Well, I've just started the South Beach diet yesterday... first time ever. I guess it's a little difficult. Because I'm so uncertain about servings and what not, I'm following exactly what is on the two week Phase one plan in the book - only altering some of the "snacks". I still have huge cravings for some chocolate + baked goods... but I'm going to make some chilled espresso custard and I also bought some sugar free chocolate puddings.

I'm just so uncertain if this is going to work. I eat A LOT! Or at least, it feels like I'm eating a lot. I do get full - not stuffed... and I'm hungry again when it's time for my next meal/snack... but for some reason, I'm just not as full as I would be if I ate a bowl of pasta. I guess I'll get use to it... although it's quite a lot more expensive than just cooking pasta and throwing some sauce on it. I think that's going to be the only problem my husband has... the price of things. He thinks I spend too much money on food anyway (yeah... I LOVE food) but now he's going to think it's outrageous.

So yes... I need the support. I do have the support of my husband (he's doing this with me as well), but he's at work most of time... so it'll be nice having support of others.

hi everyone. Today is the last day of my first week. It's actually been pretty good. I felt a bit extra tired and edgy the first two to three days, but other than than I'm OK. I'm amazed how significant my hunger cravings were compared to now. I feel more balanced. My best new idea: I have found a couple of decaf or herbal teas that I love, so that is helping with evening water drinking. I 'm pretty satisfied with this, but I do miss wine............ I don't feel like I spent more on groceries, but I do feel like I'm cooking or prepping a lot more. I did plenty of cooking before so that part I need to work on.

I think I'm going to be in the camp that is afraid to leave phase one. How about you ?.....

Geranium, I think i'll be a bit afraid to leave phase one too. I'm pretty satisfied with what I can eat. Some porridge would be nice but I never have time to cook it in the mornings anyway. But man, I miss the wine too! We had a party the night before I started on SB and got about 10 bottles as presents (some nice Rose Champagne that is also begging to be drunk!). I sound like a bit of an alcoholic now, hmmm....!

I feel like I spend my free time cooking now, but I love it! Before I started low carbing, I'd stick to pasta and pesto and venture into healthy baking but now I'm trying out loads of new recipes! I love it (and so does my number one taste tester )

Geranium--sugar is really addictive and you are having a bit of withdrawal--those feelings go away in about a week. You will find--really--that your need for snacks will really diminish after you are not eating sugar and white starches any more. It is miraculous! Eat plenty, really plenty, of the good stuff. Portions are not really restricted. No one ever died from overeating vegetables and lean meats! If you have read the book, you know he emphasizes not starving yourself.

Well done, you!

Ah yes, portion size. Now this confuses me slightly, because I'm not sure how much my portion sizes should be. Mainly the vegetable sizes. I know eating tons of vegetables is good for you - but is there a limit?? I try to follow the portions correctly in the book .. but they seem HUGE.

For instance, the chopped salad with tuna (which was absolutely delicious... my favorite thing so far! ... given that I'm only on day 3... haha) but I doubled the serving (1) for 2, because I'm making food for my husband as well. This amount filled my largest mixing bowl... and each serving filled 2 bowls. Is that not overdoing it?? I don't know if I overate... but I was full - not stuffed - and wasn't hungry for a snack... but was hungry again once dinner rolled around. It only had a can of tuna per serving.. and the rest of it was vegetables.

I don't want to be overeating and that be the reason I don't lose the weight... but I've never been good with portion control. I've always been the one to finish my plate at a restaurant or eat until I couldn't possibly fit another bite in my mouth. Should I start measuring my stuff? Or is this unnecessary??

How is it going ladies?
Sammmijean: Worry about portion sizes after a couple of days. I think being extra hungry is part of the withdrawal process.
Jicarilla: Thanks and it's very true about sugar. What I meant to say was that my cravings for sugar specifically and food in general have greatly decreased over the week.
Claire0412: What a challenge to be sitting on all that lovely wine. Saturday night was the only time I have had doubts... we were at the beach with friends, nearly full moon, glorious sunset over the pacific, children laughing, dog smiling........ I had a decaf chai which is nice too I suppose........

Hows it going for everyone else? If you repeat phase one later in the program do you feel the same withdrawal effects over again? Are they hopefully lessened?

Hi everyone! I am just back from extended travel -- too much off plan eating, no real exercise and oh the alcohol -- so I decided to jump back into Phase 1 for a bit. So I was happy to find this thread!

I am already questioning the timing of this choice with the upcoming weekend (turning down wine with friends is almost unimaginable ) so I may have to start "for real" on Monday. We'll see how strong I feel.

I have done the full Phase 1 three times now (Jun 2007, Feb 2009 and Sep 2010). I remember the 3rd or 4th day being particularly hard. And it's almost impossible to socialize during this time. My friends don't get why I have these restrictions. But for me, the structure and limited choices make me feel empowered, like I am doing a really good thing and getting myself on solid footing.

When I move on to Phase 2, and when I stay on plan, I don't really ever move past a kind of Phase 1.5 (or 1.75?!). From reading tons about nutrition and from experimenting with myself, I have concluded that grains are not a good thing for me. So I limit them to 1/day and often none. But I am actually trying to consume more fruit ... so many vitamins and fiber and so delicious. I will often have 3 servings of fruit/day. Never alone though, always with a protein or fat (apple/banana with peanut butter, oranges/grapefruit with cottage cheese, berries with Greek yogurt, etc).

Some people mentioned the price of things... there have been threads in the past about cost-saving ideas that might be helpful. I do a lot of cooking from scratch and freezing - beans, brown rice/quinoa, marinara sauce from cheap cans of pureed tomatoes... and I make my own yogurt and bread (but rarely now)... I buy cheese on sale and freeze it ... if I eat sugarfree pudding, I make it from the mix... I go to Costco for cans of tuna, tomatoes, refried beans and Laughing Cow and mozzarella cheeses. I really just look at how much less I eat out to rationalize what appears to be high grocery bills. I'm sure I could be better at saving money though...

One of my problems is buying too many fresh veggies at once and then I can't eat it all in time. I hate when I do that! I'm trying to get better at planning ahead and also planning each day around what has to be used up.

Speaking of shopping - I really need to do some! My fridge is quite bare. Luckily I had some good stuff in the freezer to start the day.

Wishing you all a wonderful Phase 1 :

To answer this for myself, it is not easier BUT that is usually because I go back to Phase 1 only after I feel that I have drifted extremely far away from what I consider on plan. I'm talking white bread, mixed drinks, fast food from airports, crappy airplane food, conference reception appetizers (mostly greasy fried items and sweets). Yeah, reeeeeeeally off plan.

Presumably if you go back after being on Phase 2, the effects are not as noticeable. But I've never tried that route before!

Hi Emma!

I know what you mean about friends not really understanding. My friends think it is absolute madness to cut out carbs for the sake of losing a few pounds. They all eat healthily, but see carbs as the basis of a healthy diet. I have lots of problems with them though, so I think I might do what you do and stick to fruit for my extra carbs. I'd like to add oats back in and the odd bit of spaghetti / sweet potato. I;m not too fussed around bread or rice, could leave that out forever!

I am on day 4 and today has been awful for cravings! I worked until 2pm and didn't have a chance to eat (I ate my breakfast at 6:30am and a snack of nuts and pepper at 11am) and by the time I got home, I was starved. I had to buy sugar free sweets as well this evening, and I ate too many and now I have a stomach ache. Rubbish! Glad I managed to stay on plan though...

10 more days to go until I can have some fruit!

Even tho I tried not to weigh everyday, I have been unsuccessful in this, and I was devastated this morning when my scales told me I had gained back everything I had lost since Sunday. But then I read the post in SBD FAQ called "Scales Lie", which is a sticky on this subforum. Thank God, or I might have given up. I started eating sugar-free and fat-free pudding, and I also didn't drink any water yesterday, which I hope explains it. I was on-plan otherwise, even exercizing.

Someone asked before if subsequent times you go on Phase I you lose as much as the first; it is my experience that I don't, but I certainly lose more than on phase 1, so it is extremely worth it. The main benefit, however, is loss of cravings that come back when you add (too many) carbs.

I am still glad to have all this company. Eventually I am simply going to post on the daily thread, but not yet--they still seem really far ahead of me.

Sharon

Correction: I meant "I certainly lose more than on phase 2".

Ah don't worry jicarilla, my scale keeps saying I've lost absolutely nothing in 5 days. YEsterday it even said I put on 2lbs. I'm weighing myself out of interest but doing my best to ignore the results as long as I've been sticking to plan!

Today has been better than yesterday for me, partly because i've been rushed off my feet. A kid at school said "Miss, every time I see you lately, you look prettier", which I'm taking to mean South Beach is doing me some good! (aren't kids sweet!)

My meals have been the following:
B: sugar free whey shake, coffee
S: Nuts and pepper
L: Chicken salad with lots of veggies
S: Cocoa flavoured quark cheese
D: Courgette and feta fritters (wasn't really hungry)
S: Will make myself a hot chocolate and go to bed early

Exercise: 5k tempo run (had to force myself outside, -7 c and it burns the inside of your nose, but hey - 1/2 marathon training has to be done)

Have a nice weekend everyone! I will be watching my very sporty boyfriend compete (and hopefully win) in a decathlon meeting. Surrounding myself with sporty people and hopefully I'll be motivated for my long run (14k eek) on Sunday

xx

thanks for the encouragement, claire. it was a little better on the scales this morning. I absolutely HAVE to stop weighing myself every morning. I take the water, etc. up and down personally, if you know what I mean. My weigh-in day for the week is Sunday, so I am going to weigh myself tomorrow morning and then not for another week, no matter what.

This morning I reminded myself I am doing this diet partially to lower my triglycerides (which I lowered 100 points last time I was following SBD closely) which had gone up 80 points with six months of too many carbs. You reminded me that this is about healthy and not numbers on the scale. Thanks.

I wont look at the scale. I'm to scared......... i feel great, my jeans are loosening up etc, etc. I don't want to wreck it for myself. i'm great at wrecking things for myself.

claire I'm training for a half marathon too. It's not my first and I'm going to be walking/ running intervals most likely, but I will move myself forward for 13.1 miles. I signed up thinking it would motivate me to get it in gear again. It did, but not as quickly as I had hoped. My very sporty dh is training for a 50 mile trail run this summer. This is a blessing and a curse. Good luck to your BF.

Hey Sammi Jean and others who dont know: Just to let you know that Sugar free fat free jello pudding is not allowed on phase 1 because of its high amount of corn starch which contributes to carbs we can not have.. Hence you have to wait till phase 2 and your only allowed one serving.

As for me.. what a bad day..i decided to let myself have a cheat day..this is the second time in the past 2 weeks.. i had fish and chips..beer battered.. i tried going half low carb..however im having sugar free pudding..as a cheat on phase 1..which is a no no..which is why its a cheat..and sun chips..which is well..altogether a cheat..how do you not eat some of these things ever again?? I mean..how do we live? Do we live completely devoted 100% to this? or do we allow for a bad day? TOM(time of month) came and ive been craving sugar and salty all day..! what a bad day..i need to start fresh tommorow even if it kills me.