it's about my 4th week, and these last few days have been feeling rundown. in the beginning i felt great.

i recently started taking vitamins (I know should have sooner), i'm drinking the protein drinks (3carbs) as a meal replacement or inbetween meals(i eat 5-6 small meals, not a big eater).

but i literally am weak in the legs yet, it's an effort to walk. i am ready to give up because i don't like feeling this way. i know i'm not eating as much as i should. i'm getting bored with the foods. i've looked at the recipes and i do want to try them.

but i would really like to stop feeling like this. is this normal? a phase? any ideas?

Thanks
pastafool

Pastafool,

If you are eating so little as to be starving yourself - STOP! We don't wanna lose you.

But you also need to consider what else might be going on. Low-carb is a powerful diuretic and can cause imbalances in sodium and potassium. That's why there are all the "See your doctor" warnings in the beginning of diet books that we all ignore. But this sounds like a case where you need to see your doctor. Take care of yourself!

Sounds like you already know what you're doing wrong, so I don't have much to add. It always surprises me when people say they get bored with the food. There are a zillion different foods you can have - maybe you just need to expand your menu and try things you've never tried before. Try some new veggies, salad dressings, cheeses, cuts of meat you've never had before. Be creative! They won't all be winners, but you'll be amazed at some of the fantastic stuff you'll make.

If you feel like starting a journal or posting some sample daily menus, we'd be happy to comment.

Good luck - I hope you start feeling better soon.

thanks guys i guess it's an issue of potassium.

i guess i say i'm bored with the food because i miss my potatoes, rice, bread & pasta so much. to me a meal is not complete without one of those. and generally, i would eat all the carbos and fill up faster without my veggies & meat. (which i know is not good). just looking at bacon & eggs w/o toast and hash browns are not the same as bacon & eggs, you understand...

anyway, i hope i get over this hump. i'm drinking water, maybe 3 pts a day, and decaf coffee 3 x a day. so i am taking in fluids.

thanks again
pastafool

PS a friend of mine made zucchini bread w/atkins bread mix...and OMG w/cream cheese...it's to die for...so i guess i'll be making that this weekend (LOL)

my best breakfast is a huge omlet with a little of everything thrown in.
a little butter, a couple of eggs,
Ham, bacon( the real kind in the can so you don't have to fry it)
cheese, a little onion, a little tomato, green pepper, mushroom,
even left over brocolli, or other veggies.
My husband eats them too, and I honestly feel a protein breakfast helps you feel better all day.
you could use the eggbeaters, if you have to watch cholesterol.

This should fill your plate, and perhaps you won't miss the bare space!

appreciate the support....i just have to resign myself to no bread etc.

thanks again
pastafool

There are low carb breads available at most stores.
At only 3 carbs per slice, they fit in almost any low carb plan.
(most breads are about 15 per slice.)
When I am needing a treat, I toast a slice, slap on a little
cream cheese with sweetner and cinamon.

Very tasty and CRUNCHY!
gets me through those carb cravings, and they make
pretty good coutons for a salad.

Since you don't list the supplements you are taking, it's hard to say for sure, but my best guess would be that you are low on potassium as well as calcium and magnesium. Low carbing has a strong diuretic effect (you pee a lot) which causes you to also lose important electrolytes. Try supplementing with these 3 for a few days and see if you don't feel better.

i am taking centrum silver. in your opinion should i be taking something different.
potassium 80mg, magnesium 100mg, calcium 200mg. i eat my veggies, spinach, broccoli, brussel sprouts. i also have a headache every day, it seems to get better as the day goes on. thanks for the info

pastafool

80 mg of potassium is no where near enough for one day. Are you using NuSalt or Morton's Lite, which are supplemented with potassium. Potassium is the trickiest electrolyte because it is difficult to get it from supplements. It really needs to come from foods high in potassium. I don't have any suggestions off the top of my head. I have been doing much, much better since I started using Morton's Lite.

I also think the calcium and magnesium in your centrum silver is not enough. That doesn't mean there is anything wrong with the vitamin you have chosen: few vitamins provide enough mineral supplements.

Take a look at Atkins formulas: they are more heavily balanced with mineral supplements. I'm not using them. But I take a lot more than just a good vitamin.

Hope this helps.

Have you ever been pregnant? and taken those horse pill vitamins? I think that was the best potassium time of my life (20 years ago). I wonder if they are available without being pregnant?!

Pasta,

Have you tried using Fitday to keep track of your calories and other stats?

Many people here use it. It's pretty easy to keep track of your carbs in your head, but calorie tracking is much easier on Fitday.

If not for fitday, I probably wouldn't be eating enough. You're supposed to eat around 10x your weight in calories. I know from experience that I can eat all kinds of stuff on Atkins and think that I've eaten 4 trillion calories, but find out from Fitday that I'm maybe at 1,500- not nearly enough to keep my body working properly.

Using fitday, I am able to tweak my calorie intake (as well as carbs down the road) to find the right levels for continued weight loss.

The quickest way people can add calories without having to eat more is by "oil sipping." If I've eaten all my meals and am still low but don't want to eat more I just swallow a tablespoon or two of olive oil. It's not the tasiest stuff in the world when eating it straight, but its not the end of the world.

isabel,

no havent picked up the morton lite salt. but i will do it on the way home.

and yes, i remember those 'horse pills', actually that was the only time i felt 150% good when i was pregnant.
LOL

thanks

chriscat,

oil sipping, huh? you are a braver soul then me...(LOL). does it taste anything like castol oil, just kidding, i love olive oil... and yes i had go on fitday, just haven't kept it up.

thanks too
pastafool

Are you feeling better, Pastafool?

no, not really...still have the headaches and general yuks...but i'm going to get the salt right after work.

thanks for asking...

pastafool