South Beach Diet Support and Chat Thread!

noeys

I think Im going to give this another shot. I really wanted it to work, because its such a healthy way of eating. I just frustrated myself with no loss in the two weeks. (still not sure what that was about, but willing to try again)
I am going to wait through the holidays though because thats how my brain works. lol! I know its terrible, but Christmas is christmas, and I dont want to be not eating things that I only have once a year.
Good luck everyone and look for me again in a few weeks. (also add me if you havent already)

noeys

I decided its really bad to wait, and its better to start now and just eat naughty that one day. (rather than eat crappy every day till then) So Im starting southbeach again tomorrow!

yellowrose5321

Hi Noeys -- just wondering if you were still trying SB and how you were doing.

I've been using SB (off and on, mostly off lately) since 2005. I've found from my own experience and that of others that I've chatted with, that whether or not you lose weight and how much you lose during Phase 1 depends on a LOT of different things. People who were already dieting and exercising before they start, especially if they were eating low-carb, tend to lose less weight. I've known of people who lost no more than the 1-2 pounds that they would normally lose with safe dieting.

And, as you mentioned, it's very easy not to eat enough during Phase 1 and your body will go into starvation mode and hang onto every single calorie it can if you eat too little. I didn't count calories on a regular basis, but thru charting what I ate everyday, I found that if I ate every single serving of what I was supposed to eat -- including the 1/2 cup of beans and the 2 servings of milk or yogurt, that I averaged around 1100- 1200 calories a day.

I really like SB and successfully lost 40 lbs using it. Wish I could say I had kept it off, but I'm back on the beach starting today. Wishing you luck in whatever you're trying!!

sanaylz

I just started on Tuesday. So far so good. I do get hungry at times, but I grab a snack. I am also used to that full feeling, so trying to break out of that - no need to be stuffed, just satisfied. I am tracking my calories too to make sure I am eating enough.

Good luck everyone!

Anyone have any good ideas for breakfast on phase one other than eggs?

yellowrose5321

Hi Sanaylz. I got back to it on Tuesday too. 2 days down! Tomorrow will be a test -- I'm going to visit my son, and he often wants to go out for lunch (typical bachelor with no food in the house). I've already checked the surrounding restaurants and found something at each that I can have. I've found that advanced planning is very helpful to staying on the eating plan.

My fondness for eggs comes and goes -- sometimes they're OK; sometimes I just can't handle them. When I was a member on the SB site, one of the other members posted a recipe for Mock French Toast. You can probably find a recipe for it in the recipe databank here, but it faily simple: 1 egg, 1 T ricotta cheese, and a couple of drops of vanilla (maybe 1/4 tsp). Just whisk them together and pour into a small hot skillet sprayed with pan spray. Cook as you would a pancake. Can use a little sugar-free syrup if you want. It is surprisingly close in taste and texture to real French Toast.

When I was working, I often had a container of yogurt, 3 slices of canadian bacon, and my V8 juice for breakfast. I didn't really have to fix anything, just heat the bacon, and it was something portable that I could eat while I was getting ready or in the car if I was running late.

Some of the other members at SB suggested having leftover meat and veggies from their dinner the night before. I'm not big on breakfast anyway -- there's only limited things I can stand that early in the morning -- so that wasn't a good option for me, but it might work for you. Cheese is also considered a protein on SB, not a dairy, so that could be substituted for eggs too.

sanaylz

Thanks Yellowrose! I'll have to try that recipe. That could be fun to eat for something different. I do eat cheese -- usually a snack since it's easy for grab and go.

Good that you are planning ahead! I have a birthday party to go to tomorrow. I know there will be roast beef there and veggies so I am going to limit myself to those things. I am making meatballs for the party but I don't think we can have the bread crumbs. I also won't be drinking -- the problem is my best friend will try to have to make an excuse and celebrate with her or give myself a break once in a while. The problem is, that's what got me into this problem to begin with. So, I have a plan and I am going to stick to it.

The fullish feeling is better I guess. I usually get satisfied after a meal now, but it doesn't last long. Do you have that problem too?

yellowrose5321

I do get hungry between meals sometimes during Phase 1, but I'm really bad about getting my snacks in.:frown: It seems like I just finish making and eating one meal or snack and it's time to start on the next. If I'm very careful to get in all the servings at all the right times, I don't usually get too hungry after the 1st few days.

ShrinkRapt451

Hey, all!

Did SBD in late 2003-mid 2004 and did well; lost 42 lbs. Then I had the "morning" sickness (read: ALL DAY nausea) thing with my first pregnancy, and corn muffins and ice cream settled my tummy. So much for the diet.... gained 45 lbs, and kept on going after that because neither hubby nor I really took the time to do the food prep. Tried a few times to restart, only to lose heart after a week of abject boredom on Phase I (or tried to skip Phase I and couldn't kick my cravings).

Especially on Phase I, it's actually kinda challenging to get calories above 1200 per day. Not surprising, when you consider what you're eating. Eating larger meat (and other protein) portions is the only way I ever managed it.

I'm not technically doing SBD now, but I'm approximating it. I started Phase I right before Thanksgiving (*facepalm*) and so didn't stick to it like glue, but good enough to get past the craving phase. Now I just shoot to keep my carbs below 100g/day and protein above 100g/day, and I still limit the foods that have a high glycemic index. This seems to be doing pretty well for me.

I definitely recommend getting the cookbooks; there are some GREAT recipes in there. Also, it's not hard to find low-carb recipes online. Best of luck to all the SBDers!

yellowrose5321

Hey, all!

Did SBD in late 2003-mid 2004 and did well; lost 42 lbs. Then I had the "morning" sickness (read: ALL DAY nausea) thing with my first pregnancy, and corn muffins and ice cream settled my tummy. So much for the diet.... gained 45 lbs, and kept on going after that because neither hubby nor I really took the time to do the food prep. Tried a few times to restart, only to lose heart after a week of abject boredom on Phase I (or tried to skip Phase I and couldn't kick my cravings).

Especially on Phase I, it's actually kinda challenging to get calories above 1200 per day. Not surprising, when you consider what you're eating. Eating larger meat (and other protein) portions is the only way I ever managed it.

I'm not technically doing SBD now, but I'm approximating it. I started Phase I right before Thanksgiving (*facepalm*) and so didn't stick to it like glue, but good enough to get past the craving phase. Now I just shoot to keep my carbs below 100g/day and protein above 100g/day, and I still limit the foods that have a high glycemic index. This seems to be doing pretty well for me.

I definitely recommend getting the cookbooks; there are some GREAT recipes in there. Also, it's not hard to find low-carb recipes online. Best of luck to all the SBDers!

Hi! I did SB back in 2004 too, and lost right at 40 lbs. That put me right at 200, and I got stuck there, got discouraged, and quit. Last year, after regaining 30 of those lbs, I started back on it again. I lost fairly consistently until I got down to 200 again -- dropped a little below it, then bounced right back up again and just couldn't seem to get past that point.

So here I am again. I find that if I eat every single serving that I'm allowed in Phase 1, including the 1/2 c of beans and both servings of dairy and my "sweet treat" calories, I'm usually right at 1200 calories. I usually have protein for my snacks -- it seems to curb hunger pangs better and helps me keep my calorie total higher.

I was a member on the SB site (actually still am, but I got hooked on one of the message boards and was spending wwwaaayyy too much time on there). I won one of their challenges last year, and got a complete set of Dr. A's book and cookbooks. You're right -- there's lots of good recipes in there. Some of the earlier ones were a little too involved for my daily cooking, but I like the Quick and Easy cookbook. My problem is South Florida cuisine must bit different from what we're used to here in Texas. I've suggested some of the recipes to my DH, and he says, "Don't think so!" lol I do pretty good just adjusting my usual recipes.

ShrinkRapt451

I was a member on the SB site (actually still am, but I got hooked on one of the message boards and was spending wwwaaayyy too much time on there). I won one of their challenges last year, and got a complete set of Dr. A's book and cookbooks. You're right -- there's lots of good recipes in there. Some of the earlier ones were a little too involved for my daily cooking, but I like the Quick and Easy cookbook. My problem is South Florida cuisine must bit different from what we're used to here in Texas. I've suggested some of the recipes to my DH, and he says, "Don't think so!" lol I do pretty good just adjusting my usual recipes.

Is he a carnivore? Serve him the steak with tomatoes/garlic topping (can't remember which book it's in). I could eat that three times a week. Seriously. And the chickpeas with kale and sausage tastes EXACTLY like the Zuppa Toscana they serve at the Olive Garden, which is of course now out of the question because it's potato based. Really savory dish. One of these days, I'll figure out how to make a soup out of that recipe. The Mexican Chicken Soup in the Quick and Easy SBD cookbook is another fave. I also converted a standard French Onion soup recipe to be SBD/carnivore-friendly. (Secret: pumpernickel bread instead of French, and actual steak in the soup.) 36g of carbs, but pumpernickel bread is SB friendly; 38g of protein per serving. And very beefy/hearty. Not sure if your hubby has strong opinions about chili (Texans tend to), but my 10-minute recipe is this: 1 lb lean beef or buffalo, 28 oz chili beans, 16 oz chunky salsa. Sprinkle with lowfat cheese. We keep chili fixins on hand at all times for when we need to make dinner quickly.

I made it past 200 lbs when I did SBD before, though the pattern of loss was odd: I'd have no loss for a week or so, and then suddenly 3 lbs would evaporate. I wasn't counting calories, but I suspect now that I was eating too far under my BMR to keep it going steadily. And I wasn't working out at all. I'm now adding exercise to my routine, and deliberately zig-zagging my calories (which appears to help avoid plateaus, from what I've been reading). And I'm eating closer to my BMR most days.

yellowrose5321

Thanks! Those will be helpful.

DH is a carnivore, but our main source of disagreement is that he doesn't believe that soup or stew is a meal. I can fix a pot roast with roasted potatoes, carrots, and onions and that's fine. But give him a homemade vegetable beef stew or soup made from exactly the same ingredients, and he complains. Go figure!!

Oh yeah, and NO beans in the chili! Most Texans feel that way -- personally, I'm a native Texan and it really doesn't make that much difference to me. I may have been influenced growing up though -- my mom put beans in her homemade chili, cuz with 5 kids and 1 income, she stretched every meal as far as she could! lol

michelby09

Hey Everyone! I just happened upon this thread from a search on South Beach, and I was so glad to find it! I am a week into phase 1 and so far so good. I am getting tired of eggs, but I really want to do at least 3 weeks of phase 1 because I'm really addicted to sugar. I have type 1 diabetes and insulin resistance, so this diet has done wonders for me!

Hope everyone is having a great SBD day!

yellowrose5321

Hi Sowski! Welcome to this thread! It seems that people show up, post a few times, then disappear :frown: I'm hoping we can get a good group going to motivate and encourage each other. So stick around and keep us up-to-date on how you're doing!

I lose my cravings for sugar fairly quickly , but I know for some, it takes a while. I think the important thing is to listen to your body. I'm also not exactly sure what a "craving" is -- if it's being able to pass up something that I'd like to eat (my biggie is chocolate), then I've "lost my craving." But if it's not WANTING the chocolate, then I'm never gonna lose that. My DH left some chocolate kisses sitting on the side table next to his chair last night. This morning, I saw them and I would have loved to pick one up and toss it in, but I didn't -- and now I'm not feeling depressed or deprived because I couldn't eat it. But I can't honestly say that I didn't "want" it! So I don't know if that's losing my cravings, or just learning control.

I suggested a couple of other options to the eggs for breakfast 2 or 3 posts back. I get tired of them too -- I've never been a big breakfast eater, and when I did eat it, eggs were usually at the bottom of my list.

Hope you continue doing well with your eating on Phase 1. Are you doing any exercise? Come back and post whenever you can!

Linda

michelby09

I'm doing well today....had 3 egg muffins, then a huge salad with tuna for my protein (I love feta and walnuts in my salads). I had a string cheese for a snack and I'm going to have my sugar free jello right now then dinner later! (Chicken and brocolli with a dijon sauce of chicken broth, soy sauce, and dijon mustard)

Is the SB website free? I don't want to pay for it since there are so many resources elsewhere.

holeypurlgirl

Hey there. I just started SBD for the second time. I love this program, but I took it a bit far last time and put myself in a bad state of health. This Wednsday will be my 1 week mark and I have lost 9lbs already. I set up a Biggest Loser type contest at work to get everyone motivated to be healther, but I am the only one utilizing SBD. I think this will be a great forum to get ffedback and support


Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Nutrition Facts For Foods

yellowrose5321

Is the SB website free? I don't want to pay for it since there are so many resources elsewhere.

No, they charge for it :-( It was worth the cost for me -- I got a lot of support from a particular group of like-minded (and similar age) group. The website has menu plans for you to go by, if you want, which you can modify and switch meals around in. Once you get your weekly menu set, you can print out a shopping list. It also had the recipes for the meals on the menu plans. But there wasn't any way to track your food or exercise -- and I consider that a really important aspect of losing weight.

michelby09

Is the SB website free? I don't want to pay for it since there are so many resources elsewhere.

No, they charge for it :-( It was worth the cost for me -- I got a lot of support from a particular group of like-minded (and similar age) group. The website has menu plans for you to go by, if you want, which you can modify and switch meals around in. Once you get your weekly menu set, you can print out a shopping list. It also had the recipes for the meals on the menu plans. But there wasn't any way to track your food or exercise -- and I consider that a really important aspect of losing weight.

Well that stinks that it isn't free, but it would be nice to get some meal ideas because I get so bored when I eat the same thing over and over!

michelby09

Welcome holey! I am on my second week with SBD and so far so good!!! Feel free to add me if you'd like....we can support each other :-)

holeypurlgirl

Ok....I am running out of ideas for snacks. Any suggestions? I know I have only been at it a week, but I need some snackage variety! LOL!

ShrinkRapt451

Ok....I am running out of ideas for snacks. Any suggestions? I know I have only been at it a week, but I need some snackage variety! LOL!

What are you eating now?

My fave snack is cinnamon roasted almonds. I have a pack every day. Atkins bars are tasty, too.

yellowrose5321

Well that stinks that it isn't free, but it would be nice to get some meal ideas because I get so bored when I eat the same thing over and over!

There is a website -- www. kalynskitchen.com -- that has a lot of recipes on it that are SB friendly. She even notes which phase of SB they're appropriate for.

I try to have protein for my snacks -- sometimes adding veggies or fruit (in Phase 2). A cheese and veggie platter, celery sticks with a tbsp of no-sugar-added peanut butter, my 1/2 of beans, or a container of yogurt. My mom has a recipe for a party finger food: thin-sliced ham spread with cream cheese, then rolled around a green onion and sliced so you have little pinwheels. I substitute a low-fat or fat-free cream cheese, or use a wedge of Laughing Cow cheese, and they're fine for Phase 1.

Bbjka

Hi there! I'm on day 10 of sbd. Up until the day I started I was insulin dependent diabetic. I have not needed a shot of insulin since. I started. I lost 5 pounds so far and I no longer crave sugar but I think I'm confused about servings. I keep reading things about recommended amount of servings per day but i don't recall that in the book. I'm really scared to move on to phase 2. I'm scare when I add more carbs my blood sugar will go up again. I know i have 4 more days but I'm worried. I started this diet. In hopes that I could stop taking insulin. So far so good but I am afraid ill never be able to move on to phase 2. I'm averaging 40-50 carbs a day. Any suggestions? Feel free to add me as a friend. I'm on daily!

yellowrose5321

Hi there! I'm on day 10 of sbd. Up until the day I started I was insulin dependent diabetic. I have not needed a shot of insulin since. I started. I lost 5 pounds so far and I no longer crave sugar but I think I'm confused about servings. I keep reading things about recommended amount of servings per day but i don't recall that in the book. I'm really scared to move on to phase 2. I'm scare when I add more carbs my blood sugar will go up again. I know i have 4 more days but I'm worried. I started this diet. In hopes that I could stop taking insulin. So far so good but I am afraid ill never be able to move on to phase 2. I'm averaging 40-50 carbs a day. Any suggestions? Feel free to add me as a friend. I'm on daily!

Congrats for doing so well on Phase 1! No insulin needed -- that's fantastic! Not sure which recommended servings you're talking about, or which book you're looking at. Give me more details and I'll try to help you out :happy:

As far as moving on to Phase 2, I understand. I do really well on Phase 1 and never seem to have the urge to eat off plan, but when I move to Phase 2 I always seem to start adding in things that I shouldn't. I don't feel that I'm having cravings again -- I think it's just having more freedom of choice. I do really well with the structure and limited choices in Phase 1 -- when I'm given more leeway in Phase 2, I don't make good choices.

I would suggest making the transition to Phase 2 very slow -- just add one new item (whole grain carb would be my recommendation; fruit has more sugar in it and would probably be more likely to increase your blood sugar). Just stick with that 1 addition for several days, until you see how your body handles it -- both insulin-wise and as far as it creating cravings. Then repeat the process with a 2nd item. Be sure that when you add the whole grain carb in, particularly if you're adding it at breakfast, that you don't leave out the protein. The first food I usually add back in after going to Phase 2 is steel-cut oatmeal for breakfast -- because I've usually had my fill of eggs for a while, and the oatmeal has a lot of fiber to fill you up and is good for lowering cholestrol, etc. But if I just substitute the oatmeal for the protein that I had been having, I start getting hungry about 10:00, so I have a serving of canadian bacon or some other protein along with it. Having a protein along with whatever new carb you decide to add in would probably help slow the blood sugar increase too.

Don't get discouraged if you have to go back to using the insulin for a while. Maybe as your weight decreases, you'll have less need for it, and can taper off and stop using it sometime in the future.

Bbjka

Thanks! I am going to try just adding one carb item in at a time. I have had some cravings the last few days but they are emotional not physical. This does get boring but it is worth not taking insulin shots everyday. I am going to stay on Phase 1 for another week and hopefully hit 10 pounds. Then I will start adding a carb serving a day back in. I'll try an update again soon! :happy:

kcolson85

Hi All!
I just started SB. Today is my first day of full phase 1. I prepped last week by slowly avoiding some of my favorite carbs. So far I am not hungry today, but I have been munching a lot on vegetables and snacking a lot. I don’t have an actual SB book yet, but I have been reading on here, sparkpeople and other websites for a couple weeks.
My weight loss goal is 20 pounds.
Fitness goal is to run a 5k in April. I have broken this down to a weekly goal of running three times a week. (This has been going well for a few weeks).

I’ve enjoyed reading this thread today and will try to update you all on my progress!

yellowrose5321

Hi kcolson! Welcome!!

Let us know how you're doing -- and if you have any questions!

If you have a chance to get the book, either the original or the Supercharged book, I think it's worth the investment. You can probably find enough info online to figure out the eating plans, but his books give a lot of information about the whys and what's going on inside your body that you can't see. I found out tons of stuff I didn't know!

Bet_Lynch

I started yesterday. I wasnt going any where with the low calorie diet. I've stocked up from the supermarket and I've already created my first breakfast dish which is yummy.
I've got the supercharged book on order from Ebay but I get the jist of the diet so far.
Only thing is my hubby has just bought me a small box of chocs for valentines day, so i don't know whether to eat them now and get it over and done with or just have a few each week???

He actually got me 2 boxes, I gave one box to the kids to share and I've got the 70% cocoa truffle chocolates.

I'm going to bookmark this thread for the future.

Has anybody completed phase 1 yet, did they have any slip ups and much did they lose?

Bet_Lynch

Ok....I am running out of ideas for snacks. Any suggestions? I know I have only been at it a week, but I need some snackage variety! LOL!

I like 1/2 a cup of greek yogurt, sweetener and some seeds mixed in. I know it's not the most exciting thing but i like the seeds for the texture.

kcolson85

Day 2, only one cheat so far. This is harder than I planned! Made it almost through the day yesterday... until my 4 year old wanted to make chocolate chip cookies and then homemade pizza! I love to cook with him so of course we made both. Then I ate both!

Today has been better so far... it's at night that I like to eat and the sweets(cookies) are my weakness. I am going to keep plugging away on this and see how I do. Also going to avoid baking for two weeks... unless we can use all veggies and meats.

Bet_Lynch

Day 2, only one cheat so far. This is harder than I planned! Made it almost through the day yesterday... until my 4 year old wanted to make chocolate chip cookies and then homemade pizza! I love to cook with him so of course we made both. Then I ate both!

Today has been better so far... it's at night that I like to eat and the sweets(cookies) are my weakness. I am going to keep plugging away on this and see how I do. Also going to avoid baking for two weeks... unless we can use all veggies and meats.

I've cheated today but it's going to be alright for the week ahead.
I'm ok as long as there isn't goodies in the house
I don't think we are going to be perfect as we are new to this so there might be the odd slip up unintentional or otherwise.