I am currently on Phase 2 and I think my heart was just broken. Am I not allowed to ever have potatoes even in moderation? I LOVE baked potatoes!

there are no limitations once you get to ph 3 maintaining. anything is allowed then in moderation

By the time you get there you may feel differently. I used to love white pasta and mashed potatoes (not together though I'm sure it would have occurred to me at some point, especially if I could cover it in cheese & gravy ). Nowadays I never eat pasta at all and have had a bite or two of white potatoes (three french fries, one each on three occasions, and bits in dishes while eating out) and I actually don't want them anymore. They seem bland now. Your tastes may change as time goes on.

It is true that you can eat anything in moderation but a lot of us find that Phase 3 isn't that different than Phase 2. Just an off plan food now and then, usually with extra planning around that dish.

I agree with Cyndi. I'm on Phase III an rarely, I mean rarely, eat white potatoes. I think I had some on Easter Sunday. I really love sweet potatoes and so does my DH. My Phase III is just an extra grain or fruit from Phase II.

After awhile on SBD, I realized that I only used white potatoes as a carrier for the butter, cream and other seasonings. I really don't like the taste of a plain baked potato.
Once I realized that it was the fat that made me happy with potatoes it was easier to not be too interested in them any longer.

After awhile your taste buds may adjust or when you do occasionaly have one you'll really enjoy it more.

Sarah in MD

I'm pretty Irish, so I grew up with a potato with every meal just about. This was a major concern for me, as well, 5 years ago when I first started SBD.

I never thought I'd say it, but I very rarely eat potatoes now. I still LIKE them, but my life doesn't depend on having to have them. Sometimes we roast baby red potatoes with carrots, onions, and celery (in EVOO with rosemary and thyme) in the oven, but otherwise, I don't usually have potatoes anymore. Only on special occasions.

Potatoes are overrated

me to and was surprised to find i don't miss them. i have had them maybe once or twice since starting sb and don't feel guilty for the occassional taste.

I had my first baked potato in over 2 years a couple of weeks ago when we went out to celebrate my son's graduation. It was "loaded" too (I figured if I was going to have one, it had to have the works!) It was good, but not THAT good. I really don't miss them now and doubt I have another any time soon....and I used to LOVE them. No big appeal now. After the first couple of bites it just felt heavy and "gloppy" and I brought it home for my husband to take to work the next day.

All this talk of potatoes.... when I used to have an occasional baked potato, I'd put ICBINB Spray on it with a little LF Sour Cream, or some LF Cheese and homemade salsa. Again, it sounds good and I know it tastes good, but there are so many other things I could be eating that do my body so much more good.

Never thought I'd hear myself say that!

For me, NEVER makes me want something even more so I tell myself that I am not having [whatever] right now. I did that when I quit smoking and again when I started SB.

When I started SB the thought of not having some of the rich foods that I liked actually made me obsess about them. So whenever I needed to I would just tell myself that I am not having that right now or today. And I did that for days/weeks (depending on the food). Time passed and my focus on those things faded.

p.s. Now I see foods or commercials for foods that I used to like and it is really weird but I don't want them anymore.

I'd never thought i'd say this, but I have to agree.

I was a french fry loving, potato skin eating, baked potato craving addict before SB. I've been on SB for a year now and I don't miss them at all! Sure, once every blue moon (usually once every three-four months with a steak, mmmm), I'll eat them (especially baked potatoes), but when I eat them now, I usually only eat them with smart balance and sour cream. I used to eat them loaded, but for some reason, loaded baked potatoes are too much for me now, and leave me feeling weighed down. I have also grown to love other things in place of the side of fries, such as sweet potato fries or even a salad.

Steph, in Phase 2, you can have small/new potatoes (the small ones have less starch and a lower GI) about once a month. You can have sweet potatoes (yellow flesh) and yams (orange flesh) at any time in Phases 2 and 3. I think you'll come to find that sweet potatoes (not the orange ones) are very like a regular potato. Try it baked with LF sour cream and Smart Balance and I know you'll feel like you're eating a regular one, only sweeter! Enjoy!

Hey, new poster here! Today is Day 7 of P1 and so far so good.

The severe limits on potatoes (and other "bad" carbs) is something that sneaks into my brain now and then, too. But I know rationally that I *can* have that stuff in P3, just not all the time.

So far so good on P1. I've found tons of recipes and haven't had carb cravings. The only thing I miss carbs for is just for convenience (a tortilla for breakfast tacos, chips for the 7-Layer Dip, etc.) or just to round out a menu, but just more a passing thought, not a craving at all.

So I think I'll be able to do this!

DeannP!

You can certainly have tortillas in Phases 2 and 3 (Whole wheat ones are available all over now, and you can also use the whole grain versions of brands like Flat Out). There are tons of chips and crackers that are safe on SBD. You can buy or make your own WW pita chips--I think that would work really well for 7 layer dip, but slices of jicama (or other veggies) would work well too. As you delve deeper into SBD, you'll find that you start thinking more and more about veggies as the normal "side" for food rather than starchy foods.

As for potatoes, as I said, you can have unlimited sweet potatoes or yams during P2 and 3. When you try them, you are really likely to find that, especially in the case of the yellow sweet potatoes (not orange yams), you really don't miss white potatoes. Try 'em!

Sweet potato fries are SOOOO good. I even have french-fry loving friends who have come to prefer sweet potato fries.

Mizski, as always, you have great advice. I learned to tell myself, "I'm choosing not to eat this right now because I know it'll make me feel sick/get cravings later. I also don't want to go through Phase 1 right now. But I can have it if I really want it later." This has helped me a lot--as in the past I got stuck in a lot of "never" thinking and that just made me deprived. The couple of times I've gone off plan in the last five years, I've eaten a lot of those "forbidden" foods and found myself sick, cranky, woozy, etc. I remember that feeling when I think about having those foods now and make the "choice" to not have them.