Has anybody started this diet at Phase 2 and skipped Phase 1? If so, can you explain how you did it. Did you find that you still got your cravings under control? I'm thinking of starting Phase 2 because I find Phase 1 really difficult for me, especially with my 2 year old daughter.

TIA
Bonnie

I would not skip Phase 1. I repeat, would not. It's essential to rid your body of the cravings for processed foods (like processed/stripped refined white flours, refined sugars, trans fats you find in packaged goods, and although natural, the icky saturated fats you find in fatty meats, etc etc). Honestly, it's necessary. I agree, it's very hard. But, it's so worth it.

However, PRIOR to ever doing the SBD, after giving birth to my son I ate whole grains, fruits, veggies, lean proteins (much like you do on Phase 2) and lost my baby weight. But that wasn't the SBD. That might be something more right for you, if you feel you can't do Phase 1. Just something to consider.

To commit to the SBD lifestyle, you should really do Phase 1. I don't mean to be a downer or pushy but like I said, it's essential. Once the hardest part is over you'll feel so much better for it. It's ONLY 2 weeks and when you're having fun planning yummy new meals and snacks, it flies by.

(Oh yeah, and by the way, I'm no purist or perfect. Believe me, I've done Phase 1 so many times it's not even funny... lol. I finally got the hang of it and it's slowly becoming a lifestyle for me. Went off course with ill planning and budgeting issues, and after working all of that out, I'm very much on the track of my new lifestyle.)

Pregnant women & diabetics are advised to start in Phase II, since they need the carbohydrates. Phase I is pretty important, as Melanie described, so I would not skip it, unless it's for health reasons.

Ditto to what the others have said. I wouldn't skip it. It is hard...but it will set you up for greater success in Phase 2. By the time I'm done with Phase 1 my cravings for all the horrible food I was eating were gone. It made sticking to the diet easier then any diet has ever been for me.

Phase 1 really helps me get on track, too, so I can't imagine skipping it myself. The quick results on the scale motivate me and the structure/self-discipline get me in the right frame of mind.

However, one of my good friends (a diabetic) started in on phase 2 and did well. I'm not sure if she struggled more with cravings than I did/do or if she just talked about them more. She didn't have a big loss those first 2 weeks, but she did lose steadily.

My mother started on phase 2 because she didn't think she could manage without her fruit and cereal in the morning. She never really got totally on plan, but I'm not sure how much of that was starting on phase 2 and how much of it was other things going on in her life at the time.

Good luck, I hope you love South Beach as much as I do.

Thank you all for your replys. I will give Phase 1 another chance, or should I say, give myself another chance on Phase 1. I will start on Tuesday as it is my wedding anniversary on Monday and a celebration is already in the works. I will eat all the fruit that are left in my house this weekend and buckle down on Tuesday. Two weeks from Tuesday, I'm visiting my parents, hopefully my cravings will be in check as my mother serves dessert after every meal! I could always go for a walk right after dinner, but I'll need to be really strong, unless the cravings are gone.

Thanks!
Bonnie

Bonnie, phase 1 will really help you say no to dessert. You will be thrilled at eating a nice piece of fruit instead. By the time the two weeks is done (I hardly remember it now) you can say no to just about anything. It's a good foundation for a healthy long life. Happy Anniversary!!! It will be easy for you to remember the day you started a a new way of life.

Happy Anniversary, and I'm thrilled you're deciding to give Phase 1 another try. It's weird but I love Phase 1... (I used to hate it). It gives me such control over my eating and helps those cravings go away. It gives me such motivation. I always feel like, "if I could make it through those 2 weeks, of course I can make it through Phase 2 for the duration of my weight loss and then Phase 3 for life!"