M.E. C wrote:

>I am an exception to the Atkins diet story.
>I did lose weight, and was happy about that, but I developed health problems.
>Sore and bleeding gums. Extreme fatigue. Depression (that got so bad I had to resort to treatment).
>My back hurt alot, joints hurt and I could not ever sleep the night through.
>I stayed on the diet for over a year thinking this stuff would clear up as the books all say. I got worse so I decided no more low carb for me. I am feeling much better now.
>I am not saying that low carb is a bad thing for alot of people. It seems to work for many...just not a good thing for me.
>Anyone have any idea why it would affect me this way. By the way, I was eating plenty of meat and fish and supplementing with essential fatty acids, lots of low carb veg. Only non-paleo thing I ate was a tablespoon of cream in some coffee every morning. I don't think that was making me sick. Never has. I even gave that up for a while to see if it was the culprit...but it wasn't.
>
>

I have come to the conclusion that lowcarb simply doesn't work for
everyone.  My wife's experience was very similar to yours, on two or
three different occasions.  She didn't last a year, but tried a lowcarb
paleo diet two or three times and always ended up miserable.  She has
since lost the 25 or 30 pounds that she needed to lose by going on
Weight Watchers, and has kept the weight off for a year without any
problems.  She never had bleeding gums, but as in your case the fatigue
never went away.  In fact, it got worse, to the point where she was
going to bed immediately after supper because of exhaustion.  She didn't
lose much weight either.  The depression was *terrible*, and no amount
of fish oil, etc. alleviated it.  I have no data, but from reading
various lists, web sites, etc., I have a suspicion that these
difficulties are more likely for women on lowcarb diets than for men.
 But that may be all wrong.  Glad to hear you're feeling better now.

Todd Moody
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