Oh i feel so depressed.. To learn that ive gone through 6 days of phase 1 only to discover on the 6th day that sugar free fat free pudding isnt allowed just because of the corn starch..i dont know what makes me more depressed..the fact that i gained 1 pound according to the scale this morning? the fact that i cant have my favorite pudding anymore and i think i might go crazy?? or the fact that i have been doing it wrong the whole time and not even known it? I feel like such a failure and an idiot..I just want to curl up and hide in a hole..and well..sorry if its tmi...but having the T0M really makes it tricky with cravings for chocolate and i thought that pudding ..fat free sugar free would be a safe thing..only to find out its not..(sigh) I just want to cry now.. i mean..i understand that im still losing "weight" but i feel like im getting nowhere..and im soooo tired and fatigued at the same time...i just want to give up..its so much easier being fat and lazy than it is to think and research and preapre meals that take more time..and watch what you eat..no wonder everyone seems to want to do nothing but veg on the couch..no wonder are nation is so obese all the time..i dont blame them at all..but i dont want to be fat all my life.. but i feel like..im just never gonna get to my goal of losing 100 pounds..its taking forever..

It doesn't take forever but it does take a long time.
TOM makes you feel crp about everything - and does give you fluidweight retention, so that's something to ride out, it's not fat and once tom has gone, so will the waterweight.
And finally, "As Grandpa Willy says, 'If the shoe don't fit, then it ain't your shoe'" (sorry, been watching re-runs of Frasier). 1 week might not be quite long enough of a try but if sticking with a particular plan or way of eating is so hideously hard, then you need to find another plan.

That's not to say there's anything wrong with SB, not at all; but one size does Not fit all. See if you can ride through Tom and feel more composed about the thing; if not, try another Plan. Losing weight doesn't take forever but keeping it off does.....so we need to take the time to find something we can stick with.

Don't beat yourself up over what you perceive as a mistake, it's just a learning experience. Now that you know that, that doesn't work you can not do that anymore. I'm just starting out to so I have no direction so I'm just going about things all willy nilly and trying to figure out something.

Hi PortHardyGirl

Cheer up! I, too, thought pudding was approved on P1, and had it nightly for the first week of P1. Once I found out, I eliminated it for the rest of P1 and just continued on. I was one who did feel fatigued for most of P1, and didn't have to deal with TOM, either.

Here's the information I can give you that might help.
~after finishing a clean P1, your energy will steadily improve.
~as long as you stay OP and start finding some ways to start incorporating some small bits of exercise the weight will come off quite rapidly.

I started to feel lots better around 250, but those initial pounds I lost were hard fought because I didn't have a plan. I got to 214 without a "plan" other than reduced consumption of partly crappy food and exercising lots. After gaining 20 back I started SBD.

When I started SBD in May of 09 I was pretty depressed that I had started to gain back. The claims that I would not always be ravenous combined with my intense desire to get back on track were enough for me to make myself a committment to try this for 6 months OP....no weekends off, breaks for holidays etc. When I did that, I lost weight rapidly and consistently. In those first 6 months I lost 42 pounds.

While I still have a bit to go, those 42 pounds lost gave me an entirely new outlook on life. I do think alot of it has been because I feel better than I've ever felt before. Cutting out the white sugar/white flour has been a great miracle in my life. My blood sugar has stabilized and I'm off blood pressure meds. My husband has noted that my mood swings, once so unpredictable, are pretty much non existent.

I feel your pain about being as heavy as you are right now. I've been right there. I put 275 as my HW because the scale quit reading accurately as I went up from there. This group (and SBD) are livesavers for me. I post every single day, because I know that it's much easier to gain than it is to lose. One week of balls to the wall eating can vaporize a months worth of progress. When I come here every day I stay on track.

Best wishes to you! Come here and share your frustrations. You will have all the support you need!

What Debbie said. Also, please consider the evidence that sugar and hi fat foods are physically addicting and the despair you feel is not unlike what an alcoholic or heroin addict goes through when they quit. The symptoms you describe are straight sugar withdrawal. Read "Potatoes Not Prozac" to learn how sugar and withdrawing from it affects your moods.

Also, yes a lot of people have given up and that is why our country has such an issue with morbid obesity, but there are also many, many people who have taken control of their lives and made the conscious choice to eat healthy foods and exercise. Don't allow yourself to think it's "too hard." It's not. You can do it. You ate the pudding, big deal. Just cut it out and if you really feel it's necessary, start over with Phase 1. Otherwise just keep going.

you will do this.

There aren't many of us around who didn't eat something that wasn't allowed on phase 1. I used a splenda sweetened vanilla yogurt with corn starch in it every day for months before seeing a post that mentioned it has cornstarch in it. One week without SF pudding shouldn't be that difficult but you know what? If it bothers you that much just eat the stuff next week. If everything else you're eating is on plan, 1 pudding/day isn't going to make or break you, and it sure isn't worth giving up over.

I have a really busy schedule and though I don't mind cooking, I rely on quick, easy recipes. There are so many great recipes in the recipe section here. Here's a link to some of my favorites.

I get new ideas for meals and snacks by reading the on plan threads, and we ate the same few tasty meals a lot at first. And a lot of grilled chicken breasts with steamed veggies because I was sure that was "safe".

It does get easier and the rewards are worth it. I'll turn 53 this month but I have more energy and feel better than I've felt in years.

Good luck to you. I suspect hormones are playing a big part in how depressed you're feeling right now, so hopefully tomorrow will be a better day. Keep posting, the knowledge, support and friendships I've found here are the best diet tools around.

Hang in there!!! I did the same thing with the pudding when I did SB a few years ago, and felt the same way you do about a week into it. I personally chose to re-start Phase 1 because I really wanted a "clean" P1, but I really don't think it truly negatively affected me.

And honey if it's TOM, then THAT is most likely why there was a 1lb gain. I gain 4lbs every single TOM, no matter how little salt or how much water I have. Chin up

As for the chocolate craving, I highly HIGHLY recommend trying the Bean Brownies in the Phase 1 Dessert recipe section here. They sound gross, I know, but they really are delicious -- tastes just like a fudgy brownie, high in fiber, and high in the "good carbs" that will help you fight the South Beach Flu.. Even my anti-diet friends loved them, and nobody believed me when I told them they were made with beans after they'd tried them

And I know what you mean about feeling like you're not making any progress. But, you're only about a week in! You're doing great! If you haven't already, I very highly recommend taking starting pictures (front, side, and back, if possible) as well as starting measurements.. I know you've already lost some, but I promise you, in a few weeks or even a month or two, when you're feeling down and feel like you haven't made any progress, you'll be able to look back at those starting pictures and measurements and know that continuing on is definitely doing some good

You are doing great! The SF FF pudding isn't great, but it's not a diet killer. Just keep going. If you can cut it out for the next week, that'd be great. See if you can get some sugar free hard chocolate candies to suck on- you can have 1 of those each day for your chocolate fix.

Ok here's the thing- were you losing weight while having your pudding? If so, why are you concerned? It may be an issue if you did it everyday and you were closer to your goal, but right now, if it's not stalling you... keep doing it.
Just be aware that in the future it very well may cause you to stall.

You're not failing! 6 days is a fabulous start! Keep going and keep making it work for you- whatever works for you!

It's going to be ok. We all get depressed about this, and I too have been considering dropping the SB and just being fat and lazy. It does suck to have to look at what you are putting in your body, but you are your only you to take care of. Have the pudding, but maybe cut back to every other day! I surely have not stuck to SB 100% during phase 1 and I still lost 11 lbs. Good luck!

The first two weeks are the hardest but completing a clean Phase 1 will absolutely be worth it down the road. Sticking to the plan will help decrease carb cravings. It's not just about getting the lbs off in the beginning. I'd lost a lot of weight before but never stuck with it. I could lose weight but then I'd gain it right back with friends. I also have a personal theory that most eating plans include some form of strict early phase just to help us really break away from our old habits. I know that after being overweight or obese most of my life I really needed a complete shift in thinking. In some ways Phase 1 was the easiest because I had less decisions to make on my own. It really helped me prepare for the added freedom of Phase 2 and make better choices.

Phase 1 is hard but it is so worth it. You can do this and you will be glad you did. As others have said put the pudding incident behind you and just continue through Phase 1. If you notice cravings are still an issue add a day or two.

Thanks everyone. Its nice to know that im not alone. Cause i sure feel alone most days, never having friends as large and as concerned as me about my weight. Its cool to know that others have been there done that and changed and succeded .I did wake up today feeling better and i threw out the pudding after having one bowl and said i wouldnt buy another package..so im off the pudding now officially and i do want a clean phase 1..so im going to do this ..again..for real.

That's a great attitude. It helps to make some small daily/weekly goals and then throw a party for yourself (not literally) when you meet them. This forum is ALL about being there to help support you, so can make up for the lack of that in your off line life. Are you near a gym? Maybe there is a group you can join there, a workout group or a weight loss group.