Hey everyone!

I hope you can stand my barrage of questions -- I just can't seem to stop coming up with more. I'm addicted to this site!

How many times a day are we allowed to have skim milk? (I know the Ziploc i/c falls into the same category there.) I suppose I mean how many servings a day.

What about a ricotta creme? I had one for breakfast, just because I woke up late, had one in the fridge I made last night, and had to get my day started quickly! I mean, honestly, if it was a bit more filling I could eat that stuff all day, 5 meals. But am I allowed? Ricotta is quite an invention, I must say.

Thanks and, as always, looking forward to the answers to my questions. Please don't ban my ISP for so many q's. hehe

Kim - 5'3"
SW 152/GW 120/CW152
PH1, W1, D2

Hi, Kim!

Your questions are very welcome! I had just as many when I first came here and was thrilled to find so many knowledgeable people in this forum! :

My understanding is that we are allowed to have one glass (8oz) of milk (skim or 1%) a day. This would include any milk we use to make the ice cream or to make smoothies, hot chocolate, etc. It does not encompass any cheese selections.

Several people have gotten addicted to the ricotta creams and had 1.5 to 2.5 servings of it a day...this is devastating in terms of calories and also in terms of fat. I think 2.5 cups of ricotta has something like 700-800 cals!!! So watch it with the ricotta and only have it once a day (1/2 cup only). But I don't see why you can't have it for breakfast!

I think Ruth may have posted elsewhere in the forum about the amount of dairy you are allowed a day. There is a limit (which I was surprized by). I'd try looking for it or see if it is in the SBD FAQ (a sub-forum in this group which has a lot of questions asked and answered about specific foods and also has the newest updates of the Phase lists).

Hope this helps!

OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!

I had NO idea! I never even looked at the nutritional content on ricotta! I have part-skim, I just assumed it was pretty healthy. Geez! I never assume that stuff but this, I thought, was a no-brainer!

At least I know how to stretch my ricotta cremes -- I blend 1/4 cup ricotta, 1/4 cup 1%-cottage cheese. It's way creamier! Yum yum. Then I can have two servings.

Thank GOD you mentioned it -- I wouldn't have thought to look.

But yesterday, I had a lotta ricotta. (HA HA HA, aren't I funny?) And I tried one of those Atkins Endulge peanut butter cups (I was having such a killer craving, they're not gone just yet.) Guess I'm not gonna lose anything this week.

<sigh> There is so little choice for me in phase one, I'm finding. I can't stomach re-heated or cold meat, so bringing food to work is a massive, massive challenge. I need a good recipe for chili -- that's something I'm okay with reheating.

And, do you have any ideas on usage for some of the healthy beans? I find they fill me up nicely, but I have no idea how to prepare them. (Perhaps in a greek salad, but again, I have no idea how to cook them up.)

Hellllllp.

Hi, Kim!

Check the nutritional value on the 1% cottage cheese, too. It has the potential for calories and fat as well. I think my 1% cottage cheese has 5g of fat per serving. Check www.fitday.com for general nutritional info. Okay, found the amount: we are allowed 2 cups of dairy per day. This would include your 1/2 cup of skim milk, the cup of ricotta/cottage cheese mixture you are eating, and one more 1/2 cup of dairy, such as yoghurt, cheese sticks, etc. It is not much!

Beans...they are fantastic! Try making the White Chili in the recipe forum (should be under Phase 1 Entrees). It makes a ton, is easy to make, and you would probably be okay reheating it. Try making the taco bake, too. Very good, very filling, and has refried beans. Also, try putting kidney beans in salads (chickpeas, too). There are several good bean recipes in the SBD Cookbook (one for chickpeas and spinach, I think), and you can also find great recipes here: www.cookinglight.com.

Hope that helps! I love beans and through them in anything I think they might be good in. I especially love to through cannelini beans in to dishes in place of corn. Nice variation!

I have to pick myself up off the floor, I just looked at the fat and calories in ricotta. No frigging WONDER it tastes so good. (GRR.)

Two cups of dairy per day. Actually it seems like an okay amount to me, when you break it down. Then I still get a milk in the morning, a ricotta creme in the evening (as I made it, with the 1/4 and 1/4), and something else.

But, I thought cheese (like sticks) were separate from dairy? So is feta considered dairy...? Granted, I don't eat 1/2 cup feta on my salad at once. Heh. But a sprinkling here, a scoop there, I guess it does.

I will -- I'm going grocery shopping as soon as I'm off work (5 mins!) I probably SHOULD stay until 5pm, as I've been on this forum all day. But screw that! I'll be a better employee if I'm happier with my weight. heh.

So I'll be really lucky if I lose this week, won't I, what with all the ricotta and cottage cheese? What do you think? (I know nobody can predict, but I'm just curious what you think, beachgal.) I'm filling in my day on fitday, and it's looking VERY VERY SCARY.

I'm going to go home and cry now.

Kim--

I've found that I'm a bit of a dairy hound, too. After seeing it all laid out on fitday, I realized that I really needed to up my veggie intake because I was getting almost 50% of my calories from fat, mainly in the form of cheese. I'd still rather have something nice and cheesy than the veggies, but at least I'm aware of the problem now. Dr. A needs to figure a way to break a cheese addiction, I tell you! Sugar was no problem, it's the cheese I want!

And don't worry about how the calories added up this week. That's the nice thing about this diet...it's so easy to just dust yourself off and try again.

Ok - I find that I'm addicted to the shakes. To make sure I don't go over my dairy for the day I half the amount of milk and use Soy Slender Soy Milk. Most days I'm over my daily allowance for Peanut butter, but it doesn't seem to be stalling me out - so I'm keeping it!

Kim, don't cry! Like Fuzzy said, it's really easy to dust yourself off and start over on this diet! I did Phase 2 by the book for four or five days before I realized that I need to eat much less carbs and fruit...I eat one carb (starch) and one fruit a day, which seems to be working. Just get good food choices and eat lots of veggies. I find that when I am hungry, it's usually because I am not eating enough veggies!

Okay, Pebbles, you have me super-curious...what are in those delectable shakes you are drinking??? :tasty:

Ok - I posted on the desserts Phase 1.

I have Soy Slender Soy milk (flavors avail: Cappuccino, Vanilla, Chocolate) this is available at most health food stores.

Aria Whey Protein Powder (flavors avail: chocolate, vanilla) this is sold at health food stores, trader joes, and GNC. But please check the expiration date! Designer Whey is also ok, but doesn't taste nearly as good.

I blend this up with 1/2 my allowance of FF milk, and crushed ice. I add mint, peanut butter, or whatever flavoring is available and legal and enjoy. I am so sick of eggs, this is a nice change of pace.

(I chose these brands b/c of the flavor/nutritional content depending on where you are you may not be able to find there - however after a number of variations this is the best we've found.)

Kim-

I've had those peanut butter ciups from Atkins too. As long as you limit yourself to one package, and can work off the cals, I don't see why you couldn't have it once or twice a week. See, I tend to gain or maintain one week, then totally lose 4 lbs the next. As long as you are working out, it should all meld together. You'll get to know your body and what you can and can't have. I limit my cals to around 1400 a day. Any more, and I tend to maintain, instead of lose.

As far as beans, for salads, I strain them and use. As a side dish, I heat as is -- for black beans which I love, I may add a clove of smashed garlic to the pot of them.

Pebbles, I actually have used Designer and don't mind it. What makes Aria better? (Thanks for the tips on how to encorporate the powder -- I haven't been able to figure it out so far.)

BUT... I have a question for everyone out there: I thought Soy milk/beans/etc. have been found to stall weight loss. Does anyone have information about this? I've been told by a couple of nutritionist type people, but I never followed up on it so I don't know for sure!

Really?! SO funny how we all function differently -- I simply can't fill up on veggies. Try as I may, I can't. Why can't there be chocolate vegetables?

I wish there were chocolate veggies, too!

I don't know that I fill up on veggies, but if I get cravings later, it's usually because I did not eat enough veggies earlier. For instance, I bet I get cravings today because I only had a little bit of lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumber today at lunch. I knew I should have had some coleslaw!

I hadn't heard that about soybeans, but I did read a couple of nefarious things about eating too much soy. Since I eat almost none, I figured it wasn't an issue for me and did not bookmark the info. Sorry! I'm interested to hear what others have to say on this!

You know what is great. I tried it today. I buy that carb control yogurt. I put it in the freezer and take it to work. Nice little afternoon snack.

I think I decided that I'm consistently over my dairy allowance for the day. B/c I have yogurt, soy milk, regular milk. I guess if I start to slow down this would be why. But so far I'm sticking with it.