new here and want to ask ...
 

Hi all
I have been lurking for a few days and finally came out of the closet and got up the courage to join.

I have started Phase II on Tuesday. Evenings are my worse time. I want to know if we are suppose to eat when we are hungry or wait for either meal or snack time. That doesn't seem quite clear to me.

If I can snack, what are some things that are ok to munch whenever.

So far I am a cancer survivor for almost three years after being stage IV. I had lost an enormous amt of wt during my treatments and prior to a major surgery. I need to get rid of about 20 or 30 pounds at least to please me.

I will appreciate any guidance you can give. I hope this was o.k. to post this here.

Thanks for such a great and free site.

NYcousin

I must apologize for posting this in the wrong place.

No problem! A big :welcome: to 3FC and to The Beach and congratulations on your return to good health!

I lent someone my book so can't quote any rules about snacking. However, there is no need to be hungry. Evenings are bad for most of us but some of us save our dessert or "treat" for then.

I'm sure other Beachers are going to chime in on this thread with ideas.

:wel3fc: nycousin! You have certainly found the right place, here on the Beach, on your road to good health. Make sure you check out our recipe section, there are many wonderful recipes there to tempt your tastebuds and keep you from getting bored with your meals for all the phases of this WOE.
As far as snacking goes, you should have a little something about every 3 hours, as long as it's included in your meal plan. I like to snack on string cheese, nuts, or raw veggies w/ hummus. I'm one of the ones who like to save my dessert for the evening, it gives me a little something to look forward to, and I usually have either a Ricotta Creme or a nsa fudgesicle w/ 1T. peanutbutter and 1T. ff Cool Whip, and enjoy it with a cup of tea. It really satisfies my insatiable sweet tooth! I hope these ideas help, and good luck!

Thank you all.

I think that this diet is a pretty easy diet to follow. I have tried some other ones over the years and never been successful. I made it through the two weeks of phase one quite easily.

I think that night is rough for me as I have more time to think. I have a disabled husband and things are pretty quiet around here at night most times. So probably some stress too.

Thank you for letting me know it is ok to snack on the healthful things that you all suggested.

I have enjoyed some of the recipes already and thanks for them. I just love the cheese crisps. They are so good.

I always camoflage my cottage cheese as i would have normally had it with fruit. I put it in the no sugar jello either plain or i have also whipped it in the blender with jello and had it that way. I like either.

I am a little discouaged as i have only lost five pounds and yesterday was week three. But, I am on a lot of meds and i did have some major surgery which has messed up a few things too.

I am now trying to exercise too, I have Tony Little's gazelle. I am not sure how much that burns calorie wise though. But every bit must help to some degree.

Have a great day ladies. I am enjoying this site very much and what it has to offer.

nycousin

:welcome3: NYCousin!

I find evenings very hard too. I try to eat dinner a bit later and wait three hours to have my dessert as my snack. I make homemade hot chocolate to have with my dessert and that seems to help. I think I've posted the recipe before, but if you can't find it, let me know. It should be safe even in P1.

Losing 5 pounds can be a HUGE thing, especially with mitigating circumstances like surgery. Try to focus more on your health, on how clothes are fitting, and on how you feel than just on pounds. They can be so deceiving and can sabotage your weight loss when they make you feel discouraged.

I know Dr. A does say that you shouldn't be hungry...if you feel hungry, try thinking first about whether you are really hungry (you feel rumbles in your stomach, an empty, hollow feeling, you feel dizzy/faint/tired, etc.) or if it's in your head. Sometimes we eat out of boredom or emotional responses. If it's the latter, you can do tons of things to keep your mind off it. Get out of the kitchen, get your hands working on a project, chew SF gum, take a bath, exercise, etc. If you do feel truly hungry, try drinking 8 oz of water and see how you are in a couple minutes. Sometimes we think we're hungry but we're really just thirsty. If you're still hungry, have a snack...combine protein and vegetables to make something that will fill you up and make you stay full for a while. :)

Hope this helps...sorry that things have been quiet lately. I'm sure there are lots of Beachies who can relate to your situation! :yes:

Thank you Laurie, that helps a lot and I will give it a try. I think I remembered reading about the homemade hot cocoa and that sounds like a wonderful idea. I will see if I can find it again. If in the meantime you have the link, I would love it.

Thanks for the welcome!