I've been doing Atkins since July 24th, and I've been happy with the my results thus far. During induction, I did not experience any weakness of lethargy that some people do. But, for the last several days, I've been exhausted.
I've been sleeping plenty at night, but, by late afternoon, I feel like I'm ready for bed again. It's like how I feel when I have a flu, except I don't feel sick at all. I've been eating regular meals, taking multi-vitamin and drinking plenty of water. Any suggestions on how to relieve my exhaustion?

By no means am I a doctor so do with this what you will. I have had the same thing a few times. What I did was to up my carbs to about 120 for two days then go back to 20 or less. Also I stoped running at night for a week and went to bed a little (an hour) sooner at night. After the week I feel great again. Don't know if that will work for you or not but that's all I have to give.. Good luck..

Is there any way you can be expecting? If not then I would add some more veggies to your plan. I know that DR. A suggests adding an extra salad a day or cup of veggies if you are feeling too tired during induction, and since you aren't on induction I'm sure you can still do the same. How many carbs do you normally eat a day? If it's low then add some more...if it's not then maybe you need the rest. You may be coming down with something.

I sure hope I am not expecting! lol. Maybe I do need to up my vegs. Im keeping my carbs pretty low, so maybe I need to up those a bit too - adding some vegs. should help with that. thanks for the advice!

A kind low carber told me, when I was having problems with depression, that magnesium can cause fatigue. So check your supplements, too, and maybe omit the magnesium to see if that helps.

I take B-Complex and Chromium and that seems to help me with the energy. Not sure if it will work for you, but it is worth a try.

Also, this happens to me at TOM. I am just SO sleepy. As soon as TOM is gone, energy levels return to normal...

I'm really dragging too, but it's kind of strange. I fall asleep immediatley when I go to bed and sleep like the dead 5 minutes before my alarm goes off. It doesn't matter how many hours of sleep I get, I still wake up 5 minutes before the alarm, and...I feel rested! I bolt out of bed, do my morning exercise routine, then by 11am I'm dragging again. I don't understand.

I remember bragging to my mom about how much energy I had in the first 2 weeks. I know she was against me doing Atkins, so I didn't tell her that I've been dragging ever since. Well, she saw me last weekend for the first time in a month and was so impressed with my progress both she and my dad are on it now! They don't need to lose any weight, they're after the energy, lower blood pressure, and lower cholesterol.

I have been doing Atkins for 17 months. On my drive home from work I feel extremely fatigued. I take B-Complex and CO-Q-10. It does seem to help.

Those of you who are having fatique....Are you just eating 3 meals a day? If so, maybe having 5 smaller meals will help. A lack of nutrients can also cause it. Are you taking enough multi? I have to take 3 of mine to get to Dr. Atkins recommended levels. I also think extra B complex, C, and E are essential for LCers.

I, personally, stick with the 3 meals a day because of my hypoglycemia. I spread my carbs evenly throughout the day. I am especially careful to eat 7-10 grams in the morning because of the long time since the last meal. I keep my count for the day, 30 grams or under. But I also make sure to take a potassium supplement. This has become very important to me. When I am low on this electrolyte I can expect to be brain dead (LOL). It is even better if I have one in the evening. I will have a better start to my day. Those days that I could barely drag through the day, I am sure is because I did not take my potassium. Also, add avocadoes and macadamia nuts to up your potassium levels.

Black57

I am new to this site and was so glad to see this issue discussed. I get up at 6 am and if I don't take a nap around 2 pm I can't function by 5. Dinner goes on the table at 6 so I am in the kitchen from about 4:30 until 8 pm and I end up drinking diet Coke just to keep going. (Please do not panic - my laptop is on the bar and I spend time on it while I am cooking! And I make my H's lunch for work the next day during this time as well. ) We have a dear pet who is failing and must be taken out at 11 pm or messes herself and gets upset, and since H has to get up at 5:54 for work, I do it, so it makes for too long a day for me without the nap. It has been a real adjustment to be spending so much time in the kitchen in the evening when I am tired, preparing, cooking and cleaning up from meals - haven't done this since the early 80's and all of a sudden you could buy so many convenience foods off the shelf!

Anyway, I am glad to see it isn't just me with the fatigue factor - I had energy issues before I started WOL and frankly, I feel so much better overall, it isn't something that makes me question low-carb. The fuzzyheadedness I have lived with for so long is gone and that is a blessing in itself. I exercise 6 days a week and hope that over a period of time I will be able to make it through the day without the nap. (Although my doc said "Why - is it bothing anyone or keeping you from doing something you need to be doing?")

Thanks for the information and I intend to keep watching these posts.

I want to jump in and say that I truly believe in power napping. Most successful people do it. I think the siesta time (around 2:30) coincides with a natural energy dip. Of course everyone can't duck out for a nap, but without the snickers bar and cup of Joe many people in this country use to cope, maybe we are feeling that rythm a bit more piquantly now.

Duh! Of course...you are absolutely right! Before I was medically retired by my company, I lived on coffee most of the day and was dragging by the time I got home. By Thursday night I was falling asleep in the chair by 6 pm while trying to carry on a conversation and Friday night I would be in bed for the night the minute I walked in the door...and I kept the same hours then as I do now. And I now realize my low-fat healthy WOL had a lot to do with how I felt, although I had a serious health issue I was unaware of as well. Weekends were spent in bed trying to recover from the exhaustion of the previous week. Is there an office in this country that doesn't have a coffee machine? And how many people keep a coffee pot hot in the kitchen all day long? I'd rather take the power nap than suffer from caffeine overload.

I say up those veggies, mine were low and was having the same problem!