[podcast flashvars=”titles: ‘induction blues'”]http://www.thelivinlowcarbshow.com/shownotes/wp-content/uploads/llvlcep79.mp3[/podcast]
Welcome to the 79th episode of the Internet’s hottest low-carb podcast, aka “The Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore!” Today, our host Jimmy looks at a problem that most people face when beginning or returning to the low-carb lifestyle. Here’s a brief musical clue:
Since I quit them carbohydrates,
Baby, I been feelin’ so low.
Since I quit them bad ol’ carbohydrates,
Woman, my clock is running slow.
It’s been just 24 hours,
Just another day or two to go…
Them bad old Induction blues. Have you been there? Well, don’t think it’s just you because most of us have! Don’t let a few rough days at the beginning of low-carb Induction scare you off. As Jimmy will show us in today’s show, it’s just a sign that increased energy is on the way–quite possibly the most energy you’ve ever had!
Is the Atkins diet an invigorator or deflater to YOU? Share your comments with us below!
LINKS MENTIONED IN EPISODE 79
– Contact Jimmy Moore via e-mail at livinlowcarbman@charter.net
– Jimmy Moore’s LivinLaVidaLowCarb.com blog
– Related blog post: ” Getting Through The Atkins Induction Flu”
Did you miss anything Jimmy said? Have no fear, read the transcript by clicking the very next link!
TRANSCRIPT of EPISODE 79:
This is Episode 79 of “The Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore” and welcome back for another exciting excursion into the wonderful world of low-carb living. Please visit our official web site at TheLivinLowCarbShow.com or go to iTunes to check out all the latest and past episodes from this podcast. We work hard to make this show as entertaining, educating, and inspiring as it can possibly be, so listen in. Feel free to contact me anytime via e-mail at livinlowcarbman@charter.net. I’d be honored to hear from you.
Today I’d like to discuss a very misunderstood aspect of livin’ la vida low-carb that unfortunately has become a part of the stereotype of what happens to you when you go on the Atkins diet. Think about this for a moment. Have you ever had somebody tell you their reason for not going on a low-carb diet is because “It makes you feel too tired.” Or how about this one? “My energy gets completely sapped.” And let’s not forget the most popular excuse of all. “Without carbs, you can’t quite function at full capacity.” Of course, when I hear people say things like this, I can’t help but ask them how long they were on the Atkins diet. Most of them said it was the worst couple of DAYS of their life. HA! Oh, well no wonder! That’s not the Atkins diet people!
Most genuine low-carbers will tell you those first few days are indeed a doozy as you go through the symptoms of what has been affectionately referred to as the Atkins flu. But don’t forget that your body has to undergo some pretty radical changes, expecially if you were used to consuming large amounts of sugar and other unnecessary carbohydrates with your old dietary habits. Breaking that carb addiction and getting your body into fat-burning mode is what the Induction phase of Atkins is all about. While the first day of my Atkins diet experience in January 2004 was indeed THE WORST DAY OF MY LIFE, let me tell you it only got better from there. MUCH better! Within a week (and after losing 15 pounds!), I started feeling a major turnaround happening inside of me that reassured me this was the right choice for me. By the time my first month on the low-carb lifestyle was completed, I had lost 30 pounds and my energy level had skyrocketed. By the end of my weight loss phase in December 2004, I had shed 180 pounds in one year and felt more alive than I had ever been in my entire life. That incredible miracle that happened in my life back in 2004 is still invigorating me to this day. I keep kicking myself for not doing this when I was in my 20’s, but I am so grateful that I’ve got my life back now. I am a new man today because of livin’ la vida low-carb.
Unfortunately, though, not everyone has the same response to low-carb living as I have apparently. I received an e-mail from one of my readers at my LivinLaVidaLowCarb.com blog who shared her concerns that since she began a low-carb routine in April 2005, she is constantly exhausted and tired despite losing about 40 pounds to date. Here’s what she wrote in that e-mail:
Hi Jimmy,
I started eating low-carb last April after going to the doctor and seeing a number that I had previously only seen while pregnant! I have lost at least 40 lbs so far. I am not sure of the actual number because I refuse to own a scale. The fluctuations depress me and will cause me to give up! So, the only time I weigh is for a check up at my doctors. I am 37 years old and now weigh 148 lbs. As you can see from the numbers I never lost a dramatic amount of weight at once. Just slow and steady. My problem is this–I have not seen the increase in energy that I would expect after losing so much weight. I am most of the time exhausted for no good reason. What is my problem?! This issue makes my family a little skeptical of the health benefits of low-carb living. I refuse to go off this way of eating as it is the only way I have ever been able to lose weight. Do you have any suggestions on what I can do to feel better and keep my family happy?
I appreciate this reader sharing her story with me because it could very well help others who are in the same situation. Let me just say publicly how very proud I am of her for refusing to allow anyone to tell her that low-carb living is not the very best way for her to lose weight and keep it off for good. The pressure to stop low-carbing from so-called friends and well-meaning family members is too much for many people to bear and they just give up. This just breaks my heart. However, in light of the evidence she has presented, it does sound like there are legitimate concerns about what is happening to her while on a low-carb diet. There are many reasons why she could be experiencing these feelings of being tired and exhausted. Without knowing the specifics of her low-carb lifestyle program, here are five suggestions that I would recommend for anyone facing similar circumstances:
1. Are you sleeping well?
Be sure you get a good night’s sleep of at least 7-8 hours per night. Studies have shown that a lack of sleep can contribute to obesity and inadequate rest can make you feel tired all the time.
2. Are you eating enough food?
One of the unfortunate things about what we consider as healthy eating in the U.S. is the notion that you must cut back on your portion sizes dramatically. But not when you are livin’ la vida low-carb. Of course, you shouldn’t gorge yourself, but if you are hungry then EAT a nice low-carb meal or snack. I eat every three hours so I NEVER get hungry.
3. Are you exercising daily or most days of the week?
When you are tired, I’m sure the last thing you want to think about is exercise. But you will be utterly amazed just how good you will feel after a walk on the treadmill or 30-minute session on the elliptical machine. Plus, your body needs this to help destress your life. The intense energy and release of positive endorphins will keep you feeling great for many hours after your workout. If you’re not already working out, then START IMMEDIATELY!
4. Are you letting stress and worry encompass your life?
As much as we try to deny it, stress can and will have an effect on your body in harmful ways, especially when you are trying to lose weight. As if doing that isn’t difficult enough, life’s day-to-day challenges can push us to the brink of a nervous breakdown sometimes. As a result, this can cause you to be mentally and physically drained. While there’s no easy way to relieve stress and get worry out of your life, find solace in the love of your family even if they aren’t supporting your low-carb plan, the relationships of those trusted friends who care about you, and in the God of the universe who created you to trust in Him with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding by casting all your cares on Him. Relieve the stress in your life and your exhaustion may be alleviated.
5. Are you seeing your doctor to determine if you have a medical condition unrelated to your diet?
It’s always a good idea to check with your personal physician whenever you have symptoms that are unusual so he can evaluate what you may need to get better. Perhaps your tired feelings have nothing at all to do with your low-carb lifestyle. Your doctor should be the one to make that determination.
So what’s the deal with the Atkins diet? Does it deflate you of all your energy as this one reader suggests? Well, not necessarily. On the exact same day I received her e-mail, I also got an e-mail from another one of my LivinLaVidaLowCarb.com blog readers who told me how his energy levels have gone completely ballastic since beginning a low-carb program and he is utterly amazed by this transformation that has happened to him just three weeks after starting on Atkins.
Here’s his encouraging e-mail:
I just wanted to send you a quick email to let you know how much I appreciate the work you do. I have only being doing Atkins for about 3 weeks, but I have lost almost 9 pounds of my goal of losing 60 total. Though I still have a long road ahead of me, if I never lost another pound, I would probably do Atkins anyways due to a benefit I didn’t really expect. After the first 3 days of feeling like complete crap, my energy level has just EXPLODED. I have been more productive in the last few weeks than any other 3-week period in my life. In fact, today my wife (who I always considered to be the most productive person I have ever met) actually described this new energy level as “sometimes annoying.” (But not as annoying as having a husband that needs to be surgically removed from the couch, I’m sure). I have always considered myself to be fairly laid back individual who just happens to enjoy my “down time.” As it turns out, I think I have just spent the majority of my adult life in a perpetual state of exhaustion! The crazy thing is that I am still 51 pounds overweight. I can’t imagine how much MORE energy I am going to have when I am skinny?!?!?! I’ll drive my wife crazy!!! (We have a great relationship which is why we can tease each other like this). Anyways, I just wanted to let you know that you are a big reason I even decided to get back on the Atkins diet and that your blog is a daily source of encouragement to me. Please keep up the good work.
WOW, isn’t that a hoot?! Hey man, you keep on “annoying” your wife! Something tells me she won’t mind. Now that’s an encouraging story about how livin’ la vida low-carb is positively changing people’s lives? And it’s only gonna get better from here. My wife is always reminding me that I’m 35 years old and I’m not supposed to be moving around like I’m 21. I usually just tell her that I couldn’t move this well when I was 21 so I’m making up for lost time! So what’s the verdict in your mind? Does the Atkins diet deflate or invigorate your energy?
That’s it for Episode 79 of “The Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore.” We’ve heard people on both sides share their experiences, so what’s YOURS? Is the Atkins diet a deflator or invigorator? Share your response in the show notes section for this episode at TheLivinLowCarbShow.com or leave a comment for us on the podcast hotline at (206) 203-4192. We’d love to hear from you either way! Come back on Thursday as we hit the big 8-0–our eightieth episode! Man, it seems like just yesterday I was starting this show. Hope to see you then. So, until next time, keep on livin’ la vida low-carb!