Hi There! This is my very first time trying a low carb diet, and I have been doing Atkins induction for a month now. My question is if anyone has had experience with "Induction Flu" lasting for longer than a few days. I've lost 20 lbs this month, which is fabulous, but I've had "flu" symptoms since about a week in and they aren't going away. Any advice is much appreciated.

Can you be specific about what symptoms you are experiencing? That might help pin point the cause. Otherwise, my default answer is "get more salt"!

I started with Atkins; Day 1 was hard, mentally
Day 2 was tougher, and I started to feel sick to my stomach. Day 3 brought headaches and fatigue, bad attitude, and lethargy. Day 4 was the same as Day 3. Day 5 I woke up feeling AMAZING!! The next couple of weeks were a mixture of feeling blah or feeling good! Mentally it was ALL a challenge though. Over the next 2-3 months I was transitioning completely, and I'd have some bad days in there where I felt so tired, or grumpy, or sick to my tummy. Into my third solid month of LC/HF I realized I was feeling really good, my attitude became so much better as I felt more pride in myself. And after that, it's been an easy road.

The thing I learned most is that even when I thought I KNEW what I was doing, I was doing some things wrong. The key was reading, reading, reading, here, in books, and visiting this board A LOT--interacting, getting ideas, advice, and support, and spending a lot of time researching recipes.

Now it's been 11 months and this feels 'normal' to me! I'm down 53 lbs and it is so much fun to shop for JEANS again after decades of not wearing anything but black stretch pants! I feel proud of myself, and I've learned that I DO have discipline!!

You'll be fine, just visit us here every day even if you don't post/comment-- visit and learn all you can and you CAN DO THIS!!

20 pounds is a lot. Since water and salt were covered, are you eating enough fat? Is low energy on of your symptoms? Without carbs, protein stays about the same, so fat must provide the energy. Low Carb, plus low fat, or even low calorie can mean a long adaptation. From a Dr Eades article in above Advice for newbies

Thanks, everyone! I appreciate the advice and encouragement. My symptoms are:

1. Trouble sleeping
2. Tiredness/lack of energy during the day
3. diarrhea
4. Stomach pain (although that's a lot less frequent now)

I've been really careful about drinking lots of water and getting a lot of salt. I thought I was getting enough fat, but after reading that quote, I'm thinking maybe not. LOL I'll try adding more and see how that goes. I'm pretty sure I can "suffer through" bacon & butter. HAHA!

Any advice for getting in enough carbs? I know that sounds crazy, but I'm eating salads and some induction approved cooked veggies, but I'm often coming up short to the 20 grams per day.

Most of us here don't view the 20 as a necessity - but as a maximum. If you are eating a lot of salad, I wouldnt worry about it. I could be eating a much smaller portion of something like brussels sprouts and maxing out my carbs with much less nutrition. There are plenty of people here who keep their carbs WELL below 20. I tend to end up near 20 but it isn't the veggies - it's the little bits that add up with eggs, cheese, cream and sweetenter, etc.

Agree with thinchix, if you are eating salad and veggies and some other foods which do add up, you are likely fine. You could switch to higher carb veggies. Here is a list from lowest to highest, try cauliflower mashed or a "potato salad", red peppers, make fresh tomato salads in the summer, etc http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/wh...t/a/whatveg.htm

Are you actually tracking with something like MyFitnessPal? Do a few days to check the carb levels of everything, those extras she mentioned..and the fat %. Bet it is still low..we all have that tendency to avoid fat. The trouble sleeping sometimes is the deep ketosis, you have too much energy. Weird you have both...like circadian rhythms are messed up?

True!

As my driving instructor told me many years ago when talking about speed signs - it is a limit not a target!

In DANDR the rule is
Thus if you eat a total of 12 net carbs on induction, of which 8 were from your veggies you are spot on in the same way as eating a total of 8 net carbs including 5 from vegetables would be.

Thanks, that's very helpful! I've been tracking my carb intake just by reading labels and using the atkins carb counter. Will look into MyFitnessPal. The energy thing is weird. I've never had trouble sleeping before, and now I'm feeling tired most of the day, then around 10 at night I get a sudden burst of energy and am restless all night.

I can only think that is related to the timing of something you are eating - some people have reported that if they have coconut oil in the evening that happens. I personally found that taking magnesium at bed alleviated my insomnia (I fall asleep early, then wake up for hours in the middle of the night) somewhat (I have had that issue for a long time, but it may or may not have gotten worse when I started low carbing). What are you eating in the evenings? How long before bed do you eat?

Are you on any medications? Sometimes low carb can make them unnecessary, and what they were 'fixing' (ie. blood pressure meds, metformin, etc) is now going the wrong direction.

Have you tried eliminating dairy? It causes some people issues, and is worth a couple weeks off to see what the difference is. Why I am such a huge fan of Dr. Atkins plan. Take it down to bare bones, then experiment to see what carb levels and specific foods work for YOU. Can be a struggle, for sure. Butt here is no one set answer for everybody, so it is necessary.

Hmmm... that could be it. I have PCOS and have been taking Avandia to try to get pregnant. Perhaps it's overkill now.

You are on a powerful, controversial (debates over its black-box warning) blood sugar regulation medicine and you are looking to your diet as reasons for symptoms? Always carefully read the package insert of any medication you take, and search the internet for reported side effects.

For example, some Avandia side effects are:
nausea, stomach pain
increased thirst and hunger
diarrhea
unusual tiredness or weakness

EDIT: thinking more about this, Avandia's controversial side effect is the fluid retention and edema that may lead to heart issues. Wondering if some of that 20 pound loss was you having more water to shed than the average 220 person?

The list of medications which can interfere with weight loss is long; any hormones for almost any reason, and any of the blood sugar/diabetes ones.
Avandia is usually not one that would cause a hypo, but it could "be overkill" as you write and also causing the tiredness, trouble sleeping, stomach issues, etc.

http://www.drugs.com/sfx/avandia-side-effects.html

Always talk with your doctor before changing any meds, but good for you starting a low carb diet for PCOS. I have read/heard interviews about using a Paleo diet for PCOS/infertility. Low Carb plus a stronger focus on nutrient -dense foods and avoiding toxins in our diet. Hope you feel better and Wishing you all the best,

Hi Jollybean,

I too had some issues. I think it could have to do with the fats. I wasn't eating enough fat and my weight just wasn't going down. I added fats and there was an improvement. I then added more fat and had tummy problems so I think you have to find the right balance for your body. You have lost an amazing amount of weight, good for you!! I also recommend a potassium supplement with a multivitamin. I started a newbee group last week. Feel free to join in. It's under " alot at steak"

If you're trying to get pregnant, and PCOS is a problem, a strict low-carb, high fat diet can be that miracle cure you are looking for, without risky side effects. I have seen countless "Atkins babies" surprise women who had previously given up. (which is also a WARNING to those who would not find it to be a good surprise, it happens both ways.)