[SasortFkire]

I went on the Atkins diet to lose 20 pds. I lost the first 10 pds quickly. I stayed on the diet for a few months, eating no carbs to low carbs. I went out with some friends and had a beer, I’ve been sick everyday since. I passed out, it was horrible. I went to my doctor and he said I had a “carb overload” which could have been worse.
I’ve since experience severe to moderate hypoglycemia. Despite my horrible symptoms and rapid weight gain due to constant and never ending hunger, the several tests I’ve undergone always come back normal. Why is this, does anyone know? I’m really super sensitive to food now, especially carbs and sugar yet if I try to low carb it I don’t feel good. I just can’t figure this out nor can my doctors. Has anyone experienced this?

[GlarlraTpople]

"I stayed on the diet for a few months, eating no carbs to low carbs. "

First of all, you didn't do Atkins if you ate no carbs. You only had 20# to lose... you should have transitioned to OWL after the second week... and worked your way up to pre-maintenance very quickly after that. That would be around 60 grams of carb per day for the average person. At that point you wouldn't even be in ketosis anymore. So please, don't blame the Atkins diet for your current situation.

You're probably feeling icky because you're not doing either diet right now... you're bouncing back and forth between low carb and high carb. Your body is trying to adjust and keep up and it's making you feel nasty. When you're low carbing your body produces enzymes necessary for fat metabolism... when you eat too many carbs and switch back to a glucose based metabolism you'll switch off the production of that enzyme... then go low carb again and your body can't instantly produce the needed enzyme to handle a protein/fat based diet. Do one or the other. Either read the Akins diet and follow as written... or go back to a glucose based diet (higher carb, lower fat).

My stomach gets queasy if I neglect my veggie carbs... gotta have those.

Hope this helps and that you're feeling better soon.

Tril

[JJascaxal]

Tril has it exactly right.

Atkins is not zero carb or even extremely low carb.
Your body needs the 20 carbs specified as the starting point for Atkins. Some of your organs have a very difficult time metabolizing fat and protein for food, and need some glucose. The 20 carbs is designed to meet that need.

These variations off of Atkins can make you sick:

Living on less than 20 carbs per day on a regular basis.
Reducing carbs and eating a low fat diet at the same time.
Limiting yourself to a few of the same foods all the time without taking vitamin and mineral supplements.

If you're doing any of these, it's not Atkins and you could make yourself ill or do permanent damage to your body.

Get the book, read the book, follow the book. Your body will thank you for it!

[SasortFkire]

Guess I should clarify, I bought the Atkins’s book but “I didn’t read it thoroughly”. There was just all this hype about “no carbs” I skipped chapters and just went right to the no carb foods and that’s all I ate. I had no energy at all, hence eating no carbs. Keep in mind I’ve never dieted in my life, I gained some weight and desperately wanted to get it off. Believe me, I wish I would have done my research and/or perhaps took the time to read the entire book.

Tril,
Your response is the best I’ve ever heard, thank you. I just don’t know which one to do? My food sensitivity isn’t consistent. I have found foods that I can eat and feel better, I just don’t know what combination of foods will work for me, I have tried some low carb meals but I’m hungry an hour later. I don’t know, I’m just frustrated, but will try anything to get better. I just really want to get the hunger under control and my energy back. This is horrible.

"I stayed on the diet for a few months, eating no carbs to low carbs. "

First of all, you didn't do Atkins if you ate no carbs. You only had 20# to lose... you should have transitioned to OWL after the second week... and worked your way up to pre-maintenance very quickly after that. That would be around 60 grams of carb per day for the average person. At that point you wouldn't even be in ketosis anymore. So please, don't blame the Atkins diet for your current situation.

You're probably feeling icky because you're not doing either diet right now... you're bouncing back and forth between low carb and high carb. Your body is trying to adjust and keep up and it's making you feel nasty. When you're low carbing your body produces enzymes necessary for fat metabolism... when you eat too many carbs and switch back to a glucose based metabolism you'll switch off the production of that enzyme... then go low carb again and your body can't instantly produce the needed enzyme to handle a protein/fat based diet. Do one or the other. Either read the Akins diet and follow as written... or go back to a glucose based diet (higher carb, lower fat).

My stomach gets queasy if I neglect my veggie carbs... gotta have those.

Hope this helps and that you're feeling better soon.

Tril

[GlarlraTpople]

Kimberly... the BEST thing, I feel, about eating low (not NO) carb is the relief from constant hunger. Whether that's physical hunger (caused by insulin surges) or mental hunger (caused by cravings) it's nice to have it GONE.

Why don't you read the book and then decide. Make an informed decision. Read the chapters that explain the whys... not just the hows. Understand why eating this way works for so many people. You might read it and decide it's not for you... but that would be much better than putting your body through another two weeks of Induction and THEN making that choice. Eating low carb ISN'T for everyone... it works great for people with insulin response issues. Maybe that's not you. My dh's body runs best on carbs... mine runs best on protein and fat. He's never been overweight in his life... I've been overweight or struggling since I was a toddler (first diet at age 8).

Either way, be informed...

Tril

[shodulsilfeli]

Kimberly: I'm new too and the temptation to hit the diet after just skimming the book was a very big one but I'm reading it and intend to start in a couple of weeks.

I'm so glad I have read and researched Atkins. It isn't a diet, it's a life style change. The book has explained so much about my general health and why I feel like I do.

Don't give up, we can do it, its all about changing the way we think about food. Best of luck.

[GlarlraTpople]

If you want even MORE info on eating this way... watch this vi-deo. Gary Taubes used the same research that Atkins used.

http://webcast.berkeley.edu/event_de...ebcastid=21216

Click on "watch webcast".

Tril