Anyone doing the low carb diet.... help!!

[Crystal]

Ok.. I have 16 days to lose 20 pounds for my cruise (doubt it'll happen ). Anyway, I started the Atkins diet on Monday and have lost 3 pounds already.. woohoo!! I like the results I'm getting, but I'm getting major headaches during the day. Does my body need time to adjust to this change? I'm also drinking diet cola which I never did before. Could the headaches be from not having my coke everyday?. I was addicted to soda pop (seriously) and I just quit cold turkey. I've tried tylenol and my head is still pounding.
One more question.. what do you low carbers eat as a snack? I mean when your craving something sweet like chocolate.

[BrandiSCollins8]

Hey Crystal!! I just started induction on Monday and LOVE it so far. I would guess that the headaches are from caffeine withdrawls. As far as sweet snacks go, you can put some Splenda in some cream cheese, or I think you can put some unsweetened cocoa in it with some Splenda....

For some more ideas, you may want to check out the Recipe Forum, I am still really new to this.

Brandi

[smf1734]

Crystal... not an expert by any means here but as a fellow "coke"addict (the soda, that is) the headaches could be due to the sudden lack of caffeine/sugar that's in the Cokes. It's happened to me before when I stopped drinking them (and it's so hard!!!)
Good luck on the weight loss for the cruise ...how is the atkins thing working out for you, I just don't think I could do it

[molehole66]

You can have cream cheese and celery or pb and celery or a piece of cheese. If you are really craving something sweet you can buy Atkins Candy Bars and snacks at GNC or other health food stores or order them from Atkins at www.atkinscenter.com They have cookies, cheesecakes and chips as well as hard candy, gum etc. There's quite a variety. Good luck and hope this helped.

[health4life]

Well I just slid up in here to say hello How dare u go cold turkey. Now u know u cant do the body like that

[stellar]

Hey Crystal!
Caffiene withdrawls can cause that, sugar withdrawls too. it should subside. I am wondering what kind of diet soda you're drinking? does it contain aspertame? Aspertame gives me headaches and dizzy spells. I avoid it completely.

I'm on Atkins too. I've lost 18lbs in 5 weeks. I get all my support and questions answered in the challenge forum. We have a low carb challenge, my first one just ended yesterday and the new one started today, its the challenge posted by Keew. M-day low carb support challenge.

You don't have to join if you don't feel you have the time but we would all be more than happy to have you pop in and ask questions or get advice.

[ April 02, 2003, 12:30 PM: Message edited by: stellar ]

[Keew]

Hiya Crystal!!

You went from regular soda to diet, so you may not be getting rid of caffeine but you are probably having sugar withdrawals.

They should subside within a few days. Try ibuprofen instead of Tylenol. It will help alot more.

FYI- Caffeine inhibits weight loss. Aspartame effects your blood sugar so it may trigger cravings.

Excessive amounts of Splenda may cause a stall as well, so I'd steer clear of the bars and quick foods made for low carbers. Stay with real food. You can never go wrong.

slim jims
string cheese
deli meat and cheese roll ups (make sure the meat is not honey or maple)
deviled eggs
cream cheese
pepperoni
whipped cream (I like mine frozen)
avocado
Fridays spinach artichoke and cheese dip

[STaR101]

HEYYYYYY, listen... I have been off carbs for as long as I can remember, I'm talking no bread, pasta, rice, etc. At first I got nauseous, light headed. I think it was "bread withdrawal". lol, but seriously! When I want sweets or I feel the need for a little bread I fulfill that with Myoplex Low Carb Bar, Cookies & Cream. Only that flavor, it has the lowest counts. They are good try them!!!

[Crystal]

Brandi~ I guess we'll be going through this new way of eating together. What's splenda??? Can you buy it at the grocery store?

smf~ I think its the caffeine withdrawl too. The diet is going really good so far. It's really not as hard as I thought it would be. I'm eating stuff I would of never ate on my low calorie diet. It's actually hard to get use to eating those things.. it's really weird.

Mole~ I've been eating cheese lately, but its hard for me, because I have probs digesting dairy products. I'll check out the website.. anything to help me would be good.

Health~ I know! I know! My body is telling me I've been really bad this week .

Stellar~ I was drinking Diet Crush, but today I started on Diet Riet (sp?). I may join if the group continues for awhile. I'm closing on my house tomorrow and will be really busy the next week... then going on my trip. So, if I do join.. it would be down the road a bit.

Keew~ I love deviled eggs, cream cheese, and pepperoni. What about bacon? Can you have lots of it? Should I get some with low sodium?

Star~ Thanks! I'll keep those in mind. I've tried some chocolate bars, but I feel like I'm allergic to them or something . Its like my throat starts to close up or something.. its really weird.

Thanks again everyone for the great advise.

[stellar]

Crystal- Good luck with the moving and all, thats a lot of work.
Diet rites a good choice. Thats what I drink if I want soda.
As far as the challenge, it'll still be there and if not it, a new one. Keew has been doing them for a long time. I just joined her in February.

I'm doing this as a way of life. I love it! Like you said, eating things you never ate on low-cal diets. I've learned to love food again and enjoy it rather than just stress about it.

My favorite sweet treat is 2 oz cream cheese mixed with 4 packets of splenda. You can buy splenda on the baking isle next to the other sweeteners, you probably knew that!

Good luck to you with the cruise, move and weightloss, you're BUSY!

[Keew]

Crystal,

Way to go!!

Bacon is fine. And lots of it too. Some prefer the low sodium, I have never noticed any water retention due to bacon so it is up to you.

Join anytime you want...or not at all. The support thread will still be there so you can jump in and say hi anytime!

You can buy Splenda in the supermarket, it is near the sugar. (Sorry Brandi, I answered this for you LOL)

[Gerald Bostock]

The poor girl is asking for chocolate, folks, c'mon already!

Crystal, I'm an avowed chocoholic. For an everyday after-dinner "dessert", I add a teaspoon of cocoa to a cup of decaf with splenda and cream to taste. That usually takes care of it for the day, but when I need real melt-in-your-fingers chocolate, I go for the Russell Stover sugar-free. At first, I tried these, but then I bought a box of these (in the green boxes) and I like them a little better. Try them and see what you think - my 18 year olds love sweets, and they can't tell the difference between these and regular chocolates.

You can get either type at most groceries and pharmacies. Don't eat too many at once, though. LOL!

Good luck!

[stellar]

GER
Honestly the cream cheese IS what I do for chocolate cravings. I know theres none in it but I couldn't come up with anything else

Thanx for the tip on R.S. candies. I tried the nestles turtles yesterday, not bad but I bet the R.S. ones are EVEN BETTER! I also tried a chocolate carbo-lite bar, they were pretty good too.

Do they make any of these low/no carb candies in a DARK chocolate?

[Keew]

They do Stell...check out the site Gerry posted silly.

[stellar]

Keew
I like to do things backward like ask first then look

[Crystal]

I like to do things backward like ask first then look

[health4life]

Did someone say chocolate..Oh mercy..I stay away from it myself. Because if I eat it once I will want it all the time

[Crystal]

Ger~
How many carbs does the Russell Stover candy have per peice. I went to the website, but couldn't find that type of info.

[Crystal]

Me to Health!!!! I'm worse when its aunt flo time.... I could eat a whole freakin box .

[Keew]

The carbs are low, like 1-3 per 3 pc serving depending on what you get. They sell them at Walgreens here, you can check out the labels.

[stellar]

They sell them at wal-mart here on the candy isle by the jumbo packs of gum and breath mints
I just never stopped to look at them. Now I want the dark chocolate pieces but I'm not shopping for a few days!

[STaR101]

Girl, I gotta cruise soming up too, in June, that's when I hope to lose this 20lbs!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hope I can do it! Good luck to you too!!!!!!!!!!