end of week 1, more questions arise

[cxm]

ok i'm at the end of week one. i do not posess a scale anymore so i cannot tell my progress, but i am now at a point that i need to ask a few more questions.

1. i have finally weened myself away from my heavy caffeine intake, i now keep it to the 1-2 servings a day, however when i went shopping i bought some crystal light. i noticed it has a few calories in it but no sugar, are these safe to drink in large quantities, i drink ALOT during the day or when i'm computer gaming, and yes i drink my daily amount of water too.

2. when i finally reach fruit, is dried fruit ok? my gf has a serious addiction to dried mangoes and apricots. was checking if these are cool or not so long as i get the ones that aren't covered in sugar (a supermarket near me sells fresh dried ones).

3. is it ok to eat a little more than what the book says? i'm a big guy even when thin (like i'm 6'2 and i have have a larger medium build even without fat on me) and i find that sometimes i need a bit more food to hit the plain full place. now i have been staying legal but is it ok to need a bit more legal food to feel full? or am i overeating?

4. if i eat a few more nuts than allowed, say 6-10 more, or i use more salad dressing than allowed ( i make my own balsamic with balsamic, some splenda, basil and less olive oil than in the book) is this going to hurt my loss in any big way? i tend to enjoy having rather large salads.

5. why do phase 2 recipes look almost identical to phase 1 recipes, in fact i made some of my own recipes on phase one (like a grilled chicken breast, with some fat free cheese and salsa on it, which according to food lists is legal) only to find something similar on phase two. am i eating wrong or am i missing something?

6. and lastly and this is a matter of opinion, when should i start feeling physical results, (as in pants looser etc.) or better way to put it, when should i start to worry that i'm doing something wrong and it's not working? i really never did a diet like this before, my last diet was low fat and an insane amount of carbs. this lead to problems when my exercise amount dropped. so here i am on sbd to get back into my 34's

thanks in advance again, i'm trying really hard :p

[tigerstar]

I’ll try to offer my take on some of your questions…

1. I’m not sure about the official word on Crystal Lite (it’s not made by Kraft, after all :lol: ) But as long as you’re getting plenty of plain water as well, then I’d think it would be fine. I don’t know how much “a lot” is for you, but I’m sure it’s better than “a lot” of diet cola!

2. As for the fruit, I’d say fresh is better… The “Good Fats Good Carbs” guide lists 1 ounce of dried apples, apricots and prunes as “good” foods. However, fresh mango is listed as a “limited” food, so I’d stay away from the dried mango.

3. While the book gives some guidelines for serving sizes, it also advises you to eat when you’re hungry. So if it takes a little more to fill you up, so be it. I wouldn’t worry about portions of meat, veggies, or good fats needed to satisfy, as long as you’re not stuffing yourself!

4. I usually eat a few more nuts than their recommended serving as well. I think I started counting out 20 almonds, for example. When I weighed out 20 almonds, I found out that it was just a little over 1/2 ounce, so I still take about 20. My personal guideline is to try not to go over one ounce of nuts for the day. Actually, checking the GFGC guide again, it lists the servings there as one ounce. (that’s the one bad thing about the SB books… they’re not always clear and/or consistent!)
Also, if you’re making your own salad dressing from legal ingredients, then I think you’d be fine. However, I wouldn’t cut back on the olive oil. If anything, the balsamic is what you might want to cut down a little, since it is contains more carbs. What I do is mix half balsamic and half red wine vinegar. I make a large salad for lunch, and I usually use 1 Tbsp olive oil and 1/2 Tbsp each of the two vinegars. If I need a little more, I’ll add some more oil

5. The main difference between Phases 1 & 2 is the addition of fruit and grains. Therefore, most of the main dishes will be Phase-1-worthy… as long as you take out the fruit, grains, carrots, and whatever else is added in Phase 2. You’re not doing anything wrong! :)

6. I think you answered your own question here… everyone will be different. I dropped a lot of weight the first few weeks, but I have a lot more weight to lose! Give it at least a few weeks and see how you feel after that!

Lots of luck to you!

[tonya0725]

I am also a Crystal Light junkie. I'm just not a big fan of plain water. Can't help it. I figure it HAS to be a million times better than regular Pepsi or even a lot better than Diet. I'm not sure where it TRULY falls in the SB rules.

As far as portion sizes, I feel that there's no way that a tall male should eat the same amount of food as someone like me, a 5'5" female. Physiologically, you need more food. I'm not an expert or anything, but I do have a degree in biology, if that counts for anything. As long as it's the right food and still an acceptable portion size, you should be ok. Again, my opinion. Do whatever works for you, I guess.

You may not see results quite as quickly as someone who has more weight to lose, but it will come off your belly first.

Best of luck to you!

[casper4462]

I drink the crystal light all the time. I also hate drinking plain water. The crystal light should be fine!

As far as eating goes.. I've always had my snckas (nuts, cheese) throughout the day and lunch a large salad. I NEVER measure my dressing (or count my nuts i just grab a handful) I use the amount I like. And at dinner i eat until I don't want anymore. And that may sound bad but being on South Beach and eating small meals all day .. by dinner I dont really want to eat all that much.

Don't go crazy focusing on if you had 5 more nuts then allowed JUST DONT OVER DO IT.