Help someone convince me to stay with this diet!
 

I've been on atkins for a little over a month now and I've noticed a dramatic difference in my moods. The first two weeks I felt more confident about myself and I was in a much better mood than usual. These last three weeks have been nothing but miserable. I've been depressed and very very moody. My fiance and family can hardly stand to be around me. I also haven't had any sex drive. I posted something earlier about this but most people just cracked jokes so hopefully I can get some serious heartfelt answers. I am seriously thinking about going back to eating carbs just to get myself out of this rut. I am getting married in September so this is supposed to be a happy time in my life. Instead I am just miserable! I eat about 15-20 carbs a day and eat salad with every meal. I don't know what else to do. I've been at the same weight for the past two weeks also. I initially lost 9 lbs and now I haven't budged at all. I want to lose weight on this diet but I also want to be happy...anyone else go through this and have some suggestions on how to get out of this rut? Thanks!

I've been on this since Jan 5, and I'm doing great, but I have to admit the plateau's are really difficult. The problem is your sooo motivated and eager that when the scale doesn't move it's dis-heartening. But-it's the courage to get thru this that makes you feel so proud and confident.
My advise on the mood swings is this and you can take it for what you want. Moods many times are a choice, you can wake up and be grumpy and pissed or wake up and feel blessed that your alive.
In really bad moments I choose to take a breath and really exhaile and not sweat the small stuff. If something isn't LIFE ChANGING, then let it pass, take a shower, a bath, read a book, do anything to remove yourselve from things that cause to have the need to WANT to blow. And remember everyday is a new day you have to find peace in the small things to truely accept the bigger picture and life.
I'm thinking of you ;)

I, too have noticed a change in moods, energy levels, and sex drive!!! Before this WOE, I would stay up with my SO til 11 or 12 each night just talking, watching TV, cleaning, or ........ I'm sure you get the point. but, here lately, after putting the kids to bed at 8:30, I'm out on the sofa by 9. and then it's really hard for me to drag myself out tof bed at 7. so, i feel your misery. Maybe i'm partially to blame because i do not push myself to exercise more--think that would help? I know that my SO (who, by the way, I will be marrying next April) is sure suffering. He's had to take on a lot of extra household duties because of my lack of energy, and he's having to do without in the BR. He's been extremely supportive though--which makes me feel even worse!!
sure hope it gets better, got to thinking earlier though, it is allergy season--maybe that has something to do with it--anyhow--hope it works out for you!!1

LeShai

Start a journal and post your meals so others can see what you are eating and maybe find some problem spots (but be sure to write it ALL down :)). Maybe you need to increase your carb intake some...are you near your TOM? There are a lot of reasons you may be having trouble...including some that have absolutely nothing to do with the way you are eating. Are you under a lot of stress right now (ordering gowns, etc)? Stress can stop you from losing weight and make you gain. What kinds of meds are you on? Which Atkins book are you following?

I realize I haven't answered your original question and have asked plenty of my own, but we need more information before we can help. Don't give up...someone here will have something that you can try and just might be the key you are looking for.

Hi Brownbear...
Last year when I was planning my wedding I also began experimenting with this way of life. Like you, I followed the book to a science (gave up coffee, measured everything...you get the picture). I also had a couple of weeks of feeling very confident and excited....I felt like I had just made a huge discovery. Anyways, about a month in I went through the same thing you described. I was tired, moody, and to be honest generally difficult. I'm a high school teacher and my students were like, "What's going on? Did your boyfriend dump you? Is your wedding off?"...lol--

Anyways, I didn't want to stop low carbing. One thing was for sure....I really enjoyed eating and being allowed to eat and still being able to lose weight (yes there are bumps and stalls, but a real stall can last for months). I added better vitamins to my diet like centrum, calcium, even fiber. I also began drinking coffee again, only in the morning. And as annoying as this might sound I began to exercise again (I had stopped because it was too hard to wake up in the morning). I forced myself to the gym every morning at 4am and began jogging and slowly started using weights, machines, and taking classes when I could fit them in. Exercise gave me energy and it was exciting to realize I could be good at something like that...it gave me a new release for all my moodiness and I found it relaxing...just blasting music and doing my thing. Plus, I made a lot of new friends in my neighborhood...

I don't know if this helps but DON'T GIVE UP! :yay: Remember you have changed your lifestyle!!!! This really isn't a diet. Also, keep in mind that your body ate the old way for years (your whole life)...it might take a while for your body to feel great in this new way, but it is worth it! Whenever I want to quit I think about how yucky I felt binging on cereal and gross fat free food. Sorry if this is boring, but you can do it! Maybe add some extra veggies or treat yourself once a week to real whipped cream...something! Hang in there...you will get through!
Good Luck & Congrats on your upcoming wedding!
Love, Jenn

Don't Give Up!!
 

I'm sorry to hear about all you are going through, BrownBear, but PLEASE DO NOT GIVE UP!! I did give up about a year and a half ago, and all I can think of is where I'd be if I'd just stuck to this. I had the same symptoms you are having, especially the bad mood swings. I've already had the talk with my family, and I told them they would just have to deal with me, because I am on a mission. I will lose this weight. I will change my eating habits. I will add years to my life! Oh, by the way, my moods got worse when I fell off the wagon because I was so disappointed with myself. DON'T QUIT!! YOU CAN DO THIS!!!

So, be encouraged, don't quit. By the time September comes, you will have overcome!!

:angel:

Thanks
 

Thank you guys so much! I really need your support! I feel like my life is a constant worry right now. I just hate that I get like this. I know I will never be happy if I don't lose weight. I think that the stall might have something to do with my unhappiness or the lack of exercise. I just am so moody that i have no ambition to get out and work out...know what I mean? I hate to sound like I am feeling sorry for myself. I just want to be a better person all around..not just with my weight. I am going to post my typical daily menu and see if anyone can think of something that might be affecting me.

Breakfast
1 sausage patty, 1 slice american cheese, 1 egg
1 cup of lipton green tea splenda
Lunch
Grilled chicken sliced, one low carb tortilla, shredded cheese, 1 tbs ranch dressing
Dinner
2 hamburger patties, 1 slice american cheese, low carb tartar sauce (2 carbs), a salad with full fat ranch dressing
Snacks
handful of peanuts, sugar free jello with whipped cream


I also drink 6, 16oz bottles of water everyday...96oz total

Thanks guys! Keep the posts coming I need as much help as I can get!! :)

oh I also take zelnorm, zyrtec D, and Yasmin 28

You could use more veggies, IMHO. Are you still in the induction phase? Dr A says in his DANDR book that if you feel bad, by all means increase your carbs. Maybe you need to do that and move up to OWL. The added carbs may even help you start losing again. I have seen posts by folks who weren't losing and then got moving again when they did that.

Have you tried fitday? Go to the fitday sticky see if it is something you want to use...it will help you see if you are getting enough calories. Not getting enough could also be the reason you aren't feeling well.

Good luck!

Brownbear...just from reading your first post I would suggest maybe uppong your carbs from 15-20 to 20-25 like the books suggests. Also the suppliments idea is a very good one. This is a corrective diet in the induction phase maybe your body doesn't need to stay in the strict part of the diet for more than the inital 2 wks.

Hope if helps and congrats on the wedding!

Eat more too. Your menu looks kind of low calorie until dinner. It could be hunger making you testy :)

More veggies for sure! I also agree with the vitamins. I felt so much better when I started taking them.

Please do not give up, look at your stats, you are almost in onederland :D

I wonder if you are not eating enough calories, and that is why you seem more irritable? Also you might be suffering from depression, and that is NOT related to Atkins. I suffer from depression, and I know that when I go through my bad times, I am very moody, and also have no sex drive, so that honestly could be it. My husband knows when I am depressed because I just do NOT want anything to do with him sexually.

I do want to tell you that I have my periods of being "stuck" at my weight for a while, and it was very frustrating. You give it your all, and the numbers dont go down, it really stinks, BUT if you stick with this, I promise the numbers will start going down again.

Please start a journal. I can tell you that my journal has been a place where I can get all of my feelings out. If you are frustrated write down your feelings, if you are happy, write down your feelings, I guarantee that my journal has really helped me, and the fact that people write encouraging notes in my journal, really does help.

You deserve happiness, and I hope that you find it soon :there:

Exercise is the key for me. I notice that if I don't get my 30 minutes in a day, I get tired and moody. I would agree that you should try more veggies and lots of water. I was at the same weight for over 5 months before I finally lost the last 10 pounds. Just keep going, don't give up - it will be worth it. :roll:

Also - is that American cheese real cheese or processed cheese food? Processed cheese food has about 6 g carbs per slice! Real cheese will only have about one. Do check on that. Eat more veggies and you will feel better and Exercise I cannot stress how important that is. Even just a 30 minute walk 3-4 times per week will help. Those endorphins really do elevate your mood! +

There is also the seasonal type depression that coul dbe making a difference. When spring starts to come you may find you have more energy and a better outlook.

Remember too it could be hormonal. Estrogen is stored in fat cells. When weight is lost the estrogen enters the system, making things crazy for a bit. The end effect is less estrogen in the system. Alot of women though have wacky periods and othe rproblems while they are losing. If you are on birth control, or near menapause the effect could be worse.

Thanks for all your answers...I think that I do need to up my carb intake..the american cheese isn't processed. It has >1 carb per serving. I am obsessed with counting the carbs on labels..lol ..used to be on weight watchers points. I have been only eating about 15-20 carbs a day and I am not on induction anymore. I guess I thought that if I stayed on the low side I would lose quick like I did the first 2 weeks. Obviously this isn't working for me. I do drink plenty of water though. I drink atleast 100 0z or more a day. That menu was a little light for me...I usually have broccoli with dinner or green beans as well. I think I will try to work in more exercise. I just hate coming home from 9 hours of work and then having to make dinner and then having to find time to exercise. If it will help then I am going to try to motivate myself more to get off my butt. I have noticed lately that I've been parking my car further from work and taking the stairs now to get in some sort of activity. Here is what I ate today.

two cheesesticks for breakfast 1 carb total
salad with shredded cheese and ranch dressing for lunch
chili with no beans and cheese 4 carbs
sf jello with whip cream
grilled chicken salad for dinner with ranch dressing cheese and real bacon bits
buffalo wings for an appetizer with celery and ranch dressing
I take a multivitamin everyday as well
I just had a spoonful of low carb pb as a snack

Keep it going brown bear,

I lost 13lbs my FIRST WEEK. Then didn't lose anything for 1.5 weeks. I was beginning to get frustrated until the stall ended and the "whoosh" fairy arrived (the fairy that breaks stalls and helps you lose).

Also, just a one a day vitamin doesn't do it. It's gotta be a mega-vitamin. Remember, you're eating a LOT differently. My understanding is that the 100% of your daily requirement for a vitamin was figured out by the military as a MINIMUM soldiers needed to maintain, not improve, their health.

Atkins calls out what he thinks are the vitamin requirements, and I have posted them once or twice here.

GL...my very best luck to you in your wedding and your weight loss.

Also....you're going through one of the most stressful times of your life, even though it can be one of the happiest as well. Keep your chin up girl...it will all be worth it.

two cheesesticks for breakfast 1 carb total...you may need to eat more for breakfast to increase your energy level, and cheese is a staller for a good number of us.
salad with shredded cheese and ranch dressing for lunch
chili with no beans and cheese 4 carbs
sf jello with whip cream...lots of folks have posted that they have to give up the sf jello because it makes them stall. Sf jello doesn't make me stall but really brings on the cravings and I can't eat "just one" serving. I think the whipped cream was worse than the jello, and had to eliminate them both.
grilled chicken salad for dinner with ranch dressing cheese and real bacon bits
buffalo wings...does this have hidden sugars? for an appetizer with celery and ranch dressing
I take a multivitamin everyday as well
I just had a spoonful of low carb pb...does this have hidden sugars? as a snack

Looks like you still need more veggies. You need to make sure you are eating enough fat, too. It is hard to let go of the "low-fat" mentality but more fat will help with the weight loss.

Cream is killer for me. I could not relaly be hungry, just kind of want something, so I would make up some whipped cream. Suddenly I just had to have more, i felt liek I was starving. Over the holidays I allowed myself to get some whip cream as a treat, but I really had to moderate myself.

The low carb PB, do you mean those new ones that say low carb? I think alot of them have hydroginated fats. If you get just basical natural peanut butter, it's lower carb and the only ingredients are peanuts, or peanuts and salt.

I agree get more veggies, also get more fat. ATkins is a high fat diet. Many find they lose best and keep hunger away when 60-70% of thier calories come form fat. An easy way to help keep track of this is through www.fitday.com

Does your multivitamin have hidden sugars? You might also look into taking extra calcium, magnesium and pottasium. They could help. Make sure to get all your water. Feeling out of it or cranky can be signs of dehydration in some people

I was stalled for a couple of weeks and somebody read my menu and told me to cut out everything that wasn't on the official Atkins induction diet. Even though I was still keeping the carb count under 20, I was advised to eliminate the low-carb wraps, sugar-free jello, Atkins chocolate bars, REAL Ranch Dressing (check for sugar in the content--I use WishBone's Carb-options--it's really good and has no sugar or carbs.) Also, sausage is a processed meat so I cut that out too. And--peanuts and other nuts can also be a problem and if you're stalling you may want to cut them out too. Go back and read the "how to do Atkins" page on their website and be really strict with following the food guidelines for the first two weeks of induction. After being at 0 weight loss for a couple of weeks I was down 2 lbs the next week. So--looked like it worked for me and may also help you.

How long have you been on Yasmin 28? Did you start that around the same time as you started noticing mood changes and lack of sex drive?

I tried Yasmin and had a bad problem with lack of sex drive on it. I researched it on the net some and found that it is a side effect. Go figure... birth control that makes you want to practice abstinance. I switched to the patch and have no sex drive issues now.

Not saying to switch, alot of people do use it without the side effects, but explore other changes that may have occured around the same timeframe in addition to the dietary changes.

Hope this helps!

That whipped cream just sent me out of ketosis for the first time in 8 weeks--i won't be having that again, so not worth it.
Keep it up, it's worth it!! And SMILE, it makes people wonder what your thinking ;)

Try getting out for a walk-the endorphins and the fresh air will help. Don't think of it as exercise but as a time to relax. I would also boost your carbs, like others have suggested. When I did LC the first time (Jan - Apr 2003), I went thru what you're going thru and this time I'm not. The difference for me, that I can figure, is that I upped my carbs to between 20 and 30 (closer to mid 20's) and I think that made a difference. Also, your fat looks low to me. I try to keep it around 70 - 75% and that works for me. Maybe try what's suggested and go from there.

Lastly, getting married is a huge life event. Even tho it's a happy time, it's still a big deal in your life and can affect you negatively. Not just the stress of planning either.

Good luck to you and keep us posted on how you're doing. START A JOURNAL!!! :)

I was too very tired and felt muscle fatique, hence I posted about it.
As my diet is stictly only induction with no lc franken foods of any kind it was very easy for the wonderful people here to advise me. And they were right on target!

The solution for me was to add additonal B complex vitimins and extra Vit C and that made up all the difference in the world.
Before I had to drag myself out of the bed and now I am really feeling normal again.

On a personal note about your posted meals, I have to agree that you could sure use some broccoli or cauliflower or tomato on your salad to bump up your carbs by about 5 grams and feel better. I eat veg and hollandaise sauce that tastes like heaven and is all legal.

Good luck.
Melissa

Don't give up. I had been stalled for almost one month. However, I was losing inches which is strange. Now today I am down 7 pounds. I do not lose weight evenly-like two pounds a week. I lose suddenly and dramatically. I have lost 21 lbs in two months-I am pleased. I know others have lost more, but I didn't do induction. My doctor didn't want me to.

Thanks guys! I upped my carbs..didn't take anything else out of my diet..and lost 1.5 lbs this weekend! I am excited. I also started reading "The Diet Cure"
about adding amino acids to your diet. I started taking L-Glutamine and it really does help me to feel better emotionally. I will keep you posted.

Whew--that's HAPPY NEWS!!

Keep at it!

Another suggestion from the Stall Queen, moi! Buy a tape measure and start taking your measurements once a week or once every other week. You could be in for a surprise.

Duh! Now why didn't I tell her that in my first post?? I usually always tell "newbies" to "use that tape" because it can be a better reflection of how LC'ing is going...thanks, NancyLC!