Confused about Phase 2

[2of3]

I've been on the South Beach Diet for 2 weeks now and tomorrow I want to move to Phase 2. I've been sat trying to write my grocery list and realise how confused I am about this next phase of SBD.

I've done Atkins before and with atkins you added 5g of carbs in a specific order and you kept adding 5g each week blah blah.

But with SBD it's more fuzzy. The book doesn't tell you what to do, what to add. How much to add. Nothing! It just leaves you hanging. No wonder people try to stay in Phase 1 until they lose nearly all the weight - the rules there are quite clear! But when you mover to phase 2 and the rules are fuzzy (at best) the fear is that you could totally muck it up! Personally, I'd stay in phase 1 if breakfast wasn't proving to be such a problem.
Most people can count and so the whole idea of not having anything to count make it more uncertain.

So I need assistance before I step into the unknown world of Phase 2.

I know I can add 'good' carbs, but should I only add one new item in the first week (say a slice of multigrain bread)? Or can I add a variety of items in one week (say, bread on Monday, oatmeal on Tuesday instead of the bread, Porridge on Wednesday, instead of the bread/oatmeal) not cumulatively but for a bit of variety.

I'm totally confused and don't want to do it wrong!

cheers,
2of3

[Judynyc]

There is a link in the first thread of this forum that has food lists for each phase and it also has the suggested meal plan charts from the South Beach site itself. The meal plan charts tell us how to do phase II.

Its best to start phase II by adding 1 piece of fruit per day for the first week. The second week, you can add in a grain serving with the 1 piece of fruit and so on......The whole point is to add your carbs back in slowly so that you can see how your body is reacting to them individually.

SB is much more relaxed about veggie carbs than atkins...so you need to let go of that thinking. We only count the alund of fruit and grain/starch servings, that we eat each day. We are supposed to build up to 2-3 servings of each per day by the time we reach phase III.

Make sense?
Hope this helps!! :D

[Judynyc]

Heres the meal Plan chart for phase II. I'd print this out if I were you as it did help me alot when I was a newbie.

How to adapt your meal plan - Phase 2

In Phase 2, you'll gradually begin to reintroduce healthy carbohydrates into your diet. Here's how to do it: Week one and two: Add in two good carb choices daily. We suggest you reintroduce fruit at lunch, dinner, or as a snack, but it's not the best choice first thing in the morning at breakfast. We recommend a high-fiber cereal for breakfast. Week three and four: move to four good carbs choices daily: 1-2 fruits and 1-2 starches. Read more advice on reintroducing carbs here. Want specific food choices? You can now eat anything from the Phase 1 Foods to Enjoy list as well as items from the Phase 2 Foods to Reintroduce list.

BREAKFAST
Protein: Quantity is not limited. Start with a 2 oz. portion, eat slowly, go back for seconds if still hungry.
vegetables:Minimum 1/2 cup or 6-8 oz. tomato or vegetable juice.
fruit: 1 fruit serving allowed daily (with this meal or other). Gradually increase to 3 total servings for the day.
starch:1 starch serving allowed daily (with this meal or other). Gradually increase to 2 or 3 total servings for the day.
Milk/Dairy:2-3 cups allowed daily (including yogurt)
Fat: 1 tsp mayonnaise, trans-free margarine, or oil (optional)


LUNCH
Protein: Quantity is not limited. Start with a 3 oz. portion, eat slowly, go back for seconds if still hungry.
vegetables: Minimum 2 cups.
We encourage you to include a serving of beans (1/3-1/2 cup) as part of your vegetables.

fruit:1 fruit serving allowed daily (with this meal or other). Gradually increase to 3 total servings for the day.
starch:1 starch serving allowed daily (with this meal or other). Gradually increase to 2 or 3 total servings for the day.
milk/dairy: 2-3 cups allowed daily (including yogurt)
Fat: 1 Tbsp mayonnaise, trans-free margarine or oil, or 2 Tbsp salad dressing


DINNER
Protein: Quantity is not limited. Start with a 3 oz. portion, eat slowly, go back for seconds if still hungry.
vegetables: Minimum 2 cups.
We encourage you to include a serving of beans (1/3-1/2 cup) as part of your vegetables.

fruit: 1 fruit serving allowed daily (with this meal or other). Gradually increase to 3 total servings for the day.
starch: 1 starch serving allowed daily (with this meal or other). Gradually increase to 2 or 3 total servings for the day.
milk/dairy: 2-3 cups allowed daily (including yogurt)
Fat: 1 Tbsp mayonnaise, trans-free margarine or oil, or 2 Tbsp salad dressing


SNACKS AND DESSERT
Snacks and dessert are optional. Choose a protein, vegetable, fat-free plain yogurt, artificially sweetened non-fat flavored yogurt, nuts/seeds, or some of your Sweet Treat allowance. A snack that combines protein (1 oz.) and vegetables is encouraged.

SWEET TREATS
Sweet Treats are products that contain sugar alcohols. You can enjoy them throughout the day to satisfy your sweet tooth — just limit yourself to roughly 75 calories worth per day to avoid any GI distress.
See a list of Sweet Treat options here

BEVERAGES
Diet, decaffeinated, sugar-free drinks are not limited. You can enjoy caffeinated coffee or diet sodas with caffeine added, but limit to 1 - 2 servings per day.

[Alisonroad]

Hey thanks for posting that. I was going to ask the same question. Wednesday is my last day in Phase 1...and although I'm REALLY looking forward to my glass of wine (!), I'm really scared that I'll go crazy the first day and blow all of my progress in Phase 1.
Good luck....keep us posted on PHASE 2, as I may be needing advice from you when I get there myself!

[2of3]

Cheers for the tips. It certainly makes a bit more sense.

I've got 2 south beach books and neither of them spells it out . . . what you're supposed to add and how. I get the impression they want you to sign up to the website and pay $5 a week . . . They don't want you to be able to do it on your own.

I'd rather add the grain first 'cause it'll be something for breakfast. I beginning to hate eggs with a passion! One or 2 days all I ate was a piece of cheese and some tomato juice for breakfast because I couldn't stand the thought of more eggs. It's curbed my appetite!

Another reason why I prefer to add my grai first is 'cause I go to the gym first thing in the morning and breakfast is eaten at my desk and needs to be something quite transportable . . . like bread!

s3

[Judynyc]

IMHO...grain/flour/starch is/was the very last thing that I have added into my plan....and its the first thing to go when I see the scale stop moving.


Good Luck! :D

[2of3]

I thought the grain you could add could be in the form of multigrain bread or something like it. (Not that they sell multigrain bread in my local supermarket.)

[Judynyc]

If you have to have a grain in the morning, I would avoid flour at first and go with a whole grain cereal like old fashioned oatmeal.

Flour is a porblem for many people, me being one of them. If you have a slice of bread and still lose weight, then consider yourself lucky!! This is an experimental stage for all pf us and we do need to do it slowly so that we know which foods our body is reacting poorly to.

This is why its actually best to add one source of carb at a time :idea: ...if you add a fruit and grain and stop losing weight, how will you know if its the fruit or the grain?

But do what you feel is best for you....I'm just sharing my experience with you and I've been doing this now for 16 months. I've made all the mistakes and have lost 104 lbs eating this way. ;)

FWIW........Go sloooowwww!! :agree: :D

[2of3]

I think I may stick to phase 1 a bit longer . . .
Eggs for breakfast . . . yum! :Puke:

Tomorrow is my weigh-in and I'll know how much I've lost and how far I have to go!

2of3

[Alisonroad]

Omigosh, that barfy 'smilie" guy is hysterical!!!!
You just made my morning as I'm about to MAKE EGGS AGAIN!

[Judynyc]

I think I may stick to phase 1 a bit longer . . .
Eggs for breakfast . . . yum! :Puke:

Tomorrow is my weigh-in and I'll know how much I've lost and how far I have to go!

2of3
It is not recommended for a person of your weight, to stay in phase I longer than 2 weeks.
Only those with substantial amounts of weight to lose are advised that they can stay in phase I longer than 2 weeks.
Good Luck with your weigh in. :agree: :D

[2of3]

Weighed in this morning. I've lost about 2kg. so that leaves about 10kg to go (could take 10 weeks!!).

I'll have to do some measurements so I can monitor them instead.

Decided to play it safe with phase 2 and have only added 100g of fruit (strawberries and blueberries) to my daily diet.

s3