Thread: The first three days

My best advice is WATER, WATER, WATER! I really think that keeping my stomach full of water all the time and eating on a schedule helps me avoid the cravings and from eating off plan. Honestly, planning is the key, and knowing your options.

Personally, I drink water first when I get a craving or if I am not scheduled to eat, it really fills my stomach and I don't obsess about eating. And eating on a schedule of some sort, planning your meals, not just a time, will help you select good LC choices and you won't have to worry about binging.

Great choice on joining the LC revolution! And good luck in your journey. Visit these boards often, join a challenge, and use the people here for information and support. There is definately alot of that here!

Hi Erin and welcome I hope you post often and let us share in your LC experience.

I agree with Megan on the water...lots and lots of water. Not only for the feeling of fullness that you get, but also to help "detox" your body, which is what you are experiencing right now along with your carb/sugar cravings. I would suggest doing a search of the threads on this message board for posts regarding water intake. There is alot of WONDERFUL advice and information on water.

You may want to try some green tea as well (see the green tea challenge thread for infor about health benefits of green tea). I have found that drinking something hot helps alot with cravings.

Also, for these first few weeks, don't worry about watching calorie intake. If you are feeling hungry....EAT! Stock up on vegetables and lean meats, check out the recipe boards for great low carb ideas, have alot of low carb snacks (NATURAL snacks, not the Low Carb premade foods) like string cheese, pepperoni slices, sugar free jello, etc. ready and available for you to munch on. Later on when your cravings are diminished or gone altogether, you may have to reduce calories a bit to continue to lose weight, but that is not something you should worry about now.

Hope this helps Congratulations on making a commitment to a healthier you!!

Be prepared though. Along with water, water,water will be bathroom breaks, bathroom breaks, bathroom breaks. But we all live through it, and it does get better.

I know it's hard. Water is a good suggestion but I still had cravings for the first week. After the first week I did really well with them and didn't give the candy that sits in my office on my computer desk a second thought (I use to eat at least two little bars a day, every day).

Just keep telling yourself that if you just get through this week (or less) feeling deprived that it gets so much easier.

I did 3 1/2 months really well and then got a little lax but have gotten right back into the groove. You may stumble but don't let it get you down and get back up as soon as possible.

Congratualtions on choosing this great way of eating!

Erin:
Rest assured that the first two weeks are the hardest. There are so many limitations. But after that, you'll find it much easier!

You didn't say if you are following Atkins (more fat, less carbs, easier for me to follow) or SouthBeach (less fat, more carbs, maybe more variety for those who can eat in control)

If you are doing Atkins, the first two weeks are the Induction phase...the hardest part of the "diet." (yes, at this point it is a diet but later you won't feel as though you're dieting at all.)

Don't worry about calories or fat intake during induction. Eat steak, eat chicken, eat turkey, eat pork, then eat more if you're hungry! Eat until your tummy is comfortably content. Yeah, you'll start getting sick of meat and you'll be anxiously awaiting that one small salad each day. But remember, it's only temporary.

After two weeks, increase your veggies a tiny bit. Then the next week, increase them a bit more. I added raspberries to my diet around week five, but I don't eat them every day. After awhile, you'll get to the point where you'll find out how many veggies you can eat and still stay in ketosis. I'm sure it'll be lots. As you get further into lowcarb eating, you may need to start watching your calories as well as your carbs.

Welcome Erin! I second, third, fourth, whatever number I am now...the water thing. If it is chips youa re craving...get pork rinds and try that for the salty crunchy cravings you are having, try dill pickle spears, take pepperoni slices and microwave on a paper towel on top of a microwave safe plate for about a minute--aobut 20 slices is a serving...a very good chip substitute. When you have a snack...and you should never go more than 3 hours without eating...make it something legal and somewhat filling...a slice of cheese rolled in a slice of ham or turkey, a slice (about 1 oz) of cream cheese rolled into a slick of deli roast beef, have a plate of hot wings (4-6 is usually a serving), have celery, have cucumber slices or spears, have hard boiled eggs, when you are craving...drink a glass of at least 8 oz of water and wait a few minutes...many times until we get used to not being hungry and being well hydrated, we fail to recognize thirsty as just that and we eat instead...if after say 10 minutes you still want something grab a snack...if that doesn't do it grab a different legal snack, and keep doing that til...1 you are full (not overstuffed, but full--comfortable) or the craving is gone! Give yourself time to get through this stage...by 5 or 6 days into this WOE you will not have as many, but even after a whole year I still have days when I "want" something...usually carby--usually not necessary, and I can usually thwart it with another type of snack--if I am craving salty...I eat something salty that is legal...sweet the same way...something legal. After several months you will know exactly what to eat/do to satisfy the craving...if nothing fixes it...have some...If I am dying for a donut...I have one...often only half is enough for the craving and I share with my daughter.
One thing I found most helpful when I started eating LC was a bit of advice I got from one veteran and it held true for me throughout...Salad greens (lettuce, spinach, and the like)...don't count them--you didn't get into this situation by eating salads and they certainly aren't going to cause you to gain more...if you are not losing after/during the first couple of weeks you may have to start counting the salad greens, but in reality 3C of almost all lettuces/salad greens counts for 1 net carb--after subtracting the fiber...You would have to eat 3-4 heads of lettuce to eat enough to do much damage...I did limit my carbs to 20 excluding the lettuce and I ate the extra couple in cooked veggies. I lost 13 lbs my first two weeks...I don't even remember who told me that...but it was a real way of life saver in the beginning...I love salad and to this day have a salad of at least 3 cups ofr lunch!
You will get through this...give it time...it gets much easier once your body has rid itself of the carbs and is burning fat!

Welcome, Erin.

Which of the many low carb plans are you following?

Whichever it is, you can make yourself at home here.

Erin is doing Atkins - she's a friend from another 'play' board.
she only gets on during the day.

Thanks, MK! Well there are a number of us well versed in that particular eating program.