I am very upset. I have never done a low carb diet because I am very much a carb eater. But recently I got desperate I have 30 lbs to lose and have heard that on this low carb diet its a for sure fast loss. Well Its been one week of torture and I have only lost .5 lbs. I've been drinking mainly diet soda and crystal lite and think maybe that has something to do with it but not sure. Can someone please let me know what to do.

Hello Eva. Welcome to Low Carb Eating.

I gotta say right off the bat: If what you're doing is "torture," you're NOT doing low-carb right. It shouldn't hurt. So let's see if we can address that, huh? :square:

From what you're saying here, I strongly suspect you don't have a specific plan you're following but are trying to eat "no-carb"? Or something similar, having heard of those "for sure fast losses" from low-carb. And as you seem to be finding out, that's not working for you.

The single most helpful thing you can do for yourself at this point is pick a plan, get the book and follow it. I tried low-carb both ways. The first time, I took people's word for what to do, and I dropped 12 pounds and lasted a couple of weeks. Not bad, except I had way more to go. The second time? Well, it's over 100 pounds down and counting, and I'm almost at my 3 year mark of low-carbing. That Atkins book was the best $6 I ever spent!

The thing is, you've got to throw that "diet" idea right out the window or you're sunk for long-term changes. For this (or any healthy eating program) to work, you have to make changes to your habits, not just until you "lose the weight" or you'll put it right back on. So think in terms of adjustments, habit changes and overall, gradual improvments and much less in terms of "how many minutes will it take me to lose this bulge?" you know? Which means you have to find a program you can live with, are happy with, and like what you eat. Luckily, low-carb has a great amount of flexibility in that regard, so you can do this!

You need healthy carbs in the form of veggies, and the fiber. You need adequate fat to help you feel full, and you need enough carbs and calories that your body doesn't think it's starving. You need exercise and you need to be drinking lots of water. Get a book, read up, and learn how it all works, and you'll find out all the "tricks" that keep those losses going.

Good luck to you, and let us know if we can help more. Peace out.

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