I don't know that I've ever been this happy to see a Monday, I swear. Getting back on the schedule of normal drop times was a huge help, considering I'm much much less shaky today than I was yesterday. I had a hard time this morning, but otherwise I've been doing ok all day. I even had energy to joke around at the office and walk up and down the stairs a few times. Lemme tell ya, I see now why MHP says no exercise on the VLCD. Your body's working so hard to make up for the lack of fresh calories, that asking it to do even light exercise can be too much.
I asked the MHP support page about my shakiness and hot flashes, and they raised a very good point. My body's going through severe withdrawals, mainly because I've taken away just about everything that's considered bad for one's body, in a very short period of time. It makes sense that I'd be having a reaction to the lack of sugars and starches, which I was expecting, just not to this degree. I've been told the detox should end within the first week, and I'm already at Day 5, so they think the worst is behind me.
Good news is I've been granted the option of adding more veggies to my meals. I'm having an incredibly hard time meeting the 500 calorie daily intake, and now that I've been told I can go slightly over, I'm relieved. I also have the option of drinking chicken or beef broth, as long as it's sugar free and low in sodium. There's actually a set of recipes on how to make the broths on your own, so they're guaranteed VLCD safe, but you have to let them simmer for over two hours. I personally am a very sensory person, and when I smell food I become starving. I know that sitting in a house, with a pot of simmering broth for over two hours would kill me, so I'm opting for the canned/boxed variety. It was difficult to find a broth that met the criteria, so I've asked for approval on the Kitchen Basics stock, so we'll see. Cross your fingers it's acceptable.
In writing today's blog, I realize I've already gone through some pitfalls of the diet that I wish someone would have warned me about. The general consensus for answers is what's available in the P&I Guide, and while helpful, doesn't always cover all the questions I find myself asking on a daily basis. I think I'll be posting a couple blogs, that I'll edit as I go through this process, of recipes, products, and FAQs that I have found helpful. Maybe someone will find it, and like it, and maybe it'll sit out there and die a digital death, who knows.
I am constantly reminding myself today of the first couple days on the protocol, and how I was able to sail through the hunger pangs no problem. The shakiness and flashes caught me off guard, and I think it's weakened my resolve to continue this. I'm so used to snacking when I'm hungry that reaching for the water bottle instead is beyond unsatisfactory. I had to remind myself today why I'm doing this, because already I feel lighter than when I started. It's hard to curb the thought that I could just go off the protocol, because I've already lost weight. That's not the point; the point is to lose the maximum allowed, and then keep on going. I cannot, and will not, fall back into the mode of thinking that landed me where I am now - that life is too short to restrict myself, and I'll just enjoy it.
There's enjoying something, and then there's over indulging. I've over indulged for too long. Now it's time to simply enjoy.
No comments:
Post a Comment