The first couple days were awful- it gets better.

I'm living my life now basically as if I was on phase 1, just without the added benefit of dairy. I don't even mind it so much and really crave weird things like a whole wheat bagel when I see others eating. For me though, I can't "cheat" because the gluten and dairy would make me sick. Yuck... But yeah.. make sure you're eating your beans and protein! And celery is gross- get some more of the good stuff!

Sheilaisme, Phase I can be tough, but very necessary to your success if you are hooked on refined starches and sugars. I love this plan, it's the only thing I've been able to stick to in the last 20 years. I celebrated my 100 day anniversary yesterday, and I am going strong and feeling great. You will feel better soon, just make sure you are eating the right things, and eat if you are hungry. Don't worry about the big Ph1 weightloss. Some get it, some don't, but the main thing is to break the carb cycle. Wait until you start Ph2, and then decide if it's the right plan for you. I've seen a bunch of posts like yours, and by the 5th day, they are saying how great they feel and how much they love SB.

And Kim, did you ever do Phase I? I have to say, I only lost 5 lbs during PhI, but I don't think much of it was water, and I never really saw the difference in calling something water weight or otherwise anyway. Whatever it was, it was 5 lbs. that was on me, and I was glad it was gone. I really don't think it's just psychological, because I used to stuff carbs and sugar all day, and get the shakes when I needed more. I could easily eat a lb.-bag of candy myself or a whole box of cookies. In the last 3 months I haven't craved that stuff, and it isn't just will power (because I have none), I just don't need it anymore. I haven't really wanted it since the second week of Ph1. Anyway, psychological or not, whether you buy the book, or just follow the plan from the forum here, it's a good, healthy, way of eating.

Hey Shiela,

I know how you feel. Today is Day Three for me. I've never done SB before and thought, "Hey, why not try it?" I know where my problem lies...I <3 carbs...a lot. So yeah, I've been having headaches (sugar withdrawals I'm assuming) and I was emotional and grouchy for the first time in months yesterday (DH had to suffer the wrath...). Anyways when we got home from the gym, I made dinner (Taco Bake listed in Phase I recipes) and I felt a million times better! I didn't feel like I was depriving myself because I ate an entire meal, filled myself up quite nicely, and realized AFTER the fact, there had been little to no carbs or sugar and I didnt' even miss it.

My suggestion is plot and plan your meals, so that you're so busy eating your newly discovered yummy foods, that you won't miss the stuff you can't have yet. And keep in mind, it's only two weeks! Anyone can suffer through anything for two weeks. And after that, you can have some of those things back.

I don't do SBD anymore because it just wasn't for me, but I must say that on Ph1, I lost 14 lbs in 2 weeks. When I've done any other "diet" or lifestyle change, I've never lost that much weight from water. I'm thinking that there's a little more to Ph1 than just water weight-loss.

And the detox part is tough. It's like giving up caffeine only the withdrawal symptoms don't go on for near as long. Or anything else really. Quitting smoking was way tougher than kicking the sugar habit. It really does get better.

You just have to make sure you eat, eat, eat! It takes awhile to get used to knowing what you're doing on anything new, but eating is huge on this one. I used to try to have scrambled eggbeaters for breakfast (plain,) a cheese stick for a snack, a plain salad for lunch, celery for a snack, and something soy-based for dinner. Holy cow I was hungry and weak!

Then I realized what all I could have:

B - eggbeater omelet loaded with chopped veggies and cheese, a cup of tea with splenda, and a small low-sodium V8
S - laughing cow on celery
L - Large salad loaded with veggies, beans, and cheese (sometimes salsa)
S - Sliced peppers/mushrooms/cucumbers with hummus (and also some nuts sometimes)
D - Any of the tasty Ph1 recipes on the site that are really filling and delicious, with a salad if I thought I needed more to eat
S - Decadent Brownies with 1 T. FF Cool Whip, or the Peanut Butter Cup recipe, anything sweet to take the edge off.

That's just an example of one menu that I would eat, and I'm a vegetarian so I know for meater-eaters there are a ton more options. The whole point is to detox and be healthy without anything "enriched" so it's empty calories. On SBD you kick the sugar and eat whole foods that fill you up and give you the calories you need to live instead of extra calories that you don't need and make you feel sluggish.

I keep saying that weight-loss is just an added benefit of a healthy way of life. I've lost plenty and of course I stray from time to time (have been better lately, minus my moving weekend) but I'm not going to change my eating habits when I get to my goal weight. I want to be healthy and thin, not just thin.

AMEN, Weezle! That's the ticket!!!

You Beachies have done a FANTASTIC job of explaining P1, the detox 'flu,' and everything else here! Good for you!

The issue with water weight is that when you lose tons of water, you will definitely gain some back. Your body needs it, but can be forced to give it up in certain situations. It'll take it back as soon as it gets a chance (i.e. in P2). That said, I haven't heard of anyone gaining back a ton in P2...this isn't a fad diet (those are the ones that tend to have you losing water weight and gaining it back quickly), but it might sound like one from some of the claims that are made in advertising. I'd agree with most of you; P1 not only helps you detox from sugar (although, if you aren't badly addicted, you might be able to do P2 right away without cravings...some people can.), it also helps you lose weight, especially if it's drastically different from your normal diet (pre SBD).

If anyone hasn't tried Barb's muffin recipe (it's in the recipe forum), you haven't enjoyed heaven yet. Those things are so darn good I can't make them because I will eat them all in one sitting! Well, not really, but I did find them very tempting compared to other things I've made on SBD. The are a must try. I have to say...before SBD, I would have had the same feelings as JayEll about low-fat, SF, WW muffins, but now I find them delicious! It's amazing what can taste different when you're free from your sugar addiction...I find broccoli sweet now!!!

Sheila, I found P1 incredibly hard for three days. But I stuck with it and I'm so glad I did. I found SBD was the first plan I could actually stick to, and it was the reason why I finally was free from cravings for the first time in my whole life!!! It was AMAZING!!! It's totally worth it. In addition, I found myself kind of appalled at how hard detox was...it was a harsh slap in the face about how totally addicted I'd become to sugar. It really brought home to me how much I needed to do SBD.

There's a lot of great info about surviving P1 on here...check out the FAQ and the Emergency Handbook for P1. Some basic tips:

• Drink lots of plain water (put lemon or lime in it if you have to)...it helps!
• Eat good carbs that are allowed: beans, legumes, nuts, tomatoes, bell peppers, dairy (yogurt, milk, cheese). They will help curb the cravings and make you feel less 'flu-ish.'
• Don't try to exercise if you haven't been already. If you are used to exercise but find yourself super-tired, baby yourself. When I do P1, I give myself permission to nap, to do fun stuff (like scrapbook or read), take baths, etc. As my professor once told me, "When you're trying something new, everything else should be easy." That way you can get it!

Thanks everyone for you positive advice. Day 4 and I gotten past the hard cravings. However I would trade my mother to a band of wandering gypsies for a bag of Doritos

That, too, shall pass.

Sheila, I can definitely sympathize. I had done Atkins to reach my goal and then switched to Calorie Counting after 6 months of maintenance. Now, 6 months later my Dr. has told me to do South Beach. Needless to say, I feel lost and confused.

I'm now on Day 4. I've accidentally cheated by having some whole Oat Bran cereal. I didn't realize it wasn't allowed. I finally found a list of induction foods today and am going to stick strictly to it. (I had bought the book but wasn't very far in it, when I made the cheat). I'm gonna just proceed on with the rest of induction and see how it goes.

Yes, I felt like a raging maniac the last 3 days. Terrible carb cravings. Had a headache, sore throat and flu-like symptoms. Today I finally feel better. I do find that eating some beans helps quite a bit.

I really don't know how much I weigh. I was 145 on my scale (which is my goal wt.), but was 151 last Thursday on Dr. scales. I think my scales are off a few lbs. and I was retaining a lot of water. I'm now peeing like crazy with the reduction in carbs and the lbs. are coming off. I agree with whoever said they don't care if it's water that is coming off, it is still lbs. and that is how I see it.

BTW, I have Insulin Resistance and am on Glucophage. My Dr. thought I was starting to regain my wt. since I was 147 on his scale 4 months ago and now 151. He wants me to use SBD because he wants me to eat Lower Glycemic foods due to my health conditions.

Hi Lilybelle! I've seen your posts up in other parts of the forum. Welcome to the beach! Your weight loss is really inspiring...

Thanks ladies, I feel like I'm starting to get this way of eating down. I finally feel like I can do this. I even exercised tonite. Yippee.

Sheila, LOL about the Doritos. Tonite my SD left a bag of cookies on the counter and I quickly put them in the cabinet. I wanted to nibble just one, LOL, but I knew I'd eat the whole bag .

Lilybelle! Please do post an introduction thread so everyone can welcome you and get to know you better...they might not find you buried in this post, and that would be a shame! I hope you continue to feel better and better about this WOE...I think it's much easier than calorie counting...and allows you to eat more than Atkins. I hope it helps with your health issues, too!

Sheila, I'm glad you're feeling better! You know what...I felt just like you about the darn Doritos...and when I was about to leave on a trip last July to France, where I knew I was going off plan, I bought a 99 cent bag of Doritos and took them with me. The poor thing got so crushed in my luggage that it was almost Dorito powder by the time I opened it! The point is, when I finally got to eat them, they didn't taste very good at all! I was shocked! Not that I didn't eat the whole bag anyway Honestly, they don't taste as good as you think they do, especially after Phase 1. And the way you feel after... That's not pretty. Keep your mother away from those gypsies. You may need her later in case a bargain for a chocolate cake becomes available!