For Beachers just starting or continuing Phase I, here's the place to post your questions, triumphs and slippages, if any.

Please join us on the daily chat thread too for general chit-chat because life isn't just about dieting!

If you want to set a March Weightloss target, please post on the March Weightloss Thread.

I just started phaseI yesterday. The belgian waffles posted in the Phase I breakfasts were WONDEFUL!!! (And so easy to make!)

Hi Everyone,

I have been trying to eat low GI lately, but I think I need to step it up a bit to get some weight loss going. I made a crustless quiche for quick breakfasts with canadian bacon and vegies. I use fat free skim milk in it - is that ok for phase 1?

Erinea. Check out the revised Phase I list in the FAQ Section and you'll see that ff skim milk is now OK. Enjoy the quiche. (Reminder to self: make some more of these to have in the freezer.)

erinea! Your quiche sounds just fine, but what other ingredients were in it? If it was just eggs, skim milk, veggies and Canadian bacon, it sounds perfect!

I would agree. IF you are not a person who is accustomed to eating a lot of variety of vegetables and 40-50% of your daily food plan comprising of those, then you will find this aspect of this particular food plan more of a struggle. It is one of the KEYS to SUCCESS on this food plan.

I had no trouble eating the rest of the allowed foods. In fact, I am beginning to wonder if I hold a record for having eaten the most eggs in 60 days. I think I ate about 135-140 eggs!!! Yikes!!

EATING OUT TIP: I frequent restaurants that serve a more "family-style" menu so I can choose from a variety of both cold and cooked vegetables. I have heard that eventually your plate should look like there is a balance between the protein you are consuming and the vegetables.

Although I haven't done this yet, I would also check out vegetarian restaurants when you are making choices of where to eat. Quite honestly, I think most of the "chain" restaurants consider salads adequate vegetables. They really are not the most nutrient dense ones that you can choose but are acceptable if you are in a pinch.

Of course, at home, you have more control of what is in your cupboards and fridge. I decided to treat my home as my "fort" and keep it well-stocked to do my "battle with the bulge". I am surrounded by "good for me" (and others too-DH eats what I eat and he's not dieting!) food. How can I not "win" (I mean, lose), right?

Good luck!

Again, to our humble abode: South Beach.

Glad to have you with us. I just finished Phase 1 (again) and I am back to Phase 2. I will check back though as I read all of the posts on this forum.

I am still eating eggs. I meant to try that waffle recipe this past weekend, I have all the ingredients to make them but I decided to watch a marathon of "24" instead and once I lifted my head up 8 hours had passed! I just love that program!

I guess, I'll try to make it some time this week. I hear such raves about that recipe (you can find that and more on the recipe link)

Again, good luck, erinea, and to the Beach.

It is just 4 eggs, one can of ff evaporated skim milk, peppers, onions, mushrooms and canadian bacon. I cut it into 6 pieces for breakfast - 3 days for my husband and I.

I had a hard time finding light laughing cow cheese. I got the last package at the store. Is it only the light we can use, because they had some nice sounding flavoured ones that weren't light?

OK... I know this isn't perfectly Phase I, but I do regular cheese for my hard cheeses. I don't eat much meat, so I don't have much of a fat intake otherwise. My yogurt, ricotta and the like are all LF, though. I didn't buy the laughing cow cheese because it was just too darned expensive per serving. My weight loss was fine the last time I did P1, but I would imagine it is a personal thing. I'm not a cheese-hound, so I usually only eat about a half ounce a day anyway. If I can break my carb addiction, I'm usually pretty good.

Light N' Fit yogurt may not be OK in Phase 1. Does it have any corn syrup? Fruit? Remember no fruit in Phase 1. I got through Phase 1 with nonfat plain yogurt sweetened with Equal (I would use agave nectar now - didn't have that when I was doing Phase 1) and sprinkled with cinnamon.

Check the ingredients on the broccoli and cheese soup and make sure there's no flour. Are you making it yourself or is it from a can? Also, make sure there's no corn starch.

Also check your Miracle Whip and relish for sugar.

Good luck!

Kara

One of my favorite snacks is to slice a red pepper and put a sliver of cheese on it. I use about 1/2 an ounce of cheese with a whole pepper, but it's just enough...

Any light cheeses are ok. There is a guideline of how many fat grams per ounce should be the max...but I don't recall what that is. Maybe 5-6g per ounce???
We use light feta, light goat cheese, light mozzarella and sometimes 2% cheddar. Other than that, we use full fat cheeses and I try to keep the portions low and watch the calories. I also keep the other dairy products low fat or fat free--yogurt, sour cream, cream cheese, milk and ricotta.
I have never used laughing cow cheese, the light or regular.

I checked the laughing cow web site and the full-fat version has 2g of fat per wedge. Maybe I will try the flavoured ones next trip to the grocery store.

Hi! My name is abby and my mom and I are staring phase 1 tomorrow any pointers for me?

hi!

am entering my second week on phase one and have just enjoyed those delectable belgian waffles for breakfast.. thanks all of you for posting those recipes!! it makes phase one so much easier)

princessgail as a second-time-arounder i would advise you to try and pre-stock EVERYTHING you will need for phase one. strolling up and down the supermarket was just sheer temptation for me the first few days. i also tried to pre-cook several phase one friendly meals (this was all new to me..not really the homemaker) so i could just pop them into the microwave after a long day at work.
good luck to you and your mom and welcome to the beach