[susanb1960]

Ok, I need help! I have been following SBD since June 26th and have done GREAT! I have lost 33 pounds...I weighed more than 400 when I started .
Anyway...lately I have been slipping...wading as I called it in the title. I have eaten a little white rice here and there....and added SB Snacks which I think may not be the best snack.

I have noticed that I'm hungry more and more and am now finding I have to use will power...which I have precious little of....to stay on the program.

Ok, I have identified the problem...now someone give me a swift kick and some words of wisdom. Maybe a menu of what you eat etc... BTW...I am counting calories too...I post them on fitday. This works great...I would like some input on how to make sure I'm eating enough calories and not too much. I have done the multiply my weight by 15 or 13 thing...and that's a LOT! I am trying to stay under 2000 per day.

Thanks for any help you have...and I'm not afraid of the big kick either!!

[LitChick]

I don't have any advice to offer, since I've just started the SBD, but I just wanted to say that I think it's great that you recognize the slippage, and that you're determined to do something about it. That's half the battle right there.

I'm sure some of the other ladies will have something more definite to offer in the way of help. But here's a for you.

[birdlover39]

Susanb1960 -

I used to LOVE white rice, and had to wean myself onto wild rice and brown rice - both of which I really love, now, by the way. What are some of your favorite SBD legal snacks? I'd make sure you had plenty of them available, and just try to go for the mid-morning and mid-afternoon snack times as O.K. to eat them.

Have you ever tried Edamame? - Green soybeans. Now just listen! They are really good steamed and salted, they have become one of my favorite snacks - kinda like chewy popcorn!

I find where I get into danger is when I am unprepared and hungry - then everything is fair game! Aside from a stressful day binge, that is when I also go "wading". Good luck!

[Barb0522]

You are doing great! You should be in phase 2 now and there are lots of stuff that you can eat. It helps me to try out new recipes. I find that variety helps keep me from getting bored. You CAN eat white rice but it needs to be Uncle Ben's converted rice. Brown Rice is probably better but the Uncle Ben's is allowed as long as you go with the converted.

There are lots of good snacks but I try to snack on raw veggies at least part of the time. You may be feeling hungrier because of processed foods or sugar sneaking into your diet.

[beachgal]

Susan, you did the right thing in being aware of what you're doing, how it's affecting you and coming here for help!

First, on all your hard work to this point! You have made a huge change for the better in your life and it sounds like you really feel committed to sticking with it in spite of what's been happening lately.

The white rice (and possibly the snacks) will make you crave and make this about will power again. As we know...it just doesn't work that way for those of us who are affected like this by sugar. So, Phase 1, girl! Do it until your cravings go away...like 3 to 5 days. Not only will it help get rid of cravings, but I find that going to Phase 2 from P1 always makes me feel less deprived, even if it's more deprived from what I was eating when I was cheating, you know?

To be honest, though it doesn't hurt to be aware of your calories, I wouldn't worry too much about them right now. With the amount of weight you have to lose (I hear you, girl...I was there too! ), you are likely to be able to eat many more calories than you will later on when you've lost a lot. I didn't count calories at all until a couple months ago...I lost 130+ pounds without counting a single calorie. I didn't pay much attention to portion sizes of protein, vegetables, beans, etc., either. In P2, I watched my portion sizes of starches (carbs), fruit, nuts, and fats. I also watched calories of sweet treats. Other than that, I ate what fit in the plan and as much as I needed to feel full. I did not eat at times other than my planned meals and snacks, though.

What works for you will be personal to your body and your way of doing things. You have to figure out what is best for you. Think about why you started eating the rice. Did you get bored? Did you feel deprived? What can you do to stay OP and fulfill those feelings? Can you do non-food related things, like take a bath, go for a walk, read a good book, chat with a friend on the phone, take a vacation, sleep in a hammock, get a massage, get a pedicure/manicure, etc? If it's food related and you are craving something specific, can you make it SBD-friendly? I've found that I feel so much less deprived knowing that I can make almost anything SBD-friendly (with the exception of things that call for carmelizing sugar, like creme brulee). If you need help SBD-izing a recipe, just let us know...we can all work on it together!

I think keeping your eating varied helps immensely too. If you eat the same thing all the time (this happens a lot with salads!), you'll be bored and more likely to eat! Check out the recipes in our forum for tons of ideas...and www.cookinglight.com for more. Their recipes are so easy to SBD-ize, IMHO. You have to sign up to use their site, but it's free for a month...after that you need to buy the magazine or get a subscription. They have a fantastic recipe finder...you can put in some ingredients and a type of meal, restrictions, etc. and it'll pop out all the recipes that match!

You may find some great ideas for how to make it in P2 here:

What's Your Phase 2 Combo?

[susanb1960]

Thanks so much everyone for the support and great ideas! Almost as soon as I typed the message I felt better. Someone said acknowledging the problem is half the battle! I made cabbage & ground turkey for supper last night...YUM. I didn't miss the rice at all. Beachgal I suppose you are right...boredom, deprivation etc... maybe I was having a pity party and didn't even know it!! I have made some great changes and so has my partner...we are doing this together...although she doesn't have much more to lose. She is diabetic though and this has made a tremendous difference for her.

I will check out the cookinglight website and try the new recipes. I think I'll make taco bake tonight...I never miss bread or rice when I have that! Eggs in the am always help too. The SB snacks are good in a pinch but I won't use them solely for snacks. I do much better with string cheese or celery & hummous.

Thanks again for all the help!!! This really is a great place for support!

[ladybugnessa]

Hi.. i've been on the beach since May 1 with very few slips but then I don't measure sizes or portions just the actual food. and I think with women of our size that until we have a severe stall that's ok....

i am finding that brown rice makes me hungry.... but Quiona does not. go figure...

[beachgal]

How are you doing, Susan? I think it's great that you are doing this with your partner...my mom has diabetes and I worry about her endlessly. It's such a scary disease if you aren't eating right. Hope your partner (and you!) continue to feel good and healthy! Let us know if there's anything we can do. I find that when I eat beans, I feel less deprived of carbs...

Ladybug, no mystery there (though GOOD for you for figuring out what works with your body!)...quinoa has TONS of protein, so it helps slow down the release of the sugar into your system. You might try having the brown rice with a high protein meal and see if that helps. Or if you really love and/or miss it, you could make pilaf with quinoa and brown rice. I love Quinoa...did I post the recipe for the Quinoa timbales from Cooking Light? They are to die for... I totally agree with you about not needing to be as cautious when you have a lot to lose at first. It takes a while for you to need to be as careful about what you're eating...and by then, you'll be ready for it!