Quick question
 

I might start SB soon, and I've been on semi-Atkins Induction for about 4 months (25g carbs or less, usually 14-19). Should I still do Phase I of SB and add foods in one at a time, or just start adding foods immediately?

I'd go to a "Phase 1.5" where the first week you add one serving of grains per day (strive to have them at the same meal so you can judge if they affect your cravings for the rest of the day) (and, pay attention to what "1 serving" is! Usually it's a half cup of rice or pasta, for instance). After 1 week if all is good and your cravings are not out of control try adding in a fruit for a week, with the same principal - try to have the fruit at the same time of day so you can see if it directly affects your cravings. Always have the fruit and the grain with some fat or protein. Each week you can add another serving until you feel comfortable and are still losing weight. For me I'll probably max out at 2 small grain servings a day and one fruit serving a day, but we'll see. Good luck and keep us posted, and welcome!

Oh, and the first week or two you add grains and fruit back in I wouldn't expect to see a loss on the scale - your body will need to adjust to taking carbs back in and you might retain a little water. Don't be discouraged though.

Hi Linsy. Happy belated birthday and welcome to The Beach.

I definitely would aim for a clean Phase I, keeping in mind that you will actually be adding carbs. Dairy and beans are carbs and are essential on Phase I. You may also experience a wee gain after coming off Atkins so don't be alarmed. Please don't count the carbs though - remember this is a good carb rather than a low carb plan.

Check out the stickies in the FAQ section and do feel free to ask lots of questions. Posting every day - even just a "Hi" - is also helpful.

Oh yeah - Have you read the Book? :)

I agree with Ruthxxx - I did Atkins and lost a great deal of weight, but SB is WAY different. You'll probably put on some temporary weight when you start Phase I as you will be adding far more carbs than you are currently eating.

You could even start out with just 1 week of Phase I and see how your body reacts?

My suggestion is based on the fact that the OP has been eating very very low carbs while on Atkins. Phase I, if done properly, includes lots of good carbs. IMHO all fruits and grains should be avoided in Phase I.

Thank you. I'm going to remember this for the future and read up a bit more on SB and buy the book. I'm staying on Atkins for now but have been considering switching plans for a couple of months as my food choices start to bore me more and more. I have found that I can eat occasional whole grains without cravings, even on a very restricted carb plan. I think I'd enjoy my food much more if I could eat grains, fruit, yogurt/milk and beans, which are the main things that I feel are missing from my plan of primarily meat, cheese and vegetables. I know that in pre-maintenance and maintenance I will be able to enjoy all of those things, but I'd rather add them in during my weight loss journey and not the tail end of it so I can have more time to see how I react to certain foods.

The biggest problem with that is right now Atkins is mostly convenience because it's the closest thing to the rest of my family's diet. I live at home with my parents, grandma, and 5 year old brother and they love unhealthy starches and sugary snacks. I find it easy to just eat from the usual foods we have around the house like cream cheese, meat, vegetables and cheese. If I were to start a lower-fat plan, my mom would have to buy a lot of extra food for only me and we're tight in the money department so I would feel guilty doing that to her.

In the future when I find a job and will be able to help pay for monthly groceries I might consider switching even more, but for now I'm just researching.