Tomorrow is day 3 of my 2nd week on Phase 1 (that clear?)

Anyways, so far the scales says I am down 8 lbs which is great but since I have so much to lose (100 lbs total) I was wondering if I should do an extra week of Phase 1?

I hear so many ppl say that they start to gain again once they start phase 2 - I don't want that to happen.

Also, what is Phase 1.5? How does that work? Maybe I will try that instead.

Any advice from all you veterns would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.
Kim

Phase 1.5 for me was one Phase II food every other day.. (ie: fruit, starch, etc).. I did Phase I for 4 weeks, ONLY because I really cheated on my 2nd week and decided to start over. I haven't started to gain, but I lose an average of 1-2 lbs a week on Phase II. I think that's how it is for most people. My total goal also is 100 lbs.. on Phase I I think I lost a total of 12 (that being the whole 4 weeks).. so you're doing very well for where you are. I wouldn't stay on Phase I for too long, but another week if you're able to shouldn't hurt.

Good luck

I'm back to Phase I after exploding into cheatland after the end of my Phase I. just need to get my cravings back in check. Sigh.

Kim, if you think you can continue a while longer on Phase I, then go for it, girl!
Dr.A. only specified two weeks on Phase I because he knew that most people would get bored, and would start to cheat. But if you've got the willpower, do it!!

Personally I think moving to Phase 2 is important. You need the additional foods for bulk, certain vitamins and variety. Don't go hog-wild on them, but do add one serving back each day for the first week.

I did Phase I for 2 weeks and then introduced a glass of wine each night. Sometimes I also have flax pancakes for breakfast and whole wheat pizza on Friday nights. I have hit plateaus, but only when I've deviated from this pattern. Don't be afraid of Phase 2, just choose your additions and be aware of their impact on you.

Good luck!

Kim, some people have done Phase 1 for longer than 2 weeks on this board with no detrimental effects.

However, 8 pounds (and it will probably be a bit more when you finish) is no small feat in Phase I! Honestly, I have not heard of anyone that started gaining when they got to Phase II--just add things back slowly and work to find what works for you. You could start with a 1.5, just adding only one thing a week or one thing every other day, then slowly up it.

The best thing about SBD, I think, is its flexibility. If you do Phase II and find that even with one serving of either starch or fruit a day, you don't lose, then you can go to every other day, or you can hit Phase I every other week like Sweet Tooth did. Play with the plan and see what happens...but know that Phase I by itself for a long time can really be demoralizing. If you find yourself dying to cheat, it's time to hit Phase II for a while, okay? Take gentle care of yourself and make sure you get in your beans and flaxseed to ease constipation!

Thanks for all the great advice!

I'm actually not finding Phase 1 very hard - otherwise I wouldn't consider doing it longer.

I can't really think of anything I am dying to add back in - other than really bad stuff that I can't have, like chips

Maybe pasta - I know I have to get some whole wheat pasta, but how much is a serving? 1/2 cup?

What are the best things to add back first? I suppose I should check the G Index and opt for the lower ones?

Thanks again
Kim

Kim, what's best to add in first changes for each person, but unless you have a major reaction to starches or to fruit, you really can do something of either kind. I know this sounds crazy, but I actually ended up trying to follow the book (which has you adding in three fruit and two starches on the first day ) for about a week and a half, and I never gained! I just stopped losing. I eventually worked my way down to one starch and one fruit and the scales moved down again.

Recently, my nutritionist suggested that I try an extra fruit, and it hasn't affected my loss at all, so far. It just takes time and work to figure out what's right for you.

However, you might want to stick with things that are "Good" in the GFGCG to make it a bit easier.

For serving size, check the box of the pasta--should be somewhere around a 1/2 to 1 cup. You can also check the GFGCG for serving sizes.

Good luck! :

I did Phase 1 for 5 1/2 weeks. Circumstances at the time determined the total length of time, but it was precipitated with a comment from my doctor that I should cut carbs and sugar and he said, "Try it for a month and see what happens."

I was able to sustain Phase 1 for that long because I am not fond of most starches, can take or leave fruit and don't eat that much sugar, anyway. I think that the decision will depend on you personally...do you miss the carbs a lot right now?

I love the WW pastas and they are one of the things I added back in first. What I do often is to serve them as a side dish along with a protein and a veggie or two. This works really well if the protein is grilled fish which my son won't eat. I just give him the pasta and the veggies while I eat a smaller portion of the pasta than I would otherwise. The other thing that I like to do is make sure that the pasta has lots of veggies in it. Last night the sauce had spinach, red onions, garlic, tomatoes, black beans and chopped broccoli.

Geez, Peggy... you have my dream personality!

I know...I just love this WOE. Actually, with this I probably go the other extreme and not eat enough starch/fruit. However, I also have discovered that when I do add anything, I gain rapidly. Probably best that I don't like, anyway.

I did phase about 3-4 weeks on phase one then made up my own phase 1.5 for awhile and found that I continued to lose weight at a similar pace to when I was doing ww. Dr A states that up to four weeks on phase one is ok IF you have a lot of weight to lose. I had almost 100 pounds to lose, so for me it was suitable to continue phase one for longer. When I started phase 2 (immediately after phase 1) I gained back some of the weight I had lost and got cravings again so I steered away from starches for awhile and it seemed to work for me. For me phase 1.5 included fruit yogurt daily, and a piece of fruit or slice of ww bread about every other day. Personally I have found that the quantity of wholemeal rice or pasta allowed is too little to do anything with and I will eat curries, chillis, bolognese and stir fries without rice or pasta anyway. I save my grains for home made vege soups and they are a substantial starter to a salad or stirfry meal.

Great!!

I sure appreciate all the good advice and suggestions.

I'm just starting out, first week. So far it's been a pleasant experience and I'm not finding it too challenging. Biggest problems so far is reaching for too many cheeses. HMMMMMMM.........just love all those cheeses.

But I'm trying to keep a handle on it.

Also, I find I'm heading off to work with too few veggies. Any suggestions on easy veggies to take to work. I haven't found a great salad dressing yet either.

Goin' Grandma

I precut and bag all my veggies on Sunday (shopping day) for the week - celery sticks, and raw cauliflower. I slice cucumber the night before. If you like peppers (I don't) they are easy to cut up into strips and throw in a baggie for snacks too. Raw zucchini, fresh mushrooms - whatever you like to eat raw - bag em up!

I use regular light italian dressing and light ranch (this is what I dip my cauliflower into) - both are only 1 gram of sugar pre 2 tbsps - as long as they have less than 3 grams per serving you are ok to have them.

Luckily I'm not a big cheese eater and those lowfat ones - blech - I can't seem to find one other than skim mozzerella that I like.

Welcome to the beach.

Kim