What do I do now? Do I start over tomorrow? Do I give up and go back to counting cals? I am so frustrated!

I had a small bean burrito. I am not sure I can do 0 carbs for long periods of time. I went 5 fricken days. I hate me right now!!! I am even down 4 lbs.

Have you cheated in phase 1 and if so what did you do????

Just a burrito, that's not so awful. Just jump right back on plan NOW. Don't use this as a reason to eat more off plan stuff. When you hit the two week mark just see how you feel and either add another day or two on P1 or start a slow, careful transition to P2. Not so bad, really. Give yourself a break. You're doing great.

ETA - Can't remember if you read the book? It's not 0 carbs, just good carbs and low glycemic

Thank you. I have not given in. I have not let anything else near my mouth but I just didn't know if that made the last 5 days void and I had to start day 1 again because that would be so not motivating.

I have ordered the book but not read it. I just know that my food list for phase one includes no carbs or starchy foods and my whole diet was that.

This is the ONLY food that has entered my mouth that was not on plan. =(

Try to stay calm. This isn't a tragedy.

South Beach isn't "no carb" even during Phase I. And if you've read the book - none of it's written in "thou shalt never make a single mistake." during any of the phases.

Mostly it talks about avoiding or limiting or eating rarely or sparingly (not - thou must never, ever, ever taste or you shall be damned).

As far as eating off plan - the burrito wasn't nearly as bad as you'd think. You'd have been entirely on plan, if you'd gotten the pintos and cheese with low fat cheese - or if you had eaten only the filling out of the burrito.


There's nothing magic about the phases, and if you slip (for any slip, but especially for a minor slip) there's no need to start over at day 1. You just keep going. That's it.

Whether it's Atkins or SouthBeach, or any other structured plan - there's a tendency for us to treat those plans like magic. One minor mistake and "poof" the magic is gone, and with it all hope of suceeding.

Life doesn't work that way, and neither do diets. Do your best and forget the rest.

So what's your best? Choosing not to eat anything else off-plan today, and keep going.


South Beach (and even low carb plans, remember South Beach isn't low carb, you can eat plenty of carbs if you choose. Even during induction beans and other legumes are ok) isn't founded on magic, it's founded on science:

primarily the science of the glycemic index and glycemic load (which foods are the most satisfying for the fewest calories). So if the purpose of the diet is to control hunger, what is the worst thing that can happen if we don't follow the diet?

We will get hungry and find it difficult to stay within a calorie level that allows us to lose weight. Also, if we're sensitive to carbohydrates it can slow weight loss (one tortilla is not going to make or break your entire weight loss regimen - not that you want to dismiss the mistake, but it's not the end of the world).

If you remember why you're making these choices (hunger control and maximizing natural metabolism to lose weight) you won't freak out when you make a mistake. You'll just work harder at avoiding mistakes.

One mistake may not even show up on the scale (and then again, depending on the size of the mistake it might), but you haven't undone any magic or mojo. You just made a mistake, so pick yourself up and keep going.

I'm pretty sure beans are on the Phase I list. They have more carbohydrate than protein (I believe usually about 3g of carbs per g of protein).

Thank you soo so so much. I have not read the book yet. Its coming.

I know you are right. And I know this wasn't "that" bad. Its not the end of the world. It did feel good to have so many cheat free days but now I can do it again.

Take a deep breath. South Beach is intended to be a way of life, not a diet. Just recommit to whatever Phase you are in. This is not Atkins induction, where your weight loss is due to ketosis which would in fact be broken by eating a carb. I think the struggle for most of us is not sticking to the plan, but rather not letting one poor food choice define our way of eating.

I read this really good quote by David Lynch on the subject of meditation. He said "Meditation means bringing your mind back when you notice it has wandered, it’s not about keeping your mind from wandering in the first place.' I think that's a great analogy for living a healthy lifestyle. It's not about never cheating, it's about not letting cheats define your eating.

The beans were probably okay unless they had sugar in them and while the cheese was probably full fat that won't make a difference to the Phase 1 detox element. It might slow your weight loss down. You should be eating low fat dairy, beans and plenty of veggies. Have you looked over the food lists while aiting for the book? You might find it easier to stick with if you're getting the healthy carbs your body needs.

I hope you're feeling better! Once you get your book and read it you'll understand better what everyone is saying. You're getting plenty of carbs on P1, you're just detoxing from the white sugar and white flour. I think that's what has you feeling like you can't do it!

Hop back OP and you'll be fine!

yes, have you really studied the food lists? Would you have had the burrito if you knew you could have some refried beans with lf cheese, a bit of sour cream and some guacamole? South Beach is definitely NOT about deprivation. You can do this! You will really feel so much better when you read the book.

If it makes you feel any better, I'm on day 12 of Phase 1 and yesterday I went out to lunch with my mother. I was an angel......veggie burger, no bun, and a side salad with balsamic vinaigrette.

Then I ate three of my mother's french fries. I seriously could not help myself! I'm just going to block it from my mind and move on.

I cheated on Day 7 because I didn't go to bed on time. I haven't cheated since. Take it one day at a time.

And what day are you on now?

I'm on Day 13 thank God! Tomorrow is my last day on P1. I'm ready to mix it up a bit.

Eating a bean burrito is just a little tiny itty bitty oops. Eating a cake followed by a gallon of ice cream is a problem!

It took me quite a while to get away from "guilt" when I ate something that wasn't all that healthy after starting SB. Then I came to realize that I wasn't going to blow up like a balloon if I occsionally ate something was a no-no. There are NO no-nos that are going to put weight on you if you have a bite, although they make may you physically feel yucky! On a daily basis I eat healthy stuff, but every now and then I indulge in something that the SB police would cringe at. An occasional brownie if I make them for the family, a special dessert at a dinner party or during the holidays..

This is not a "diet" where you are going to lose weight and go back to eating junk every day. It's a life long way to eat that will ensure you are healthier and live longer.

You have NOT "failed", you just ate a freakin burrito!!! If you eat gobs of burritos and big macs and that junk is all you live on, then you endanger your life, if you eat a bean burrito every now and then, you just added a little white flour to your daily intake and it could cause cravings and make you feel icky for a while. Just move on, Sister!
Today is a new day with no burritos..that's all! Drink some water, eat healthy today.