Oh man! I can't even make it past day one on this stupid thing!! I get a headache that is so debilitating! I mean, I take aspirin for it, but knowing that if I just ate some carbs begins to consume me as my head feels worse and worse.



I end up at dinner, giving in and eating some sort of carb meal- cereal, chips, crackers, etc.

I have tried so many times but it's hard for me to process that a WOE that makes me feel this bad couldbe good for me.



How do you make it past this stage?!!! I can't have this kind of headache (migraine strength) at places like work- I work with teenagers! I can't actually work with a population like that with a migraine.

Help!

I was a lucky one. The carb withdrawal never gave me a headache, although I do know several who did have that problem. It is always temporary and usually lasts 3-4 days. Perhaps you could schedule beginning your induction on a Friday. By Monday the headache may be gone. Perhaps a day or two vacation could be used to stretch out the weekend untill the symptoms are gone.

Another suggestion is to gradually reduce carbs until you are at a level where you begin to lose. Bypassing induction entirely may be difficult, as this is the phase that helps us to overcome cravings, so maybe you would even want to continue ramping down to induction levels.

Good luck,
Johnie

Hi there sorry to hear about those intense headaches. I am just wondering what are you eating? Perhaps you're not satisfying yourself with the proper foods. I'm in my second week of induction and have not had any real problems. Cheese, eggs, tuna, lots and lots of water helps. Remember that it is indeed a new WOE and there will be times when your body needs to adjust to it. Don't starve yourself, eat plenty and drink plenty!!!

Thanks y'all-

As for the food, today:

water water water
ham and cheese for breakfast
chicken wings and a bowl of salad for lunch
cheese sticks for snack

Dinner was going to be turkey and broccoli with some cheese, but I never make it that far.

At about 2 pm that the headache starts, so I take some excedrine, but nothing helps. So I fight between "I know this is temporary and part of the beginning" and "I'M GOING TO DIE!!!!" I really want to do this but I can't get over the headaches.

I may try lowering and lowering my carbs, keeping some in the morning- I just worry about getting the full emotional and physical benefits of induction.

GAH! Can I just detach my head?

I know how you feel! I'm half way through my second week. Its like I'm walking through a fog. I lost 4 pounds right away and that helped but they came back just as fast with no change in what I was eating??? I've since lost 1 pound and I feel better. I noticed that I felt worse the darker my ketostix were. I don't know if they are related or not. It was weird eating a large ribeye steak and a 1/2 lb cheeseburger ,with no bun of course, and be hungry in an hour. What helped was drinking way more water than I thought I needed and eating more salad and induction approved vegetables, like asparagus loaded with real butter.
Also Paul Newman's olive oil and vineagar dressing with chunks of real bleu cheese is now my new favorite side dish. Don't give up, just give it time and using this forum is making it a heck of alot easier for me. Hang in there and you will be fine!
Omaha

Hi Kindle.
Are you a caffeinist who tries to cut out your coffee according to the Atkins recommendations? I tried 4-5 days of caffeine free induction, but the headaches and bad mood swings was so overwhelming I reintroduced it again. Never had a problem with coffee throughout this WOE since.

Best of luck, dear. I think the recommendation to start on a Friday and maybe take the Monday off was a good one. Maybe worth a try?

Cheers,
/gil

Thank you!!!! As you can see, my first goal is to make it to day 2.

I think that's a really good idea, now that I think about it. My next "weekend" is next Thursday and Friday, so I'll set a start date for then.

I don't really drink caffeine- I got myself off that "addiction" a long time ago, happily. I'm pretty happy drinking water and an occasional Crystal Lite (the bottled ones with Splenda are SO GOOD!).

I think I'll just reread some more....sigh. Maybe I missed the section on debilitating headaches.

Thanks for all the support- I was a little worried that people would start telling me I was doing everything wrong!! Paranoia, it's an awful thing!

I always have terrible headaches during induction and the same kind that aspirin doesn't touch. DRINK DRINK DRINK and DRINK some more. Also, take the excedering before you need it. Make sure you are eating enough and that your food has plenty of fats!!! If that doesn't help skip induction altogether and just start low-carbing. Induction is not required in order to be successful, it is just a jump start! I feel your pain - hang in there!

Hi, I'm with you on the headaches. I felt like Kee Rap the first couple of weeks. But I stuck with it and I feel great now. An occasional headache, but hey, I'm in customer service. How many idiots can you listen to before you get a headache. You will make it. Drink lot's of water to keep your system flushed. I also eat lots of raw spinach. Use it in your salad instead of iceburg lettuce, much better for you, lots of nutrients and fiber. Also green tea with help your system adjust I've found.
Dont give up you can do it.

How about tapering down your carbs over the days until your next weekend, instead of cutting them out suddenly. If you just decided to eat "Real Food" with no processed stuff or junk food, you could still eat sweet potatoes, carrots, lots of veggies and some LC fruit like melon & berries along with the meat, salad etc.

This would be rather like "Sugar Busters" which cuts out "white food". Cook from scratch instead of from packages.

You may be a person who needs to do a higher level of carbs to make the withdrawal bearable. If you decide to go as low as Induction, then be sure to eat some carbs at every meal, eat small meals more ofter (6 times a day) and don't do a lot of physical work or exercise.

You may also want to consider a plan with higher carbs like Protein Power Plan which starts you off at either 35 or 55 grams per day. People still lose weight at those levels. Visit www.eatprotein.com to see what it's all about.

Plan ahead and get rid of all the junk food in your house before you restart. I hope things work out for you.

eaten ham?

Could it be (if it is the processed type - slices) that you are having a reaction to either the nitrites or the sugar brine it may be made with? (just a suggestion).

Could it be the cheese, as well? Are you having any kind of reaction to things you haven't eaten before, or for a long time (allergies cropping up you were unaware of)?

Try tuna, salmon, things like that, perhaps.

Possibly some herbal tea (especially with mint) may help settle things down for you.

I wish you well. I know it can be a big struggle to fight against the body rebellion when you choose to eat differently (like trying to overcome bad habits).