I have a question...I am a newbie and I decided to try atkins for a way or life because about 6 months ago my Dr said I was diabetic. About 7 yrs ago I lost 80lbs from mostly exercise and supps. I wasnt on any particular eating plan. I just tried to eat healthy. I worked out twice a day...which is a lot and I think most people would find it hard working out that much. I was single with 1 half grown child so it was pretty easy for me, but now, I am married and have a 5 yr old son and a teenager and I dont have time or energy to work out like that anymore...plus I am turning 40 on the 12th and I think my energy level is shrinking away. Basically I feel like crap. I have read up on diabetes and I dont think I am diabetic. I think it is metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance. I fight low blood sugar all the time and only have high blood sugar when I eat too many carbs ...which was always and also high in the morning. I have read I think everything there is to read on the subject and started Atkins about 3 weeks ago. My blood sugar has been under control pretty much since day 1. I was 236 when I started exercising before the diet change and 225 when I changed my diet and now 218-219 back and forth. The first week I went through withdrawl. but it was only bad one day and then I started feeling mucho better. I found the whole way of eating very easy. I tested my ketones about a week into it and I was in the purple. By the end of week 2 my kidneys were hurting. I dont know why and no-one has explained it to me. I did some more reading and it said that eating high amounts of animal protein cause your kidneys to work overtime. Is this true? I ate some bread with a sandwich and some more carbs at dinner and the backpain was gone the next day. I was still in ketosis but in the pink not the purple. I have continued eating more carbs until I can get some answers. I am now only putting out traces of ketones...the barely pink color. I have pretty much been sick ever since. My stomach has been really upset and I even had to leave work early and am home today because of the nausea. Do you think this is all coincidence? I read up some more and found out that when you use up you glucogen that your electolites are out of balance and can make you feel crappy. So I added cal mag and zinc and a potassium to my daily intake. I also added a Q10. Do any of these upset the tummy? I could easliy stay with this way of eating forever because I love my vegi's and meats but why am I feeling so crappy?
Also, my original question is...you all talk of falling off the diet and having to start over...why? If this is a way of life not just a fad, then why start over. It is just another day, right? If you eat like a pig for Easter supper, that is just one day, it wont ruin your entire life. You wont eat like that EVERY day. That is a day of feasting...for some reason. So you arent really "off the wagon". There really isnt a wagon. You just eat the way you eat, right? Just because you go to a get together and eat more than usual it is not reason to feel guilty or obsess over it. You just go back to eating your usual way tomorrow, right? I dont want to diet. I need to find a way to eat that fits my life so that I can be healthy forever. I will always have holidays that I eat more...we all will but "in general" I am looking for a way of life where I can feel well and function well and be productive. Can you guys give me some answers? I am really frustrated and REALLY dont like being sick and I need guidance...Guide me.

Amy, you've asked some interesting questions.

As far as the protein and kidneys are concerned, I think I'll let someone who is trained to answer that. Jacqueline Eberstein used to work with Dr. Atkins, and she has a site with answers to myths about Atkins, and one of those myths is the protein/kidney connection.

Controlled Carbohydrate Nutritio

The Drs. Eades, in their Protein Power books, tell us that low carb is not a high-protein diet, but an adequate protein diet. Dr. Barry Groves says we shouldn't be overconsuming protein, but we do need to increase our fat consumption.

Perhaps your kidney problems were just a coincidence, or perhaps you just need less protein. And, if you are going to increase your carbs, do so with veggies or low-sugar fruits like berries, forego the bread, it's too easy to start cravings with starches.

Most of us here refer to this as our way of eating (woe), and avoid the term "diet", which usually means you are going to eat a certain way until you reach a goal, and then go back to "normal" eating. I know that this is the way I HAVE to eat for the rest of my life, just to stay reasonably healthy.

As far as people "falling off the low carb wagon", for some it is a real issue because they easily succumb to temptation, for whatever reason, feel guilty for eating things that make them feel lousy and gain weight, and so feel the need to recommit to this woe. It's a personal thing. For me, if I ate something not on my woe, (I usually do when we are on vacation), when I get back into my normal routine, I just get back to where I was. Really, I think that's what most of us mean when we say we are "back on the wagon", we're just making an effort to stick to our plan after a brief "fling" with carby foods. And the challenges are personal challenges, to try to keep us on track. Sometimes if we concentrate on a challenge, do our best to stick to it, then it's easier to make whatever the challenge was a habit. So, my challenge was to not cheat with carby food for 100 days. At the end of the 100 days, I know that I will be successful in avoiding those foods, because I did it for 100 days, so I can do it for a lot longer.

Don't overly rely on the ketostix, either. Some people never use them, some never turn purple and yet they still lose. I have a bottle, check once in a blue moon, usually don't see any color change, shrug and just go on.

Supplements could possibly upset the stomach. Try taking them with meals, and drinking plenty of water when you take them, see if that helps.

For me, I feel best when I do low carb consistently, and although I have some health problems where I do feel under par, I know I'd feel a lot worse if I wasn't doing low carb.

One last thing, when was the last time you had a check-up? Perhaps you have some other problems that have little to do with your eating or supplements, and that are making you feel sick.

Since you say you are doing Atkins, I assume that you have the book, have read it thoroughly so that you understand the workings of this woe. I do Atkins, but I like the explanation of how low carb works in the Protein Power books. And a really good site that has a simple explanation of how low carb works is here:

A clear explanation of why low carb diets work. (article)

I hope this has helped you some. Low carb really is a good way to regain health, so I hope you stick with it.

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Nita

fyi-i copied these posts to their own thread and moved it to the newbies section...amy, you've got lots of questions and thoughts in here, and i knew it would be more easily missed in the 100-day challenge thread as it may not be read by people who aren't doing the challenge.

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Fat Baggage- Is Yours Packed?

welcome, amy! now on to your questions...

well, i'm not going to second guess your doc, although you're certainly free to. probably best to do it with him or her directly involved, though.

i assume those are numbers reflect your weight, and not bs levels!

that's a common myth regarding low carb; people who have or suspect pre-exisiting kidney conditions should check with their doc before low carbing (or undertaking any significant change in their dietary habits).

i found a nice link that explains this (and why controling blood sugars helps protect your kidneys.

Low-Carb Pavilion - Why Protein is Not Bad for Your Kidneys

this site also has some helpful info- scroll down for info on kidneys... Diabetic Kidney Damage

from the second link-
it's a multifaceted process, and one best worked out with your professional support people.

amy, there's no way we can tell what's going on, and with your medical concerns, i urge you to discuss this directly with your doc. while the folks here are experienced lc'ers, we are NOT medical professionals, and the fact that you're feeling sick and crummy is a pretty good indication that your current practices are not working for you. we all have different bodies, different medical concerns, and different needs.

supps can upset some people's tummies, but it's usually temporary or gone when they eat something, at least for me. again, touching base with your doc as you're making your supplmenet plan would be a good idea.

absolutely, lc works best if it's viewed and undertaken as a lifestyle change instead of a diet. so why do we sometimes talk about falling off the wagon?

because we're human. sometimes, we slip. sometimes, stress or other things in our lives end up leading us to lose focus. sometimes, we just get lazy, or carb creep gets in there or one thing or another leads us astray.

whatever the reasons, lc is always there for those that find it works well for them. and we weclome them, from the first time "dieter" who hasn't made the mental adjustment to make this a permanent change, to the oldtimer who let "a little here and a little there" turn into 30 pounds of carb creep, to the folks who are ready and on board to change their lives forever. most of us have spent times in more than one of those camps, and whoever they are, wherever they are, we're glad to have them. the changes in language come with the changes in thinking, but we are here to spport folks at whatever place they currently are.

good luck to you, amy...

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Fat Baggage- Is Yours Packed?