I’m now on day three of the BSD and I’m struggling with two things. The first is getting down to 800 calories – today I’m on track for 950 and that’s the lowest I’ve managed so far (using my fitness pal to track).
The second is that I’m hungry ALL THE TIME and have no energy at all. Last night I couldn’t sleep because I was so hungry – I actually got up and ate a slice of cheese and a handful of peanuts. When I try to do ANYTHING that requires energy I end up sweating like I’m in a sauna.
I know it’s early days and I know that it’s a marathon rather than a sprint. The book says I’ll get used to it and it will go away but has anyone else experienced this? Or am I going to be knackered and starving for the next seven and a half weeks!

I’m sure this question has been posted before, but any comments are very welcoome.

Thanks

Hi Blondestgirl,
Don’t panic and don’t quit. What you are experiencing is absolutely normal as your body moves from burning carbohydrate to burning fat. It is often referred to as the “carb flu” and it really can feel like that.
It is going to get immensely better very soon and there are a couple of things you can do to speed it up so you feel better, sooner.
First, getting up and eating a piece of cheese if you can’t sleep for hunger is absolutely ok. In fact, it is ok to eat a bit of protein or some fat if you are just famished. The peanuts not so much — they are a legume not a nut like an almond or walnuts, and not as desireable.
For your thinking-self, here is what is going on inside your body: you have become accustomed to eating easily digested carbohydrates and they have in turn triggered a high background level of insulin in your body. Insulin is your “fat storage” hormone and it acts a bit like the blood sugar sheriff, locking away your blood sugar in your little fat cell “jails”.
Your poor body cannot get all that nice fuel that you have stored (your fat) because your insulin has locked it away and your body literally is starving on a cellular level.
Not to worry — you are already starting to metabolize your fat and you can really get it flowing by cutting your daily carbohydrate way down, as low as 20 grams per day to begin with. That will precipitously drop your insulin levels and allow your fat stores to mobilize and be burned by your body.
Secondly, make sure as you cut your carbohydrates down, that you add back in the calories in the form of fat. That will help control your hunger also.
There are two incredibly useful respurces I recommend — watch Dr. Bikman’s podcasts on insulin resistance and get a copy of Gary Taubes book “Why We Get Fat and What Alto Do About It”.
The research supports this new way of eating — fat is our friend, gives us energy, does NOT trigger insulin release. So start counting carbs (all types, including vegetables) — then give yourself a couple of weeks, then add back in good carbs until you find your own carb-threshold. Every body is different. You might be good with 60 grams carb per day but I needed to stay below 30 per day to lose weight. Even now two years later, I still keep them below 40 grams every day to keep from regaining weight.
Your body is already happier and you will feel much better soon. When you get to burning fat, you are going to find your hunger is 100% manageable — I can fast now for 24 hours with no hunger and that helps immensely also. See Dr Jason Fungs work on fasting — also really helpful!

Oh thanks so much for your reply – and for the tip of about the peanuts which I hadn’t realised. I’m doing everything right, tracking calories and carbs and that sort of thing. I’m just hungry and finding it hard to concentrate on daily life. but if it’s going to go away I’m happy to push through. Congratulations on being able to stick with it – hope I’m in the same situation as you in a couple of years!

Hi BlondestGirl – welcome to the forum and congratulations on making a start and sticking with it, even though for you, the going has been tough. CaliforniaGirl has provided excellent advice and I’d only add that good hydration is also important, so if in doubt, have another glass of water.
Things like a cup of coffee or tea with a teaspoon of double cream, or a little full fat yogurt with a few chopped nuts, or some berries, can be very comforting when hunger strikes. Don’t worry about going over on the calories in the early days, as your body becomes adjusted to the new regime and stops crying out for carbs, you will find it easier to reduce the calories. For now, focus on keeping the carbs at bay and take it one day at a time. You will soon settle into the BSD and find that you are able to pull the calories in line – as you said, it’s a marathon not a sprint, so don’t beat yourself up if you are over on calories.
Finally, make good use of the forum – it’s a great resource. You’ll get a warm welcome on any thread your join, so feel free to join threads you feel are relevant to you. It’s a great way to get the support and encouragement to keep you on track.
Best wishes to you for every success and please let us know how you get on.