Hi, I am a 3 week Atkins dieter. Since starting this way of life, I have experienced major, major leg muscle pain. no amt of exercising helps it, and I am not doing anything differently exercise wise from the few weeks prior to starting Atkins. Yes, I am taking vitamins. Any advice???

Pug, are you taking a calcium/magnesium supplement? Multi vitamins are great, but the amount of cal/mag they contain is nowhere near the amount we need. RDA for cal is 1000-1500 mg a day and for magnesium its 400-600mg a day. You can get both of them in one pill in a ratio of 2:1 (333mg cal / 167 mg mag) Take one with each of your 3 meals and one an hour before bed. Both cal and mag help with muscle cramping, muscle spasms and muscle relaxtion. I too had these cramps when I started LCing, w/in a day it stopped after I supplemented with cal/mag.

Be sure you get the chelated kind of minerals - they are better apsorbed and easier on your tummy.

HTH
Nat

Nat, thank you thank you thank you. just got back from the store and have taken my first tablet. I was getting very frustrated, because everyone talked about how good I would feel, how much energy but this leg thing has worn me out on many levels. I have arthritis too, so that by itself is enough to cope with!! add the leg muscle problem, and I was ready to throw in the towel! I have lost 12 lbs in my 2 1/2 weeks, my son has lost 14. we are both excited!!! I hope to continue readjusting my lifestyle and to continue losing. We are now at 25 g a day. I must admit, the first day at 25 I had a hard time adding the g to my food intake!! it seemed wierd! now, I am looking forward to 30g a day, which I will go to this coming Monday as long as I continue losing. thanks for your help. any other pearls of wisdom? right now, I am a sponge and can use all the advice anyone has to offer!! maybe tomorrow I can get down on the floor and play with my Pugs after starting the supplement today! thanks again!

Pug, congrats on your success so far (yours and your son's!) I would highly recommend going to the top of this forum, Newbies' Questions and reading through Karen's post that is stuck there called "Hot Links!" You'll find all kinds of links to past and ongoing discussions that will be very relevant to your experiences during the first months of LCing.

Keep up the good work - and keep posting
Nat