Help Please!!!!!!!

NicoleLee

ok, I just started a low-carb lifestyle today, and all I can think about is pasta, bread and rice!!!!!! I am trying to lose some weight for engagement pictures and then for my wedding, but it is only day 1 and I am cracking!!

Has anyone run into the same problem, and how in the world did you deal with the cravings???!!!!! I feel like I should be in like, a rehab for carb addicts!

mjindra

Hi NicoleLee!

Good for you. I'm not good at dieting and I thought I would start today with a NO CANDY diet. I'm having a heck of a time getting through THAT! You're ages ahead of me, while I'm here, staring at the M&M's through the glass of the junk-food machine.

Keep up the good work! I'm in the same boat as you; I'll work on my chocolate addiction.

ray a

Mjindra, I just put another box of chocolates in the mail for you. You should get them in a couple of days.x}>

mjindra

thanks pal . . . I'm working on nicknames for you, for when that chocolate arrives, something that will beat Don's "Dumplin'".

Don D

Hold on there Luther!! He may be a dumplin' but he's not MY dumplin'. Ritaanz can have him.

Parabeagle

Well, Don you did refer to him as dumpling or something like that in Mjindra's other thread.

Personally, I'm trying to figure out why Ray thinks sending chocolate works anymore. Yo, Ray! The days of chocolate bars and nylons are over, pal. Now it's strictly precious metals (the more precious the better). x;-)

mjindra

I don't like jewelry, therefore, keep the chocolates coming!

ray a

Did I hear a noise coming from the left coast yesterday afternoon? Something about chocolates being passe? Hey Beagle, the lady wants chocolates and that is what the lady will get. But, Mjindra is already so sweet, I probably should get her dark chocolate. Don't want to overdo a good thing.

mjindra

A couple of days from when?

ray a

From when I mailed them, of course.

HR in NY

It's really rough the first few days, then it gets better. To cure my cravings for sweets I would eat a spoon full of peanut butter. I wasn't too addicted to pasta, rice or bread. The sweets were the bad thing for me. Sugar free jello with whipped cream is also great. Just keep telling yourself that it will get better. I allowed myself one cheat meal a week. Every Wednesday I would eat pasta or rice for dinner. That kept me going knowing I could have that meal. When the weight starts coming off it will be worth it. It really is not a hard diet to follow because you do not have to starve yourself. Good luck and let us know how you are doing.

Cheryl

Hi! This is just a little off, but I would like to share what has worked/working for me.

I joined Weight Watchers. I like the program because everything has a point value. As long as I stay with in my limit, I can eat whatever I like. This has forced me to make better choices, because I'm cheep and I don't like to spend my points!

It has taught me to look at labels and I have found cheep point items that I love. If I want candy, I have found that I can have a box of junior mints for 4 points or maybe a kudos for 2 points.

This is getting really long sorry! I just wanted to share. By the way I have lost 32 lbs.

mjindra

Congratulations Cheryl! That's awesome!

My big question about Weight Watchers, doesn't it cost a fortune to "join". I like the "eat-what-you-want" approach, as long as you can pace yourself!

marc

Cheryl, there are some low carb bread and pasta alternatives, but they are a bit pricey. While you are on the induction phase, it is important to stick with the 20 carbs a day. Plan out your menu - it will help. Also, get some low-carb crunchies for your salads. That helped me a lot. Go to your health food store and look at the available products, you may be surprised. It does get easier with each day of success. Remember, the actual physical craving only lasts for about 15 seconds. Fight it off with a glass of tea or water. Buy some cheese sticks - they are good for tiding you over.

You can do it.

bamahr

I also joined weight watchers - In Alabama it is $11.00 weekly and I think around $25.00 to join. I have lost a total of 17 lbs. I had tried the Carb - I need to be able to eat normally - WW really emphasized portion conrol which is the key to weight loss. Good Luck!

Leslie

The low carb worked really well for me with no problem about four years ago - lost about 30 pounds. Then I packed on some pounds due to a surgery and quitting smoking - and now I can't seem to get back on the low carb program. If you find something that works let me know!

rad

I was in Atkins for a while and the second day was hell, I could not get up off my couch. After that I was fine. The low carb pastas are yucky, don't waste your money. I got some and threw it out after trying it once. I bought the lo-carb snack bars made by atkins, carbolite, and other brands, that satisfied my undying sweet tooth. Russell Stover makes lo-carb candy that is very good, peppermint patties, turtles, toffee bars, very yummy. Do not ever ever get the lo-carb gummy bears - trust me on that one.

I had to get off Atkins because my cholesterol went through the roof, it was never high before, so be careful. I am now keeping fat and carbs low (if I could eat bread all day I would), I'm trying to balance everything and its hard but I use fitday.com which is not a diet at all, but it calculates everything for me when I plug in the foods I eat.

Don D

The neat thing about Atkins is that after a couple of days you aren't even hungry. Don't fall for the low carb substitutes. Those just tease you. Ditch the white stuff and sugars as well as most vegetables. Don't use whipped cream, instead use cool whip. I traded 25 pounds for a 280 cholesterol level so I'm not sure which way I'll die. But, it's down now.

deniseE

The first few days are the hardest...but once you get past them, you won't even miss the rice/breads/cereals.

Make sure that you're taking the required supplements, because you are going to miss a lot of the fortified vitamins in processed flour products..

We have a "carb day" about once every 3 weeks...it keeps us honest...and gives us something to look forward to. but those days are hard too...because the carbs cause bloating and gas, and make us very sleepy....we really appreciate our new way of life after a carb day!!!

If you plan ahead, you'll do fine....by the end of the 2nd week you'll find that you dont need all the snacks that you brought and that you're not as hungry. But to succeed, you have to eat. mini-meals if necessary.

Good luck and keep us posted!

NicoleLee

I did find that eating smaller meals a few times a day was helpful! Today I woke up and honestly felt pretty good, did not even miss my morning bagel.


Thanks to everyone for your support so far!

System

I have been on Atkins for 3mths now and lost an amazing amount of weight! Give it at least a week and you will notice a huge difference!!! I buy the
PreCooked Oscar Mayer bacon for breakfast (less mess)
Egg Beaters
Tons of Cheese
Turkey Pepperoni Slices by Hormel are great snacks!
Ham slices from the deli,
The atkins website is great. The shakes are the best out there! I have tried EVERY shake that is lo carb and the atkins were yummy, especially the chocolate royal.
Cravings, I eat any sugar free lo carb candy, lots of water!! It fills you up!
You can do it!
I have tried every diet out there and this is the only thing that has worked!!

AnneLa

Don't forget to go to your local bookstore and invest in a decent cookbook that can help you in preparing meals and snacks. The first few days are the hardest....... It's worth it when I'm able to get into my new skinny jeans though!

cebudragonlady

Try fruit salads and raw veggie salads, they will fill you up in a healthy way - don't put on regular salad dressing, use vegetable oil. Drink fruit and veggie juices.

Good luck - keep us posted. We FORUMites are your cheering squad!

Chari

Don D

Hold on there Dragonlady!! We're talking low carb here. All Fruit and most veggies is way off the charts on Low Carb diets! But you can load on the mayo.

Janet

Don't forget to exercise--walking, biking, whatever you enjoy. Keeping active makes you more inclined to want to eat healthfully!

LeslieC

you CAN do it!!! (I was the ultimate carb fiend and I did)... keep protein around and snack on it: I love cheese, so I'd keep the little "baby belle" cheeses, or cheese sticks, whatever around... they help alot. DO NOT drink diet soda, it creates a craving for sweeets. Fruit juice also had a ton of carbs/sugars as do fruits and some veggies. Try flavored seltzers. When you are hungry eat, just dont eat carbs/sweets. I promise that in a day or 2 you will not crave them anymore and your energy will pick up (you'll sleep better too
good luck,,, keep us posted.

SDDCHR

How many grams of Carbs can you actually eat a day to say you're on a low carb diet? It looking at the labels on everything, it doesn't take long to add up your carbs!

deniseE

If you're following the Atkins plan, you're permitted up to 20 carbs per day for the first 2 weeks. This amounts to about 3 cups of veggies through the day. After the initial 2 weeks you can increase to about 30-35 depending on how your body processes the carbs. And after you've lost the weight, you find how many carbs you can eat and NOT gain weight. That's a trial and error process.

I think the South Beach Plan is similar and Weight Watchers has also begun to account for the low-carb lifestyle.

A typical day for me includes, eggs and bacon for breakfast, string cheese as a snack, a chicken salad with ceasar dressing for lunch, celery and low-sugar Peanut butter PM snack, dinner is some kind of meat (steak, fish, chicken, pork) a steamed veggie, and a salad. then sugar free jello or pudding (made w/ water and half-and-half) for dessert.

Don D

Or, for dinner, you are allowed to substitute a cup of tuna, mixed with mayo and a boiled egg chopped plus three Miller Lites and three Ritz at 2 grams each. Miller is the original low carb beer, check the label.

JudyT929

If you don't have/want to lose a lot of weight I'd say be very careful. I went on Atkins to lose just 10-15 pounds and although I took that off in about 2 1/2 months I also lost a LOT of inches and now my clothes are falling off me, I've gotten so used to the low carb way of eating that I have no taste for high carb foods anymore and I want some of those inches back!

sonny

I have some inches I'll give you Judy

BTW Don, meant to thank you for the lead back to Millers lite. I hate the Michelob ultra, but honey was drinking it and finally quit when he got mad d/t price. Now we are on Miller's lite. Low carbs, low price. thanks.