Just started the induction phase of Atkins yesterday... I the middle of day 2 and I am feeling a little odd... No energy and my head feels a little swimy... In fact the way I normal feel if I have have forgotten to eat (I can be a bit of a obsessive when I am doing something that interests me..).. Yet I have had 2 egg (scrambled) and a single chicken breast (cajun... mmmm..) for breakfat and just had my lunch of green leaf salad, cucumber and a little tomato with prawns in mayo (the local sandwich shop is fastastic, then even do fresh salads)..

Anyone else felt a bit odd around day 2??? I know the book says you can feel a little strange but it would be nice to hear someone else say it..

The reason I am trying this is because I am overweight and on low-fat diets I have to eat so little to start losing weight that I am just hungry all the time...

Today is definetly an odd one for me as well. I had a total sugar/carb withdrawal in line at the store yesterday. I woke up about two hours early this morning. Made breakfast (3 eggs scrambled, 2 sausage, and cheese mmmmmmm)...I guess I just feel really GREASY!!!! Ive noticed I am having a little more heartburn (could be from diet soda) and on the edge of a headache...I am sure this will pass though...Hang in there!

definitely hang in there this is prety normal as your body adjusts to this way of eating.. your body right now islooking for carbs.. it needs a few days to realize that it can use other things for energy (like fat)..

you havent had any problems with sugar at all in the past have you? if so i would consult with my doc..

but truly if you search the boards here youll find many people experience the same exact thing! mine happened around the second week i think.. my legs got crampy and i was dizzy.. i started taking potassium and that seemed to help (just one little tab every morning)

stay strong unless you have a medical problem youre not telling us about, theres no reason to worry its totally normal..

make sure you eat FAT so you dont get hungry and if youre on induction i would avoid the tomatoes as they are high on the GI.. just my opinion of course

check out the links in my signature (if you havent already)

best wishes to you!!

I'd say stick with Induction as long as your health profile doesn't, as Peapod mentioned, suggest you need to take care. If, however, you don't adjust after several weeks I just want you to know that there are other LC plans that work. I love Atkins-----all the great things you can eat----and just helped my son begin the Atkins plan. But I can't do it myself; I just don't feel well on it. That's why I use the Zone, which has much of the same science behind it but seems to keep my system in balance. I'm not pushing it at all; in fact, it is a bit of a juggling act and takes a while to learn all the ways to build a good meal plan. But it or several of the other plans in the forum are options for you if you have long term difficulties on Atkins. Probably you'll adjust as most people do and do just great! Best to 'ya!

Dear Bob,

My Third Day Was Really Bad As Well. I Felt Like I Had Woke Up With The Stomach Flu. I Was Pale, Clammy, Nauseated, Weak And Could Not Concentrate.

Two Weeks Later - I Have A Lot Of Energy And I Am Right On Schedule. I Have Found My Progress To Be Step By Step As Dr. Atkins Said In His Book.

You Will Feel Better Soon. Take Care.

Hi Bob....When I first started Atkins I was feeling sick all the time, headaches too. Also problem with BM. I had diarrhea almost everyday. So some sweet person on the forum made me feel all better by telling me my body was having withdraws from not eating high Carb foods. In about 2 weeks I was over it and now I am fine. You will be too.

Thanks for all the replies...

Well yesterday I got those KetoStix things and tried them out after I played Football last night... I got a strong pinky red result, so I guess it has begun...

I don't feel foggy like yesterday so that is good... I think all the running around playing football really kicked things along..

Weirdest thing about yesterday.. I kept thinking about Black Forest Gateau all day... But I think that has passed..

The worry that is striking me now is protein.. It says in the book to not eat too much protein or you will start producing Glucose again.. But how much is too much? and how much is too little??

No other ill effects yet though, bar one... and I am off the the health stores to pick up some flax seeds to 'deal' with that..

How do you calculate protein requirements?

The minimum protein requirement ranges from 0.6 to 1 gram per pound of lean body mass depending on the level of physical activity. It is calculated like this:

Sedentary. A person who gets no physical activity needs 0.5 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass.

Moderately Active. Someone who exercises 20-30 minutes two or three times per week needs 0.6 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass.

Active. Someone who exercises 30 minutes or more three to five times per week needs 0.7 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass.

Very Active. A person who exercises an hour or more at least five times per week needs 0.8 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass.

Athlete. A competitive athlete who trains twice a day for an hour or more needs 1 gram of protein per pound of lean body mass.

We also recommend that if someone is more that 40% overweight they should increase their protein requirement one level.

figuring lean body mass:

find out your body fat % and the % left over is your lean weight.. so for me (the best i can figure) is im about 30% body fat (you can find body fat calculators throughout this site.. simply click here to for them.. so i take the leftover 70% (of 210) and that leaves me with 147 as a lean body mass.. then i use the figuring up there..

for me it would be 88-102 grams (on average i get about 89)

now im not on protein power, however this has been helpful to many people to figure out about how much MINIMUM protein they should get.. fitday.com will help you in this area ( on atkins, protein should be about 25% of your menu)

on another thread, natrushka said to someone "120g is no where near "too much" - don't be alarmed! The amount of protein you'd have to eat to hit that 'excessive' mark would blow your mind - and render you very, very full "

now im not sure what the 'excessive mark' is.. as ive been having questions similar to yours on protein over the last week or so.. anyhow my belief is that Atkins does not really cover this in detail as Protein Power does.. and although youll find knowledgable people following Atkins, your best bet is to ask a question pertaining to protein amounts in the Protein Power forum.. natrushka, kristine and Karen seem extremely knowledgable about this! (ive not read others so i apologize if i have missed some other posters) even if you are following Atkins, they will welcome your questions in that arena

best wishes to you!!

also..

note on FLAX SEEDS

may i suggest you buy ground flax meal? otherwise you have to 'mill' it yourself.. much easier IMHO to simply throw a scoop of meal into your 'danish' or meatloaf.. my understanding is that the seeds are quite difficult to chew just remember, once opened it must be kept in an airtight container and in the fridge.. i personally keep mine sealed in the freezer I also (being the neurotic that I am) smell it everytime i open it.. if the smell leans toward paint remover, you should toss it.. if its good it will smell slightly buttery/nutty

hope ive helped you some!!