[Stinger]

For everyone on phase II here is my question.

Can I really eat whole grains and lose weight? I lost 11 lbs on phase I. Now I am scared to death of eating bread. I mean I do, but I am weighing myself everyday. So far I haven't gone up or down. I have been on Phase II for 3 days now. How long did it take for the scale to move on phase LL for you?

TwoPeasInAPod

[Schatzi]

2 Peas in a Pod..first off, your Avatar Cracks me up

Yes, you can!--- a few things to keep in mind though

When you look in the book and the "good fat good carb" guide you'll note that some things are considered as "limited or very limited" --and those terms aren't explicitedly detailed. So it depends on how your body responds to those good carbs or fats.

Calories still count: Move more - "eat" less (meaning in overall caloric intake) If you consistently eat 4 slices of WW bread in addition to your normal intake, I doubt you'll create a calorie deficit enough to lose pounds.

Some good carbs, like bread or fruit can be eaten in moderation by some, and in others trigger a binge for more ...so some chicks opt to slowly add the Phase 2 foods till they figure out how their own unique body reacts to them... that's why some folks opt to add 1 specific phase 2 item a week: see how they react, see how the scale reacts..

Some of the "science" behind this way of eating has to do with the body-brain communicating "IM HUNGRY", by eating whole foods/grains that are digested more slowly keeps the insulin level more stable and in doing so, the body doesnt signal to the brain EAT. you feel full longer..

If you are anxious -try adding one new carb a week, listen to your body, see how the scale reacts and go from there...

hope this helps

[KnitALisa]

Schatzi's right, but I also want to add try to stop weighing yourself everyday! During P1, you may have seen a consistent scale movement, but during P2 it obviously slows down to 1-2lbs a week which isn't really obvious when you weigh yourself everyday. I have to force myself to not get on the scale a bajillion and two times a week. It was giving me a neurosis! Wednesday has become my designated day and by Tuesday I am practically salivating to know if my hard work has paid off!

As a side note, I also measure myself. And I measure everything (neck, upper arm, lower arm, wrist, bust, ribs, waist, lower waist aka love handle area, hips, thighs, calves) and keep track of any changes in a spreadsheet. (I've lost a 1/2 inch off each of my wrists! Weird, huh?) I'm trying to set myself up for more victories, just in case the scale decides to be evil!

[Stinger]

Thank you for your input. I will give it a while longer before I get on the scale again. At least I am not eating the way I used to so I am bound to shed some pounds. My food choices are also alot more healthy.

On a bright side my daughter lost 17 lbs. She is 12. I am very happy for her because her weight was becoming a health issue.

I have noticed a lot of benefits to eating healthy and losing the 'bad carbs.' For one my skin is clear. How can I say this...my stomach is not as bloated with air...

My feet are not tired and do not hurt after standing all day
I don't want to sleep when I get home from work in the afternoon.

Planning meals takes more time and effort but now I have more energy to do this.

What benefits have you noticed?

[KnitALisa]

My skin has also cleared up since being on SBD. It's amazing, during TOM I had a little pimple and that was IT. Usually, my face gets so broken out.

I'm so happy for your daughter!! I know how hard it is to be that age and be heavy. That's wonderful that she's learning all these while she's still young.

[rainydaygirl]

I couldn't agree with you more, Lisa! I also took my measurements this time around, because I know how discouraged I got when the scale wasn't moving for me.

I think the more ways you have to measure your success, the more motivating it is. Honestly, when I lost 44 lbs. on SBD in 2004, I would look in the mirror and not notice much of a difference on a day to day basis. I felt much better. I slept better, my feet and knees didn't hurt and I could feel the difference in my clothes. Of course, when I look back now at the few pictures I have, I do see the difference.

This time around, I am limiting myself to weighing once a week (it is a challenge some days...) I measure myself weekly and I also keep photos of me in a bathing suit (monthly) -- front, side and back. The idea of this at first flipped me out because I have been camera shy for so long. But I use my digital camera/timer and consider those pictures to be for my eyes only. That way when I feel like all my effort is not making a difference, I can take out those pictures and look and see... yes it is!! And tell myself to KEEP GOING. On the week when the scale says I stayed the same or gained 1 or 2 pounds, but I've lost 6 inches in various areas... I tell myself, SEE IT IS WORKING. Getting all my motivation from a number on the scale was a dangerous thing for me. I can honestly say it is the reason (after a very long plateau) that I just gave up.

It's tough on the days when I let myself think back to how I was down to 188... I try not to dwell on that and just move ahead. I did learn a lot because of my first attempt -- for one, not to just rely on the scale to measure my success. I figure this time around... I have more experience, more knowledge, more determination and a support system here... how can I go wrong?

[sunnydaysahead]

I also had issues with starting Phase II -- like TwoPeasInAPod, I lost 6-8 pounds with Phase I and was scared to death of eating bread again. I've kept losing weight, though!

My big Phase II hurdle is the sugar. During Phase I, it was the first time in my life that I was not constantly craving and munching on sugary snacks. I have the biggest sweet tooth ever. Going cold turkey on all sugar was amazing.

But now in Phase II -- where you can have limited amounts -- my inner sugar monster is hungry again! I'm considering going back to no fruits, no added sugar, to see if it cuts out the sugar cravings again -- but would that be healthy? Anyone have any feedback on that?

[Stinger]

You might want to try fruit such as berries or cantaloupe instead of giving up fruit all together. These are not as high in sugar. When eating fruit look for fruit that is lower in carbs. That is how you can tell if they are higher in natural sugar. The higher the carb the lower the sugar.

Avoid high sugar fruits such as bananas.