Is anyone getting any unpleasant side affects from dieting?

I am a month in to this diet and I have noticed a change in my emotions since the awful hunger worse off after the first couple of weeks. I started to feel tired ALL the time and totally exhausted by 7pm, usually going to bed at 9-9.30 instead of my old 11pm. I also very often feel irrationally irritable (so I'm sorry if I have bitten anyone's head off).

I am also finding it harder to concentrate for any length of time - my mind seems to wander, even if I am very interested in what I am doing, so everything seems to take twice as long as it used to. I feel almost like I have got PMS - but I had a hysterectomy last year and I take HRT so my hormones MUST be stable.

Is anyone else experiencing any of this - or anything else for that matter and has anyone got any suggestions about how to deal with it?

I don't think you should be hungry all the time, particularly if you have been on the diet a while. When you cut back your stomach starts to learn to accept less, are you cutting back too far?, do you think and per haps feeling that you are missing out on foods in a big way.

I don't think you have bitten anyones head off here (you wouldn't be hungry if you did, Hmm, sorry couldn't resist that one!).

Seriously, maybe you should allow yourself a little more.

Thanks for your reply, Jano.

No - I'm not hungry all the time any more - that only lasted the first week to ten days, right now I am tired all the time... maybe its normal, but I don't remember feeling quite this tired when I dieted when I was younger - so its probably my age.

Sarah, are you taking any vitamin supplements? I was getting very tired a couple of months ago, and I have been taking a multivitamin and feel a lot better now

Topmonkey aka Soraya

Yes, I am taking a multi vit with iron, but I still just feel exhausted. I have been trying to work it out - my actual diet is very nutritious - lots of fruit and veg and complex carbs, the recommended daily amount of animal protein and very little fats and sugar. The only difference is really in calories - so perhaps it is my age after all!

Hi Sarah

Sorry to hear you're not feeling too great. Just a thought, but do you think you are varying your diet enough? I hate it when I get stuck into a rut of eating the same food.

I got very tired this time last year. I was dieting and I don't think the lack of sun helps either. Anyway I started taking Strong Siberian Ginseng I read about it in a magazine - after about 5 days I started to feel more energetic and took it for about 4 months. The only problem is it is quite expensive. Anyway one day I went swanning into our local chemist to get more when the woman behind the counter gave me a sly wink, I was baffled. Anyway she came over and said she thought it was great that I was so confident to go and buy an aphrodisiac in front of all these people and some who knew me too I have to say I hadn't realised but it had helped in that department too!!! DH started taking it and there was no stopping us

We all know now what to get

I'll have to start saving up! About how much did it cost???????

You could be right about the sunshine though - this is the first year that I haven't been all down in the dumps during the winter months and I think it is because I walk George every day - okay - its a real struggle to actually get myself psyched up to get out of the door with him, but once I am out I really enjoy it and I feel fine for an hour or two afterwards, but then I start feeling exhausted again.

This time last year I was very ill - so when I got depressed in the late winter last year I just put it down to the pain and being housebound. This year, because I am dieting I just assumed it was lack of food and pretty much forgotten about this seasonal thing I get in January and February.

I definitely need a holiday!

Think I will have to get some of that strong ginseng

See if it can help me. I get a bit fed up the grey skies etc, the blue sky cheered me up no end this morning alas it didn,t last long, blowing a gale out here at the moment. No doubt it will rain when I go to collect H.

If we all club together & put in a bulk order for this ginseng will it come any cheaper ?

Carol


Just re-read that - no pun intended

Hi

I did know about this and I have taken it from time to time. It is better if you take it in a morning as it can make you quite hypo and not sleep if it's taken later.

I think you can get it cheaper mail order...but whether its as good....'

But Jano, did it have the OTHER side affects???????????????????

I am going to try walking George for two shorter walks each day rather than for one very long one - I know its not so good for the metabolic thingy (I read somewhere that it takes 20 mins to get your metabolism sort of up to speed) but it might be better for the constant tiredness.

Sarah - can't say I noticed that bit - not much change from b 4!!!!!!


Don't you get bored with all that walking. I used to walk about 20 mins a day just for the fun of it and got really fed up even though I took my personal stereo. Don't mind walking if I have to go somewhere..... talking of that..... off to walk to SW now for my fist weigh in

Watch this space???????

Janet

Jano - I walk a lot & don't find it boring. I use it as time for me & tend to become dolly daydream when I'm striding along.

Last year I had a walking buddy at work, but she is bored with walking round the business park, and oftens says if I find somewhere else to walk she'll come. I went for a different walk today & hated it because of the heavy traffic, it wasn't as relaxing as usual. Usual walk has landscaped gardens & waterfalls - all very pretty, but even then she didn't come.

Going to stick to my usual walk tomorrow & daydream my way round my circuit. Think it depends on what you are after, I find walking relaxing as it is time out of my busy day & often my only time in the fresh air all day.

If we were liked the same things, just imagine how boring it would be.

Carol