South Beach Diet - Phase I - August

This is the place for Phase I starters and re-starters to post menus and questions and give and get support both from each other and our experienced Beachers!

Here's the link to the July thread. (http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/south-beach-diet/175758-phase-i-july-thread.html)

morning chicas-hope ur weekends are looking good and you feel totally OP!!!

p1.day 8. baaaad case of pms. wanna stuff my face w/hotbrownies but it's all in my head :)
harnessing my hormonal insanity to hausputz&exercise.

wish me luck!!!

janet

Janet:sunny:

Good Luck!!! :luck2you:

Make it a great day, Janet -- good luck!

I'm Phase 1 day 13!!! Feeling great too. The cravings are close to non-existent. Sometimes I'll want something, but I feel like I truly want just a taste rather than the whole thing...because I know the whole thing would make me feel sick and send me right back to square one. It doesn't even sound good.

I think I will extend P1 to 15 days to make up for a few slips I had throughout the first part of the phase. Then, the day I begin phase 2, I will have a major challenge on my plate - a tour of a gourmet, locally-owned chocolate company! They have amazing tours of their kitchens and I am taking some out-of-town friends to experience this. Luckily, they make delicious dark chocolate, and I will just enjoy a bite of that, saying no to the other samples of sweets they send around. I will have a great helper with me - my toddler son - and I just plan on giving him the samples I can't (or don't want to) have!

I am trying to decide what to introduce into my diet in P2. I think I will just start with cherries in the evening for a few days and see how that goes. I am excited to add the bread but I want to ease in to that too. Last time I went into it a little too quickly.

And I am marking down another pound lost today - I figure if I don't see a certain number for 3 days then it's a pound long gone! That makes for 7 pounds lost in phase 1, at least - maybe even 8 when all is said and done. That is a huge accomplishment for me and is fueling me to keep at this!! Good luck to all you p1 ladies this August.

Janet, I hope you were able to stay on track today PMS is tough!! I find great encouragement from reading others' success stories and reminding myself that:
a) I can have any of that stuff later in moderation after I've gotten things under control
and
b) This is a long-term plan that I have to be faithful to so I can get the most benefit from it.

Great job, Kleo!

Today was day 6 of P1, and it was great! Hubby and son wanted to go bowling and do some family stuff together, so I packed some cilantro chicken salad (chicken breast, onion, celery w/ a tad of the cilantro mayo from the SB book) over about 1.5C of lettuce, a couple of cheese sticks and a single serving of almonds to take with us. They wanted to eat at Weinerschnitzel, and I was prepared. I don't like hot dogs, but I DO love those pretzel buns. It has been easier than I expected to say "no" to things, but I do have to resist. At the bowling alley today, the popcorn smelled so good, and though I'm not usually a big drinker, the lady next to me had a beer that looked really yummy.

All in all, though, I feel great, and am proud to have another successful day under my belt.

I start P1 tmro. I did 2 days last week and loved how I felt. Am at my parents for the wkend and just making a list of some extras I need for Monday.

Am not weighing at the mo due to pms but am hoping to be down 3 to 4 kg from my last weigh in by the end of August.

Looking forward to the 2 week kickstart. Have been missing having some structure!

Hi, all. I would like to join in, if possible. I started today and am hoping to get through phase I before I start teaching school.

Hi all.... sad to say.. restart AGAIN day 1 Sunday. I'm so off track this time around, i'm finding it really hard to take control. I'll get there, I really have to get my mind in the right set. Anyway, pms.. is the WORST time for me and cravings. I crave chocolate and sauce big time. I can do the sauce but no sugar added fudge bars just don't seem to cut it.. i'm looking for an alternative since PMS is here right now. I'm up way to late tonight.. must head to bed and get ready to grab the bull by the horns.

:welcome: Cheri
Have you read the book yet? It's a great place to start and really important to understand the reasons for the food choices we make. After that the recipes above are great and this thread and the daily provide a lot of information and support.

It's nice to meet you :)

:welcome2: CindieJo, kleo, Danni, and cheribaby!

aloha ladies!!

thanks for all the encouraging words :) made it through the worst-apartment's gleaming and friendships and relationship still intact:devil:
and (welcome back by the way) halo- have found an alternative!(drumroll please....)

homemade peanut-butter cups. YUM and veeeery fulfilling. will post recipe in dessert section soon.

ooooo-kleo so envious! i will DEFINITELY start off P2 with some zaftig organic wholegrain bread-sheesh! just started salivating thinkin' 'bout it. cherries sounds good, too.

awesome job resisting jrizzle!!! the smell of freshly baked pretzelbuns also brings me to my knees...

welcome danni&cheri baby! you'll see-the super-supportive ladies here make it so easy to stay op.

off to throw some chicken in the oven-trying a new recipe for lemon garlic chicken from nigella lawson.

:hug:for everybody!!!

happy sunday

oh...feeling redudant cuz there already is a recipe for P1 friendly pb cups in forum..mine is from scratch, tho. so feeling semi-redundant :)

lol Janet seems like your PMS has completely lifted! You sound in very good spirits today :D

I have just pre cooked some meals and am going to make some broccoli soup tomorrow night (just broc and broth/stock) so am feeling ready. I find dinner time the most difficult so if I have food I love on hand for that time of day then I feel ok.

Hope everyone is enjoying the rest of their weekend - Monday here in a few hours!

Thanks, all, for the welcome!

Cyndi, I have read the original book a couple of times, but am looking forward to getting the Supercharged version. I've heard there is some good information in there. Have you guys read it? Is it a lot different?

Woke up this morning with vertigo, so feeling sorta queasy. Trying to figure out what to eat that won't make me too ill. Maybe scrambled eggs or some broth.

Welcome, Dani & Cheriebaby and welcome back, oops!

Today is day 7 of phase 1 for me and so far, so good!

I have a question about caffeine. I know the book says it can cause blood sugar fluctuations, and if I really really must give it up *sigh* I guess I will. What have been others' experiences with caffeine? I'm not a coffee drinker, but I do love to have a small glass of diet Coke in the mornings, and then maybe another couple of glasses throughout the day.

Love the PB cups!! :D I had them almost every night during P1! I can't believe how addicting they are, and definitely satisfied my evening sweet tooth.

As far as caffeine goes, I just could not give up my one solo cup of coffee in the AM, so I did not. I don't think it had any major effects on my or my blood sugar. Switched to FF half and half instead of the full-fat version, but that did not make much of a difference for me.

I just love making the little changes as I travel this journey, and am amazed at how they truly do make a difference.

:hug: to everyone!

Caffeine is probably the one thing you will find a lot of people on this forum are not "by the book" on. I'm not saying you shouldn't follow the book, I'm just saying I don't and I'm not the only one. I drink a lot of coffee and haven't had any problem with it. A word of warning about diet soda though - there has been some research and some people have had experience with artificial sweeteners keeping cravings going. YMMV but keep an eye on that.

Love my coffee, Coke Zero and sun tea. I don't experience any cravings from artificial sweeteners. I feel like my diet is healthy now, so it's one of my few vices left.

Thanks for the input. I had heard about the artificial sweeteners causing issues, too and am definitely going to be vigilant about monitoring that.

You guys are the best!

:D
-Jasmine

Starting tomorrow I'm going to take Ph 1 5 days at a time. Tomorrow will probably be a smidge difficult as we are out of food. . .but have protein powder (Its Kierie Friendly) and enough salad and will have half a wrap sandwich (that I will de-wrap) from tonights dinner left over Also have PB cookies in the freezer and depending will either have them or some flax hot "cereal"

I cant believe the ghetto bookstore I went to the other day DID NOT HAVE THE BOOK! It also did not stock any Jillian Michaels ones and I really wanted to get her new one.

Seriously, Sydney does feel like the ghetto sometimes :D

OK! So, 10.24am and so far so good - Day 1 Ph 1.

Day 1 down! :) Hope everyone has a good one!

Keep on trucking, chickies. Danni, I hope you finally find the book.

Hi everyone! Phase One is officially over for me!! Seven pounds lost!!

I am going to stick on it for one more day before I ease into Phase Two. It's just that today is one of those easy, don't have any special occasion to go to days, so why not hang around another day? Tomorrow I will have a few nibbles of dark chocolate when I go on the tour of the gourmet chocolate kitchen. :) So I likely won't start introducing my first piece of fruit until Wednesday. Depending on how things go, I could add a whole wheat product as soon as Friday!!

NOT to brag. Just to say, if I can do it, you can too!

Although last night I had a weird little eating binge before bed. A couple of pieces of string cheese...too many nuts...and pickles (at least they have nearly 0 calories!) Argh, why? I guess phase 1 will really help you with cravings and temptation, but you still have to retain some modicum of willpower yourself! :)

Good luck, gals! I will keep checking in on this thread from time to time to see your progress and for encouragement - yours and mine!

Bragging is perfectly OK kleo! Congrats!! :)

Great job Kleo! I felt the same way - if I could do this anyone could ;)

I have found that while SBD really helps with some cravings (carbs in particular) there are some food issues that I still had and have to deal with. I do the same thing and salty foods are my issue too. I drink lots of water (well over 100 oz most days not counting herbal teas) so if I binge a little on pickles I don't worry. The nuts OTOH are a constant issue for me. I've found some trigger times for me and work with those but some days it still happens. I am pretty sure at this point that for a lot of us this will be a lifelong testing and tweaking process.

hurray kleo!!!

re coffee issue: if i go over 4 cups a day i get insane cravings :) otherwise ok. for some reason regular drip coffee sets me off but a lo-fat milk cappuccino will not.

what i can't do at all is a white wine spritzer during p1. cravings hit immediately-buttermilk helps contain them, though.

it's definitely interesting to see what our bodies react to all the nutritional changes we're making.

danni- sydney may be ghetto but so is mainz! all's i kin say is go online baby :) amazon delivers overnight. good luck!!!

day 10 and looking forward to sbd shepard's pie and zucchini/feta squares! can't believe how much i am cooking let alone that i ACTUALLY am cooking. who knew? :)

have a great start to ur weeks chicas

janet

YAY, Kleo!!!!! Great job!!

Dani, you're off to a great start. :D

Janet, where did you get the zucchini/feta recipe? I've got some yellow squash and some zucchini in the refrigerator that are begging for me to do something with them!

I wanted to share a revelation I had yesterday afternoon. Before I started SBD, I had complained to my husband that I was having serious exhaustion/sinking spells around 2 pm every day. I realized yesterday that I have not had one all week.

Not only that, but my energy level is amazingly high now after an initial lag on days 3 & 4; in fact, I'm finding it a little difficult to go to sleep at night. But the very best thing so far? My creativity has returned! YAY!!!! I designed and created four necklaces and two bracelets this weekend, and am seriously feeling like I want to set up my torch and kiln and start working hot glass again. :D Just typing that makes me soooo happy.

-Jasmine

I so agree about the high energy level! It's the best! Kind of like a natural high, it is so great how my body responded to eating this amazingly healthy way!

First weekend off P1 and I indulged in too much wine! :( Should I wait for Friday's weigh in before I introduce a P2 food??? :?:

Well, I just finished the first week of Phase 1 and am starting week 2. I bought the "Supercharged" book this weekend - and read the whole thing! One problem I am having is the dairy part. I hate milk and yogurt and cannot stomach either of them. Does anyone have any suggestions? I have been OP the whole week (down 5 pounds!) but can't seem to get that dairy in there.

Today I am going to start the interval walking that they discuss in the book. I'm awfully lazy and have trouble sticking to a workout plan. This is a 20 minute interval walk though, and I think I can handle that!

Congrats to all you losing and staying OP!! Welcome to those that are new!

Hi everyone. I've been posting sporatically, as I am just finishing my P1, but think I'm going to stick on it for another week (anniversary dinner on Sat, so I "cheated", but not tooo bad.) I'm down 10 lbs, and am starting to have some energy back. Woo hoo!

Have I mentioned I HATE veggies? But I'm trying new things, and haven't used butter or margarine to cook a single thing in two weeks. YAY! DH hasn't missed any of it, and we've found some new dishes.

I'm kinda worried about sticking to SB now that the kids are home. DH has custody of his 3 kids, and they were visiting their mom for her summer vacation the last two weeks. Figured it would be a good time to start P1. Trying to S-T-R-E-T-C-H the dollar now that they are home....

I'm down 10 lbs, and am starting to have some energy back. Woo hoo!

I'm kinda worried about sticking to SB now that the kids are home. ... Trying to S-T-R-E-T-C-H the dollar now that they are home....

LaMariposa
Funny I was thinking about you this morning as I was driving through the mountains. Why, because I remember you posting your concern about SB and budget, and I quote from July's P1 thread, " I'm used to eating high carb to stretch the dollar in the house, and now I'm stocking up on veggies and am afraid once school starts for the kids, our groceries are going to be through the roof. Any ideas?"

I was going to respond to your original post then *poof* you mentioned it again. I don't have the miracle answer for you, because I don't have kids and don't understand one thing about cooking for a family. I was wondering if you could start a specific thread where we could brainstorm ideas because......

Today you have stated that you have lost 10 pounds and are starting to have some energy back. Somewhere you owe it to your health to find a way to make this work out. I thought about your post the other night while dining OP at Country Buffet. The kids food choices were so poor, and no wonder we are a nation of the obese. Perhaps your finding a way to make a healthier WOL work out for your entire family would be a gift of health to DH and the kids.

Post and I think the creative and budget minded beachers could and would help.

Trying2 you could try Light Soy Milk? I think there is also soy yogurt not sure on the sugar tho
ok I have to hit the bricks

One problem I am having is the dairy part. I hate milk and yogurt and cannot stomach either of them. Does anyone have any suggestions? I have been OP the whole week (down 5 pounds!) but can't seem to get that dairy in there.


Here's a list of some other foods rich in Calcium:

Salmon
Tofu
Sardines
Collard greens
Spinach
Turnip greens
Okra
White beans
Baked beans
Broccoli
Brussel sprouts
Sesame seeds
Bok choy
Almonds

I wouldn't sweat it too much if you can't tolerate milk. Make sure you get some cheese daily too and take a calcium and Vit. D supplement. You need to take D to absorb the calcium or it doesn't do any good. You need to take in 1000 mg of calcium daily.

Hello everyone!! Ive been on SB for about a week now. Had a rough weekend and gained back 1lb. Oh well.
But I had a question about these protein bars I stumbled upon. I looked up protein bars for SB but it said pretty much that nothing is aloud except the SB bars. Which are only for phase 2 & 3. I was hoping that these would be ok...cant post a photo yet. They are "Met-rx Protein Plus". They have their own website with the info.
Thanks all in advanced!!
-Lindsay

Just got back from dinner at The Olive Garden! DH and I had a gift card that was burning a hole in our pocket...

Did really well as I ordered iced tea instead of wine. Then I ordered the herb-crusted salmon with steamed veggies on the side. It was amazing! I didn't even crave the pasta while I enjoyed a dish so delicious. DH ordered spaghetti and meatballs and said he was jealous of ME! But I do have to say that I effectively retired my phase 1 at approximately 6:30 PM, when I proceeded to celebrate with 1/2 a bread stick. It was my one indulgence. Playing with fire...I know.

----

To the concern about dairy, I might be in this boat too because I cannot STAND milk. I eat plenty of cheese though - too much probably. Thanks for the list of alternate calcium sources!

----

As for the protein bars, what phase are you on? In Phase One there are no acceptable protein bars that I know of, unless you make your own. I can't even think of any that would be p2 friendly, but maybe I'm wrong. The South Beach Diet bars are kind of confusing...because those on the diet technically shouldn't have them until they are on maintenance. Too much sugar and carbs.

Good luck!

Hey all! So far so good on Day 2! I am finding it surprisingly easy. I realise its only Day 2 but after a year of fighting with myself about eating friggin' veggies the freedom to eat a tomato and not stress over its carb content has made me feel like this!!!!!!!!!!

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b142/dimples_d/happy.gif

and like this!

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b142/dimples_d/dancing-broccoli-23.gif

NewPanda

Metrx protein plus bars
INGREDIENTS: Chocolate Flavored Coating (Maltitol, Fractionated Palm Kernel Oil, Milk Protein Concentrate, Cocoa, Calcium Caseinate, Soy Lecithin, Natural Flavor), Caramel Layer (Maltitol
Syrup, Nonfat Milk, Milk Protein Concentrate, Fractionated Palm Kernel Oil, Cream, Glycerin, Butter (Cream, Salt), Salt, Mono- and Diglycerides, Sodium Phosphate, Natural Flavor, Carrageenan,
Soy Lecithin), Metamyosyn® VPP Protein Blend (Milk Protein Concentrate, Calcium Caseinate, Whey Protein Isolate, Whey Protein Concentrate, Hydrolyzed Whey Protein Isolate, Egg White,
L-Glutamine), Hydrolyzed Gelatin, Glycerin, Water, Peanuts, Maltitol, Cocoa (processed with alkali), Inulin, Natural Flavor, Salt, High Oleic Safflower Oil, Vitamin and Mineral Blend (Calcium
Phosphate, Magnesium Oxide, Ascorbic Acid, Alpha Tocopherol Acetate, Niacinamide, Zinc Oxide, Copper Gluconate, d-Calcium
Pantothenate, Ferric Orthophosphate, Vitamin A Palmitate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Thiamin Mononitrate, Folic Acid, Biotin,
Potassium Iodide, Cyanocobalamin), Caramel Color, Sucralose, Maltodextrin.

Lots of bad fats and unpronouncable ingredients in here. Not a SB compatible food to me. This plan is about using whole foods and healthy ingredients, not overly processed food items. For the 310 calories I could make a really nice SB entree that will fill you up for hours and be a lot healthier.

NewPanda

When you get to P2 I have a very satisfying protien bar that isn't too hard to make. I'd be happy to share the recipe.

Hello Im new to this forum, i have been doing south beach for a few months, the last couple of weeks ive had a few slip ups so i am doing phase 1 again from today :)

Katie

:welcome: to The Beach, Katie. There is lots of information and support on our stretch of the sand.

I was going to respond to your original post then *poof* you mentioned it again. I don't have the miracle answer for you, because I don't have kids and don't understand one thing about cooking for a family. I was wondering if you could start a specific thread where we could brainstorm ideas because......


Thanks - I will do this! Still new to how the boards work here, but am loving the support!!!

Katie - Welcome! You look like you are on the right track - way to go so far! Welcome to SB - I've been chugging along for 2 weeks now (with a cheat this weekend) so I'm sticking it out a few more days.

Day 2 done :D

I would have liked to have had some more veggies with dinner, but I only got home from work after 9pm and I just needed some food! Working these hours has made me cranky but am happy that I have stayed on plan. Its 11pm here and I still have a few hours of work to get through but I wanted to check in quick. Hugs to everyone :)

Day 2 done :D

I would have liked to have had some more veggies with dinner, but I only got home from work after 9pm and I just needed some food!

Danni - YAY for day two down. Can you try cutting up your veggies that you are going to eat the day before? I have a hard time w/ this too, as it's a rush to get in from work, get kids from the MIL, and cook dinner. I find if everything's pre-cut, I will cook them, if not, I say "I'll eat it tomorrow". I find I don't let the veggies go to waste this way either. As tonight's dinner is cooking (or nuking ;) ) cut up some veggies for tomorrow. Also the Ziploc Steam bags are great for easy, yummy veggies (and I wash/reuse them until they won't zip closed any more).

Hey everyone! Just a quick check-in to let you all know that I haven't fallen off of the P1 wagon. I'm on Day 9 and feeling great!! I'm honestly not craving ANYTHING and I've dropped 6 lbs. since July 27th. My goal for P1 was to lose a total of 3 lbs. which would have put me at 179 on Aug. 9th.

My birthday is on Saturday, but I have already planned ahead. DH is going to BBQ some chicken fajitas and bell peppers for us and I'll have that on top of a big grilled salad. Our annual ranch rodeo is this weekend, so we'll probably go watch the boys work, which will be a great distraction from the hot dogs, hamburgers and tacos being passed around.

I hope everyone is doing well and I hope to catch up with what's going on and who is new to the thread tonight after work.

Great going Kim & LaMariposa :) Mari (sorry its almost 1am and I have been working since 9am YESTERDAY so am taking liberties with your name ;) ) - great idea on the pre chopping veg! I am so scattered at the moment - hopefullY I can get home from work at a reasonable-ish hour tomorrow and do some prep work.

Ricotta w/vanilla splenda and cinammon was LOVE tonight! :D

Hi, Danni! Thanks! Why haven't I tried the Ricotta Creme with cinnamon?! Doh! That's dessert tonight for sure.

Oooh...I think there's some pumpkin pie spice in the cupboard, too. I'll try that tomorrow!!

I was a total non-believer of the ricotta but its realllly good and a little goes a long way :)

Yeah, this is the first time I've done P1 and eaten the ricotta. It's delicious and certainly helps me get through hungry evenings!

Hi! I posted an intro thread, but would like to join in here, too. I'm on Day 4 of phase 1 -- I'm doing a phase 1.5 (adding 2 fruits a day, and can add one whole grain, but tried it once and won't do it again!) per my doctor's advice. I had a scary racing, flopping heart episode last week, which is what spurred me to start eating properly one more time, and my doctor was worried about electrolyte imbalance -- for me, not a problem generally! I'm old :)

So far so good. I lost 5 pounds the first two days! I've had no cravings, and it's been very easy -- and pleasant! -- to stick to plan. My biggest challenges are going to be breaking bad habits -- mostly caused by laziness. I love vegetables if someone else cooks them. I bought some packets of precut veggies from Whole Foods to get me through this first week. My former eating habits were...grab anything around that you can eat instantly, or fry something, or put bread on an English muffin and then slap on some jelly. So a lot of habits to break, but it's been easy so far.

I'm another No Milk! person. I thought the book said UP TO 2 servings daily, not that you MUST have two servings daily. I've never tried plain yogurt (holding nose) but I do eat ff cheeses.

I look forward to getting to know everyone. Kleo -- congratulations!!

You guys are all doing so great!! :carrot:

Xan, try mixing some plain yogurt with a packet of splenda and some cinnamon. That sure does the trick for me, love my yogurt for a morning snack almost every day!!

And if you check out the PB cup recipe (yumm-o!!), after I finish that, a glass of ff milk is the perfect chaser! :D

My biggest challenges are going to be breaking bad habits -- ---- My former eating habits were...grab anything around that you can eat instantly, or fry something

Xan, There are things you can fry; a burger patty, salmon patty(check ingredients), a lean piece of steak, or chicken. The key here is having them avaliable when you are at the point of "grabbing anything around". By thinking ahead, and stocking up you will be able to grab the right thing.

I had a packet of sliced turkey, individual packages of string or laughing cow cheese, I made a batch of jello every day when I was craving a bit of sweet, and a 3 bean salad(check recipes) made w/splenda. All preplanned to grab when needed. I always have sf fudgesicles in the freezer but am very strict and limit myself to one.

I always have sf fudgesicles in the freezer but am very strict and limit myself to one.

I can't seem to find sugar free fudgesicles ANYWHERE. I can find "no sugar added" but these don't seem as "legal" to me. Are they the same or should i avoid the "no sugar added" label?

The "no sugar added" fudgesicles are just fine!...they are legal, thank Gawd!
I think they were the saving grace for me in phase 1...and I still love em.

No sugar added is what you should have. They won't be sugarfree because of the lactose in the milk that makes the fudgesicles but that is okay.

Oh I so can't do the SF ice cream. Bad bad reaction! Are those fudgesicles like the skinny cow ones?

Xan, There are things you can fry; a burger patty, salmon patty(check ingredients), a lean piece of steak, or chicken. The key here is having them avaliable when you are at the point of "grabbing anything around". By thinking ahead, and stocking up you will be able to grab the right thing.

I had a packet of sliced turkey, individual packages of string or laughing cow cheese, I made a batch of jello every day when I was craving a bit of sweet, and a 3 bean salad(check recipes) made w/splenda. All preplanned to grab when needed. I always have sf fudgesicles in the freezer but am very strict and limit myself to one.

Thank you, Lexxiss! I got a grill pan for this adventure, so that I wouldn't get too much fat. I cooked ahead a bit and htat's what's saved me so far. But these are great ideas.

I just added fudgesicles to my shopping list -- and thanks for all the information on fudgesicles!

This is what I buy:

Are those fudgesicles like the skinny cow ones?

Skinny Cow is not SB friendly. Fudgesicles have sugar and corn syrup. The brand I buy here is "Breyers-Carb Smart" sweetened with Splenda. One bar has 3 grams of sugar , though sugar is not a listed ingredient. Possibly occuring naturally in another ingredient?

I buy the Healthy Choice sugar free fudgesicles because they are the only ones I've found that use Splenda instead of aspartame (migraine producer for me).

Luckily we have none of the above in the ghetto!! :)

Day 3 and am doing well. I feel like I am getting a bit of a cold, or it could be just that i was up so late working and I am a bit off - just a tad chesty and my throat is sore so am thinking I will have brocolli soup for dinner.

I just sautee the chopped broc in a pot until the water I washed it in evaporates and it turns a luverly shade of green and then add some stock (no sugar in the ingredients and it says zero carb for a serving) and then just blitz it with the hand held blender. That's it! It freezes well and is surprisingly creamy and so nourishing when you just feel like a little hug from the inside :)

The kitchen is closed and I am off to bed! Day 4 tmro and I cant weight (:D intentional pun) to start feeling more sveltey. I dont know what I did to mess up my broc love tonight but I didnt love it at all :( I am though definitely coming down with a cold (cough, chesty-ness and sore throat) so that could be it.

Hope everyone is having a great day on the Beach :)

Hello all, I am joining you back on Phase 1- eating is out of control again- so today is day 2 for me. I am going to do the full 2 weeks and then move on from there.

Danni what you might be feeling is the SB "flu" that some feel during days 3 and 4 but by day 5 you normally feel great. Make sure you are getting plenty of dairy and beans and that normally helps.

Good morning everyone! How's everyone doing today?

I tried the ricotta last night as a dessert (used variation of the SB book recipe with cocoa and vanilla) Really good - thanks for the idea. I forgot that's the base for Cannoli filling (sorry if I butchered the spelling of that) since I usually use it for lasagna.

Anne - those are the fudgesicles I was looking at in the store, but was afraid to buy incase they weren't ok. THANK YOU! I need chocolate!

I've been having crazy hot flashes the last 4-5 days. Anyone else experience this? I also went through a miscarriage 4 weeks ago, but my hormone levels are stabilized after the D&C, so I don't think I can contribute my hot flashes to that. I'm only 28, so I'm not sure if it's my body revolting against the veggies? My eating habits are the only thing I've changed in the last month.

hey everybody- just skimmed thru posts and you all seem bright, chipper and oh-so-slender!! (get better soon danni. chicken broth w/veggies or are you a vegetarian?)

ach. fudgesicles. do not exist in this hemisphere..could be a blessing in disguise like danni said.
also have become HUGE fan of the ricotta recipes, very versatile and using real vanilla bean makes it almost sinful! woo-hoo

remind me to post recipes that i mention(and then conveniently forget)

day 12 and all is well

Hi everyone! Danni, sorry about the cold. That doesn't' help!

I'm on Day 5, doing fine. I'm starting to feel better -- no surge of energy yet, but I'm sleeping better and the bloating is gone -- and I haven't needed to take a nap in the afternoon since the day I started.

Have a great day everyone!

Phew! The office ordered pizza for everyone in the plant today. I soooooooooooooooooo wanted that gooey cheese, but I did good. Ate an antipasto salad and two big glasses of water. I kept trying to talk myself into eating "just one" slice, but I resisted. Still want some, but it's all gone now. Maybe I'll go munch on a rf string cheese now.....

Thanks for the calcium tips! I do eat lf cheese everyday, at least one slice, and I love many of the other foods that you had on that list as well! I'm on day 10 and feeling pretty good! I've been trying new meals and different things and that seems to be helping keep me OP. I haven't even really been tempted to cheat - except for my beer!! I haven't really noticed a loss in the last couple days, but it's better than gaining!! Slow and steady wins the race. Congrats to all you out there losing - keep it up!

Hi all! My cold is in full force today. Lots of fun nose blowing and coughing. And yet people keep asking me "whats wrong". Makes me want to punch them. I have acupuncture this afternoon and its usually very helpful for all sorts of ails.

Sounds like everyone is doing great! :) I felt like I had dropped some bloat yesterday but today I feel bloaty again (TOM time too - awesome time to start Phase I eh). I am not weighing in for 2 weeks though cos it makes me nutty to see fluctuations and just before starting SB I was not a good girl to say the least so if I get on and its higher than my all time low it will make me completely unhinged! ha!

I need to go get some groceries tonight and do some pre cooking.

Hey everyone! The kitchen is closed here! And am off to bed soon.

I am pooped - between feeling icky and working all these crazy hours. I had more almonds than I should have tonight, but its better than the alternative that I would have fallen upon in the past.

Thinking about shrinking and having to check in and tell you all that I fell off the beach is making me stay strong when I am tired and work is too much.

Tomorrow is Day 5! Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Goal is to get some fresh veg in not just cooked ones.

Today is Day 11 for me. Yesterday had the potential to be really bad, but a teensy bit of planning ahead helped me stay OP. I had to get into Dallas for an appointment at 11, then needed to run a number of errands while we were there. It takes about an hour each way, so I knew we'd be gone from the house for the better part of the day. I packed a container of homemade SB friendly chili, some string cheese and a single serving of almonds. I managed to get everything on my list done, stayed on plan and even felt like doing a little bit of clothes shopping when we were done!

Have a great Thursday my fellow Phase One chickadees!

-Jasmine

Hi everyone!

I'm new to the beach and today is my first day doing this new diet. I thought I'd introdouce my self here because you may have more experience and suggestions for this first phase. I tried weight watcher for a while and lost weight but I never stuck to it so I'm helping this will work. I have type 1 diabetes and my doctor reccomended this when I recently gained a lot of weight and my A1C is no 8.2 =( So Today is a new day and I determined now ( and hopefully for a while) to stick with this diet. I will most likely check in a lot because I need to feel acountable.

So I can't wait to learn from all of you and get to know you around the forum =)

I'm on day 11 and feel very bloated and heavy today! My first week was great, lost almost 5 lbs, and now I feel like I've totally stalled. I am only eating 15 almonds per day, I try not to eat more than a slice or two of lf cheese a day, and I've stayed 100% OP except a beer that I couldn't resist.

I need some motivation! Also, does anyone have any breakfast ideas that are super easy? I like to sleep until the very last minute, so unless it's a grab and go item, I normally just eat a piece of cheese for breakfast :-( Oh, and I can't stomach vegetable juice. Ugh!

I'm thinking about yougurt for breakfast because I'm not big on eggs and if your not big on eggs there aren't many choices for you.. unless you wanna start your day with meat... which sounds a lil gross to me... anyone have any other ideas?

For some breakfast ideas....Try some nf Ricotta cheese or rf cottage cheese. Both add the calcuim you need, and don't have any prep time. Throw a 1/4 tsp of vanilla and 1/2 tsp of unsweetened cocoa into the ricotta, and you have a yummy snack, too.

Anyone notice a lot of "vegetarian" dishes are REALLY BAD for you? A lot of pasta, oils, and processed foods. Guess that's why there's a lot of fat vegetarians, too. I was browsing a lot of websites to get some ideas for a vegetarian dinner, and there's hardly anything "healthy". Any suggestions there?

LaMarisposa, glad to hear you're finding success with recipes. I'm not vegetarian, but I'm sure you will have some information on vegetarian healthy meals. I think the :beach: has many healthy vegetarians.!

LaMar Good Job on the Pizza!
Xan You can do almost anything on the grill pan Grilled Zuch sooo goood

I'm on day 11 and feel very bloated and heavy today! My first week was great, lost almost 5 lbs, and now I feel like I've totally stalled.

I need some motivation!

Weeks into this, i still feel very bloated and heavy! Be strong, we didn't get fat overnight. I did look at a picture the other day and had a moment to realize that my conception of myself is not necessarily reality. REALITY: I look and feel so much better than I did 3 years ago. Yet, there are many times that I just "feel fat".

In weeks 4-6, I still felt very fat. I still feel fat, but my clothes say different. Stick with it until your head matches your heart.

Welcome Tink! I think you will love SB, I think it is the easiest plan I've tried for long term success. Just finishing week 3 tomorrow and hoping for a little bit less of me when I step on the scale in the AM! A little bit at a time, I'm happy with that! And I feel soooo great!!

For quick breakfasts for me, it's a glass of V-8 and either a hard-boiled egg, or some turkey bacon (just discovered that, yum). Remember, breakfast does not have to "look" like breakfast. You can try lentil soup, I've heard other beachers love that for breakfast. And check out the recipe for the Veggie Quiche cups -- made those and the whole fam loved them, quick and easy and ready to grab on the run.

I'm back AGAIN. Hopefully I'll be here for a very long time this time around. So, today is Day 1 of Phase 1....:dizzy:

Welcome back, Karen! You can do this!!

-Jasmine

Hi everyone!

I have type 1 diabetes and my doctor reccomended this when I recently gained a lot of weight and my A1C is no 8.2 =( So Today is a new day and I determined now ( and hopefully for a while) to stick with this diet. I will most likely check in a lot because I need to feel acountable.


Tink, Dr. A doesn't recommend Phase I if you are diabetic especially Type I as there may not be enough carbohydrate in it to support the amount of insulin you are used to taking. Have you OK'd use of Phase I with your Dr.?

I was browsing a lot of websites to get some ideas for a vegetarian dinner, and there's hardly anything "healthy". Any suggestions there?

I can make almost any recipe vegetarian by subbing veggie crumbles, beans, or "fake" chicken for the meat, and it turns out just as well, (or even better, IMHO) as the original recipe.

Hello everyone - I stumbled upon this forum purely by accident, but I think it might be a good place for me!

On Monday I was at the Dr. having a routine physical and I asked him what he recommended for weight loss. I told him that I had been working out more and counting calories yet in the last 3 months my weight has went up and down the same set of 5 pounds.

I was actually pretty shocked when he told me that his recommendation would be for me to try the SBD! I always thought it was a fad diet that didn't work. But as the Dr. recommended I went and got the book on the way home Monday night!

I started Phase 1 - day 1 on Tuesday, so I guess I am on day 3 now!

Phase 1 is not as hard as I expected it to be, although not easy either. I think my biggest issue right now is my non-dieting spouse who eats whatever she wants right in front of me! And since I do all the cooking - I was preparing her cheesy rice and pork chops for dinner with a roll while I ate a small chop and a salad...... that was a bit tough. But with will power I made it through!

I love reading new SBD receipes and would welcome any suggestions for "side dishes". I love vegtables, but fear I'll get tired of eating them with every meal quickly.

- Kristin

Tink, Dr. A doesn't recommend Phase I if you are diabetic especially Type I as there may not be enough carbohydrate in it to support the amount of insulin you are used to taking. Have you OK'd use of Phase I with your Dr.?

Yea my endo said go ahead. I'm assuming he was talking about type 2 just because if your on insulin and type 2 you give your self a shot with the same amount daily. Being type one, my insulin needs depend on what I eat. So if I eat a carb ful meal then I would need A LOT of insulin, but if I eat something with no carbs then I just use insulin to correct my blood sugar. So far I haven't had any problems... its only day 1 though. Thank you for the concern and heads up =) I didn't see that in the book =P

:welcome: Kristin

I do the cooking in my house too. SBD is a really healthy way of eating for anyone so I cook "my" meals and DP can add whatever she wants to go with it (usually just a wrap or two). Over time she has given in and now basically eats what I cook. We are going through an awful lot of vegetables here :)

I had the same impression of SBD and was really surprised when I learned more about it. It's basically a really healthy whole foods diet.

LaMariposa - Yeah, there is this illusion that vegetarians are by definition healthier but that's not necessarily true. My co-workers veg husband pretty much lives on pizza and Annie's Mac n cheese. There are lots of healthy recipes out there but you do have to skip through all the pasta and cheese recipes.

Timk - there are several threads about breakfast. I'm a fan of beans, veggies & salsa

Kierie - you are so right about grilling. I slice up whatever vegetables we have in the house, toss them all with some Newmans RF dressing and dump the whole thing on the grill. The leftovers (if there are any!) are great in salads.

Yea my endo said go ahead. I'm assuming he was talking about type 2 just because if your on insulin and type 2 you give your self a shot with the same amount daily. Being type one, my insulin needs depend on what I eat. So if I eat a carb ful meal then I would need A LOT of insulin, but if I eat something with no carbs then I just use insulin to correct my blood sugar. So far I haven't had any problems... its only day 1 though. Thank you for the concern and heads up =) I didn't see that in the book =P

Aren't you on a basal insulin besides your nutritional doses?

Aren't you on a basal insulin besides your nutritional doses?

Yes, actually I'm on a pump so I have a basal rate which basically covers any natural sugar my liver produces as well as the addition blood sugar rise in the morning (the dawn effect)

Yes, actually I'm on a pump so I have a basal rate which basically covers any natural sugar my liver produces as well as the addition blood sugar rise in the morning (the dawn effect)

I would check your BG really often if you're going to do Phase I as you may need less insulin. Don't want you getting hypoglycemic.

Thanks! yea so far (since today was day 1) my blood sugars have been about normal. I def. won't use as much insulin so that will be a good thing and my basal rate may go down by the end of the 2 weeks... my dr said it should decrease when I lose weight. Thank you for the concern =)

Welcome back Karen and welcome Kristin!! :)

I had another really busy day at work so the day kind of flew past . . . . and amazingly I wasnt starving when I ended up leaving the office at 8pm. I am hopeful that the late nights will end early next week.

Day 6 tomorrow - yay! I was tempted to weigh in today but TOM is still here and I am still bloaty so I didnt bcos that could and would have set me off!

My tax agent brought me a huge box of super expensive CHOCOLATES today and I filed them in my drawer at work. All my over eating happens at home I dont have a need for choc at work so that is where it will stay until I can offload it/share it on Monday!

Have a great Friday all!

I can make almost any recipe vegetarian by subbing veggie crumbles, beans, or "fake" chicken for the meat, and it turns out just as well, (or even better, IMHO) as the original recipe.

I know where to find the beans, but where do you find veggie crumbles? Thanks. Poor DH is getting tired of all of my eggplant recipes. LOL.

I can find both the Morningstar Farm and the Boca brands of veggie crumbles in the freezer in the vegetarian section of all the supermarkets around here. If your store has a whole/natural foods section, you may find them in there, too.

Welcome, Tink, Karen and Kristin! Danni, I hope your cold is better. (I used to ALWAYS get a cold when I started a new diet -- didn't this time. I used to laugh and say it was the sudden addition of vegetables :) )

I'm down another pound. This is the first diet I've been on when I said, starting out, that I did not need to lose quickly, I was not going to make "you have to lose 10 pounds by this date," and I've lost more this week (6 pounds so far; I'm on Day 7) than any of my WW attempts.

And you know, if I'd only lost 2 I'd be happy. I feel so much better -- no brain fog, no need-for-naps, no bloat.

Thanks for the grilled veg tips. This week was Getting Used to the Beach Week. Now that I have a regular meal pattern in place (think of that!) I'm going to play around with recipes a bit more. Have a great day, everyone!

Thanks for all the welcome backs. Day 1 went really well. I'm trying to have a different frame of mind this time. After all, this is a new way of eating, not a diet right?...LOL

Great progress Xan! I have had the worst work week which is continuing today Saturday!!!!! Butttttt have found that my energy is really high. I love that. That's what stops me from veering off course. Knowing I feel good
:)

ok off to start my day. Am going to head to the organic grocer before work and get a variety of legumes. They have great stuff there.

Hello Xan! Wow thats great to hear that you lost 6lbs already and you still have another 7 days ahead of you! It gives me hope, but then again I don't wanna weigh in and get upset if I don't see a big number.... so I'm going to TRY to wait until the 14th day. I'm also thinking of doing maybe 3 weeks or slowlllllyyyy adding other foods because I have a lot to lose.

Good to hear you had a good first day as well Karen. My first day was suprisingly easy.

Today was 2. My breakfast was plain lowfat yougurt and OMG that was the most horrible thing I've ever tasted. I was under the impression that the yogurt they used at mcdonalds in their parfait is plain....hahahahah I couldn't have been more wrong. So I added vanila, cinnomin, and splenda to it and it tasted .... ok... Any other suggestions for making that white stuff taste good? lol

Also is there a limit to how much splenda, cinnomin, or other spices you use? Thanks in advance!

Heres to day 3 that starts in.... 18 mins and I'm at my boyfriends for the weekend and I already know this is going to be REALLY hard. He is not dieting and eats all my "old" favorite foods.

For anyone who hasn't found this awesome treat:

I went to GIANT today and they had this 20 pack of popsicles made with splenda. All sugar free. You get popsicles that are 10 calories, fudgsicles that are 35 calories, and creamsicles that are 20. THEY ARE SO GOOD!!!

Have a good weekend everyone!!

Welcome to all the new Beachers!

Today is day 13 for me. Really?!? It has flown by!

I am so excited to report that I have not yet strayed from the P1 plan, and I feel really, really great physically. I can't wait for weigh-in and measurements on Monday. :D

I have found that the "peanut butter cup" recipe in the Phase 1 Desserts menu is way too tasty. In fact, if I let myself, I could eat 4 or 5 servings of it. I do not crave sugar or carbs, but I do find myself craving that, I think because it is "allowed" so I may have to take it off my list of allowed treats for now. But finding what works and adapting this way of life so it is sustainable - that is what this is all about, right?

Keep up the great work, everyone!!

Tink, if the yogurt tastes horrible to you, you don't have to eat that. The biggest benefit of South Beach for me is that I can adapt it to my own tastes, and I LOVE the foods I'm eating!

I also don't care for eggs all that much, so I find that I often have non-breakfast foods for breakfast. They are usually much more filling and definitely more satisfying than eating something I don't even like. I've tried to like yogurt and I just don't (unless it's frozen ice-cream style!). I also don't care for eggplant. Does this mean I fail at SouthBeach? No way! Learn to adapt what you do like so it fits the plan.

I don't think there is any limit to the amount of Splenda and there is definitely no limit on spices and seasonings - just be sure they don't have any added sugar (some of the seasoning blends you buy off the shelf, especially meat rubs and such, have sugar added).

Oh, I agree, those peanut butter cups are sooo yummy!! I think I had them every single night during P1. Now I'm trying to do every other night. I had originally bought a no-name brand of NSA fudgsicles. When those ran out, got the real NSA Fudgsicles, wow, what a difference, they taste so much better than the generic ones!! So even just having one of those with a glass of FF milk at night has been a real treat for me.

Just finished first week of P2 and am still losing -- wow!! The only thing I added back in was my wine, was really missing that. Luckily, it did not affect me. This week I'll add in brown rice -- had some last night with pepper strips and chicken and a little bit of guac. The fam was having chicken soft tacos and I just tweaked my meal a little bit to stay SB friendly.

I'm still feeling great and full of energy!! Still have a hamstring injury so have not been able to exercise yet. Seeing the doc on Monday so hopefully he'll have some answers for me! :D

I love coming hear and seeing how all of you are handing your journeys, successes and the inevitable bumps in the road. Stay strong, and have a great weekend, chickies!!

Day 2 went good for me again. Day 3 should be ok too. I do have a question though. Tomorrow morning we are going to breakfast at Shoney's with friends. Does anyone have any suggestions of what I can eat off of the breakfast bar.
Thanks in advance.

I am brand new and waiting on my book to arrive. I have never done South Beach, but need something I can finally live my life on naturally and not a self imposed diet. I am a Type 2 diabetic and have gotten my blood sugar under control with my medication Metformin. I do 4 mile Walk Away the Lbs DVD's. I also do some strength training. I did one month of Nutrisystem D which nearly broke me financially and I just felt this was such a unatural way of eating and the food was not that good. I have been on the American Diabetes Association diet and don't want to eat all the carbs on it. It is a little to high and I saw my blood sugars creeping up.

So...from what I have read so far on SB it seams the most natural way to eat for the rest of my life. I should be getting the books next week from Amazon. Delighted to meet all of you. I love this forum a lot.

Can't wait to meet you all.

Melanie in Colorado

Welcome Melanie. South Beach is a wonderful, healthy way to eat for permanent weight loss. Hopefully, as you lose, you will need less medication for your diabetes. Karen, toughie on the Shoney's breakfast bar. I don't know if they have plain scrambled eggs, but maybe you could order off the menu. Looks like they have steak & eggs on the menu. I know it's not low fat, but I eat a sausage link at work when I eat scrambled eggs in the cafeteria. I just blot most of the grease off of it. Maybe you can order a glass of V8 juice there too. Do the best you can and here's wishing you luck!

Thank you so much Anne for the welcome. I so appreciate it.
Melanie in Colorado

Welcome Melanie! I am currently on day 3 and it isn't all that bad.

I'm a little angry at my self because I had 3 popsicles (about 65 calories total) and I counted it as 45 carbs total... stupid me... I looked at the label and it was like 37... so I woke up a couple hour later with a low blood sugar and I didn't have an sugar tablets on me so I had some carbs.... so I cheated. At that time I just wanted my blood sugar to be back to normal I didn't even care what I was eating. So I'm mad myself for cheating!! Grr....

Anyone else wind up cheating on their phase 1? Any advice? How did it affect your results?

I'm going to try to keep my blood sugar under control and def. need to get me some sugar tablet to keep on me.

Tina, dairy or legumes are good snacks to deal with hypos! I use them rather than glucose tablets.

We use skim milk for hypoglycemia in hospitalized patients too.

Welcome, Melanie!!

Tink, just keep on trucking - don't worry about the slip up. When you get to the end of Phase I, you can tack on an extra day if you feel like you need it. Phase I is mostly about kicking the severe cravings and evening out the wild swings in blood sugar. I am not diabetic, but I did have severe low blood sugar episodes before I started SB. Since starting SB, the few times I felt myself getting weak, I had a bowl of homemade chili (mostly beans with a little meat & tomato) and felt 100% better within a few minutes.

Today is day 14 of Phase I for me!!! I can't believe how fast it went by. I feel so good and know this is a plan that I can stick with from now on. I was at my mom & dad's last night and dad was smoking sausage for dinner. It's his favorite German recipe from a meat market about 45 minutes from their house and he made a special trip to get it. Mom marinated some chicken breasts to go on the grill too, and was planning to make baked potatoes to go with it. I hadn't told them yet that I am a Beacher, so I told my mom and then found some broccoli and green beans in the freezer, so for dinner I had green beans, broccoli, chicken and about 1oz of dad's sausage since he cooked especially for me. It is a very dense, dry sausage and when I tried to blot it, there was no grease, so I'm considering it on plan.

Don't know what today holds, but I made a pot of chili and if I decide to take DS school shoe shopping, I'll take a thermos of chili along so I'll stay on plan and keep the blood sugar happy. :D

Have a fantastic Sunday, everyone!

-Jasmine

Hello It's the Newbie,

I am gathering info before my book arrives.

Do any of you eat buffalo ground meat? It is lower in fat then regular ground beef.

What kind of salad dressings do you use? I have seen some really great recipes on the stickys.

Thanks again, and I am sure I will have more questions coming.

Melanie in Colorado :wave:

Somebody else that used to be on here a lot used buffalo meat. I use the South Beach ranch dressing, but I have also used many of the Kraft reduced fat dressings that don't have much added sugars.

Melanie, I love the cilantro mayo recipe that's in the original book. It's very tasty and I've used it as a dip for my turkey/cheese wraps, as well as a dressing for my salads. I also use it with chopped chicken breast, celery and onion to make a very tasty chicken salad. I made up a batch of it and it lasted 2 weeks, including the two times I used it to make large portions of the chicken salad.

I've also made the balsamic vinaigrette dressing recipe from the book and it's tasty, too.

-Jasmine

Thanks for the help all =) I'm not big on drinking milk staight so maybe I'll switch to chocolate milk. I actually like this diet. I'm not as hungry anymore and I'm eating good foods. I wish I liked more veggies, but I'm eating what I do like. I saw that recipe for PB cups and I can't wait to try them when I get home tomorrow!!

Have a great day all =)

Tink, make sure the chocolate milk is sugar free. The commercially sold chocolate ones have added sugars.

Ugh I thought it had to be like fat free :( damn.... Now ill have to look for some sugar free stuff.

Actually, I think sugars are more the enemy on this way of life than fats. Always check for sugars or anything that ends in"ose", as hidden sweeteners go by lots of different names. You might have to add some sugar free chocolate drink mix to reduced fat milk to make your chocolate milk. I think Nesquik has a "No Added Sugar" product.

The new girl on the block again.

I have read so much in here and still waiting on my book, looks like I should get it at the end of the week.

Here is my question: I looked over many recipes here. I love to dip boiled shrimp in cocktail sauce and the commercial jar ones have so much fructose and other not so good ones. Where may I find a good recipe for Cocktail Sauce.

Thank you so much,
Melanie in Colorado:chef:

I finished Phase 1 yesterday!!!

The scales jumped about 3 pounds this morning, but had been steadily at 235 for the past few days, so that's the number I'm going with to calculate my Phase I results.
Pounds lost: 10
Inches lost: 8*
*I measure bust, midsection (because I have a 'spare tire'), waist, hips, thigh, calf, upper arm, lower arm and neck. If you want the stats for bust, waist, hips only I lost 4.25"

When I say "If I can do this, anyone can" I truly TRULY mean it! Having struggled with compulsive eating, I understand how hard it can be to break the cycle but if you will just dedicated yourself 100% to this plan. READ and UNDERSTAND the rules: NO SUGAR, NO REFINED CARBS, low fat, lots of veggies, only good fats, etc. Do it one day at a time and before you know it, it's getting easier. I'm going on a trip to celebrate my 15th anniversary this week, and I have no qualms about staying on plan. I KNOW I can do it because I've come this far!

I'll be gone this week, but will be back to cheer on other Phase 1 folks when I return.

:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D
-Jasmine

Melanie, try this for cocktail sauce.

Ingredients:
6 Tbs tomato ketchup (I use Heinz Reduced Sugar ketchup with Splenda)
2 Tbs horseradish
4 Tbs lemon juice
celery salt to taste
tabasco sauce

Okay, so yesterday was my last day of phase 1. The only cheats that I had the whole 2 weeks were this weekend. I had a rum-runner which I'm sure had sugar in it, and some beer, and half a sandwich (everything in the sandwich was OP) with supposedly whole wheat flat bread. I got on the scale this morning and gained weight! I'm back up to 175 and I started at 178 2 weeks ago!

I am quite frustrated as I feel I did really keep to plan besides a few slips over this past weekend. I think I'll stay on Phase 1 for another couple days. I don't have any cravings, but I am quite shocked by the weight gain! EVERY time I start a diet, I get through 2 or 3 weeks, I get frustrated with the results, and I end up just giving up. I am trying sooo hard not to do it this time! Here is my menu today - let me know what you think. Am I doing something wrong??

B: 2 egg muffins with a pinch of lf cheese, chives, and green onions (made with egg beaters)
S: 15 almonds
L: sugar snap peas and chili I made - loads of beans and lean ground beef - it was a "south beach phase 1 recipe"
S: not sure yet - probably a slice of cheese or sugar free popsicle
D: TBD, but I like to have a salad with light ranch (<2 grams sugar) and onions/tomatoes, some sort of OP veggie, and some sort of OP meat.

Besides the occasional beer, what am I doing wrong?! Should I skip beer and drink wine if I want a drink? Will that help? I know this is a lifestyle change, and part of my lifestyle is having a drink a couple nights a week - so I know I won't stop doing that, so I"m trying to make it work! I'm so frustrated and angry at myself :-(

Tryin -- hang in there! :hug:

You have the choice to break the cycle with your dieting. This time does not have to look like your attempts from the past. Just take this one day at a time, and remember that this is a way of eating you hope to continue for a lifetime.

The book says that beer is just not OK due to its high glycemic index with its main ingredient, maltose, being worse than table sugar!

I'm a wine drinker and have been able to add that into my diet. (I'm starting week 2 in P2), and so far so good.

Tryin, the gain is most likely water retention due to the carbs in the drinks and bread yesterday. I would go back on Phase I for a few more days before moving on. Beer is not SB friendly. If you read the book Dr. A talks about why beer is so toxic to your diet. Wine IMO is much healthier for you.

Here's the SB guidelines:
Wine red or white (1 - 2 4 oz. glass(es) daily with or after meals)
LIGHT BEER 1 on occasion (12 oz)

It is also not uncommon to gain a tiny bit after starting Phase II (again the increased carbs cause you to store more glycogen and water in your body). Just don't weigh every day and stick to Phase II and it will come off. Try not to get discouraged.

Here is my question though... I do understand what the book says about beer, but I have done A LOT of research on the subject as I LOVE my beer!

"The best-selling "South Beach Diet" book slams beer and bans drinking it,
saying it is high in maltose, a form of sugar. The trouble is, there is no maltose in beer. Maltose, from barley malt, is found in beer only in its early brewing stages and is eliminated when yeast converts it to alcohol and carbonation. Budweiser, Bud Light, Michelob, Michelob ULTRA and all major-selling Anheuser-Busch beers contain no maltose."

I'm not knocking the book or the diet, and I want to do it correctly, but I don't understand how there is such contradicting evidence of maltose in beer. Does anyone have any further wisdom on the beer debate??

I do know that beer has calories and consuming too many calories isn't good! For now, I will limit my beer and stick to red wine and see if that helps. I do know my mom has been doing SB since March, has lost 30+ pounds (and only started at 5'5", 165 lbs) and has drank beer through the entire diet - just in moderation.

I'm hoping that the scales down down again soon. Thank you all for the support - I really need it right now!! Also, any input on this beer debate would be great!

THANKS BEACHERS!

Interesting. I googled "maltose in beer" and found this.

http://www.realbeer.com/news/articles/news-002194.php

I guess if I was going to have a beer, I'd limit it to one in place of the wine serving.

Anne,

Thank you so much for the cocktail sauce recipe. How much is a serving?

Melanie in Colorado:hug:

alright ladies, you have me convinced. i've been looking for a diet i can LIVE with and this one looks like the winner. i'm going to buy the book today, do some grocery shopping, and start tomorrow! no time like the present.

Welcome caequestrienne!!

You will love this way of eating!!!

ok - apparently weekends are my enemies. Or my DH who feels the need to sabatoge my diet. Or my weak tastebuds that can't say no. Whatever the reason, I crashed and burned on my diet this weekend. Although I didn't go off SB plan too bad, the ice cream and tortilla (ok - only 10 chips) were not on plan.

How do you stop the compulsive eating. I'm trying to kick the "cravings" but my cravings are for "crunchy" - and not veggie crunchy. Pretzels, tortilla, etc. I could do without the candy and sweets, but love the crunch. Any suggestions? I ran out of peanuts, and I think maybe that's what I was in search of, since I didn't really get "satisfied".

Anyhow - here we go again....

How do you stop the compulsive eating. I'm trying to kick the "cravings" but my cravings are for "crunchy" - and not veggie crunchy. Pretzels, tortilla, etc. I could do without the candy and sweets, but love the crunch. Any suggestions? I ran out of peanuts, and I think maybe that's what I was in search of, since I didn't really get "satisfied".

Anyhow - here we go again....

The crunchy stuff has always been my downfall, but you have no room for them if you are full. I eat baby carrots or celery with roasted red pepper hummus. I eat a slice of WW bread toasted with some almond butter. I eat a ton of veggies. When you're really full, there's no room for the other stuff. The cravings for that stuff have gradually subsided after being on this diet for awhile. Hang in there!

On the other hand, what is your husband doing to sabotage you? :mad:

Anne,
Thanks for the tips for Shoneys. I ended up having the eggs with cheese sauce, mushrooms and bacon. I know it wasn't the best choice with the bacon and cheese (not low fat) but atleast I didn't have potatoes, pancakes, etc. like I normally would have.
So, Day 5 of phase 1 is going pretty good. Can't wait to weigh in on Thursday.

Good job Karen! I went to IHOP yesterday and had an Eggbeaters omelet with tomatoes, mushroom, onions, green peppers and a cup of fruit. It was heavenly. Some restaurants are harder than others to eat in.

Your breakfast sounds wonderful. I'll have to suggest IHop the next time our friends want to do breakfast.

LaMariposa018, weekend are my weakness too. I slipped up only when my blood sugar was low but I spend my weekend at my bfs house and his family is crazy!! I told them I was dieting because of my blood sugars have been too high and I want to get them back to normal and lose weight. What does his mom make for dinner, chicken nuggets, chicken wings (breaded), and potato wedges. Thanks!

THEN we went shopping after I didn't eat dinner with them because of the lack of healthy food, on our way back his sister wanted to go to DQ and got a blizzard and ate it right in front of me! UGH are you serious!!?!?!?!!!?? And my bf got fries. He apologized later because he didn't even realize it.

Ugh... its really hard to be around people who aren't dieting. Or not even concerned with what they are eating.

I didn't cheat though. And now I'm home for the week in my own environment where I control what I eat!

Welcome caequestrienne!

i decided to start today because, well, i hadn't had anything to eat and figured why not. here's my first day menu:

breakfast: none (not necessary when you wake up late)

lunch: turkey pesto burger (from tj's) with 1 tsp oil and 2 avocado slices
2 cups snow peas

snack: 2 slices smoked salmon w/lf cream cheese

dinner: hot dog salad. i can't post the link because i'm a newbie, but i found it in the salads section on this forum

dessert: not sure yet i'm pretty full!

any input welcome. i'm not such a veggie fan so ideas on how to fit them in would be great.

Here's the link for your hot dog salad. Technically, hot dogs are a Phase II item.

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/salads-phase-1/133315-hot-dog-salad.html

Also, how to eat more veggies:

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/sbd-frequently-asked-questions/105319-how-eat-more-veggies-when-you-hate-them-all.html

You also need to get in some dairy. Beans count toward your veggie totals too. Do you like them?

damn! found it in the phase one section so i figured the were okay. at least they were reduced fat :p i didn't know beans counted, that's good news because i'm fine with those. i searched for some bean salad recipes and will make one tomorrow. anyone have one they could recommend? and thanks for the veggie thread!

Hello Again,

Ok, so I went to Barnes & Noble book store and can't wait for my book to come on Friday. I skimmed through the book there and was so intriged. I can't wait to read the whole thing.

Question: I totally hate V8 and tomato juice, it actually turns my stomach. I wish I could get it down, but I can't. I don't do well with raw tomatoes either, but I do cut them up and smash them in a salad to get them in me for good nutrition. Please, what is the substitute for the juice.:carrot:

Thank you again, and help on this,

Melanie in Colorado :hug:

Question: I totally hate V8 and tomato juice, it actually turns my stomach. I wish I could get it down, but I can't. I don't do well with raw tomatoes either, but I do cut them up and smash them in a salad to get them in me for good nutrition. Please, what is the substitute for the juice.:carrot:



I hate V8 and tomato juice too. I don't really substitute anything for the juice. I just make sure I have some veggies with breakfast (peppers in scrambled eggs, spinach quiche (from book), etc.). I don't like "liquid food" anyhow because it doesn't fill me up one bit, and I tend to overeat because I drank 200 calories, and am still starving. I find just eating the actual veggies helps a lot more.

Yeah, either add them to your morning eggs, or eat them raw. Some beachers eat their supper entrees for breakfast and get in their veggies that way. If I don't get them in at breakfast, I sometimes eat them as a mid-morning snack with hummus or cheese.

Yeah, either add them to your morning eggs, or eat them raw. Some beachers eat their supper entrees for breakfast and get in their veggies that way. If I don't get them in at breakfast, I sometimes eat them as a mid-morning snack with hummus or cheese.

I love chickpeas, but HATE hummus. Any suggestions for more flavor? I've tried "flavored" hummus, so is it just me?

Today is my last day of week 1, phase 1. Weigh in tomorrow morning. I'm not looking for a big loss because I haven't start on the exercising part yet. But as long as the scales go down, I'll be happy.

Same here Karen.... I'm debating whether or not to weigh in tomorrow morning or just wait til the end of phase 1. I don't want to be upset if I don't see a good number. I think I might and I'm hoping I see some kinda weight loss because I've been trying =P

Hello again! I had no internet access or phone all weekend! and it's been spotty since then. They can't come and fix it because they can't call me to make sure I'm here. Talk about a Catch-22! I have really missed this board.

I'm still OP, and lost a total of 6 pounds my first week. I'm not going to weigh again until Saturday, so I don't know how I'm doing so far this week. I was VERY surprised about the 6 pounds, and if I lose anything at all this week I'll take it as a big plus.

I have been working very hard this week, throwing stuff out, moving stuff around, and then trying to make space for my mother's furniture and 9 boxes of books (!!!) that came yesterday. It's the most exercise I've had in months :)

One thing I did that surprised me -- but I'm glad I did it. I tossed every diet book and every cookbook I have except good basic ones (Julia Child), vegetarian ones, the South Beach line, and a few WW ones. I had (blush) four shelves of cookbooks. (I like reading them more than cooking!) I've been inspired by the What's For Dinner thread on this board, and starting this weekend I'm concentrating on vegetables!

Sorry this is so long -- welcome newbies, congrats to everyone who's sticking to this, and good luck!

i'm on day three and it's going pretty well. yesterday i felt tired and grumpy, and i was really craving something sweet. i have such a sweet tooth, but as one comedian says, "funny you call it a sweet tooth, cause it's going straight to your *ss . . . i think your tooth owes your *ss an explanation." :lol: anyways i did anything and everything to keep myself distracted, including cruising this website . . . thanks ladies!

today has been much easier so far. my menu:

B: 2 eggs over easy with 2 slices turkey bacon, 1/2 cup edamame
S: almonds and laughing cow cheese
L: leftover chicken divan (tasty!)
S: celery with hummus
D (planned): salad with romaine, tomato, crab, and tj's goddess dressing

might make ricotta muffins tonight! any input or suggestions are more than welcome.

caequestrienn, looks good. You might want to add dairy.

I lost 2.4 pounds. This is really good for me..:carrot:
Tink - go ahead and weigh in. It keeps you honest...LOL

:cheer: for Karen. Come on, Tink! Be brave.

Congrats Karen on the weight loss and thanks for the lil push there ruth. I did infact weigh in and i lost....... 7 pounds!!!

I was holind my breath and nervous to see what the number was but I couldn't believe my eyes.... I actually wanted to cry. I am so happy! I love this plan! It is completely do-able! I really wanna stick with this and I am more motivated then ever! Even if next week is only a couple pounds I will still be happy =)

Hope you all have a great day! I'm sure I'll check back later!

Congrats skinnie minnies!!!

Bravo to Tink!

Thank you all =)

Quick question... I think the first thing I wanna add back next week would be a cereal what are the types of cereals would be good?

Thanks for the help =)

Cereals? Here is Beachgals great list! (http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/2862471-post85.html)

Thanks so much ruth =)

Here is my question though... I do understand what the book says about beer, but I have done A LOT of research on the subject as I LOVE my beer!

"The best-selling "South Beach Diet" book slams beer and bans drinking it,
saying it is high in maltose, a form of sugar. The trouble is, there is no maltose in beer. Maltose, from barley malt, is found in beer only in its early brewing stages and is eliminated when yeast converts it to alcohol and carbonation. Budweiser, Bud Light, Michelob, Michelob ULTRA and all major-selling Anheuser-Busch beers contain no maltose."

I'm not knocking the book or the diet, and I want to do it correctly, but I don't understand how there is such contradicting evidence of maltose in beer. Does anyone have any further wisdom on the beer debate??

I do know that beer has calories and consuming too many calories isn't good! For now, I will limit my beer and stick to red wine and see if that helps. I do know my mom has been doing SB since March, has lost 30+ pounds (and only started at 5'5", 165 lbs) and has drank beer through the entire diet - just in moderation.

I'm hoping that the scales down down again soon. Thank you all for the support - I really need it right now!! Also, any input on this beer debate would be great!

THANKS BEACHERS!

Tryin, the beer thing was a major concern for me, too. I just started phase 1, so I'm not consuming any ETOH right now, and I'm missing it.

From my own research and from the research and experience of my three type 1 diabetic friends, beer really does affect blood sugars more than other alcohols. Wine will to a slightly lesser extent, and certain low carb drinks only minimally affect blood sugars. My type 1 friends stick with dirty martinis or straight whiskey/bourbon on the rocks, or vodka with a diet "juice" or soda mixed in.

I really love beer. Not cheap beer, but expensive, full-bodied beer. Stuff that probably literally *is* liquid bread.

So I've decided that once I get well into phase 2, I'll take it as it comes. I like red wine, so I figure I'll try to stick with a glass of wine when we go out. If I'm really craving a beer or know I will be having beer, I plan on decreasing my grain/carb intake for the day accordingly, and hope to only stick with one beer. I plan on eliminating my previous routine of 1-2 servings of wine or beer with my supper 3-4 times a week, and just drink on special occasions or when we go out.

I don't think beer must be excluded on SB, but I do think that, of many of the ETOH drinks out there, beer is on the worse-for-you part of the spectrum, in terms of what it does to your blood sugar.

Thank you for that info lorijds! There are just so many conflicting pieces of information out there. Like I said, loving beer, that is the one thing that I don't like about this diet!! The weird thing is, when I drink a couple beers, I don't want anything to eat. Any cravings I had or the urge to eat something go away?? I understand that beer fills you up, but even if I have one (or two, don't tell) then no more, I have no desire to eat anything the rest of the evening. Very strange. I guess everyone's body is different and you have to find out what works for you! Per Dr. A - I'm trying to do a glass of red wine when I have a drink, but I have had a beer or two since I started 3 weeks ago... and still losing. Everything in moderation :-)

Beer fills me up too. Maybe we've discovered a new diet plan! JUST KIDDING!

Uh, I tried that diet plan in college I think, Ruth. I'm not sure it worked out so well for me!

That diet in college put 25# on me. (Well I guess the pizza, onion rings, tenderloins and cafeteria food helped too.)

shhh dont say onion rings... omg i love them... anyone know a way that i could eat them on SB? i read somewhere it "better" you bread the onions with i think it was fiber one cereal and bake them (i think it was that hungry girls 100 snacks guide or something like that)

I think onion rings are like my favorite "bad" food. OMG just thinking about them makes me really hungry for them =P

you know what i did have:

ground beef
chopped lettuce
some cheese
and a dressing

almost like a pittsburgh salad (if you add 1000 island its like a big mac in a bowl add pickles and onions) it was very yummy

Actually these look SB friendly! Phase II of course :)

http://www.hungry-girl.com/chew/chewdetails.php?isid=905

yea!! i saw them in the book hungry girl =) I guess that gives me something to look forward to! And the calories look great in them compared to the other kinds... its no wonder i gained weight! I ate onion rings all the time!!

Thanks Anne

So my friend's wedding is over (lots of fun! but lots of drinks and cake too! =\) so I'm restarting Phase 1 tomorrow! Wish me luck!

Good Luck =)

Hiya, everyone! I've been gone for a week and haven't had a chance to catch up on all the Phase I posts that I missed.

I'm going to hop back on P1 for a couple of days because while we were traveling and making connecting flights, my food choices were VERY limited and I had some difficulty staying on plan. Since we were crossing the border, I didn't pack any "safe" snacks because DH was worried about getting in trouble for importing the wrong things.

I'm not having strong cravings, just a very weakened resistance to temptation so I think 2 or 3 days back on P1 will help rein things in. I'm up a couple of pounds from my end-of-phase one weight, too so . . . it's great to be back!

:D
-Jasmine

Thanks Tink! I see you are a fan of Hungry Girl too! I love it!

So Day 1 is going well....

This morning I forget to weigh in my beginning weight but I'll do it tomorrow.

My meal plan today:

Breakfast
1/2 of an Orange Dreamsicle Shake (milk, yogurt, ice, cottage cheese) from the recipe link with an added scoop of low carb zero sugar protein powder
Ricotta Waffles from the recipe links w/SF syrup

Snack
1 String Cheese

Lunch
Lunch meat w/shredded mozzarella cheese on top

Snack
1/2 cup of black refried beans

Dinner
Salad w/2tbls of balsamic dressing

Snack
1 Fudgsicle

Exercise
15 min of elliptical
10 min on stair climber
10 min on treadmill for cool down

I think it looks good...My energy level is so so...but I already feel better being OP.

jlh88 - your plan looks pretty good, but where are your veggies? They are really important for keeping you full and providing plenty of good fiber. Congrats on a great start!

-Jasmine

so i survived the weekend in not too bad of shape! the family came to town and there were a lot of birthday festivities. i stayed on plan pretty well - the meat and cheese i had were full-fat :devil: and i had a couple of bites of cake and my mom's potatoes. but this is a big, big step for me. in the past i feel like i would have gone on a major binge, but mostly i just wanted to get back to plan. monday's going great so far! i'm loving edamame right now, had some at lunch and will have some at dinner too.

thanks for the tip murphmitch!
congrats on your weight loss, tink, that's great news. and welcome jlh88!

Don't feel too bad caequestrienne, i cheated a couple times through phase one as well and still wound up loosing 7 lbs in the first week so don't let it stop you or make you feel too guilty. I feel like being around people who aren't SBing makes it hard lol.

jlh88 your menu sounded yummy! Def. add some veggies where ever you can. Im not a big fan of veggies but I add a salad when I can to make up for it.

I'm sad I only have today and tomorrow left in phase 1. =( I mean I'm happy to be done phase 1 but I will def. miss this phase 1 group! lol Maybe I'll come back. I am going to the beach for a week starting saturday =/ Anyone have any tips for phase 2 at the beach lol

Is there a sections for phase 2 people??

You chickies are doing so well...lots of good stuff and support in here. Big thanks to our experienced Beach Beauties for popping in to answer questions and share hints.

When you move into Phase II, be sure to read the stickies in the FAQ Section and ease into it gently. There is a thread for this in our main Forum to discuss the trials and tribulations of getting into the Phase II groove but please also join the rest of us in the daily chatter where we share other stuff in our lives.

Hello,

I am half way through the book and will be going grocery shopping tomorrow.
Question for the newbie: How much is 1/3 of a avacado if you were to measure it in a cup or weigh it? I am terrible at guesstimating this. I can't wait to get started. I am starting slow, because I am a Type 2 diabetic and will be testing every day. Thanks for your answers.

Melanie in Colorado:thanks:

Melsie, do be sure to get your milk or yogurt and legumes if you are doing Phase I. I'm Type II as well and was told to start with Phase II.
I imagine 1/3 of an avocado would be about 1/4 cup mashed but I'm avocado challenged!
Later:
Just checked it on Fitday and I was right. If it's cubed, the equivalent would be 1/3 cup.

Thanks Ruth, I am going to take a day at a time on Phase 1. If my blood sugars drop to much to fast I will gradual into Phase two.
Melanie in Colorado

Good luck ruth from one diabetic to another =)

Today is my last day in Phase 1... Ahhhh I feel so proud and happy. I feel great and healthy.

I can't wait to weigh in tomorrow morning and start phase 2!

Geez, why can't I stick to this plan. I did good for the first week and then someone brought in donuts and I've been in a downward spiral ever since. You would think I could stick to this since I feel so much better when I do. I probably need more variety for one thing because I take the exact same food to work everyday. Any suggestions to help get me on the right track would really be appreciated.

Karen - I'm in the same boat. The kids were away for 2 weeks, and I did great. Now, it's so much harder to say no. I've found replacing my favorite foods w/ a healthier version or sustitiute has helped. I LOVE starburst-type foods. I like the chewyness and the tartness. I found popping a few crasins satisfies this urge (not too many!!) although these aren't Phase 1 approved, they are a heck of a lot better than candy. The sugar overload in the doughnut is what sent you spiraling. Just start clean, make sure you are eating 2 full cups of veggies when you're supposed to be, and it will keep you full, so you don't have the cravings. Good luck!

Ok, so I started SB Monday and I'm not new to this diet. It has worked for me in the past. The thing is I'm also tracking my food through Fitday and I'm kinda horrified at my carbs. I know SB is not a low carb diet, but how much is too much? Yesterday I had beans for lunch and chickpeas for dinner (plus veggies, obvs.) and that gave me almost 70g of carbs. It seems like so much...

Question for all of you....

So I decided to have my snack of pistachios and I was a good girl and counted them out (30). After I finished them, I still wanted more! So I thought I'd only have a few more and then ate a little more than twice the amount I was supposed to! :o I've been craving salt since it's around that time of the month...maybe too much information so sorry! lol

Do you think I just messed up my entire day? I haven't been hungry at all but forced myself to eat at least a little bit every 2 hrs (which was like 2 pieces of lunch meat!). Help!:?::?:

Well I am officially back on again. I am on day 3..I havent posted or even really told anyone because Im afraid of failure or should I say the lack of willpower.

My 1st experience with SBD was back in May 2004. I did really well then me and my ex split up and divorced so with all the stress...food became my best friend. I guess about a year and a half ago I decided I would get on sbd again...that did not work. I had planned which day to start in advance that time as well. The first time I was on it I decided the night before that I would try it. I did well like I said. I actually lost from 199-158 and went from a size 22 to a 10-12. When I woke up the other morning I decided to start again so this time wasnt planned at all.

I will say I absolutely love reese's peanut butter cups...I believe now I am over the initial cravings for foods I cant have. The urge for them wasnt as strong today as they have been the past couple of days. One day I even had a small spoonful of peanut butter and was satisfied. I know I am allowed that is small moderation but I am trying not to think like that because I dont want to overdo it. So I really hope I can do this and have the willpower to lose. I would love to go shopping and have a better selection of clothes to look at LOL.

Hello everyone

I just posted this in the main forum, sorry if ya had to read it twice.
Today is my first day and I think I have done pretty well. I want to lose 75 pounds total. My husband is in Iraq right now and I want to get to my goal (or at least close) by the time he comes home (May 2010)

I was on Weight Watchers but was getting a little fast and loose with the rules and was not seeing progress like I wanted. I have heard about SB a million times but I have never tried a "low carb" diet, which I know this isn't.

I loooove all the carby foods. Especially bread. So this is gonna be pretty hard for me. I am planning on doing phase 1 for 3 weeks since I have more to lose than most. I read an article that said it was okay to do 3-4 weeks if you are over a 30 BMI.

I would love support and accountability. These boards are fantastic!

Today I ate:

Breakfast~protein shake
Snack~celery and organic, natural PB
Lunch~deli turkey, motz cheese stick (part skim), cucumber slices, romain lettuce
Snack~Sugar free jello
Dinner~Salmon and side salad with "spray" dressing

I also ate some yogurt and am wondering if it is "cheating." It is plain, fat free yougurt but I did not like the taste so I added a spoonful of sugar free jam. Still didn't like it. Added 1 packet of "truvia" and it was yummy! Lol. A lot of work for one cup of yogurt. It just got me thinking about why we can't just eat a cup of flavored yogurt because at this rate I am basically eating one. Or at least it feels that way. Did I cheat?

Also. . .I am a little uneasy about all these artificial flavorings and sugars. All the chemicals to make these foods "good for you." Does anyone else worry about this? I know I could find all natural everything but then what is left to eat these days? sad but kinda true. I don't know how many labels I had to read at the store yesterday just to find stuff with no added sugar (salsa even!) I just wonder if it might be better to eat flour and sugar but in moderation but at least have it be natural food not chemicals and everything.

Well I've rambled forever now. Give me any feedback you see fit. That would be wonderful!

Thanks y'all!

Danielle

Melsie52, if you're not sure about the measurements or size, you could always do 1/4 avocado instead - it's a little less than 1/3 but much easier to cut. :P

Karen, one moment at a time. Force yourself to make the right choices, and eventually it will become 2nd nature (or at least much easier)!

Pinkmoon, don't worry about the quantity of carbs. This plan is about quality. It's not a "low carb" diet, even though you probably are eating less carbs than before because you are cutting out sugar and other refined junk.

jlh88 don't let one transgression trip you up. Keep moving forward as though the whole day has been on plan, and for next time count out your serving then put the rest away and don't go back for more. Have a big glass of water or a cup of milk instead and see if the desire to eat more passes.

Robyn welcome back! Try the PB cups from the Phase 1 dessert recipes. SOOOO good!

Danielle, welcome! Yes, you can overdo the fake sugars and such if you choose to, but there are lots more choices that are healthier. I think the artificial sweeteners are helpful for those of us who have a raging sweet tooth in the beginning, but there is nothing that says you MUST consume them. If you're uncomfortable with how much artificial stuff you're eating you can use it as a crutch at first then wean off of it as you see that you don't need it as much. Also, if you eat according to the book, I'd be willing to bet that you're eating a heck of a lot less processed foods overall. Fresh veggies, lean meats, EVOO, beans, dairy, etc. How much processed garbage do you think might be in a Little Debbie snack cake or a Chips Ahoy cookie? I prefer to think about this WOL in perspective to how I was eating before, and there is no way that I think the old way could be healthier for me.

For those of you struggling, just take these first few days one at a time, and one moment at a time. When you catch yourself about to eat something off plan, stop your self immediately. Find some treats that are on plan that will satisfy you. Before you know it, the cravings will be gone and this WOL will be so easy. You'll feel better and that is a huge motivator!

Good luck and keep up the excellent work!!

Hello all,
First thank you again for all your answers on avacados. We almost completed our grocery shopping to start this incredable way of eating. I am official on next Tuesday. Still reading the book and enjoying it a lot. I even took it with me shopping.

Here is my question: We bought some beautiful flank steak at Costco today. I need some great marinades for it that are tasty. I could not find any on the recipe file or in the South Beach recipe books. Your suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I am so glad I joined this group. I was on others, but this one by far is the best and this is the way I have to live my life.

Thank you again,
Melanie in Colorado :carrot:

Melanie, here's a recipe from the SBD website:

Ingredients
1/3 small red onion, quartered
1 3/4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 1/3 tablespoons capers, drained
2/3 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
1 cloves garlic, minced
1⁄2 pound flank steak
dash of salt
dash of coarsely ground black pepper

Instructions
Sliver one-quarter of the onion and set aside. Chop the rest of the onion. Mix it in a bowl with the vinegar, capers, oregano, and garlic. Combine 1⁄4 cup of this mixture with the slivered onions and set aside.

Sprinkle both sides of the steak with the salt and pepper; prick well with a fork. In a large zip-top food-storage bag, combine the steak with the remaining onion mixture. Marinate for 1 hour or overnight.

Heat the grill or the broiler, positioning the oven broiler rack so that the meat on the rack in the pan is 4" from the heat source. Remove the meat from the marinade, and place on the grill over direct heat or on an oven rack set in the broiler pan. Discard the marinade. Grill or broil for 4–5 minutes per side for medium-rare. Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing.

Place the meat on a platter and pour the reserved onion mixture over the steak.

Nutritional Information:
176 calories
9 total fat (4 g sat)
50 mg cholesterol
3 g carbohydrate
19 g protein
1 g fiber
230 mg sodium

Let me know if you use this, I've been wanting a flank steak recipe as well!

Here is the marinade I like to use:

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/entrees-phase-1/174610-flank-steak-fajitas-phase-1-2-a.html

Thank you both so much. I will let you know how they both work. I will be trying this next week. You are both so kind for replying so fast. I will also offer some recipes as I go through this adventure. I love to cook. It will be great in the fall to try some stews and crockpot recipes.

Melanie in Colorado :hug:

Please be sure to post any recipes in the Recipe Section and thanks for the reminder about flank steak! It's hard to find around here but I do have one in the freezer and will put it in a marinade over the weekend. So great for fajitas!

Hi everyone! I read this whole thread! My hubby and I tried SB before, but didn't stick to it. But we are starting again on Monday, and I'm actually really excited! I plan on going grocery shopping on Sunday.... any suggestions for something I may not have on my list? I have the basics... chicken, eggs, yogurt.... I can't wait to see some weight start coming off!

. any suggestions for something I may not have on my list? I have the basics... chicken, eggs, yogurt....

Just print off the Phase I list from the FAQ's in the SB forum and take it with you to the store. That's what I did when I first started SB. :)

Hi Everyone! I just found this form recently and I will be started South Beach tomorrow. I have been on Atkins for a very long time on and off now. About the half way point in my weightloss, I began a vicious cheat/eat clean cycle with it. I felt I needed something more holistic. South Beach just seems great.

I will admit it is very different from Atkins in the sense that there are way more food choices. Beans from day one!? I'm actually nervous about eating beans and yogurt from the get go, but from what I see and hear, this plan works!

I'm also starting Slim in 6 once I get a handle on how this works. I have printed off the P1 acceptable foods list and will be taking that to the store tonight. :smug:

Welcome aboard GLAMAZON08 and TEXASMAMA!!! :)

Thanks, Sunshine! Happy to have found this place.

Well today is day 1 of Phase 1.

DH is doing this with me so it makes things a lot easier. Breakfast was a mexican egg scramble:

1/2 onion, 1 clove garlic, 2 roasted red peppers, 2 oz lean ham sauteed in 1 tsp. olive oil with chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, and chipotle powder. When the veggies got soft I added 4 eggs, scrambled them through, then topped with reduced fat colby jack, fresh salsa, and a T. of reduced fat sour cream.

I keep checking everything because it seems too good to be true! But everything I ate for breakfast is on the P1 list. I like eating veggies for breakfast. The biggest difference for me between Atkins and South Beach is the Veggies. You can only have a fraction of the veggies on Atkins. Which is too bad since they add so much variety to food.

I have turkey breast filets in the fridge as well as a flank steak. I think I am going to grill up the turkey for a big salad for lunch and then make fajitas (sans tortilla) with the flank steak for dinner using red bell peppers and onions.



I am trying to prepare for us going home to see family in like a week and a half. Does anyone have any advice on traveling and dealing with unhealthy family meals? Thanks!

I am trying to prepare for us going home to see family in like a week and a half. Does anyone have any advice on traveling and dealing with unhealthy family meals? Thanks!

Here is a link where you can post your concerns about your upcoming trip. http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/sbd-frequently-asked-questions/177265-making-work-real-life.html

It might help if you could be specific to your situation.

Sounds like you're doing great.

Best Wishes!

Thanks, Lexxiss. That thread actually addresses most of my own concerns - which really helps.

I don't really know if I can be more specific - other than my family makes unhealthy food when we come to visit and I need to have right mindset going into it that this is a way of life - and reading the above thread - it's so clear that there will always be birthdays and celebrations, I just have to learn how to deal with them. Thanks again!

Thanks for the welcome!!! I found lots of yummy recipes on here and in the SB cookbooks, so I planned every dinner for the next week and went to the grocery store today.... apparently I like mushrooms a WHOLE lot, LOL! I have 6 pkgs of them in the fridge for this week!

Glamazon... my hubby is doing this with me, too! Hopefully that will make it a little easier. I'm excited to get started tomorrow!

Thanks, Sunshine! Happy to have found this place.


You're welcome. And yes, this is the other happiest place on Earth. ;)

texasmama Thanks for the welcome!!! I found lots of yummy recipes on here and in the SB cookbooks, so I planned every dinner for the next week and went to the grocery store today.... apparently I like mushrooms a WHOLE lot, LOL! I have 6 pkgs of them in the fridge for this week!

You're welcome. I so love the SB cookbooks. I want to get the summer one. Maybe I'll treat myself to that one soon. ;) Pre-planning makes all the difference in the world for me. Which reminds me, I need to plan my menu so I can stock up on what I need tomorrow.

Enjoy ladies and hubbies too! :)

I haven't really checked out the cookbooks - I need to!

I just had supper, and I keep checking the book to make sure I'm doing this right. The food is SO good!!!

I ended up finding some lean turkey burgers (Jenny-O) so we had those for supper with probably 1/4 cup reduced fat mexican blend cheese, salsa, and 1/2 cup FF refried beans on top... like a mexican burger. It was SO good and SO filling. I think I'm taking the leftover burger for lunch tomorrow. I cannot believe this is allowed on phase 1.

I didn't have my nut allowance today, so I even have room for a fudgesicle mixed with PB and FF coolwhip. Devine!

I also made a quiche - from a recipe I found here. I was able to find some really lean organic chicken bfast sausage (60 cals/3.5 g of fat per link) so I used that with a huge onion and a huge bell pepper - sauteed that up in 1/2 T. EVOO - put it in an 8x8 pan, then sprinkled that with 1/2 cup reduced fat colby jack, then whipped 5 eggs together with 1/2 cup FF cottage cheese and poured that on top. Im having that for breakfast tomorrow - I'm hoping it's as good as it looks.

:carrot:

Way to go, Glamazon! Now you're cooking! Great idea. The recipes on this forum are so much better than the ones I found in the original book. I haven't tried any of the SB cookbooks.

MURPHMITCH: The recipes in the original book, and even some on here, or any other, just need to be flavored with love. :chef:

I'm officially starting Phase 1 tomorrow. Did all my grocery shopping today and had a SB dinner (pork chops & mashed cauliflower, yum yum yum!). I'm actually really looking forward to the next 2 weeks and looking forward to the results of course :)

I'm officially starting Phase 1 tomorrow. Did all my grocery shopping today and had a SB dinner (pork chops & mashed cauliflower, yum yum yum!). I'm actually really looking forward to the next 2 weeks and looking forward to the results of course :)

With that attitude, you'll have great successes!!! ;)

:D I hope you're right about that!

Good Morning, everyone! Day 1 for me!!! Breakfast was a little rough. I sauteed some broccoli-slaw in water until it was tender, then drained off the water. I beat 1 egg plus 1 egg white and added it to the slaw in the pan. Right before it was done, I added grated 2% cheddar-jack. Sounds good, right? I guess it would be if had developed a taste for veggies... but until this morning my diet consisted mostly of sugar filled binges. :o I ate about half of it, I think I'll have some v8 in a minute. Lunch will be a salad with chicken breast, and dinner is balsamic chicken from one of the SB cookbooks.

Good morning, Texasmama, and congrats on having veggies for breakfast. I think another veggie choice with the eggs might have been better. Broccoli is a pretty strong taste. I do peppers and onions with mine. Shredded zucchini is good too.

Thanks, Ruth... I do think I'll try something different tomorrow. Oh, and Glamazon! Your Mexican burger sounds delicious!!!!

Hello ladies...

This is my 3rd attempt on the beach. For me, my failing was always the add back bread time of Phase II. I've been exercising pretty consistently for the past (almost) 2 months, and I am ready to take my eating to the next level.

I always feel better on the beach, and now that I am situated into a stable routine, I feel I can make it work this time.

:wave:

Welcome back dcapulet! :welcome2:

I already screwed up, and I'm on day one! ARGH!!!!

Hi, newbie here. I started phase 1 on 8/17. 6 lbs down in 10 days. I was nervous because I had an overnight trip out of town and it was difficult to figure out what to have at restaurants. I'm learning to ask for salad without carrots and croutons. My co-workers were eating fries and I didn't even have any craving for it. I did have a dream last night about eating bread! :D

Hi - I'm brand new to SB. I've previously done Atkins with some success, until the boredom set in. I'm feeling more positive about SB, thanks to the ability to enjoy some veggies. Already falling in love with the cauliflower mash!

Today is day 4 for me and all is groovy. Day one was weird:dizzy:, day two I was headache-y, ravenous and I grazed through every protein product in the house:^:. Day three was focused on plan (albeit) with no regard for portion size:o. Now, today, the headache is gone, the appetite is minimal and I'm feeling in control. :cool:

Hey im pretty new here too!! But SBD is an old friend of mine! I manage to keep the same weight for 2 years after losing around 85pounds, but now i think is time to workout more and lose the last 30pounds remaining :) So itrs already my 3rd day of phase 1!!

So good luck for us all!

Well I think I am doing quite well! And welcome to anyone else that is new! I just dont understand about not being hungry. I used to get really hungry and I know I would overeat! Now I have to make myself even if im not the least bit hungry. Has anyone else gone through this? I also am doing my snacks as well even though not in a snacky mood lol. Does that make sense? Or am I the only one?

I just dont understand about not being hungry. I used to get really hungry and I know I would overeat! Now I have to make myself even if im not the least bit hungry. Has anyone else gone through this? I also am doing my snacks as well even though not in a snacky mood lol. Does that make sense? Or am I the only one?

Very common. The lack of appetite will pass, although I feel pretty full all the time on SB when I eat all those veggies!

That was bizarre for me as well when I started SB -- I was never hungry!! Of course my portion size at lunch and dinner seemed high to me so I would indeed stay full, but just lots more veggies and such.

I often was not hungry at snack times, but I still ate them when I was supposed to. Staying full and satisfied really helps me to avoid the temptations of off plan foods lately!

Very common. The lack of appetite will pass, although I feel pretty full all the time on SB when I eat all those veggies!

I do need to work on upping the veggie intake. What's new to me is eating that much at breakfast. It really does fuel your day!

I'm on day 3 and I'm still feeling that lack of appetite. I can usually finish my meals but I usually just cannot choke down snacks. It used to be by 3pm I was DYING for a snack, now I don't even want it! So long as I stay on plan (meaning not giving into cravings because I get hungry) is it ok if I sometimes skip snacks?

hi murph! :wave: nice to be back.

kristin: that urge passed for me too. Just hang in there!

so far, so good on the beach... just one day at a time.

Hello Friends,

I finally have started today. I exercised to 4 miles on my Leslie Sansone DVD's, ate a great South Beach Breakfast of:
2 eggs
lowfat mozzarella cheese
2 large mushrooms
3 slices of turkey bacon

Snack:
lowfat cottage cheese
15 walnuts

Feeling good and drinking my water. My blood sugar was 108 this morning and I love this. One day at a time.

I hope all is well with you all and I so love reading your posts everyday.

Melanie in Colorado :hug:

Hi Melanie! :wave: Welcome to the South Beach Lifestyle! ;)

Thank you for the welcome so much. I have a question. I made a great salad for lunch with the Ranch Dressing from the South Beach Book. It was so awful. I forced it all down. I made it exactly from the book. It is now down the drain:mad:
I have gotten a Ranch dressing off the recipe page. I am also looking for a good 1000 dressing.

What dressings do you use and do you have a recipe. I am desparate.

Thank you so much.

Melanie in Colorado

Question: I honestly don't think I can last another 11 days without fruit! I'm fine with the rest of the plan and I feel good about it but not eating fruit is harder than I expected it to be! I find it hard to believe that my weight loss would come to an immediate halt if I ate an apple...

Thank you for the welcome so much. I have a question. I made a great salad for lunch with the Ranch Dressing from the South Beach Book. It was so awful. I forced it all down. I made it exactly from the book. It is now down the drain:mad:
I have gotten a Ranch dressing off the recipe page. I am also looking for a good 1000 dressing.

What dressings do you use and do you have a recipe. I am desparate.

Thank you so much.

Melanie in Colorado

You're welcome. I'm sorry you had such an experience with the salad dressing. I don't have a recipe as I usually buy mine. I'm sure someone will have a good tip for you soon. In the meantime, try the recipe you found here and let us know how it goes. :)

Question: I honestly don't think I can last another 11 days without fruit! I'm fine with the rest of the plan and I feel good about it but not eating fruit is harder than I expected it to be! I find it hard to believe that my weight loss would come to an immediate halt if I ate an apple...

Remember Phase I is about eliminating cravings. IMHO it's really important to stick with the plan so you don't have a problem with craving other stuff after Phase I.

Fruit contains fructose which is pretty darn close to Sugar (sucrose) aka The White Killer #1. That's why it is not allowed in Phase I. Hang in there.

Check out the label on your fave salad dressing -- if it is less then 3 g of sugar per serving (and you just use the 2 tbs), you should be fine. Be wary of low carb or lite dressings, however -- usually high in sugar.

Labels are your friends!

Be wary of low carb or lite dressings, however -- usually high in sugar.


I don't have a problem with sugar in the low carb ones. It's usually the Fat Free ones that are the worst offenders to add sugar to beef up the flavor to make up for the missing fats. Yeah, I'm a diligent reader of labels now. I put a lot of stuff back on the shelf after seeing what's in them.

Day 11, another 1/2 lb lost. Went to lunch with co-workers; them: large slices of pizza; me: house salad :) another small victory. Yay me!

Way to go LeeLee!!! :carrot::carrot::carrot:

Check out the label on your fave salad dressing -- if it is less then 3 g of sugar per serving (and you just use the 2 tbs), you should be fine.

I have my favorite ranch, which I dilute a bit with a bit of water or nf milk or soy milk. It stretches the calories a bit and also makes it a little runnier which means I can use less. If I have fresh salsa I mix the two together and today I added cottage cheese to my own balsamic vinegar/olive oil dressing.

Ok all, the fruit cravings have passed, I'm ok now. :)

Yey kristin this is very good... but honestly isnt crazy that we dont really miss candies but fruits ? :D

Yey Im on my 5th day today, and lost 5lb already :) but more than that feeling very weel , a lot of energy and happy!

Thank you all for your responds about the salad dressing. I made a great 1000 dressing recipe with dill chopped pickles and no sugar catsup, all the incredients were SB. I started feeling exetremely tired and yukky last night but doing great today. I made that flank steak from the recipe in the recipe section it was beyond delicious. I also had some brocolli with lowfat cheese on it with it. I felt I died and went to heaven. :hun::broc:

Like all of you, I have been on a tremendous amount of diets and this is the way to live. I ignore South Beach for years and thought it would be like Atkins and it is nowhere near it. I am going out tonight at a restaurant named Hops and I am going to have steak cooked dry without their butter stuff and some steamed brocolli.

Take care all,
Melanie in Colorado:hug:

I promised myself I'd only weight myself after Phase I (3 more days to go) and of course I couldn't resist when passing through one at the drugstore. It was out of order! That'll teach me :D :D

izzystizzy: it IS weird! I wanted so badly to have an apple that was in the fridge but I didn't care at all about the chocolate cake that was also in the fridge!

I tried to wait out the weighing thing too but I couldn't...and I was happy to found that I lost a pound in just 2 days! If it keeps going like this, I'll be 7 pounds lighter at the end of Phase 1, I'm sure that won't happen but still...

Greeting all,
On Saturday [day 13 phase 1] I have a wedding reception to attend. I'm very nervous. It's a Italian wedding so there will be LOTS of food. Any advice? Thanks!

Is it a reception with dinner or just hors d'oeuvres? If it's just snacky food, eat a meal before, drink lots of water or diet soda, stick to the veggies and maybe a piece or two of cheese, a few nuts. If it's a dinner it's a little harder, especially Italian. I would eat before going and stick to salad at the party (and pretend to pick at my pasta, etc.) I've gone to weddings where chicken breast and salad was served and just skipped the side dishes and cake.

I know we are only supposed to stay on phase 1 for 2 weeks? is that correct or are there "signs" I should look for to know when to move on?

Phase 1 for 2 weeks is correct. Some people do a Phase 1.5 but I'll let those people go into more detail about that. I've only gone from Phase 1 for 2 weeks, straight into Phase 2.

Thanks for the advice. I will let you know how it turns out :)

So far Phase 1 has been a success! In the past 4 days, I've lost 3.5 pounds! I'm out of my mind happy! and my stomach is like this close to being flat! :-)

Congratulations, Kristen! You are on your way and will be at goal before you know it! :)

Not good... I went out with some friends, and pack some walnuts with me, but we decided to stay long and i was starving... than i couldnt resist the french fries on the table.. and got myself around 6of it...

i know is not that bad.. but bad enough to know that still a long way to have enough power to control cravings... :(

Should i start phase 1 all over again???

cottagebythesea: thanks! looking forward to it. :)

izzystizzy: I personally have splurged once while on Phase 1 and I didn't start over. You can if you want to, but I would just move on with it...

Not good... I went out with some friends, and pack some walnuts with me, but we decided to stay long and i was starving... than i couldnt resist the french fries on the table.. and got myself around 6of it...

i know is not that bad.. but bad enough to know that still a long way to have enough power to control cravings... :(

Should i start phase 1 all over again???

No need to start over. Keep it moving and resist the fries next time. ;)

Today is my last day of Phase I and while buying some groceries I ended up buying a scale.

I now weight 154 pounds. That's 6 pounds lost! :) :) :)

Bring on Phase II!

Pinkmoon,

That is totally fantastic! I am on my 4th day on Phase 1. My clothes are a bit looser for sure. I have lost some appetite, but am carrying on. I can't wait to hear about Phase 2 for you. Congratulations :cb::dance::dance::dancer:

Melanie in Colorado

Congratulations, Pinkmoon! You're doing great!

Melsie, isn't it great to see your clothes getting loser? It doesn't take long to see results on this plan. :D

So far it has totally amazed me. I love the fact that hunger pains are never there. I see you have lost quite a lot of weight. Question: Did you do this on South Beach only. I did loose weight on Nutrisystem D for one month. It nearly broke me financially. Not only that, you could actually taste the perservatives in each bite. I felt awful on it and so bored. It is also difficult to eat out. Now I can go to a restaurant and tell them what I know is South Beach and how to cook it. It's just wonderful. I love exeperimenting with the recipes on this board and the SB cookbooks. Plus my husband who does not need to loose weight, but has a family full of diabetics is loving this too.

I am a Type 2 diabetic and my blood sugar is so normal and stabalized. Loving this much.:carrot:

Melaniin Colorado

Izzy, if you were starving and couldn't resist eating something, that is not quite the same as giving in to a craving. Sometimes mistakes give us an opportunity to learn from them. How else could I have handled it? Since others were ordering food, what could I have ordered that would have been a healthier choice? How can I avoid having this happen in the future? I tend to carry SB stuff in my purse all the time, like string cheese or fruit (Phase II). I would not start Phase I all over again because of 6 french fries, but you may want to stay on it a few days longer. How long have you been on SB?

down 2.4 this week. I'm doing better on phase I than I ever have, and it feels good. Thursday starts Phase II for me. I'm looking forward to adding back fruit.

well I made it through the wedding reception last night. Had a diet coke from the bar, 4 shrimp cocktail, 2 scallops, salad greens, asparagus, 3 bites of filet mignon and coffee for dessert. Skipped lamb, pasta, mashed potatoes, wedding cake and a huge sweet table. Of course there was bread everywhere. What really helps is that my hubby supports me and doesn't push me to eat. As long as I eat something healthy, he is happy. I was 1/2 lb up but I noticed that happens for 2 days, then I have a good loss. Today is day 14 and I am going to stay on Phase 1 for 1-2 more weeks.

Thank you girls for the advices :D

How long have you been on SB?

Hey Anne, thanks for your words, well i bought the book like 3years ago, keep the diet for a long time and even when i gave up the diet i keep the main idea, but in the last year a lot of things changed and i stop eating whole grains, add a lot of sugar and most of all pasta (i lived with 7 italians), i only got 4kgs (around 10lbs) but I felt bad about my eating habbits , so thats why I decided to start all over :)

and I decided to not start again phase 1, but as you said learn from my actions :)