Hi everyone-

I am planning to start this on Monday, and am organizing my shopping list and general gameplan.

I can do fine all day until about 4-4:30 p.m. That is when I eat one healthy thing and then proceed to eat every cookie in sight just like a dog who eats until he's full.

What has worked for all of you in Phase I to have immediately available for when this happens to you? That is the time of day I am the most nervous about.

Thanks for any ideas.

Skeptikca :

Phase 1 of SBD is the strictest of all. However, I'm sure you will get over the "munchies" feeling after the first week. I personally liked the Laughing Cow Lite cheese on celery or FF Turkey or Ham rolled up in lettuce. Part skim mozzarella cheese sticks , or low fat cottage cheese with chopped tomato was also good to have on hand. These are a few of the favorites I had on phase 1....of course, don't forget to get the staples of eggs and canadian bacon. Good luck. Do you have the SBD book? There are loads of ideas in it. But if you don't, just ask. This forum is great for ideas and support. Come back often!
Sharon

Welcome to the beach. I think deets bout covered it all. I also like SF Jello as a snack. You can top it with a spoon of FF coolwhip.

Welcome to the Beach. I will sometimes pop a sugar free hard candy in my mouth while I am cooking supper. Helps to keep things out of it.

Oh, I almost forgot.....certain nuts are OK. Like peanuts, pecans, and pistachios. But be cautious, and limit yourself to the alloted amounts. I found getting greedy can stall your weight loss. Just thought I'd add that for what it's worth!

In Phase 1, I saved my afternoon snacks for when I was planning dinner, about the time you have snack attacks. I had cheesesticks and almonds and usually a drink. Water or V-8 juice, usually.

If you keep hitting the cookies, try and be somewhere else late in the afternoon, or just get rid of the cookies until you are stronger. Oh, what a victorious feeling to throw out forbidden food! We cleaned out an entire trash can full of food that we had opened, and filled a grocery bag of unopened food to give away. It was a terrible waste, but it kept us in line.

Have a big snack before it hits like about 3pm. I have nuts, a yogurt and sometimes tomatoes and that fills me up and ties me over until dinner. Drink plenty of water because often when you feel hungry you are really just dehydrated. I walk around with a water bottle in the afternoon and focus on sipping water and that keeps me distracted from the cookie jar.

Put the cookies up in a cabinet or somewhere out of sight. Make sure you have plenty of OP snacks w/in reach, that are easier access than the cookies. Maybe try eating your afternoon snack around 3 to help curb the munchies later.
Traci

Skepticka- that's exactly my weak time too, although at work (my company has free goodies like candy bars, chips and power bars and for some reason, 4:00 is the time I wander by the kitchen to get a cup of tea...). It's pretty much been covered, but a cheese stick or lettuce roll up at that time does the trick nicely for me. If it's something sweet I'm craving, I do a mug of hot cocoa (my own mix, not commercial brands, although they're probably not that bad on Phase I).

I also find that on this diet, EAT THE SNACKS. I found that on Phase I, I got -very- hungry about 3-4 hours after every meal, and needed eat something to keep it going.

Good Luck! Welcome to the beach.

Welcome to the Beach!
Personally, I like to have a wee nap around that time.

Wow!
What incredible response and support from you guys! This is going to be great. I can't wait until I'm a thin, willowy reed and can give back to the next generation.

I'm headed out to the store now to get the stuff. I didn't realize we could have FF yogurt! That will be great for me if that is true.

Thanks so much everyone!

I am just completing my second week on the SBD. I find that the FF yogurt and SF jello helps me get through the "munchie" time...which for me is about 3PM or so. Each night I pack 30 pistachios into a small snack size back and bring it to work with me in case I feel like something different. If you were to look in my desk drawer, you would swear that a squirrel sits there with all the nuts I have accumulated. LOL! One other thing that I do sometimes is have a cup of coffee with some FF vanilla creamer in it. Takes me awhile to drink it, and by then the munchies have subsided.

Good luck to you and welcome to the beach! This has to be the best plan there is out there. I am very happy with it and have been feeling great since I started. As of today, I am officially down 12 pounds - tomorrow will be the beginning of week 3. I think I am going to stick with the first two week's way of eating, for two more weeks and then gradually reintroduce things. This week - I start exercising. The one thing I absolutely loathe doing, but hey - you have to move it to lose it right?

Just my two cents on the munchies, I found that hard-boiled eggs or string cheese and a BIG glass of water work for me. Or, since that afternoon craving only hits me at work, I will go take a quick walk around the block, then I sort of break the tied to my desk feeling that likely started the craving to begin with! I come back and drink some water or tea and just focus on something else.

Good luck to you!

dynagrrl.

The only thing I've found to keep myself from munching is decaf coffee w/ some skim milk. It takes a while to sip and has enough flavor to kill desire for food.

If you find yourself wanting another snack and you already feel like you ate too much that day, go brush your teeth. This always works for me. Or if you are at work. Keep one of those travel mouthwashes at your desk and take it in the bathroom and give your mouth a good rinse. For some reason this staves off my snack cravings when I do it.