aNewNena's Journal, 10 November 2012

(Sorry this is so long. I quoted a couple of articles. The Journal won't allow creating paragraphs so it's just all run together.) You may have what they call the "Atkins Flu", which is maybe why the chicken broth helped make you feel better. It usually only lasts a few days, but some people have had the symptoms for a few weeks. Dr. Atkins actually recommended chicken broth to help, along with table salt and soy sauce. He says, "It can take a few weeks in Induction for your body to adjust to burning primarily fat instead of primarily glucose (sugar) for energy. In the transition, you might encounter a few symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, weakness, fatigue—sometimes collectively referred to as Atkins flu—leg cramps and constipation. Fortunately, all are pretty easy to avoid. Consuming lots of carbs makes you retain water, but shifting over to fat burning has a diuretic effect, meaning you excrete electrolytes and salt along with fluid. If you used to feel bloated and no longer do, that's good. Or if you have high blood pressure, your numbers should come down nicely in the first few days or weeks. But for many of us, fluid loss can be too much of a good thing. To manage this problem, simply drink plenty of water and have either a couple of cups of broth (not the low-sodium kind), ½ teaspoon of salt or 2 tablespoons of soy sauce each day. Have one cup of broth mid-morning, one mid-afternoon; measure out the salt and sprinkle it on food throughout the day; or season foods with the soy sauce. Follow this regimen from Day 1, and you should be spared any problematic symptoms. And no, this doesn’t make Atkins a high-salt diet." Saltine crackers normally have about 2 carbs per cracker, and a slice of bread (depending on the kind) normally has about 12 carbs, so it's still possible to eat both of those and not go over your carb limit, though it's not recommended. You only have a few days of logged food in your Food Diary, so I can't really look there and figure out a possible answer :/ An article I found on livestrong.com says this about crackers: "The carbohydrates in saltines come from the white flour -- a refined product that tends to raise your blood sugar levels quickly. A diet that regularly includes refined carbohydrates puts you at increased risk for diabetes, heart disease and weight gain. While the fact that the body digests saltines quickly makes them an asset when you have a sour stomach, it also makes them an unsatisfying snack and may cause you to consume more calories in the long-run." 

Angie!! You did it again.. Love the response you had for ANewNena! You're great.. ANewNena.. Hope you are feeling somewhat better and hope the cold/flu subsides sooner than later. You're a champ for still watching the carbs while sick! :) Often when sick you don't worry about a diet/or watch foods etc.. Good Job! .. I love the long journals everyone writes, gives alot of good information. Keep it up Angie.. ANewNena love to hear how you are doing. 

Thanks Dorothy :) I hated that it was that long and so unformed lol. I wish they would fix it where we could insert paragraphs and include links on responses to Journal posts. aNewNena, it IS awesome that you kept watching your carbs even while you've been sick. All of the times I tried Atkins before this time, I would fall off the wagon because I got sick. Thought I needed regular food to get well .. lol. Self-sabotage is all that was about lol. 

I just made a journal entry about being off Atkins. You know, when I first went on it, the weight fell off. Then I saw that pumpkin was on the list, but when I started eating a little of it, I started gaining weight even though pumpkin is considered moderately low-carb. Not on it now, but when I eat some carbs that are only restricted by what they do to my blood sugar, I am losing weight. May not work for everyone, but it is working for me