Hi again, after to maaaaaaaaaaaaaany months!

Last Monday I started again the Dr S Diet. I haven't yet re-read the book 'cos I remember quite well the whole thing.
But what I didn't remeber, from last time I followed the diet, is the anxiety I have (I think you call it "craving"?).

It's not that I am hungry but when I get home in the evening I feel very anxious and I would kill for a cup of red wine an a slice of cheese (which I obviously substitute by water and some salami!)

Is it normal? Or could it be only that right now my work is quite stressing and therfore my anxiety has nothing to do with the diet? Anyone can give me some advice/support?
(the good thing is that in 2 days I already lost 1 kg!)

Many thanks in advance!

ami

Hi - I believe in TSP 1 Dr. S says that if you're stressed and a glass of wine helps then by all means have a glass of wine. However she says that one glass may trigger a carb craving so just be aware of that. And if you need a piece of cheese, why not munch on mozzerella sticks with the wine - they are allowed and DR. S seems to recommend moz cheese in quite a few of her recipes. Keep some nuts on hand and have a handful with the wine - I find nuts is one way I can satisfy my hunger with a very little amount. And don't have a "cup" of wine, limit it to a small glass and possibly get the driest kind of wine you can find so the sugar content is low. This way you can have you wine for destressing and you won't do too much damage.

And as you say yourself below "work is quite stressing right now" so this may not be a craving at all - it may be emotional eating - only you can decide. But it is important to take care of yourself and not beat yourself up over this amnd add more stress on top of stress you are already experiencing.

Hello Amidala

Sumi is quite right, Dr. S. does say that - and in other places she mentions tapering off and obviously does not expect that everyone will be able to avoid 100% all of the things that she disapproves of. If you make having your glass of wine a snack and include a protein/fat, carb, veg it would be the best way to have it. A little cheese, couple of olives, some celery or other raw veggie and there you go, you can have that and relax a little before dinner

Thanks!

You are right, I guess the worst thing we can do is just get an obsession with the food. Actually, since I realized I could enjoy a glass of wine, my anxiety went a little bit away...so after all I think it wasn't only stress, was it?

Suni, I have also tried having a cupple of nuts. This really helps! I don't need to eat many of them and I feel my cravings disappear...

Finally, I am starting to read, once again, the Dr. S book.

One more question only, if I gain weight again, from one day to the next one, without having eaten anything forbidden (no wine, etc) does it mean I did something wrong tha I didn't know? I mean, could it be something else? I wonder if I should take more care about my Carbs...

thanx


ami

Hi Ami:

I'm not sure if you are following SPI or SPII... but according to Dr. S., if your metabolism is damaged, it is possible that you will gain some weight as you heal, especially if you have burned out adrenal glands. Once your metabolism is healed, you will burn the fat. So "yes", you might gain weight from eating all legal foods.

One thing she mentions that you can do is to lower your saturated fat intake to slow down the weight gain as your metabolism heals. But you must get plenty of fat from monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.

I'm still trying to reconcile this "gaining weight" issue. I tried following the menu plan in the back of SPII, but I couldn't eat all the food. I was so full, I was waking up each morning with a food hangover. I also gained weight. I don't know where the fine line is between gaining weight from overreating and gaining weight from healing. Anyway, I decided to curb the amount of food I eat so that I'm comfortably full instead of stuffed.

Sorry.... I think I rambled...

Wanda