Day 2 and i'm ready to take hostages

[DarlingBri]

I did not expect this at all, so I'm sure it's not just "in my head" but I am SO IRRITATED I am ready to take hostages.

I am having to whisper to the dog so that I don't yell at the poor thing and take huge deep breaths just to speak nicely to my husband.

I have never in my life been this cranky, TOM or anything else. I did spend the day struggling with metric food conversions but I've got that down now (and completely screwed up yesterday but that's OK - today is a fine day to start properly) and I'm still really, really angry.

I'm also completely exhausted (but not hungry!) after being awake for 5 hours. I've had 2 scrambled eggs and 2 pieces of bacon for breakfast, 2 boiled eggs and mayo (egg salad) for lunch with a cup of salad and I am well fed.

It's not the food - I like the food - so what is it? Is this normal?

Grr. Roar. Arrgh. Help?

[FwL]

It is normal for me. Each time I've started induction, everybody I know has run for the hills. This last time took about 2 weeks for the serious hostility to wear off and maybe another week or so for the passive aggressive to wear off.

One thing that makes a difference is to keep your food intake regular. I found if I was overdue for a meal, I was getting pretty edgy and ready to blow at anybody or anything.

If you're not really hungry, try eating small amounts throughout the day rather than regular meals.

[jlynnpark]

Okay, what im going to say is going to sound like lah-de-dah, but do you think you are feeling crappy because you are thinking crappy, well, i mean if you are mad about starting a diet, it could affect your mood. just a thought.

[DarlingBri]

It's not la-de-dah but I'm definitely not mad about starting a diet. I'm happy to be starting a diet. I've been meaning to do this for a long time and I'm delighted and pleased with myself that I've gotten off my rear and done it, and I'm enjoying all the cooking and menu planning and calculations. (I like spreadsheets!)

My Atkins attitude is really, really good, I promise. It's just all my other attitudes that have taken a sudden nose-dive

[Elizellen]

Maybe you are feeling a bit deprived of certain foods and that is making you feel cranky. When I get that feeling it is time to get in some of the really decadent foods we can eat on Atkins so that I can convince myself that although I cannot eat pizza or a baked potato at the moment I can eat something really delish like a really creamy chunk of brie with my salad, or a plate of king prawns with mayo or a juicy pork chop with that lovely crispy fat on it or a roasted chicken breast with its delicious crispy skin served with broccoli in a cheese sauce.
Thinking about what I CAN eat makes me forget those other things I am choosing not to eat.

[Lollypop-]

Induction is difficult. Your body is changing in many different ways. You are going through a huge upheaval to your normal way of eating.

Carbs are very soothing, especially the ones with the right sugar/salt/fat combos. They affect the pleasure center of the brain just like drugs, alcohol, and nicotine. We eat carbs because they literally make us feel good.

Induction means experiencing severe carb withdrawal. Your body/mind isn't too happy about it right now. When I first went through induction, I was manic. I had this constant metaphorical itch underneath my skin that I couldn't scratch.

Be gentle with yourself. Streamline your schedule for the next few days if you can. This is a lot to take on. Have some induction recipes on hand at all times. It must be food that you absolutely, hands-down LOVE. Eat, eat, eat!

Sincerely,

Lollypop-

[IrishIrish]

Some of us respond with near violence to the elimination of foods that we craved like starchy carbs and sweets. I know I did. And the only thing that really helped me is that my husband was eating the same as I was on Atkins Induction. Soon, those feelings of crankiness, anger and harsh words gave way to the big question ... "what the **** is happening to me?" I was missing something that was familar to me and it really pissed me off.

I don't have those days anymore. The rewards have been too great. But just know that this too shall pass.

[msanjelpie]

Low blood sugar causes crankiness... It could be that your blood sugar has never been this low and steady... without checking the before and after it's hard to say...

[DarlingBri]

Thanks so much for the info and support. It passed and I am no longer a nuclear reactor. It was good to know it wasn't totally abnormal and would go away. (Husband is still crabby but he was born that way...)

I'm just left with the exhaustion and a very slight woozy/dizzy feeling. I have to go to the grocery store - about half a mile on foot - for dinner and I feel like I'm too tired to do it. This wears off, right? One day very soon I'm going to wake up with a tonne of energy, yes?

[JulieB]

Originally Posted by DarlingBri

Thanks so much for the info and support. It passed and I am no longer a nuclear reactor. It was good to know it wasn't totally abnormal and would go away. (Husband is still crabby but he was born that way...)

I'm just left with the exhaustion and a very slight woozy/dizzy feeling. I have to go to the grocery store - about half a mile on foot - for dinner and I feel like I'm too tired to do it. This wears off, right? One day very soon I'm going to wake up with a tonne of energy, yes?

Glad to hear the crankiness wore off Some people experience a huge boost of energy during/after induction...some of us don't. You may still be a bit icky from induction, so energy level is likely to improve, but how much is impossible to say...I'm 5 months in & still waiting for the big boost