so sick, so that's why I had the bread or Atkin's LC shake.

Onward and downward with the lbs!