I have been on SBD for four years...I lost 30 pounds in 2006 doing mostly phase 1...I gave up sugar, white products, bread, pasta, rice and potatoes...I have NEVER added them back...I absolutely will not eat sugar...For my sweet tooth, this was the key...I know it sounds harsh never to have that sweet baked good but it also feels wonderful to wear my skinny jeans year after year...
As some of the other posters have said, this old weight problem is so individual...You have to find what works for you and just do it...I am absolutely pleased with my eating plan!!!!!...
I eat 1-2 fruits a day, if I overeat, it is on nuts...Mostly I eat chicken and vegetables in some form...I eat eggs every day, oatmeal occasionally, lots of greek yogurt, fat free skim milk, sugar free chocolate pops...
As a former Weight Watcher life member and as a low fat diet eater, I can tell you that I was not able in the past to keep weight off eating what they said I could have...Until SBD, I could loose tons of weight but I could not maintain the loss...I learned that I cannot eat as much as these plans said and sustain the loss..
I also find that I have to eat to a certain point and stop...It is better for me to be not so full...
Sorry this is so long but I wanted you to know that you are definitely not wrong to modify this diet and to do what you need to to satisfy your needs...There is not one size fits all for eating...BEST!

personally, for me I don't do 'carbs' every day, only like 4 times a week... and on my carb days I ensure all my cheese and nut cals are low (tho, I always have fruit... and usually carrots)..... However, my metabolism is totally messed up, but I find doing that works for me, and I still average a pound a week or more.

Sorry I wasn't more clear Natalia.

I was maintaining for a while when I got to my first goal and life was so rough, but I'm still overweight. I'm limiting my fruit and grains because I want to lose another 10 or 15 pounds.

I've been maintaining for 2 years (took me a year to lose the weight). Rarely do I have "grains" more than once or twice a week. I do bring a turkey/veg sandwich to school for breakfast during the school year, but on sprouted bread that doesn't seem to affect me. Mostly I live on veggies/fruit/seafood and have a HUGE veggie/fruit smoothie for breakfast and often dinner during the summer.

But, speaking of grains, I had some "forbidden black rice" while on my trip. It was black rice and so fantastic. I couldn't find any at the grocery while on my trip and have never seen it here, so ordered some from amazon for a treat every now and then.

I also kind of stick to Phase 1.5. For instance, today I'm not having any carbs, but tomorrow I may have some granola for breakfast. If I do eat carbs, its only in one meal each day. So a tortilla for dinner OR cereal for breakfast, etc. Then some days I skip carbs all together. I think its easier this way then being strictly on Phase 1. Especially since I have to cook for my husband and son also, it give a little bit more variety for our dinners.

i'm not on sb in particular, but i saw this thread and i'm so glad i read it. i wanted to thank the op and all the other posters for sharing. it's been helpful to read. i also don't lose much when eating whole grains and fruits, and it's helpful to know that i am not alone in that. some people have questioned my decision to try to hold off on whole grains and fruits until i am in maintenance. but i need to do that both because i am a sugar addict and binger and those things would make it hard for me to stay on plan, and also because when i have those things i either don't lose or i lose so slowly that i can lose my motivation instead of the weight i'm trying to get rid of.

so thanks all, and hope it's ok i jumped in this thread even though i'm not specifically on sb.

Thanks, everyone, for weighing in!

Femmecreole- I have been meaning to try the sprouted or ezekiel bread? How does it taste? Does it disappear when toasted like low-cal bread does? LOL

skygirl- I saw your thread in WLS and I can totally relate; I think we are similar in weight loss challenges

Heidi-thanks for clarifying!

I think either a phase 1 or maybe 1.25 would help me lose weight... or watching carbs..I am giving the lower carb thing a go for the next few weeks I think. It's nice to be able to have more nuts if I want to. On a phase 1.25 I think I could lose weight on no grain, 1 serving low-gi fruit, 2 servings dairy.. but I think I might have to choose a fruit or a beans serving- but allowing beans, full dairy, AND a fruit on the same day I think would put me just over so that I do not lose weight.. This seems do-able too...I have vacay in 6days (yikes!) and after that I may do my improvised phase 1.25

All this talk of no grains has me thinking I'm not doing so well. I can't possibly go without grains. I just can't. It was the worst part of phase one for me. I gave up sugar for occasional sweet treats and was ok. Somehow I amazingly gave up potatoes and was able to be ok with that. (still don't know how lol) I was actually happier eating whole grains than white flour which really is icky and has little taste in comparison to whole wheat. But I could NOT give up grains altogether. This is probably why I don't like what I see in the mirror and also why I am losing VERY slowly. You are all better than me that you can just give up the grains and do what needs to be done. My consolation is that I'm healthier than I was, even if I don't look the way I'd like. And no matter what happens, even if I stall here forever, I'll never be over 200 again.

I have a piece of Ezekiel sprouted grain toast for breakfast some mornings with natural peanut butter on it (yum!). It does not dissapear when toasted - it actually toasts really well. I keep the loaf in the fridge and it has lasted a week now and may last another.

I understand those who just can't have much of fruits or carbs to lose. I just started phase 2 on Saturday and have been keeping mental track of what carb-ads do to my cravings. That is key to me. If something causes a craving reaction for me, I need to limit it. If I get in the craving mode - there's no stopping me!!

I'm trying whole wheat pasta tonight with spaghetti sauce. I'm thinking I will only do 1/2 cup of pasta to make sure I don't end up regretting it later tonight. That and a big salad and I should be good.

report back on how you do with the whole grain pasta. I have found that I like it in soups and chillies, but it just isn't the same as regular pasta.

jarlie, what about just limiting your grains? you don't have to give them up completely but maybe limiting them to one every other day or one a day if you continue to lose. i know a lot of people lose/maintain better when they have fewer grains.

Pam- thanks for the info- I will check it out. Plus, keeping it frozen will help me with using it in moderation..as sick as it sounds, my biggest temptation kept around the house is fluffy fresh white burger buns with butter on it
I had to freeze the ones we had left after an encounter..LOL Now dh and the boys are liking those flat whole wheat ones with the holes- they do NOTHING for me so it's all good.

Jarlie, hugs baby We are all different. Perhaps for you there is no need to even cut grains. Once I started phase 2, pretty much my only grain was bite size shredded wheat in the morning. How I enjoyed and looked forward to that! But what I did not enjoy was a 6 week stall. In the past would have quit a Looooong time ago, when I was looking for "motivation" in all hte wrong places (scale). Now, just as you say, I keep telling myself.. I will NEVER, EVER be 165 lbs EVER again. Ever!!!! And I have the power to make the statement true. Maintaining is truly a victory, even if you are not yet at goal.

Getting OT a bit but wanted to give myself a wee nudge to get things moving a bit. You say you are good without potatoes and rice. No sweets are ok. What grains are your favorites? which ones do you work into your meal plan? If you suspect they are causing a stall, perhaps there is a lower GI or lower carb alternative that will hit the spot.

BTW I hate WW pasta, although the "high fiber" one is good and has the same fiber grams as WW. I would rather have spaghetti squash any day than whole wheat pasta.(and you can enjoy a greater quantity as well) It is so, so good with a little bit of margarine, and some shredded parmesan cheese. Mmmmm.

Natalia, to me the Ezekial bread tastes great...it's "nutty" and has much more flavor than white or other whole grain breads. When I eat it, it has much more "umph" than other breads. I love the stuff. A loaf will last me a couple of weeks usually. I also keep it in the fridge. My local organic store closed a few weeks ago and I was so upset, then another grocery store started carrying it...whew.

My favorite grain is wheat. I love whole wheat bread, whole wheat pizza crust, hot cereals made with whole wheat. I don't mind substituting it for white flour in normal recipes even.

But I have to tell you that I really don't know if I am stalling or not. I don't look any different to me, but our scale ran out of batteries and I forget to replace them. I kind of have more peace not being able to obsess about it anyhow. My husband can fit into his shorts again, which is good. (I remember when I thought those shorts were so big, now I'm happy he's down into them!) I really started this to help him along on his way. He is the one the doctor tells has high blood sugar, cholesterol, blood pressure, horrible horrible sleep apnea. I was really worried about him. I only seem to have blood sugar problems when I am pregnant, so it isn't a health emergency with me.

Femme, your Albertson's doesn't carry Ezekiel? Ours does...though it's REALLY expensive. I've been really digging on the Women's Bread from French Meadow Bakery (usually available by the Ezekiel bread), it's quite expensive though (roughly $7-8 per loaf). I do find it even more sustaining and tasty than Ezekiel.