Sick during induction?

Hi,

I am on day 8 of induction and yesterday and today have been feeling bad. Headache, dizzy, odd hungry/cramp-y stomach. Is this Atkins or do I have a virus or something?
I seem to remember this from the last time I tried Atkins (a few years ago, so a bit fuzzy) and I think it made me quit the diet. So far I have been following the diet strictly and don't want to go off it.

This is a normal phenomenon popularly known as the "induction flu." It means the diet is working and you're doing it correctly!

Allegedly (from the 2009 edition of Atkins) the problem is caused by salt loss, and can be resolved by drinking a couple of cups of chicken broth daily, but I haven't tried that. In any case, it usually goes away after a day or two. Make sure you're getting plenty of water, and try drinking the chicken broth, and give it a couple of days and your symptoms should go away.

Different people experience different side effects from dropping their carb intake so drastically during the Induction phase of Atkins. I experienced a sense of "fatigue" and "minor achiness" (similar to flu symptoms only without the temps or congestion) during the start of my second week of Induction. But it soon passed. Others have mentioned experiencing constipation/tummy aches. Again that too will pass. I avoided the latter symptom by consuming high fiber (low carb) tortillas—filled with egg whites & bacon, they make great breakfast burritos!—and drinking a lot of water.

Stick with your vegetables and monitor your NET carbs...staying as close to 20 per day as possible, and your body will adjust. Eating fewer bad carbs actually lessens the hunger pains fairly quickly.(Also, although many fruits are higher carb, I still try to eat tiny portions as a snack once a day, like a couple of strawberries.)

Doesn't anyone else see this as a problem? I mean, I've seen this question and subsequent advice on this forum many times and it always disturbs me. So basically, you're teaching yourself to ignore your body. Feel sick? Just keep doing what you're doing. you'll get over it! Feel tired and constipated? That means you're doing it right! I don't know, it seems really strange to me.

(I'm not writing this to be confrontational, it just really bothers me that the standard advice for this question is to ignore the signals your body is sending.)

I agree with k8yk. A healthy diet and exercise should make you feel better, not worse. Maybe Atkins isn't for you, especially if this is your second attempt. Maybe you should look into a different eating plan with less side effects.

If it helps, I've been on Atkings 6 mo, and only went through the Atkings Blues once, while hubby is on a couple weeks, takes a week off, and then rejoings me. He goes through that fatigue/off-feeling each time about 6 days in, but for him it is worth it.

Kate, no one is saying JUST IGNORE IT ... but they are saying this is a known, and common issue for people just starting a drastically reduced carb consumption way of eating. And there are KNOWN ways to help you to feel better as your body adjusts, and works it way thru this process. Such as drinking chicken broth. (along with eating, and staying hydrated.)

Let's say you wanted to give up Coffee. And you came on here and said, 'man, I have a killer headache' ... no one would suggest you just ignore the headache and suffer - no, they would tell you this is normal when some people give up coffee, and if you want to rid yourself of the headache, you can either drink more coffee again, ...or you can do a number of things to reduce the effects of the caffeine withdrawing from your system, and easing the discomfort.

To me it's the same kind of thing. The average american eats about 200-300 g's of carbs per day. Atkins has you reduce that to 20g's in the beginning...primarily vegetables, along w/ proteins, and healthy fats. Your body adjusts w/in days to the caffeine withdrawls, and it adjusts w/in days to the carb reductions. Using the broth to boost your system - since it is known to help - is just a measure of helping someone.

By all means, don't ignore your body's signals...but then they aren't ignoring them, if they have come here to ask what is going on and what to do about it.

Kate, you will get past this part of induction and be glad that you stayed the course. Do drink the chicken broth to help you with the symptoms of induction flu. And keep hydrated by drinking lots and lots of water. I've been doing Atkins for about a year now and have lost over 90 pounds. Be encouraged today!

Cindy - Kate isn't on induction. She's a vegetarian. She was just asking a question.

Let's say I quit smoking, which I did recently... I feel anxious, desperately want a cigarette, and every "signal" my "body is sending me" says "smoke a cigarette!" Should I give in? Carbohydrates are an addiction, and some temporary withdrawal symptoms are only to be expected.

Personally, whenever I would try low-fat diets, I would feel massive hunger and weakness, and the signal my body was sending me was, "I need some food down here!" Do we not listen to that signal too?

Right... the carbohydrate addiction. Thanks for answering my question I won't stir the pot any further.

To the OP: Hope you feel better soon!

did you scroll up and read my response to you?

Amphigory and bcbloyd (love the tortillas 6g carbs 12g fiber can't go wrong) are correct it's dehydration.Try drinking the broth (for the salt )and lots of water. I have been on Atkins since Jan. 03, lost all my weight; kept it off for 6 years; quit smoking-Jan. 09; gained 45lbs.back.
I started Induction up again in Jan .10, but every time I eat more then 20 carbs a day I will start Induction again, so I have also experienced the same symptoms many times and the salt and water have helped me.
Starting Weight Jan.10-180lbs.
Goal Weight-125lbs.
Current Weight-139lbs.

Thanks everyone for the tips. I'm headed for the broth now!

I also am a fan of chicken broth. It helps me. These symptoms are the same with a lot of other diets...not just Atkins.

I was told to try the broth and i am using it. But to be honest, it has not helped my headaches. I think that if you try the broth and it does not help, you might be better off to listen to your body and go to the Dr. better safe than sorry I think

Kate - it's so unlike you to walk away from a healthy debate . Your point is not without merit. And regardless of what eating plan someone is on...I do agree with you that learning about our bodies, and it's natural signals, and responses to our 'nutritional lifestyles' is HUGELY IMPORTANT !

I am asking an honest question here...because I have never been vegetarian before... but are there known issues with making that change? Do people mistakenly not get enough protein? or anything? And when first changing are there 'side effects' of any kind? When I eat a ton of veggies...(I typically go to the bathroom rather frequently.)

Again, I am being serious...I honestly don't know if there are any issues w/ changing to that lifestyle.

I love your questions, your involvement, your input...and the fact that you care. So thank you...and you can stir anytime. Much Love.

Well, I don't want to argue carbohydrates on this person's thread I decided a long time ago that the only way to coexist peacefully on this forum is to keep my opinions on that to myself.

But I will answer your vegetarian question: No. Most people say that upon going vegetarian, they feel amazing- a surge of new energy, a feeling of lightness, etc. Of course there are many ways to be vegetarian, and they don't all involve eating a healthy diet. I think generally when someone starts eating more vegetables they may feel some gas, or possibly loose bowel movements. Personally, my pre-vegetarian diet was so similar to my vegetarian diet I noticed no difference.

As far as the protein question goes, that is everyone's concern but the reality of the matter is that Americans get way too much protein in the first place and if you eat a healthy diet without empty calories, you will get "enough" protein. I've been cutting back and back on the protein and paying close attention to how my body feels about it and have been experiencing no negative effects. If anything, my recent cut-backs of protein (cutting out dairy heading for vegan) have given me a new surge of energy... but then again, I replaced them with carbohydrates so...

I had been vegetarian for over ten years but started eating some meat (3 to 5 oz. a week, mostly in the form of fish and seafood) a year ago. I was severely anemic and since the absorption rate of non-heme iron is so very low (did not help by the fact that I love to drink tea), my doctor advised me to have a small amount of meat. Interesting, protein was never an issue.

I do agree with Kate that we need to listen to our body. Right now I feel much more energetic with a tiny bit of meat, but if I have meat for more than once or twice a week, I start to feel sluggish. Our body also changes with age. While I did very well on a vegetarian diet in my mid-twenties to late-thirties, it doesn't work quite well lately.

Oddly, my experience being a whole-foods vegetarian (not quite vegan, but close) was the opposite to that reported. When I first started the diet, I experienced gas and bloating from all the fiber that my system wasn't used to. After several years on a whole-foods vegetarian diet, I not only gained quite a bit of weight (going from 355 lbs. to 415 lbs.) but became a type 2 diabetic.

Your mileage may vary, but there are plenty of people out there that report lots of energy and so forth on Atkins -- myself being one of them. The "Induction Flu" is a temporary phenomenon by all accounts, I highly suggest not letting it derail you.