Hi

Ive just come out of the fourth week on induction and was beginning to have to push myself to eat. Hadn't lost any weight in the fourth week until yesterday when I recorded a three pound loss.

I have not experienced constipation but yesterday morning had a massive evacuation of light coloured yellowish (rather than dark brown) but well formed faeces. The previous day I had been out and had a generous portion of pecan nuts for lunch followed by duck breasts for the evening meal (I ate my partners duck skin too!)

In the morning I made myself scrambled egg (well done) with stilton cheese and a few bits of sweet red pepper.

During a morning session of sports I had about ten pecan nuts instead of biscuits at our usual social break.

Had a quick lunch of tuna fish, a few bits of sweet red pepper and a little fromage frais.

In the evening I had some lemon basted chicken breasts (Atkins recipe) from the freezer and fresh baby cauliflower covered with melted cheese and with a little salad.

Shortly after the evening meal I had stomach cramps and diarrhoea - quite violent and on leaving the throne I had a slight embarrassment!!

About half an hour later had vomitting and brought up lunch and the evening meal.

Here are some of my thoughts:-

• The d and v could be a virus infection but I had not temperature or unpleasant side effects other than the inconvenience and throwing up
• The pecan nuts have been gradually introduced but on Wednesday I had about 5 carbs worth for lunch whilst shopping
• Seem to be wanting less protein and having to work on different recipes and ingredients to keep me interested in food

It would have been easy to go into fast this morning but I was concerned about going into starvation state and becoming inactive.

I was tempted to have some frozen petits pois peas (cooked!) with a dab of butter -these were one of my favourite veggies and I haven't had them for a month.

Atkins gives total carbs in "peas" as 9.9 and the digestable carbs as 6.5 per 75 grammes - perhaps petit pois have a higher sugar content.

The producer states "as sold" 100 gms of the peas provide 10.4 gms of of carbohydrate of which 2.2 gms are sugar.

To confuse the issue further the producer states that when boiled in water a 75 gramme helping contains only 3.8 gms of carbohydrate of which 2.2 grammes are sugar.

I've had a 100 gramme helping of these petit pois for breakfast and fancy some fresh beans for lunch and maybe caulifllower (without cheese) for evening meal. Is this a good "invalid" diet for an Atkin's follower?

........... could I be tempted to a lean steak in the evening

Anyone else been through similar experiences?

PS - won't count the further 3lb loss recorded today until the water balance is restored!!!!!!!!