I'm on day four of phase one, am extremely exhausted but on the positive side..I'VE ALREADY LOST FIVE POUNDS!! I'm sure most of it is water seeing as I also run 3 miles every day...but hey, I'll take it.
Here's the deal. I was wondering how much room there is to switch meals around on this plan or replace suggested meals with other low sugar and low carb meals.
Example: Instead of having the ground sirloin for lunch; can I have it for dinner and just have a high protien low carb Atkins shake instead?
What kinds of substitutes has everyone else made?
Do I have to have low-fat cheese?
Sorry for all the questions..I'll go now

I have switched things around a lot, it's pretty flexible. I've had dinner for lunch and lunch for dinner, or even dinner for breakfast, etc. I honestly don't use low fat cheese, I use so little that I don't think it's making a huge difference anyway. I don't know about the Atkins shakes, if that would be okay or not, I'm assuming if it's low sugar and low fat, it shouldn't be a problem. And in the quiche cups, I don't use egg substitute, I use 3 regular eggs. I don't see the point in buying eggs AND egg substitute! Good luck on this WOE, it sounds like you're doing a fabulous job already -- keep up the good work!

Beachguy, a lot of us didn't (and still don't) go by the menu in the book! It is a great guideline as to what is acceptable and portions, but I think most us us did quite a lot of switching around. I honestly think that is why this program is so successful for many of us.

As for the meal replacement drinks, I'm not sure. I have been drinking them occasionally myself but only because recent orthodontic work has made it impossible to eat meat and I was worried about getting enough protein. If you can stay away from them while on phase 1 it might be helpful. Then you can give them a try in phase 2 and see if they have a negative impact on cravings, or weight loss.

Congrats on your loss! This is a great place to get support, information, and even a laugh once in a while.