[BeachBaby56]

Hi Everyone!

I'm new here and just finished a little over 3 weeks on Phase I. I've had some ups and downs and fell off the wagon around my birthday, but I'm back on track.

I'm thinking of moving on to Phase II, but don't feel enough weight came off me yet. (Don't have a scale, so go by how clothing fits, etc)

So here are my three questions from all you seasoned professionals

1) Is it safe to stay on Phase I a little while longer? (Maybe another 2 weeks, although the food choices are starting to bore me a bit & I'm afraid I'll really be tempted to throw in the towel. I tend to lose more slowly due to health issues so I do get discouraged very easily)

2) Exactly what is a "serving" for starches on Phase II? The SB website is
pretty vague. Is it a cup of brown rice? Half a cup? Half a sweet potato?

3) I am gluten sensitive, so whole wheat pasta and grains are OUT. Can I substitue brown rice pasta or quinoa? Can I use gluten-free bagels? You get the idea.

I don't want to blow this! Really. This is the first diet I've ever actually felt good on. I tried Atkins, but it was so restrictive! I won't even go into the constipation I suffered. Ugh!


I'm looking forward to your input! I think I'm going to like it here.

[murphmitch]

It is recommended not to stay on Phase I for than the two weeks for the very thing you suggested: boredom leads to falling off plan for some. I know in the book Dr. A mentions that if you have a lot of weight to lose, you can stay on Phase I longer, but it's not nutritionally sound in the long run for most.

The serving sizes are listed in the FAQ's here. They are very helpful to print off and keep handy. As far as the gluten free items, many of them have not-so-healthy ingredients that are not compatible with SBD. I would weigh them individually as to whether they fit on this plan. Most of us don't use the SB website for reference & everything is very well spelled out in this forum on 3FC.



http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/sbd-...ay-2008-a.html

[museumchick]

Exactly as Mitchmurph said. Dr. A says in the book that you can stay on Phase I longer than two weeks, but does mention there are two problems with it:
1) It's not nutritionally sound for long periods of time.
2) The restrictiveness of the plan could lead to people quitting.

He is equally as concerned with #2 as he is with #1. He has lots of personal examples in the book from patients of his who fell of Phase 1 when they tried it longer than 2 weeks or were ill-prepared for it to start with. In fact that was one of his major beefs with the Atkins diet as it first came out: it's so restrictive you can't expect a person to stay on it forever and if you can't change your eating habits permanently then it doesn't matter how effective the diet is. SB is intended not as a diet, but as a lifestyle change. The goal is not only to lose weight, but to improve your health, and that takes permanent changes.

Were you exercising at all on phase 1? That makes the weight fall off even quicker. I would try focusing there next rather than staying on phase 1 longer since you state you believe you'll get bored and quit with it.

[BeachBaby56]

Thank you for your replies.

Yes, I do exercise within my limitations. I try to exercise every day.


I'm a bit disappointed that SB doesn't really speak to Celiac. With more and more people being diagnosed gluten intolerant, it would really be helpful to know what foods are OK. I do a lot of label reading and many of the food items contain potato starch--which I assume is a no-no on SB.

I am also not sure about the brown rice pasta or quinoa. Are they acceptable.

If anyone knows, please advise. I really am motivated to make this work.

[EmmaD]

I've seen someone on this board who is doing South Beach gluten-free. I can't remember exactly who it is, but hopefully she will see your request and weigh in. [ETA: it's Rikki, aka rdw1... I saw her reply in the noodle link below ]

Quinoa and brown rice are both great choices for Phase 2!

I have cut way back on wheat in general, so I often find myself using gluten-free items. The Shirataki noodles, for example, are gluten-free. I really like them! Here is a link to the most recent thread about them.

[CyndiM]

Any whole grain pasta is allowed. I hope Rikki weighs in here because she has been following a gluten free variation. A lot of gluten free breads contain processed starches like potato starch. They are definitely risky. You may have to experiment a little and watch your reactions.

I am gluten sensitive so avoid wheat but haven't completely eliminated it. I like the sprouted corn tortillas, Suzy's whole grain thin cakes and all of the Mary's Gone products. I haven't had a problem with the sprouted corn tortillas so far but never have more than two and never more than once a week.