not supposed to be hungry?!

[lilbuzzinbee]

hi there. this is my first post. you've all been quite helpful from what i've read so far. here are my issues:

i messed up my first 2 weeks by having some atkins ice cream a few times. so i tried to start fresh and clean after those 2 weeks. i did lose about 2-3 lbs though in the beginning. after my 3rd week i realized that the diet coke i had been drinking was full of the dreaded aspartame. damn! i was looking for reasons why the weight wasn't coming off and could that be it? i think i'm doing alright in the amount of carbs i'm eating and i'm not overeating but i feel really nervous that i'm one of those unlucky people that doesn't respond to atkins which i finally embraced after 5 months of exercise and low-fat dieting to no avail.

the book says my appetite should decrease. yea right. i am always hungry about 2 hours after eating a meal which is normal for me. i don't stuff myself when i eat but i'm concerned that something is not right if i'm not supposed to be hungry.

i got the strips the other day and i was only in the moderate zone of ketosis. if the strips are not turning darker purple does that mean i'm not doing this right?

so, could a a few diet cokes really get in the way? i think i've been doing this for almost a month and i've really only lost those 3 pounds. yea, my clothes are a bit looser but i don't seem to having the results that everyone else raves about.

-nervous bee

[Bugaboo]

Welcome to I'm glad you're here. There are a lot of supportive people that can help you out. Would you mind posting a typical day's menu please? That will help us help you. Also, how much water are you drinking?

[Iapetus999]

Get rid of the caffeine. It stimulates hunger.
Eat more fat. That may help with the hunger. Legal snax like cheese help too.
Exercise more. Exercise reduces appetite if you take it slow.

[ttdriver]

I agree; get rid of the diet coke .. it WILL cause an insulin spike which triggers appetite. DRINK WATER. LOTS OF WATER.

More fat will help satisfy you and keep you feeling fuller longer. Aim for 65% fat/30% protein/5% carbs per day.

No frankenfoods.

Exercise! A minimum of 30 minutes of cardio a day will help.

Betty

[Starmaker]

ttdriver what would be a good cardio workout for a beginner for 30 mins a day?

[not2late]

I agree with the others. Please post a sample menu in the Review My Menu Forum. It could be that you aren't eating enough during meals or aren't eating combinations of fats, protein and carbs.

[ttdriver]

ttdriver what would be a good cardio workout for a beginner for 30 mins a day?

I would say a good speed walk .. you should be able to do a mile or more in 30 minutes ... hopefully less time than that!!

Anything that gets your heart rate up for 30 minutes is GREAT! You don't want to be out of breath to the point of being unable to carry on a conversation .. but ANYTHING is better than nothing!

You'll be amazed at what your body can and will do if you push it!

Betty

[Finelly]

First of all, about those ketostix. Ketosis is like pregnancy: you either are, or you're not. There are no degrees of ketosis. You are not in moderate ketosis. If the stix register a color change, you're in ketosis. The depth of the color (darker, lighter) shows how well you are hydrated. If in the middle of the day, it's dark purple, it means you aren't drinking enough water.

Are you drinking 64 fluid oz per day, minimum? You should be......

Secondly, about the hunger. ketosis GENERALLY reduces appetite, but there will be days or weeks when you are ravenous. Often this signals that you are about to drop some pounds. When you are hungry, eat.

Most people will recommend to you that when you are hungry, you choose something relatively high in fat. This will satisfy you and reduce the risk that you will start craving something bad!

Hang in there!!!!

[lbrowne]

Great advice. I just wanted to add, don't forget to take your measurements and don't live by the scale! Regardless of what we've been taught before, it does not tell all.

~ Linda

[lilbuzzinbee]

thanks for everyone's input. i should have given you some more info obviously.

i exercise at a moderate to high intensity atleast 3 times a week sometimes more. i also drink TONS of water. always have. i usually exceed the 64 ounces required.

here is what i ate today and yesterday

8am
2 oz or so of tuna fish
1 string cheese

10:30am
cheddar omelette with egg whites
bacon

1:30pm
cobb salad - chicken, lettuce, bacon bits, cucumbers, blue cheese dressing

5pm
2 oz kosher salami

6pm
sashimi - about 5/6 oz of raw fish
1 cup greens with ginger soy dressing

yesterday

noon
chedder burger with sauteed onions - with mayo

3pm
3 oz tuna

7pm
6 chinese spare ribs
1 oz chinese broccoli

9pm
2 string cheeses
1 atkins bar

(i can't remember if i got any veggies in yesterday. i'm sure i did but it's all forgotten)

anyway, this looks ok, right? i have about 40 lbs to lose and i'm going SLOW.