I am on day 11 of Phase 1. The first 5 days, I lost 6lbs. The scale hasn't budged since. I am getting really frustrated. Can someone maybe tell me what I am doing wrong? Here is a basic idea of what I eat every day (mostly based on yesterday).

B: 2 eggs, scrambled with tomato, red & green peppers and onions
S1: celery w/laughing cow light cheese
L: Salad with small amount of LF cheese, tomatos, red and green peppers, chicken, baby spinach, romaine, and other dark greens. Vinegarette dressing (very small amount)
S2: string cheese or SF jello
D: Lean meat (baked), veggie (last night is was vegetarian refried beans), salad

Sometimes I will have jello in the evening, around 7pm. I also have 1 glass of 1% milk sometime during the day, and coffee in the morning. Lots of water too.

I did cheat 1 time, earlier this week. i had a few pieces of pizza and a piece of dark chocolate. I guess that's 2 cheats. Since then, I have stayed on track. I just can't figure out what I am doing wrong.

Well, I don't want to sound harsh, but the pizza and chocolate were pretty bad choices for Phase 1. The point is to get those sugar cravings out, and eating those things may have brought some cravings back to you. Plus, the bread in the pizza undoubtedly made you bloat and probably added some water weight.

My suggestion would be to stick to your plan, and move to phase 2 on the date you are supposed to. I have had a lot of success with losing on phase 2, but I have added so slowly, that makes sense. I am on week 2 of phase 2, and I added one large fruit for dessert each night of the first week, now I am up to 2 fruits a day in week 2 of phase 2. I have also added back in red wine. This week, I will add a small grain serving, but only every other day. Some people think it is too little, but I do not want to be one of the people that adds too quickly and gains or stalls for 4 weeks. I just flat out refuse to do so.

Good luck, you are doing great bc you have at least lost something, though it may not be the number you wanted. Keep your chin up, and keep beachin'!

Hey, Pewla!

You're doing great with your choices, but I'd say that you're probably not getting enough food. You need at least 1200 calories every day to keep losing or your body thinks you are in starvation mode and it doesn't let you lose. You can search for my 1200 calories post...or I can post a link here when I have more time (have to run to a drs appt). I think that the fact that you're not getting enough food is what might have caused you to cheat, and those cheats are definitely enough to make you gain, crave, and not lose.

How long has it been since the cheats? Are you craving? Try doing P1 until the cravings go away, at least, and add more food! I know the other Beachies can help make good suggestions for other food ideas to add to your plan...why not make a new thread with an appeal for help on what to add to boost your calories? You can enter your food in (for free) to www.fitday.com to check, but I think you'll find that it's not enough. Take care of yourself, okay? I think when you add more food and get the cheat calories and water weight out of your system, you'll find the scale showing losses again.

Thank you both for your input!

After posting, I did think about calorie input, and I think that might be a problem. I was keeping track at fitday for several days, and I was only getting about 1000 cal. a day. I never realized how hard it could be to eat enough! I am always satified after a meal, but I do have a hard time with afternoons....usually around 4pm. I think I need to eat a larger snack at that time.

The cheat was on Monday. It was a super stressful day, and we stopped in the pizza joint that was near where we were running errands. I have learned my lesson....i didn't feel very good that evening. Not sick, but not great either. The cravings are almost gone. The only thing I am really craving is chocolate. That stuff is evil..lol! I did behave today though....went through the candy isle and didn't even look twice.

Thanks again!

Its true, you can feel like crap so easily once you embrace south beach. I had a salad one night with grilled chicken, and I think the dressing from the restaurant had too much sugar and the goat cheese was sooooooooo rich after all of those low fat cheese sticks! My tummy was NOT happy (nor was my digestive tract )