[jenne1017]

So yes, I am scared to enter Phase 2! I do so next Monday (I worry in advance ).

I've also been on this board for a while and have read all your tips (introduce either a fruit or a bread once a day, for a week and see how I react -- if not well, switch it for the other for a week or try eating it at a different time of day, etc.) on the transition...

I also know that there is a chance of a gain until I figure out what I can eat and when I can eat it. Which seems a bit odd to me but I hear you all loud and clear.

My questions are -- for those who are in Phase 2 and have been successful at it:

1) how much weight should I expect to lose per week (on average) once I adjust my body back to fruit and wheat flour and enriched/brown rice? Just looking to hear your experiences so I don't freak out if I can't make 5 lbs a month

2) do you ever go back to Phase 1 -- or only after a slip up? how long should one go back if they slipped (or does it depend on how big the slip is?)

3) do you ever switch up what you eat? Meaning, if after your P1 you discover you can have a grain and a fruit a day without gaining, do you ever eat 2 grains and no fruit one day, 2 fruits the next, etc or does it always have to be a grain and a fruit?

4) what if I show a gain and can't adjust myself? My fear is that I will be able to eat one fruit a day (at night) and never rice or ww tortillas!

I just don't see how I can reintro these things in my diet and still lose weight (long term). Thanks for any advice you can give!

[Barb0522]

I think you are going to find that everyone's experiences are different but I will tell you what I do. You can tell from my signature how much I have lost each month. I did phase 1 for two weeks starting May 22 of last year and have been in phase 2 ever since.

Some times I have stalled. Usually if I have gained then I knew I had been either eating stuff that was off plan or else eating pasta too often. My rate of loss has definitely slowed down as I get closer to goal. I also go alot by how my clothes feel since I have gained muscle from the exercising so may never get down to goal - which is fine since my BMI is already in the healthy range (as of today anyway).

I haven't gone back to phase 1 but I would think if you are having lots of cravings then you might think of it. Phase 2 is how we should be eating long term. I do sometimes have a phase 1 day but not for a whole week. I definitely switch up what I eat. I typically eat 2-4 servings of fruit a day and 2-3 starches. Maybe even more some days. I can eat more if I am exercising more and I can eat rice and WW tortillas or pitas without problems but have to watch my servings of pasta and bread. For fruits I can eat anything I want but I find I need to limit my bananas to one a day. After all, they weren't even allowed when I started South Beach.

If you find you can't add without gaining weight then I would run your food through Fit Day. For my the key to gaining again is to increase my vegetables (and make sure I am not cheating). I have a bag of Dark Chocolate M&Ms that I refuse to open since the last bag disappeared so fast!

[beachgal]

Wow, Jenn, thoughtful questions and great summary of what to do in P2!

1. I lost a lot every week once I figured things out. Honestly, I was losing 3-5 pounds a week for about 8 months. I did do a lot of exercise at the same time and I had a lot to lose. Right now, with only about 35 pounds to lose or so, I'm losing about 5 pounds a month...every 3 months. It's very slow going.

2. This leads back to Question 1. I go back to P1 when I'm craving because something got into my food or after a big cheat (one tiny cheat usually doesn't cause problems). I also did it once when I felt like I'd completely stalled.

3. I'm one starch and one fruit. I've found that I can add small amounts of either (on top of my one serving of each) to my day with no consequences (i.e. eating chicken tenders that had some flour in their breading or eating yogurt with a bit of SF jam or homemade SF berry coulis). Often, on Sundays, I eat an extra starch, and it doesn't seem to upset my loss or cause a gain. When I was losing so fast, I tried eating an extra starch a day (so two servings of starch and one serving of fruit a day total) to see if it would slow it down (what was I thinking? ), and it slowed it to a dead stop and caused IBS symptoms to return. I think you can keep playing with it to see what works for you...and what works may change.

4. You can always adjust. I think that if you find that you can't have a starch every day (I think that would be extreme) you should play with it to see if a lower GI starch has the same effect. Worst comes to worst, I would think you could manage a starch every other day and be okay. Just keep playing with it. It's not as black and white as it seems (starch vs no starch). Okay?

[beachgal]

Barb hit the nail on the head, Jenn...she's figured out things that work for her (like rice and tortillas) and things that don't work as well (like pasta and bread). You'll figure those things out too, with time.

Barb, the sugar in the outer shell of the M&M's could cause cravings and lead to eating the whole bag. Try having plain chocolate instead.

[jenne1017]

Great tips ladies, thanks! I am just scared of the gain in figuring things out but I won't let it stop me and throw me off altogether.

It's good to know also that you "BIG LOSERS" have an off day -- it's just a matter of getting right back on.

I would die if I knew I could NEVER eat something again, you know?

[Barb0522]

Laurie - I actually wasn't having a problem with physical cravings after eating the Dark Chocolate M&Ms but I have a problem with emotional cravings and portion control. I have that with any kind of chocolate so I'm avoiding them all for a few weeks to see if it could help me get past my plateau. It seems like it is working but I plan to wait a little longer before eating any again. I have several bars of Hershey's Special Dark chocolate that I bought on sale that are sitting in the freezer waiting for me when I am ready. I THINK the dark chocolate M&Ms are limited edition and won't be sold much longer (they are the Darth Vader ones).

[sweet tooth]

WTG Jenn. You are well on your way now, girl!!!

For me,

1. I quickly found that adding even 1 starch or fruit per day was too much for me, initially. So I reverted back to 1 starch or fruit every other day and maintained that WOE until I reached goal. However, I also learned that my body has adjusted to eating more starch and fruit, so I am able to eat 2 or 3 servings of starch and 1 or 2 fruits each day and maintain a healthy weight, or even lose an occassional pound.

2. Yes. I actually use a few days on Phase 1as permission to eat off program. For example, last August I knew that we would be attending a birthday party and I knew also that I would not be able to resist birthday cake, since it had been a long time since I had eaten a piece of cake. Sooo, the week before the party, I followed a Phase 1 regimen, and thoroughly enjoyed the birthday cake...no guilt. I also followed Phase 1 for a few days after the event to make sure that I had not done any major damage to my weight loss. Try to incorporate your times of slipping into your eating plan - and don't call them a cheat or a slip. Call them a planned treat. You will save yourself a lot of guilt and negative feelings if you do that.

3. I was never able to switch up, so can't comment.

4. Your body will eventually adjust. I thought that I would never be able to eat more than a starch or fruit every other day, but time has proven that this is not the case. BUT, do take it slowly. You will need to be patient if you are one of the people that cannot do a complete Phase 2 right away. Make sure that you monitor your weight closely when you are adding and react immediately to any weight gains. Personally, I find that waiting until the end of a week to weigh is too late to react to any kind of weight gain. (On another note, by watching my weight, I was usually able to tell earlier than usual when it was my TOM. My weight went up a few pounds for no expalined reason, and sure enough, that was the reason.) I usually react to a weight gain by doing Phase 1 for a couple of days.

You are doing great. Keep it up.

[jenne1017]

Thanks Sweet Tooth!!!!! More great advice. I figure I am such a scale ho anyway, I am sure to tell if there is a gain

[beachgal]

Peggy is our resident SBD Wise Woman. Thanks for chiming in, Peggy! I knew you ate less starch and fruit than I did but not how much, so I'm glad you posted.

Personally, though doing Phase 1 before a planned indulgence would help with weight loss, I'd have huge issues with cravings. I have to do it after.

Jenn, I definitely have slip ups! The fact that I can jump back on after those slip ups is what tells me not only that this is my new lifestyle but that I can really do this! I know you can too. Learning to not let a slip turn into a binge is such a great life skill. I'm still learning it! From what I hear from the maintainers, they are still learning it too. It just takes time.

[sarahyu]

1) Weight loss really depends on how much you need to lose. If you are really heavy then you can expect to lose several pounds a week. If you are close to goal weight, it might be 1/2 a pound a week. Weight loss is so tricky, it all depends on your own body. I can go several weeks with out losing any weight then wake up one morning and find I've lost 5 pounds over night practically.

You need to find other ways to track your success, because SCALES LIE! See the sticky somewhere. Measure yourself each month. When you don't see any changes in a week or two it gets really dissapointing but when you can see where you started and how many inches you've lost in total, it's not so bad.

2) Yes, I do visit phase 1 occasionally for a day or so when I've gone overboard with something I shouldn't have. I find that phase 1 is more difficult the second time around. I allow myself a few splurges throught out the month. But, if I'm not careful I splurge a little too often. When start cleaning out my drawers looking for any hidden candy I might have overlooked, I know it's time to visit phase 1 again.

3) You'll have to figure out what works for you. I've done no bread and 2 fruit or no fruit and 2 breads, many times it depends on what's going on that day. Now that I've been in phase 2 for over a year, I'm much more liberal....hmmm that's probably why I'm not losing weight. But hey, I'm not gaining.

4) You will get the hang of it eventually. Take it slow, add back a little at a time. When I went to phase 2, I did it sort of every other day. I added back things so incredibly slowly. First was oatmeal. I tried to stick with really high fiber things at first. I don't think I added any fruit until well into my 2nd week of phase 2.

Many people show a slight gain or stall for a week or so. Don't panic if that happens. You're body is just adjusting.


Good luck
Sarah