Okay,
The better half and myself started induction on sunday. The test strips are turning purple and the weight is already beggining to drop. Quite impressive. My wife however is not very comfortable. We both feel a little shaky and she is quezzie as well. This morning, (only the third morning) she was very shaky and just not feeling good at all. She has been very tired since we began. I have similar effects but not as bad.

Any input here. I seriously doubt she will stay with it if this doesn't improve quickly.

Our diet thus far is as follows


Breakfast
Bacon/egg

Lunch
Tossed salad w/ dressing
Scoop of tunafish salad

Dinner
Roast/couliflower/salad

Or

Hamburger/swiss/bacon/salad/collirobles



Also, with breakfast, we take a multivitamen (Centrum with Lycopene).

Any ideas.

The same thing happened to me when I started. I believe it is because your blood sugar is trying to normalize. Those feelings should go away soon.

225/183/170?

“I can conscientiously assert I never lived so well as under the new plan of dietary, which I should have formerly thought a dangerous, extravagant trespass upon health.” --William Banting (Thanks Lez)

I also felt this way the first 3-5 days. I felt slightly dizzy and lightheaded and a bit 'twitchy'. I attribute it to the changes my body was trying to adjust to. This can be quite a shift in the way your body is used to eating and there is an adjustment period.

I have also heard theories that these symptoms may be a result of rapid weight loss. I believe in this theory because I still find if I have a 3 pound loss in 1 week I feel a bit lightheaded. But as they say YMMV, (your mileage may vary).

My advice to your wife would be to hang in there. It will get better in a couple of days. If it doesn't get better then she may need to slow down her weight loss by adding more than induction level carbs.

Your menu looks pretty good but I would advise you to eat more. I can not make it through the day without at least 1 snack usually a cheese and pepperoni or olives or 1/2 avocado or some veggies and dip. These are all legal foods on induction.

Just my 2 cents! HTH!

I'm sure you will get lots more advice from the very knowledgeable people here!

Started Atkins 10/27/03
182/157/142

The addiction to the flour and sugar can do that to you....Like a drug, when you go off it, you can sometimes have some shakiness etc. Treat it like detox...it will be sooo worth it when you get through it.

You didn't list amounts, so I wanted to say: Make sure you get your 3 cups of vegis.

Also, you didn't mention water intake...drink 64 oz + 8 oz for every 25 pounds you have to lose.

400/335/200

That really doesn't seem like enough food. If you use Fit Day you can see how much and in what amounts you are eating.
Water is a major thing! Half your body weight in ounces daily, sipped over the course of the day.
Add a snack between breakfast and lunch and then again between lunch and dinner. Eat your green leafy veggies! No one got fat from green leafy veggies so eat them up!

The detox process will pass and you will feel tons better then you have before!

Jen

Atkins since 11/11/03

5'3" 140/131/115

I really should get a better signature...

This too shall pass ! ! !

I think most of us experienced withdraw the first week or SO... Headache, shakey, sick or flu like symptoms. They do go away.

I will have to agree with ThinJen. Looks like you might need to eat a little bit more. I am assuming you are doing Atkins?

Always remember to drink your WATER ! ! !

Kimberly
October 2003 WOL
262/243/175

Well I think this is certainly encouraging. As for the water, I'm pretty close to the gallon a day. Not sure she is but will be a bit more pressuring for her to do so. As for extra food, I do add a couple of snacks between meals but I don't think she is. I guess we need to find something for her to nibble on throughout the day.

I think she'll be fine if we can just get through a good week of this. Went to the grocery store and got some more food that is readily edible.

I have a question about the sugar part of carbs. During induction, are we allowed absolutely no sugars or is a gram or two okay. Just got the new atkins book and will begin reading tonight.

Thanks for the help.

Mowen, good luck to you and your spouse. As for sugar, I use Splenda in my coffee or tea about once a day. I just started my 2nd week and I still suffer a little from fatigue, though not as much as in the first week. I asked this same question on this chat and the response seems the same: drink LOTS of water, take your vitamins and remember that this will pass! Also, you may want to check out the supplement section of Dr. Atkins book, which suggests a few other supplements besides the multivitamin you're taking. B-Complex is said to help with the fatigue.

Anyway, good luck to you both and keep us informed. BTW, I find this forum extremely motivating. I don't have a partner, so it's nice to know I'm not alone in my efforts!!
Cherub

Mowen, I agree with Jen, I think you all need to eat more. I had awful headaches in induction and was pretty tired for the first few days. The first time I got light headed, I upped my waster and legal veggies intake. I personally am not a snacler - just can't seem to make a snack part of my regular day, so I tend to eat much more at meals. For example, at Lunch, I usually have an ENORMOUS salad.

Jen
175/129/120

This is my second day on Induction and my appetite has totally disappeared, much to my shock. When I was eating carbs for breakfast, I was always hungry (famished!) by 11. Today I had to force myself to eat breakfast late in the morning just so I wouldn't get hungry. But here's what I need to know:
I made myself the Mock Danish that took 3 oz cream cheese. According to the pkg., that should be at least 2 carbs, yet the Atkins book calls cream cheese "free." Do I look at every pkg. and count every carb that I eat? I know I have to count the veggies, but is everything else "free"? I feel like I'm complicating this diet more than necessary--maybe it's because it's so new to me. But I really need some answers, here! Thanks.

Maz,
Cream cheese is not free. It does have carbs and you need to count them. Count every carb you eat. Be sure to minus the fiber. You also need to limit the amount of cheese you eat to 4oz per day.

HTH

Jen

Atkins since 11/11/03

5'3" 140/131/115

I really should get a better signature...

The queasiness, tiredness, etc., could be symptoms of too much dehydration, which isn't uncommon during induction. Be sure to drink lots of fluids, which it sounds like you're already trying to do.

**************
"Sometimes I think you have to march right in and demand your rights, even if you don't know what your rights are, or who the person is you're talking to. Then on the way out, slam the door."

... and don't fear tiny incidental amounts of sugar, as would be found in, say, salad dressing. As long as you pick a nice full-fat dressing with the lowest carbs you can find (between 1 and 2 per serving - and watch your serving size) you'll be fine.

Just always pick the items with the lowest carb counts and count the carbs. You'll be fine!



Maggie
5'1" ~~ Atkins since '98 (160+)
Maintaining nicely (110 +/-)
~~ Redhead until further notice!