I'm going to be starting SBD, and read that those with a lot of weight to lose (morbidly obese) .. gawd I hate that phrase .. can stay on phase 1 for up to 2 months.
Just wondering if anyone was in that category starting out, and how long you did phase 1.
It's generally not recommended to stay on Phase 1 longer than 14 days, since you won't be getting enough nutrients. The Phase 1 stage of this diet is for ridding your body of toxins and sugars that are causing cravings. Yes, you will lose weight, but the real weight loss starts in Phase 2, when you will be eating the variety of foods that you'll be eating the rest of your life.
Many of us Beachers do follow a Phase 1 1/2, meaning we limit our starches or fruit to 1 or 2 servings a day, but it's not a good idea to eliminate them completely, as you will need the fiber and other nutrients they provide.
I hope you plan to read the book before starting out on this plan so you'll understand the fundamentals. Also check our FAQ section for the latest revised food lists and lots of helpful stickies. Good luck!
I am aware of the fundamentals of the plan, and I do have the book (an older copy), which is why I have been checking in here and reading the updated information.
It was in the FAQ's on here that I saw the quote from Dr. A posted ...
"Someone with a BMI over 30 (which is considered obese), for instance, can stay in Phase 1 for three or four weeks, while someone with a BMI over 35 (which is considered morbid obesity) can stay on Phase 1 for up to two months. For those whose BMI is below 30, we strongly recommend the regular two-week period"
That's why I wondered if anyone else here was considered obese or morbidly obese starting out, and their length of time on phase 1. I understand that phase 1 is for ridding your body of all the junk, and more weight loss comes in phase 2 .. but I'm sure there must be a reason why Dr. A said that.
My BMI was 35 when I started. I did Phase 1 for the two weeks and then a very slow, careful Phase 1.5. I found a strict Phase 1 too limiting and would have gotten bored and been more tempted to go off plan. I followed the plan strictly for months and maintained a nice even weight loss. I'm not sure what Dr. A's thinking is but I do think it's better to add a little variety with some fruit and whole grains as soon as the cravings are under control.
First time around, I was one of those people that ignored the Ph1 limitations and thought I'd lose as much weight as I possibly could by doing Ph1 for 4 weeks. I stopped losing weight after 10 days. Once I eased into "Phase 1.5" my body reacted and I started (slowly) losing more.
Ruby, I remember reading that in the book too, but I think it would be difficult to stay on it that long, due to boredom and not nutritionally wise. That said, you could give it a try for 4 weeks and then see how you feel.
My first go round I did phase 1 for 2 weeks and then the only change I made was allowing sf pudding into my plan, I didn't do it the right way.. I did have great sucess though. I really think that depriving myself of grains and fruits might have been a big influence on me straying off plan. I'm back into the obese range again, I will be starting tomorrow as day 1 and I plan on doing phase 1 for the 2 weeks suggested and slowly working into phase 2
I think I'll do the 2 weeks and see how I'm feeling. I really want to succeed this time, so I'm trying to cover all bases.
I don't want to be on P1 any longer or any shorter than I should, but was a bit confused what to do after reading Dr. A's quote. Everyone's shared experiences here and comments have helped a lot, so thank you !
That's why I wondered if anyone else here was considered obese or morbidly obese starting out, and their length of time on phase 1. I understand that phase 1 is for ridding your body of all the junk, and more weight loss comes in phase 2 .. but I'm sure there must be a reason why Dr. A said that.
Hi Ruby! I went into PH2 mainly because of my love of starches. Over on the official SBD site there are several women who are well over 300#s who have been on PH1 for a couple of months. They claim that they lose much more consistently and in larger amounts than if they have starches (even 1/day).
Based upon personal experience, that is true but and this is a HUGE but...it is incredibly boring and the risk is that you would eventually go off plan because of the deprivation of starches and fruits. That is Dr. A's reason for not being on PH1 for too long.
That said, there is no nutritional reason that we must have starches or grains. Plenty of good carbs can be obtained from veggies & beans. There are also arguments that we do not have to have fruits...the nutritional aspects can be found in veggies without all the sugar.
It is a very personal decision. I personally could not stay on any food plan that did not allow me some of my favorites such as steel-cut oats or soba noodles. Fruits I can do without although I do have fruit in the summer months when I can get fresh-picked. I found the unofficial PH1.5 of 1 starch/day and sometimes 1-2 fruits/day to be a good compromise of both. YMMV.
Phase 1 for excessively overweight
ruby2sday!
I went into PH2 mainly because of my love of starches. Over on the official SBD site there are several women who are well over 300#s who have been on PH1 for a couple of months. They claim that they lose much more consistently and in larger amounts than if they have starches (even 1/day). 