Well, I have been having extreme fatique and terrible problems with my leg muscles - weakness, cramping. Finally went to reg. doc and he took all kinds of tests, pottasium, magnesium, thyroid, etc., all came back normal. He says the Atkins diet could be the culprit, he said my body could be robbing my muscles trying to get the energy it used to get from carbs. Any thoughts on this, anyone? Since I have only lost MAYBE two pounds, I am thinking maybe this isn't the right plan for me. But now I am totally lost. I can't go back to the way I used to eat, too much junk. After five weeks, I am so used to Atkins, but I really don't have any energy.

HELP ME PLEASE, SOMEBODY!!!!!!!!

Thanks everyone!!!!!!!

-Jess

I am not a doctor but the question comes to mind, is yours suggesting you quit because no other reason for your symptoms can be found? What about adding some healthy carbs, fruit or vegies, in a fairly high amount for a few days and see if you feel better. That way your calories would remain moderate and you could test out the theory without losing ground. You didn't say what your menus have been like or if you are taking supplements. You might let the board know what you have been eating and others may have suggestions for you.

I have been following induction the whole time. My typical menu for the day:

Breakfast - decaf tea with cream
mock danish
three slices bacon

Lunch- chicken salad with mayo, celery, red onion, pecans
small serving green beans

Dinner steak with low carb sauce
brocolli with butter (about one cup)

Well, that's what I ate yesterday. Wasn't hungry for any snacks.
I am taking so many supplements, don't want to waste your time posting them. Among them, Twinlab Daily Caps, Magnesium, Cal/D, Fish oil, borage oil, vit E. I am taking anti-fungals for Candida, also.

Today I had mock danish with 1/8 cup blueberries, no bacon. I am thinking of adding extra carbs via fruit and more veggies. Doc wants me to do the dreaded Food Pyramid - all that bread and grains. I won't do it, I swear (sound of stamping foot here)!!!!!

Thanks again for listening!!!

ps I have low thyroid and fibromyalgia along with candida. Otherwise, I feel just fantastic!!!!!

-Jess

I know a guy I used to work with that had symptoms similar and he was also a massive vitamin user and they thought he might have lime(spell check) disease. Someone suggested that he lay off all the vitamins for a while and see how he felt and the symptoms cleared up.

too many vits aren't great for ya, just a thought.

I think you might cut down on the supplements..I take coral calcium with vitamins and feel fine. Your menus looked ok to me so that would be another variable to check. Supplements act like drugs - they do interact and one can have a bad reaction to some of them as well...Good luck and keep us posted!

Hi jplush76:

Could you explain this? I'm a bit confused. What does Lyme Disease (caused by ticks) have to do with taking vitamins?

it wasn't that he had it, just showed the symptoms, and being that he lives in a wooded area the doc came to that conclusion.

when he went for a second opinion the other doctor was asking about his nutrition and found out he's taking tons of supplements. so he suggested before he start treament for lyme disease he drop the supplements and see how he feels, and it worked for him he didn't have lyme disease just took too many vitamins.

Sorry just saw in your menu mock-danish, what is that?


Thanks,
Corey

Hi JesSea,

If you have fibromyalgia, it is far more likely that the disease is causing you lack of energy, fatigue, etc. not the low-carb diet. My husband was diagnosed with FM over 17 years ago, and believe me, we have learned what it can do to a person. Is your doctor well informed about this disease? If not, you may want to make a change. FM gets lots of coverage in the press now but we have found that most of what is said/written is totally WRONG. There is a terrific source of real info about this disease. The print publication is called FM Network. You can find it on the web by entering FM Network in a search engine.

Good luck!
Cindy

Jess...

You have a unique opportunity in front of you, believe it or not. I know things seem grim and frustrating right now, but you may be able to really turn them around.

First, your sample diet needs VEGGIES!!! Not fruits right now, but more leafy stuff, more fiber...drink that WATER!!! I'm only a minimal supplement taker, but I do try to get a good one-a-day (2x/day) and calcium. Maybe for a while, simplify that part of it.

Also, how many carbs are you eating per day? Are you still at induction level or have you moved on? I'm thinking that because of your condition, calories may be something you should consider as well, if you're not already.

Not to COUNT them and obsess over them, but remember they are a unit of energy measuring the amount of bulk and nutrition we consume. If we have an "energy" problem or muscle pain/weakness, our calories will have to be up there to compensate. (I can mildly relate to this!)

The general rule is 10-12X your body weight in calories, but I usually stick to 10 x for myself. And the TYPE of calories/carbs is important.

If you begin to adjust a bit, and see some results both healthwise and weight wise, you may really turn your doctor around as well! This WOE is not generally accepted until people get it to work FOR THEM, and then others notice the results. Good thing he took bloodwork too, because that's where the doctor's tend to start turning that food pyramid upside down.

DON'T do it!!! You know better....that's what got us here!!!

Take it easy, hang in there...

Hi! The recipe for mock danish is in the breakfast recipe section on this website. It is soooo good. I am allergic to eggs, but I've found that this recipe doesn't affect me. It is possible that my food allergies are going away.

Anyway, I was tested for Lyme Disease a few years ago. Negative. I am not even sure why I was tested. Actually, I cut way down on my supplements for a few weeks, and noticed no difference. Sorry I didn't make that clear on my previous post. Today I just took my multi, mag, cal/D and fish oil. I have the Atkins book about vita nutrients, and he seems to think taking alot of supps is a good thing. Most of the ones I take I learned from his book.

I keep thinking the muscle problems are from a deficiency of some sort. I am no doctor, and I could be wrong. I wonder, could the muscle problems be related to the candida? I have read scores of info about candida, and I don't remember reading about that particular symptom. Does anyone know how long it takes to get rid of Candida? I can't tell if it is gone, or what. Like I have said before, I just want to be healthy. Losing weight would be fabulous, too. Incidently, I have also tried Suzanne Somers plan (too confusing) and The Zone (too regimented). Neither plan worked for me, and I gave them both a fair shake.

Hope everyone is having a great day!

-Jess

Hi! After I placed my post I saw your replies - thanks for the advice and info. No, my doc is not really knowledgable about the fibro. My chiro is the one who diagnosed it - I had all of the pressure points, and alot of the symptoms. If it is the fibro, it is the worst it has ever been. But I have hope that if I stick with this, once my body is adjusted, it will all work out, at least that is what I am hoping. I will look for the FM Network.

I do drink alot of water, always have, but I will DEFINATELY take your advice and add more veggies. Sometimes I feel like I am forcing myself to eat, I am rarely hungry. You are right about doctors and the stupid food pyramid. I read that doctors spend a total of twelve hours studying nutrition. That sounds far-fetched, but I really believe most of them would rather give you a pill, and send you on your way.

Thanks everyone, for the support, etc. I won't give up, but I will continue "tweaking" this until it works for me. By the way, I am still on induction on account of the candida. I didn't even mention THAT to the doc, he would have told me I was nuts, I'm sure!!

-Jess

Hi Jessea:

Being married to a doctor, I can attest that your statement is not far-fetched. DH and I have talked about this very issue. I know more than he does about nutrition. Unless a doctor has done continuing education on nutrition, they know absolutely nothing about it so don't trust their opinion unless they can back it up .

Unfortunately, doctors only know what they have been taught in school. There's a lot of politics in the field of nutrition and medicine so they are only repeating what they've been told. The first thing a doctor will look for is something out of the ordinary and tell you to eliminate it. Ah, low-carb diet, that must be the reason! They know you want an answer and they can't provide one for you. It's the best solution for some doctors who suffer from God complexes.

My strong suggestion for you is to find yourself a nutritionally-oriented doctor. As you already know, mine did wonders for my health. I don't think you will be able to muddle through this on your own and a conventional doctor will leave you feeling frustrated. Most of the complementary doctors will have a lot of experience with these more recent syndromes such as candida and fibro and CFS.

You can probably look up the American College for Advancement in Medicine and find a doctor in your area.

All the best Jessea,
Wanda

Hi again jplush76:



My 2 cents having seen both sides of that fence.

It's a very bold statement for a doctor to make because the side-effects from ingesting medications are far more dangerous than supplements. It'd be interested to know how long it took between the first doctor's visit and the discontinuation of supplements. It's very convenient that a doctor would determine "supplements" as the cause of the problem when at the same time they feel utterly threatened by the success of the supplement industry.

Dr. Atkins would argue the opposite, that supplements are necessary for us given the state of our environment and exposures today. Having said that, there are certain cautions that need to be taken. Blindly taking supplements is not a good thing and can be dangerous without some personal research (which doesn't include what someone from the HFS told you).

Just a thought

Wanda, once again you are a wealth of information! I looked up the doctor search on the ACAM website, and there are several in my area. I am going to find out if any of them are covered on my insurance policy. My best friend sees Dr. Mercola (from the now famous website) but he is REALLY expensive. Thanks again for the help. You are right, I can't muddle through this on my own, I really need help, just haven't found the right doc to do it.

Have a great day!

-Jess