Is this induction flu?

[Hopin2Lose]

I am really weak, tired, have a headache, a little dizzy, and I have diarrhea (but I think that's almost gone). I didn't have this last time I started Atkins I don't think. It was a long time ago so I'm not positive. I have medical conditions that also cause all of these things but they really only cropped up starting yesterday. Today is day 4 of induction. How can I tell if it's Atkins or my medical stuff? Just kinda wait and see if it gets better? Ugh. Thanks.

Bree

[Georgiana]

Sounds like Induction flu to me... Make sure you're drinking enough water and try eating some fat/protein snack. If you feel really bad, you can add another cup of Induction vegetables until the symptoms subside.

The "flu" should be gone in a day or two and you'll feel afterwards.

[Sherri]

Detox (induction flu) hits about 3-4 days into Induction. Make sure to drink plenty of water to flush out the toxins. It last any where from 12-72 hours. Take some pain reliever to help with head ache. The headache is very typical for detox. That's what I suffer with when I detox from sugar.
Even though your feeling rotten, don't skip your meals. Very important to keep your metabolism steady.
Oh, and welcome to Atkins and ADBB. I look forward to seeing your success on the board.
Sherri

[Hopin2Lose]

Thanks. I am drinking A LOT! I'm still eating. Actually I want to eat more but I am so worried I am eating too much. It's 2:15pm here and I've had the following already:

-2 eggs, 1 egg white scrambled with red/green peppers (2 T), onion (1 T), mushroom (2 mushrooms) and 1/4 cup colby jack cheese with 1T of sour cream
-5 chicken wings
-2/3 cup tomato with 2 oz mozzarella cheese drizzled with olive oil and basil
-1 string cheese

Dinner is chicken with a salad of lettuce and cucumber, but I'm sure I'll need another snack too. Won't be cheese since I'm at 4oz now.

Bree

[Sherri]

MMMM looks good to me.
Sounds good on the cheese. Yes 3-4 oz is your limit on the cheese. On induction we should be getting the majority of our net carbs in with Vegetables. Are you counting net carbs or carbs? By subtacting the fiber, you'll get net carbs. Which in turn allows you more veggies.
For a good fat snack you are allowed 10-20 olives and a half of a medium avacado (pge 129 DANDR). These are in the specialty catagory foods for induction. Reason being, that they sometime slow weightloss down in some people and should be eaten moderately untill finished with Induction. A fat snack will keep you fuller, longer.
Sherri

[Hopin2Lose]

I've not really been counting carbs. Just following the guidelines of 3 cups veggies (2 of salad, 1 of other) and the limits of 3-4 oz cheese, 1 T sour cream, 1/2 avocado, etc. When I enter it into fitday my net carbs are always WAY under, but sometimes the total is close to 20. Not usually though so that's why I don't really count. I would have to eat A LOT more veggies to get up to 20 net carbs. Should I be doing that?

Bree

[Desertthorn]

Bree, the only time folks should or need to use fitday is when the WOE doesn't go like it should, can't lose or stuff like that. Your doing great so keep up the good work

[Georgiana]

Originally Posted by Hopin2Lose

I've not really been counting carbs. Just following the guidelines of 3 cups veggies (2 of salad, 1 of other) and the limits of 3-4 oz cheese, 1 T sour cream, 1/2 avocado, etc. When I enter it into fitday my net carbs are always WAY under, but sometimes the total is close to 20. Not usually though so that's why I don't really count. I would have to eat A LOT more veggies to get up to 20 net carbs. Should I be doing that?

Nope. Most of us don't manage to eat 20 net carbs during Induction. It is however a good idea to count your carbohydrates, so that you know how many net carbs you consume on average. When you move to OWL, you will need this average to know how many net carbs to eat during OWL Rung 1 (you'll have to add 5 net carbs to what you have eaten during Induction). You will also need to know how many carbohydrates you are eating further on, in order to determine your Critical Carbohydrate Level for Losing/Maintenance (CCLL/CCLM). Whether you do the math on paper or you let FitDay do it for you... it's your own choice.

[momtomany1]

No if you follow the guidelines you will be within your proper parameters. You don't need to eat extra veggies to get to 20. Very common to be under. It leaves wiggle room for a little cream or an extra egg or two! (Deviled.. bring 'em on! lol!)

Your weakness along with dizziness concerns me though. On page 140 Dr. Atkins discusses that for some the process goes too fast and they might need a few extra carbs.. from extra veggies or nuts even. The way he put it was basically, there is no need to feel like complete crud, for even a day. Once the symptoms abate, you go back to the lower carb level. This approach would need to be done carefully.. no license for a two handsful of peanuts or anything, that's just asking for cravings.

But review page 140 and see if it is 'you' he is talking about, and if so adjust accordingly. You are almost over the hump and don't want to spoil it!

[Hopin2Lose]

Thanks again everyone. I'm feeling a little better now. I think it was more a medical thing than Atkins, though I think it contributed. Believe it or not, the thing that helped was drinking a nice tall glass of water with sea salt...actually I've had 3 today. Sounds nasty, right? And you all avoid excess salt as much as possible. I actually have to drink it daily and I am on a medicine to help me hold onto it. I don't make aldosterone which is a hormone made in the adrenal glands that helps your sodium/potassium balance and blood pressure. I have this issue among other things. Anyway, I started wondering if it was that because my legs were getting puffy with water retention. I took the salt and low and behold I was peeing like a mad woman and the puffiness was gone. Neat, huh?

Thanks for the tip about counting carbs versus not. I think I will not count them this week, but then start counting next week so I know how much works for me to have a good baseline. I'm sort of in this weird in btwn place where I'm not quite sure to listen to my hunger pangs or not. I am adjusting one of my meds at the moment and too little or too much of it have a side effect of ravenous hunger. It's really tricky. I've decided to give myself a break until Tuesday. If by then I am still hungry a lot, it's probably a medical thing and I need to actively try not to eat too much. If it's just adjusting to Atkins, that would be day 6 and it should be better by then I assume. I am eating cleanly, just a lot of calories. I'm not craving anything off Atkins either like bread, fruit, candy, etc. I just want to eat a lot. I weighed in this morning just to see and I was down a pound. However I like to avoid the scale as much as possible because it lies and it can totally throw off my whole day. I don't plan to weigh again until next week.

Anyway, thanks again for the help. I feel much better tonight so maybe tomorrow I'll feel all the way better. Just my lingering concern about eating too much. In addition to the above menu I posted, I had a few pieces of pepperoni and a few squirts of whipped cream (not together). I just finished eating and I feel hungry again...this feels more cravy though than pure hunger. Maybe I'll just go drink more water. I've had almost a gallon today already!

Bree