Cramping
 

Does anyone else experience leg cramping? If so what should I do? Someone suggested eating a small orange a day for about three days, however I don't want to mess up. :confused:

Hi Zoki,

Yeah, I have that same problem, especially at night. I've started taking Centrum Silver multi vitamin, that helps a bit. But when I have leg cramps at night, I eat a tablespoon of yellow mustard and then drink a glass of water and the cramps stop within a few minutes.

Hope that helps.

Thanks Zoochef,

I'll give that a try. I just posted this question but since your here,
Do you know if salsa is allowed?

Magnesium!
 

Hi Zoki,

Unfortunately leg cramps can be quite common when one first starts low carbing. They are caused because when we lose all that water at first, we also lose some minerals and electrolytes.

Potassium helps (we usually need a bit extra anyway), but magnesium is the main leg cramp preventer.

Magnesium is absorbed best when taken with calcium in a 2cal:1mag formula. I believe you can get tablets with 330mg calcium and 167mg mag. (Where I live they come in 250:125 ;) ) It's best to take them through the day - not all at once, as the supps don't last much more than 12 hours. You'll need 1000:500mg, unless you are post menopausal, in which case you'll need 1500:750.

Cheers.

:rose:Rosebud:rose:

leg cramps
 

Hi! Yes, I have those nasty leg cramps that happen first thing in the morning or anytime I awaken at night. Hurts something awful!

I agree with Rosebud. You need the Magnesium and Postasium that is lacking in this diet. It is hard to get enough when you are on induction. I have been on induction for over two months now.

Another thing that contributes to these "Charlie Horses" or leg cramps is dehydration. Get yourself a sports bottle with a straw (helps because you can drink more, faster) and drink, drink, drink that water! Don't forget to take a multi-vitamin every day, too!

Hope this helps,
Joytothewww

So, if I have Coral Calcium and it has 530 MG of Calcium and 265 mg of Magnesium is that not enough?

Also, on my bottle, it has calcium listed like this:

Calcium (from 1515 mg coral calcium) 530 mg

What does the 1515 mg mean?

Hi Rick,

You need a total of 1000mg calcium, so if you double your dose, you'll be fine. :thup:

I can't claim to fully understand the ins and outs of how they obtain their calcium, :daze: but generally you need the "elemental" calcium, and I'm assuming your bottle says something like 530mg elemental calcium and 265mg elemental magnesium.

I remember getting caught early on by this. I had a bottle that said "Calcium 250, magnesium 125," and I thought great, just what I need. It was only when I was wondering why i was still getting occasional cramps and read the label more closely that I saw I was only getting 100 mg calcium with each dose, not 250! :mad:

Cheers.

:rose:Rosebud:rose:

Hi Zoki,

I pass the question about the salsa on to Rosebud. To tell the truth, Rosebud knows more about this than I do. I have been on the Atkins Plan a relatively short time and am learning about it each day. Be sure to visit other journals, you can gain a wealth of information. Hang in there, low carbing does work.

Thanks, Michael. ;)


Hi Zoki, it pretty much depends what's in it. I know that sounds kinda obvious, but that's about all I can say.
I'm guessing you don't mean homemade, because you can choose what goes in it, so it's a matter of reading labels. If you stick to a sugar free or at least very low sugar one, you should be okay.

All the best!

:rose:Rosebud:rose:

Salsa
 

Yes, I am a fool for salsa - it is nice on eggs as a dip with pork rinds and for me, something I can just eat out of a dish. You can make almost any kind of salsa in the world by just adding the ingredients you like to a blender and let 'er rip!

One of my favorites is to find a low carb canned tomato - one that processes with the least sugar, add a little chopped onion, a little chopped jalepeno and a little chopped cilantro - blend until it is a consistency you like in a blender. This produces a salsa most like the "canned stuff" and "jar stuff" you know that one that comes form "New York City!" - Paces.

Even better, though is one made from fresh tomatoes, adding your own favorite herbs, onions peppers etc. Add a little of the jalepeno vinegar before blending for a nice taste of a bit of red wine vinegar. Enjoy!

About the only thing that works on Atkins is to know exactly what is in what you are eating. You either memorize the carb chart - which is not that difficult or you carry a carb counter. Always Read every product you put in your mouth to determine if is has sugar or carbs. If you do that, you will always be safe.

Hope this helps. Joy

I too get leg cramps. Kinda just an achey feeling like you wanna stretch but it makes me toss and turn because I can't get comfortable when I am trying to go to sleep. I also wake sometimes in the night. I have never had problems sleeping through the night before. I am just completing my first week of Induction and take the Basic 3 and Essential Oils.

Can you take additional of Potassium and as Rosebud suggests Magnesium which is the main leg cramp preventer. Basic 3 has that stuff in it dosn't it. Should I take more?

Tammy

Hi Tammy,

Check the label to see how much magnesium, potassium and calcium is in the Basic 3. I doubt there'll be 1000mg calcium, 500mg magnesium and 400mg potassium. ;)

:rose:Rosebud:rose:

Hi Zoki,

Just stopped by to see how you are getting along. Have the leg cramps gotten better? Usually I have them at night around 1:30 to 3:30 a.m. and sometimes when I am walking, especially up hill.

Anyway, just stopped by to say hello and see how you are.

leg cramps
 

Hi Zuki and everyone else,

Yes, my leg cramps are under control ever since I started the potassium, later I added magnesium along with my mulitiple vitamin.

I travel a lot and most of the time - 99% - I am in coach class. Kind of like being in a shoebox for 9 hours at a time! I am extra careful to get up and walk around the plane when it is not pitching in turbulence! I drink at least 16 cups of water a day in addition to any decaf coffee or tea I have.

As long as I remember my minerals and my water, I am staying clear of those leg cramps!

Let me know how you are coming along.....Joytothewww

TO RICK:

The 1515 mg is how much coral "calcium" there is per serving. However, the amount of calcium your body will breakdown and absorb is 530 mg. I put "calcium" because the coral is taken from fossilized coral beds or coral sands and contains other things. Coral is highly porous, making it absorbent, and it’s made up of a whole lot more than just calcium.

Just wanted to add two induction friendly suggestions for getting some potassium in your diet. Avocados and spinach are both rich sources of potassium. No-salt/salt-substitute is good too.

I had terrible "restless legs" the other night and knew I needed potassium. The only thing I could manage to find in my house at 3 am was a can of spinach.

Now, it was a struggle for me to eat 1/4th of a can of cold, unflavored spinach in my PJ's while watching an infomercial....so I picked up a bag of frozen avocados at Trader Joe's in case I have another potassium "emergency." I'll quickly defrost a piece and sprinkle some No-Salt on it and munch away.

I didn't think avocadoes were allowed during induction.. I don't see them on the list. If they are - HOORAY!! I love them! (Plus, I ate a slice of avocado yesterday :D )

Robin

They are allowed on induction! Hooray! They are on the list where Dr. A. lists "Special Category Foods" things you can have for variety (like 2-3 oz. of heavy cream, 10 olives, 1/2 of an avocado, sour cream, etc). Dr. A says these foods cause stalls in some people in the first two weeks. However, I ate avocados during the first two weeks and they didn't hurt my loss at all. (Come to think of it I ate olives, heavy cream and coffee, too and didn't have a problem -- but YMMV.)

Don't forget to subtract the fiber when you count the carbs for avocados.

Leg Cramps!
 

Hi all, I saw you getting all excited about getting to have some avocado - but wait! Before you start having a plate full of avocado (which would be lovely, wouldn't it?) first read the book or visit the net site that talks about induction foods that are allowed.

Avacado is not mentioned in the lists of allowable vegetables; however, if you read on down in the food discussion below, it says that you might allow yourself 10 olives or a half of avocado, but if your weight loss slows you should eliminate it.

The reason, it would seem is that for some people, avocado and olives seem to slow weight loss......So, they are not allowed on induction (?) but are allowed on the On-going Weight Loss plan.

Hope this helps...
joytothewww

Thanks! After I saw this info, I did go back and read up and saw that 1/2 an avocado on occasion was OK. I don't eat it often, but I do enjoy it, so it was nice to hear that it was acceptable in small doses. But, I don't know if I am willing to test whether it will affect my weight loss! :D Maybe if I get desperate enough for something different I will try it. So far, I haven't been unhappy on the induction plan at all, so no problems there. It is good to know it can help with the leg cramping though.

Robin

Drniking lots of water may also help with the cramps as the muscle is dehydrated. When I started LC I drank a ton of water. The foot cramps I had been getting while swimming or putting on fins vanished.

Now, that makes sense. Boy, there is a lot to lurn isn't there ;)