Hi All,
I am beat. It's starts around mid-afternoon, I then perk up a bit, make dinner and am then down for the count. I barely make it to 9p to go to bed. Last night I was in bed at 8:30 and asleep at 9. Can't continue like this, since I really need my time at night to get stuff done around the house.

I emailed my consultant, but thought I would ask here too.

I am 100% OP.

Bump anyone?

How long has this been going on? I know I was tired the first week or so, but since then I've been full of energy most days. The only difference I've noticed in my sleep patterns (other than *very* vivid dreams!) is that I do go to sleep earlier, but I'm up quite early in the mornings - usually by 4:30 or 5:00 vs. dragging myself out of bed an hour later than that most mornings.

Could you be fighting a bug? There's an awful lot floating around these days! Did you get a full physical before starting IP?

No not fighting anything. I did hear from my clinic. One consultant said to up my salt and anther to add a drink packet in the afternoon. I'm going o try both.

I've been exhausted for the last week. I feel like i could sleep for 12 hours and then take a nap later that morning. I have been sick, and am starting to feel better, but i'm still exhausted. I know it's my body recovering, but i feel like i should feel slightly more energized by now.

Hmmmmm, perhaps it could be the salt. Also, if you've been having your snack after dinner, you might want to just switch it to mid-afternoon. Unless you're exercising, I wouldn't think you'd need an extra packet so long as you're following the rest of the program.

If you've been following the IP protocol for four weeks it is unlikely that an extra packet or salt is going to help. I'd definately continue with the program for a while because energy levels can very from time to time but four weeks is plenty of time for your body to adjust so while it is possibly you're just in a low energy cycle for whatever reason it's also possible that the situation won't be improving.

Here is something you won't hear from any coach. Low energy on a low carb diet is actually fairly common. This generally means that you're not insulin resistant.

If you want to experiment you can eat a piece of fruit with your next meal or as desert and see what happens to your energy levels. If they go up than it's pretty safe to conclude that like most people who are not insulin resistant - carbs give you more energy than fat. Heck - you may even be naturally insulin sensative. Who knows.

This doesn't mean you can't follow or you shouldn't follow the IP diet but as you get closer and closer to goal this "problem" will get worse. When my wife wants to lose weight fast she follows something similar to the IP diet but she mixed in a couple pieces of fruit a day.

Calories dictate fat loss or gain - it's always an equation of energy. However, how much energy you expend can be affected by your macronutrient composition.

Hope this helps.

JohnP thanks so much for that info. I may try the fruit thing if the packet doesn't work. My issue with the fruit is that I love it so much I may not stop!

I did IP in 2011 for 5 months and never got that "burst" of energy that others spoke of. My coach said some people don't.. as soon as I got to phase 3, my energy perked up. Don't be discouraged, I think my activity was such that it wasn't enough to warrant an extra package, but enough to keep me at a lower energy level. ")

I just switched to the alternative protocol (developed for diabetics) which allows for 3 daily servings of carbs. I struggled with low energy, much lower than other people I know personally who did IP, from the very start. I am hypoglycemic, and as JohnP says, I think in my case it has to do with insulin resistance. I started on normal phase 1 protocol because I read here that many people said their hypoglycemia gets better or clears up on IP. But I think there must be a difference between "carb-induced" hypoglycemia and genetically hereditary hypoglycemia. It's definitely a genetic issue in my family. I stuck out the "normal" protocol for 14 weeks and now wonder if I suffered unnecessarily. Maybe your body is still adjusting to the low calorie/low carb diet...if so, eat your egg whites (2 free per day) and eat that extra packet until it gets better or for as long as you need. If you do this and it doesn't get better, explore the options with your coach. Hopefully they should be able to guide you on whether this is a normal reaction you are experiencing or whether you need a different protocol. Best of luck, been in your shoes and I know it's hard!

I think I am going to switch over to the alternative protocol after my next weigh-in next Tuesday. It just doesn't feel right to me to restrict carbs as much as we do. Every person's body reacts a bit differently though.

Unfortunately, weight loss isn't as simplistic as calories in/ calories out. There are MANY other factors including how well adrenal system is functioning.
I'd check with your doctor and get thryroid checked. Also, there are tests for adrenal fatigue. This can make a BIG difference in how we feel.

I've done some learning and quick weight loss programs can cause adrenal stress so I'd definitely check with your doctor.

I agree Lisa! I had my thyroid and adrenal checked out by my doctor!

Ditto on the adrenal and thyroid check.

I remember this around week 4 for me too. It went away. But, I had about a week of just being EXHAUSTED. Hopefully it goes away for you too. No real advice, just wanted to let you know I experienced this too.