[DesertDustBunnies]

ummmm no offense to anyone...if you notice the whole "support" thing has taken a back step on this particular thread....the "I'm right and your not" thing is taking over and well..it's getting old.
To Missy...If you try this SBD and it works for you..GREAT...if it don't..then move on and try another approach that does work for you.

[beachgal]

Amen, Ellis. Tracy, it's fine to tell what happened to you when you followed SBD. But it's not okay to make broad generalizations about the diet.

Suzanne and Jennifer regularly remind the mods that any diet plan works by cutting calories (and hopefully encouraging you to move more...). None of the faddish things have been proven to work. Each person needs to find the plan that works for them, and that's different for each person! That's why when you talk with the Maintainers, you'll find that they all lost their weight in different ways. They all have in common that they ate less and moved more. How they did that, though, differs, sometimes dramatically. That's okay! To each his own. It's good for people to hear both sides of the story when considering a new plan, and I'm glad that you and Phoenix shared your stories. Just keep it to the facts, okay?

That said, here's my take on SBD:

• My doctor recommended SBD. She said that not only was it a healthy choice, but that her patients who had success with it were able to maintain their weight loss and stay on the plan. She felt that both of those factors made it worth suggesting to her patients.
  
• SBD is not low carb, it's good carb. Even during Phase 1, the most restrictive phase, you are allowed to eat tons of carbs...you can have beans, peppers, tomatoes, etc. You never count your carbs on this plan. I have no idea how many carbs are in anything and I've been doing SBD for 17 months. What we do pay attention to is what kind of carbs we eat. Like Suzanne noted, we eat carbs that are low on the glycemic index (and interestingly enough, more healthy, too): whole grains (is this sounding like the new food pyramid? Good, because it's almost the same!), sweet potatoes, brown rice, etc. Friends of mine on Atkins are always shocked at what I'm 'allowed' to eat.
  
• Missy, you have a very small amount of weight to lose according to your ticker. If that's accurate (even adding the seven pounds you recently gained) you aren't likely to lose a ton of weight when you start SBD, even during Phase 1. You lose very slowly as you approach your goal (as I'm sure you've found out). SBD is not meant for a quick fix and honestly, there aren't any quick fixes out there that actually work (i.e. that actually reduce fat quickly...there are lots that will dehydrate you and make you lose muscle). What you can do now is start eating healthy and exercise a bit more (as long as that isn't overdoing it). By your competition, you'll definitely feel better and move better too. Your seven pounds might be partly water, and so it might not be as bad as it seems. Worst comes to worst, have your dress let out a bit and just look forward to the future. If your partner sees you making positive changes, I bet he'll be more understanding (although how anyone can notice 7 pounds is beyond me! He sounds like he needs a talking to... )
  
• Though it might not work for you, cutting out the high GI items from my diet (and all sugar) has been a miracle for me. For the first time in my life, I had willpower! I didn't crave constantly. I didn't feel like eating everything in sight. It was a total miracle of the highest order. When I eat sugar, I can feel how sick my body becomes immediately. Before, I had no idea what sugar was doing to me...and to what degree. I never thought I could give up starches for a day, let alone two weeks, but Phase 1 passed by before I knew it...and I had lost 28 pounds (that's not normal for this plan, but I was extremely overweight and had eaten unrestrictedly for three years before SBD). I continue to be amazed that I've stayed on a plan longer than six weeks...and that it's been so successful for me. It's a true lifestyle change for me...one that I intend to follow for the rest of my life, in happiness.
  
• SBD is very forgiving to planned treats in Phase 2. You just jump back on plan or, if necessary, do Phase 1 until your cravings go away again (3-5 days). However, you can easily have pizza and bran muffins as part of your regular diet as long as you don't eat a ton of them each day. We had pizza last night on a Boboli Whole Wheat crust with sugar free pasta sauce (Classico Tomato and Basil), reduced fat mozz. cheese (with roasted garlic and asiago...mmmmm), turkey pepperoni and tons of veggies. Delicious! The bran muffins would be easy to make (and really good!) with whole wheat flour and splenda. You can even have raisins, in moderation, in Phase 2.
  
• Tracy, I respectfully disagree with your comment that "A healthy diet does not EVER restrict any food group." In fact, I'd say that a healthy diet restricts a lot of foods because they are unhealthy. For instance, I'd say that a healthy diet would not include Hostess and Little Debbie foods, most chips, most cookies, most snack foods, and many types of fat and sugars. SBD doesn't eliminate any of the major food groups. You eat fruit, grains, vegetables, dairy, meat, nuts, etc. You simply don't eat some of the items in each group (basically the ones that are least healthy). There are very few kinds of fruit that are restricted (such as watermelon) and those that are restricted are not high in nutrients. You can eat a huge variety of vegetables, all meat that is lean (not high in saturated fat), nuts (healthy fats) in moderation, grains (as long as they are whole or higher in nutrients than in sugars, like sweet potatoes vs white potatoes), and dairy (low fat or fat free so as to reduce saturated fat intake). You are only allowed 75 calories of 'sweet treats' like J-ello a day, so you are hardly being asked to supplement J-ello for fruit, though that advice is given in Phase 1 (a 2 week phase at the beginning of the diet) for those who miss fruit during that time.

I hope this helps. Missy, take a look around the Fat Chicks on the Beach forum, especially at the stickies in the FAQ, to find out more. I'd be more than glad to answer any questions you have.

You'll find that not only has SBD helped many of us to lose weight, but it's also improved our health, immensely. Take a minute to PM Barb0522 and ask about her health. You'd never believe how much her blood pressure and other issues have improved since she started SBD. Ruth's diabetes is under control. My cholesterol, blood pressure, knee and back pain, incontinence, asthma, fatigue, IBS, and abdominal pain are all at healthy levels or no longer a problem. It's really amazing!

SBD isn't for everyone...but it is a healthy plan. Evidence? It's still doing very well while Atkins has gone bankrupt. It bears an uncanny resemblance to the new food pyramid. This is a plan that's meant to bring you to better health, first, and has the added benefit of helping you lose weight as well.