Hi Jules & Ellen,
I hope its ok if I respond to your posts! Im not quite another twin (ie Im 5ft tall) but Im on my 3rd week of the Soul Source.....so I can let you know that it does get easier!
I like the Vanilla & Strawberry shakes & I save those for breakfast (which is when my stomach is at its most sensitive & im least inclined to want to drink). Butterscotch, toffee & walnut, fruits of the forest are ok. If a flavour doesnt do it for me, I drink it out of a bowl. 90% of eating is about smell....lose the smell, you lose most of the taste. By the 2nd week, you actually do get used to the taste they arent so bad.
Experimenting with which drinks taste ok hot. Most of the chocolate drinks seem better hot - the cappuccino is almost good! I have hot drinks for dinner & sip and savour it. It feels a little more like youve actually had something for dinner!
I started quite an intensive fitness program on the same day that I started my CD. Apparently its not recommended as it makes you hungry. It's true - it does! But I happen to have a waif thin, female therapist friend - who gave me a few survival tips. Basically re-label your thoughts. When you feel hungry, tell yourself you feel empty....and embrace the feeling of your stomach being nice, lean & empty.
A 2nd tip actually has helped me more than anything else.....enjoy yummy aromas! Dont think "arrgh! torture! its unfair cos im not allowed!" Instead inhale it deeply & taste it & actually feel how it would feel in your tummy. Think of how it would be if you were actually eating it and enjoy it - "ahh yum, its inside me & im so satisfied!" At 6am I go walking with a buddy - we walk past a bakery & a cafe. We get to smell baking cakes & bacon! We love it! I always think of how "90% of eating is in the aroma" so i appreciate that I got 90% of the joy of eating it - with zero calories!
With the hunger, comes a benefit. Im hungry & the only think i can do is I reach for my water bottle. What a great life habit to learn! I do struggle to drink the minimum amount - but when i dont, my hunger is much much worse.
During my 1st week of CD, I emptied the house of anything tempting. I even asked my husband to switch from toast to porridge at breakfast). You get so over the food thing though, that last night I actually bought him a packet of shortbread & I sat beside him while he munched half the pack! So i really believe that with CD you learn to break the food dependancy habit. By the 2nd week I began to really enjoy cooking his dinners too. Initially he was going to cook his own meals but now I enjoy the hour of handling the food and smelling the yummy wafts...and afterwards, I sit down & eat a CD meal bar & it feels really good! Initially I cooked meals that I wouldnt normally choose for myself - such as stirfry....but Ive progressed. Yesterday he had a tuna pasta casserole & tonight he's going to have a lamb curry (Rogan Josh) - complete with poppadoms! And hubby is so delighted at the new varied meals, that he doesnt care that I cant even taste test the food! I also now enjoy the supermarket & spent an hour roaming looking for meal ideas yesterday!
Another tip from a successful CD'er was dont let anything past your lips - not even a grain of rice. If remotely tempted, I remember the proverb "Don't sacrifice your future for a momentary pleasure". So 3 weeks gone & not 1 moment of serious temptation!
Anyway, sorry to ramble on & hijack your thread! Its great to read how we're all experiencing the same things!
