Atkins Diet: Induction Flu: Signs of Progress or Problems
It is very common that I read questions or statements from new Atkineers saying, "How come I feel so tired?" "Why do I have such a headache?" "I have no energy what is this diet doing to me!" One of the problems is no one forewarned them about Induction flu. Induction flu is simply the body burning its last remaining glucose and stored glycogen for energy, and suffering withdrawal effects. It is very similar to what happens when runners "hit the wall" and cyclist "bonk." In addition to the physical withdrawal symptoms there are the mental symptoms as well. Think of drug addict, are they necessarily pleasant to be around or in high spirits even though they are doing something good. Well the carb addict has the same reaction; I personally was irritable for the first 2 or 3 weeks as I had to figure out how to eat, exert control over what entered my mouth, and regain new comfort foods. It is a dramatic change, and some people resist change. The good news is it is just temporary. It typically only last a few days, but for some the mental effects might last longer. It also shows you are on the right path and making true progress on getting rid of the excess fat. The silver lining is indeed that by the end if you continue the follow the plan you will be burning fat for fuel. You'll have to watch the video for my suggestions on how to lessen the effects.
December 11th, 2010 - 13:13
@bowulf
I’ve heard some people saying that your heart rate or BPM maximum (HRmax
) goes notably up when you follow a ketogenic diet. It seems highly unlikely, especially considering it hasn’t been documented in any scientific literature to my knowledge. But do you know if there’s any truth to this?
December 11th, 2010 - 19:20
@Danebrogen It’s generally been proven to be opposite according to my anecdotal history. My heart rate and blood pressure pre-Atkins were generally 80 and 135 over 90. After Atkins, that number is closer to 48-52 beats per minute, and a blood pressure of 100 over 60. I can’t find any studies that reference resting heart rate, but hypertension is always improved in ketogenic studies.
December 12th, 2010 - 18:02
@bowulf
I meant the heart rate at maximum effort, strenuous exercise where you push yourself to the limit to see what your BPM max is. Have you ever tested that after starting on atkins?
December 12th, 2010 - 22:35
@Danebrogen Generally you max heart rate is more about your age than one’s fitness level or diet, so I would be clueless as to how that would happen to noticeably increase your max heart rate.
December 12th, 2010 - 23:41
@bowulf
Yeah that is true of course. I was just wondering if you had tested it, as alot of people on a forum I read a while back claimed that after they started on a ketogenic their BPM max would increase dramatically. They said the reason was that the heart worked differently on ketones or something along those lines.
Seeing as this haven’t been documented in scientific literature it seems highly unlikely, on the other hand it seems strange to make up such a story.
December 20th, 2010 - 06:30
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December 30th, 2010 - 17:14
I’m hoping what I have is just induction flu. Been feeling sleepy lately. Lifted weights once I was in ketosis and man was it exhausting the first ten to fifteen minutes. After that I had more energy. Also, it seems that everytime I sit down for an hour or so at a time and then stand up I have this weird feeling in my head like the blood is rushing. Drink a lot of water as well.
December 30th, 2010 - 17:27
@PsychopathInFoil Sounds a lot like Induction flu and a bit of dehydration as well. The blood rushing is likely due to low blood pressure which can be either due to lack blood volume (not enough water in your diet) or low sodium (not enough salt). You can work on both of these easily by adding salt or the new book recommends 1 or 2 cups of chicken broth daily.
Those electrolytes should also help the fatigue symptoms too.
December 30th, 2010 - 18:08
todays my first day and like i feel like throwing up and been feeling like that and s tuff but im glad to know its normal
December 30th, 2010 - 18:16
@aliyahrennz13 Like I told PsychopathInFoil, make sure you are getting your water and sodium in each day. The new book recommends a cup or two of chicken broth (full sodium), and that should help as well. What you are seeing is normal, but it hopefully can be alleviated as well.
December 31st, 2010 - 08:58
@bowulf good thank u and i tried it,,it helped alot
January 15th, 2011 - 14:06
I’m on day three and I have the headache but water does help.
January 15th, 2011 - 16:53
@Imogen1885 A lot of the current thinking is that your electrolytes might be low too, and they suggest 1-2 cups of full sodium chicken broth to help.
January 15th, 2011 - 16:59
@Imogen1885 The current thinking is that lost electrolytes is contributing to the negative feelings, so there is a suggestion to have 1-2 cups of full sodium chicken broth.
January 15th, 2011 - 19:57
@bowulf Thank you! I will try that.
January 22nd, 2011 - 07:40
My co-workers, boss, and I am starting on Monday. I’m scared but hoping to get through. Recently gained a lot of weight from Lyrica and not being able to walk due to fibromyalgia. I love this vid. Great heads up. I’ll be checking more out. Thx.
January 22nd, 2011 - 12:45
@karian4 No problem, and be sure to ask any questions you might have. Best of luck!
January 26th, 2011 - 20:13
I have a question. I started the induction phase December 1, 2010 and I have stayed on the induction since ( I plan to stay on it for the next 6 months). Last Sunday, I binged on pizza, mac and cheese, and sweets (first time cheating), but the next day I went right back on it. Today is day 3 of being back on induction and I do not feel the flu symptoms or anything. Am I doing something wrong?
January 26th, 2011 - 20:14
I have a question. I started the induction phase December 1, 2010 and I have stayed on the induction since ( I plan to stay on it for the next 6 months). Last Sunday, I binged on pizza, mac and cheese, and sweets (first time cheating), but the next day I went right back on it. Today is day 3 of being back on induction and I do not feel the flu symptoms or anything. Am I doing something wrong?
January 26th, 2011 - 23:15
@iMaGiNaTiOnWpAsSiOn You might just fortunate one that didn’t see the bottom out of sugar glucose or you skated by this time. I wouldn’t suggest keep tempting fate, but the temporary water weight gain should have dropped by now.
February 1st, 2011 - 01:33
Been in ketosis for 15 days and until now felt awesome but today i feel horrible,sleepy,fatigue,dizzy,week.what gives,your thoughts would be helpful.
February 1st, 2011 - 01:36
@hughesfan100 Low electrolytes? With your workout schedule, did you potentially have a hard workout the night before?
February 1st, 2011 - 12:37
@hughesfan100 you could of course be getting the common cold, i have a cold right now and i had all those symptons about a week and a few days ago
February 20th, 2011 - 15:55
@bowulf How do i get electrolytes without sugar or carbs?I think that i cought a cold cause i felt better affter a couple days.Im hopeing thats it.
February 20th, 2011 - 19:15
@hughesfan100 Powerade Zero is a good commercial brand. Alternatively, you can drink chicken broth for sodium replacement. Salt or Salt supplements (potassium chloride) are easy sources for electrolytes, and you can combine either with SF KoolAid.