This thread is for new folks, old folks restarting and anybody working on Phase I. Post your questions, concerns and helpful hints in here.

(Remember to join us on the Daily Chat too. There's more to life than dieting; it just doesn't feel that way sometimes. )

Hi! My name is Kay. I've been floating around this site for a few weeks while I read the book and gathered all the information to make sure that this would be a plan I can stick with. I'm ready to jump in and start something new. I've been the same weight for 4 years regardless of working out or changing my eating. I'm ready to see the scale/pant size changes. My beau is currently deployed to Iraq for 6 more months and I want him to come home to a hottie! I'll definitely be checking in until I get a hang of these eating changes. First question, in phase one, there isn't limits on most foods on the list... but the example plan says a snack is one string cheese stick. Can you eat more if you want, or should I stick with the eating plan? (I get killer hungry between 3-5pm, don't know if 1 piece of cheese will hold me over!) Thanks,
K

Ya'll, it's an hour away from being Day 13 of Phase 1!

I am almost done! My pants are pretty loose and two people commented today that my face looks thinner!

I think I'll start Phase 2 with just berries or an apple added for a few days. Then, if I want it, I will try some Fiber One cereal.

BTW...Is there such a thing as whole wheat flour Pumpernickel bread? If so, I want it!

I've been faced with some evil and delicious food over the last three days...these things were all eaten in front of me: pizza (my favorite), buffalo chicken tenders, french fries, cheesy bread sticks, Oreo cookies, and french toast. And I also saw a commercial for Philadelphia ready-made cheesecake filling....ha, ha. That started a small craving and I hate that! BUT, I prevailed and didn't cheat at all. My cravings are actually pretty minimal and infrequent at this point. But being faced with certain foods sometimes is a bit hard.

Hi, Kay...welcome! I think it's OK to eat a part-skim cheesestick with a few almonds if you are famished...or try some reduced-fat cottage cheese. That usually fills me up pretty well as a snack. And don't forget veggies...you can eat as much as you want! As long as you're not going overboard with something calorie-dense like nuts, I think you'll be fine. SBD is great because it doesn't require any counting and encourages you to eat until you are satisfied!

Lauren

Happy Monday, y'all. I'm moving out of P1 this week...probably by Wednesday. We'll see what the week brings before I seriously make the decision/move.

Lauren - that Philly cheesecake filling is evil stuff. I tried to read the ingredients one day...tried, mind you! There's a great recipe for cheesecake filling in the P1 Breakfast section. I use all FF cream cheese and it doesn't seem to make much difference to the texture. And yes, I do have it for breakfast!!

Kay - Welcome to the bunch! There aren't really limits on the amounts you can eat, but definitely keep it in moderation. I do sometimes have 2 pieces of string cheese instead of 1. Also, a good idea is to pair your snacks with a bottle/glass of water so that helps to fill you up. How early do you eat lunch? It may be a case of needing to move your meals closer together in order to beat that mad hunger in the late afternoon. Good luck!!

Ruth - Thanks for getting us started yet again. You still doing P1 this week?

Hello! I have been lurking for about a week and am new here. I am starting the SBD today. My question is.. I thought I read here last week that the new SBD you can have dairy, is that correct? My book doesn't say that. Maybe I misread. My tought challenge is going to be the diet pop and crystal light. Maybe one a day would be ok?? I am not going to weigh myself but use the clothes I need to fit into as a guide. I am guessing that I want to lose 20-25 lbs, although 15 would make me very happy. I am only 5'1 so that would be huge! I also read that some people combine WW and SBD. I think I might track just so I don't over do it!!

you can have dairy in phase 1 now. 2 cups a day either skim milk or 1% mikl or fat free plain yogurt (which you can sweeten with jello powder (not pudding but jello) or crystal light)....

Thanks Nessa... alot of readfing on this and I am confused...How about butter, do you do lite and eggs or egg beaters? Thanks! Your 50 lbs is impressive!!

no butter. we use olive oil, canola oil or smart balance spread as for eggs... i use regular eggs although if i'm making omelettes i use 2 whites to one whole...

Thanks for your help Nessa, I will have to get Smart Balance!! I appreciate your help!!

Hello all!

Mind if I jump in? I've fallen off the wagon lately, and need to switch gears and go back to phase 1 so I can drop the weight I've gained the last couple weeks and get myself back into gear. As I currently have NO groceries in my house (mistake 1), I'm not going to "officially" start until tomorrow, but I'll do my very best as far as today goes.

Hey chicks,
It's p1 d8. All is going well. I tried the mock pancakes for breakfast this morning I was pleasantly surprised that it tasted very similar to real pancakes. So far I'm doing well I did have a major chocolate craving this past weekend but thank god I had some sf fudgescicles it totally saved me. Only a few more days to go and I'll be on p2.
Take care everyone!

Hi glittergirl...glad you decided to join us! Although I try to drink a lot of water, I do allow myself one diet coke a day. So far, it hasnt caused me a problem...so, don't beat yourself up too much about it.

Kay!

You're right....1 string cheese is not very filling, so eating 2 will be okay. Have you tried laughing cow light swiss on celery? Yum Yum! This one fills me up until dinner.

Good afternoon everyone! I hope the weekend treated you well.

I really, really, really wanted pancakes this morning. I could have made a P1 pancake but decided not to indulge my craving at all and stuck w/V8, an omelet and turkey bacon. Very satisfying and no more cravings!

I've had some missteps in the past two weeks so I'm going to stick w/P1 for at least a few more days to make sure cravings are under control.

I fell off the wagon and the darn thing rolled right over me! I am avoiding the scale today as I know my ticker should be changed. Back on the straight and narrow path today.