Good Morning! I need some expert help please!

[Turtleyboo]

;)
Good Morning!

I have started Atkins again for the first time in 15 years. Back when I did it in igh school (at age 15), no one had heard of it and it was considered a wierd fad diet. Now it seems very mainstream, so hopefully I can benefit from everyone's experience.
After 3 full days, my ketosis test strip[s are barely pink. I seem to remember them turning much darker after 3 days without any carbs.
I have been taking Dexatrim, and thought perhaps the cellulose might ahve affected my ketosis. Any thoughts? I tend to say that I need a supplement because I have been exhausted since cutting out carbs, and since I stay home with 2 young kids, I need some energy! My house is a wreck! My husband was sweet enough to let me nap all weekend, but I don't remember being this tired. Is this difference between being 30 and being 15?
I saw that some of you had had some luck with Hydroxycut, so we got some of that yesterday.
As much as I hat to admit it, when I was doing Atkins 15 years ago, I lived off of cheddar cheese and diet coke and it worked great in turning my ketosis sticks very dark. ***Not a recommendation**** For 3 days it's been mainly animal protein and cheese. Although the diet soda (Diet Vanilla Pepsi) intake has skyrocketed due to the low energy. Does the Diet Vanilla Pepsi have hidden carbs?
And since I'm running on at the mouth, let me say that I expected those ketosis strips to be fairly easy to find given the new popularity of Atkins. I had to go to 3 stores to find them, and even then they were in the "diet supplement section" of the store reather than the drug store section! I though that was strange. Has anyone found them fairly inexpensively online? Hubby is starting soon. He is a soldier in the Army and just came back from a year in Iraq. I did my best to make him all of his favorite foods and now his pants are getting tight (so he says). I think he just wants to support me.

thanks so much!

[AFwife]

I'd skip those soda's if I were you, that's a nono for this WOE.


What does the rest of your menu look like?


Good luck,

[d'lyn]

I wouldn't rely on the sticks too much. There is a expiration date on them and if they sat on the shelf too long, they may not be any good.

I agree with afwife, the pepsi should go. Try Diet Rite instead.

Your energy will pick up. Give yourself time. Make sure you are drinking plenty of water. Dehydration will make you tired and the pepsi is not a water replacement. In other words, do not count the pepsi as part of what should be your water intake.

Good luck to you!

d'lyn

[edie]

Sounds to me like you may be low in potassium. That happened to me. I buy NuSalt, (not No Salt) and sprinkle it into some flavored water now every time I feel that way. Or there are potassium pills too. Since we have cut out potatoes and bananas and the like, which are the most commonly used high potassium foods, it is apt to happen. Salads help too. Eat all the salad you can, they can't hurt you. I also take Atkins vitamins but that still didn't address the potassium issue. If you have to have a blood work up because of a yearly check up or some other reason that will tell you if your potassium levels are low also....Good Luck! P.S. I lost 50 pounds without the sticks so don't worry what they look like, and don't waste your money on them, just my humble opinion.;)

[d'lyn]

One other quick thought...maybe you should try this new WOL with out any additional weight loss pills such as dexatrim or whatever. Try not to think of this as a "diet". Look at it as a whole new way of life (WOL). Alot of these diet pills are meant to help you lose water weight.

d'lyn

[cjmkam]

Hi! I can relate with the kids, I have 3! A 4,3,6 month old and I stay at home also. The only difference is that I am 24. I have had NO energy also. What is hydroxycut?Thanks Crystal

[DianaO]

CUt back on cheese and pop. Try Diet Rite!

[Turtleyboo]

Thanks everyone!
I have been on what I thought was low-carb for a week now and I have gained 5 pounds. I don't even like meat,a nd that is all I ahve been eating. Hamburger, cheese, mayonnaise, and that's about it. Maybe an egg or 2. I am extrremely disappointed. I was a vegetarian before this, so I don't really enjoy this way of eating. I guess my body is different at 30 than it was at 15, because before I lost so much weight and now I am gaining it. Thanks for all of your suggestions.

[potatofree]

Maybe have a look at atkins.com and check out the veggie list for induction. You need to get your vegetables in and it will help you feel less tired.

We're ALL different than we were at 15. <sigh> It gets harder to lose weight the older we get (although 30 isn't old!!!!!!)

[DaddioM]

Mega-vitamin would be my first suggestion, (not a multi a mega).

Also...did you know there are people doing vegetarian atkins??

Anyway...GL

[Turtleyboo]

Well, I am back and I have a much better attitude today. I was very much feeling sorry for myself and feeling very "defective" since my old unhealthy way of doing this diet wasn't working. But it is another day!
In a sign that shows just how pill-dependent I am, I went to the store yesterday and got some of the Atkins supplements. My main complaint so far is that my energy level is way down. Up until last month, my husband was deployed in Iraq, so i became this Super-Mom military wife who was just go go go! Probably fueling myself on adrenaline. And since he came back, I have been able to relax, but I feel I got a little lazy.

What was my point? I know I had one...

Oh, the low energy. There's my point! So hopefully, takijng better care of myself, i.e. the addition of the supplements will help. I hate paying extra for an Atkins multi, but I have become so paranoid about taking a "normal" multi! Are there hidden carbs in it? And don't even get me started on the laxitives I'm taking! More than you wanted to know, huh?

And thank you so much for letting me know about the vegetarian Atkins. The vegetarianism wasn't an ethical thing, it was more of a health/personal preference thing, but it has been an ADJUSTMENT!

thanks again!!! :-)