5 weeks & I'm scared to move into Phase 2
 

Hello All,

I did 30 days of Phase 1, really trying to break a major carb and sugar addiction. The first week was awful, second week pretty bad and then I finally started feeling normal after the third week. I haven't cheated ONCE! I went majorly cold turkey and have found the mental part has been ok. But, but! The physical....so far I've lost 10 pounds of my goal of 50 lbs. And my clothes are fitting very differently: clothes that were tight are loose. Clothes I couldn't fit into, I can.

I have started adding in one serving of fruit: an apple, some berries with nonfat yogurt. One day I had a slice of bread. (I still have cravings: today I wanted to INHALE some nice warm bread I was giving the rest of my family but, I DIDN'T DO IT and that has to count for something, right??

But I'm scared to fully move on and let go of Phase 1: I really like the safety of my salads if you know what I mean. I don't ever want to go back to my free-for-all carb and sugar eating. I really want to lose this weight. I'm not sure I'll be able to handle the moderation--this cold turkey approach seems easier in a way.

Also, I'm confused: I've been at the 10 pound weight loss for the past 2 weeks. Why haven't I lost more weight? I keep noticing (almost daily!) changes in my body, but I don't understand why they aren't reflected in the scale?

If I move on to Phase 2, is the weight loss going to be even slower? Am I doing OK weight-loss wise? Is this how SB typically works?

I appreciate any and all feedback! This is a big, big deal for me to take this major and drastic step in my eating habits. But I am ready and I want to. Thanks!

Wt. loss does slow down on Phase II, but the changes in your body are as important as the scale. I recommend measuring waist circumference weekly. It is a much better barometer for me than the finicky scale. If bread gives you major cravings - first, check to see that it is 100% whole grain. Also you could try eating it at a different time of day, but always with protein. For me, any bread causes problems, so I just don't eat it. Even 100% whole wheat. Wheat can be problematic for many folks. Try using brown rice, or a sweet potato, or butternut squash instead of a grain. You may get better results.

Hi there,

Do a search of the threads for what we call Phase 1.5. Weight loss will slow usually when you start adding. But when I stayed on Ph 1 for 3.5 weeks the first time I tried SBD, I stalled as well.

You can totally stay away from bread on the whole if it's a trigger. At least for a long while...

:welcome:

I really highly recommend that you do move into Phase 1.5, or Phase 2. You will stall or possibly gain as you do so, but it is temporary, and the reason is that consuming carbs (when I say carbs, I know in Phase 1 you get carbs from veggies and beans etc. but I am more talking about increasing your barb consumption by adding grains, fruit, etc.)will make your body hold onto a little more water than it will if you aren't consuming any carbs. But this adjustment will indeed be temporary.

My own personal experience: I was afraid to move into Phase 2, so I stayed mostly on Phase 1 for almost a whole year and it really affected me emotionally. Your body does need carbs, and a healthy amount of them, to produce enough seratonin in your brain. I recently switched my focus to adding more carbs and less animal protein for other reasons (still adhering to SB principles though) and after about 2 weeks noticed an intense improvement in my mood, which I know is from the carbs. We do need carbs, they just need to be healthy ones.

:welcome:, Violynn! Bread and other wheat products can be a major trigger for many of us, and it's fine to completely avoid it in Phase 2. I prefer to use Ezekiel Bread, as it's made from sprouted grains, and it doesn't cause cravings for me.

You are doing great so far! You will notice a slower weight loss as your body makes adjustments in Phase 1.5 and Phase 2, but you will continue to lose inches, as you've already discovered, and the weight will eventually melt off. :)

Mathilda, I never considered that carbs affect seratonin. Interesting!

Violynn, For me, some Ph2 foods don't hurt my weight loss. I can eat fruit, sweet potatoes, and winter squash. When I add ww breads, ww pastas, and rice, I gain and feel bloated. (Of course, portion control is an issue for me with those foods.) I never considered that might be temporary and just avoid them thinking they don't work with my body.

Ohhh wow, seratonin and mood associated with carbs! Of course! To say I have been crabby while giving up carbs would be quite an understatement. And now....I feel goofy, very short-fused, and I'm getting positively down in the dumps. It makes sense that some of the reasons I crave carbs so much (self-medicating thru the seratonin release) is why it's also so hard to give them up.

I will head right to Phase 1.5 and gently into 2. I wish I were losing my pounds, that is very mysterious to me.

Also, I don't think it was eating the one slice of ww bread taht was a trigger, it's preparing dinner and holding a smelling a lovely loaf of bread that did it! But that will never go away, and again, I can resist it!

Thanks everyone, I love this info. I'm definteily feeling the need for support now with this dietary and lifestyle change.

You already got lots of great advice so I don't have much more to add. But I will say that I think our bodies adjust rapidly to eating less and the loss slows, regardless of what phase you stay in. And, much of the early loss is water and the scale needs to catch up.

Bread and cereal and crackers, even OP, are real triggers for me and I avoid them most of the time. Some people find that the time of day they eat stuff like fruit and bread makes a difference too. For me, it is best to eat fruit later in the day because earlier makes me want more.

Good information. Thanks for the post and :welcome2: Violynn!

I too was very nervous about moving to phase 2 and stayed on phase 1 for almost a month. I typically don't eat carbs (bread, rice, pasta) everyday but know that if I want them I can have some as long as it's whole grain. I haven't noticed any gains or slow down since adding carbs and fruit. Although I have only added 1 of each per day.
I also freeze my bread! That way the whole loaf isn't there inviting me to have another slice :-). Try 1.5 and see how it feels for you.