Going Crazy
 

So, it's only day 4 for me on the South Beach Diet. And I'm miserable. I dislike a lot of the foods in phase one, so I've been eating the same things for 4 days (scrambled eggs with a little bit of cheese, low fat cheese sticks, cashews, salad, grilled chicken). I even forced myself to eat some things I don't like just for the variety (peppers in the eggs, a small steak for dinner). My husband's doing the diet with me (he has substantially less to lose than me, though), and if it weren't for that, I would've quit already.

I've done Weight Watchers in the past, and lost 50 lbs. I suspect I have PCOS, and really like the idea of resolving any insulin resistance I may have. That's the only thing that's keeping me going right now.

I don't really know what I'm looking for here.. has anyone else been miserable during phase one? Is it a really bad idea to skip to phase two?

Thanks.

what do you like in phase 2 that you're waiting for? Even the foods that you re-introduce(ie grains and fruits) shouldn't be filling your whole menu. If you like grilled chikcen there are 10 thousand things you can do to change it.

It's honestly not so bad to start in phase 2, but still to follow this plan you need to use those WW carbs fairly sparingly. Have you read this?

Originally Posted by :
How to adapt your meal plan - Phase 1

The South Beach Diet™ is designed so that you can easily swap meals and ingredients. If you don't like eggs for breakfast, have low-fat cottage cheese or lean meat instead. Not a fish lover? Then choose lean beef or poultry. In Phase 1 of the diet, you can eat as many proteins and vegetables as you like, plus fats like olive oil. Fruit and starches aren't allowed until Phase 2. Here's a look at some general eating guidelines. For specific food choices, check out the Phase 1 Foods to Enjoy & Avoid list.

BREAKFAST
Protein: Quantity is not limited.
Vegetables: Minimum 1/2 cup.
Fruit: None
Starch: None
Milk/Dairy: 2 cups allowed daily (including yogurt)
Fat: 1 tsp mayonnaise or oil (optional)

SNACK
Snacks are required. Choose a protein, vegetable, fat-free plain yogurt, or nuts/seeds.

LUNCH
Protein: Quantity is not limited.
Vegetables: Minimum 2 cups.
Fruit: None
Starch: None
Milk/Dairy: 2 cups allowed daily (including yogurt)
Fat: 1 Tbsp mayonnaise or oil

SNACK
Snacks are required. Choose a protein, vegetable, fat-free plain yogurt, or nuts/seeds.

DINNER
Protein: Quantity is not limited.
Vegetables: Minimum 2 cups.
Fruit: None
Starch: None
Milk/Dairy: 2 cups allowed daily (including yogurt)
Fat: 1 Tbsp mayonnaise or oil

DESSERT
Enjoy a Sweet Treat or any of the snack choices.

BEVERAGES
Diet, decaffeinated, sugar-free drinks are not limited. You can enjoy caffeinated coffee or diet sodas with caffeine added, but limit to 1 - 2 servings per day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

How to adapt your meal plan - Phase 2

In Phase 2, you'll gradually begin to reintroduce healthy starches and carbohydrates into your diet, starting with low-glycemic index ones like oatmeal and couscous, and eventually moving on to high-glycemic ones like fruits and whole-grain bread. The goal is to eat healthy carbs while continuing to lose weight, so pay attention to how they affect you. If your weight loss stalls or cravings return, cut back or try some different carbs and monitor the results. Here's a look at general eating guidelines. Want specific food choices? You can now eat anything from the Phase 1 Foods to Enjoy list as well as items from the Phase 2 Foods to Reintroduce list.

BREAKFAST
Protein: Quantity is not limited.
Vegetables: Minimum 1/2 cup.
Fruit: 1 fruit serving allowed daily (with this meal or other). Gradually increase to 3 total servings for the day.
Starch: 1 starch serving allowed daily (with this meal or other). Gradually increase to 2 or 3 total servings for the day.
Milk/Dairy: 2 cups allowed daily (including yogurt)
Fat: 1 tsp mayonnaise or oil (optional)

LUNCH
Protein: Quantity is not limited.
Vegetables: Minimum 2 cups.
Fruit: 1 fruit serving allowed daily (with this meal or other). Gradually increase to 3 total servings for the day.
Starch: 1 starch serving allowed daily (with this meal or other). Gradually increase to 2 or 3 total servings for the day.
Milk/Dairy: 2 cups allowed daily (including yogurt)
Fat: 1 Tbsp mayonnaise or oil

DINNER
Protein: Quantity is not limited.
Vegetables: Minimum 2 cups.
Fruit: 1 fruit serving allowed daily (with this meal or other). Gradually increase to 3 total servings for the day.
Starch: 1 starch serving allowed daily (with this meal or other). Gradually increase to 2 or 3 total servings for the day.
Milk/Dairy: 2 cups allowed daily (including yogurt)
Fat: 1 Tbsp mayonnaise or oil

SNACKS AND DESSERT
Snacks and dessert are optional. Choose a protein, vegetable, fat-free plain yogurt, artificially sweetened non-fat flavored yogurt, nuts/seeds, or a Sweet Treat.

BEVERAGES
Diet, decaffeinated, sugar-free drinks are not limited. You can enjoy caffeinated coffee or diet sodas with caffeine added, but limit to 1 - 2 servings per day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It's not that I want grains or fruits to fill my menu, but it'd be nice if I could alternate eggs with a healthy cereal in the mornings, and have an occasional piece of fruit once a day. It just seems pointless to me that when I'm cutting up fruit for my kids, I can't have even one bite.

It's not like I want to eat white bread and bananas.. all I'd like is an apple and some Kashi or brown rice so I can take an occasional break from the eggs, salad, and cheese sticks.

My husband and I were talking about it earlier, and he said that it's probably a lot easier for him because he likes things like cottage cheese, mushrooms, canadian bacon, steak, etc. I don't really even like eggs.. I normally only eat them once a month or so. It's hard, too, because I don't have a lot of time to prepare meals with my kids being so young and needy. I've just been grilling chicken with some spices on it using the Foreman Grill.

LOL

Originally Posted by :
It's not like I want to eat white bread and bananas

:D

phase 1 is just the detox in case you are in a whirlwind of white bread and white sugar...if you're not worried about the cravings by all means start on phase 2. Any eating plan that you can live by is the one that you will be successful with. You can certainly follow many principles of the Beach and still eat other foods.

Rachel,

Have you checked out the recipe section? It is chockful of super good and easy recipe ideas. You will definitely go crazy if you are eating the same things everyday! My breakfasts tend to be pretty similar, but I really like to vary what I eat for dinner which then becomes leftovers for lunch. There are many great recipes- let us know if you want recommendations! :chef: