Starting SB tomorrow. Really.
 

"I'll start tomorrow!" Hah, But really that's the plan. I'm going to a dinner party tonight where I don't think it's reasonable for me to try to deal with day one of Phase 1. But I'm getting ready to start South Beach Phase I tomorrow. Wish me luck please! I'm a little nervous about all the things I'll need to give up, especially at work when I'm so used to snacking on sweets (often raisins to satisfy my sweet tooth).

I'm going grocery shopping, it's going to be odd not loading up on fresh fruit to start a healthy-eating program! I'm definitely planning on buying some low-fat string cheese, and of course veggies. Any other ideas for good staple/snacks?

I don't really have that much weight to lose, but the trends are all bad, and if I don't intervene soon, I know where this is going. My eating is veering dangerously close to out of control, I'm feeling sluggish, and my waistline is getting bigger. Plus, I'm going for a checkup in August, I'd better be at least 8 lbs lighter.

I was doing Carbohydrate Addicts for awhile, it was working reasonably well for awhile, but the somewhat rigid daily structure (a salad before EVERY meal? Exactly proportional servings per meal? Carbs only once a day, even good carbs?) wasn't sustainable for me in the long run.

South Beach seems to make sense to me, except for all the suggested artificial sweeteners.

:welcome3: Shutterbug

Have you had a chance to read the book yet? It provides a good framework for the food choices on SBD.

Many of us use few, if any, artificial sweeteners so don't let that get in your way. The research is certainly mixed so make the decision that's best for you.

Getting plenty of lowfat dairy and beans will really help with Phase 1. Not only will you feel fuller, you will also have less trouble with the detox. I suspect it will be pretty easy for you after Carb Addicts though :)

This is a great forum with lots of knowledgeable and supportive Chicks. Join us in the Daily Chat and the Phase 1 thread for some extra support and accountability.

Thanks, CyndiM! I bought and read through most of the South Beach Heart Program book. There wasn't actually all that much about the diet program in there, though, but enough to make me decide it was a healthy and sensible approach. Just took the original South Beach Diet book out of the library yesterday, so need to sit down and read that one.

You need to get some almonds, cashews or other nuts for snacks. Just don't eat more than 15 per day. They made it much easier for me to stick to phase one, and I'm still enjoying them as snacks now that I'm in phase two.

sf/lf plain yogurt, cottage cheese?
Natural pb on celery

If you don't want artificial sweeteners you certainly don't have to have them. I personally find it refreshing to be given the choice instead of bein g told to limit/avoid sweeteners and caffeine . hey, you only live once!

Me to. Really
 

Hi,

I'm starting Phase 1 tomorrow too. I've said that a few times before but this time it's for real! I have quite a bit to loose (about 60lbs). But I'm more focused on healthy eating than weight loss. So after the initially quick lose in the first few weeks, I'm O.K. with a 2 lbs a week weight loss.

I wish you luck!
Bonnie

I'm definitely a fan of plain fat free greek yogurt. I especially like it after it's been in the freezer and gotten icy. I like the flavor, but some people put sugar free jello or other sweeteners in.

I'm starting the Beach tomorrow too....I am nervous, but so ready.

Nice to see others starting tomorrow too!
 

I'll be curious how your first days go, I'll try to post tomorrow also.

Thanks for the food suggestions. I bought some almonds and some walnuts for snacks. I used to eat mixed raisins and walnuts for a snack, but the raisins are out for awhile.

It didn't look like fat-free Greek yogurt was OK in Phase I. The book says low-fat cheese is OK but otherwise "avoid all dairy in Phase I including Yogurt, cup-style and frozen."

I'm still not sure what I'll do for breakfast, since I don't really like eggs (except as pancakes or French toast, and THAT'S not going to work) and I don't have time to cook a breakfast before work anyway. I'd be happy with a no-fat plain yogurt, berries, and slice of low-fat cheese, but looks like the only thing there that's OK for Phase I appears to be the cheese.

I'm thinking maybe cucumbers and hummus with some sliced cheese. If nothing else, I'll be getting out of my food rut for awhile!

Hi there - I'm starting tomorrow too! I've started (and stopped :o ) different diets so many times that I almost hate to "announce" it again, but after spending my weekend looking for clothes for a potential interview, I'm desperate to get back into normal clothes again. And I just flat out feel unhealthy - I'm almost too scared to go to the doctor until I lose some weight.

Hopefully SBD is something I can stick with for the long haul. I need to lose around 100 lbs (oh how it pains me to say that - I would have never suspected that I'd ever be that overweight!). I always seem to do great for the first month or two, then slowly lapse back into terrible habits once I see the scale moving. It's infuriating! Maybe posting here will be the kick in the pants I need! :)

Good luck!
Leigh

shutterbug- up to 2 cups of nonfat /lowfat dairy is allowed per day in phase 1. I think you may have the oldest (outdated) copy of the book.
-skim or 1% permitted
-nonfat plain yogurt , no sugar added

Welcome Shutterbug and Bonnie. And Leigh! So many starting today:)

I am not an egg fan either. I ate a lot of leftovers for breakfast, breakfast cheesecakes, mock french toast, cold cuts, and then I discovered beans for breakfast. I was eating canned refried beans with lf cheese on top until I found the recipe on here for the ones in the crockpot and they have been my breakfast staple now for months. A good mix of protein, carbs, and fiber.

Ooo Natalia THANKS for that info. That is REALLY good news since I love no-fat plain Greek yogurt. Of course I usually eat it with fresh fruit, but I'll try it plain this week and I can add back my fruit in a couple of weeks.

I guess our library has the old copy. I'm waiting for the South Beach heart healthy program book I ordered online to come in the mail.

Karen, I never would have thought about having beans for breakfast :) I'll have to look into that.

Looking forward to hearing from Leigh, TeeRificT and Bonnie on how it's going on day one! Leigh I know what you mean about lapsing into bad habits. A lot of plans "work" for me in the short term but aren't something I can live with forever.

This looks pretty reasonable, I like the emphasis on discovering what foods are and aren't trigger foods for you, and the expectation that you won't be perfect forever with the plan on how to get back on track.

So far so good this morning, although it IS only 11AM! ;)

I cleaned out the fridge last night, but didn't have time to get to the store, so that's on the agenda for today. I really need to find a way to get more veggies into my diet - I don't like them raw at all, but like most of them cooked. Maybe I just need to grill or roast a bunch, keep in the fridge, and reheat.

I'm not sure if Splenda and the like are going to be triggers for me - I have a huge sweet tooth! I may try my best to make it through these next 2 weeks without, and see how it goes.

I do have the Supercharged SBD book (although I know the exercise stuff - I'm just bad about actually doing it!). And I just downloaded the summer cookbook for the Kindle (PC app since I just broke my iphone!)

Hope everyone is having a great Monday!

I found SBD to be the diet i was the most successful on but definitely the hardest. I'm not sure I am ready to start this again any time soon but if I had to go on a diet, this would be it. I know I had a lot of trouble with lunches during phase I especially being busy and eating lunch in high school. I'm graduated now so it should be easier in that regard.

Anyway I wish all you guys the best of luck!

Welcome, welcome to all of you starting today. Just stay strong through the first few days, and it will get easier.

Waistingtime - I think I might try some beans for breakfast. I'm in the mood to change it up a little bit from my usual "muffins." Thanks for the suggestion. I'm the least creative breakfast person ever.

Glad to hear it's going well so far, Leigh! Same here. It was strange not having my usual cereal and fruit this morning. I ended up with sliced cucumber, hummus, low-fat ricotta and some low-fat cheddar slices. It was definitely interesting trying something new.

Counted out some almonds and walnuts for a morning snack, about to have my salad with turkey breast and homemade dressing.

What I'm concerned about is my usual mid-afternoon sweet snack. I've got a packed low-fat string cheese, hopefully that'll do the trick.

It's always interesting to experience the difference between "normal" hunger and cravings triggered by blood sugar swings. I don't love being hungry, but being moderately hungry is certainly tolerable compared to those sugar cravings. I'm really jazzed about "detoxing" the junky carbs and getting that out of my system.

Hi Shutterbug!

Well, I survived today just fine - hope you did too! I made the Taco Bake for dinner, and DH and DS both gobbled it up. DS questioned the "black spots" (mushrooms), but I just pretended I thought they were beans or meat. :D Think I could do better about getting more veggies in - hopefully things will improve tomorrow.

I haven't been hungry all day, so that's a good sign. Much easier to stay on track when you're not legitimately starving!

I bought some Planters single-serving packs of nuts (SBD approved - it said so right on the package! ;) ) - cashews, macadamia nuts, and almonds.

I need to detox from the carbs too - I'm still waiting on the cravings to hit.

Hope tomorrow is great for you!

Leigh

Hi Leigh! I survived day 1. Besides a very short but intense craving for a slice of pizza :) I did fine. I made a tuna & bean salad for dinner last night: tuna, sliced red onions, basil, garlic, olive oil. cannelini beans. Then I made some gazpacho for today. The most difficult thing for me was all the time needed to go shopping and prepare food on top of working full time. It's so much quicker to just do takeout.

I've also ratcheted up my exercising, not so much to lose weight faster, but I'm very concerned about not losing muscle and bone during a phase of (hopefully) rapid weight loss. So I was pretty tired by end of day!

Had sliced cucumber, sliced green pepper, low-fat cheddar and low-fat ricotta cheese plus a tiny bowl of gazpacho for breakfast this morning. That's a VERY odd breakfast for me compared to my usual cereal and fruit. But it was satisfying. I was very surprised that I liked the pepper. Usually I don't like green pepper much, only red, but I had some leftover from the gazpacho so tried it. I'm hoping my taste buds are reprogramming.

I know I'm not supposed to be weighing every day, but I like to look at 7-day averages as well as a single day's weight, so I don't get discouraged if there's some sort of odd spike. I was surprised and thrilled to see I was down 1.2 lbs from Sunday!

Hope today's great for you too!

I actually just started Sunday too! Its been a killer let me tell ya! :) But I'm hanging in there..

I've never really been on a diet diet, like South Beach, but I REALLY need to lose weight. Mostly for my own self but also for a bit of health issue too. Diabetes runs big in my family and I'm in line to get it soon and had it when I was pregnant so I figured why not start now. Plus my husband lost tons of weight when he went into the Marines in January, so I wanna look good for him too. I probably have around 50-60 lbs to lose for my height and stuff but I will definitely be happy with 40 lbs or so..

I have been browsing the receipe section during my slow times at work and found TONS of great ideas. I am actually getting excited about being on this diet because there is soo many choices. I've never really been a cook but reading all of the receipes makes me wanna just get hopping in the kitchen. :)

Good luck to everyone!! Can't wait for this adventure to begin...

Teresa

Hi Teresa!

Well, I have to confess that I slipped a bit yesterday (was starving at night, and had 2 graham crackers with PB :o ), but got right back on track today. I am still hungry at night, but just can't stomach the thought of eating raw veggies. Ugh. I think it's a combo craving / hunger - stomach is growling, but I just want to eat junk. Better to just tough it out I suppose! :(

One thing that got me back on track was knowing that I wanted to check in here, and I at least wanted there to be an upside to my confession! Oh, and I lost about a lb. too. So, there's that!

Hope you all had a great Wednesday!

leigh

hi Leigh,
you don't have to suffer with raw veg at night!!

have you tried the roasted chickpeas? They are okay for snacking.
What about nuts?
crispy pepperoni's with pizza sauce?
cottage cheese, au naturel or with yogurt?
ricotta cremes? I had these like everyday in P1..and if you don't like the texture, some brands make it totally smooth. My favorite is the vanilla one; to me it tastes just like the sweetened mascarpone in tiramisu. Yum.
PB cup from recipe section?
Fried zucchini's?
sf jello and cool whip? add a slosh of yogurt for some extra substance.

Good luck!!! If you give yourself some exciting yummy pm options, it makes P1 so much easier , imo. (I don't wanna snack nonstop on raw veg either :))

Leigh,
Good for you at getting back on track!! LOL I can so relate to not wanting to snack on raw veggies! I went into the track of always having cooked veggies or left overs which I brought for lunck. Having grilled veggies on had was so nice, could whip them into an omlette or just eat a few. I have also discovered the small peppers that are sweet that are so good with hummus. At night if I crave I do the ricotta or yogurt, keep at it. The longer I have gone on with SB the more I am enjoying raw vegetables now. I can look a salad in the eye if there is cottage cheese on it!! One of my favorites at present is cottage cheese, tomatoes, basil drizzled with balsamic vinegar.
Hang in there, there is an end to phase 1!!!

Awww - you two are so sweet! I know I didn't have to have raw veggies, but I was in one of those moods where nothing sounded good except things I shouldn't be having. :dizzy: The cravings hit last night too (and oddly enough, I wouldn't have considered myself a big night time snacker before starting SBD), but I was fine with a SF Pudding. I've been having nuts and such for a snack - I think I need to come up with better snack options that don't require preparation, but also fulfill a craving. The pepperoni / sauce idea is great - I'll definitely be stealing that idea!

I haven't tried roasted chickpeas - I'll look those up! Oooh - found a recipe on Allrecipes, and I'm going to hop up and make some now! Those would be perfect! I'll look up the ricotta cremes too - which brand of ricotta do you like? I usually have a texture issue with ricotta (and yogurt, and cottage cheese), but I can overcome! ;)

Store brands are yucky! Frigo or Sargento here taste much better. :)

Gotcha! I think I picked up Sargento, so hopefully it will be decent.

Off to bunco - eek!!! My first real test, surrounded by friends and wine and food and wine and margaritas. I ate dinner (OP) already, so hopefully I can resist. I WILL resist!

Leigh

I resisted! :carrot: Just stuck to diet caffeine free coke all night, and got some encouragement from my bunco buddies too. Gotta love that! :D

the roasted chickpeas are right here in SBD recipes- probably under phase 1 snacks. I just tossed mine with a very small amt olive oil, then sprinkle with your favorite blend of spices (I used St Hubert's chicken seasoning)and bake until crispyish. They shrink quite a bit though so watch you don';t have too many at a sitting!


eta: the ricotta creme, my favorite is the vanilla, just take some ricotta ans add granular splenda and a bit of real vanilla. Very satisfying!!!! There are many variations, with diferent extracts, zests, I tried the chocolate PB one and it wasn't nearly as good to me as the vanilla. for choc/PB the peanut butter cup recipe on here is yum.

I live in Canada so our brands are differnt, I think there's TreStella, and Cremera.

Leigh,
If you can survive Bunko temptations you can survive anything. Not having wine at my GF events was most challenging the first two weeks. Good for you!! We went out for my bookclub and everyone knew I was on SB so they let me have the last order of fish and salad the place had while they took it on the chin with sandwiches and tacos! A lette helped end the night like a treat! GF can help!!! enso???? Lisa