I started the BSD two weeks ago, but lapsed last Sunday at a birthday party (several glasses of wine, but no dessert). I never have desserts anyway as I have a severe intolerance to cream, so wine is my downfall.

Last week, I had tons of energy and went power-walking every single day. This week, I have the energy of a sloth. I can barely trail my legs up and down the stairs – not to mention the severe diarrhoea (apologies – TMI) I had last night from 9pm to 7am this morning. Weighed myself this morning, and I lost 2 kilos overnight (no surprise there, they were literally flushed away). Feel really weak, tired and depressed this week.

Are these things normal? My Gynae/ Endo has ordered me to lose almost 4 stone (I’m currently just over 12 stone), as she recently diagnosed me with PCOS and Insulin Resistance. If I lose 4 stone, I’ll be lighter than when I was a young skinny thing in my teens. I’m 5’6″, and as a young skinny teen, weighed 9.5 stone. I’d be delighted to get back to 9.5 stone.

However, over the years, due to a severe intolerance to cream, I gave up dairy products and desserts. I’ve always eaten reasonably healthily and gotten plenty of exercise, and am a non-smoker. I’ve never understood why my weight continued to creep up. Now, I can’t seem to get it to creep down, either.

Is this lack of energy and diarrhoea thing normal, in the second week? I should add that I have IBS, but that it disappeared for almost 3 weeks, until last night.

Confused. Any thoughts and ideas welcome! Thanks, RR

I started the BSD two weeks ago, but lapsed last Sunday at a birthday party (several glasses of wine, but no dessert). I never have desserts anyway as I have a severe intolerance to cream, so wine is my downfall.

Last week, I had tons of energy and went power-walking every single day. This week, I have the energy of a sloth. I can barely trail my legs up and down the stairs – not to mention the severe diarrhoea (apologies – TMI) I had last night from 9pm to 7am this morning. Weighed myself this morning, and I lost 2 kilos overnight (no surprise there, they were literally flushed away). Feel really weak, tired and depressed this week.

Are these things normal? My Gynae/ Endo has ordered me to lose almost 4 stone (I’m currently just over 12 stone), as she recently diagnosed me with PCOS and Insulin Resistance. If I lose 4 stone, I’ll be lighter than when I was a young skinny thing in my teens. I’m 5’6″, and as a young skinny teen, weighed 9.5 stone. I’d be delighted to get back to 9.5 stone.

However, over the years, due to a severe intolerance to cream, I gave up dairy products and desserts. I’ve always eaten reasonably healthily and gotten plenty of exercise, and am a non-smoker. I’ve never understood why my weight continued to creep up. Now, I can’t seem to get it to creep down, either.

Is this lack of energy and diarrhoea thing normal, in the second week? I should add that I have IBS, but that it disappeared for almost 3 weeks, until last night.

Confused. Any thoughts and ideas welcome! Thanks, RR

It does sound like quite severe carb flu, or withdrawal symptoms from the white stuff, all you can do is battle through it, and it will get better when your body adapts to the fuel you are giving it instead. Maybe relax on the calories slightly but stick to the lower carb until you get through this phase as I am sure it is pretty miserable for you. Be kind to yourself, but don’t let it beat you.