Induction Questions

[70lbs to go]

Hello i am new to this board and new to atkins, i am 6 days into the induction and i have a few questions:

1. I have diarreaha is this normal?
2. I have like a film inside my mouth and an excessive thirst is this normal?
3. Also i have a loss of appetite, is this normal?

I look forward to being part of this board.

Thank you in advance )

[70lbs to go]

Re: Induction Questions

I also feel Nauseaous

[atkinsgal08]

Re: Induction Questions

Diarrhea, while not as common as constipation, does happen. From an old Atkins FAQ:

"It is not normal to experience diarrhea while doing Atkins. Several things should be considered: Are you eating more dairy than you did before ? Are you allergic to any foods you are eating? Are you gorging yourself? Try adding 1 tablespoon of unsweetened Metamucil or psyllium daily. It acts as a sponge and forms a healthy stool. If you have been on a very low-fat diet prior to starting Atkins, it could be an adjustment period. Try cutting back on the amount of fat for a little while if that is the case. If the diarrhea continues for any length of time you should see your doctor."

>>I have like a film inside my mouth and an excessive thirst is this normal?>>

Could be a sign of ketosis ... make sure you're drinking more than enough water (64 ounces minimum and 1/2 your current weight in ounces [110 or so for you]) would be better.

>> i have a loss of appetite, is this normal?>>

A side effect of ketosis. It passes ... just make sure you're not going more than 6 waking hours without eating.

[70lbs to go]

Re: Induction Questions

Thank you very much for your answer. I must admit im not used to eating meat everyday. I will try the cutting back on butter, and eggs seem to aggrevate me so i need to find an alternative for breakfast. I have lost 5.5lb as of this morning, 6 days in im so surprised i was doing south beach prior to this, but found i had hit a plateau.

[tracyc]

Re: Induction Questions

excessive thirst would be a sign that you are dehydrated due to loss of fluids from diarrhea. make sure you drink lots. Also if you increase your fiber consumption too quickly sometimes it can upset your stomach.

[Georgiana]

Re: Induction Questions

I also feel Nauseaous

Nausea on Atkins is usually a symptom of low blood sugar. It could also be caused by dehydration.

Drink plenty of water.

How many calories are you consuming?

[liv]

Re: Induction Questions

Have you been checked for diabetes?

[atkinsgal08]

Re: Induction Questions

>>i was doing south beach prior to this, but found i had hit a plateau.>>

Plateaus happen ... what are you going to do when it happens with Atkins?

[Eama]

Re: Induction Questions

I always have diarrhea the first 3 days with Atkins. Goes along with the Induction Flu. After that, everything is back to normal unless I eat something spicy.

Drinking lots of water helps keep ya regular.

[70lbs to go]

Re: Induction Questions

I have been checked for diabetes, and i havent got it. I am consuming around 1400 calories a day and 3 litres of Water. I hit plateaus which mean i am eating something that is hindering my diet, which with south beach was the beans, since i have stopped eating the beans i have started losing again. When i hit a plateau with Atkins i will keep on track and stay positive same as i did with south beach for a long time.

[Georgiana]

Re: Induction Questions

I am consuming around 1400 calories a day

That is not enough food. Atkins is not a starvation diet. Undereating, either calories or carbs, will slow your down and possibly make you feel sick.

From the BMI on your ticker, I believe you are around 5'5". At 227 lbs, your BMR is 1760 calories. These are just the calories your body needs to survive... without any activity. Most people can eat a few hundred calories above their BMR and lose weight. In any case, you should definitely aim to eat above your BMR. This will give your body the nutrition it needs.

3 litres of Water.

From what I've seen around forums, most people do best when they drink half their body weight in ounces. For you, that would be 113 oz.

I hit plateaus which mean i am eating something that is hindering my diet

Not necessarily. There are many things that can interfere with weight loss. On Atkins, some others are caloric intake (too much or too little), carb intake (too high or too low), not eating enough vegetables, not eating enough fat, overeating protein, not drinking enough water, vitamin/mineral deficiencies...

I should also point out that on Atkins, a plateau is defined as four consecutive weeks without weight loss or loss of inches. As long as you are losing inches, you are not stalled.

When i hit a plateau with Atkins i will keep on track and stay positive same as i did with south beach for a long time.

Good. From what you wrote before, I also understood that you hit a plateau on South Beach and that's why you decided to switch to Atkins. Thanks for clarifying.

[70lbs to go]

Re: Induction Questions

I will try harder from now on to get more calories in, i dont feel nauseous nor do it have the diarreha any longer. So there is a plus, i have eaten more yesterday and today, but still on plan. I am very new to this so all your help is welcomed. Thank you

To be honest i wanted to try Atkins for a long time but never had the motivation to, i did feel like a change and felt I was ready for Atkins.

[atkinsgal08]

Re: Induction Questions

>>I am consuming around 1400 calories a day and 3 litres of Water. I hit plateaus which mean i am eating something that is hindering my diet,>>

1400 calories isn't likely to be enough at your weight. A good "rule of thumb" is to eat at 10-12 times your current body weight ... so that would be around 2000 calories.

Also, it's good advice to never be below 1500 calories with Atkins.

More than 3 litres of water wouldn't hurt, either.

And ... as far as plateaus ... as has been pointed out ... they can happen for any reason, not just because you're eating "something" that's hindering your "diet".

It could be because a day of the week ends in "y".

I've known people who were doing everything "right" ... and they had a 7 month plateau.

When you say "beans" ... do you mean kidney beans and the like?

[70lbs to go]

Re: Induction Questions

yes, i wasnt eating much meat but eating alot of garbanzo, kidney, butter and white kidney beans with meals.

i will get more calories in and it get more than 3litres water in, 3 litres is good for me, but i will try harder.

I didnt realise until someone just pointed it out that the book and the atkins.com site are not the same, i will stick with the book now i have it. I started reading today.

[atkinsgal08]

Re: Induction Questions

>>i wasnt eating much meat but eating alot of garbanzo, kidney, butter and white kidney beans with meals.>>

You may have learned that you and beans don't "get along" ... however, when you get to the legume rung of OWL, you can try them again in small amounts.