Hi, Chal!
Glad that you're doing prepwork to get things in place before you start...that helps head you towards success!
I found that the metamucil gave me a lot of gas, so I try to eat a lot of foods with fiber (like beans in P1, and Fiber One in P2), and I take a stool softener (with my doctor's okay) to help with any, um, 'lack of regularity.'
I second Barb on Sugar Free syrups...they're a staple for me. I use them in yogurt, in coffee, in homemade hot cocoa, in recipes, etc. Is Splenda (or your sugar substitute of choice) readily available where you are? If not, you might try getting some of that. I'm a big fan of the Eat Well Be Well products because they don't have sugar alcohols. I get mine online at
www.netrition.com because they're cheaper there than at my grocery store, but I don't know if they ship to Canada. Finding a good sugar free maple syrup helps...when a recipe calls for brown sugar, you can substitute half Splenda (or your sugar sub. of choice for baking) and half SF maple syrup.
For Phase 2, you may find it helpful to have Sugar Free pudding mixes in the house...they are also good for recipes, making homemade ice cream, etc. I'm a big fan of Hershey's Sugar Free Hot Fudge--it doesn't have Malitol in it, which tends to make me crave.
While in the States, you might also look for good whole wheat breads...you can always freeze them when you get home. On SBD, I use such small amounts of bread that freezing them is the best option. That way, I have a lot of choices when I want some and they stay fresh. I really like Thomas' Square 100% Whole Wheat bread...it's like a combo of bread/roll and a bagel. Yummy!
Glad to have you with us, hon! Look forward to hearing about your success!
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