Losing too much weight and getting emaciated

[Riverj]

Originally Posted by blondegypsy

So Riverj, eat some of what you missed (bananas have potasium and at this point I don't think it will hurt you to splurge alittle... LUCKY DUCK!), watch how you feel and maintain your weight when it gets to a comfy level. You of anyone knows this diet works!

Keep in touch!

My pressure is too low at the moment and I tend to feel lightheaded when I quickly raise from a sitting position. Also lately the temperature is very high around 88 degree and also very humid. People are getting sick from thermic shock and I'm sweating a lot. So the salt and potassium thing makes sense.

Induction have helped me since I don't have the big swings I used to have anymore. It was like a clock, mid morning, mid afternoon and night I would become spacey, lethargic, confused, shaky and had cold spells. Now it is way more under control and I don't have the tendency to fall asleep after a meal. So I'm really afraid of going back to where I was by adding to much carbs.

Bananas used to be huge triggers to me, like honey, milk, potatoes and rice. Eating these foods used to make me feel sick two hours later. Some time I wanted to drink something and there were no coca-cola in the house. So I took a glass of cold water and added several tablespoon of sugar. The whole thing was incredibly sweet but I drunk it anyway. Two hours later I fainted. I went to hospital to be sure and my blood glucose was 38.

I have tested for celiac syndrome and everything is negative. But a small piece of bread is enough to make me feel full and bloat my abdomen, as if I had a beer belly. So this is trange and grains scare me.

What I don't understand is why my face is getting so gaunt while my abdomen is not completely flat and my abdominal muscles are not visible. Why the face, which I don't think it's a big fat store place? I remember reading somewhere that getting emaciated in the face is a sign of losing muscles other than fat, but I don't know whether if true and can't understand the rationale behind it.

Thanks for your help

[Againandagain]

Have your doctor run a test for celiac disease. My brother had very similar symptoms. There are two simple blood tests to check. Also, you might want to check your bone mass. I know you are young, but if this is a serious digestive disease, it will directly effect your bones.

Good Luck!
Sue

[boonie stomper]

Originally Posted by Riverj

Hello all
I'm a male and 20

Since I suffered from sugar swings where I would feel lethargic after a carb meal I went on Atkins to stabilize my sugar and lose 20 lbs extra weight that were stored only in my abdomen. From 16 to 19 I have started to develop a big gut without getting fat anywhere else. My diet was very high in refined carbs.

I'm very happy with the results. I have stabilized my blood sugar and I have no more the daily symptoms of sugar swings and also I have lost most of the gut and 20 pounds.

Following the book I increased my carb intake and now I'm eating 50 grams of carbs, mainly from vegetables and fruits. But I can't stop the weight loss.

Although there's still some extra fat in my lower abdomen, my face is getting gaunt and emaciated, it looks more angular and grave and people are commenting on my looking drawn, older and having dry skin and hair.

Since I have been very sedentary lately maybe I'm losing muscles too but I'm glad when I look myself at the mirror and see a very emaciated and tired looking sulken eyes face. Maybe I'm losing too much fat on the face but I'm not sure what's going on.

Do you have any suggestion?
Thanks

"Following the book" - did you see your Doctor before starting???

[mitzimarie]

Originally Posted by Riverj

Bananas used to be huge triggers to me, like honey, milk, potatoes and rice.

Everyone always cites bananas for potassium, but there are LOTS of sources that are at least as good, and even better, than bananas for potassium.

From www.fruitandveggiesmorematters.org :

Best of: Potassium

High in Potassium

Fruits and vegetables that contain 700 mg or more potassium per reference amount (20% or more of the Daily Value per reference amount) qualify to carry the label “high in potassium.”
Pink Beans
Lima Beans, large
Small White Beans

Good Source of Potassium
Fruits and vegetables that contain 350 mg to less than 700 mg potassium per reference amount (10-19% of the Daily Value per reference amount) qualify to carry the label “good source of potassium.”
Apricots, Dried
Banana
Broccoli
Cherries, Sweet
Chickpeas
Kiwifruit
Lentils
Lima Beans, small
Peas, Split
Pigeon Peas
Pinto Beans
Potato
Sweet Potato
Tomato
White Beans
Winged Beans


Have you tried introducing any kind of beans into your diet? How about expanding your fruits?

Grains - even in Maintenance, I avoid them.

Also, while everyone is urged to get checked out by a doc before starting Atkins (if for nothing else, to see how you improve!), you sound like someone who would especially benefit from being closely monitored.

[Riverj]

Originally Posted by boonie stomper

"Following the book" - did you see your Doctor before starting???

Yes and he said I was very healthy (although I didn't feel good for the sugar swings) but my blood tests were perfect, my fasting glycemia was normal, heart functions under stress very good, I tested for celiac and even food intolerance but everything was negative, digestion and digestive and pancreatic enzyme are all perfectly working.

[Riverj]

Originally Posted by Againandagain

Have your doctor run a test for celiac disease. My brother had very similar symptoms. There are two simple blood tests to check. Also, you might want to check your bone mass. I know you are young, but if this is a serious digestive disease, it will directly effect your bones.

I tested for celiac but everything was negative. It took time to convince my doctor to prescribe me tests for celiac because he thought just looking at me you could say I don't have celiac. I tested also for ulcer and digestive enzyme but everything was good. After all I have never suffered from even an heartburn episode in my whole life. What bothered me was my blood sugar and energy swings, following an high carb meal.

[msanjelpie]

You should be doing some weight training to bulk up your muscles...

It sounds like you are suffering from blood pressure issues...

[chgomom]

If I can interject.

If you arent taking your supplements, make sure you start. I know from experience (in the past) Vitamin D and Zinc deficiencies will wreak havoc with your system in that way.

Because rapid weightloss can be indicitive of other issues (not just that you are on Atkins) I would make an appt with your doc, just run it by him you've been on Atkins and this is whats been going on. You could have an issue with your thyroid is one.

Just run it by your doc, don't try to self diagnose or medicate with tweaking your diet.

[chgomom]

ALSO!!

I have celeic disease....the blood tests alone are NOT definitive.

You need to see a GI specialist, and you need to have a biopsy. Sometimes your blood tests are negative in light of having deficiencies, a bone scan that shows you have been compromised in that way. They also for a full picture on celiac should not just run the two main indicators....they should be running a full picture of your autoimmune status (ie inflammation markers such as CRP, Sed rates and etc) , because Celiac disease is itself an auto immune disease of your GI tract.

So ask him for a referral to a GI specialist and let a GI doc investigate it further if you have a concern about celiac.

I wasted so much time with my regular doc letting him tell me everyhing was fine, but I was feeling terrible.....I ended up having to refer myself to a rheumatologist....who ran every test imaginable and then sent me to a gi doc...

Be careful...

[mitzimarie]

Originally Posted by chgomom

ALSO!!

I have celeic disease....the blood tests alone are NOT definitive.

You need to see a GI specialist, and you need to have a biopsy. Sometimes your blood tests are negative in light of having deficiencies, a bone scan that shows you have been compromised in that way. They also for a full picture on celiac should not just run the two main indicators....they should be running a full picture of your autoimmune status (ie inflammation markers such as CRP, Sed rates and etc) , because Celiac disease is itself an auto immune disease of your GI tract.

So ask him for a referral to a GI specialist and let a GI doc investigate it further if you have a concern about celiac.

She's absolutely right! It is not correct that diagnosing celiac is a simple as a couple of blood tests. I have a friend who just went through this.

She is also correct in suggesting that you run this by your doc and not try to self-diagnose or have someone here do it. This is a matter for a medical professional.