Going low-carb is very beneficial, but not the easiest thing to do in the first few days. Once you have passed that first week however it is much easier sailing. In fact 6 weeks in and I feel like my body is much happier eating this way.
So just a bit of a heads up about what side effects you are likely to experience the first week going off carbs. This especially applies if you stay under the 25g of carbohydrates per day, as per the first stage of the Atkins diet.
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
- Heart palpitations, and
- Irritability
It doesn’t last, and once your body adapts to burning fats instead of carbohydrates you reach a kind of high, like a sense of wellness (this was about the second week for me).
To try and minimise the side effects make sure you are drinking plenty of water and increase your salt intake. High-carb foods may increase the water retention in your body, when these foods are no longer being consumed you loose excess water and may result in dehydration.
Low Carb Diet 2015 