Relax, you could eat a cow and still lose weight! Just count carbs, not calories.


You might have to experiment with what you are eating until you find something that makes you feel full. But give it some time.

Could the jitters have been caffeen withdrawl?

I'll try to mix it up a bit. Poultry, Fish, Pork, Beef, etc. At my gym they were trying to convince me Atkins was unhealthy because it includes eating fat. I told them that's not much of an issue when you're body is burning fat.

Not sure, but that reminds me, I need a triple espresso immediately.

Back in August I dropped sugar and limited my carb intake...sort of like what Atkins says to do, but I didn't read the book. I have a really tough time with my blood sugar, also. I have been going this way since then and have managed to lose about 35 lbs with a few lapses here and there. I still want to lose another 12 or so.

Last Friday, I had my lunch and decided to treat myself to a rice crispy treat for a change. Since I don't eat sugar like that anymore, about 3 or 4 hours later I started losing my vision around the edges of my eyes and felt like I was quite close to losing consciousness. I had to eat a few pieces of candy to get back to "normal." Now I remember why I decided not to eat sugary foods anymore.

I eat a lot of peanut butter sandwiches with whole wheat bread. And I highly recommend the Zone bars. I eat about 1 or 2 a day, because I actually like some of them. They have a few carbs, but a decent amount of protein.

I may be speaking from ignorance here, but doesn't that sound like Diabetes? I mean, I never lost my vision because of eating anything.

I have a simple diet plan:

* Eat a little of just about everything. Variety is good.

* Try not to focus too much on one food or class of foods at the expense of everything else. If you're eating tons of Food X because someone found something wrong with eating Food Y, give it a decade or so and a different set of studies will find that Food X is just as screwed up, Food Y isn't as bad as people thought, and Food Z is what you should've been eating all along. Lather rinse repeat.

* Try to stay away from "empty-calorie" foods that are way high in fat, sodium, sugar, cholesterol, etc. if there are lower-octane alternatives available that also taste good. A little now and then is fine, but don't go overboard.

* In general, when it comes to healthiness, homemade >> store-bought pre-prepared >> restaurant fare. The more control you have over exactly what goes into what you eat and how it's prepared, the better.

* As a general rule, eat less and exercise more.

The last rule is the one that thwarts most people, myself included.

I don't know, actually. That had never happened to me before. I use to just get really shakey and weak if my blood sugar dropped. But Friday was much worse. I wouldn't be surprised.

That's something you should look into -- blindness and loss of consiousness are not cool.

I personally have Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), but I've never had the vision side-effect. Adding baked potatos to my regular diet has put the problems fairly well in check, thankfully. It's a good thing I don't need Atkins, because I think I'd die if I couldn't have complex carbohydrates.

My grandmother went blind from diabetes shortly before it killed her. You need to drop whatever the hell else you're doing and get to a doctor immediately.

This morning's news brings us a Harvard long-term study of 125,000 people which showed that drinking 6 cups of coffee a day lowers men's chance of diabetes by 50%, women by 30%.

Drink up

Mmmmmm Coffee....

Man I'm doing great on this Atkins thing. I am on day 4 and I feel fine. I picked up some keto sticks (they are urine strips that allow you to test for ketones which are evidence that your body is burning fat instead of carbs/sugar)

I was very happy to find that my body had stopped burning sugar all together and was using my own body fat as an alternative fuel source. Now I'll throw a little exercise into the mix and I bet the weight will just fall off and my blood sugar has probably already become more stable.

The only side effect I've noticed thus far is instead of gradually becoming hungry as before, I suddenly become voraciously hungry without warning when it's time to eat. Perhaps this will subside.

Or perhaps you'll be at a shopping mall when the cravings strike. Meat. Must have meat. Wild... raging... cravings for MEAT. HUNGER! MEAT! MEEEEEEEEEAT! The cravings will overwhelm your rational mind. Hey, there's a nun doing some after-Christmas shopping -- SHE'S MADE OF MEAT! RAAAAAAAAAGH! Swiftly, you pounce, teeth bared and fingers ready to rend her unsuspecting flesh...

...then you stop, realizing that you yourself are also made of meat!!

Suddenly the dark secret of Atkins becomes clear: how they could absolutely guarantee weight loss. "A new, smaller you," they offered. The horror. The horror.

I've heard Drano is a very filling substitute for meat. If the craving ever really hits you hard :D

This being on the Internet, I really should add a disclaimer.


*Warning*

Drano is not to be taken internally. Don't be an ass and believe what you read on some website.

vsp and Undertoad should write Stephen King books....only with their own names. ;)