I've been pretty successful with the Atkins with losing about 1-3 pounds per week. But I am feeling a bit light headed and sleepy. On my first day of the diet, I was very sleepy. It's been about 3 months and I sometimes feel sleepy and light headed. I think it could be lack of carbs. Does anyone have an answer? Thanks.

Could be your blood pressure. I feel like that sometimes, and if I'm out-and-about and near a pharmacy, I'll check it and it's usually ninety-something over fifty or sixty-somthing. A little on the low side.

I have tended to stay at about Induction Level of carbs - possibly due to thyroid problems weight loss is slow but steady. There are times when I need a higher level.

Very occasionally I do get lightheaded. And yes I have increased the carb level for that day - usually have a Mini eclair and a slice or two of low-carb bread as well as extra helping of LC vegetables. It happens sometimes when I have not been eating meals regularly or gone long periods without food.

As for sleepy - I don't know about that. LCing has actually had the reverse effect on me.

Take care.

Hi,
I have had great success with Potassium supplements to take away the fog and sleepiness. When I forget to take it my afternoons are reaaly slow.....
Sharon

Are you taking supplements? Calcium/magnesium and potassium as well as a good multivitamin?

Are you eating enough? Eating smaller, more frequent meals can help. Ketosis naturally supresses appetite and many new LC'ers equate no hunger with being good, but you have to eat. It's critical to the success of LC.

Since you've been LC'ing for 3 months, have you found your critical carb level - CCL - and are following it by increasing your vegetable intake and perhaps eating a few LC nuts?

Karen

I too feel tired and spacy. I initially resolved the spaciness by having two extra meals a day and increasing carbs. The last week however I am bone tired. I consquently feel stressed and irritable. I am sleeping well, exercising moderately and all I can think is it is the food. I am beginning to think I just need more carbs. I started induction just over 3 weeks ago and broke it yesterday by including some almonds in my diet to see if it would make me feel better. It hasn't.

My kidneys are also feeling sore. I tested for ketosis and I am just in the moderate range. I have either been low or moderate all along.

I take a multi vit, extra c, lysine and extra zinc. I am also taking acidophilous and nilstat for suspected candida. Though I think it is the carb that was creating the wind and bloating.

I do light weights 3x per week for about 20 mins and the other three days I do 30 mins walking on the treadmill. Does that mean I need even more carbs.

Trisha

trisharau,

Your profile says you aren't sure what plan you are following, and you haven't read any books, so the best thing to do is read.
Compare a few different plans and see which one most fits you and your lifestyle (there is a link to the right that allows you to see bare basics of low carb diets, start there).

I cannot imagine getting through the day without extra potassium and take calc/mag twice a day as well.
This comes from Protein Power Lifeplan....(synopsis)
You may think you are eating enough food to meet your daily requirements especially all the vegetables that you now consume....Wrong, most vegetables have been grown in dirt that has become minerally deficient, and/or go through food processing techniques that strip foods of nutrients. As well, our water supply is so processed and "purified" it no longer has minerals in it, good or bad.
How many calories a day are you eating? Enough to fuel your body for 24 hours of basic breathing, cell division, repair and replacement? Your body may be saying "not enough energy here to run the lungs, and the heart and run to the store....better slow down and conserve."
When you feel the effects of an improved diet, you will be hooked.

Thank you for your fast reply!

Since I did my profile. I read up and decided on Atkins. This I started mid march soon after I registered. I have ordered numerous books thru the library on low carb but unfortunately none have come in from the other libraries yet (I live in a fairly remote area).

I have been attempting PNP (potatoes not prozac) for years but was not finding it was working. I am sure this was because the carbs were too high and the fact that dairy was allowed.

Since the 1st Jan of this year I dropped sugar, caffeine and dairy from my diet. Later I also eliminated wheat. I immeaditely felt much better and lost 4 kilos. My start weight was 65 kilos and I am 162 cm high (about 5 foot 3 and a bit).

I began Atkins at 61kg and on 3 weeks of induction lost another 4 kilos. I am now 57 kilos. I would love to be at the most 54kg and I would be happy to go down to 50kg. I don't know if that is too low for a 45 year old. I do look a good 10 years younger than my age.

I will try the extra vitamins and see if they make a difference. I tried to get some potassium the other day but it is obviously not a popular mineral here.

I tried to change my portfolio to update it but I couldn't. I don't know if that means I should start again.

Trisha

The water we drink is pure rainwater. We also eat a lot of organic foods so the diet itself shouldn't be a problem.

Trisha

Yesterday I started taking calc/mag twice a day. I also am taking chelated potassium once day - 495 mg. This is on top of the multi vit and min, extra C, Zinc and lysine.

How soon until I get some of my old energy back I have been more tired than ever and it is getting to be hard to get out of bed in the morning. I am also getting incredibly forget ful and I am constantly dropping things.

Trisha

Hi again trisharau,

Could you post a typical day's menu from the last few days, maybe someone will see something out of the ordinary.
I would think the extra supplements will kick in today or tomorrow.
We are just beginning spring allergies here in Ont. I know my allergy meds will send me on a roller coaster of sleep, activity, sleep, schedules.....I am hoping the extra minerals may help that syndrome as well.
Sharon

hi Trisha,

Not sure if you mean that you couldn't submit the changes, or if the changes didn't show up when you submitted? Try removing the words "kilos" from the weights ... the database will recognze numerals only. Maybe that will help.

Doreen

Hi Sharon and Doreen,

I will have another go at updating my portfolio to put in the new info.

I have been out the last few days so my food has been quite different. I usually have two soft boiled eggs in the morning.

One and a half desertspoons of psyllium husks mid morning and mid afternoon. Lately I have also tried having some nuts instead.

Lunch time I have a large salad with tuna, salmon, sardines or a steak. Lately I have been putting on the Norganic golden soya mayonaise. Previous to this I was using olive oil.

In the evening for dinner I have either fish or meat with cooked veges or salad.

Note I generally have been having more than my daily salad/veges even right from the start (well the first few days because I was so spacy and felt I needed more carbs). I hadn't had sugar, white flour products, dairy, wheat, nor caffeine for months before this so I don't think the symptoms were simply just withdrawal ones.

I have 8 to 9 hours sleep a night (though I feel I could sleep longer). I do moderate exercise first thing in the morning 6x per week (30 mins fast walking on treadmill 3x perweek and 20 -30 mins light weight - just the bar bell and abs the other 3 days - I work weights on alternate days).

I hope this gives more info. Oh just lately I have tried some dairy (cheese and cream) and nuts (cashews and almonds). I used to get reactions to these PRE LOW CARB but no longer!!!!

Sharon I hope you survive the hayfever season better this year. My asthma and allergies have gone since doing low carb (well except when I was shoveling dry mulch the other day). I have been getting allergy needles for a few years and that has made an significant improvement. With this way of eating I am even considering giving them a miss this year.

Trisha

Has any one got any comment on my above diet. Note I add olive oil to salads and also in the last week mayonaise.

I am eating heaps and in desperation last night I had wholemeal spaghetti with my beef and vege bolognese sauce. I also had brocoli and cauliflower on the sided (steamed) an parmesan cheese on top. (note before this WOE I did not even eat dairy nor wheat products).

I feel chronically tired now but there is no evidence of any sort of disease or infection. I have eliminated any other possible factors, I am not stressed or anything. I am simply extremely exhausted even though I am sleeping well and long.

All I can think now is that it is this WOE with my body. Even from the start I felt sleepy and so light headed by the afternoon. I am now worried that I have done some bad damage to my body. I would rather have the few kilos that I lost back than feel this bad. My chest is even hurting now. I am scared to even go to my doctor as I imagine he is going to go ballistic when he hears I have been doing LC. He didn't think I needed to lose weight when I mentioned it to him when I had my last allergy needle last year (I was 63kg then and I am 57kg now).

My husband is flying interstate for almost a week tomorrow. School hols are starting. I live in a remote area. For the first time ever I am terrified about being left alone to look after the kids in this situation with absolutely no energy. I can't think straight and have extreme brain fog. My memory is lousy. Menatally I feel exhausted too. This is a worry as I am a post grad student and I have a huge paper due in.

Please give me some postive feedback. Note as of last night I am re introducting many more healthy carbs back in as I am desperate. (even though I am only at the end of my 4th week into Atkins).

Thank you in advance for any assistance.

Trisha

Trisharau...

just a thought, but have you ever had your thyroid tested? Some of the symptoms (actually a lot of them) could be caused by a low thyroid. Just something to consider. Hope you feel better soon!