Induction Flu Blues

[Pandoralou]

I am on day 7 of Atkins and feel pretty miserable. I have body aches and feel overwhelmingly tired and am having trouble sleeping. I hear this wears off and you get a surge of energy?? I can't wait for that to happen. So far I have lost about 5 lbs. and I am happy about that. The Atkins shakes have helped me off the ledge a few times.........I have one after dinner as a sort of "dessert" and it helps throught my toughest time of wanting to eat carbs, which is at night. I get this feeling sort of like restless legs which is driving me crazy. I tell myself it's the body burning fat and I hope I'm not lying to myself. Carb detox? I didn't think I could make it past day 4, so I'm proud of myself right now. Hopefully next week I will feel well enough to start exercising.

[liv]

Re: Induction Flu Blues

Are you getting some veggies. There is a bit of a transition for sure but it should not last very long. Good job on sticking to it.

[Pandoralou]

Re: Induction Flu Blues

I'm eating some veggies, yes.

[jadensmom]

Re: Induction Flu Blues

Hi,
I went thru the same thing but it is so worth it. I'm starting my 4th week now. I have so much energy now and I'm sleeping like I've never slept before. This has changed my life!! I hope you all the best!!!

[Pandoralou]

Re: Induction Flu Blues

Thanks for the encouragement. How long did it take you to start feeling better?

[jadensmom]

Re: Induction Flu Blues

Maybe 6 or 7 days after my 2nd or 3rd day of induction. I swear even my diaphram hurt, every muscle in my body, but you can look at my album I have pic from the day I started and an aweful pic from yesterday from my web cam. Today I finished my 3rd week and there is a big difference in my face. It is well worth it. You'll do just fine. Try tylenol for the body aches. Lots of water, it is now my best friend. Hope this helps to reasure you. If you need anything I'm here.

[Pandoralou]

Re: Induction Flu Blues

Well, thank you both for your insight and support. I am on day 8 now and I do feel better! I slept through the night last night, which is big in itself. I am a big sleeper and need it to function. I have lost 5 lbs in this first week and intend to stick with it. My first goal is 7 lbs, so it is in sight!

[Georgiana]

Re: Induction Flu Blues

For everyone reading this post.

My intention is not to sound harsh. If you think you might be offended by my post, either fill your glass of water and put on some relaxing music, or stop reading all-together.

I am on day 7 of Atkins and feel pretty miserable. I have body aches and feel overwhelmingly tired and am having trouble sleeping. I hear this wears off and you get a surge of energy?? I can't wait for that to happen. So far I have lost about 5 lbs. and I am happy about that. The Atkins shakes have helped me off the ledge a few times.........I have one after dinner as a sort of "dessert" and it helps throught my toughest time of wanting to eat carbs, which is at night. I get this feeling sort of like restless legs which is driving me crazy. I tell myself it's the body burning fat and I hope I'm not lying to myself. Carb detox? I didn't think I could make it past day 4, so I'm proud of myself right now. Hopefully next week I will feel well enough to start exercising.

What you are doing at the moment is feeding your problem. You admit on having an issue with night-time eating. I imagine this habit contributed to some (much) of the extra weight you are trying to lose today. Just because you are substituting sugar-laden junk food with low-carb junk food does not make the habit healthier, nor does it make it disappear. It is like giving non-alcoholic beer to a recovering alcoholic -- studies have shown that it increases the chances of relapse. So do yourself a favor and solve your night-time eating problem instead of fueling it.

Why are you eating at night? Are you hungry? Are you just bored? If you are hungry, then by all means you should eat. However, many of us became overweight because we are/were not able to differentiate between what our brain yells and what our stomach whispers -- the brain wins almost every time. We often eat/ate out of boredom, tiredness, anger or happiness, but not out of hunger. We eat/ate because we identify/identified certain foods (or food in general) with certain emotions. If we had known where the thin boundary between hunger and overeating (or eating out of _______ [insert feeling]) was, few of us would have gotten fat in the first place.

Induction is about breaking food addictions -- the same addictions that caused us to gain weight in the first place. Ignore your sweet tooth and it will stop talking to you; keep feeding it and it will keep asking for more sweetness. If you absolutely need to eat, eat a high fat, moderate protein, low carb, unsweetened snack. However, if you have a night-time eating problem, what you need is to use Induction for detox, not to perpetuate the addiction.

Once you get your sweet tooth under control, you will notice the sweet taste some vegetables have (e.g. red & yellow peppers) and you will find most fruits too sweet to be eaten alone. Remember that Atkins is not about substituting sugar junk with low carb junk, but about developing healthier dietary and lifestyle habits.

Happy low carbing.

[Slapshot]

Re: Induction Flu Blues

I'm with Georgiana. This WOE cured me of the late night meals/munchies in two ways. One, by eating breakfast, I've shifted the "daily eating window" to between 7 am and 7pm, instead of 11am and 11pm. Second, by eating more fat, I am satiated throughout the day, and into the evening. I used to eat a regular dinner, and then a "sleeve" of cookies or ice cream before bed. I couldn't go to sleep unless my stomach was full. It was a nightly cycle.

So, the point? Once you get through induction and break the addiction(s) as Georgiana suggests, you'll be like me. Cheat free for almost two months. And it was actually embarrassingly easy.

Keep up the good work, and you'll do great!

[Pandoralou]

Re: Induction Flu Blues

Of course you are right. I was eating cereal, milk, toast, honey, ice cream.......all at night. I could not sleep if my stomach was not full. Of course I am an emotional eater, but that emotion sure feels like hunger. I am already doing much, much better at night. It's a tough one, though. Do you consider the Atkins shakes to be junk food?

[Elizellen]

Re: Induction Flu Blues

Do you consider the Atkins shakes to be junk food?

Not exactly junk food, but not preferable to a shake made from 'legal' induction ingredients.

Ingredients based on Chocolate flavour: Protein blend (calcium caseinate, milk protein concentrate, soy protein), Soy oil, Fat reduced cocoa powder (9%), Emulsifier (soy lecithin), Inulin, Dried glucose syrup, Flavourings, Salt, Anti-caking agents (silicon dioxide, tricalcium phosphate), Thickener (carrageenan), Sweeteners (sucralose, acesulfame K). Contains milk, soy and may contain traces of egg.

Milk, soy and glucose syrup are not induction-legal!

Nutrition information based on Chocolate flavour per serving of 37g powder: Energy 165 kCal, Protein 18g, Carbohydrates 3g of which sugars 0.9g, fat 9g of which saturates 1.4g, Dietary fibre 3g, Sodium 0.3g. Chocolate flavour is 3g net carbs per serving and vanilla is 2.8g.

They are also heavy in protein - twice as many grams of it than fat, so might result in you overeating protein, which Dr Atkins said could result in excess protein converting into glucose.

If shakes are a menu choice you like there are many more suitable recipes to make your own around. In the extended induction forum there is one posted recently for an 'eggnog' shake which some of our members use regularly.

[Pandoralou]

Re: Induction Flu Blues

I was going by this product description that I found on an Atkins website:


"Product Description
Naturally and artificially flavored. High protein; Excellent source of calcium; Low-glycemic impact; No sugar added. Not a low-calorie food. 1g Net Atkins Count: The only count based on the most advanced clinical testing of glycemic impact, shows on average that just 1g of the carbs in this product impact blood sugar. For those following the Atkins nutritional Approach, this product is appropriate for induction (Phase 1). "

[Elizellen]

Re: Induction Flu Blues

Yes - the Atkins company do seem to have conveniently forgotten that Dr Atkins said this

4. Eat absolutely no fruit, bread, pasta, grains, starchy vegetables or dairy products other than cheese, cream or butter. Do not eat nuts or seeds in the first two weeks. Foods that combine protein and carbohydrates, such as chickpeas, kidney beans and other legumes, are not permitted at this time.
5. Eat nothing that is not on the acceptable foods list. And that means absolutely nothing!

and suggest that foods containing milk, soy, nuts etc like the shakes and bars are OK for induction when according to these rules they are not

I suppose they are in it for the money to be made by selling their products but I do wish they would stick by their own rules in this

It gets so confusing for new Atkineers.

[Pandoralou]

Re: Induction Flu Blues

Holy smokes, I just really looked at your before and after photos! WOW!! How long did this take you? You look amazing.

[Elizellen]

Re: Induction Flu Blues

It took me about 3 years to lose 140 pounds