I have always worried a lot and been a nervous person,( used food as a comfort) but I have been so nervous/worried since starting a low carb plan ( two weeks). I feel so bad I am thinking about quitting the diet. Can anyone help?

Tilly

Hi there,

I know exactly what you mean, as I had a really bad day yesterday - day 8 on the SB diet.

Can I ask what kind of food you used to eat when you were nervous. I used to eat loads of chocolate, and although I have no cravings for it so far (except for yesterday) I try and compensate it with alterntives. For example, if you like chocolate or sweets in general try eating yoghurt with sweetner and baking chocolate (you can mix a bit of orange flavore and peel, tastes just like the real thing). You can take ricotta/joghurt/quark (if you can get hold of it), with sweenter, flavouring, a few ice cubes and mix it in the mixer until the ice cubes are crushed and incorporated into the mixture, it tastes very much like icecream.

If you are more a savoury type of person, try nibbling on nuts, vegetable, make yourself a dip to it.

You can also try sport, that is always a good way to release stress and tension.

Drink loads.

Don't give up though, because you will feel worse if you do.

If it is really not getting better, read around what other LC WOE there is. Maybe the one you are doing is not quite right for you.

All the best

Viv

Hi

Thanks for the tips. I know I dont drink enough but I hate water and never seem to make time to drink low cal pop etc.

I work six days a week so exercise is difficult to fit in. With the nights getting lighter I should be able to do more from next week (clocks are put forward in UK). I have just taken up golf and am finding it great exercise without any pain.

I never feel hungry on this diet and havent craved any food but feel really nervous for no reason at all. ( I feel like I am about to take a major exam!) I wondered whether carbs in general do calm your nervous system down?

Tilly

Tilly,

Take a deep breath and know it's going to be OK. You CAN do this!

I have chronic clinical depression and anxiety disorder, so I understand the nervous/worried feelings. Your body and mind are basically having a temper tantrum, demanding the carbs and other goodies it was used to having to help regulate those feelings. There is a relation between seratonin ( the "feel good" receptors in the brain) and carbohydrate intake. Give yourself time and permission to feel these feelings. Explore them and try to understand what is driving them and triggering them. That way you will learn to deal with them on a different level than by masking them with food. The good news of all of this.... It will get easier and the cravings WILL drop.

Since starting this WOL I have fought the same battles (without medication) and I am slowly winning. I have some awful days but the better days are starting to out number the bad ones. You can do the same, if you choose to. It may be that you will need medication, but I encourage you to give your body a chance to handle this first. St. John's Wort is of some help to people and is a more natural way of helping these things. Other herbs that you could use to help control the anxiety is Kava-Kava or Valerian root (best to be taken at night since it will help you if your having trouble sleeping) Or you could use a form of aroma therapy for a boost when you are in the midst of an attack by keeping a sachet with a mix of Ylang-Ylang and lavender close by. Sit yourself down in a quiet spot, even if its only the bathroom, close your eyes, take a deep breath of the sachet, in through the nose and slowly out of your mouth, and picture yourself in a safe and comforting spot(and at your target weight). My safe spot is a river in the woods near my house where I grew up. Remind yourself why your doing this WOL and give yourself permission to succeed at it. Then ask yourself what caused this nervous reaction and what you can do to change it. Do this until you feel back in control. Have you tried journaling your feelings so you know what the triggers are and then making micro changes to help you avoid or change those situations that spark the nervousness ? Of course, since I am not a Dr, if you do need more help I encourage you to speak to a Dr about it.

You can see a small part of my battle in my journal and I will gladly talk with you during this to help you through. As bad as my depression/anxiety was, I am pleasently surprised that by using these techniques I have been able to wait out the changes in my body without medication. Wish I had done this years ago so I wouldnt have to had spend so much money on medications! lol

Good Luck!

Hi! Good luck to you! You know, most don't like the taste of water, when they start Atkins, but you actually inquire a taste for it after a while. If you just start drinking the water it becomes habit. After a while nothing else really quenches your thirst. But, that is the key to stop the cravings, and to suppress your appetite.
Try drinking water through a straw, and get it real cold. This may help it go down better.
Good Luck
Brenda