V-Diet Help Please!

Posted this in the V-Diet Support thread, but no replies yet…

End of day 5, down 3lbs. Have had 2 Grow! bars this week, but not one cheat. I’ve been feeling out of sorts, cranky and tired since yesterday, a little light-headed and weak at times, too. A little less oomph in my workouts, but not too bad. Is this normal? Do I need to suck it up for a couple of days and it will pass? Will I feel like this for the duration of the diet? I’ve never done an intense low-carb diet like this before and don’t know what to think.

I think I “crunched the numbers” right, but maybe I’m off? I started at 136lbs, here’s my daily intake (usually in 5 shakes):

7 scoops Low-Carb Grow!
6 Tbsp ground flax seeds
2 Tsp fish oil supp
1 Tsp fiber supp
152gP/46gC/40gF and 19g fiber - 1160 calories

On workout days I substitute 1.5 scoops of Surge for 1 scoop of Grow!
151gP/80gC/40gF - 1280 calories

I wanted to do just 2 weeks of the V-Diet to get down to 125-130lbs, but am thinking of switching to the one-meal-a-day option if I continue to feel lousy. Which meal is best to have real food? First meal of the day? Preworkout? Post Surge?

I am taking HOT-ROX and drinking 3L of water a day. I would really appreciate some advice. Thanks!

Sounds like a carb crash to me! Things will get better as your body and mind adjust. Just keep yourself on target and you will soon be at your goal weight.

[quote]Snoop wrote:
Sounds like a carb crash to me! Things will get better as your body and mind adjust. Just keep yourself on target and you will soon be at your goal weight. [/quote]

Ditto, remember Jillybop, the V-Diet is based off of the Fat Fast, which was an absolute brutal diet, and although Shugs has done a great job of tapering down Fat Fast for V, it’s still going to be hard. I say you stick with it, just think for another week or so you’ll be glad you did, and then you can transition back to the one meal a day. Besides, you’ve got the entire forum behind you, we’re all rooting for you and we all defintely want to see those pics you’ve been promising.

You can do it. Besides, in a few more days your body will adjust to the lack of carbs.

If you were ingesting a lot of carbs prior to starting the V-diet, the drastic diet change is probably the cause of your moodiness/lethargy.

It sounds like you need to go with the one meal a day option. But then again it has only been one week. You might line out and do fine with the original.

One thing I noticed about your diet - totally unrelated to the carb thin though. You are only drinking 3L of water/day? You might try to increase that by another liter.

Just my unwarranted opinion.

Yup big ditto. Even bigger since you habve never done a extremely reduced carb diet b4.

One thing that may help is 5HTP. Boost those seratonin levels. Make you a bit happier. LOL Also supposed to help with carb cravings.

All in all just stick it out and you should adjust to a point. Still however it will never be a Joy, its a diet and an extreme one at that.

Good luck and stay tough.
Phill

Hi

I’m too on the VDiet and yep, I did feel the pain for the first week!

I think it was because coming form consuming 300 carbs a day to almost 30-40 had a massive impact.

But, after the first day… things becanme MUCH better.

IU think it has a similar concept to the Anabolic Diet, where the first week you will get cravings, hunger etc. This is exactly how I felt.

However, after that, things are wayy improved. Energy levels creep up, workouts are better and things just (almost return to notrmal.)

So I think my adivce would be the following: Just wait a bit. See how things go after the first week, and if things don’t improve, I suggest upping the calories a bit by adding more protein (casein).

Also, you can try adding some extra fiber and some BCAA to every meal… that’ll help keep hunger away.

Keep us informed of how things progress.

As always, you guys are the best! Thank you SO much for the responses. This is exactly what I needed to hear. Actually today is a little better so far. I’m going to suck it up for a few more days and hope it gets a little easier. If not, I will probably transition to the one-meal-a-day option, but only if I really feel I have to.

I’ll try to drink a little more water (couldn’t hurt) and check out 5HTP if I get to the supplement store this weekend.

If I can get through this while making mac&cheese and pb&j for the kids, I can do anything!!! :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

[quote]Jillybop wrote:
As always, you guys are the best! Thank you SO much for the responses. This is exactly what I needed to hear. Actually today is a little better so far. I’m going to suck it up for a few more days and hope it gets a little easier. If not, I will probably transition to the one-meal-a-day option, but only if I really feel I have to.

I’ll try to drink a little more water (couldn’t hurt) and check out 5HTP if I get to the supplement store this weekend.

If I can get through this while making mac&cheese and pb&j for the kids, I can do anything!!! :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

[/quote]

I couldn’t imagine preparing that food and not eating it myself. You’re one tough cookie Jillybop.

[quote]Jillybop wrote:
If I can get through this while making mac&cheese and pb&j for the kids, I can do anything!!! :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

[/quote]

Hey there!
Just thought I’d let you know I am right there with you. I just started this morning, and I have five kids at home that will be eating mac and cheese, pizza, chicken nuggets, and all other kinds of goodies over the next four weeks.
Good Luck!

JF

Day 9 for me and I’m feeling MUCH better. I sucked it up and now feel pretty much back to normal. I actually haven’t had very bad cravings, just felt lousy for a few days. However I almost beat hubby to death with a big box of Goldfish last night when he plunked down next to me and started chowing them a foot from my face!

[quote]Jillybop wrote:
However I almost beat hubby to death with a big box of Goldfish last night when he plunked down next to me and started chowing them a foot from my face!
[/quote]

I’m going to be somewhat rude Jilly, so bear with me. :slight_smile:

1.) If you’re trying so hard to eat clean and stick to this rough diet, why do you have food like that in the house?

2.) There is nothing wrong with making the rest of the family eat clean too. I imagine as wife and mommy you do the shopping and food prep, so why buy goldfish and mac and cheese?

3.) You should have beat him with the box if he was inconsiderate enough to eat them in front of you knowing full well that you can’t and don’t want to eat them. He should be supporting you, not tempting you and driving you nuts.

I’m done now. End of lecture. :slight_smile:

Good points, ST. The goldfish were left over from the kids birthday party, but I do have some less than stellar food-stuff around. Now that my nutrition is well in hand, I’m slowly working on the rest of the family. Easier said than done when you have a finicky 4 y/o - sometimes I’m just happy if he eats anything at all.

I’ve been hoping that seeing my changes will help inspire hubby to start eating better and working out, but I’m treading very lightly. He’s supportive in general, but sometimes he just doesn’t get it…

Got to ask:

I’m considering dieting. (1) Is the V-diet a good diet to start with? (2) For those who’ve done it, is the agony worth the ecstasy?

I’m off all summer now so being miserable and out of sorts is not a big deal.

Any input most welcome!!

[quote]Jillybop wrote:
Good points, ST. The goldfish were left over from the kids birthday party, but I do have some less than stellar food-stuff around. Now that my nutrition is well in hand, I’m slowly working on the rest of the family. Easier said than done when you have a finicky 4 y/o - sometimes I’m just happy if he eats anything at all.

[/quote]

LOL,

My daughter just had a birthday party last week with flavor-blaster fishy crackers :).

And speaking of finicky… my 10 year old…

JF

Headhunter - I’d say no. It’s pretty extreme, there are plenty of more “painless” options that will help you learn better nutrition habits that will stay with you for life. Check out “The Top 30 Testosterone Nation Diet Articles”

http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=629609

JF - Your 10 y/o? You mean it doesn’t get better?!? Actually, I was a pretty picky eater as a kid, so I try not to get too worked up over it… Good luck with the V-Diet - when I start to feel bad about everyone else in the family eating “real” food, I just remember that I have made the choice to do this, nobody is forcing me to. It’s short-term so I can reach my goals and I try to be thankful that I have the knowledge on how to get there. Day 9 and only one “real” meal, a few Grow! bars and NO CHEATS! You can do it!

Just wanted to let you know I have picky eaters, too. I know how hard it is to cook meals for your family while on the V-Diet. It wouldn’t have mattered what they were eating those first few days. I wanted it. But doesn’t it feel great to cook & clean up without craving a single thing they are eating?

You are doing great! Hang in there!

[quote]Jillybop wrote:
JF - Your 10 y/o? You mean it doesn’t get better?!? Actually, I was a pretty picky eater as a kid, so I try not to get too worked up over it… Good luck with the V-Diet - when I start to feel bad about everyone else in the family eating “real” food, I just remember that I have made the choice to do this, nobody is forcing me to. It’s short-term so I can reach my goals and I try to be thankful that I have the knowledge on how to get there. Day 9 and only one “real” meal, a few Grow! bars and NO CHEATS! You can do it!

[/quote]

JillyPop,

Thanks for all the encouragement. I do have the experience of going on some pretty extreme diets. I was on a yeast free diet for several months. Basically, nothing but meat and veggies for the first 6 weeks and then I got to mix fruit in. You wouldn’t believe hopw sweet those first berries tasted!

Just out of curiousity, are you taking HOT-ROX as well, or just on the diet.

I am glad I read your post. I am already feeling drained and it is only the first day. It’s nice to know that my body will adjust.

Again, thanks for the encouragement. I will keep you posted on my progress. :slight_smile:

JF

P.S. My wife loves your Avatar.

[quote]jana wrote:
Just wanted to let you know I have picky eaters, too. I know how hard it is to cook meals for your family while on the V-Diet. It wouldn’t have mattered what they were eating those first few days. I wanted it. But doesn’t it feel great to cook & clean up without craving a single thing they are eating?

You are doing great! Hang in there![/quote]

It is great once those initial cravings fall away.

JF

I am curious about the effect of Grow! bars on this diet.

Unfortunately, Being in school, having a family of 7, and working part time means I am out and about much of the time. I find it impossible to get through a day without at least 1 Grow! Bar, if not 2 or 3. Will this greatly affect the effectiveness of this diet?

Thanks!

JF