This thread is for new folks, old folks restarting and anybody working on Phase I. Post your questions, concerns and helpful hints in here.

(Remember to join us on the Daily Chat too. There's more to life than dieting; it just doesn't feel that way sometimes. )

Hi. Started again soft of informally on Friday and even with cheating & no exercise (save marching in a parade and gardening) I lost 1.5 lbs. Tried the french toast style egg pancakes which were okay. Breakfast will be hard. Lunch has been tuna or imitation crab on salad with lemon and maybe a little oil or crab salad. Avoiding the carbs at dinner - meat or poultry and salad.

Drinking lots of water shooting for 1.5 liters per day. Goal is to be in onderland by Mid June.

Cheers...Sue

Well, Here I am! I should be starting Phase 2 today, but I cheated badly this weekend and need to start over and get back on track. I stocked up at the grocery store and am ready to go full speed this week until I can control the cravings again.

I think going back to Phase 1 is the only way I'm going to get myself on track again, so here I am. Not happy about it, but here I am.

Third day on phase 1...so far so good.

Same as dolphin girl. It is my 3rd day on the diet as well, and everything is going good. I had a rough few days though. On Saturday I had a really bad headache from not having sugar and just adjusting to not eating the things that you love.

I'm making a little concession to my Phase 1, since I've redone it so many times. I'm including a little fruit in my daily menu. It may not work for everyone, but it works for me and helps control my craving for something sweet.
Day 1:
Breakfast: FF Greek yogurt w/ strawberries, ground flaxseed and cinnamon
Snack: string cheese
Lunch: will be a grilled chicken breast in a big vegetable salad
Snack: roasted chickpeas, raw veggies
Supper: grilled chicken breast topped with roasted red pepper, onion and LF
mozzarella, all wrapped in romaine lettuce
Dessert: peanut butter cup dessert

Hi fatchicks!

It's day 12 of phase 1 for me.
Clothes are looser.
My sense of self respect has grown tremendously.
My belly has noticeably shrunk, though of course there's a long way to go.
I'm one of those people that is all belly.
Think 8 months pregnant looking without a baby to look forward to.
On a 5 feet no inch frame.
~sigh~
Thank goodness I only realized what I really look like a few months ago.

Well...I have to restart Phase 1 today. The weekend was horrible and even though I did good last week, I am sure the weekend ruined it.
SO....restarting today. No cheating!!!

Hi everyone! I'll be starting phase 1 tomorrow. I'm new to South Beach - my neighbor is in med school, and he told me this is a great diet and a great way of life. He and his beautiful wife are in their maintenance phases. They look amazing.

I have many pounds to lose, and am excited to get started! I had lost weight with WW before, but I'm horrible about keeping a journal. Now I'm at my heaviest ever.

Welcome Sarah!

Today was great. I actually enjoy a ton of the things on SBD and look forward to them. I am trying all sorts of new things. Tonight I am making jicama fries for the first time and I bought some tofu noodles that I will have tomorrow. I would never have tried these if not for SBD.

marinemommy! You have your motivation living right next door to you, seeing your neighbors results. We have some great recipes posted in our recipe section, be sure to try them out, and join us in our daily chats, too!

Day 4 and it feels that it's getting easier. However, I need to explore new ideas for breakfast.

I bought some SBD frozen foods last night for phase 1, maybe I will have that for dinner tonight. I noticed they had NO VARIETY for phase 1, like they have for phase 2 and 3. Anyone tried these before?

Jicama Fries? That sounds interesting. I love Jicama, especially with lemon and a little salt. Yummy!

Dolphingirl, try to only use those SBD frozen meals as a last resort. Look at the ingredients listing, there's a lot of stuff in there that we should avoid, even if it is made for the South Beach Diet. I must admit, though, that I really like the frozen pizzas, and will have one when time is tight. Eat a salad or an extra side of veggies with your frozen meal, because they don't have a large enough serving size included in it. I'm glad it's getting easier for you, the first 3 days are the biggest hurdle. What have you been eating for breakfast? I enjoy plain FF yogurt, sweetened with a SF syrup (DaVinci's ?), or Splenda, flaxmeal, and cinnamon. You could do the same with cottage cheese or ricotta, too. Look in the FAQ section for the stickies on Phase 1 Breakfast Ideas, too, for more great ideas.

This is Day 2 for me, so far so good. (Remember, I'm including fruit in my version of Phase 1.)

Breakfast: 1/2 cup ff cottage cheese w/ strawberries and flaxmeal
Snack: 2 deviled egg halves
Lunch: will be a big veggie salad topped with black beans and salsa
Snack: probably not
Supper: chicken breast topped with roasted red peppers and mozzarella, on a bed of shredded cabbage
Dessert: peanutbutter cup dessert