[txlawchic]

I was wondering if anyone out there has bypassed Phase 1 and gone to Phase 2. I have been in and out of this forum and am not new to SBD, however, I find that 1 gets to be pretty tedious within a few days and I end up reverting to old ways. Conveniece is also an issue, it seems far easier to have a sandwich, cereal or fruit opposed to typical Phase 1 fare.

Thoughts?

[H-ko]

Sounds like you just need to mix up your meal plans a bit. If you don't start off with the detox to kick the sugar/starch habit, you'll end up having cravings plague you and sabotaging your efforts. I think most, if not all, of us have been tempted to give it up in the early days when the withdrawals get to be hard to deal with, but just hang in there - it's only two weeks.

What about the plan gets tedious? It allows for quite a lot of variety, even in phase 1. Maybe some of us can offer suggestions for getting through the phase 1 doldrums.

[sarahyu]

IMHO, it depends on what you've been eating pre-SBD. If you've been eating pretty low sugar previously, mostly good carbs then, I think, starting with phase 2 would be ok. But if you are eating a typical American diet with lots of processed foods, white sugar and white bread it would be good to do phase 1 just to get it all out of your system.

But- this is just my opinion-others may disagree.
Sarah

[Jennie527]

I pretty much agree with Sarah. Unless you have been eating really crappy all the time you should be fine. I didn't truly do P1. I mostly did but I probably had some whole wheat toast ot pasta or tortilla every day or every other day the last 2 weeks. It just takes a little longer for the crap to get out that way I think. Do what works for you. If you start with P2 but find you have too many cravings, you can always change your game plan

[JanaM]

I'm doing Phase 2 now, but when I started (and when I have to backtrack a little), I sort of do a Phase 1 1/2. I'm Insulin Resistant and am on metformin, so I'm afraid that going completely no-carb for a couple of weeks will really wack me out. I try to only eat the good carbs early in the day and only have a serving or two.

Then, When I get to phase 2, I add more carbs in and see where that takes me. So far, the weight's coming off. I'm learning as I go too...

[txlawchic]

Thank you all for your responses. The last few times around Phase 1 has been very hard to stick to. I definitely need a balanced, realistic approach to eating out of conveninece and to mesh with the demands of my life. The Phase 1 1/2 option, per Jana is a great suggestion. A serving of whole grain bread, couscous or fiber rich cereal can all the difference to me.

After my completion of a so-so Phase 1 before the holidays, my trainer suggested that when I moved on to Phase 2 and on the third day do Phase 1. So, I may do that. I'm starting a 16-week walk-run program with a local group and apparently such activity is somewhat detrimental without carbs.

Thanks again!

[seachick]

Unless you have a problem with sweets and cravings there is no reason why you can't start with P2. When this program was first introduced I knew many people on SB who started directly with P2 and did very well. Even though some of them HAD been eating terribly before they started, P2 still helped to curb their cravings and diminish their taste for sweets - it just may take longer. I personally like my fruit and whole grain breads and lose much better when both are in my program.

I've always skipped P1 but over the years before SB came along I had already removed white flour products from my daily diet, usually use oil/vinegar based dressings, and eat a lot of fish and chicken. I have eaten nothing but whole grains for years - most of which I make myself. I do not have a sweet tooth so sweets are not a problem for me - I prefer a piece of fruit.
So for me starting directly with P2 was not an issue. I am in the 50 yr. old age group so my losses are slow but I have lost 8 lbs. so far and feel great.

Good luck in whatever you decide. Either way you'll be heading towards better health.

[amelie77]

if you only have a small amount of weight to lose, Dr. A recommends starting at phase two. I have seen this mentioned quite a few times, for one in the new cookbook.