Any suggestions?

[JenLeeBee]

Not sure if this should be posted under another forum topic, so I apologize in advance. Usually, I am lurking on this board, but I felt I had to call on the experts on this board...(sorry, this is kind of long)
I am at my wits end.

I feel damned if I keep eating a carb-y/sugared diet, but I feel damned when I get a few days into the induction. I have started & stopped the induction countless times over the past few years...each time with new hope and thinking this time will be different or that I have some new strategy this time that was my downfall for why the last time failed.

Although I am carrying some extra weight (about 30 pounds on my 5' 11" frame) my main reason to follow the Atkins WOE is this diet has the potential to even my mood swings, anxiety, help with allergies, stop sugar/carb binging and not to mention giving me lots of energy. I grew up eating horribly and for as long as I can remember have been addicted to sugar and have the mood swings, unclear thinking, feeling overall unwell & just plain messy in my head (I am talking since about 5 or 6 years old) My mom has Type 1(?) diabetes (the type you aren't born with) and I do not want to end up that way but feel powerless to get control over the behaviors that could put me on the fast track to the same destination.

I have read the book, prepare carefully (cooking, freezing, stocking the fridge). I am sensitive to dairy & do not include any dairy in my diet and keep things very simple and clean (no Frankenfoods, bars, shakes, artificial sweeteners). Have lots of allergies, so I stay clear of anything that could trigger or aggravate them. I am careful to stick closely to the diet....that is until I get to the point where I can't stand the messy feeling in my head that I get hit with within the first few days of being on the induction.

So I start with the best intentions and by day 3 or 4 or 8 (8 is the longest I have ever made it) I just can't take it any longer and all bets are off...I can't stop thinking about food and how it will alleviate the nonsensical, racing CONSTANT noise in my head. There is NO letting up...it just kind of subsides for brief intervals to a lesser degree. I can barely stand this state & it feels crippling - I am tired, irritable, can't think straight or control my thoughts from racing no matter how I try to stop or change them to good, calming thoughts & images or remembering reasons why I will benefit from staying on the atkins program. I can't sleep it off when it hits during the day because I feel like a tired and wired zombie and the day goes by painfully slow, aware of every moment. I try to rationalize it left and right that my body is having major changes, is going through withdrawal...I prepare ahead....take L-glutamine...prayer... affirmations.....I go on the boards and look for inspiration...journal...take bubble baths...aromatherapy oils....walk....run....I try to start on a weekend or vacation so I could rest....I've tried starting when i was busy to keep my mind off it....I go to bed as early as I can - like 6 or 7pm just to escape it in sleep if i can finally get to sleep....and I ALWAYS get to the point where I just can't bare it any longer (even after eating a balanced Atkins meal) and it almost always ends up in a binge on carby sugary foods like cookies which alleviates it for about 2 minutes and then feels awful in a whole different way.....

My mind is generally always like this...racing thoughts and hard to concentrate - it just feels to be so much more intensified when i give the bad stuff up on the induction I wake up with ringing ears and with this weird hot feeling on the left side of my body...I don't know what it is.... On the plus side, I DO notice that some cravings diminish for certain things and some physical ache and discomforts fall away in those days first few days and I always start losing weight immediately (which is nice, but i feel too awful to care that much)...but this is where I stumble every time...And I cannot go on like this because for the past few months i am just constantly starting and restarting the induction....days of being absolutely exhausted and feel that CONSTANT nag in my head....then fall off and start again.

I just can't figure this out....I have heard people experience similar things on the board...or say they felt "cruddy" or "bad" for a few days and that their body as screaming for sugar. And maybe they felt the exact same way and just as horrible as i do and they just don't go into detail about how miserable they felt up until the very minute that their body finally turned the corner. Is there anyone that felt like an utter miserable mess when they started? If so...could you describe it?? Did anyone have to endure this for more than a few weeks until they reached the point where they felt great?Any advice?

I am re-reading my post and it sounds so serious and melodramatic, but i swear it is no exaggeration. I try to toughen up and say "just suck it up and get through it this time - no complaining and just do it!". It is just so hard to imagine when I am at that breaking point that if somehow I can miraculously delay from breaking my diet, that awful feeling finally go away and I will feel better than before. I wonder what if my adrenals are exhausted or my thyroid is outta whack and I will always feel this crappy even if i keep pressing through? Or what if my body is too far gone from all the cumulative damage of eating poorly all my life and I will never feel really good even if I could stick to eating completely by the atkins rules? What if I am deficient in some vitamin/mineral/amino acid/neuortransmitter etc. etc. and this won't let up unless I find out what it is and correct the imbalance?

I am going into the diet each time as a person who is already feeling pretty horrible and scattered. But scattered and stuck as I feel, I am still a determined person looking for answers, scouring books and the internet. I kind of have no choice because, like I said before, I am damned if I keep eating the way I have been, but i don't know how to make this new plan work....stuck in a limbo and I want to change this. I seem to be following the same pattern as a lot of people on this board...splitting headache within the first 2 days....could there be something other going on with me that is making this impossible?

I just re-read some of my Dr. Atkins book in the chapters where he talks about hypoglycemia, anxiety, candida....and he does mention what sounds like what I am talking about. And his tone is so positive, confident and reassuring that if you bear with the discomfort, you are going to be flying high soon. I just can't stop failing even though I know I have nothing to meaningful to gain from not sticking to it.

(oh...I have tried going to the doctor in the past, I end up walking out with Effexor or Paxil or advice that I should "have kids...that will take your mind off your problems and focusing on yourself so much". The doc checked over a year ago my thyroid and said it was ok. I am not on insurance right now)

Sorry...this post is as all over the place and rambling as my mind (long, too)
But any suggestions....and any personal stories of similar experinces are much welcome (and needed) or ways to make the withdrawal more comfortable...

Thanks for reading...and thanks for being such a great board...

Jen

[shirleyhon]

Re: Any suggestions?

Hello & welcome! I suggest getting Dr. phil's book, ultimate weight solutions. I am on day 3. I am supplementing everyday with pylluim husk or flaxseed meal this time. Good luck!

[Moochiecat]

Re: Any suggestions?

I think you need to go to a new doctor if he told you to go have kids. Yikes. I don't mean to sound jokey, but it may help if you talk to somebody else.

What you are describing seems like a really bad case of Induction Flu but if it's lasting more than a week, there may be other factors involved, and a doctor is better prepared to help you with those than we are. I'm sure there are tests he can do to make sure your adrenals etc are working properly. As it is, DANDR suggests you get a panel of blood tests before you start the diet so you have something to compare to. Working with your doctor on this is very helpful, but it isn't helpful if you have a doctor who isn't willing to help.


My own experience was that on day 7 of Induction I was still feeling sick (headaches, body aches, lethargy and very irritable) but by the end of the two weeks I physically felt better.
However I did have an endless loop of sweet treats going around and around and around in my head, and I went through quite a long mourning period dealing with the truth that I could no longer turn to my old friends (sugar, pasta, etc). We had many a tense evening here, I can assure you of that! I had a lot of anger in me, but it was mostly anger directed at myself for putting myself in this position in the first place and being such a wanton glutton over the last 20 years.
This cranky time lasted quite a while....like a few months...and it gradually faded away. What kept me going was that I knew for a fact that eating those foods would NOT help me in any way....they were poison to me, so turning to them again was not an option.
What also kept me going was seeing the weight coming off. I related the fact that I stayed true to the Induction Rules and Acceptable Foods list to my success and I looked at my 'cranky times' as being penance for eating so poorly over the years. It was sort of a dieter's version of running the gauntlet, if that makes sense.
Also, I realized that my moods and emotions were on a MUCH more even keel because I was eating more frequently and properly than I have ever eaten in my life. Having suffered from low blood sugar episodes in the past, this was amazing!

I make sure that when I snack I combine a protein and a fat, as opposed to eating a protein alone.

I wish you the best whether you decide to stay on Atkins or switch to another plan.

[2big4mysize]

Re: Any suggestions?

if induction is too tough for you back into Atkins. it will take longer to lose the weight but it will help with the rest. Eat maintnenance foods and clear your sugar addiction. then lower your carbs of the higher rung foods some each week until you start losing and you will be doing OWL.

Or you can know you are like a junkie in withdrawals and jonesing for your next fix during the begiineing of induction. The physical sysmptons will go away in a few days and you will be lowcarbing with all the benefits of having cleaned your system of all those things you had to give up.
whichever route you pick you will be healthier smaller person in a few weeks time.

[coitrina]

Re: Any suggestions?

My mind is generally always like this...racing thoughts and hard to concentrate -

I saw a comercial about Adult attention deficit disorder. They compared everyday life as "trying to watch TV, but the channel keeps turning". I said, "that's me!". I don't know if that is YOU too, but what you described above hit home. I am not on any medication for it. I have trouble sleeping at night, alot of insomnia because I THINK and THINK and THINK. My mind is always thinking. So, I bought some tylenol with sleep aid and have been using that to help me relax. It is strange your doctor said to have kids. It really IS a solution, but just not one that will help solve your problem in the long run, only temporarily until they can take care of themselves someday; then what? I am lucky for now, I have an 11 year old, a baby that is going on 5 months old, and a husband to take care of. Both my husband and I are doing Atkins together, but to be honest, he has no part of it. I am the one who plans and prepares all the food. I am the one who has done all of the research and reading...all he has to do is remain cheat free when he is off to work, and the doughnuts start getting passed around. So, I have a very busy schedule to handle my very busy mind. I don't want to see myself or my husband fail, so it really does help that I am on this WOL with him. What can you do to occupy your mind? Well, I have an addictive personality. When I didn't have children, and I wasn't doing drugs <I've been clean for quite a few years now> I went to the gym 5 days a week. It was an awesome high..and took my mind off of 'things' and helped relax me because I was able to expell my pent up energy. If I didn't have a full plate already, that is what I would be doing.
edit: I went to this site:http://www.oneaddplace.com/add-test.php
and took the test. I really think I need to go to a doctor. Wow
Thanks for this thread, I learned more about myself. I knew something was wrong, and that ADD was probably it..but never went to a doctor about it.

[JenLeeBee]

Re: Any suggestions?

Thank you all for your thoughtful replies....

Shirleyhon - Thank you for the warm welcome and the book recommendation. I will look for the Dr. Phil book at the library. You are on Day #3?? Keep going strong and good luck on the program....

Moochiechat - Thanks for describing your mental part of experiencing the withdrawal/ooginess in the beginning of the program. Hee hee! It is like running a dieter's gauntlet. (and I have sweet treats looping in my head, too.) It REALLY helps to hear that you stuck with it, put up with whatever came at you and even went through crankiness for a few months, but there was a light at the end of the tunnel and here you are on the other side doing fine with all that in your rear view mirror. Thank you! BTW - you look fantastic and really inspire me.

2bigformysize - Your advice is sensible and a good way for me to continue...I really like Atkins and want to succeed and your ideas would really help with damage control and keep things regned in adn zeroing in on the ultimate goal. Thank you so much for your suggestions.

coitrina - First off...you look great! You are doing so well on the diet! Wow! Your life sounds very busy...two kids and at such different stages - a little one and one on the verge of teenagerdom! Your husband is very lucky to have someone preparing and seeing to it that he has all that he needs to succeed on the diet (which comes at the expense of a overwhelmed wife) and I can imagine how stressful it must be to juggle it all. And I can see where throwing a racing mind into a busy life would keep it busy. (I know I find it hard when it is just me and my thoughts and no distractions - now I know why I love the tv so much)

I've seen that commercial and i say "Cripes! That is me!" Eegads! I scored high on that quiz.....

One thing I have been reading up on and am about to experiment with is info from a book called The Mood Cure....in it, the Dr. who wrote it talks about using amino acids (a few of which Dr. Atkins recommends for getting over the hump/helping sugar cravings as well as a few others that are key to having balanced neurotransmitters in the brain that effect the mood and your thoughts) I guess if you are low in any of these aminos, then you can feel pretty awful mentally and have a hard time sticking to any healthy eating program that would help you making enough of the neurotransmitters to feel balanced. One of the symptoms she mentions is racing thoughts. According to the book, taking them (which I guess you do short term) can be as powerful as a drug, but they are natural substances to the body that you naturally require and essentially, you are just restocking your brain with these aminos that have been depleted through things like a crappy diet, stress, etc. until your body can start making ample amounts of its own. Interesting to think about and sounds promising....I will test it out on myself and post later after I experiment to let you know if it helps with the racing thoughts.

After reading your post and hearing you talk about exercising and how helpful it can be to clear the head, I was inspired to go to the gym and did some time on the treadmill and eliptical trainer and it definitely took some of the edge off.

Goods luck to you and your husband with your program...and also with finding relief with the overwhelm and racing thoughts...I can definitely sympathize.

[coitrina]

Re: Any suggestions?

JenLee, all I can say, is keep going to the gym. I am so glad you did. You have to keep going. It will continue to ease the stress, along with giving you the release of endorphins...the best high
People have noticed the change in me since I have started the Atkins WOL. First off, I was always ....and I MEAN ALWAYS the type that said, "If I don't get something to eat, I am going to pass out". I have tagged myself as having low blood sugar. If I went too long without eating, I became moody and bit*chy. Now, I don't have that problem anymore. No more rollercoaster sugar highs and lows for me. No more mood swings and short temper. It took me almost a month and a half to get to the point where I don't miss my friend..'food'. Food was a really good friend to me for a long time. You will get to the point where food isn't your friend anymore either. Are you afraid of that? Are you afraid to change and become someone completely different than you have been brought up to be? It is scary isn't it? Who is going to be your friend if you don't drink, do drugs, or aren't addicted to food? What WILL you do? You are feeling lonely. I can see..who will your friend be? I have been there. I haven't always been married. I haven't always been responsible of taking care of someone else but ME. I know how tough it is to be lonely, and to have nobody else to be responsible for YOU....but YOU. What will it be like to actually have CONTROL? No more setting yourself up to fail. No more excuses. No more sadness. This WOL is really easy, once you get past all the excuses to fail. It is OKAY to succeed..you will be fine To be honest, I have no idea how we came upon Atkins. I don't even remember. I saw my husband getting close to 300lbs..with no end in sight. I saw myself larger than I ever wanted to be for my small frame. For some reason, I came upon THIS very site..and began to study. Why Atkins? Why did I come HERE? How did I come here? I guess we were talking about dieting and needing to lose weight "after the first of the year" but really honestly don't remember why we chose Atkins. I didn't even have the book when I started....
Edit: I proudly changed my signature. As of today, my husband now weighs 262lbs. He has lost 32lbs. It is the smallest I have seen him. I have known him since 2002 and I am so proud of him I can't believe how easily the weight just falls off of him

[tabekat]

Re: Any suggestions?

Take heart. You are not alone. Many people start Atkins from a state of mental despair. I can assure you, it doesn't have to stay that way.

When I started Atkins last February I was deeply depressed. It wasn't until I had been on Atkins for a couple of months and felt so much better that I realized many of my down periods were totally food related. I would turn to the junk food aisle and force my body through endless ups and downs.

I felt overwhlelmed at first, and yes, there were many voices in my head telling me I would never be able to change. There were also intense feelings of restlessness and agititation. This is normal.

There will be a few days, maybe even a week or two or three, that you just have to bite the bullet and keep taking it on faith.

I had no belief that I would make it at all, I certainly had never been able to stick to any sort of diet before.

I only knew that I was going to give up flour, pasta, potatos, bread and sugar, no matter what.

I wouldn't let the voices argue with me about that, I made my decision and stuck to it, do or die. I threw
that carbage out of my house with a vengence.

It felt like torture at first. Then when ketosis kicked in and relieved me of those awful cravings, I then realized how horribly addicted I had been to these substances
and I felt tremendously grateful to be free of them.

I would suggest to you that if you can't do a clean induction, at least let go of the really big stuff, especially the sugar, which provides no nutritional benefit at all and keeps your mind and body ping pong-ing in a painful way

I didn't take induction to the mat the first few times I did it, because I found it very difficult to adjust to the wild changes I was already making and I was stubborn.

But I did adjust and finally did a clean induction and then another squeaky clean boot camp induction.

It took awhile for me to start noticing all the positive mental changes happening for me, some of them weren't overnight. But when I gave up caffeine especially, that really jump started some mental progress for me.

I know that I didn't feel that I deserved to love myself much when I started and now I'm adamant about loving myself. I won't allow any negative thought either from my ego, or another person grab hold of this beautiful heart. When you think about yourself like that, when
you love yourself like that, it isn't hard to stick to Atkins, it becomes your salvation.

I think it is likely that your head and your body will feel much better if you give up the junk long enough to fall into a deep ketosis. After a couple of months without the junk you just won't want to go back.

I was a person who felt suicidal 12 hours a day. I had all kinds of voices shouting at me. Now my mind is still and periods of dark depression don't faze me.

I know that this mental progress comes from refraining to eat foods and beverages that give me big highs and lows.

It takes a great deal of courage to love yourself enough to change. You may need some extra help to ride though the changes but don't let those crazy blues you experienced stand in your way. This lifestyle works and has healing for those people afflicted with chaotic thoughts. You just need to stick with it long enough to turn the corner.

It will only be hard at first. If you keep yourself extremely full with healthy food, and substitute the mock danish for any sugar craving you will get through it and come out better on the other side of it.

You can do it.

[stephanie]

Re: Any suggestions?

Jen,

I do feel your pain. Induction is hard and I'm the same way. Been bouncing between low fat (always hungry), low calorie (I hate counting) diet pills (make me bounce off the walls) South Beach, Abs diet, and Atkins. Started Atkins 3 times this past year. Started the rest a bunch of times. I couldn't stick with any of the others, because I really didn't know what I could have. I would stand in the kitchen, crying (I know pathetic, huh?) because I was so hungry, but wouldn't have anything to eat.

I did Atkins 4 years ago and kept the weight off for two years. I looked fantastic. Well...then there comes the slip and fall and crash and of course, thunder thighs. UGGH.

So, here I am again, but this time, resolved. Happy, thrilled to be starting over. But along with that is the headaches, the sleeplessness, the constant PEEING all night long from the 100 gallons of water I drank and the metal taste in my mouth. The reward? Feeling great in about a month...thats how long it took me last time. The Induction Flu lasts a long time for me, but I WILL trudge through it...because the reward is ME that is hiding under all this FAT!

I've got 5 kids in the house 12,12,10, 10 and 8...now you tell me about the junk food I have to avoid. I am envious of those that can compeletly clean out the cupboards...I have to be STRONG! I AM WOMAN!!! I CAN DO THIS!!! That's what I tell myself. I love Atkins because I can open the fridge and EAT if I am hungry. There is always something there. All the other diets have too much counting or variations...nothing ever worked as well or was as easy to follow as Dr. Atkins! Mood swings....don't even tell the kids I started the diet again...they'll probably run away!!! But, as many have said, in about a month, the cravings are gone, I am whistling dixie and much happier than I was 30 days ago. And the kids? Oh, don't worry, they'll survive...they always do!

Hang in there sweetie!!! Better days are coming. And I loved 2bigformysize's suggestion too. Just eat like you always have for just one day and see how many carbs you have. Even if you go to OWL instead of Induction, just imagine the hundreds of carbs you're not having!! You body will definately notice the notice and amazing things can still happen!!

To OUR success!! If you need anything, we are ALL here, doing it one DAY at a time!

[not2late]

Re: Any suggestions?

In Chapter 11 of DANDR 2002 in the subsection about carb withdrawals, Dr. Atkins suggested if the carb withdrawal symptoms are too much to bear, you can eat another 5 net carbs of the vegetables for a few days, then drop the additional 5 net carbs. You might want to try that or try to spend 1 cup of your vegetable allowance on the higher carb veggies like jicama, pumpkin, artichokes, Brussels sprouts, leeks, okra, spaghetti squash, etc.

[JenLeeBee]

Re: Any suggestions?

I just wanted to drop a quick note to thank you for taking the time to post with your suggestions, encouragement and sharing your experience. It has helped IMMENSELY..and that is no exaggeration. I have been on a clean induction and it feels much more comfortable...probably knowing theat there is a light at the end of the tunnel and that I just have to ride whatever waves pop up...and it might be a little longer than most people, but that it is well worth it...I wanted to reply to each of your posts individually, I just got so busy this week. Thank you so much, coitrina, tabekat, stephanie & not2late!!

Jen

[coitrina]

Re: Any suggestions?

I just wanted to drop a quick note to thank you for taking the time to post with your suggestions, encouragement and sharing your experience. It has helped IMMENSELY..and that is no exaggeration. I have been on a clean induction and it feels much more comfortable...probably knowing theat there is a light at the end of the tunnel and that I just have to ride whatever waves pop up...and it might be a little longer than most people, but that it is well worth it...I wanted to reply to each of your posts individually, I just got so busy this week. Thank you so much, coitrina, tabekat, stephanie & not2late!!

Jen

It will just get easier Jen