Hello everyone

I am going to start the Phase one on Monday the 13th. I am a little scared to go through the detox but I a have been psyching myself up for it all week.

Take care everyone
Diane

I am finishing day 9 of detox today and to tell you the truth it hasn't been as hard as I thought it would.

Hiya!

I am starting tomorrow also!! I'm sure we will both do well on this and succeed

Hey. I am restarting again. Wish me luck.

Hi Diane,

I was supposed to start Phase I today (04/13/09) also, but couldn't get to the grocery store. I will definately be starting tomorrow.

I am also a little scared of starting. I have found a lot of good recipes on this site, so I'm hoping all will go well with this first phase.

I'm with NC -- P1 was really not that bad. First couple days were weird (probably carb cravings) but somewhere around day 4 or 5 I saw a huge bump in my energy level. A few things that helped me big-time:

(1) Don't view this as a long-term diet -- try to think of it as just 9 days. When you say it out loud, 9 days of discipline/denying yourself is something any grown up should be able to do.

(2) Make a menu and cook in advance. It's hit or miss with what you'll like, but taking the options out of your foods reduces the chance you'll cheat (with those last minute invites to lunch).

(3) Make sure you cook/order enough that you won't be hungry. Obviously this doesn't apply to things like rice, but I overbought fruits and veggies to have around (carrots with a little light caesar dressing, pineapple, flavored almonds, and banana peppers are still part of my daily diet). Nothing can derail a good diet quicker than being hungry.

(4) Make sure you eat at the designated intervals (i.e., 4 to five times per day). The FSD is about getting your metabolism firing at maximum efficiency and skipping meals will stunt that progress. It also goes to being unnnecessarily hungry -- if I go a day without eating I'll end up massively overeating at night (and then probably the wrong things).

(5) Throw your scale under the bed for at least a week. The effort we put in to losing weight never seems to match our expectations/results at first. It's just human nature. If you kill yourself for a week and only see an incrimental change (or no change at all), you get discouraged and the battle is all but lost. It's easy to say 'I gave it shot and it didn't work.' But if you step outside yourself and check reality, few of us would say to someone else that a week or two is enough time to give anything a chance. So ditch the scale and let how you feel be your guide.

(6) Get to the gym as much as possible. This will boost your metabolism, energy and sense of accomplishment. It's also the hardest part of dieting. The upside is that the results come much quicker if you workout regularly and the right way (low intensity for extended periods to start then building up to modified interval training).

(7) Reward yourself. This actually relates to my first point of approaching the diet in segments and not some massive undertaking. Whenever I'm overwhelmed or frustrated I try to focus on the things two inches from my face....The next memo I have to write, the next errand I have to run, the next bill I have to pay, the next ten mintues on the eliptical. A week after P1I went to my favorite restaurant (Dinosaur BBQ in NYC) and went nuts. I schedule cheat days/weekends and look forward to them. They keep me motivated to work hard by breaking up my dieting. It's a **** of a lot easier to stay on the treadmill or eat another salad if I know there's a light (or at least a glimmer) at the end of the tunnel -- or at least a checkpoint. Otherwise we're just looking at numbers on a scale that morph into seemingly impossible goals. Simply put, we all need a break because hard work should be rewarded. Nobody's training for the olympics here. We just want to become a better version of ourselves. That alone deserves at least an order of cheese fries a couple times a month.

and finally...(8) Keep your eye on the prize. I set a goal of 210 -- 60+ lbs lighter than when I started. That doesn't happen in a week (unless I lop off a leg and arm). I'm in a marathon not a race. I know there are days when it's going to be overwhelming. I also know those days will likely outnumber the ones where it seems easy. I pulled out of storage the summer clothes I plan on wearing when I get my six pack pack and hung them in the front of my closet as a reminder of why I'm doing this. They keep me focused and make me go for a run instead of the fridge, as well as back on track after I cheat (the Sunday morning walk of shame over pizza boxes is the worst). Everybody slips up and has regrets -- the only thing that matters is getting back on the horse. There's a famous sports line that goes something like 'It doesn't matter how many times you get knocked down, only how many times you get back up.' Aside from the fact that whoever said that probably managed the suckiest boxer in history, I think it's the perfect way to approach dieting.

I hope this helps anyone out there looking for a little advice/motivation/support/perspective. Give it 9 days at your maximum effort -- otherwise you're cheating yourself. 9 days is nothing -- it's 216 hours (of which we're awake only about 144!).

JAF that was inspirational. I am on Day 3 of P2 and am craving my bad snack foods and pizza. I don't want to cheat and get knocked off the horse and undo the work I have done so far. I am going to the grocery store to get some more allowed snack foods since I am not restricted to fruit only.

Thanks Diane and cheers NC -- I know how good it feels to quell that temptation and force yourself in the right direction.

I started on 4/13 too. It's day 7 for me. I'm just taking it one meal at a time. I seriously considered quitting on Friday night, but I'm glad my fiance' wouldn't let me.