First days on a diet

[Steala]

I've been overeating for a while and enough is enough. The trouble is - and this has happened a couple of times in the past too - once I start to diet I feel unwell. I'm not doing anything drastic - about 1500 calories with fewer carbohydrates than usual. But I feel that my blood sugar is low. I feel light-headed and shaky.

Is there an argument for working up to a diet? Say starting at something reasonable like 2000- 2200 calories (much lower than I have had) and working down? It's demotivating feeling like this.

What kind of food do you eat on a diet?

Try to eat low gi, plenty of protein and have a mid-morning and mid-afternoon snack.

Starting at 2000 won't help you lose weight. You'll just maintain.

Thanks for replying. I don't do anything radical: just lots of veg, some fruit, porridge, soups, wholewheat pasta, wholegrain bagels, eggs, quorn, tofu, a little cheese, yoghurt

That sounds quite healthy as its normally refined carbs and sugar that make your sugar levels fluctuate.

If you do get low blood sugar then it sounds like low gi diet would be a good option.
Have a look here for some tips.
www.minimins.com/gi-diet-support-forum/

Steala the "average" woman needs 2000 calories a day to maintain their weight. However depending on what you weigh at the moment you might be having a lot more than that to maintain your current weight. If you are currently eating 3000 calories a day to maintain your current weight then of course you will lose weight dropping to 2000. You need to know what you are currently eating calories wise and then work around that, as you lose weight you can drop daily calorie allowance slowly.

Hi everyone,

I found this and thought it maybe useful for low carbers.
blogg.passagen.se/dahlqvistannika/?anchor=my_lowcarb_dietary_programe_in

oops posted on wrong thread sorry

Thank you all for your help. I'm not actually that big - 11 stone 2 at 5 '6. But I have gained weight alarmingly quickly through overeating. It's happened before. I yo-yo. I have decided to drop much more slowly. Maintaining rather than losing for a bit is certainly not the end of the world. Maintaining this weight rather than yo-yoing is undoubtedly more healthy anyway and should teach me some good habits.
My main priority is to stop gaining. I'll also look at the helpful GI information. THanks!