I get so confused as to what to take, I take a multi and calcium supplement. Can you share what you take and what it's for? I'd like that very much.

Thanks,
Krista

I take a multi plus extra calcium. I also take potassium and magnesium because I was having bad leg cramps and they prevent them. I take some extra vit. C to hopefully help me avoid colds but I don't think it has helped much since I've been sick twice recently. I take extra vit. E too. I have just recently added echinacea & goldenseal because Dr. Atkins recommends it for colds in his Vita-Nutrient Solution book.

I take a multi for just in case I am deficent in something, a calcium/magnesium/zinc/vitamin D because they all work together, a potassium to prevent cramps, a vitamin C because I liked Dr. Pauling and he might have been right, and a coenzyme 10 Q because I was on a statin.

I have not been on this forum very long and am not the voice of experience, but this is what I am taking based upon my low-carb diet readings:

1) a multivitamin (I just use 1-A Day for Women)
2) Atkins Dieter's Advantage -- these supplements supposedly curb your appetite but I haven't noticed any difference, and they're expensive. I'll probably cut them out when the bottle runs out.
3) Atkins Essential Oils -- these are gel capsules which contain omega 3s and omega 6s, as well as linoleic acid, all very important, esp. when one is dieting. You can buy them separately, but I liked the Atkins brand because everything's in one capsule.
4) Calcium/Magnesium with Zinc -- the multivitamin I take has some of these vitamins, but I needed more because I was experiencing leg cramps.
5) Potassium -- again, the amounts in a multivitamin are negligible; I need more due to the leg cramping.
6) L-Carnitine -- I have been reading about this in a number of low carb books. Refer to Fran McCullough's Low-Carb Living for an excellent explanation of what L-Carnitine does. There is almost universal agreement that L-Carnitine aids in burning body fat.

I'm thinking about also taking vitamin E, but to be honest, I feel like I can't swallow any more pills! I had to buy a divided pill box just to keep track of what I'm supposed to take, when.

HTH

What you are taking is fine. If you experience muscle cramps or aches, you might want to suppliment with pottasium. You might also want to look into magnesium. Just make sure all your vitamins are sugar, starch, and yeast free.

What really helped me was fitday. You click on the reports section and it has a report "Am I meeting my nutritional needs" It will show you how much you are getting of each nutrient and whre you could use to suppliment if you are regularly getting too little.

The book recomends against iron, but I found through fitday I was constnatly well below the RDA for iron, so I have a multii vitamin that contains it.

Been successful going with... (lost 52.5lbs wooohooo!)

- Men's one-a-day multivitamins
- vitamin E
- vitamin C
- 3 times a day 1000mg flax-seed oil

and just recently started taking (2weeks ago)
- CLA 600mg 3times a day
- Green tea extract
- GNC Isoburst Whey Protein 39grams protein 2scoops once a day
(holy crap these 3 have kick started my weight-loss and muscle gain again WOOOHOOO!)

rice_boi - Just be careful with the green tea. The caffine in it can dehydrate you if you're not drinking enough.

You're also a guy and weight lifting, so that also helps your muscle building. You'll probably start going up in weight here as you build up instead of losing more

To make things easier on myself I decided to take "Atkins Core-4" supplements. The following is what I take on a daily basis.

3-Accel
3-Basic 3
4-Dieters Advantage
2-Essential Oils

I realize that they cost a little bit more than other non-brand name supplements, but my local vitamin store (Vitamin World) had a special going on. Buy one at the regular price.. and get the second one 50% off.

With this type of a deal, it turned out that the "Atkins" supplements now cost the same as everyone elses. That being the case, I bought two boxes of everything that I listed earlier.

So far I've lost 10.6 lbs. in a week. Not bad.. considering this is my first diet I've ever tried.

Dakota Duce

Dodger (or anyone else), what's the coenzyme 10 Q for? I was also on a statin.

Also, for anyone who's taken CLA, does it work? It's supposed to help you get rid of fat around the tummy, right?

I take a multi and supplement it with calcium, vitamin C, fish oil, and folic acid. Any other recommendations for weight lifting?

Thanks!

I tried CLA for about a month - but got a bit freaked out because it sent my blood pressure up! BUT my parents have both been taking it for months and haven't had a problem.

Honestoly though I didn't see any great increase on weight loss - but that is just me!

Just started taking vitamins (up until now I don't take any)

3-Accel
3-Basic 3
4-Dieters Advantage
2-Essential Oils

I just bought the atkins starter pack for £20 which included these tablets for a 14 day trial - I will let you know how it goes - day 1 today.

Other than peeing green!!!! and feeling a little queasey I am fine

Sarah

A multivitamin w/minerals once a day.
Calcium/Magnesium twice a day.
Potassium twice a day.
Chromium once a day.
Biotin once a day.
L-Carnitine twice a day.
COQ10 twice a day.
Fish oil once a day.
And to top it off, E and C once a day.

Boy, do I rattle.

Lost 51 lbs so far, so I'm not changing anything. Have some CLA, but waiting to take it until closer to goal and the weight loss starts slowing down.

RoseTattoo,

The book "The Protein Power Lifeplan" by the Eades doctors has a good explanation of the effect of the statins on CoQ10. The same chemical that the statins block in the one that makes CoQ10. CoQ10 is used by the muscles especially the heart.