Prepare Yourself to Start South Beach

[murphmitch]

Originally Posted by AnAbsoluteDiva

Don't eat her food.

Ha, ha! I work with about 15 other gals every day that eat like crap! I am no longer tempted by what they eat because I know how unhealthy their food is & how good I feel. I always take my meals & plan ahead for food emergencies.

[SBD Sass]

And no matter what...do not mess up in P1. If you have to mess up then do that in P2. The faster we get in and out of P1 the better. Those two weeks are tough on some of us, but it is the prerequisite you must take and pass in order to ensure you are successful in P1.5 or P2. Never give up!

[cbrown27]

My co-worker is taking diet pills and losing the weight FAST while eating whatever she wants. Argh!

I am starting tomorrow and I am planning.

I am going to live by the saying "...if you fail to plan, you plan to fail."

[Tryin2LoseIt]

I just joined this community - thank you - and have a quick question. I did phase 1 already with just a couple beers sneaking in as cheating. I lost a couple pounds. When I went from phase 1 to phase 2 I got off track and have stumbled the last 4-5 days with being on and off plan. I am losing motivation.

Should I start phase 1 again to get back on track??

Thank you!!!

[murphmitch]

Most suggest a clean Phase I (the whole two weeks). Sounds like the cheats may be your problem. Sorry, I would start over. Dr. A says beer is a no-no.

[Tryin2LoseIt]

Thank you for the response. Beer really is my biggest setback when dieting. I know it's sad - but I love my beer! I just ordered the book and the dining out guide, so I hope that helps me as I re-prepare for Phase 1!

[beachgal]

Here are some tips from today's Daily Dish on preparing your kitchen for Phase 1 that I thought were helpful in this thread:

Stocking Up Your Kitchen

The journey of reaching your weight-loss goals starts in the kitchen. Taking stock of the foods that you will be cooking and eating as you follow the South Beach Diet is a good way to improve your results. This means removing certain foods altogether. To help you get started (or to serve as a reminder), we’ve created this checklist of foods that should be eliminated for Phase 1 of the South Beach Diet. Most of these foods can be reintroduced two weeks later, once you enter Phase 2. Learn how to create a healthy kitchen with this easy Phase 1 cheat sheet:

Foods to Avoid in Phase 1

Baked goods: Breads (even those made with whole-wheat flour), cakes, cookies, crackers, cupcakes, muffins, pastries, and waffles

Beverages: All fruit juices, sodas, and any other drinks containing sugar, fructose, or corn syrup, as well as all alcoholic beverages

Cereals: All varieties of cereals

Condiments, dressings, and seasonings: Barbecue sauce, honey mustard, ketchup, and any other condiment, sauce, or salad dressing made with corn syrup, molasses, or sugar

Dairy and cheese: Whole milk; cheeses made with anything but 1% milk, part-skim, or fat-free milk; creamy cheeses except for low-fat cottage cheese

Flour: All cornmeal and flour, including pancake and waffle mixes

Fruit: All fruit and fruit products, including dried fruits

Meat and poultry: Anything processed using sugars (honey-baked or maple-cured ham, for instance); fatty fowl such as duck and goose; pate; dark-meat chicken and turkey (legs and wings); processed fowl (such as packaged chicken nuggets or patties); beef brisket, liver, rib steaks, and other fatty cuts

Oils and fats: All solid vegetable shortening or lard, butter, and hydrogenated oils

Pasta: All pasta, even whole wheat

Rice: All rice, even brown

Snacks: All packaged snacks are off-limits, both sweet and salty varieties, except for one-ounce packages of dry-roasted nuts

Soup: All powdered soup mixes (many are full of trans fats)

Sweeteners: All sweeteners, except sugar substitutes

Vegetables (starchy): Beets, carrots, corn, green peas, sweet and white potatoes, pumpkin, turnips (root), winter squash, and yams

[gfallo1954]

For the first phase, can't I have unlimited veggis. I do have the book but I didn't read front to back. I thought you don't have to count calories or weigh your food.

[cottagebythesea]

gfallo, you don't have to weigh your food or count calories on the SBD, and you should be eating at least 4 1/2 cups of approved vegetables every day.

[Ruthxxx]

And please, PLEASE read the book thoroughly. It's very important. You should also check the Phase I Food List in this Forum which will save a lot of confusion.