I thought I would take a few minutes and introduce myself. I've been lurking on this board for about a week and I think it's a great support system!!

My husband, Matt, and I started SBD on Tuesday. So far, so good. I haven't given into any cravings yet and I feel confident I won't. Tuesday I think I spent most of the day thinking about my coffee. I tried it with Splenda and wasn't too fond of it so I'll just opt not to drink it. I love my coffee with CoffeeMate Vanilla Caramel creamer and sugar......at least my thoughts are sweet!

I haven't had any huge battles with weight. I went from a size 7 to a size 18 during my first marriage(size 7 when we started dating and size 18 when divorced). After my divorce I started losing weight, took the "in" diet pill at the current time and got back down to about an 8. So from about 1999 I have fluctuated from a size 8-12. I got down to a 6 and about 140lbs when I got married in 2002 but that was too hard to maintain and I crept back up to a 10. In June, 2004 I had my first baby. I was really lucky and had lost my pgcy weight plus some by my 2 wk check up. I'm still left with a jelly belly and weak abs due to my c-section and I've gained back about 3lbs. As of Dec 31st I was 163. I would like to lose about 10-15 pounds or fit nicely into a size 10.

My main reason for starting on the Beach is for more of a lifestyle change. I want to get pregnant again this year and I need to eat better. Camden was 9lbs 12 oz so our goal is to have a smaller baby so I can attempt a vbac. He told me I would have to do 40 min of cardio 4-5x/wk and follow the diet they put women on with gestational diabetes. I figured this was just as good and we can make it a lifestyle change instead of a temporary change.

As I've said, I'm a new mom. I work full time as a Cash Auditor and am over the Customer Service Dept at a Dept store in the mall. I don't feel like I have much free time with work, a baby and a husband.

The past couple of days I feel like my life has been consumed by SBD. My goal today is to do our menu for the remainder of PhI. Also to go and get a library card so I can get on the wait list for the books until mine come in the mail. I don't have a problem eating healthy but I'm struggling with variety and I worry that I'm not eating enough.

I'm excited to make this life change and to get to know you all better

Nat

Welcome to the beach! pull up a chair and bring an umbrella. you've found a great place for support, info, recipes, encouragement and more. We're glad you could join us.

Nat, welcome to the beach! Glad you are thinking of a lifestyle change. This is such a healthy way to eat, for life!

I must honestly say that this diet is pretty hard to do without reading the book first. It really explains much of what is behind the reasoning to do many of the things Dr. A recommends. I realize you've already started, but take a look at the FAQ here and read the book as soon as you can. You may find that you need to start Phase 1 over again to really detox if you've been eating things that aren't allowed. Even a tiny cheat in Phase 1 can really mess up your detox.

That said, I'm glad you are here and look forward to hearing all about a second healthy pregnancy!

Nat, we're so glad to have you join us!
You know, once you learn the "allowed foods list", you can pretty much wing this diet. There's very little counting involved... give it time, and it shouldn't be all-consuming.

I feel pretty confident that we are eating only the allowable foods. The recipe's I've made are from the Phase I thread on this forum and I've done a lot of lurking. I sure hope I don't have to start all over!!

I'm on the waiting list for both the blue book and the orange book. There are three copies of the blue book due back on the 24th and one due back today. There is one person ahead of me on the list so I'm hoping to have the book in my hand by the end of next week. I'll have to wait till the first of the month for the cookbook but I'm not too worried about the cookbook. Today at the store I bought the little blue book "Good Fats Good Carbs Guide" since I get paranoid that I'm eating something illegal.

I do have to admit that I was bad today and didn't eat lunch. It's much easier to stick to the snacks and meals when I'm at work!

Nat

Welcome to the Beach! Do you have a bookstore nearby with comfortable chairs? You could stop at one and skim through the Phase 1 section of the book until you can get yours. Or, if you have a Half Priced Books, you can probably pick up a used one pretty cheaply.

And try not to skip meals. You really want to keep your blood sugar level.