Starting third week, still having issues. On weekends, nothing sounds good, I get nauseated easily, and my bones are achy. Almost think I have some sort of bug, or is this just my old flesh getting used to no bread and fruit? I think what's the good in being able to eat butter if I cannot have bread? And no summer fruit?

We grilled two prime sirloins on Saturday and I had some blanched green beans ready to sauté with some mushrooms - and I couldn't cook or eat a thing. I sliced 3 oz. of the steak to bring for lunch today. The thought of eating fat just rocks my stomach.

Early Sunday morning, I felt so bad that I had 1/4 cup of orange juice. I felt better but then my BS was 165. So much for that.

Down another 8 pounds. 16 pounds in two weeks? Is that healthy?

I feel fine other than the nausea. Clothes are loose, shoes are looser. What I affectionately call my barnacles - small raised bumps on my legs and thighs that I can scrape away in a bath with my nails - are going away. I caught myself sleeping on my back with my mouth closed, no snoring. We walk a mile with the dogs, bike when the dogs are home.

Still no tests below 100.

Please read the Salt Thread. Low carb diets are sodium depleting and much of the aches, tiredness, and other symptoms can be helped by conscientiously increasing your sodium intake and possibly supplementing with other electrolytes.

You need to have plenty of sodium in your system to hang onto the other minerals.

Congrats on the improvements!

Hi Christine!

I hope that others who have recently started Dr. Bernstein or have his book will give you more specific advice. Nausea is not a common side effect of starting LC, but when leaving your high-carb and sugar diet behind, I certainly have seen others mention it. First, have you ever had gallbladder issues? Even if not, if you made a dramatic switch from low-fat, high sugar to high-fat, no sugar, your body may still be adjusting to the higher fat content. Take that slower. Maybe eat more chicken and fish for a while if you can’t face steak. And since you have blood sugar issues, small snacks might help the adjustment too. Alternately, if you are just not hungry which also happens often in the beginning, don't force yourself to eat. Only the third week seems too soon to expect miracles, everyone’s different, depends where you started, but please give LC more time.

Here is a short and humorous round-up of some tips to start LC.
http://holdthetoast.com/content/wel...-world-low-carb
Losing 16 pounds, that salt is critical to your overall well-being.
Read Nancy's thread and don't forget water too.

You might be able to fit in some low sugar summer berries, even Dr. Atkins suggested raising the carbs a bit if you are having a hard time switching over to fat-burning. Better you take it slower than give up LC completely. It is sad to lose bread, but only at first. One, you will feel so much better without wheat and you already seeing some of that. The barnacles (love that) are likely keratosis pilariis, and they also went away from my upper arms but not that quickly. Many skin conditions are from too much sugar, and leaky gut from wheat. Whatever it is, LC fixes so many health issues! Giving up wheat also cured my husband’s snoring which is a way better result than fixing my own. Also have you explored bread substitutes like Oopsie rolls? Or maybe after you are solidly in LC you might experiment with flaxseed breads?

Hang in there, keep asking questions, as you have seen if you read back in this Diabetes forum, there are amazing success stories on Bernstein's plan.

I had my gall bladder removed about 9 years ago. I couldn't face chicken either. I took extra salt today (must it be iodized?); I know, I need to do more reading. Always been a big water drinker. Diet coke isn't tasting good to me; it was a struggle to finish one today but then it was that way for me years ago, too.

I'm not giving up, will post away from here in the future. Thanks! Worried about trying any bread that might take me back to the dark side. Did try a sugar-free Jell-O today. That was good and didn't leave me craving sugar.

Well there's the answer. Add fat more slowly.
Diet Doctor has it in his PS on this article about gallbladder.
http://www.dietdoctor.com/gallstones-and-low-carb

In addition, reading back on the other thread, you mentioned you are on three meds. Your change in diet may allow a side effect you didn't have before to emerge. HighBP meds list nausea as a side effect...do you still need to take it? Same with statins. Read the cholesterol sub-forum for newest info, especially for women.

Doesn't matter iodized or not, but you must have a good source of iodine in your diet or supplement. Lack of iodine is becoming a problem again in US.
http://www.wheatbellyblog.com/2012/07/an-iodine-primer/

And the last thing you need to struggle to drink is diet soda. Better to pour it down the drain
http://intensivedietarymanagement.c...n-of-obesity-5/

Btw, this last blog linked has interesting info and suggestions on diabetes. Just recently found Dr. Fung, and have not yet talked to Dr. Westman about his fasting program, but IDM use vinegar, adding more fiber, and two different fasting protocols to reduce insulin. His main premise is reducing BG does not necessarily equal reducing insulin. Until your body has adjusted to LC and higher fat, his fasting program would likely be too demanding for you right now, but maybe add more non-starchy vegetable fiber and ACV to see if it helps with BG?

I do wind up pouring a good 1/3 of a diet drink down the drain. I understand the fallacy of substituting a diet drink for a regularly sweetened beverage. A strong example of this is that my sister recently insisted that her overweight husband drink regular iced tea for a week rather than his customary daily 15-20 (yes, that's correct) diet Pepsis. He lost 4 pounds as a result.

I have never had a cup of coffee (never had hot flashes, wonder if that's related), have the occasional cup of tea, and have relied on the diet Coke for a small dose of caffeine - I'm caffeine sensitive, so a little goes a long way.

I need to check with my doctor about going off the other meds, and I'll get in to see her when I can.

Penzeys Pacific Sea Salt - extra coarse - is my salt mainstay but I have about 12 assorted others (I like a variety), but the label specifically states Iodide is not supplied. Thanks for that link - will look into that.

Hot drinks always set off my hot flashes.

You might try finding those little packets of crispy roasted seaweed snacks. I absolutely love them. They have them at Trader Joe's down in So. CA and also at Sprouts or Henry's. Costco carries them in 12 packs.

Anyway, you'd get a good dose of iodine and salt from them. I love how they taste!

Some diabetics do better with carbs in the area of 80-150 grams a day. Very few with more than that. This does entail more insulin in order to keep blood sugars at goal range.

Most of us who 'follow' Dr Bernstein do not necessarily accept his exact goals. I am at 20-50 grams of carbs a day, and use tomatoes and onions in cooking per taste.

I read several "testimonies" of diabetics getting off insulin and oral meds and having BGs below 100 all within the first month or so - I found it more discouraging than helpful. It took me months to realize I could drop the Metformin, and more months to get my BG down.

It has been almost a year and my BG numbers are FINALLY in the normal range - most of the time. This improvement is quite recent, so I'm not telling myself that I'm "there." Still work to do.

Keep working at it, keep testing and tweaking the diet to get to a plan that works for you. I've learned that if someone says, "I can eat this or that & my BG remains low," that is what works for that person, not necessarily for me.

Re: caffeine. If you really want a cup of coffee's worth of caffeine, try a caffeine pill. All the brands are the same, they all contain 200mg of caffeine (about the same as a cup of coffee), and the generics are pretty cheap. Easier than forcing yourself to drink something you don't really want. I use them instead of coffee if I have drive a long distance. Keeps me from stopping at every rest stop and convenience store.

Bonnie, I tried a caffeine pill once and I was up for two days. I don't mind diet coke most of the time; it was just onerous to keep seeing it in my office yesterday and it was lukewarm and I simply need to give myself permission to jettison the drink. My mother's been gone for 20 years and yet I still hear the "finish what you start" refrain. Old habits etc. I tend to stick to ice tea during the summer, but a DC with a wedge of lime on ice can be tasty.

Seem to be coming out of the pain and general malaise feeling - the "flu". Been taking small doses of salt. Made a batch of tuna this morning with mayo, fennel, celery, tarragon, miniscule bit of red onion, and loads of parsley - tossed 3 oz. with crispy iceberg to have for lunch - 9:30 here, must be lunchtime somewhere! Hadn't had breakfast, hit the spot.

How long after starting LC would it be advisable to see my doctor about medication adjustment, if warranted?

Rob, would love to eventually work tomatoes in some small amount back in to my diet, even if it's just paste to add flavor to a beefy soup. Our garden is on the verge of ripening, we usually have more than we can use, bring extras to work to share, and donate a bunch to the local food banks.

What are your Fasting glucose numbers? I found this article.
BTW, I am going to be under 50 net carbs a day from now on, due to my insulin sensitivity and past type 2 diabetes. I have learned to love it but I MUST keep my potassium, salt and mag levels supplemented.
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Posted this in my journal a few weeks ago.

----
One of the most interesting sites I just found is about fasting blood glucose. When in ketosis, my fasting glucose is higher and I coiuld never understand why.
This explains it

http://chriskresser.com/when-your-%E...-normal-part-2

Why your “normal” blood sugar isn’t normal (Part 2)


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One caveat here is that very low-carb diets will produce elevated fasting blood glucose levels. Why? Because low-carb diets induce insulin resistance. Restricting carbohydrates produces a natural drop in insulin levels, which in turn activates hormone sensitive lipase. Fat tissue is then broken down, and non-esterified fatty acids (a.k.a. “free fatty acids” or NEFA) are released into the bloodstream. These NEFA are taken up by the muscles, which use them as fuel. And since the muscle’s needs for fuel has been met, it decreases sensitivity to insulin. You can read more about this at Hyperlipid.
So, if you eat a low-carb diet and have borderline high FBG (i.e. 90-105), it may not be cause for concern. Your post-meal blood sugars and A1c levels are more important.

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If post-meal blood sugars do rise above 140 mg/dL and stay there for a significant period of time, the consequences are severe. Prolonged exposure to blood sugars above 140 mg/dL causes irreversible beta cell loss (the beta cells produce insulin) and nerve damage. 1 in 2 “pre-diabetics” get retinopathy, a serious diabetic complication. Cancer rates increase as post-meal blood sugars rise above 160 mg/dL. This study showed stroke risk increased by 25% for every 18 mg/dL rise in post-meal blood sugars. Finally, 1-hour OGTT readings above 155 mg/dL correlate strongly with increased CVD risk.
What does it all mean?
Let’s take a look again at what the ADA thinks is “normal” blood sugar:
Marker Normal Pre-diabetes Diabetes
Fasting blood glucose (mg/dL) <99 100-125 >126
OGGT / post-meal (mg/dL after 2 hours) <140 140-199 >200
Hemoglobin A1c (%) <6 6-6.4 >6.4

But as we’ve seen in this article, these levels depend highly on context and whether all markers are elevated, or just a few of them.
If you’re interested in health and longevity – instead of just slowing the onset of serious disease by a few years – you might consider shooting for these targets. But remember to interpret the numbers together, and also remember that blood sugar is highly variable. If you wake up one morning and have a fasting blood sugar of 95, but your A1c and post-meal numbers are still normal, that’s usually no cause for concern. Likewise, if you see a one-hour post-meal spike of 145 mg/dL, but all of your other numbers are normal, that is also usually no cause for concern.
Marker Ideal
Fasting blood glucose (mg/dL) <86*
OGGT / post-meal (mg/dL after 2 hours) <120
Hemoglobin A1c (%) <5.3

*If you’re following a low-carb diet, fasting blood sugars in the 90s and even low 100s may not be a problem, provided your A1c and post-meal blood sugars are within the normal range.
Another key takeaway from this article is that fasting blood glucose and A1 are not often reliable for predicting diabetes or CVD risk. Post-meal blood sugars are a more accurate marker for this purpose. And the good news is that this can be done cheaply, safely and conveniently at home, without a doctor’s order and without subjecting yourself to the brutality of an OGTT.
I’ll describe exactly how to do this in the next article.
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Me back.
My fasting glucose was 105, and I was concerned. I do not eat breakfast usually, so will take my post meal glucose and put it here.

Lunch was 105 which is very good after 1.5 hours
Dinner was 105 after 2 hours.
LOL, My husband's ere different each time so I know my meter is working.

MOre from him on
http://chriskresser.com/articles/page/19
Why hemoglobin A1c is not a reliable marker

...
What blood sugar markers are reliable?

Testing accurately for blood sugar is like putting pieces of a puzzle together. Fasting blood glucose, A1c and post-meal blood sugar are all pieces of the puzzle. But post-meal blood glucose testing is by far the most reliable and accurate way to determine what’s happening with blood sugar, and the most sensitive way of predicting future diabetic complications and heart disease.

The ACE (American College of Endocrinology) agrees that the ADA "normal" is too high. The 2002 ACE recommendation:
Fasting BG <110
2-hour post-meal <140

Those are the top limits - lower is better. Dr. B also thinks we can lower our BG to normal (non-diabetic) levels. I'm sorry that the ADA doesn't have that kind of confidence in us.

Arlene, Thanks for that roundup of good BG articles! Have to bookmark that Chris Kresser article because I am the classic long-term VLC profile he writes about. FBG 100-110, sometimes up to 120. Drives me nuts though the LC doctors have assured me everything OK.

How to Lower your Blood Pressure Naturally:
http://chriskresser.com/how-and-why...ssure-naturally

Best way to know if could ask for a reduction in BP meds is to take your own every morning at home before you head out and run around. Keep records for at least two weeks and then discuss results with doctor. If you dont have own monitor, stop at same drug store, Y or wherever one of those machines is near you, early in the day.

As a woman, I am now of the view you shouldn't be on a statin anyway http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kelly..._b_4283650.html, but everyone has to come to their own conclusions about that drug. Again suggest you read back through threads on the cholesterol forum http://forum.lowcarber.org/forumdisplay.php?f=48, watch the Catalyst show here or start with part 1 on cholesterol in general https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0kIC-dbW2g.

I followed Dr. B's plann regiously for most of my weight loss. I am a type 2 diabetic.

The one thing I will ask have you had your Vitamin D3 tested?

I used to feel better after "eating" when I felt low (before dr Bs plan). During his plan I was finding it hard to work out. And my Primary tested my Vitamin D and found I basically had none.

When I take Vitamin D3 I notice a huge difference in my energy.

Just a thought...

And in the early days I was happy when I was waking to 100s and not the 140s... It took me a couple of months to be constitantly 90s/100s And several months to be constitantly 80s/90s with waking up to 80s.

So hang in there. I am off all meds....Of course the meds never helped me anyway.

Angela, great to "see" you post here. Off all meds! And you are close to Onerderland! You are the "poster gal" for Dr. Bernstein's diet.
Know you are rocking that bathing suit out on Cape this summer. You must feel so good, what a difference a year makes!

Hey Christine, how are you doing now with the food and BG?