Hi y'all--I have been lurking for a couple of weeks--I think I have read up to page 33 of all your posts--so I think i have a good sense of what CAD/CALP is all about--I am also appreciative of the stickys and "cheat lists"--I have also browsed thru quite a few journals of you senior posters--and have started one of my own. I have been doing CAD cleanly for 3 days, and have to confess to quite a bit of hunger, which makes me nervous, since so many of you have one CD and have lost your appetites. I am hoping my RM isn't causing my hunger. I have done Atkins for the past year, so I am not used to much hunger, but then I always snacked a fair amount as well--

Looking forward to getting to know you all better

RM's rock!!

Ouis

My hunger didn't disappear right away...today was the first day I really felt a difference (day 3)

I know that unbalanced RMs (too many carbs) can cause hunger.

How many CMs are you eating? If you're not already eating two, you might try doing that. It's what they suggest during the first two weeks. I'm not eating two only because my sleeping schedule is all screwed up at present. If you're already eating two, maybe try adding a CS?

With three days under your belt, your body is still adjusting to CAD. Make sure you eat big healthy portions at your CM's. There is no need to scrimp. I would expect that most of your hunger will leave within a few more days. Your body was used to snacking on Atkins, so that is quite an adjustment to make.

I'm going to head over to your journal and see if you are posting your food in there. That can really help a lot, too.

Have a great day,
Tracy

In wholehearted agreement.. Eat enough at cm's so that you don't get hungry. It won't help you a bit to feel deprived of food.. Something that has helped me a lot along the way, is to have something prepared and waiting in the fridge, for those times when I feel "weak".. Some chicken salad (I just use mayo and diced celery, so that it's ok for cm), and some steamed green beans that can be reheated quickly, or a prepared tossed salad, can be very helpful. Even a few bites of cheese with a cup of tea can make all the difference..

Ouis,

You can have snacks, you just have to keep them LC veggies with protein.

I find certain foods are triggers for me. (you probably had read this already)

Equal by its many names triggers strong sugar cravings for me. Splenda doesn't.

Too many carbs the day before cause me to wake up extremely hungry, where is my RM is balanced, I don't wake up hungry.

When I went off CALP during the summer, I was eating a lot of fruit and 30-60 later I had some whole-grain cereal and fat-free milk. This combination caused me to be very hungry all day long, no matter how LC I stayed the rest of the day.

MSG triggers hunger for me and bloats.

Sodium makes me bloat.

I don't know if any of that helps you.

I have been eating 2 CMs and one cm snack and my RM--I am a psychologist and work long hours --so I do take my meals prepared to the office--and yes, my menus are posted in my journal. I so appreciate the feedback. I am still in the "kid in the candy shop" phase with my RMs, but am trying hard to keep things somewhat balanced--definately getting in a lot of carbs--

yesterday my day went like this:

coffee w/ half n half <15

CM: tuna, mayo, and celery sticks

CM2: green beans w/ no carb chicken sausage & two TBS queso cheese (3 carbs per serving)

black decaf

snack: 3 slices deli turkey

RM: spinach/hamburger/egg (joes special); salad w/ champagne dressing; 1 ghiradelli square, 1 cup raisin bran w/ soyslender; 2 sf chocolates--

what do you think--the RM is BIG--but I do it in less than an hour.

I am down 1 pound

Ouis

Oh--and as to the snacks--I thought we could only eat 4 times daily on CAD--I am REALLY trying to stick to that--I feel like if i open the door to snacking, this won't work for me??

It has been 2 CMs one cm snack and an RM so far--

I am yearning to be hunger free!!

gonna try and eat a great big CM breakfast today!

my best to all of you

ouis

One snack a day is the limit. And that is only if you really need it or are losing too fast. Otherwise, it is best to skip it.

I think you are doing great!

Tracy

for the warning about snacks--i went back and looked at the book--you are right--I hope I can do this--today I was a bit less hungry than yesterday, but I also took care to really stoke the furnace at breakfast--tomorrow i will shoot for 2 CM's, no snack, and HOPEFULLY a little more balance for my RM (see my journal for confession)


Ouis

Here's my " for what it's worth"..

You want to see "piggy"? MY first few reward meals were enough to make yours look like an hou'r'dourve...<sp?> Like my salad, veggies, meat and a bowl of raisin bran, THEN more veggies and meat so I could eat a scoop of ice cream.....

Seriously, your menu looks fine. When I was on CAD (and I'm headed back!) I liked to start my RM with a nice salad, then usually had salad for my lc veggie...

Thanks PF for the encouragement. I have the feeling it takes some time to settle into this WOE--but I am very very happy to be eating carbs--there is a part of this that FEELS like I am slipping back into evil oldtime binge behavior--like the days before WW and Atkins--on those programs it was about making program-healthy choices--this feels like a one time a day controlled binge--I do get it that the CA's and the balance for the RM offset the carbs, but I hope the day comes when the carbs I choose are yogurt and fruit and squash and the like rather than cookies and chocolate--know what i mean? (not that there isn't always a little room for chocolate)