I am a serial dieter. Great while I’m dieting but soon go back to old habits once the ‘dieting’ stops. I am now in my 40s and heavier than I have ever been. As far as I know I am not diabetic or pre diabetic yet but my eating habits and being 5 1/2 stone over weight certainly can’t be doing me any good !

The first 3 days for me were terrible, migraines pretty much all day every day ( I am susceptible to migraine usually anyway but this was a bad spell). I did try to make sure I was drinking enough but couldn’t shake it off. (On the plus side had no inclination to get out of bed to raid the fridge)

Day 6 and I am feeling much better, haven’t been hungry at all and it looks like I have lost 6lb, happy with that!

I am struggling with cutting out sweeteners as find water hard to drink in big quantities so am turning to squash. Not sure if this is a problem?

Also a bit confused about carbs ‘permitted’ per day.

Anyway , despite hellish start I am now getting in to the swing of things, fingers crossed for continued good losses 🙂

Hi Ambi, the more carbs and sugars you had preBSD the harder the carb withdrawal hits but as you are finding it starts to disappear. Once the first two weeks are over (MM says they are the hardest) it all becomes so much easier.
People on here advice 50g of carbs a day or less. I have started googling foods I eat on Calorieking and making a list – I don’t have a smart phone so no app.

Have you tried sparkling water? A sprig of mint and a slice of lime makes it feel luxurious. I bought some liquorice tea bags the other day ( cherrianne recommended them to someone missing sweeteners) and I can honestly say they taste VERY sweet – but no sweeteners or sugars! My friend across the road always says she needs a spoon on honey in herbal teas, I asked her to try the liquorice without and she was really surprised! Said her husband would like it too!!

Captainlynne has already lost 3 stones so your 5 and a half is doable.

Good luck and keep posting! 🙂

PS we are all finding this ‘diet’ becomes a way of life so you shouldn’t find yourself yo-yoing on it 🙂

Hi Ambi, welcome to the forums. You really have had a rough start but you should be proud of yourself for sticking with it. 🙂
As Hashimoto has said the liquorice tea does help. So do some of the fruit teas like spiced apple, or apple and ginger. They are very soothing to a hungry tummy when drunk warm, and nice cold too. A slice of lemon in hot water helps with sugar cravings. It’s best to avoid sweeteners altogether if you can, because they do trigger the same reaction as sugar and you won’t lose the addiction. Maybe try fizzy water with a slice of lemon, orange or lime? I cut my citrus up into thin slices and keep them in a zip lock bag in the fridge ready to add to hot or cold water. If you want tea or coffee with milk make sure you add it to your count.
This way of life is worth the initial battle. Your body will soon be repaying you with more energy and renewed health. Keep posting, we’ll celebrate your success with you and support you through the tough times.

Hi Ambi
Well done on sticking with it, even when you were suffering so badly. I personally think the first week is the worst. After that, I found I settled into the rhythm of the new eating regime quite quickly. Like you, I find it tough drinking just water, so I divide mine between plain water and herbal teas. I keep a 200ml glass by the side of my kitchen sink and every time I go into the kitchen, I drink a glass of water, which I record on my check list. You’d be surprised how small a 200ml glass is, making it bearable to quaff quite quickly.

I find mint tea and lemon and ginger teas settling for the stomach and fruit teas can be drunk cold as well as hot, so they make a good option to help keep fluid intake up.

I’m sure we will be reading your positive results soon. Keep with it and I’m sure you will be feeling much better soon.