Well, So Much For Thinking This Was a Good Idea

The great South Beach experiment is officially over.

I was sitting at my desk yesterday afternoon when I felt this huge wave of dizziness. Then another one. And then another one. Turns out Phase 1 of the South Beach diet is the same as the low-carb diets in that it can cause fatigue, lightheadedness, heart palpitations, dizziness, etc., especially in people who exercise frequently or rigorously. Oh. That would be me, wouldn't it? Thank goodness I still had some fruit cups stashed in my desk drawer (the kind packed in water). I ate one and started feeling better within 30 minutes. When I got home, I fixed a baked potato to go with my steak and broccoli instead of a salad. I felt terrific this morning when I woke up and I tore through my 60-minute workout with tons of energy, then had my usual oatmeal and protein shake afterwards. Okay, I'm starting to see the picture here.

I talked to a friend of mine, who is a serious gym rat, and told her what happened. First, she called me a very unladylike version of a nitwit. Ouch. She said I was experiencing premature muscle fatigue during my workouts and slow muscle recovery, plus getting fatigued and dizzy because I probably went into ketosis and my body couldn't handle it. And then she told me to go back to what I had been doing and stop being a *insert very unladylike version of a nitwit*. I did a bit of reading last night and this morning, and found a lot of reports about the initial "induction" phase of any diet that severely restricts carbohydrates, and the possible consequences for those who rigorously exercise.

One author in particular made an interesting point. She said if you read the guidelines carefully for low-carb diet programs, you notice the authors either gloss over the subject of exercise or advocate only "moderate" exercise at best. And there's a reason for that - because carbs are what provide energy and there is simply not enough of them in a typical low-carb program to sustain any type of aerobic activity - and it can even be dangerous at times. Frankly, I'm sold. I've felt like hell over the past three days and this isn't something I'd care to repeat anytime soon. I'm not trying to say low-carb dieting is evil either. I do know people who thrive on low-carb diets and are a mess when they eat too many carbs, especially simple carbs. Evidently, however, I'm not one of them - and, I suspect, neither are too many people who have a regular and vigorous workout routine.

So, my conclusions. Don't do a severe induction phase on a diet like South Beach if you are exercising regularly. Try to ignore the "instant gratification" lure of losing 10 or 15 pounds in two weeks. Be patient and be happy with losing those pounds slowly and more healthfully by a sensible reduction of carbohydrates and by focusing on eating only good carbs. And, for God's sake - make sure you consult with your doctor before you follow any nutritional or exercise information or advice, and stop immediately if you have any adverse reactions or just "don't feel right."

So, it's back to my old routine for now. I'm happy with how I've been doing, so it's no big setback. I'm going to tweak my nutrition plan a little bit so I'm following the guidelines for a more pure "Mediterranean diet pyramid," but that's about it. If it ain't broke, don't fix it :)