Anonymous wrote:
Hi there- not really sure how to post this so hope it gets moved where I can get more input. I started the program on Valentine's day and in less than 3 months, I've had great results. I don't know what I've lost, but do know that my BMI is now down in the low "normal" range and I've dropped a solid 3 sizes.
My question is health related. I had to go to doctor today with palpitations, headache and jitters and, when she discovered what my diet was, indicated that it did not sound healthy to her and she ordered lots of blood work and urinalysis to rule out ketosis. An EKG was normal, as was my blood pressure and pulse. I've also had a real problem with nigh time foot and leg cramps so have been taking potassium (when I remember to). Can anyone advise if they've had similar issues?
Health Question
I am posting this for anonymous who posted this question today on another post. I thought it was worth a separate post. I hope you get the answers you want. Please keep us posted and let us know how you make out.
I haven't had the health issues you have with but I have the legs cramps/pain in my legs many evenings. Didn't relate it to the diet but I guess it could be hearing about your experience. I too started in February and have lost three sizes. I noticed though I have become lazy within the last month opting for the less healthy meat options - quick and easy stuff (hot dogs, Wendy's, Chinese, etc) and haven't lost as much. I just started going back to the healthier, made-from-scratch meals (like grass fed beef) and the leg pains are less. Julie did warn us about the quality of the foods we choose. So, I'm keeping those meals mentioned for desperate occasions or for when I feel I need a "cheat"! :) Hope your feeling better!
ReplyDeleteI also started in Feb and I had the leg cramps a lot but not so much anymore. Julie told me to drink some pickle juice. I hate pickles so I never did. I think you should call her office to see what she would advise for the leg cramps. As far as what the doctor says, Julie always says listen to the doctor first.
DeleteI've also had some leg pains at night, but I thought it was just old age. I, too, started in Feb. I feel as tho I've lost weight, however, I have aother concern. I just had bloodwork done today at Lifeline Screening because my doctor doesn't consider this diet healthy either and I can no longer go to him. My probem was that although my total cholesterol was down a little as well as my LDL, my HDL (the good stuff was way down which is not good) and my glucose was up from 104 at my doctor's visit in January to 117 now. I thought if any number would be good - it would be the glucose since we are totaly off sugar (except for what little is in the condiments). I'm so very disappointed. Anyone else have these types of results.
DeleteI am having a hard time hearing that doctors are calling this a "bad diet". I have been going to my doctor the whole time I have been seeing Julie, and she is thrilled!!!!!! If you are eating processed meats from the deli (pepperoni, salami, bologna, etc), then, yes, this is not good. But, tell me, how can eating fish, chicken, and vegetables be a "bad diet"??? I have never had one nutritionist tell me that eating white flour and sugar is a "good thing" either. How can staying overweight be a good thing? Are you explaining yourself correctly to your doctor? And yes, I know, they have done blood work on you. Julie has said time and again that numbers will go up, but then they come down, and I have seen this myself and heard about it from people in the refreshers!!!!!!! Be very careful with anything processed!!!!!!!! Julie wants you eating healthy!!!!!! Chicken, pork, fish, a little beef, and veggies!!!!!! Think of her way as a modified South Beach diet, which my doctor has always been a fan of. As for the leg cramps, I haven't had anyone talk about that, and I haven't had that problem myself. If you read Dr. Gott in the newspaper (who by the way touts his own "no flour, no sugar diet!) he suggests putting an unwrapped bar of regular bathing soap under your sheets in your bed. Don't know how it works, but a lot of people swear by that too. I actually have never slept better since being on this program, and I am almost at one year. Hope this helps........
ReplyDeleteAbout leg cramps - someone asked about these at my refresher session with Julie last week. Julie mentioned the bar of soap in the bed (which I have heard before but never tried), as well as pickles/pickle juice (not in bed!!!) as stated above. Julie also said the pharmacist will have some recommendations since Julie cannot suggest meds.
ReplyDeleteI also have had leg cramps, I only get them if I am not being good about my veggie intake. (I tend to not eat enough) As long as I follow the bite for bite rule, I am leg cramp free. Best of luck to those of you that are struggling, keep us posted as to what you find out. Adrienne
ReplyDeleteI too have severe leg cramps. I have had them many times in my life, but more sever in this past year.
ReplyDeleteI've read a lot of articles online to see what causes them. Most of the articles suggest these symptoms often come and go. These are some of the causes many of the articles mention: inactivity as well as too much activity, dehydration, and lack of calcium in your diet. Of courses there were diseases connected with this issue, so seeing a doctor is always a good idea if you have real concerns.
Best advice I've read to prevent night leg cramps: drink more water, add calcium to your diet, and stretch your legs before going to bed. Stretch your toes (as if you are pushing on the gas pedal) is one recommendation. I'm going to do more research on more leg stretches to do, as the cramps have been really bad this week.
For me, I'm guessing I need to drink more water; the past few weeks I've not been drinking as much as I usually do. I've also been a lot more active these past few weeks, up and down the ladder and standing for long periods of time while painting. I'm going to focus on drinking more water and stretching before I go to bed. I'll post more on this in a few weeks to report back on my progress. I hope you do as well.
These articles may be helpful:
How To Avoid Leg Cramps While Sleeping Or When Waking Up
http://www.zimbio.com/Menopause+And+Hormones/articles/P-VEWy1oMEn/How+Avoid+Leg+Cramps+While+Sleeping+Waking
Night leg cramps (Mayo Clinic)
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/night-leg-cramps/MY00410/DSECTION=when%2Dto%2Dsee%2Da%2Ddoctor
Julie never said anything to my group about our numbers going up and then leveling off so I find that helpful. However, I can understand that being the case with cholesterol, but not with glucose since we are basically sugar free.
ReplyDeleteI'm the original poster of this thread. My lab results came back showing moderate levels of ketones in my urine. Ketones build up when the body needs to break down fats and fatty acids to use as fuel and is most likely to occur when the body does not get enough sugar or carbohydrates. Although I haven't heard back from the doctor (was only able to review my lab resuls online), I imagine the advice will be to start introducing healthy carbs back into my diet. Not sure if this ketone level had anything to do with the funky cardiac issues, though. That's what really scared me.
ReplyDeleteI really want to stay away from the sugars as that's what got me going to Julie in the first place so I will start with whole grains, beans and few potatoes. I know I need to drink more water- they say to divide your weight in half and drink that many ounces of water daily. Not too accurate when you don't know exactly what you weigh! ;-) That may well be the reason for the leg cramps, although it means a couple nighttime trips to the bathroom which is much preferred over the cramping!
Thanks so much for all your input- once I hear back more from MD, I'll post.
I have been thinking a lot about your discussion here, and remembered another thing about Julie's classes. First of all, if you are going to follow her meat and veggies plan, then NO BEANS!!!!!! No potato (until you are in maintenance), no whole grains (until after you have eaten potato for months on maintenance). BUT!!!!!!!! Julie can "change" your "diet" anytime you want-I had one woman change from the meat/veggies and switched to Weight Watchers. She will hypnotize you for any diet you want. You just have to ask her-That might make you feel better, and be able to stick with your weight loss, and make your doctor happy! PS. When you are on any low-carb diet, you develop ketones-it is a result of your body using your fat stores. It is actually a good thing in the low-carb lifestyle, because it is working!
DeleteI went to my doctor today to get advice on how to work out the pain I've been having in the heel of my foot. I mentioned that I had been having severe leg cramps and she suggested that may have been a warning about the pain that would soon follow in my heel. She gave me a handout of leg stretched that will help my heel and is also good for preventing the leg cramps. I'll see if I can figure out a way to upload that document and post it or find it online somewhere to point you to.
DeleteFirst question she asked was if I'm drinking enough water. Don't get all caught up in how much you weigh times any math equation. Drink as much as you can as often as you can. You can aim for 6-8 glasses, but the bottom line is if you drink as much as you can, math doesn't matter.
If you are at your goal size I can see putting potato back into your food, but if not, I would be afraid. We can have corn, peas and winter squash, I think those would be what I would eat more of to add the carbs into my food. I eat those periodically and they taste so good!!! And I don't know about the beans.
ReplyDeleteGood luck, keep us posted, hope it all works out!
I'm brand new, having just finished my classes. I have a question which may seem silly but I really need an answer and felt a little too intimated to ask at our session. I know that we can only eat meat and veggies, but when Julie said "bite for bite" did she mean that literally in that we take one bite of meat and then one bite of veggie - or as long as we have less veggies than meat and eat them together at the same meal then we are all set. Does anyone know for sure? Tnanks.
ReplyDeleteHi, Bite for Bite ensures that you are not eating more veggies than meat. You do not HAVE to eat them that way but I did find that by not eating that way I was not eating enough fiber and that led to a whole group of issues that I don't want to have again. So yes, you can eat your meat first then veggies or bite for bite. Just make sure you don't have more veggies than meat:) Adrienne
ReplyDeleteAny ideas on how to keep this blog more active. It's somewhat disappointing to check back again and again and there is nothing new.
ReplyDeleteHi there-first of all, give us a name! lol! As for "disappointing", why don't you become a contributor, and help us with posting more things yourself-questions, tips, "ups and downs", etc-We all work, have busy lifestyles, and spend some time posting on this blog-but, remember, it can be time-consuming to blog. Theresa started this as an outlet, not to reduce her amount of time online, but to increase it for sure, and I think she does a great job keeping it going. Those of us already contributing can maybe spend a few more minutes on it, but, the more the merrier!!!!!!!!
DeleteAnonymous - email me if you would like to become a contributor so you too can post your stories and questions.
DeleteNow that my work project has launched, I should be back to writing here more frequently. I just posted and am planning to write more in the next few days.
The best way that I can recommend is by going to the top of the page, click on HOW TO POST. The more contributors this blog has the more active it will be:) Adrienne
ReplyDeleteI really have only so much to say. We need more contributors!!! Email Theresa to become one and help us!!! I,also, check the blog all the time. Just pop in and let us know how each are doing, even if you don't have alot to say. We don't have to be creative writers and we don't have to post long posts. I for one would like to see more before, during and after pictures (I know, I haven't put mine on yet)!
ReplyDeleteEven just weekly check ins, how was your week, what different things did you eat, what different situations and so on! There is alot to write about. I will try to post about my trip and what I ate and how I handled the airplane.
Problem is, this plan is so easy for me, I don't have to think about it. My friends and I used to meet once a week for a support group for 2 1/2 years. We had lots to talk about because we were all struggling. We don't meet at all now, not one of us is struggling!! How bizarre is that!!!!!!!
I'm not the one who asked about keeping the blog active, however, part of the responsibility of starting any blog is to keep updating and directing and if you don't want to devote even the minimal amount of time to that end - then don't come across as the great web designer and then disappear... Yes, it takes a village, but if it's your child -spend some time nuturing it.
ReplyDeletesorry - that was supposed to be "nurturing" - 0bviously, I didn't have the time to type it properly. Oh my!
ReplyDeleteHi everyone. I am a nurse practitioner. I saw a comment about taking calcium, but I didn't see anyone suggest magnesium. Also, there have been studies that show pickle juice can help (just google pickle juice and leg cramps: one such article: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/09/phys-ed-can-pickle-juice-stop-muscle-cramps/ ). Drink plenty of water and moderate exercise. I wouldn't worrry about mod to small amount of ketones in the urine. This is a "spot" test and not a 24 hour urine.The results can vary from test to test and time of day. Make sure you are eating your veggies and drinking your water to flush the kidneys. I also wouldn't worry so much about your actual blood sugar varying a little. Look more at your A1C results which you should see dropping. The blood sugar also varies and the meters are not 100% accurate. Cholesterol also varies, so just repeat it in 3 months.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Anonymous for posting! I was thrilled to get your advice from the medical field! I try not to worry about stuff like ketosis and cholesterol, but when people question me, I can't help but start to worry and wonder. Would you ever consider being a contributor to write from a medical standpoint some of these issues? I know, myself for one, would GREATLY benefit from medical knowledge on alot of issues. Great to hear from you! Please post when you can!!!!!! Thank you again!!!
Deletemustard and or pickle juice for leg cramps and rub soap on your sheets!!
ReplyDeleteI have sweet ketosis mouth and dry mouth, also gout going on do the the increase in acids in my blood on this diet. I feel like I should get off this plan, too bad it didn't work for me. I guess I'll try to take what I learn from julie and aply it it trying another way. Or I can suffer on in pain with numb fingers all in the hope ill be hot in a size 8 swimsuit this summer. The whole goal of eating this way is so your body produces ketones. Look up ketosis. Or ketosis diet. Maybe I'm just producing too many ketones idk. Going to my doctor next week. Sure she will look at me like I'm insane as usual.
ReplyDeleteI am surprised that I have not read of anyone experiencing gallstones. I have been on the program since July 2012. In late November I had an attack...severe pain on the right side of my waist. I never experienced this before. I went to the doctor, had an ultrasound and found that I indeed had gallstones. Surgery has been recommended but I have not had it yet. I guess this can happen with rapid weight loss:(
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