Charlotte, I've definitely experienced a 3-day 'wall', too.  It's easy
enough to get over.  Yes, first week is eh.  Then you feel better.  Oddly,
I've hit a 3rd week wall, way back when, also.  I think about the 3rd day
your body is realizing things are different and it's like a kid who gives
that last really big dramatic finish to his hissyfit to get the cookie.  I
totally agree that you can't know the smooth sailing feeling, until you get
well past the first month.  I think my week 3 wall was more mental, whereas
the 3 day was physical.   After a couple of weeks the novelty has worn off
and you start thinking about and missing some things.  That lessens, too,
don't worry.  After awhile you get this great feeling of peace inside.  It's
both mental and physical.   In my case, it took longer to really start to
know the full aspects.  Really after 6 months I got in my final groove, I
guess you could say.   Don't know why.  Maybe because I was so f-d up from a
lifetime of SAD that my gut and system were damaged and had to start slowly
healing before I could absorb and totally benefit?  But it's a great
feeling, once you get going.  I never truly believed I could stay on a
'diet'.   This is the one thing that took away cravings and allowed me to.
 Not to mention a host of healing and wellness benefits.
Stay the course, and you won't regret it :-)

best,
Ro

On Sat, Aug 23, 2008 at 4:22 AM, Charlotte Williams <[log in to unmask]>wrote:

> Adrienne, Jim and Paula, Thanks for the advice! I'll give a stricter 2-4
> weeks a try. Hopefully I'll be able to break past the 2-3 day cravings and
> have those go away. We'll see what happens.
> Charlotte
>
>
> >
> > From:    Paula <[log in to unmask]>
> > IMHO, I definitely agree this is most likely a food sensitivity type
> issue
> > or a yeast issue where you continually repeat the cycle.  I would
> encourage
> > you to commit to no wheat/dairy for say 2-4 weeks and see what changes
> you
> > note during that time.
> > Paula H.
> >
> > From:    [log in to unmask]
> > I believe it is absolutely VITAL to do
> > a purist paleo phase for the first three weeks of the diet.  Vital.  No
> > dairy, no grains (including no corn), no beans (including no peanuts),
> > no frankenfats, no potatoes, etc.  And -- gasp -- no coffee.  Drink
> > green tea instead.
> > ...
> > When I did this, I felt awful for about a week then fantastic for the
> > next two.  By about day eight or so I had zero cravings for nonpaleo
> > foods.
> > Jim Swayze
> >  <http://www.fireholecanyon.com>
> >
> > From:    Adrienne Smith <[log in to unmask]>
> > Richard Mackarness and H.L. Newbold both write about how cravings are
> worse
> > by second or third day and if you can manage to white knuckle it out
> beyond
> > a
> > week or so -- cravings should subside.  But the interesting thing is that
> > it's
> > common for them to be worse on the second or third day of abstaining.  At
> > least that was those doctors' personal experiences with their own food
> > intolerances and those of their patients.  It's also been my experience.
> >
>