What Do You Do ? xx

if you're having headaches, shakes, and mood swings, something's off! That just doesn't seem normal to me. The only time I experience that, is when my blood sugar is dangerously low. Just because you are dieting, doesn't mean you need to be hungry... EVER. Remember: Food doesn't make us fat. Food CHOICES make us fat. You can pig out on a mountain of fruits and veggies for the same amount of calories as a lonely cheeseburger. KWIM?

As far as the cravings go, try chewing some gum, and make sure you're getting 3-4 quarts of water every day. Chewing gum has saved me many times from making a bad food choice, especially when it comes to my sweet tooth.

When I first started 3 months ago, I would have cravings like that. What I would do is get on myfitnesspal, read all the message boards, and post on some of them. Before I knew it, a lot of time had gone by and it was almost time for a meal. I still get the cravings sometimes, but I feel so good about having lost some of the weight that I can get through it.

I agree with DrBorkBork - if you're having headaches, etc., maybe you've gone too far with cutting down your calories. Make sure your goals are realistic - more than a pound a week is too much. I still allow myself treats - I just make sure I exercise enough to stay within my goal for the day.

Remember, myfitnesspal is not really a diet - it's a lifestyle change. Even after I reach my target weight, I plan to continue to keep track of my food choices to make sure I'm not eating too much of the wrong things. When I joined up, I discovered that I was actually eating pretty well, just way too much of it.

Good luck to you. You can do it! It's worth it!

Karen

How many calories a day are you eating and what kind of stuff? I have to have sweets or I feel like I am deprived and life isn't worth living etc. etc. So about an hour after dinner, I have cherry diet jello which is hardly any calories and fat free yoghurt on top 3/4 c. and then an hour later I have a diet hot chocolate with 2 oz of 2% milk. This is what get me through the day. Not terribly exciting but I love it.
This way I don't feel deprived at all. It feels like my sweet tooth and chocolate cravings are satisfied. I sometimes have diet chocolate pudding instead of jello. Yes I am pretty wild.

If you are feeling shaky and have mood swings, try having a bowl of oatmeal (Quaker old fashioned oats, not the packets of the sugary stuff or quick oats) I add chopped walnuts and freeze dried fruit to mine and a little brown sugar. Have that it will help regulate you blood sugar if its low. Also, there is so much fiber in it you will feel really full, for not very many calories! If this is going to put you over fro the day, you should still have it.... no point in feeling crummy. If you feel crummy, you'll quit... I know i've been there!!!

If I were you I would take a step back and re-evaluate. Lifestyle change means life, not till my wedding day, or spring break, or summer. etc Life! The fact that you are having headaches, and shakes also tells me something is off. Your body is fighting back. And being uncomfortable is not a receipe for success.

I still give in to my cravings, but they are scheduled and limited, and that helps me stay on track.

When i first started, I picked one bad thing in my current diet and focused on eliminating or drasticly reducing my consumption of it. Once I found a proper substitute and became comfortable with it I moved on to something else to eliminate or reduce.

Some stuff I've never resumed eating, like a chicken cabanera at Quizno's. In fact I havn't set foot in a Quizno's in a year. Other things lke a fully leaded Mt Dew I just like too much. So I've restricted my consumption of it to 1 a week.

Take baby steps, you'll get there, and you'll be a whole lot more comfortable doing it.