Just how fantasic this WOE is? I am entering the second week of P1 do-ver and things are going very well. I am down 9 lbs, feeling great and my colon is moving FANTASITCALLY!! I know poopy has been my soapbox for the week, but after the shock my body went through on Atkins in January 2006, I swore off low-carb diets forever. But this plan makes my body happy.

I plan to do P1 until November 20th, then do a very very slow P2 fruit introduction of one fruit (a berry) for two weeks and then add things back slowly, with the occasional P1 plateau stopper.

I really apprecaite everyone's support. I am glad to be eathing this way now.

Hugs,
Sabby

Glad you are doing so well but should you stay on phase 1 for that long

Please, please don't stay on Phase I that long! Your body needs the complete nutrients supplied by Phase II additions. You don't want to be right back to the same problems you has with Atkins.
You've done well and I'd hate to see you screw it up!

So you think 4 weeks on Phase One is too long?
What about 3 weeks?

Sabbykay, At the end of two weeks I was screaming for some oatmeal and strawberries. I'm just afraid you will sabotage yourself if you try to go too long. If you ease slowly into Ph2, the best way to do it, then you will really still be mostly Ph1. Even now, there are some days when I only have one grain serving and one fruit serving. Even a day of Ph1 thrown in here and there. Sometimes it's not intentional, just the way it works out, and sometimes I do it on purpose to get rid of a craving. I rarely go above two servings of each/day. So don't feel like you need to be so restrictive, you really aren't eating that much fruit and grain on Ph2. You can always go back to Ph1 whenever you feel the need.
You are doing great so far!

I'm a big promoter of staying on P1 for the allotted two weeks and that's all. The only exception I will make is if I have a backslide of epic proportions near the end of P1. If I slip up the first week, I'll add one day of P1 and that's it. I think it's really hard for the body to recover from longer than two weeks of such a low carb WOE and you run the risk for ketosis.

Congrats on losing 9lbs. so far! That is awesome! Just remember, slow and steady wins the race!

Thanks for the advice. I think I am just terrified of hitting a plateau so quickly. I never thought about the fact that the introcution process of Phase Two is still quite helpful to weight losee. Ok, so I'll try Phase One for three weeks, mostly because I have to travel and I don't want to start a change until I am home the week of November 12th. It will be easy to travel with my nuts, cheesesticks, and vegetable juice cans.

Sabby

I went through the same thing moving into P2. Now that I can't go back to P1 for medical reasons, being diligent is the only way to keep losing. It's great that you have a plan for traveling. I travel a lot for work and the hardest thing seems to be finding restaurants that serve SB-friendly food.

Last night I needed to eat out ( my house is torn apart in a semi-remodel) and so I took the kids to a place where I knew I could get a grilled chicken breast covered with grilled onions and mushrooms for my dinner. I told them to hold the tortillas, and then fed the kids the rice, and ate only a portion of the beans. I ate only about a third of the main dish and it was delicious, but I was still up by 1.5 lbs this morning. I know it had to be salt/sodium. ( I also had a diet pepsi, and I haven't been drinking those at all this past week.)
Its amazing how the body responds to such things. So, my point is, even if you can find a restaurant that serves SB friendly dishes, its still likely that you won't like what your body does with it anyways. Or at least that was my experience last night.

Oh, and to Sabbykay, definitely make sure to move on to PH2 when you get back. From reading Dr A's book, it seems like to me that there are medical reasons for moving on. Don't be afraid, I'm feeling nervous about moving on to Ph2 also, but we can do it together!

Lisa

Most of the beginning of Phase 2 is exactly like Phase 1. You could still do it while travelling, keeping your snacks the same and just adding some berries with your breakfast or an apple with lunch or something like that. Just one new addition a week, so you should be right on track!

Good luck!

I am feeling better about moving on to P2, but I still feel that November 12th (after my trip) is best. I will have been on P1 for 3 weeks at that point.

I think a berry for a snack with string cheese is how I will start. Sweet things in the morning may trigger cravings all day.

Hugs,
Sabby

Sabby, congratulations on how great you are feeling and how well SBD is working for you! I'm really thrilled for you! However, though I understand that you may find it hard to start P2 while on a trip, staying on P1 for three weeks is just plain unhealthy. In fact, after your first time doing P1, you really shouldn't go back to 2 weeks of it ever again, unless it's been years since you did SBD. One week is more than enough of a detox to get you back on track after a cheat, once you're on the plan.

So...two options. Start P2 now so you feel comfortable with it on your trip or do a "Phase 1.5" on your trip--add in a tiny bit of low GI food (like berries) every other day.

You'll find more info on why doing P1 for too long isn't healthy here. You'll also find help for moving into Phase 2 in the What is Your Phase 2 Combo? thread and the Phase 2 Emergency Handbook thread.

Sabby I hope ypu changed your mind and are moving into phase 2 - slow and steady and after the trip if you feel the need than do phase 1 for a few days. You'll be fine!