SB newbie questions

[valkyrie9]

so i've got the book and am making up my shopping list in preparation for switching from atkins to sb, but i have a couple questions for you experienced SBers.

when the book says vegetable juice cocktail or tomato juice, what does that mean exactly? just V8? isn't there sugar in that? is there a particular brand i should be looking for?

is all cheese to be low or non fat? i've never liked low/non-fat cheese, so if this is the case, i think i'll skip cheese altogether on sb.

what is an acceptable creamer for coffee? on atkins i just use cream, but i know that's out. the book says nonfat milk is okay, but i'm wondering if half and half is okay, as i've read people mention they use that on sb.

is butter allowed at all? one of the staples of my atkins diet was cabbage with a bit of butter and salt and pepper. there's no way i'll use margarine, because of the trans fats. otherwise, would there be an acceptable sb alternative to butter? i know olive oil is okay and i use that to cook with, but i don't think that would work well with cabbage.

are we allowed store-bought salad dressing? i'm too lazy to make up my own and usually use a store-bought dressing with as little sugar and carbs as i can find. ranch, italian, or blue cheese. what is acceptable on sb? the book mainly mentions making your own olive oil/vinegar dressing, ick.

i think this is about it for now. i'm still making up my grocery list and planning my phase I menu so i haven't officially started sb yet but i'm just about ready.

thanks!

[A_Team_Gal]

Welcome to a try on the Beach! I'll give your questions a try, and hopefully you can get some other answers as well.

1. In phase 1, I used either V8 or Campbell's tomato juice. Actually, both made me sick to my stomach after the first few days (I was only on phase 1 for 6 days), so I didn't stick with them. Yes, V8 has sugar in it. However, the nutritional benefits outweigh the sugar content.

2. Yes, cheese should be low-fat or non-fat. This is basically something each individual must look at for themselves. I don't eat cheese by itself, but it has to have melting capability. As long as I can sprinkle it on my eggs and it melts I'm happy. Or if I can toss it on a salad along with dressing, I'm okay with it. Full fat cheese - if you are following SBD according to what is written - is not allowed in phases 1 or 2. Phase 3 is different. I would imagine if you wanted full fat cheese in moderation during phase 3, it would be okay. I have had full fat cheese in restaurants (such as Mexican), and it hasn't seemed to stall me. But then, I only eat out once a week, at most.

3. I don't use creamer in my coffee, but I imagine you could use non-fat creamer or half and half. Perhaps some one who uses creamer could address this.

4. No, butter is not allowed as it has too much saturated fat. Then again, there are some on SBD who modify it and do not follow what is written in the book, so this would also be a personal decision. I was prepared to give up this and margarine until I discovered "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" Lite. There is no trans fats in the ingredients. I use it only on my veggies, so I use it sparingly. This is a product you might want to look into.

5. You can certainly use store bought salad dressing. I've yet to make my own salad dressing, and I don't plan on doing so anytime soon! The only "requirement" of SBD is that the sugars be 3grams or less. I use Newman's Own Ranch and Italian and also Kraft Classic Caesar. All have 3 or less grams of sugar and have not been any adverse affects. It is important to note serving size - in most cases 2 tablespoons.

Good luck!

[elijaeger]

I think you'll have more success if you allow a little more room in the diet for variety and don't follow the rules so tightly. Most people fail because their diet is too restrictive.

At the end of the day, calories are the key. I think eating more fat helps to blunt appetite, so I eat more than SB suggest. I wouldn't touch fat free cheese, although the 2% varieties are fine.

[nathania]

I've tried non-fat creamers and hated it. I use coffee-mate low fat and while it does not seem as "creamy" as full fat creamers, it tastes okay.

SmartBalance makes a pretty decent butter substitute with no trans-fats. It works well for cooking also.

[maggieb]

Although Dr. Agatson says Non Dairy powdered creamers and low fat creamers are OK I stay far away from them because they are FULL of trans fats!! Pls see this article... ..
this is a tough one....depending on how much coffee you drink make your own decision.....

http://www.vegparadise.com/news24.html


good luck with the Beach!

[Idabelle]

I put West Soy vanilla soy milk in my coffee. It has 5 carbs and 4 fiber ( 1 net carb). 100 calories, and 4.5 fat. 9 gr. protein. It

[Carolie]

I'm brand new to SB as well and I too would like a clarification about butter. On Atkins I was using Land O'Lakes...no trans fats. It's just cream and salt. The saturated fat is 7g and the total is 11g. for 1 T. How much is too much saturated fat? I do like the Smart Balance so that's not a problem to switch, I'd just like to know.

I'm also wondering if I can continue my Atkins protein shakes on the SB b/c I do love them. I only do 1/2 the serving as it fills me up, so the analysis is:
Total fat: 2g
Sat fat: .25g
Tot. carbs: 5g
Fiber: .25
Sugars: 1g
Sugar alcohol: 1 g

Doesn't sound bad to me, esp. since SB doesn't count carbs, but the first ingredient is milk protein concentrate. Is this a problem?Thanks for your help!

[Archie]

Just thought I'd throw this in re: Salad Dressings. There are brands without any Sugar at all. I use Renees and it's excellent!

[VickiR]

Just my two bit's worth - now that DH and I are no longer in Phase I - it went really well, and neither of us felt like we were hungry or deprived at all. He's lost 6 lbs, and I shed a few myself (maybe 3-4).

It seems that our taste buds are a little different (he really likes the sugar-free chocolates, I like cheese, LF mozerrela cheese sticks and also Laughing Cow LF cheese wedges). I think the fake sugars were giving me headaches, but that's just me; I stopped eating them and the headaches went away.

(useful to know, since I like diet pepsi, but I wasn't making the headache connection - I might have to test the hypothesis sometime)

we all kinda need to work through the maze of what works, for ourselves, since, like they say, "your results may vary". If I didn't like cheese or some kind of dairy on this plan, I'd probably take calcium supplements, as my doctor is very clear on the need for calcium in the diet.

And I love making my own salad dressing, which I can tailor to my own whim of the moment - some olive oil, a little lemon juice or vinegar, a pinch of salt, and then whatever suits my fancy. It's not bad on steamed veggies, either!

(although I do love Nancy's Goddess dressing, and also blue cheese dressing - but always check labels for trans-fats, very important!)

We are now in Phase II. I may get some whole-grain pita for dinner tonight, or maybe some three-bean salad.