Hello everyone

As I said in my title this is my first day. I think I have done pretty well. I want to lose 75 pounds total. My husband is in Iraq right now and I want to get to my goal (or at least close) by the time he comes home (May 2010)

I was on Weight Watchers but was getting a little fast and loose with the rules and was not seeing progress like I wanted. I have heard about SB a million times but I have never tried a "low carb" diet, which I know this isn't.

I loooove all the carby foods. Especially bread. So this is gonna be pretty hard for me. I am planning on doing phase 1 for 3 weeks since I have more to lose than most. I read an article that said it was okay to do 3-4 weeks if you are over a 30 BMI.

I would love support and accountability. These boards are fantastic!

Today I ate:

Breakfast~protein shake
Snack~celery and organic, natural PB
Lunch~deli turkey, motz cheese stick (part skim), cucumber slices, romain lettuce
Snack~Sugar free jello
Dinner~Salmon and side salad with "spray" dressing

I also ate some yogurt and am wondering if it is "cheating." It is plain, fat free yougurt but I did not like the taste so I added a spoonful of sugar free jam. Still didn't like it. Added 1 packet of "truvia" and it was yummy! Lol. A lot of work for one cup of yogurt. It just got me thinking about why we can't just eat a cup of flavored yogurt because at this rate I am basically eating one. Or at least it feels that way. Did I cheat?

Also. . .I am a little uneasy about all these artificial flavorings and sugars. All the chemicals to make these foods "good for you." Does anyone else worry about this? I know I could find all natural everything but then what is left to eat these days? sad but kinda true. I don't know how many labels I had to read at the store yesterday just to find stuff with no added sugar (salsa even!) I just wonder if it might be better to eat flour and sugar but in moderation but at least have it be natural food not chemicals and everything.

Well I've rambled forever now. Give me any feedback you see fit. That would be wonderful!

Thanks y'all!

Danielle

Welcome! You'll find plenty of support on this site : ) Sounds like you had a good food day, though I'm not familiar with SB. I try to avoid high fructose corn syrup, sugar, msg and artificial sweeteners, which definitely makes it more challenging! Stevia (or Truvia) is actually not an artificial sweetener, in that it is not a chemical. I like agave nectar as it has a lower glycemic index than both sugar and honey. There's no one right way to lose weight, it's a matter of trial and error to find out what works best for you. Good luck!

Danielle! We're happy you decided to join us here on the Beach.
Concerning artificial sweeteners, it is a controversial topic and an individual choice whether or not you decide to use them. They do help to satisfy the cravings for something sweet, but as you will find out soon, if you follow a totally "clean" Phase 1, those cravings for sweets will lessen. A great alternative to anything artificial is agave nectar, and many of us use it with good results in our cooking and baking. It is very low on the glycemic scale and won't spike your blood sugar, which creates cravings for more sweets. Definitely stay away from white flour and sugar, as these are notorious for inducing cravings!
Good luck, and we look forward to seeing you around!

Hi Danielle and

Make sure you have the book and keep it near you especially for the first 2 weeks. It really helps to be able to read and research what is a yay and what is a nay. The threads are so helpful as many have been here to share successes and things that did not work as well.

I am in week 16 of SB WOL and I love it. SB works for me because I want to be healthier. When starting on P1 I stayed totally "clean" because I read alot of posts here from the seasoned beachers that I could get rid of my cravings if I did this. It has worked beyond all my expectations. I am finding to my amazement that without the "craving" factor that I am beginning to make rational decisions about my food intake. Last night I had healthy pizza and salad. Later, I had a bowl of homemade applesauce for my sweet. My old brain went to find something else to eat and my new brain said, "I don't think you need anything else tonight." Ok, end of story. This is so incredible.

The best thing I could tell you right now from my experience is to be vigilant through your first 2 weeks. DON'T GET HUNGRY! This is not a plan of deprivation. When you are hungry find something OP and eat!!!!! I have a huge salad that is always ready in the frig. If I get hungry I plate up some salad, toss chicken and beans on it and get some good nutrition in my body. If you are constantly hungry it will be far easier to go back to old habits.

The second best thing I would say is to hop onto the daily threads here and start sharing your ups and downs of SB and of life. The group is great here and I look forward to checking in every single day.

Ask questions! And yes, plain ff yogurt is allowed on P1. The reason you don't eat flavored yogurt at any time is that it is FULL of sugar which, when eaten keeps your craving mechanism turned ON. You want to turn it OFF. Start to read labels and you will find out how much sugar is in many foods that are labeled "healthy".

I keep my use of artificial sweeteners to a minimum. When I made my applesauce I found that just a touch of Splenda made it quite tasty. I bake using agave nectar in P2. I have 2 sweet staples that get me through a "sweet moment"; sf fudgesicles and sf jello, both good on P1 . They both gave me satisfaction when I craved sweet, especially in P1.

My suggestion would be that you do the first 2 weeks totally clean, and then reevaluate. Many beachers do a P1.5 which adds some foods, but not all. If you really stick to plan, you will continue to lose on P2 and it may be much easier to envelop this WOL if you have more choices.

Best Wishes!

It's also very important to get all your veggies in - 4 1/2 cups daily, 1/2 cup at breakfast and 4 cups throughout the day. Very important! Also your 2 Tbs of healthy fats - good nutrition and keeps you full and satisfied. I find the 2 cups of dairy and the nut or nut butters helpful for sticking on plan too. Good luck!

Hey Danielle - I posted a lengthy reply to your message in the Phase I thread, but wanted to pop in here and welcome you! I'm on my 4th week of SB, and am re-doing Phase I for a couple of days after vacationing during Week 3. This WOL agrees with me - I have more energy, don't have cravings, and can see results!

Good luck to ya'.

Thanks everyone

I did good again today. I want something carby sooo bad but I haven't given in. I basically ate the same things as yesterday but dinner was chicken, tomato sauce, and cheese. Yum! Felt like cheating but wasn't! Just missed the garlic bread I would normally have with such a meal.

Sigh.

One interesting thing is I went to track my food and even with all my meals and snacks for the day I am under 1,000 calories. This can't be good. It's just hard to get to 1,500 calories (my "target" according to the tracking site) when most of what I eat is vegetables. Imagine that?

Does anyone else count calories and do SB? If so what do your calories look like?

Thanks for all the support!

Danielle