Hey everyone. I started (for the first, and hopefully only time) the SBD on July 5th. I survived a vacation in early Aug. (only gained a pound). Right now I sorta feel like I'm floundering. I'm "following" the diet but I wish the guidelines for Phase 2 are as clear as they are for Phase 1! I have the SBD book, but I don't think it's very good! I figured I'd come here to learn from other people who have maybe been on P2 longer than I have.

Hi!! You are doing great!! The recipes on this site are awesome and varied!!
If you are a java junkie you may really like the frappacino shake!! It is really yummy!!!!
I have been dieting and on the beach since June 6, and am really liking this so much more than calorie counting or point counting!! Welcome!!!

Java, welcome to the Beach! Yes, I must admit, I think there's more info here than in the book.
Check out the FAQ and recipe sections, too!

Welcome to teh Beach.. I agree - lots of info here.
Your weight loss is great so far... congratulations

Hey Java! Welcome to the beach!! This place has so much more info than any book could ever have I think! Congratulations on how far you have come and on surviving your vacation! HOORAY!

Welcome to The Beach. I love your nickname!

javajunkiedc (you aren't originally from Seattle, are you?) - welcome to the Beach! Like pp said, check out the FAQ and recipes forum. I've tried several recipes here, and most of them have been keepers (some haven't really been to our taste, I admit - although not necessarily bad either).

Good luck!

I'm not crazy about the book either. It does have some very good information in it but it's not really structured very well. I was left totally confused about exactly what to eat if I didn't want to eat beef and lobster every day....and I hate V8 more than anything else in the world. A year ago when I read the book, I thought I could never be on a diet that makes me drink that stuff everyday. Now I know that's just one of the many options for b'fast. The meal plans in the FAQ section are so much better and the recipes here are more what people would cook everyday. Once you learn a little more about SB from the chicks on this site go back and re-read the book and it will make more sense. So in a nutshell: diet is fabulous, book is so so!

Pearshape, I loved V8 until I went through phase 1! Now it tastes too sweet! I prefer plain old tomato juice, but as DH prefers V8, we alternate. The current bottle of V8 is almost gone, so soon I will be back to my beloved tomato juice! I even found some low-sodium (my usual grocery store doesn't stock it), so I'm going to try that as my only complaint with tomato juice is that it's too darned salty! Why must everything be too salty, too sweet, or too fatty for my tastes?? O, the humanity!

Welcome, Java! Good to have you join us!

The key to Phase 2, I think, is figuring out what works for your body. It's hard to detail that as it's different for everyone, so I think that's why the book seems unclear. For instance, there are some people on here who can have 2 or 3 servings of starch and 2 or 3 servings of fruit every day in P2 and still lose. I need to stick with 1 of each to lose, though I can have 2 starches or 2 fruits in a day about once a week without much effect. Sweet Tooth, one of our members who reached goal quite a while ago, could barely have any starches or fruits. Maybe one or two of each a week, I think. See the difference? Some people can't have any fruit. Some can't have any starch. Some can have everything but couscous. Some can have all fruit but plums. What you have to do is figure out what your body wants and needs. It involves a lot of trial and error, but once you figure it out, it's smooth sailing! I gained about five pounds working out P2, but I dropped it immediately after and dropped almost another 100 pounds since then. It does work!

So, when you finish P1, try adding in one thing (either a starch or fruit) for ONE WEEK. Pay attention to when you eat it...many of us have found that having our starch or fruit in the morning makes us crave, but if we eat it after lunch, we're fine. Others have no problem with that. If you are losing with that one thing, try adding one new thing for another whole week. Whenever you find you aren't losing or you're craving, try eating the thing at a different time or day or toss it back out and see how you do with the way you were eating the week before. Once you've figured out how much fruit or starch you can have each week, then you can vary it from day to day.

The less fruits and starches you can have, the more variety you want, to ensure you get as much nutrients as possible. So don't have WW bread every day...have WW bread, then a sweet potato, then brown rice, then barley, etc. Get the picture?

I know you'll find tons of info here...check out the FAQ and especially the recipe forums and join us in the daily thread (it's the one with the name of the day in it). We're glad to have you with us--congrats on your loss so far!

Re: my nickname JavaJunkieDC. I'm addicted to coffee and live in Washington, DC. Right now I'm sitting here at my desk with my $4 skim mocha with an extra shot of espresso (I know, I know--NOT SBD-friendly!) but hey, it's Friday. I used to drink these things every day. I can't afford it anymore. Not only that, but they have been saying on the news that (because of Hurrucane Katrina) coffee prices are going to SOAR--so stock up now!

For those who (like me) like cafe mochas, I know that Borders sells mochas that are SUGAR FREE. They're good, too. I wish other companies (Starbucks, Caribou, Cosi) would follow their lead.

Welcome JavaJunkieDC!! You are making me crave a mocha now!!!

Welcome to the beach. I'm not a coffee drinker, I'm addicted to Sobe Lean. They are sooooo good.

Gotta agree with you about the book. I get so many good ideas here. The recipe section is the best. My favorite is the taco bake. Fixed it last week and my family ate it all! I was hoping for leftovers to take to work......

Welcome JavaJunkieDC!

Looks like you are off to a great start! This is THE place to be for answers to your questions. Glad you could join us on the Beach!

welcome java,
i recommend buying the sbd book "good fats, good carbs guide". it's small enough to take with you to the store and really helps me when i'm not sure about something. i think it has a lot more practicle information than its big sister book. in the beginning i found myself buying stuff then getting it home only to discover it wasn't recommended.

i also check in here everyday because these gals are smart and so willing to help.
sbd book confused me too about p2. i never really found where it recommended how much or often you could have fruit, bread, etc. on p2. but the gals at 3 fat chicks set me straight.