Hurt Like the Dickens

[tinacs007]

Hi All,

This is the second time I have been through the Inductions Phase of the diet. Right now I am on the 7th day. Lost 2 pounds the first day, but have not weighed since. But right now I have to tell you my legs hurt like the dickens! My muscles are just soar and have been since day 2. I can take it but my goodness when is it going to stop. I do not remember this going on the first time. Anybody else having a similar experience?

[atkinsgal08]

Re: Hurt Like the Dickens

How much water are you drinking?

Are you eating all your vegetables?

This could just be your body detoxing ... for me it was my upper arms hurting.

[tinacs007]

Re: Hurt Like the Dickens

Hi atkinsgal08,

I drink about 4-6 cups a day I want to do more but drinking loads of water is something I will have to work on every day. Small bladder or something I do not know. I also do decaf coffe and tea, and soda with splenda. Not over doing though. You know, I am getting my three cups of raw vegetables, but I am not reaching the 20 grms a day. I am around 12gr rounding up.

[atkinsgal08]

Re: Hurt Like the Dickens

>> I drink about 4-6 cups a day>>

The minimum is 64 ounces. That's 8 8 ounce glasses.

>>I also do decaf coffe and tea, and soda with splenda.>>

Get rid of these and ONLY drink them after your water.

Both coffee and tea are diuretics, and you should compensate with an extra 8 ounces of water for each 8 ounces of either.

You should be getting about 100 ounces of WATER every day. Work up to it gradually, but if you do it, your body will like it.

Have you been diagnosed with a small bladder?

>> You know, I am getting my three cups of raw vegetables, but I am not reaching the 20 grms a day. I am around 12gr rounding up.>>

Exactly what vegetables are you eating?

Undereating is counterproductive with Atkins. It's not nutritionally sound either.

[tinacs007]

Re: Hurt Like the Dickens

I will work on the water. Hard though. I eat the raw veggies that are on the acceptable list. Today I had 1 cup mushroom, 1 med roman tomato, 1 cup romain lettuce, and 1/2 cup cucumber. I tally my carbs in fit day. The veggies, plus splenda count, and half n half, salad dressing and cheese only added up to 11.9 carbs. Should I eat more vegetables? Do I have to get exactly 20 gr of carbs for the diet to work? I was making the assumption that one is supposed to work their way up to 20gr (but not have to meet it exactl) but not exceed.

[atkinsgal08]

Re: Hurt Like the Dickens

>>Hard though.>>

What's hard, exactly?

>>half n half>>

Not allowed on Induction. Use cream instead.

>>only added up to 11.9 carbs.>>

How much fiber?

>>Do I have to get exactly 20 gr of carbs for the diet to work? >>

The closer you are, the more nutritionally sound you're eating.

>>I was making the assumption that one is supposed to work their way up to 20gr>>

Not really. Many people undereat when they start.

You might want to check out some higher carb count vegetables from the Induction list.

Even when I started I had more vegetables at dinner than you had all day.

[tinacs007]

Re: Hurt Like the Dickens

I am not whining about water. But drinking so much and literally staying in the bathroom all day makes me uncomfortable. I have not just started this water thing. I try to increase all the time and all the time I am uncomfortable. A doctor did joke about my having a small bladder. I was due for an operation and everyone in the whole prep area was amused about how many times I went to the ladies room. And when it came time for the operation my bladder had to be drained, it was too full. All of this was about an hour and half--with nothing to drink.

Going by the rules of the diet. I was supposed to eat 3 cups of raw vegetables a day. I am aware that the more experienced members religiously express that we must follow the rules exactly the way they are written. And the rules are 3 cups a day. So, now you are saying eat up to 20gr. This diet can be confusing.

I thought half n half was cream. Have heavy cream, will switch. Thanks for the tip.

[poobears1972]

Re: Hurt Like the Dickens

Coffee, tea and pop all irritate over active bladders more than water does. If you cut those out I bet you see an improvement in your symptoms.

[atkinsgal08]

Re: Hurt Like the Dickens

>>But drinking so much and literally staying in the bathroom all day makes me uncomfortable.>>

You would be better of with WATER rather than coffee, tea, diet soda, and then what's left be water.

Keep the coffee/tea as a "treat".

Drink your water first. It's the water that keeps you hydrated, flushes the toxins from your body.

And ... the more you drink, the more your body gets used to it ... and the less often you pee.

>> I thought half n half was cream.>>

They're two different things!

>> was supposed to eat 3 cups of raw vegetables a day.>>

Nowhere does it say they have to be "raw". You can have cooked vegetables.

>>So, now you are saying eat up to 20gr. >>

Yes, I am. It's also what Dr. Atkins says in Rule #3 of the Rules of Induction. He also says in that rule that MOST of your daily net carbs should come from Induction vegetables. If you do the math, that's more that 11 net carbs from Induction vegetables.

20 net carbs is nutritionally sound ... it allows you to get in to ketosis.

One of the goals of Atkins is good health ... and eating too little compromises that.

[Georgiana]

Re: Hurt Like the Dickens

For suggestions on how to get most of your net carbs from vegetables, check out this thread:

http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.com/forums/adbb-semi-annual-challenges/82432-6th-semiannual-veggie-challenge.html

Check your vitamins and minerals in FitDay to see where you stand. It's quite difficult to come up with a nutritionally sound menu even when eating 20 net carbs per day. Eating less generally makes this job more difficult, without giving you any additional benefits since Dr. Atkins told us that almost everyone will see results on Induction (20 net carbs).

As you know, vitamin and mineral deficiencies are not good for your overall health. But in addition to that they can also slow down your metabolism (thus interfere with weight loss), so it's definitely something worth paying attention to.

[Elizellen]

Re: Hurt Like the Dickens

The rule in DANDR is

3. Eat no more than 20 grams a day of carbohydrate, most of which must come in the form of salad greens and other vegetables. You can eat approximately three cups - loosely packed - of salad, or two cups of salad plus one cup of other vegetables (see the list of acceptable vegetables on pages 125-126).

so it looks to me as if you are doing fine according to the rules

As you said, we do measure our cups raw but as Atkinsgal said, you don't have to eat them raw.

We do have some members who prefer to go over the '3 cups' rule with no problems, but is IS possible to get around 12+ net carbs by choosing carefully from the list. There is a link in my signature to the latest 'vegetable challenge' where people try to do just this, so maybe you can get some ideas from it?

BTW lettuce has the least 'nutrition value' of the long list of salad vegetables, so you are right to only eat a small amount of that and use other more nutritious ones to make up your 3 cups.

Some people do have leg cramps on induction which I think is often due to a lack of minerals. If you use one of the food-logging websites like www.fitday.com you can check whether you are deficient in your suggested daily recommended amount of anything and add to your existing vitamin to supplement it. (I assume you are already taking a multivitamin as suggested by Dr Atkins)

On the first rung of OWL you can add more vegetables to get more nutrients in too, but it might be you are missing something now which your body needs which you can add now to stop these pains.

And Atkinsgal is right about trying to get more water in - make tea/coffee (decaf) or sodas an extra drink on top of your minimum water amount. I find if I keep a sports-top bottle of water handy at all times it is easy to get into the habit of taking a sip frequently and lets me get to that minumum without really noticing it.

When on the computer I take a sip or two each time the screen refreshes and often am surprised that I need to refill it so soon (you need to get one of those bottles that is made for refilling rather than use the ones you buy with water in them, or only refill them a couple of times before ditching them, as they can 'leach' nasties into the water if used too often)

[ShannonK]

Re: Hurt Like the Dickens

One thing that I have learned is that the more water I drink, the thirstier I get. Also, I will wake up thirsty in the middle of the night. That is new to me, but I get all my water in that way. Your bladder gets used to it, too. You won't need to go to the bathroom as often once you get used to it.

It does feel good to flush your body like that.

[JulieB]

Re: Hurt Like the Dickens

I had severe muscle pain for several days during induction - I ached from my knees up to my chest for several days. It passed

I get you about the water/bladder thing - but it is worth it - I lose WAY better when I get all of my water in. Maybe it is all of the extra exercise I get running to the bathroom 20 times a day?

I agree with Elizellen - you are following the veggie rules and are fine there. If you want to get closer to 20 carbs, choosing more nutritious/higher carb veggies can get you there. I never got to 20 carbs/day during induction - I think I was closer to 15 - and well within the rules. I did move on to OWL Rung 1 my third week - I would have been more concerned about getting as close as possible to 20grams if I had done extended induction.

[tinacs007]

Re: Hurt Like the Dickens

Thanks everyone for this discussion and all the tips. I am starting on my second week of induction. I am bummed out because I only lost 3 pounds, however I realized the first time during Induction I only lost a few pounds. I didn't really shed until the extended 3rd week.

My next course of actions includes: No half-n-half, 64oz or water per day, and to play around with the veggie menu to get closer to 20gr net carbs. I am half way there, had only one cup of coffe w/heavy cream, no soda, only half of minimum water though, and a big cup of steaming hot string beans. LOL.

[atkinsgal08]

Re: Hurt Like the Dickens

You need 2 more cups of vegetables.