One Day, you can find the recipe for the taco bake here: http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=38592

There are dozens of amazing recipes in the recipe forum. Just click on "South Beach Diet" above, then click on "South Beach Recipes" you can browse through them by area.

Hello Ladies,

HoosierHeather - how much cottage cheese are you eating? I'm thinking you need to eat more. Maybe with your breakfast have a couple of turkey breast rolls. Instead of the 1/2 cheese, why not the whole slice? Have you tried the lowfat mozz cheest sticks? or add some veggies to your breakfast. I"m not very good with food ideas but i'm thinking you might need more. Are you drinking enough water. I saw the crystal light and the diet coke, but you need more then that. OH, if you don't get any more responses, ask a question to the ladies in the daily forums, they are very knowledgable, and very helpful.

Aimee - Your right the first thing you need to do is get your body to feeling healthy or right. No needs to make any changes til you get to feeling ok.

As for me, going on day 3 and it's going much better. Still have to work on drinking the water though.

Thanks for the ideas 1day! I'm not sure how much cottage cheese I'm eating... between 1/4 and 1/2 cup but I don't measure it so it's hard to tell.

I ended up not being able to sleep after an hour of tossing & turning last night, because my stomach was growling and I felt horrible, so I got up and made a reuben wrap/roll thing whatever they're called... they are so good! and ate about 10 nuts and came back to bed and was finally able to sleep. So, tonight I tried to wait until 8:30 to eat my dessert AND a snack so hopefully I won't be so hungry tonight.

I'm drinking lots of water, so much that I didn't include it because I really don't know when I drink it, but I drank at least three 24-oz bottles and a little more with that midnight snack.

Thanks for the input! I ate more today. I think it's taking me some time to figure out how much I need to eat.

Hi everyone!

Week One ACCOMPLISHED!!! WOO H OOOOO.....
I only had one slip up, and that was yesterday when I had to eat on the road and hadn't had time to plan ahead. I ate a wrap sandwich and an egg/sausage/english muffin. Two small bits of bread, but it didn't seem to make me crave worse today, so I think I'm alright.

I lost between 4 & 5 pounds last week....my husband lost 8! My hunger has subsided so much that I have to force myself to get enough calories so I don't go into "starvation mode" with my metabolism. YAY!

I treated myself to some bbq toys yesterday to celebrate. Got some pretty metal skewers and a special rack to put on the grill so you can do veggies and fish. (The holes are small so the pieces don't fall through) The grilled veggies I made were so yummy, I didn't even touch the meat!!! Gonna do shrimp tonight! I heartily recommend grilling your veggies if you're sick of the way you're cooking them now. It's amazing how totally different they taste.

Hoosier...You really need to eat more calories! If you're hungry, eat. Just chop up a bunch of celery and cucumbers and peppers and snack on them with some hummus or onion soup dip made with cottage cheese (blend the cc and soup mix in the blender...tastes just like the sour cream kind). Your body will think you're starving and completely shut down your metabolism if you don't eat enough calories. Really. It's unbelievably frustrating.

Hope everyone is doing well!

Julie

Hoosier, I agree with OneDay, I think you're hungry because you aren't eating enough. Make lunch look like dinner (which looks perfect, BTW! :bravo: ) and add more veggies to the morning snack along with more protein. Try some 3 Bean salad instead of just the olives. Add beans in there somewhere...not only do they fill you up, but their good carbs give you some energy and the protein keeps it going. Then the fiber helps you stay away from constipation. They are a major part of a comfortable Phase 1! :) Add veggies (tomatoes, cucumber, etc.) to your cottage cheese in the morning.

You also may feel hungry if you aren't getting enough water (but it sounds like you're doing well there!). Crystal Light and sodas don't count for your water amount (your body needs to process them to get the water out, so it doesn't work the same way). You need at least 64oz (2 liters) a day...but 96 oz is better.

You can use www.fitday.com to track what you are eating and get a feel for how many calories are coming from protein, fat, and carbs. Don't stress about the carbs right now, but think about how many of your calories are coming from protein. If you get too much protein, you can get sick. Make sure you are reaching for veggies AND protein together rather than just protein. I usually aim for about 3 times more veggies than protein...the difference between one wedge of Laughing Cow and one thin celery stick vs one wedge of Laughing Cow and four big celery sticks.

You can do this, girl! :D

Hello Ladies,

Mirabelly - on your onion dip, do you use the dry lipton brand with Cottage cheese? I guess I hadn't thought of that. A friend told me to put some of the dry jello mix with cottage cheese and that gives it more of a dessert taste, but I haven't tried that yet.

As for me this is day 4 and doing ok. Sunday will be a challenge cause i'm going to a baby shower and the friend that is having it makes such delicious sweets and treats. That will definitely be a challenge!

Hope everyone is having a great day!

HI everybody,
We're half way through!

Patty, Yes I just blend up lipton onion soup mix with cottage cheese in the blender. Sometimes I'll add a little milk to smooth it out (I have a really wimpy blender) It's delicious! Only make a little at a time, though, cuz it doesn't taste as good after a few days in the fridge.

Stay :strong: this weekend, everyone.
Julie

Hello,

thanks Julie for the idea, will pick up some lipton soup mix today. Do you have any other quick snack ideas?

Hello Ladies,

Today was rough day. Went to a baby shower. I passed up on the cake and punch, but had a small piece of watermellon and 4 large strawberries. The good thing is I didn't use the mentality that I always use and say "oh well you blew it might as well have the cake" I resisted that at least. We'll see what the scale shows tomorrow.

Doing very well but going backwards?
 

Hi guys

I'm sticking to this plan and feel really pretty good. I'm not hungry all the time, not craving or having the bottom fall out of my tummy in between meals. I haven't been eating for emotional reasons - and I have been about 85% successful at sticking to the SBD P1. I say 85% because I feel like my fat intake might be too high and the first weeks grocery shopping was a little confusing - so I brought home some things that i know could be improved upon. But - all in all, I've been sticking to it - even passing up goodies at a party, and convincing my honey to have a sausage, peppers & onion without the bun and cheese at a festival over the weekend (we shared the plate - it was greasy but the only thing I could find remotely correct!). We've been grilling like mad, and eating vegetables day and night (the good ones).

I lost 5 pounds the first week - and then seemingly gained back 2 in the second. I'm a little concerned and bummed about that - anyone see that happen and then continue to lose after? 5 seemed high, actually - is my body just settling back into normal after the first week? If I get more strict - buy better options for next weeks groceries, and stick to P1 for another 2 weeks, and then switch to P2, do you think that will continue the loss? I am hopeful because tracking my eating on fitday, even though my fat intake seems insanely high, its largely mono, and my caloric intake is usually well under 2,000 calories. And I'm still eating 6 meals a day and never hungry. I know from past experience that my weightloss threshhold is around 2000 calories - under that, and I lose. So I am keeping my fingers crossed, especially since we are doing 5-10 miles a week of walking and hiking.

The other concern is that i am sleeping like a ROCK lately. I have never had much trouble sleeping - but now - holy moley! I am going so deep down under, for so long, that its a little worrisome. Otherwise, I feel great - wound up and alert most of the day. Its just so wierd to have my sleeping/waking patterns so drastically altered - I wondered if anyone else has had this happen on South Beach? I guess its not unusual, considering the changes in body chemistry - but WOW!

Well, I'm looking forward to the next week... I'm starting to get the hang of it, now if the scale will just correspond, eventually, I'll know I"m on to something!

Hi everybody,

Wow! I can't believe I've stuck with this phase 1 thing for so long!! My 2 weeks are up on Friday!!! I've never stuck with a formal diet for so long before in my life. And it really hasn't been that hard, other than not falling back into old habits. I've lost between 6 and 8 pounds already! I'm so happy about that, but I'm scared that once I go to phase 2 the loss will stop. I guess I've been failing for so long, I can't wrap my brain around success. :lol:

THe weirdest thing is that everytime I've detoxed my body of sugar in the past, I've had a wicked headache for a few days. I expected that this time, but it didn't happen....what's up with that?? :shrug:

Tiatorguga--I know how frustrating the scales can be. Don't listen to them!!! Stick to the plan, and especially all that great hiking you've been doing! It's likely that your body is indeed adjusting to its new chemistry, but also you're building muscle from the hiking. Your metabolism will catch up soon, and you'll be losing like crazy. I don't know about anyone else, but it always takes my body a whole week to register loss after I start exercising. I'll workout like crazy one week and see no loss on the scale, then the next week...BAM! Huge losses. So hang in there and don't get discouraged.

I wanted to remind everyone to TAKE THEIR MULTIVITAMIN....especially if you're used to eating lots of fruit or juice. My DH has been up all night with excruciating muscle spasms and I'm pretty sure it's at least partly due to the fact that he hasn't been supplementing and he's low on magnesium & potassium. Please remember, that during this phase you're probably going to be missing some vital nutrients that you normally get from grains and fruit.

Okay, enough rambling.....

TTFN,
Julie

Thanks, Julie, and that is exactly why Phase I should be done for only two weeks.

Hello Ladies,
Day 7 for me and doing great. My only problem is drinking the water.

Tiatortuga - you said you were OP 85% of the time. What about the other 15%, have you eaten anything out of the plan. Maybe that is why you had the 2lb gain.

Hope everyone is having a great day!

Well, I said 85% cuz there are occasions when I'm not sure I made the right choice - or had to choose the lesser of two evils. For example, at a party the other night, there was NOTHING to eat that was SBD-friendly. I was hungry - was an afterparty for a concert I sang in - so I had to eat something. I ate trail mix - more pieces than supposed to, and it had some raisins in it. Another time, I needed cheese for a recipe and only had colby- so I used it - small amount but not a low fat cheese.

So, thats what I meant. Otherwise, i've been sticking to it very well! And this week, for groceries, I made some better choices in what to have around the house (ie., I got egg beaters instead of eggs, and stocked up on low fat mozarella). So, i'm sure I can stay on target this week.

The big change I see is my appetite!! I can't believe how little I'm existing on, compared to before - without being hungry throughout the day. This morning, I had an omelette with minced onion, herbs and mozarella, and 2 slices of turkey bacon. For lunch, tunafish with herbs, a tiny bit of mayo, and celery, and a small bit of cheese. Ordinarily, I would have been RAVING hungry by 2 pm - instead, at 5, I suddenly realized I hadn't eaten in ages, and had to go grocery shopping. That I could have done that, without wanting to eat my way through the story, was nothing short of a miracle. I shopped, came home and had a small snack, cooked a pork tenderloin with mushrooms and onions (only felt like eating half of what I used to) and that might be it for the night.

Tiatortuga - ok i'm with you. I don't think that would of caused the 2lb gain. But looking at what you are currently eating I don't think your eating enough veggies. All you mentioned was minced onions for BF, celery for lunch and mushroom for dinner. What about your milk? I think you need to increase your veggies. I understand what your saying about not being hungary cause i'm the same way and I guess when I look at what i've eaten today, I also need to increase my veggies.

You're right - that day was a bad example because i hadn't gone grocery shopping and was out of many veggies! But here is today instead - much more typical:

Breakfast: Omelette with egg beaters, mozarrella and turkey bacon
Lunch: can of tuna on a bed of lettuce with a tiny bit of mayo, tomato, cucumbers and onion with some low carb salad dressing
Dinner: Rosemary roasted salmon filet with a side dish of sauteed zucchini, yellow squash, onion, and a small sprinkle of diced tomato and feta cheese
Snack: I had a tablespoon of peanut butter because it was easy and I had to be on the radio at 8 pm and dinner wasn't ready yet :)
I'll probably have some ricotta creme before the day is over.

Plus, we also walked three miles today after Ron got home.

What is freaking me out is that, in fit day, that whole friggin ton of food I ate totalled only 1,188 calories - 10% carb, 40% fat, 50% protein. That's wacky - I've never been in a position to wonder what else i can eat to keep it UP. I don't want my body to think I'm starving it - after all, I'm eating all day long and feel great.

Tiatortuga - I totally understand. Before SBD I was always eating, of course not the right foods, lots of sweets, candy, junk. Now i'm eating heathly and not hungary at all. I think I'm probably not eating enough. I need to go that fit web site and put my meals in to see my calorie content.

What I need to start focusing on is my exercise. I do not like doing that, and yet I have a treadmill just sitting in the living room. Haven't been on it since Dec. 04.

Hi everyone!

We're almost through! I'm actually up about a pound and a half, and haven't cheated :( It's prime PMS time,though, and I cut down on my meat and am filling up on salad type veggies, so I may not be getting enough calories....

Anyway, I"m shopping for phase 2 today! Have you all been planning for how you're going to transition? I'm going to add a fruit smoothie in the afternoons and potatoes. Pasta gives me fits on the scale, even the whole wheat kind...but I'm still going to cook it maybe once or twice a month. I'm going to treat myself to fresh bakery whole wheat and rye bread...If I can only eat a little and it needs to be whole grain, I want the best! Oh, and I can't wait for popcorn again! The key is adding one food at a time and paying attention to what it does to your body, right? I hope I don't blow this.

Don't give up, we're almost there!

Julie

POTATOES! I hope you mean sweet potatoes.
The trick with Phase II is to add things very slowly. Check out the FAQ. Lots of people add too many carbs at once and gain a bit. Be very careful! (From one who has been there!)

Nope, I mean real--honest to goodness potatoes! :lol: I chop 'em up and roast em with a little olive oil or I grill em on a shish ka bob....that way I only eat one or two pieces, not the whole thing. If you eat them with the skin on and don't load up with toppings, they are incredibly healthy for you. And potatoes don't really bother me nearly as much as bread and the evil pasta!

I'm definitely planning to add in one thing at a time and take it slow....thanks for the advice!

Julie

Mirabelly, did you read the book? Potatoes do have some nutrients, but they make your blood sugar rise quickly and then fall quickly, which is the whole reason that we have the fat we have. That's the basic premise of SBD. Sweet potatoes and yams do not do this, and they are okay to have. You can even have new potatoes once a month (the little ones) as they are too young to have the fully developed starches that a full-grown potato does. You may not think that potatoes bother you as much as bread and pasta, but you would be surprised. They can really affect your blood sugar. I would stay far away from them, hon. :yikes:

Phase 1 COMPLETE! I started Phase 2 today and I'm planning to stick to the South Beach for good, I love it!
I lost 8 pounds in phase 1, which is way above my average weight loss. I survived exam week without cheating, and I no longer have cravings. I have to force myself to eat, this feels great!
Hope everyone is as glad as I am :)

Phase 1 DONE!!! Phase 2 starts today.....not really planning anything crazy.

I'm back up to 209 from 207, which I think is because of PMS...Still, in the 2 weeks I lost 7 pounds! THat's amazing to me!!!

Have a great day everyone!
Julie