Girl diet NOT working...

[jd03pd]

Okay, I started the girl diet yesterday to see what would happen. Well, the only thing that happened was that I got a huge headache last night, woke up with it today and started throwing up!

I'm thinking that I don't get the gist of this diet...are we not supposed to eat until lunch time? Yesterday, I ate a big lunch consisting of greek yogurt, a cup of strawberries, a cup of organic milk, and a half a cucumber with a tablespoon of tahini paste. For dinner, I ate white pasta with a tablespoon of unsalted butter, parmasan cheese, green beans, and a cup of dried cranberries. In between meals, I had peppermint tea and Crystal Light. Like I said, I was good with this whole thing until about a couple hours after dinner when I started to get the headache.

I almost feel like I wasn't getting enough calories in...but isn't that the whole idea? Oy vey...I can't do this again! Any ideas on what I can do? Am I allowed to have snacks more often (girl diet approved, of course)? Maybe I should also lay off the cranberry supplements? Maybe those gave me a headache?

Ugh, if this is what I have to do to get a girl, it just isn't going to happen! Help!

[nuthinbutpink]

I don't think you can say it's not working just one day in! See what the girls advise and I am sure you can come up with some snacks to stop your headache. Have to give it time though. Rome wasn't built overnight.

[shouldihope?]

Sounds like you need more calories. I kept track of my calories on My Fitness Pal so I could get an idea of calories, fat, salt, protein that I was consuming for a few weeks. Once I got an idea of how much was too much and how much was too little that helped. Initially I had dizziness and some mild headaches, but I worked myself up to it. Good luck.

[jd03pd]

I know it takes more than one day to work...I meant that it wasn't working because it made me SO sick! I can't handle six plus weeks of that! I think that I just need to work in some more snacks, especially at night. Like I said, I was fine with the diet until a couple hours after dinner. We actually aren't trying until August, but I think that I'm only going to start the six weeks before...right now, I'm just starting to see what does and doesn't work. It's kind of nice to do that! I am trying to eat mostly girl diet foods until then though.

Thanks, ladies!

[TTC5]

I would say to EASE in to it rather than jump in cold turkey iykwim?

[jd03pd]

That's what I was thinking also. I went from having probably 3000 calories on Friday (staff potluck) to probably 1000 or less yesterday. Duh! :omg: At least I have until now until just after the 4th of July to "wean myself" on to the girl diet!

[rainbowflower]

1000 or less?! you're still meant to get around 1800 on the girl diet, so I think you must have drastically undereaten, no wonder you felt poorly!

agree with making the changes gradually

even if you eat just a bit less than your normal diet (and try and restrict meat, potatoes, and salt, for example) you will be swaying a little bit

were you drinking enough fluids? dehydration can cause headaches

[Mochagirl]

I agree - it's best to ease into the diet. I felt awful my first week as well (very weak and dizzy), and that was still with lots more protein and sodium than the diet allowed. About a week in it got a lot easier, and now, nearly 6 weeks in, I have trouble eating ENOUGH calories. I do have a few snacks here and there - sometimes I'll have a piece of fruit in the late afternoon and a bowl of strawberries in the evening. I'm following the "Low Everything" diet instead of the IG one, though - you might want to look into it (details are in the members section) as it is a lot less restrictive. Good luck!

[shouldihope?]

I snack on strawberries, green grapes, peeled apples, cucumbers. Sometimes I make a salad and put the fruit on top if I an starving in the evening. It fills me up and is yummy. It helps me avoid the sweets I really want at night. I say easing into the diet is much better. Hope that makes it a bit easier.

[swish]

Hi, I agree with mocha, I felt much better after a week on the diet, I think your body needs to adjust. Also crystal light gives me terrible headaches and makes me feel generally awful! Maybe cut that out for now, gl!

[Yuzu]

Hi, I agree with mocha, I felt much better after a week on the diet, I think your body needs to adjust. Also crystal light gives me terrible headaches and makes me feel generally awful! Maybe cut that out for now, gl!

Crystal Light gives me terrible headaches, too. It's the aspertame. Anyway, to the OP, like everyone says it's best to slowly ease into the diet or you'll make yourself miserable. And cutting down your calories a little bit is better than not at all.

[zanacal]

Hi

I found the first week or so on the diet difficult because I didn't know what to eat but I actually find it quite enjoyable now! I'm doing the 'low everything' diet rather than IG and am getting plenty of treats but still sticking to the calorie/protein/fat/sodium restrictions and I probably average somewhere around 1200 calories each day - it's difficult to eat more when you're only eating 2-3 meals each day and can't eat too much protein and sodium! Read the thread where a few of us are recording what we eat each day and that might give you some inspiration!

I'm drinking a lot more than I usually would, definitely stay hydrated and maybe drink some water and not just crystal light!

[Glittergirl]

Also, if you're used to caffeine and not drinking it that may give you headaches. I'm a caffeine addict..I only drink one cup a day but if i skip it, by late afternoon I feel like crap!

[pastelpicnic]

Didn't mean to highjack this thread, but I didn't want to start a new one. I was wondering if anyone else on the ttc a GIRL diet is gaining weight?!?

[zanacal]

Hi, I haven't heard of that. I'm doing the low-everything diet and have lost 13.5lb in 3 weeks (I'm overweight to begin with but not massively). Are you putting on weight? What are you eating?

[pastelpicnic]

I'm wondering if I'm just eating too late at night?? Maybe it's too many carbs too. I eat, matzo crackers with fat free cream cheese, salt free almond butter with strawberry jam on low sod. bread, cucumbers with fat free/ low sod. sour cream. For sweet treats, I eat low fat /low sod. cookies or strawberries with organic vanilla yogurt. I also eat organic gummie bears made with pectin. I chew a lot of gum!! I haven't been doing ANY sort of pastas. Oh yeah, I've been eating or organic Cornflake cereal with either non-fat milk or Rice milk at night. As another sweet treat I will get some organic fat-free frozen yogurt. I drink coffee/non-fat milk in the mornings. I don't eat lunch unitl 11 or 12 noon.

[atomic sagebrush]

Okay, I started the girl diet yesterday to see what would happen. Well, the only thing that happened was that I got a huge headache last night, woke up with it today and started throwing up!

I'm thinking that I don't get the gist of this diet...are we not supposed to eat until lunch time? Yesterday, I ate a big lunch consisting of greek yogurt, a cup of strawberries, a cup of organic milk, and a half a cucumber with a tablespoon of tahini paste. For dinner, I ate white pasta with a tablespoon of unsalted butter, parmasan cheese, green beans, and a cup of dried cranberries. In between meals, I had peppermint tea and Crystal Light. Like I said, I was good with this whole thing until about a couple hours after dinner when I started to get the headache.

I almost feel like I wasn't getting enough calories in...but isn't that the whole idea? Oy vey...I can't do this again! Any ideas on what I can do? Am I allowed to have snacks more often (girl diet approved, of course)? Maybe I should also lay off the cranberry supplements? Maybe those gave me a headache?

Ugh, if this is what I have to do to get a girl, it just isn't going to happen! Help!

First of all, cranberry supps gave me absolultely horrid headaches after only taking them like twice. Crystal Light can also give you headaches and Pep Tea upsets my stomach too. There is also the possibility that you caught a virus that just coincidentally struck the same day as the girl diet (although that seems unlikely to me).

Secondly, the guideline is 1500-1800 cals a day on the girl diet. Snacks are not the best choice (for blood sugar) but you can feel free to eat three meals rather than two, and hey, if snacks are the only way you can get through the day, snack away. It's best to skip breakfast (again, for blood sugar( but you don't need to starve yourself the rest of the day. Eating 3 600 cal meals is fine and may be a lot more doable for you.

In the Dream Members section I have the beginnings of a "low everything" diet for pink that is a lot less restrictive than trying to mix an IG diet with the Trivers-Willard stuff.

[atomic sagebrush]

I'm wondering if I'm just eating too late at night?? Maybe it's too many carbs too. I eat, matzo crackers with fat free cream cheese, salt free almond butter with strawberry jam on low sod. bread, cucumbers with fat free/ low sod. sour cream. For sweet treats, I eat low fat /low sod. cookies or strawberries with organic vanilla yogurt. I also eat organic gummie bears made with pectin. I chew a lot of gum!! I haven't been doing ANY sort of pastas. Oh yeah, I've been eating or organic Cornflake cereal with either non-fat milk or Rice milk at night. As another sweet treat I will get some organic fat-free frozen yogurt. I drink coffee/non-fat milk in the mornings. I don't eat lunch unitl 11 or 12 noon.

Hmmm...are you tracking calories at all? Honestly your diet looks great, I think you're prob. just getting more cals than you need.

[pastelpicnic]

Hmmm...are you tracking calories at all? Honestly your diet looks great, I think you're prob. just getting more cals than you need.

I agree AS. I'm just going to start counting Cals. now. Thanks for responding. :bigsmile: