Hello everyone. How do I become a full fledged member of the site with posting and all the interaction? ChubsBGone

Feel free to post here anytime

Hello there Jerseygyrl, and thank you for the "welcome." I must say that I am thrilled to be welcomed by you as I always hold what you say in high regard, you really know your stuff with Atkins, and you're very supportive to the others on this site -- I've been reading the hreads for months and finally decided to reach out to the community, so thanks again! Btw, I assume you're in NJ? I am in Manhattan.

Today is my 12th day on Atkins and I am following it as suggested in DANDR. I am not really seeing huge results and think it might be related to cheese consumption. I do stay within the alloted amount, and probably have some cheese every day. As a matter of fact, I am having some cheese right now as my breakfast -- finishing off what is left in the house, as I am going to cut it out of my diet completely and see if I get better results.

Meanwhile, what I am truly writing about right now is that I suddenly am experiencing a huge depression-like feeling. I am not a depressive person and so this feeling makes me very uncomfortable. I have felt this once before whilst doing Atkins, and honestly, that prompted me to eat carbs and throw in the towel, as I do not do depressed feelings well. Do you know anything about what might be going on, and have you ever heard of this before? Thanks a bunch! ChubsBGone

Hi and Welcome!

You may be experiencing a drop in serotonin levels. There is a link between high-carb foods and the generation of serotonin in the brain. Serotonin is one of the "feel-good" neurotransmitters. It is also boosted by insulin production.

Here is a great article from Columbia University explaining how your diet can affect serotonin.

Of course I am not a doctor, and you should speak to one regarding any depression that you consider serious.

Giving advice just as a regular person, I would suggest getting some time outside every day (30 minute walk?) - both sun and exercise are effective mood boosters. I've read that exercise can help mild depression as well (for some people) as antidepressant drugs

Personally speaking, I tend towards depression, and I have tried SSRI drugs, did not like them, and now take the generic version of Wellbutrin (bupropion), which I think is helping. Not that I am pushing drugs on you, but just so you know where I'm coming from. I am on Atkins... I used to eat giant amounts of carbs at night to "feel better" and relax, but now I find I have much better peace of mind without the roller coaster of carbs in my diet.

I hope you feel better soon!

Thanks so much for all the info. I am going to try to hang in there and also clean up the Atkins to the bare bones diet with fewer condiments (mayo, mustard) and up the water and excersise. Thanks again! ChubsBGone

Chubsbgone,

I do think there is some truth to an 'atkins flu' of feeling blah when starting, although for me it lasted maybe 4 days when I restarted after summer vacation. 12 days sounds long.

I think the idea of cutting out certain foods is a good one - some people are very sensitive to cheese, nuts, fruits, etc (note that these are not induction!). I know if I have too many berries, nuts, yogurt/ricotta I see it on the scale, so I try to make it more either/or and only a few times a week. That's working for me, but the idea of playing around with it is important. I also think a few days of VERY strict low carb (only meat and fat and a small amount of LC veggies) is useful every now and then.