Has anyone experienced leg cramps on this WOE? I had a severe one last night, something I haven't had since a teenager.
I'm currently on 25 carbs/day since Induction, drink lots of water, and take a multivitamin (Centrum). Been losing and regaining the same 3 pounds for 7 weeks now, so somewhat dissapointed. However, if this WOE isn't causing me physical harm, I'll stick it out some more.

The leg cramps often are a sign that you are burning muscle. Do you work out as well as Low-Carb? If I don't excercise for a couple of days, my leg muscles begin to ache and cramp.

Get thee to a treadmill!

I had this too when I started Atkin's, it will not last long, several days in my case. It is covered in Atkin's book also. I think it had something to do with the sudden loss of water weigh you shed on introduction. Everyone feel free to correct me on this one. In the meantime you can take some potassium, this should do the trick.

Hope this makes you feel better!

Thanks to both of you. I ride a bike or hike daily. I'll try the potassium if they continue.

The potassium will definitely do the trick!

Too bad we can't woof down a banana or two but that's not the ticket. I ride a road bike 3 to 4 times a week during the warm months and if I've had a particularly good week of hard riding my calves will start cramping. I'll hit the potassium for a few days and it takes care of the cramping.

Good luck.

--PaulB

I have been on this WOE for 7 weeks. I take Potassium, Calcium with magnesium and zinc also multi-vitamins, and drink gallons of water. I exercise regularly but not intensely and I still get leg and foot cramps almost every night. This was a rare event before Atkins.

Taking supplements of calcium, magnesium, and potassium have helped my leg cramps.

While many subscribe to the popular view that potassium surpresses leg cramps, there has never been any scientific proof stipulating that potassium has any noticeable affects on muscle contractions.

I think it works for some, but not for others.

In my view, what works best for the excrutiatingly painful evening cramps is proper stretching after excercise. For instance, stretch after you ride your bike, not before.

I had gotten cramps when I was a teenager, but as soon as I adopted post-workout stretching, I've never had a night cramp episode henceforth.

Hope this works for you,

Frederick

I didn't even think of stretching! Thanks, I'll try it!

Well I have to say that I think the leg cramping is from electrolyte loss, which I suppose could have something to do with exercise, but when I started this woe I didn't exercise and still got them.

Muscle cramping, especially experienced at night, is not necessarily due to exercise, but dehydration and electrolyte loss, common symptoms especially when first beginning a low carb diet.

Exactly right!

Low carbing induces quite dramatic fluid loss at first, and this diuresis removes electrolytes as well as water.

Magnesium seems to be the main culprit in causing leg cramps. It is best taken in combination with calcium in a 2 cal:1 mag combination. Adults need 1000mg calcium daily (500 mag), 1500:750 for postmenopausal women.

Do keep up the water drinking too. I found once in the early stretches I had a nasty cramp that I could only attribute to a little dehydration.

Rosebud