[fireflynova]

Maybe this should have gone in the FAQ..

Instead of posting a bunch of different threads, I have some simple questions that I'm just confused about (could just be me ).. But any help would be great, I want to be OP totally.

Cream Cheese I've read so many different things, and haven't been able to draw a definate conclusion.. can I or can't I have cream cheese in Phase I, and if so.. light, ff... what?! I know it's been discussed before, but I'm left still, confused.

Peanut Butter I bought Smuckers Natural PB, but it has 1 sugar.. is this the right one to use?

Whipped Cream I started using a Walmart generic non dairy one, but it has 2 sugars in it.. so today I bought Cool Whip Free, which still has sugar.. But the Light one did too... I for the life of me can't figure out which one is the best for SBD... or maybe I'm just not understanding about certain sugar.

Soy Flour? Not sure what it is, but I saw it in a recipe.. and was curious if it was worth looking into...

Lemonade/Limeade True? Can I just put lime juice or lemon juice in water with splenda? I didn't know if there was a catch..

I think that's it, thanks in advance for the help I want to stay on the right track, it's been one week on Phase I and I dropped 10! count 'em TEN lbs!

[sarahyu]

Peanut butter-look for no added sugar and no hydrogenated oils.
I think we've decided that lf or ff cream cheese is ok in moderation, but I could be mistaken.

Whipped cream- well, I don't use it. I have no self control and I'd eat the entire box/can. Who decides that a serving is 1 T? I believe a serving should be 1/4 cup! Good think I don't make the serving sizes.

Soy flour is basically ground roasted soy beans. I think you can get it at Whole Foods market, maybe Trader Joes-not for sure. Probably at a health food store.

Lemon/lime aide-sure just add some juice and some sweetener and enjoy. Don't forget to drink plain water also.

[beachgal]

Hi, Firefly! Great questions! I'll move this into the FAQ in a bit, but let's see if you get a couple more responses first, okay?

First of all, I think it is GREAT that you are wanting to be totally OP! That is really important in Phase 1 for it to work and give you the full benefits...and it certainly helps in Phase 2, as well!

I love your snail and pound bar...that is awesome! Congratulations on your loss so far!!!

Okay, to the questions:

Cream Cheese: According to the book and the GFGCG, you're supposed to have non-dairy cream cheese. Some people appear to have found this, but most seem to have no clue what it is. In the meantime, both Ruth and I agree that 1/3 less fat or Fat Free (FF) dairy cream cheese should be fine. Sometimes it's not officially allowed, but by checking out the nutritional info, we agree that it's a good thing. Example: the only crackers officially allowed are Stoned Wheat. But Ruth and I and a bunch of others think that Wasa Crispbreads and Triscuits (Red. Fat) should be allowed too, so we eat them. Shhhh, don't tell!

Peanut Butter: Smuckers is fine. With the sugar grams, you need to check out the actual ingredients to see whether the sugar is added or not. If it's added, then you can the ingredient's place in the list and the amount of grams to determine how much there is. So here are some examples:

PB: Ingredients are Peanuts and Salt. No matter how many grams of sugar are in the item, if it's on the foods to enjoy list, it's fine, because no sugars are listed in the ingredients.

Altoids mints (just for comparison): First ingredient is sugar. Definite no-no. First three ingredients are the most in the item, and all ingredients are listed in order of their amount in the recipe. So if sugar was the 17th ingredient, it might be fine, but definitely not okay as the first.

Read up on the different names for sugar...usually if it ends in -ose, it's a sugar. If it ends in -tol, it's usually a sugar alchohol, which are allowed on SBD but can cause indigestion, so I wouldn't recommend them.

Just read the labels.

Whipped Cream: You have two choices: Cool Whip Free (yes, it has sugar, but it's in such a small quantity (2 Tbsp), that we don't worry about it) or heavy whipping cream with Splenda (it has no sugar, but does have saturated fat. Again, such a small amount that we aren't worrying about it)

Soy Flour is safe to use on SBD. Since you can have soy nuts in Phase 1, I would think that you could have soy flour as well. Ruth, what do you think?

You absolutely can add lemon or lime juice to water, and you may find that you don't even need the Splenda. It's delicious! If you find that you are using a lot of juice and little water for this, though, only count two cups of it as part of your daily water drinking.

Good luck and enjoy!

[Barb0522]

Use the light cream cheese. Sometimes I think it is called Neufchatel cheese.

Take a look at the ingredients in your peanut butter. If there is no added sugar (or anything else like corn syrup) then it is the right one. I'm pretty sure that Smucker's Natural is the one that many people are using.

Whipped cream does have a lot of nasty stuff in it. Most people are using the Cool Whip Free. The important thing is to remember the 2 TBSP limit.

I've never used soy flour so I can't help there. I use WW flour when I need one. I believe soy is fine on South Beach though.

Lemons and Limes are allowed on Phase 1. You should be fine adding Splenda and water to make a lemonade/limeade but remember to get lots of plain water too.

[kvixen]

FYI: I have a great tiramisu recipe that calls for Neufchatel cheese. If someone can figure out a SBD sponge cake, or lady fingers, I am so happy to post it. It is the cheese with sweetner (Splenda) and expresso, mixed with a little whipped cream layered over ladyfingers soaked in sweetened expresso. Woudl that be SBD ok if I figured out the ladyfinger situation?

Thanks!

[wendyjo]

One word about soy flour and soy flour products - YUCK! Ok, that's just my opinion, but I tried some soy pasta and it was so nasty I was literally wiping the inside of my mouth out with a paper towel. It seems to expand when you chew it, and then it gets all crumbly while expanding and next thing you know your mouth is just full of the stuff and you can't even spit it all out (If anyone saw the movie "Evolution" - remember how the little alien blob grew and expanded when it caught on fire? That's what soy pasta does when you chew it!).

Anyhow, just a word of caution so if you buy a soy flour product just by one and see if you like it or not. I bought a few and ended up throwing them, and my money, away.

[fireflynova]

thanks guys, this is all wonderful help i'm just going to avoid the soy flour.. i don't have any cravings for any starches or other bad carbs.. And I came up with a Phase I friendly Broccoli Cheese Soup, from the one posted in the Phase II Soups.. where should I post it?.. or can't I?

[Barb0522]

Post it under the Phase 1 Soups. Just go into that section and then click on New Thread.

[beachgal]

Okay, moving this over to the FAQ...great responses!