I find that I need a good dose of fiber in the morning to stave off the hunger. I add 2 - 3 tblsp ground flax seeds in my Atkins shake in the morning.

If don't have fiber, I find it doesn't matter how much protein I eat, I am still hungry.

Patti

Thanks everyone. It's 4 :30 and the Starving feeling has still not gone away. I think all that sat fat kind of protein has an insulin reaction for me. after my lunch feast, i passed out and was only woken by tingly hands ( low BS symptom) and was famished even though my stomach seems physically stuffed! so ate again and now even hungrier! what is going on? will heed all advice and on my way to get some fiber! thanks for helping me thru this...i think i would've given up without you...

If you are having low blood sugar symptoms, I'd go up to 30-40 carbs and slowly taper back down to induction. Get your symptoms under control. You don't have to suffer to lose weight. Come on-you won't stick with something that makes you so miserable.

I was thinking about that too. Maybe you should try to ease into LC? Slowly cut down on your carbs until your at the recommended beginning level. Might be worth a try.


Also, if you have been having serious problems with TOM even previous to starting LCing perhaps there is more going on in that area and you should visit your doctor too. Those sorts of problem can throw your whole body out of whack and might make it difficult to follow LC until the problem is taken care of.
Lori

thanks for the tips,
i still have not quit but am still sssooooooooo hungry. i ate almost 200 g protein today and 170 g fat and about 20 carbs and am beyond famished. what is wrong with me? that's about 2300 cals...way more than i ever used to eat when i had a normal metabolism. so how will that put me into ketosis? i dont know how i will sleep tonight this hungry. this is just weird!!!!!! i saw a thread about TOM and alot of people stop getting it. maybe it's because our bodies think they are starving? maybe i should start induction after my period?

Just to clarify, Kay, it's not just restricting carbs that puts you into ketosis, it's getting your calories from primarily FAT. 200g of protein is not 'bad' for you, but it's not doing Induction correctly, either.

To make you feel full and to help satiate you, you need more FAT, not fatty protein or fat with protein, but more FAT. Have normal sized portions of protein, but use more mayo, butter, olive oil, have half an avocado.

Not getting TOM can be from not eating enough - but that takes a while to happen (and eating 2300 calories is not starving yourself )

Not getting TOM or having it messed up when you start LCing is due to fat being released from your fat cells - fat cells contain hormones as well, and releasing them with the fat causes the balance to change. TOM returns in a few months when fat loss slows down.

I am confused though, are you doing Atkins or Neanderthin?

Nat

Hi Nat and thank you for the tips. I should calrify that yesterday I ate around 1600 and 127g fat and the say before was about the same but a littleless fat. I only ate all that protein to try to get the hunger to go away. I am still hungry and it's 9 oclock and you know i need help with this when i am only half paying attention to sex and the city and my childhood infatuation ( Mikhail Baryshnikov) is on!! I can't eat avocado ( rash though i do love it) and have a hard time with vinegar so no mayo. i ate about 160?g fat today and that seems high? i have been trying to figure out a menu on fitday cause my percentages are wacky. carbs never more than 3 %. Can you help me with this? Do i first figure out my calories and then divide accordingly? And what would you suggest as far as the % break down? what about 70% fat , 25 pro and 5 carb.
or do you think i would be better off with 75% fat, 20 pro and 5 carb. i almost gave up today but said i would stick this out for at least a week. no ketosis in sight. i KNOW you are right about the protein turning into sugar because i felt up and down blood sugar problems today BIGTIME. i wish someone would just give me a sample menu to follow and make my life easy!! i check out the journals to find ideas on how to do this and all use mayo, cream cheese, cheeses....so i feel lost. well i know you have a lot going on ( how is the house coming!!! sounds amazing! and you look absolutely beautiful...i pay close attention to your posts because you really seem to know what you are doing and i checked out your site last night....especially the cortisol thing) so thank you for responding. tomorrow is day 4...a new day

65-70% is what the Atkins Centre recommends, Kay, for Induction. You may feel better with more because you're so hungry.

So, if mayo and avocados are out then that leaves more butter and olive oil I would also suggest when you do choose meats pick the fattier cuts (like prime rib or medium ground beef). Have you ever had hollandaise? It goes great on broccoli, meats - just about anything and it's all butter, lemon juice and an egg yolks.

Unless you're very sensitive or diabetic the excess protein should not be negatively impacting your blood sugar - because carbs are limited, so is insulin, and converting protein into glucose happens under the control of other hormones, but with insulin kept in check (therefore no fat storing can happen and blood sugar is kept stable).

That being said, your body doesn't like using protein for energy - and it wont unless it absoutely has to, so it doesn't help with feeling full as much as fat does.

BTW, you can usually find lots of help at the Atkins website. I typed in "sample menu" and this popped up:

Sample Menus for the Four Phases of the Atkins Nutritional Approach™

How are you feeling today?

Nat

hi Nat,
thanks for replying. i wonder if i am diabetic. i had a GTT done middle of june and the endo Dr. said it was BAD hypoglycemia (31 at 2 hour mark) he didn't say anything about diabetes but he did say it was the weirdest test he'd ever seen. that my insulin levels did not coordinate with my glucose levels. i have since moved home to ohio to figure out what's going on and still waiting on him. he was going to send the tests to some specialists?? who knows! i left him a message this morning. i had slight ketosis (light pink) after my breakfast ( 3 xl eggs in 1 T coconut oil and 5 skinny skinny asparagus spears.) does this mean i'm on my way? will i get energy soon or should i have it already? i will try to plan a menu based on the numbers you gave me and follow it. i have never done that ...just always listened to my body. it seems when i dont listen to it is when i get in the most trouble. but i feel like i have only been heavier for about 4.5 months now and the sooner i try to take it off the easier it will be since my body is not used to this weight. or maybe by now, it already is!! well, will stick this out a week...maybe 10 days. how long did it take you to feel ok after starting this? no rush in getting back to me....dont think much will cahnge anytime soon! take care, Kay

Kay, congrats, you're in ketosis. Light pink or dark purple, ketosis is like being pregnant - you're never just a little bit of it

You may being to feel better now. Your hypoglyceamia may have been making it harder on you, most certainly. Eating this way helps with that, however. I had a type of it as well when I started, but it's gone now. No more ravenous hunger, mood swings or panic attacks

The period of adapting to this WOE can take longer for some - I was fortunate, I think I had 30 minutes of feeling 'weird' and eating a pickle made it go away. The detoxing can take anywhere from 3 to 7 days (the average is around 4).

Are you taking the supplements Dr. A advises? They play a big part in feeling good.

Let us know if you hear from the doctor.

Nat

Hi Kay

If its any comfort, I spent the first ten days or so a) feeling like death and b) perpetually ravenous. I just went with it and kept eating to be honest... lost half a stone in the process and cleared up five years worth of chronic ME, so I figure I must've been doing something right?!

Have a look in my journal if you want a vinegar free recipe for mayo. It's really tasty and great for upping your fat content.

And I totally second Nat (listen to the lady... oh boy does she give good advice!) about the fats. I was working off an old Atkins book (pre cheese and cream limitations) and the only way I got past the starvation stage was by having way over his recommended limits. Butter was, and still is, a bit player too...

Don't forget you're very likely suffering from major carbohydrate withdrawal symptoms. And one of those symptoms is your body believing it is still hungry because its used to sugar being the answer to a hunger call.

It will pass... promise!

Up the fat however you can though. That's such a big key in the hunger department.

I also aim for a minimum of three litres of water a day which seems to help matters too.

I've had days where I was so hungry my stomach was in pain AFTER eating 1500 calories that day, then going ahead and eating till I was full with things like 3LBS of shrimp! It never stalled me, if you are hungry eat! Your period usually adds 3-7lbs, so it looks like you gained. It's just water and goes away after your period. Don't fret!

Dont get too excited yet. Just as i was starting to feel a bit normal, i took supplements and felt strange. so checked ketones about 30 min later and none. i know you think i'm nuts but i am that sensitive. my body is just dying to release insulin and will do so for even a supplement. took 1/2 multi, 1 glutamine (1st time) 1 CoQ10, 1 chromium. I have carntine...should i take that? they have no sugar but my potassium was low so doc gave me potassium pills and i checked the ingrdients and there is sucrose added. i only took half but could that be it? another thing it might have been is the flaxseed oil. it all happenened at the same time so not sure what caused it. all i know was that i was just beginning to function and now cant think or move again? can someone's body be that unstable? i've upped the fat ratio. already had 1 Tcoconut oil, 1 T flax oil (wont do that tomorrow) and 1 T hazelnut oil (1st time...YUM!!) not including the fat in my food. and all PMS symptoms seem to be minimal so bet i dont get it again i bet if i ate a bunch of carbs i would!!

1) does ketosis come and go throughout the day?
2) will i stay in PMS mode even though period will never come?

I will stick it out since Urbangypsy needed 10 days to feel normal and LovableLc was ravenous too. So we all can't be you Nat!! just like some are made to breed, i think you are made for LC....lucky you!!

will let you know how the rest of the day goes...and thank you so much. you have no idea how much this support has helped me thru this. i would have caved like i did so many times before. I will start a journal too so people can help me with my food and maybe that's all i need to tweak...wouldn't that be great?? thanks again...

ps.. used to have nice skin and shiny eyes. all looks dull and puffy and ugly now. eyes are galzed and yellow. is it all the fat and protein?

I had a girlfriend that started Atkins with me. She was very thin but did it for health reasons. She was constantly hungry and ate and ate. Gained weight. She went back to her low fat diet, lost the weight and felt normal again. I wonder if there is something to idea that people's body makeup and which diet is good for them.
But then again I know that I'm a bear on PMS!!

have definitely thought of that letsgo i want to stabilize my wacky blood sugar. will give it some more time. how long did your skinny friend stay on it. so i know when to hang it up! thanks and good luck to you!