Betsy,

Since the first few days are usually the hardest part for any of us, you just have to be stoked up with determination and stick to it, no matter how it makes you feel. After you have consumed the stored glycogen in your liver (usually 3-4 days) you will start feeling much better. Just keep thinking about the fact that the way you are feeling will improve in a few days, and that you'll probably have a measurable weight loss at the end of the first week.

Make sure you're eating exactly as stated in DANDR for induction. Straying from that may make the first few days not as effective in using up that glycogen.

(BTW, I've read somewhere that the mass/weight of the stored glycogen and its associated water can be 3-5 lbs itself! That's just what's in the liver, not including the other water stored elsewhere in the body.)

If you still get intense carb cravings, try 500 mg of L-glutamine about 1/2 hours before meals (for 1500 - 2000 mg a day dosage). That works wonders for me and I think others would attest to the effectiveness of L-glutamine for controlling cravings.

Good luck, and don't give up! It only gets better!

Joan