Here's another newbie wanting to find something I can live with and feed the family at the same time. I started a week ago today and then came day 4 and I gave in to cravings for sweets. Any advice? I am ready to give it another go. Have done Atkins years ago. Did Crack the Fat Loss Code about a year and a half ago and dropped about 12 pounds and put it back on again. Can't seem to get back into either one. WW did me no good, gained weight and leaders said I couldn't be following the plan (I was). Am diabetic and have had a double by-pass. Oh, and am in my late 50's. HELP and support please!

to The Beach, AuntC! I think you'll find this is a plan that's easy to live with, and you will lose weight as long as you follow the plan faithfully.
I hope you have read the book so you understand just how SBD works, and familiarize your with the allowed foods on each Phase. By day 4 on Phase 1, you really shouldn't be having any cravings, so think back to see if somehow some hidden sugars or white flour have snuck into your diet. Perhaps it would help if you posted your daily menu under the Phase 1 thread, so we could have a look at it and help you figure out what made you experience cravings.
It's important to make sure you are eating until you feel satisfied on Phase 1, and make sure you get you full 4 1/2 cups of veggies in every day, along with all your dairy and beans. Check out our recipe section for lots of yummy meals that your entire family can enjoy. You can just add some noodles or rice for the rest of the family.
Good luck to you, and we hope to hear from you often and get to know you.

Welcome to the forum! I cook Beachy meals for the whole family, and find it a very easy plan for us. It really is just a healthy way of eating. Linda had some great tips, so I won't reiterate.

Glad to have you with us!

AuntC. I am Type II diabetic and pretty antique and this plan certainly works for me. Just be sure you get the dairy servings and beans every day and your BGL should stay stable.

AuntC. I found the first several days to be quite hard... and really just about willpower. It took a bit longer for me to not have cravings. I know that doesn't help... but you are not alone. For sweets - find something that works on the plan. The book has some ideas and their are some recipes on here. It is amazing how great some of the stuff tastes. Lots of options for sweets. Another idea is to go the other direction... salty... to see if that will work instead. I like the crispy pepperoni; the spiciness stays in my mouth so I don't need sweet.

Glad to have you here.

Welcome!!

I hope that SBD helps you out.

This is definately an awesome place for support and advice. It's difficult to do it on your own!!

GOod luck!

(as for family...I'm feeding my 5 and 6 year old vegetarian chili tonight...never woulda thought that would happen!!)

I too make Southbeach meals for my family. I will add white potatoes for them. My family likes the whole wheat pasta and brown rice. My hubby doesn't like "diet" foods so I just don't tell him what is in something till after he tastes it. Most times he likes it, but if I had told him what was in it he would have hated it. My family also eats out sometimes. What I have done is to make sure I have something sb friendly at the house to eat when they bring home fast food or pizza. If we all go out to eat it is now usually my choice where we go because my hubby wants to support this woe for me.

We went to a pizza place in town and they had pizza. I had a portabella mushroom with red peppers and mozerealla. I understand the cheese might have been full fat, but it was a better choice than the pizza. I didn't even miss the pizza or even want a slice.

This woe gives me the will power I need. I am not tempted or anything. I have only been on this woe for 4 weeks, but I feel so in control. I have never felt this way on any other diet.

Hi and

I look forward to getting to know you better. When I was on I had cravings later on, but I seemed to think there is a difference between physical and mental cravings, if that makes any sense. I think Cottage has a good suggestion of looking for hidden sugars and white flour. I know for me, I can still look at a food once in awhile and have a feeling come over me where I start salivating-that I think is mental...remembering the taste and wanting it. At that point, for me, it becomes a point of willpower. More than once, on Phase 1, I just went to bed early to overcome my desire to eat something off plan. I did find that SF jello satisfied my urge for sweet.

This really struck me, Debbie. You are soooo right. Which is harder to handle though... physical or mental? Hmmm.

Debbie and Karen I completly agree. I love Snickers. They used to make me feel good on a bad day. They were my goto treat. Although I can walk into the store and look at snickers and not crave one. I look at them and think a snickers would be good. I don't go get it but I do have that mental image that they always made me "feel" better.

Tammie

Welcome AuntC! The first week is really, really hard! After that it gets much easier. (for me anyway) I feed my whole family the meals I make, but have to add some starches for them that I just don't eat. In the beginning, it is hard to watch them eat what I won't, but it gets easier as time goes on and I am losing weight and feeling good. I am about a month in and I can honestly say I can watch them eat even junk food that I love, like doritos or french fries, without the urge to grab it from their hands and run out of the room with it!

My only piece of advice to help get through cravings would be to find SB legal "replacements" for foods you really like. For example, when my husband is sitting down with a bowl of ice cream, I will make myself a peanut butter cup dessert or a mocha ricotta creme and be perfectly content. If the kids are having chips, I will have some nuts or bell pepper strips with dip. Experiment with the recipes in the book and on this site to see what foods you enjoy.

Good luck!