Help! In the book, it seems like Dr. A is saying that you don't need to count calories/use portion control.. but.. in the recipes... it IS portion control... I'm confuzzled...

The reason I'm asking is that I felt a little hungry today. This is what I ate:
Breakfast:
The tomato juice (which I just barely tolerate)
An omelet with asparagus, mushrooms, and nofat mozzarella topped with a little bit of fresh salsa
One cup of tea

Snack:
Celery with the laughing cow cheese

Lunch
Ok, chicks.. .celebrate with me here:
I had promised the kids a special treat of ordering pizza to be delivered to our neighborhood pool before summer was over. Well, today was the day... I ordered a small... but the best news... I packed a salad (romaine, black beans, green peppers, radish, tuna) for myself. Best of all, I only stole one pepperoni! hehehe

Snack
2 of the turkey wraps from the book, made with hummus instead of mayo

Dinner:
In the oven, making backed chicken and steamed broccoli and probably some cut up fresh peppers and tomatoes.

Anyway, back to the question... I'm HUNGRY now and want to eat pistachios! Help!! 8-)

Do you realize you put "potion" control in the title?! With Harry Potter's popularity now, I had to click and see what you really meant!

Personally, I have to log my calories every day. Try it for a couple days and see where you're falling. I like to go to bed a little bit hungry because I figure that way I know I've used up all my calories that I've eaten that day, but if you're starving you might want to have a high protein snack.

Kara

Noleschick, you're on Phase I right? When do you plan to eat dinner? Can you drink a glass of water and hold out until then? Then make sure you eat enough to be satisfied. If you can't hold out, eat some raw veggies or cheese or something. During Phase I, I didn't count calories, because I had a great fear of hunger, and I just concentrated on breaking the carb/sugar cycle. So, I only lost 5 lbs during Phase I. When I started Phase II, I was still losing very slowly, so I started using fitday to count calories, so I could learn portion sizes, etc. A lot of the folks on here are counting calories, but you don't have to, it's whatever works for you.
Hang in there, you're doing great!

oh my! I guess I HAVE been reading too much Harry Potter! I can't believe I typed that! 8-)

And yes, this is Day 3 of Phase 1. I was concerned because this is the first day I felt hungry... I made it to dinner and boy was it yummy! Now I feel full (not stuffed or bloated just full).

Night time is the danger zone though... I can't tell you how ingrained the habit of salty snacks and tv has become here! Does popcorn come back Phase 2? I haven't read that far in the book yet.

Thanks for everything!

If I remember correctly, air popped popcorn (without adornment?) is OK on Phase 2, but it's a grain so you have to add it back slowly, and I would pre-measure mine so I didn't gobble up an entire bowlful. I generally stay away from popcorn as it's a weakness...

Kara

Could you maybe be reading a little nausea and tired feeling as "hungry"? Day 3 and 4 of Phase 1 is the prime time for the SB flu...

Popcorn... 3 cups of air-popped, stove popped with Canola, or Plain microwavable with 0 trans fat are acceptable as a grain serving in Phase 2. Like Kara, I've stayed away from it... it scares me...

A couple of snacky options for Phase 1 are roasted chickpeas, I ate them in Phase 1 and they helped...

Roasted Chickpeas - Phase 1

Preheat oven to 425.

1 15.5 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained;
2 tbsp olive oil;
salt to taste.

Mix ingredients together in shallow baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes or more until golden brown, stirring occasionally.

When finished, remove from oven and allow to cool. Eat at room temperature.


The other Phase 1 friendly snack I've heard about, but haven't tried yet, is Crispy Turkey Pepperoni.

Take some Turkey Pepperoni and lay it out single layer on a paper plate. Cook it in the microwave for a minute or until crispy.

You can smear it with Laughing Cow cheese...

Or for those pizza cravings, you could also slice up some string cheese and microwave it. Make some "pizza sauce" with NSA tomato sauce and some spices, warm it up and dip the Crispy Pepperoni and Cheese in the pizza sauce.

Hang in there... it does get easier....

SB Flu? Wait a minute, I don't remember that from the book! Yesterday, I felt just awful - super headache, sluggish (even though I did work out), and yes, just a touch nauseous. You mean, I'm supposed to feel this way?

Thank you SO much for that recipe.. I do have a weakness for salt and crunchy. Like a lot of people, popcorn is deadly to me, but I do like airpopcorn as well. Maybe that will be a Sunday only reward once I progress to phase 2.

Down 2 pounds already.. is that enough or should I have lost more by Day 3?

Day three was the worst for me. I didn't feel physically sick, but I was a grumpy, moody mess. Day four was better, and by day five I was my normal, happy self. It's pretty much water weight that's coming off, so there's no right or wrong number. Some lose only three or four pounds in the whole two weeks, and some lose more than ten. I think it depends on how healthily you were eating before you started South Beach.

Kara

I had the SBD flu too, between days 2 and 4. By day 5, I felt great. I thought of it as "detoxing".

Dr A didn't cover the SB flu in his book, so you didn't miss it... That was just a little tidbit we've all picked up on the forums.

Most people experience it to some degree... Days 3 and 4 were the worst for me... Make sure to eat some beans, and have your dairy. Those two things do help. By then end of your first week, you'll feel awesome...

Two pounds is fantastic, but try not to get too hung up on the scale. Normal weight fluctuations can be frustrating... As long as you are sticking to the plan you will lose weight. Everyone loses at their own rate... it's the downward trend that's important, not how quickly it happens.

You're doing great... I love your pizza NSV!

You're right! Its been one of my biggest flaws in trying to lose weight. If doesn't happen immediately then... pfffshaw! 8-) I'm working really hard on the idea of "long term - better health" instead of "What?? I haven't lost 20 pounds yet???!!"

By the way, I made those roasted chickpeas yesterday and YUM! They were delicious. I put them in my salad for a little crunch and I swear, I didn't even miss croûtons. 8-) Thanks!

How good are those chickpeas? I ate a whole can in one day once...

Kara

Hey, Beachies! I thought the same thing with Harry Potter Fever in my brain...so I changed the title. Great topic!

Thanks for the help there beachgal! I'm a certifiable HP addict so I guess it was just one of those slips! 8-)

And speaking of poRtion control... since there was no serving size listed for the chickpeas.... I guess a whole can in a day would work... right??!!?

Finally feeling better today... no headache so far... and my brain is not so focused on "What's the next thing to eat?"

I think the actual serving size is a quarter cup. Definitely not a whole can!

Kara